Let me start by saying that I put my love of Britney Spears in the same closet as my love for the British Monarchy.  I don’t know why I love them so, but I can’t help it.  It’s fundamental to my existence.  Therefore it made perfect sense to go and see Britney when she toured Australia.

HUBBY and I attended the show on Wednesday 11 November at Rod Laver Arena.   A few days prior to the concert the papers were going nuts with opinions about her miming her show.  My personal belief, you charge for people to see you ‘live’ you sing live.  If you’re dance routines are going to be so hectic that you need to use backing tracks than I expect to see a damn good show and it would be expected that this information be put in the ticket details.

It’s hard to be objective about the show as I’d been fortunate enough to see Pink in concert a few months before hand.  For starters the ticket to Pink was a quarter of the price to see Britney and the seats were three times better.  Now, Pink and Britney are two completely different performing animals, but you can’t help but draw parallels between the shows.

Pink was engaging, full of energy, animated and physically dominate.  Britney seemed to be going through the motions.  She address the audience twice, both times the audio was hard to understand and it was short lived.  As a member of the audience I left the Pink concert feeling like I’d gotten a glimpse of Pink the person and the artist.  I left Britney’s show feeling like I’d just paid to see the Dolphin Show at Seaworld.

There were claims leaking from the Perth show that she spent a lot of time with her back to the audience.  Well, it’s true she did, but lets be fair the stage was large and they were trying to perform to every seat in the house.  The choreographers definitely tried to give all people a view of the show.  However this meant that there was a lot of time spent moving from one stage mark to another.

There were also claims that you didn’t see much of her on the big screen.  I don’t think this claim is founded in reality.  The use of the big screens was great.  A real mix of the live performance and pre-recorded videos.  It’s a shame that Britney’s performance on stage flagged in comparison between the pre-recorded moves and the live show.  The inclusion of Perez Hilton made me chuckle, and the use of the big countdown clock worked really well to get the audience excited.

The dance routines had moments of brilliance which were rewarded with much love from the audience.  I really enjoyed the routine for “Piece of Me” (which is included below).  However at times it felt like Britney was dancing around her handbag in a nightclub; just marking time before she moved on to the next set piece.  She seemed lost somehow. When you see some of the footage of the show from other concerts it may be easier to speculate that she was just having a bad night.  Obviously dealing with jet lag, her boys turning up, the bad press from Perth and life in general; and you can forgive someone a little for that.

There were sparks of Britney.  Sparks of the performer that you saw early on in her career and in the entertainment media.  When she’d smile her face was like  a beacon.  It was easy to understand why people feel so drawn to her.  But those moments were few and far between. I think I would have been more forgiving if she’d interacted with the audience more.  Showed some of the southern belle sweetness she’s known for.

The costuming at times left something to be desired.  If I was Britney I’d be asking questions of the designers – do they hate her?  They were not flattering to a body that’s had two children in quick succession and enjoyed it’s far share of Starbucks and Drive-Thru meals.  She’s skinny, but she’s not toned.  Pink was ripped.  When she did the belly moves nothing moved, it was tight.  Unfortunately there were times when Britney could have been mistaken for doing the truffle shuffle.  Costuming that made advantage of nude lycra and supportive construction would have made a world of difference.  Even something that was flattering to her body shape would have made a world of difference.  She’s not Beyonce so she’s not going to be able to pull off the current one piece fashion trend like Beyonce can.  Sometimes less really is more.

It’s hard to separate Britney the paparazzi version and the entertainment version.  I don’t know how she manages to get out of bed everyday in a world that is constantly hounding her.  How can she step back and prepare for her tours when she can’t get a moments peace.  As much as I love hearing about Britney, I think there should be legislation passed globally that puts restraints around what the paparazzi can and cannot do while stalking a star.  It’s mental and it’s a vicious circle.  Everyone’s looking to say how she’s failing at life, and I’ll admit that the perception of her show suffers for this.  However, I think for me it boils down to ticket price.  I don’t feel like I got value for money. (Especially when there was no encore… who doesn’t do an encore?  People expect an encore.  People don’t expect to have the house lights turned on and everything come to a holt!)

