ParaNorman: A Beautiful Edge Apart

Paranorman started as an interesting, average movie I might have rented. When I left the theatre, it was up with Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers as some of the most entertaining cinema of the year.

At first glance, Paranorman is a cookie cutter alt-teen horror story. It's got all the tell tale signs: claymation, zombies, a loner hero, and plenty of so-so humor. But with some stunning visuals, a relatively edgy script and enjoyable voice acting, it becomes a movie with some punch.

Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Norman, an odd kid with the gift of gab... with dead people. Within the first ten minutes of meeting the main character, you notice a tinge of originality and quality to the film you may not have expected: Norman is portrayed (through voice and animation) as a real kid. He's not your overdone loner. He IS social, he's just tired of trying. He isn't jaded, he has a good grasp on the world.

Norman has a chance encounter with the over-the-top creepy Mr. Prenderghast (hillariously portrayed by John Goodman) when a curse comes to light: a witch is on her way to raise the dead and torment his town.

Paranorman is surprisingly story-heavy; you get a strong feel for the characters, how they interact, and by the end you care more for Norman than you do most characters like him.

Among some of the highlights that set ParaNorman apart include heavy morals (terrorism, prejudice and cruelty), an awkward love story between Norman's sister Courtney and Mitch (brilliantly dimwitted acting by Casey Affleck), and an incredibly shocking hint at the end to a rather adult point.

Speaking of which, a quick story: one character at the end hints vaguely at their homosexuality. That's right, not something you would expect but something fun to watch an audience soak in. It serves as a hilarious twist to a subplot near the end, and should be commended for its bravery.

Overall, ParaNorman is a surprisingly heavy and entertaining flick, beautifully animated and full of delightfully morbid moments and morals.

'Expendables 3' dream cast

With the success of "Expendables 2" apparent, the inevitable prospect of "Expendables 3" is probably already on the works.

Assuming they get everyone back, including Jet Li whose presence in "Expendables 2" is questionable, it's time to start thinking about which action stars to add to the cast for part three.

The obvious choice seems to be Steven Seagal but he seems too full of himself to man up for the fans. Besides he's so much of a d-bag he would bring down the fun, campy levels of the franchise.

Next up is Wesley Snipes, who would make a great bad guy for the team to go after. Of course, Snipes legal troubles make him currently unavailable, but producers may be willing to wait for him. Imagine the fun of another face off between he and Stallone.

Tim has heard rumors of Nicolas Cage, which I think could make the third one the best in the series. Cage is never better than when he goes full throttle crazy.

I think the movies need more female flavor and would love to see Linda Hamilton return to action legend status. If all our suggestions got picked up it would be a full on "Terminator" reunion.

Other names we've discussed include "American Ninja" Michael Dudikoff, Michael Pare, Michael Biehn and Stallone's ultimate opponent Mr. T (you know you've been dreaming of a rematch since "Rocky 3."

So who have we missed who would be perfect for "Expendables 3?"

'Why do we fall down Bruce? To get back up'

At times like these there aren't really words that can comfort or make sense of things. But there is something that those of us left behind can do. Stand up and don't be afraid.

Early in "Batman Begins" Thomas Wayne says to Bruce "Why do we fall down Bruce? To get back up."

That is how Batman lives his life, particularly in "The Dark Knight Rises." So maybe right now we should take our cues from Batman and his fellow superheroes and stand up to fear.

No matter what comic or movie they enjoy fans can agree the purpose of superheroes (Batman especially) is to inspire and show the world that it's not how you fall, it's how you get back up.

I've often been asked why I love heroes and comic books so much. The answer is because they represent the best of us. They are who we would like to be given the opportunity. They use their tragedies and fears for a better purpose.

Superman could have easily conquered the world with his powers, but he chooses to save it. Tony Stark builds the ultimate weapon and uses it to help others. And batman could have just been a billionaire playboy who spends his trust fund and never gets over his parents' death, but....he stood up

Batman is the story of a young boy who took the worst tragedy of his life and turned it into the inspiration to become a hero. Gotham City is a horrible place, and yet Bruce never stops believing it can be saved.

Every time The Joker breaks out of Arkham and terrorizes Gotham, Batman reminds them that one crazy criminal will not break his city.

So as corny as it may sound, it's time for us to remember that one disturbed individual does not influence how we live our lives. He committed a horrific crime that he will be punished for.