I can’t stress enough – I really wanted this show to rock.  I wanted to be Dazzled just like Edward did to Bella.  But I wasn’t.  I did find that I wanted to rush the stage and give her a big hug and tell her that everything will work out and not to listen to the critics.  I’ve got the pound puppy rescue mentality something shocking when it comes to Britney.  In my head she’s this sweet person that’s just trying to make it in a crazy world.  Even if a fifth of what you read or hear about her is true, no one should have to deal with that sort of scrutiny or invasion.  But no amount of personal wishing and hoping for her to have a better time of it makes up for the fact that I traveled interstate to  see an average show.

Britney would benefit from seeing Bette Middler in show.  I paid marginally more per ticket to see the Divine Miss M in concert a few years ago and I left that show feeling like I’d been dazzled.  She interacted with the audience.  She could belt out a tune.  The costuming and choreography was amazing.   The stage wasn’t massive for an arena show, but they made such good use of it.  Even the cheap seats (which weren’t that cheap!) felt like they got a diamond class performance.  That’s what my ticket price for Britney had me expecting and it fell short of that.

Don’t get me wrong, overall the show was good.  I always enjoy hearing her music and it was great to see her in the flesh.  The support performers were amazing and breath taking.  The sets had some interesting concepts for moving around, making the transition between themes and utilizing the space.  Would I rank it in my top ten concerts of all time?  Unfortunately not.  I can’t help but feel like I paid just to be able to say I saw Britney Spears, when I really wanted to be able to say I saw Britney Spears kick ass, take names and prove her critics wrong!

Dr House would be a fan of Lie to Me.  The premise is that people lie, and those lies can be identified through the traits of the human body.  Both shows are produced by the Fox Network, and the synchronicity is not lost on the Network.

The similarities don’t stop at the life views, both shows are headed by British actors.  Tim Roth, who’ll forever be Mr Orange from Reservoir Dogs, stars as Dr Cal Lightman. Roth plays this role with just enough smug that you love him for all the reasons you love Dr House.  But that love is fleeting.  Unlike House, Roth lacks the sarcasm, cynicism and comedic timing that Hugh Laurie brings to the role of Dr House. Lucky then that he has his British charm to fall back on, you just have to stick with the show for that charm to come through as it’s not as apparent in the first episode. 

Just like House this show relies on it’s ensemble cast and their interactions.  Fox describes the ensemble in the following terms:

Lightman heads a team of experts at The Lightman Group who assist federal law enforcement, government agencies and local police with their most difficult cases. Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) is a gifted psychologist and Lightman‘s professional partner who brings balance to the partnership by looking at the bigger picture while Lightman focuses on the details. He needs her guidance and insight into human behavior, whether he knows it or not. Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) is Lightman’s lead researcher, who is so uncomfortable with the human tendency to lie that he’s decided to practice what he calls “radical honesty.” He says everything on his mind at all times and often pays the price. Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) is the newest member of the agency, and one of the few “naturals” in the field of deception detection. She has a raw, untrained ability to read people that makes her a force to be reckoned with.

There’s the formulaic attraction between Lightman and Foster who obviously share a past.  There’s the tension between Lightman and his protege Torres.  Loker provides his own dynamic between the four of them through his application of “radical honesty”, and you know it’s only a matter of time before he’s involved in some love triangle.

There’s a reason these relationships are repeated in shows, when the actors have skills these are the relationships that keep bringing audiences back.  Everyone loves the chase.  Only one problem, it’s hard for a show to prolong the inevitable.  Viewers want to see the hook-ups.  However, just like in real life they often get bored once the chase has ended and they move on to something else.   It will be interesting to see whether Lie to Me can keep it’s viewers while progressing the story lines where they need to go.

Lie to Me also seems to be benefiting from the effects of long running shows ending and actors transitioning from the big screen to the small screen.  The list of cameo’s on the show reads like a television who’s who.  Of note are the appearance of Mekhi Phifer (Played Dr. Gregory Pratt in ER), Clea DuVall (Played FBI Agent Audrey Hanson in Heroes), Sean Patrick Thomas (Played Alan Townsend in Reaper) and Jenifer Beals (Played Bette Porter in The L Word).  It brings an extra element of excitement to a show when it can land some notable faces to it’s lineup.

The soundtrack also hits some runs of it’s own in this production.  I always get a little excited when Australian bands get a feature.  The inclusion of  Crowded House‘s Four Seasons in One Day did illicit a little squeal of delight.  (And yes, I’m claiming the New Zealand born members of Crowded House as Australians!)

By far my favourite inclusion in the show is the use of media imagery to back up the facial analysis.  The show plays particular attention to Bill Clinton and his infamous “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” speech.  There were chuckles in our house with the inclusion of Barack O’bama and his “unconscious agression” portrayed in this image.  (He was talking about Senator Hilary Clinton at the time.)

It makes you wonder how much time was spent deliberating the possible legal ramifications for implying certain emotions and the factual accuracy of actual people.  Either way, I’m glad they’ve included them.

Overall the series has taken an interesting field of study and applied the tried and true drama formula that seems to be working at the moment.  It’s not groundbreaking, despite the field of study, but it’s entertaining and at the end of the day that’s all you can really ask for in a television series.  Will it have longevity, I don’t think so but the couple of seasons that we get of it will be good watching – trust me.

Mission: 15 minutes to cook a casserole for two using Leggo’s Italian Beef Casserole Simmer Sauce.

Accomplice: Alivicwil

Materials:

• Leggo’s Italian Beef Casserole Simmer Sauce
• 300g Diced Beef
• 1 cup of sliced Zucchini

That’s it.  Unless you want to serve it with mash potatoes, rice or bread.  If you want it to be accompanied by some complex carbohydrates you’ll need to acquire the needed materials and prepare to your liking. I’ve chosen to go with a simple mash.

Obsticles: George & Tyson

Time starts now…

When Alivicwil arrives get her straight on to kitchen duty.  A word to the wise, you’ll need to keep a close eye on her as she gets easily distracted by shiny things and the internet! To help keep her focused, and us amused, we decided to put VH1′s Karaoke on in the background.  Everything in life is better with sing-a-long to Abba!

To give you a little taste of the magic that Leggo’s inspires in our house – I give you the gnome and Alivicwil performing to Abba…

Ok, so that might have been from Muriel’s Wedding, but it was very close to that in our kitchen! (Minus the cat fight.)

Back to the task at hand.  As Alivicwil had purchased rump steak it needed be diced.  Lucky for us Alivicwil is skilled with a knife… and a fork?!?!

It’s at this point that I’m reminded of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine catches her boss eating a Snickers with a knife and fork. It’s also at this point that George and Tyson decided they would try and wear Alivicwil down and get some steak love.

What they hadn’t counted on was Alivicwil‘s skill at knife throwing.  (Well she’s not so much throwing as “dancing”.)

Once everything is prepped it’s really simple.  You just brown the meat and throw together the vegetables with the Leggo’s Italian Beef Casserole Simmer Sauce.

We made mash potato at the same time that our casserole was simmering.  Once it was all done and ready Alivicwil then gave it the old Master Chef touch and plated it up.

The meal was surprisingly tasty.  Given that one of the best things about a casserole is the amount of time the flavours have to soak into the meat and become one with the sauce.  The Leggo’s Italian Beef Casserole Simmer Sauce seems to come with that goodness already in the packet.  We added carrots to the mix as it’s a bit light on the vegetable side of things, and they were a yummy addition.  Good thinking, Alivicwil

The real question is did we succeed in making it all in under 15 minutes.  No, end-to-end it took 30 minutes.  With the mash potato side dish we needed the extra time, and really you couldn’t have this meal without some type of accompaniment.  I think the extra simmer time also came in handy, it just gives the zucchini and carrot time to soften up.

We may have flunked on the time component of the mission, but we ended up with a really yummy meal that I would happily make again.  Even George ended up with a little Leggo’s Italian Beef Casserole Simmer Sauce magic of her own…

♣ This post was sponsored by NuffNang.

I was never an X-Files fan, in fact until I started watching Californication I wasn’t even a David Duchovny fan, but something happened half way through the first episode of Season One.  I understood on a molecular level why people raved about the X-Files, it’s the charm of Duchovny.  Showtime have played to his strengths in this series where art seems to immitate life.

Californication centers on the life of author Hank Moody and as the website says:

Famed novelist & NYC transplant Hank relocates to LA after his acclaimed book is optioned, but it later becomes a crappy romantic comedy, which sparks a horrible case of writer’s block. He’s struggling to get his career back on track with the help of his agent/best friend, raise his pre-teen daughter, all while pining for his ex-girlfriend. It may sound desperate, but he enjoys life and owns all his various vices — drink, drugs and women — with a refreshing sense of honesty and unapologetic candor. He’s holding it together while falling apart, and he doesn’t mind it one bit.