The grieving will take awhile, perhaps forever for some, but right now it's up to the rest of us to support the victims and their families and show them that it's safe to get back up, we've got their backs. 

 

The Dark Knight Rises- The Legend Overwhelms or does it?

It's been a long time coming but it finally came.

The third installment in the Batman film and the film to end the legend or so the billboards say. For Christopher Nolan's last piece-de-resistance in the caped crusader's saga, Nolan could have pulled out all the stops resulting in a full throttle type of film that is usually what summer blockbusters are made of. 

Does he do that?

So far, the Dark Knight Rise has attracted a hailstorm of hype, drama, speculation and tragedy. Ironically, mass shooting of Colorado moviegoers at the midnight showing of the film's opening night sadly costed lives and shattered the innocence of being able to attend a film to escape from the violence of the real world. And while, the tragedy will definitely overshadow most of the publicity surrounding the Dark Knight, how does the film stand up on its own, independent of its external circus.

Undoubtedly, Nolan is one of the greatest directors of this generation, he shows adroitness in creating film as well as reaching into the audience to create lasting impressions. What the Dark Knight Rises suffers from is in deed Nolan's greatness and the large shadow of the near-perfect cultural milestone that was the Dark Knight. And that film was the second centerpiece in the trilogy, leaving Nolan only so far where he can go.

The Dark Knight Rises clocks in around at 164 minutes and the film definitely feels long as it explores past the point of sufficient expository information, Bruce Wayne and the implications of Batman. Christian Bale, reprises his role and does one great job showing the vast layers of Wayne. What can be taken away from this film though is how much masochism Wayne/Batman endures at the hands of protecting Gotham, that's always been a crucial point in the Batman narrative but this film really dishes out the pain to our beloved hero and Nolan does not flinch, the violence is hard and real. With Bale's performance of Wayne/Batman fans may be asking themselves the greatest Batman question of them all: Which is the mask?

In the Dark Knight Rises, this is somewhat of the subtext as the film explores the aftermath of Batman's fall from grace in Gotham. The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after the Joker. Nolan treats TDKR very sober, shying away and completely avoiding the presence of the Joker and making the film a standalone from the prior film only related by liner points in time.

TDKR is ambitious and visually formidable, Nolan knows how to create awe-inspiring sequences of horror and ultra violence but for this film, the ultra violence and spasms of horror are stretched too thin across a movie that drags itself around by the third act. In some places the film, goes on necessarily long. Yet, Nolan keeps the audience at the seat of their edge with pop up shocks here and there to keep the plot moving.

For Batman fans, there is plenty to love, plenty to fall in love with. Yet again, for Batman fans the ghost of the second film manages to appear again and again in comparison. It's not that TDKR is a bad film, that is not the case at all. It is definitely enjoyable, definitely engrossing and worth the price of admission. However, when greatness is a bar set so high and almost unattainable, it's hard to stay consistent at such a high level.

There is so much to say about a film that has so much to say about the world we live in. The film tackles present day societal issues as they arise but it is how they are dealt with that might be more of a shock. Gotham is not isolated from the near class-warfare of the Occupy movement and this is reflected in the villain this time around, Bane.

Bane, as played by Tom Hardy is the villain after the Joker, a feat that is large and daunting. How does an actor inhabit a role that aims to surpass or to match a role that basically came to immortalize a performer? That's not an easy task. Hardy does his damnedest with his chiseled physique and British accent but Bane is hardly the villain that Gotham is asking for, rather Bane is just simply not that interesting to watch. There are no fireworks between Bane and Batman other than what has been hinted at in trailers.

Nolan manages without fail, to bring out the best in his actors, drawing out stellar performances. Lot has been said about Anne Hathaway as Catwoman / Selina Kyle. Hathaway did not blow me away. I went in expecting her to radiate a certain unhinged sexiness, a certain allure but Hathaway played Catwoman very safely and oh-so-very matter-of-factly. It was good but it was not enough to detract me away from seeing Hatthaway.

This review has gone on almost as long as the film itself, I don't want to throw in spoilers but rather want to leave with the lasting quip that this is not the best Batman film but it's not terrible or bad by any stretch of the imagination. Coming up short to perfect is nothing wrong.

Comic-Con 2012 Hall H madness

Stephanie at Comic-Con 2012 'Firefly' reunion panel

Stephanie at the Comic-Con 'Community' panel

My need to see "Spider-Man" is not so amazing

I like Spider-Man.

As a character, I enjoy him. I think the character, written correctly, is hilarious. I love that his coping mechanism is comedy. In the comics, he always steals the show with the best lines.

The last three movies? I didn't hate them. I had problems with the second and third films, but I still saw them.

Opening days in fact.

I have a comic book movie rule. I see all the big movies. Yes, there are exceptions. "Elektra," sorry.

All three previous "Spider-Man" films I saw as soon as I possibly could. I even braved horrible crowds to see the third one.

I love, love comics. I'm a huge nerd. I make it a point to not give anyone a reason to take my geek card away.

Then why is it that I really don't want to see "The Amazing Spider-Man?"

I didn't go to a midnight screening. I didn't call in sick to see it. I didn't leave work early to see it. As I type this, I've been off for three hours and have missed four screenings at the theater less than a mile from my house. I can literally walk there in 20 minutes.

Maybe a bit of it is anger. Sony isn't making this movie because they have a great idea. They're afraid of the rights going back to Marvel, so they're rebooting it. Yes, the last Spider-Man movie came out five years ago.

Add to that I just don't like the look. It doesn't LOOK good to me. I think the Lizard is a D-list Spider-Man villain at best.

Will I see it? Eventually. I'm in no rush.

Perhaps I'll wait for it to come out on Redbox.

ICFR! 'Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows,' lack of wits

It's too often that Hollywood sequels aim for what audiences like to see and not what audiences like to experience. It's even worse when they miss the mark completely.

This week,  "Sherlock  Holmes: Game Of Shadows" struck me as one of  these rare films: the offspring of a fantastic, intelligent and stylish adaptation that seems to have been locked in the closet and taking swings at a pinata that's not even in the damn room.

(I'm getting to the point. I promise) Even MORE astounding is that the original cast returns with the same director and they even added the fantastically undertoned work of Jared Harris (Mad Men) as Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' archnemisis. In a rather dry and flavorless movie, Harris adds a hint of deliciously peppered malice.
When Moriarty was hinted at (VERY much in the same vein as The Joker tease in "Batman Begins") in the original Sherlock  Holmes, I was ecstatic. I may be a novice in the world of Holmes, but any childhood nerd knows of the deadly battle of wits between Holmes and Moriarty.

Which brings me to my point: there's not much to fuel the fight in this movie. We open with a quick idea of the volatile political  environment that serves as a backdrop, but there's as much history mentioned between the two characters as there is behind a possible Bob Dylan/Justin Bieber duo album.

That is, of course, except for Moriarty dropping Rachel McAdams' character like she planned the Greek  economy. (Bieber AND political jokes? I'm on fire!)

So we're left with a somewhat aimless march through the paces. The paces being the things producers think will sell and NOT MUCH ELSE. Lots of stylish editing, lots of overly-charming banter, lots of chuckles. NOT. MUCH. ELSE.

Which left me wondering: where is the mystery? Where is the intrigue? Where is the incredible wit of Holmes and Watson?

It's been gutted and replaced with Watson and Holmes acting more like  Captain America (well, Captain England?)  without any super powers.

It seems that "Game Of Shadows" is a hollow attempt to keep  a franchise paletable to the general public by removing any chance of a truly chalenging mystery or compelling story.

'Superman vs. the Elite' updates classic comic story

One of the biggest questions that has always plagued comic book fans is why heroes don't just kill some super villains, instead of arresting them so they can come back and terrorize more citizens.

In the Superman story "What's so Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way" writer Joe Kelly introduces The Elite, a team of heroes who kill villains, becoming judge, jury and executioner. This idea does not sit well with the Man of Steel and a confrontation is inevitable.

In DC Animation's latest film "Superman vs. The Elite" Kelly brings his critically acclaimed story to life.

George Newbern returns to voice Superman, "NCIS" star Pauley Perrette is Lois Lane and accomplished voice actor Robin Atkin Downes is Manchester Black, leader of the Elite.

What makes the story so fascinating is that it poses very real questions in the guise of a fictional comic book world. For Kelly it was answering these questions that drove him to write the original comic.

"The germ for the story really came from a very visceral reaction I had to a comic I was reading at the time – 'The Authority.' It was a dark anti-hero comic," Kelly said.