I had avoided the series when it first started on free-to-air television because I’d heard about the opening scene and it didn’t seem like something I wanted to watch.  But as each episode aired on Australian television the ground swell seemed to get louder, so when I saw it on special in JB HiFi I took a chance.

I love it when a gamble pays off.

The series is so well written, the cast is combustible and the styling is sub zero cool.  The relationships are fundamental to the success of this series.  While Hank may drive the stories it’s the support cast that give him something to riff off.  His relentless pursuit of his soul mate, who also happens to be the mother of his child and the fiancee of another man, is central to the vices that drive him.  The sex, drugs and rock n roll that so many critics choose to focus on is not, thankfully, the focus of this story.   While the sex and drug use is quite spectacular, it’s used to demonstrate the length that we will go to as a society to mask, deny, quieten and cover our own demons.  A commentary on society which I believe can be hard to see when you’re on your moral high horse.

Hank’s use of sex as a crutch to his writer’s block and lost love is what leads him down the rabbit hole.  Each encounter he has seems to be like a ripple in his own pond – the women just keep popping up at the most inopportune times.  It’s one of the things that makes this series so interesting and compelling.  You just never know where his dick is going to take us.

His best friend, with the unfortunate name of Charlie Runkle (fans of Sex and the City may recognise Evan Handler), has tried so hard to get Hank to straighten up.  Not only because he’s his agent, but because he wants to get back to the utopia that he believes they once had.  The thing is Charlie doesn’t have that utopia, his marriage is suffering from a sexual lull and his wife is looking to spice things up.  It’s a shame that Charlie’s friendship with Hank seems to be flavouring some of his decisions.  The Runkle’s story is as much a part of the series as Hank’s.  On the outside they seem to have it all, but really they’re just struggling to find their way like the rest of us.  They’re just using drugs and kinky sex to do it.

I think my favourite relationship in the series is between Hank and his daughter, Becca.   While she’s only 13 she’s often the voice of reason in the Moody house.  She’s the kind of kid I wished I had been, only without the dysfunctional family she lives with.  Although I suspect you can’t have one without the other.  Her personality and views are so strong that you can be forgiven for thinking she’s the real adult of the pack.  The one constant love for Hank is his daughter.  Unlike his love for his soul mate Karen, it keeps him truly grounded.  He’s not inclined to take flights of fantasy where his daughter is concerned, which is one of the reasons his character is so endearing and as the audience you’re willing to forgive him his mistakes.

As the series has moved into its second season the characters have also started to show more of their history and personalities.  Season One was so strong, it was hard to see where they could go from with the shock and awe but writer Tom Kapinos has hit his stride.  Tom Kapinos wrote and produced for Dawson’s Creek.  We can certainly say he’s a long way from the Creek with this series, although the intellectual dialogue and the four syllable words that made Dawson’s Creek a cult classic are evident.

In Season Two we see more of the Runkle family and we get a peek into the realisation of one of Hank’s long standing dreams.  There’s a new character, and with it some new situations that can only be described as modern day Shakespearean.  I’m hooked and I’m desperately hanging out for Season Three.  If you’re looking for something to take a chance on, try betting on Californication – it’s as close to a sure thing as one can get these days.

Let me just start by saying: I am not a trekkie!  With that said, I was absolutely hanging to see this movie and I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s hard to escape the legend that has become Captain James T. Kirk, and in turn William Shatner.  However, this film has managed to crawl out from underneath the mountain of Star Trek folk lore to deliver something contemporary and in a class of it’s own.  It didn’t hurt that J.J. Abrams directed either.

The plot is strong and addresses the obvious timeline issues, as well as setting the franchise up for even more installments.  You have to admire the smart business that has been employed with the release of this film.  It’s made a franchise that has been classically the domain of the “nerd” more mainstream and therefore increased revenue.  It would have been easy for the Studio to phone this in – let the brand suck people in, take their money and give them two hours of over the top production and crap script a la Star Wars.  So it’s refreshing to get a film that is determined in it’s vision and doesn’t insult the viewer.