"I really like the Authority and its characters, but there was an issue in particular that felt like it had pushed the boundaries of what makes a hero and what makes anti-hero. I found myself getting ‘fanboy mad,’ which I don’t normally get," Kelly continued. "We had an anniversary issue, and I asked Eddie (Berganza) if we could directly address those characters. I wanted Superman to take those characters on. And that became the germ for 'Action Comics 775.'"

Of course the original story was told in a single issue, so Kelly had to expand things a bit to fit a film script.

"We wrote a lot of new content for the film, and it was funny looking back at the comic because I forgot how much is discussed rather than shown. There’s so much going on between the panels," Kelly said. "It was very exciting to get to see the action sequences that were just hinted at. I’d always seen them in my head, now I get to see them played out in animation."

So does Kelly agree with The Elite's quick justice or Superman's more civilized ideals.

"I’m definitely more in the Superman camp. There are plenty of people I get angry about, and the eye-for-an-eye mentality does flash though my head. I think it does for anybody. But at the end of the day, I do believe we need to aspire to higher ideals. Maybe I’m being naive, and I may not be able to achieve those ideals myself, but we must make the attempt," he said.

"Superman vs. The Elite" is out on DVD and video on demand today.

Great Ideas Episode 15: Shark Boxing!

Sasha and Dan have returned! Great Ideas has a new episode available now.

This week, Dan and Sasha get deep on some of  the more interesting news stories of late including zombies, marijuana, Planned parenthood and children in pain!

Sounds funny, right? If you nodded at your computer screen like a mental patient, than you should CLICK  HERE!

MovieCats Episode 3: Snow White and the ZZZZZ

Heillo, Inscaped fans!

I bet you're wondering "Where can I find to slightly mentally unstable people who boil movies down to insane rants, then throw it out there in an amusing fashion?"

Well, I have an answer! The totally free and mostly  amusing Moviecats podcast! The new episode is available now and you can listen by CLICKING HERE.

Black Panther may join the fight

There's been plenty of rumors over the years that Marvel was greenlighting a Black Panther movie. However, the website Latino Review has report that says Black Panther will be Marvel's next big hero movie.

The idea certainly fits with Marvel's current franchise since the Black Panther has fought both with and against The Avengers.

Latino Review suggested "Red Tails'" Nate Parker for the role and while he might work as a young Panther, he wouldn't be believable as the King of Wakanda.

We've casted this role before and narrowed the choices down to Chiwetel Ejiofor or Idris Elba. Of course now that Elba is Heimdall in "Thor" he's out of the running.

Ejiofor is the only actor who can realistically pull off T'Challa's mix of royal gravitas, scientific genius and badass warrior. Plus he has to be able to hold his own with Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson.

Not to mention the Black Panther has a long romance with and eventually marries Ororo Munroe a.k.a Storm. So even though it will never occur on screen, this is the man who will end up with Halle Berry.

Parker couldn't certainly work in a smaller role but Ejiofor is the only logical choice.

The Theron of Them All : Snow White and The Huntsman

I wanted to really sink my teeth into the dark fairytale of Snow White and The Huntsman. But I couldn't and for the reason simply being there was not enough to sink into.

The film, started with great promise, lush and dark colors hinting that this would be the grimmest retelling of the story and not the high-camp-fluff of the Julia Roberts clone Mirror, Mirror. No, this had serious actors, like Charlize Theron, Ian McShane, Nick Frost, THOR (Chris Hemsworth) and of course, K-Stew.

This. Is. A. Serious. Movie, Guys.

Despite its early promise, a really cool breaking out of the evil castle scene done by Snow White, the movie gets stuck right when things should pick up. For starters, Kirsten Stewart was miscast. That is one of the pivotal sins of this movie and I saw this hoping that Stewart would break free from her Bella rut of passivity and one-note facial expressions, but oh no, I was wrong. Instead from time to time, I could have sworn I was watching Twilight and that's not a good thing. The character for Snow White and the Huntsman is ideally a feminist character (note: ideally) and she's supposed to be unlike that other Snow White who waits around waiting for her prince to come... someday. Nope, not this one. Our new Snow White jumps out of castles, yells, runs in armor, slashes faces, coming for the throne all the while remaining painfully awkward and still, waiting for someone more equipped to do the rest of the job, like fighting the bad guys and oh yeah, ripping her own dress.

At one moment, in a bizarre rallying cry, she inspires her legion of followers to uprise against the evil Queen, Ravenna but all she can muster is "use me as a weapon!"

What? Use YOU?  Um, no.

And while it would be easy to blame Stewart for the lag in Snow White and Huntsman its essentially the writing that does more damage than any poisoned apple could. It's clunky and trope-o-rific, Snow White is the destine one, her beauty is pure and innocent, she is pure and innocent and repeat. As you can see there is little character development here.

However, all is not lost in the dark forest. While Stewart may be the odd choice, supporting actors in this movie really do carry the film and carry they do try. Theron is magnificent, cruel and oh so glamorous in couture pieces that most fashionistas would froth over. The evil queen has complexity and makes for good screen time whenever we see Theron and her icy eyes. She radiates evil and contempt for men all the while devouring the youth of virginal peasant girls. Part of the premise of Snow White makes for good feminist critique: only the purest and fairest can defeat Ravenna? Yet, Ravenna's tragedy is that the very same qualities that were ideal for her success are also her tools for destruction. Despite Theron's candor, there is still room for improvement, Theron's evil queen is decidedly evil but makes too much of a show by screaming how evil she is. What's more, with such a stellar performance from Theron is the audience really expected to believe that Stewart is the fairest among them?

Running at an almost over-indulgent 2 hours, Snow White and The Huntsman manages to delivers the goods on special effects (price of admission for the Dark Forest and a screen by screen rip off of Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke) Braveheart and Lord of the Rings fantasy and war portions with a healthy dose of cross-cultural European influences with a decidedly American cast.  It's not the grimmest it should have been or could have been, the potential is staggering in the first half and loses its cool during the second right around when we see Ravenna lose hers. In time for the onslaught of the summer blockbusters, its good but not great, dark but not sinister, plausible but not convincing. But most damning of all, new but not revelatory.

'Les Miserables' trailer finally premieres

When it was first announced a screen version of the classic Broadway musical "Les Miserables" longtime fans were excited but a little skeptical.

Now that the trailer has premiered, it's all excitement. Famous scenes are played out against Anne Hathaway performing the show stopper "I Dreamed A Dream."

High school drama geeks (including me) the world over are rejoicing right now.

'Chernobyl Diaries:' 'The Hills Have Eyes' in Russia too!

Few things hurt me more than getting into a movie, investing myself in the characters and turning off the cynicism, just to have it all come back to bite me in the ass. So is the case of "Chernobyl Diaries."

Let me get this out before I lose my mind on this "movie:" "Chernobyl Diaries," as far as the first 45-60 minutes goes, is a great movie.

The cast has amazing chemistry; Jesse McCartney and  Johnathan Sadowski play brothers who have met up in Russia with friends and end up on an impromptu "extreme tourism" trip to an area outside Chernobyl. During this stretch of the film, you get to know the characters, their relationships and learn to love how real they are drawn. Even Yuri, the tour guide, could have come across overly Russian, but is done in a way that you find yourself enjoying the  trip as much as the group themselves.

Trouble begins for the group when they  become stranded in the deserted city with the threat of  wild animals and strange nosies. Over the next day and a half, it becomes a taught, atmospheric survival story with sparse horror themes.

Trouble begins  for the AUDIENCE shortly after. When it becomes apparent  there  is more at play than simple  survival, the movie starts reaching into the toy box of derivative bullshit that makes you cringe. The culmination of the horrible descent into B-grade horror is when the survivors make their way through tunnels modeled much like a haunted house. One of the survivors dumps juxtiposition on us like Eric Cartman at Casa Bonita.

(QUICK NOTE: Other than Oren Peli, who I still give innovative credit to, the other listed writers include Carey and Shane van Dyke. You may know them from their work on "Paranormal Entity," "Titanic 2" and "MEGAPYTHON VS. GATOROID." I shit you not.)

By the end  of  the movie, you can't be sure if the filmmakers are shooting for a twist or if they are just too lazy to finish like an 80 year old man with diabetes on his fifth plate at Hometown Buffet.

In defense of 'Bob's Burgers'

Cause child labor laws are pretty unnecessary

I'm not too big on broadcast television but when it comes to cartoons, I can get a little passionate.

The problem is that, these days,  it's hard to get into anything new without disregarding the given flaw that it either comes out of the "Family Guy" or "Simpsons" cookie cutter.