The cast is strong, and while they give a nod to their predecessors they manage to make their roles their own.  As Captain Kirk, Chris Pine has a lot resting on his shoulders.  He manages to step away from William Shatner‘s portrayal and stamp his own flavour on the womanising space cowboy.  It doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes as well!

The other character that people will be watching to see how true to the original it is, is Spock.  The pressure falls on the shoulders of Zachary Quinto.  Not only does he have to live up to the original, but he has to shake his cast typing as Sylar.  It’s a big ask, especially when the original Spock will be your co-star.   I think he manages rather well.  He seems to bring a level of emotion to the role that may have been lacking in the original Star Trek, which is ironic given that the character is supposed to be emotionless due to his race.

The ensemble cast is strong, with stand out performances from Karl Urban as Bones and Simon Pegg as Scotty.  Which is lucky, as this film really rests on the relationships between the crew and their captain.  As this is the first in what one can easily assume will be a line of films, the film gives a good amount of time to establishing the relationships.  It doesn’t make the mistake of assuming that all viewers will be die hard fans of the franchise, which is brilliant.

The only criticism I have about the script is the treatment of Nero, who is played by the wonderful Eric Bana.  In an attempt to build the premise of the movie it tends to suffer from a quick telling.  You’re not given a chance to really invest in the evil that Nero represents.  He just becomes an androgynous bad guy, despite Eric Bana being one bad looking mofo.

Eric Bana isn’t the only Australian connection in this film.  George Kirk, the father of Captain James T. Kirk, is played by Chris Hemsworth.  Australian’s will know him from Home and Away.  The resemblance to Chris Pine is remarkable, and one of the better casting choices when it comes to demonstrating genealogical links.  Another interesting casting choice was the use of Jennifer Morrison, Dr Allison Cameron from House M.D, as Winona Kirk. Along with Jennifer Morrison the appearance of Winona Ryder also provided some frenzied whispering in the theatre.  It’s always nice to play “guess the actor/actress” during a movie.

Unlike other movies that have relied heavily on the use of special effects, the cast and writing has not been overshadowed by the production qualities.  The effects, set and costuming complement the story and stand true to the original movies and television series.  Which in itself is a minor feat of brilliance given the decades of technological development that span this franchise.

In a time when Studio’s are insulting the movie going public left and right with crap that they sell as brilliance, it’s a nice surprise to be excited by a movie and not be disappointed.  If you’re going to take out a mortgage to go to the movies, make sure you see this film!

I really wanted to like this movie.  However, the bad writing stole my ability to overlook the cliches and bad directing.  It seemed like such a winning combination.  Matthew McConaughey has become a staple in the chick flick genre.  He’s got the looks, the cheeky smile and the comic timing to be the fixer upper lead man that every woman wants to love.  Jennifer Garner is the quintessential girl next door.  Even with Michael Douglas playing a pre-Catherine version of himself, the cast can’t save this film.

The premise is a good one.  A little like What Women Want combined with Failure to Launch. However the plot is rushed, and you’re never given a chance to believe that the relationship between the leads is enough to make this playboy change his spots.  Even the supporting actors seem to miss the mark.  The attempts at setting up tear jerker moments seem contrived and don’t add any credibility to the fact that Connor Mead is worth saving.  Adding to the lack of authenticity of the roles is the fact that Mead is the same last name as Ugly Betty‘s lead men which, for those of us that watch a lot of film and television, adds further distraction.

Jennifer Garner is the only saving grace in this film.  It’s hard not to like her, despite the terrible script.  She brings a certain charm to her scenes and definitely upstages those around her.  It’s hard not to envy Ben Affleck his good fortune in calling this woman his wife.  Yet her performance alone is not enough to save this film.

Hollywood needs to stop insulting the romance lovers with this formulaic attempt to make money by trading on big names.  It takes a lot more then a great set of dimples to make an endearing chick flick.  If you can, wait till it comes to the small screen.  It’s easier to be more forgiving of this films failings when you’re not paying $18 for a ticket, plus $30 for a drink and popcorn!

(Those stars belong to Jennifer Garner!)

What happens when life doesn’t turn out as we expect it will?  What if you had the benefit of hindsight and could alter those defining choices that you now regret?  Welcome to the life of 30-something Erica Strange, where the classic fantasy of revisiting the past offers her a chance to cope with her life and come to terms with her choices.