"Bob's Burgers" isn't immune to this reduction, but it certainly makes a case for itself and justifies being renewed, as Stephanie posted. A week ago, I saw a commercial for "Bob's Burgers" and thought "Yay. Another cartoon for Fox to shove down people's throats Sunday night."

Then I began mainlining Season 1 and wasn't only surprised, but pleasantly surprised. This may look and sound like another Fox cartoon from the commercial but it's actually a witty, character-heavy chucklefest.

The cast displays the comedy you're getting: H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Home Movies) plays the main character and owner of the title restaurant, Bob. With the help of his three kids and slightly out of touch wife Tina (Dan Mintz), Bob runs a mom-and-pop burger place in a downtown city filled with interesting characters, rivalries and shemale prostitutes.

His children are played with slight mental disorders by comedians John Roberts (socially inept Linda), Kristen Schaal (sociopath Louise) and the hillarious Eugene Mirman (Assburger's Syndrome candidate Gene).

The usual plotlines are less like the "Simpsons" and "Family Guy" (A slight story vehicle that only exists for jokes) and more along the lines of an adult "Hey Arnold" (a story about local city characters with some grim truth) if Arnold grew up, had kids and kinda hated life.

The jokes also land a bit better than the two larger comedies. The depth of each punchline doesn't slide off like "Family Guy" and isn't as shallow as the celebrity-depraved Simpsons have become (I gave up after season 12). Instead, the cast delivers gems like this interaction between the kids:

Louise: If we want to be real artists, we need to cut off someone's ear!

Linda: I need my ears, I have glasses.

Louise: (to Gene) What's your excuse?

Gene: Don't have one! HAVE AT IT!

Luckily, despite poorly reported ratings, Fox has renewed "Bob's Burgers" for a second season, giving it an opportunity to get the following it deserves.

In a world of two cartoon parties, there's finally a chance for a third party... and intelligent party... to take hold.

CBS sticks to the script, adds more crime

More than any other network CBS knows who it is and who's its audience. Once again the schedule is procedural heavy, but if it ain't broke. The only major move is "Two and a Half Men" to Thursday at 8:30 p.m. following "The Big Bang Theory." This could create a ratings block the other networks have no answer for.

Monday:
8 p.m. "How I Met Your Mother"
8:30 p.m. "Partners" - Michael Urie and David Krumholtz are lifelong best friends and business partners who must bring their new lovers into their very co-dependent realtionship. Brandon Routh and Sofia Bush play the significant others.
First Impression: If it sounds like "Will & Grace" that's by design because it's from the creators/executive producers of the NBC hit. This could fit in nicely with CBS' comedy juggernaut, but it all depends on the chemistry between Urie and Krumholtz.


9 p.m. "2 Broke Girls"
9:30 p.m. "Mike and Molly"
10 p.m. "Hawaii Five-0

Tuesday:
8 p.m. "NCIS"
9 p.m. "NCIS: Los Angeles"
10 p.m. "Vegas" - Dennis Quaid is the cowboy sheriff in 1960s Las Vegas where he must try to keep the peace as rival mob families take over. Michael Chiklis is the newest crime boss in town and Carrie-Ann Moss is Quaid's love interest.
First Impression: Quaid is the definition of leading man and Chiklis is at his best when he's playing a tough guy. Add in the '60s period and this could be CBS' newest crime hit.


Wednesday:
8 p.m. "Survivor"
9 p.m. "Criminal Minds"
10 p.m. "CSI"

Thursday:
8 p.m. "The Big Bang Theory"
8:30 p.m. "Two and a Half Men"
9 p.m. "Person of Interest"
10 p.m. "Elementary" - Sherlock Holmes is updated to modern day New York in this new take on the classic detective. "Eli Stone" star Jonny Lee Miller is the new Holmes and Lucy Liu is his counterpart Joan Watson. Yes Watson is a woman.
First Impression: Full disclosure time. I'm in love with Steven Moffat's "Sherlock" and think the chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman can't be matched. "Sherlock" is both critically successful and very popular so "Elementary" can't avoid the comparisons, they can only hope to contain them. Curiosity and a strong timeslot will drive ratings, however, not sure if those qualities can help it top an already immpeccable update.