In Being Erica, life changes forever for over-educated and underachieving Erica when she meets Dr Tom, a mysterious therapist who takes her back in time for a chance to do over those life-defining moments with the foresight and wisdom of seeing how they played out.  From prom nights and first kisses to job interviews, Erica’s list of regrets has accumulated to the point where she must act now or forever accept her mediocre life.

Who hasn’t wanted a do-over; wanted to return to a specific event with the knowledge that you have now so that you can make another decision – I know I have.  This is the corner stone of this Canadian series.  Erica Strange, played by Erin Karpluk, gets the ultimate do-over.

The transitions from present day to the scene of her regrets are facilitated through her therapist, Dr Tom (played by Michael Riley).  Dr Tom is great.  I really enjoy his presence in the series.  I even admit that I find him kinda cute.  (I know I know… )

The script is really well written.  It has the potential to go into something completely sappy and corny, but it doesn’t.  It stays real and shows that families battle their own demons, sometimes things work out for the best even when the results seem hard to take at the time.

I think all of us can relate to some of the lessons that Erica learns through her journeys.  If not the lessons, then definitely the fashions from the 1980′s and 1990′s.  It makes me yearn for my 8-hole Doc Martens and black Nirvana t-shirt!

The show is set in Canada.  A lot of American shows shoot in Canada (like Supernatural) but the series is set in America, not this one – shot and set it Canada.  It’s nice to get a slice of a Canadian life for a change.  Not to mention the beautiful landscape.  I’ve always wanted to travel to Canada, and this show just reinforces it.

An added bonus to the great writing and location is the soundtrack.  There’s some real memory jerkers in there, not to mention some new music finds.  (New for me anyway.)  I’m loving this song at the moment, and I found it on Being Erica.

01.Every Little Thing – Melanie Doane

I’ve found myself crying in some episodes, and laughing hard in others.  I love the characters and their development.  The writing is strong and draws you into the story.  Series One has aired, and it’s coming back for a Season Two.  It’s going to be interesting seeing where they take it to from where it ended, but I’ll be waiting eagerly for it to happen.

Wanna test drive the series before you commit… click here for Erica’s blog which contains little youtube movies.

In keeping with my new found love of Greek Mythology I decided to give Cupid a try.   This new series from ABC stars Sarah Paulson as Dr Claire McCrae and Bobby Cannavale (Vince D’Angelo from Will & Grace) as Trevor Peirce aka Cupid.  Here’s how ABC are pitching it:

Trevor Pierce is a larger than life character who insists that he is Cupid, the Roman god of love. He claims that he has been sent to New York City by Zeus to bring 100 romantically challenged couples together before being allowed to return to Mt. Olympus. His persistence eventually lands him in a mental institution.

Three months later, Trevor is found to be harmless to himself and others and is released — but under certain conditions. Placed under the care of psychiatrist and self-help author Dr. Claire McCrae, he must attend her singles group therapy sessions on a regular basis so that she can monitor his progress.

Trevor returns to his rented room upstairs from the struggling Tres Equis Cantina, owned by Felix Araiza and his sister, Lita. In exchange for rent, Trevor becomes a bartender and creates an atmosphere for singles looking for lasting love. His ideas, such as half-price margarita nights and mariachi karaoke duets, could help him bring couples together and ultimately take him closer to the day that he gets to return to Mt. Olympus.

No one believes Trevor’s story, but everyone finds him to be quite charming. Although he possesses a great knowledge of Greek mythology, Claire finds that Trevor constantly interferes and contradicts her when it comes to her pragmatic style of helping lonely hearts find their soul mates. In true love, Claire believes it’s all about friendship and mutual respect; for Trevor, heat and passion conquer all. Only time will tell who will win this battle for love.

In the first episode Dr McCrae tests Trevor on his knowledge of Greek Mythology.  He gets it all right, except for the small fact that he’s married to Psyche.  Now, at this point it doesn’t take a genius to realise that Trevor and Claire represent Cupid and Psyche.  Their banter and opposing methods for finding love and dealing with matters of the heart only further support this plot line.

Every episode is set to be the tale of a couple that finds true love, despite the stumbling blocks in their way.  If it doesn’t get canceled before then it’s set itself up for at least 100 episodes.  Although I suspect they’ll be jumping ahead in the numbers to expedite the plot.  I’m curious to see whether any other gods make appearances.