Friday:
8 p.m. "CSI: NY"
9 p.m. "Made in Jersey" - British actress Janet Montgomery is a very New Jersey lawyer who joins an upscale Manhattan law firm and uses her street smarts to win cases. Kyle Maclachlan is her boss and Stephanie March is another lawyer in the firm.
First Impression: Could be a fun Friday night diversion if they don't go overboard with the New Jersey fish out of water concept.
&lt

10 p.m. "Blue Bloods"

Sunday:
7 p.m. "60 Minutes"
8 p.m. "The Amazing Race"
9 p.m. "The Good Wife"
10 p.m. "The Mentalist"

The No. 1 question to look out for is "The Good Wife" vs. "Revenge" match up Sunday night. Those first few weeks of ratings should be interesting. Also CBS needs to start thinking about its future because the "CSI" franchise, "The Mentalist" and "Two and a Half Men" are obviously all in their last few seasons, so its time to start rebuilding.

Up next: Cable and The CW

Donna Summer: 1948-2012

The music world lost another game changing legend when the Queen of Disco Donna Summer died May 17 at the age of 63 after battling cancer.

Summer's powerful mezzo-soprano voice helped her gain fame in the 1970s with chart-topping hits like "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls" and "Last Dance."

Perhaps disco's biggest star, her career had its ups and downs but her songs remained in constant play on classic radio stations and in nightclubs. Even today most dance clubs still end the evening with "Last Dance."

Her influence can be heard in the popularity of acts like Rhianna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, and in the endless stream of young girls singing her songs on "American Idol," "The X Factor" and "The Voice."

To celebrate her legacy, here are the songs every Donna Summer fan should have on their playlist.








And of course one "Last Dance" with the "Queen of Disco."

FOX decides it's not broken, doesn't change much

Fox announced its Fall 2012-2013 schedule early this morning, keeping its current layout largely intact. The only major change was the move of "Glee" from its Tuesday 8 p.m. timeslot to Thursday at 9 p.m. This will put the once powerful, but recently struggling dramedy in "Grey's Anatomy" territory, setting up fall's most interesting battle.

Monday:

8 p.m. "Bones"

9 p.m. "The Mob Doctor" - Jordana Spiro is a surgeon on the rise who must pay off her brother's debt by secretly becoming the mafia's personal general practioner. The supporting cast includes Zach Gilford, William Forsythe and Zelko Ivanek.

First Impression: Spiro has always been a charming lead and Forsythe as the mob boss is perfect casting. This premise has been tried before but the strength of this cast could make this the incarnation that works.

Tuesday:
8 p.m. "Raising Hope"
8:30 p.m. "Ben and Kate" - A serious minded single mom reconnects with her immature, well meaning brother in this comedy that co-stars Nat Faxon and Dakota Johnson.
First Impression: On paper it sounds generic, but Faxon's charm and his chemistry with Johnson make this a worth a few watches.
9 p.m. "New Girl"
9:30 p.m. "The Mindy Project" - "The Office" alum Mindy Kaling gets her own show as a OB/GYN who loves romantic comedies and thinks life should be more like the movies. Ed Weeks and Chris Messina play her colleagues and possible love interests.

First Impression: Kaling was always one of the best parts of "The Office," but her character here seems like she could get a little annoying. However, her past work buys her at least three chances.

Wednesday:
8 p.m. "The X Factor" (fall) "American Idol" (midseason)

Thursday:
8 p.m. "The X Factor Results" (fall) "American Idol Results" (midseason)
9 p.m. "Glee"

Friday:
8 p.m. "Touch"
9 p.m. "Fringe"

Sunday:
7:30 p.m. "The Cleveland Show"
8 p.m. "The Simpsons"
8:30 p.m. "Bob's Burgers"
9 p.m. "Family Guy"
9:30 p.m. "American Dad"

Midseason:

"The Goodwin Games" - Scott Foley, Becki Newton and Jake Lacy as siblings who reconnect while fulfilling the absurd rules of their father's will. Created/executive produced by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas ("How I Met Your Mother") and co-starring Beau Bridges as the Goodwins.
First Impression: Has the unique qualities of HIMYM and established TV veterans like Foley and Newton, but also seems like it could be too different and not find an audience.

"The Following" - James Purefoy is a infamous serial killer who escapes from prison and Kevin Bacon is the former FBI agent who captured him and must now come out of retirement to figure why he escaped and recapture him.
First Impression: Looks like a promising, dark thriller. Plus it's Kevin Bacon!

FOX is sticking with what has worked for them, while building off of last season's breakout hit "New Girl." It will be interesting to see how the "Glee" move works out.

Up next: ABC