If you like romance, then this is the show for you.  It’s not wonderful, but it’s going to carve it’s own neich and give everyone a little bit of love on a weekly basis… and what’s wrong with that?  After all, all you need is love!

Imagine Melrose Place with a twist of slasher flick and you have Harper’s Island, and I love it!  It’s so bad it makes your arteries harden just at the mention of it.  Now I’m not normally one for horror flicks, but I’m loving the tackiness of Harper’s Island. Here’s how CBS are plugging the premise:

HARPER’S ISLAND is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Seattle for a destination wedding. This island is famous for a streak of unsolved murders from seven years ago. Although they’ve come to laugh and to love, what they don’t know is they’ve also come… to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival.

In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

The show has had some ups and downs on the way to airing, but it’s made it to the small screen.

It’s got it’s fair share of television “royalty”;

• The executive producer, John Turteltaub, was also executive producer on Jericho.
• Sheriff Charlie Mills is played by Jim Beaver who appears as Bobby on Supernatural.
• Uncle Marty is played by Harry Hamlin, who has a link to Melrose Place through his wife.  Not to mention his L.A. Law appearances.
• Richard Burgi who plays Thomas Wellington has been in so many television shows it’s not funny.
• The groom, Henry Dunn (The Groom), is played by a Christopher Gorham who played (another) Henry on Ugly Betty.
• Katie Cassidy, who played the best Ruby so far on Supernatural, plays  Trish Wellington (The Bride).

I bet you’re wondering why I love it so? Wonder no more.  I love trying to guess who’s next on the chopping block and who’s doing the killing.  I love when people die in completely unrealistic situations, like being tied to the propeller prop under the boat that takes the guests to the island.  (Say goodbye cousin Ben!)

The acting is a tad crappy, but nowhere near as bad as the first season of The Wire.  I’m holding out that it’ll get better as the series goes on, although given the nature of the series I’m not holding out that much hope.  But it’s all part of the magic!

There’s the predictable group of friends of the Groom.  Combined with the Groom’s best friend from childhood, a woman who’s Mother was killed in one of the unsolved murder’s on the island.  It’s even got it’s own cliched bar where all the yokels hang out and the rich kids go to slum it.  The group of catty, gold digging girlfriends of the Bride are going to provide lots of moments of screaming and lingerie clad chase scenes.  There’s even a little purse dog that you know is going to be found at some stage lapping away at a pool of blood.

If you, like me, love tacky love triangles, overly styled wardrobes and “Look out behind you!” moments then this is the television series for you!

Not convinced and wanna hear what the other side of the coin has to say – head on over to Pop Couture and check out why some are hoping it dies before the rest of the cast! Click here.

Ever thought of playing an online version of Harper’s Island – then be sure to check out Neville Nights which is hosted on Livejournal.com. Click here.

I watched four new movies today – all different, but all great.  I don’t think I’ve seen this many good movies at one time ever.  Normally you get a number of movies and there’s one stand out and the rest are a mix bag of shit, crap and blah!  But not today, today I hit the movie jackpot.  So what did I see…

Changeling: A horrible story brought to life with such force.  Angelina Jolie had me entranced.  To think that a woman went through all that and still managed to get out of bed everyday.  She had a strength that is rare.  The movie was wonderfully paced.  It never once stalled or overshot the mark.  Another beautifully shot film by Clint Eastwood.  After seeing the tragedy that is Knowing last week I was so happy to not have an alien abduction “plot twist”!

Milk: Harvey Milk’s story was not one I knew, so everything came as a surprise.  Another story of a courageous life.  Sean Penn was outstanding.  I think it’s his best role yet.  Well it’s a tie with his role in I Am Sam.  I found it an interesting insight into the civil rights movement within the US.  It’s amazing to see the polarization of California.  Unfortunately the story is repeating itself with Proposition 8.

Slumdog Millionaire: I think this was my biggest surprise of the day.  I was expecting some art film that broadcast the plight of the Indian Slums.  Instead it was a magical story that unraveled against a pop culture icon, the quiz show.  The child actors were wonderful and the story had me gripped.  I understand now why the movie got as much hype as it did.

Gran Torino: Ok, I have a confession.  I’m not a fan of Clint Eastwood.  At least I wasn’t when I started watching this movie, but he sucks me in EVERY TIME!  Every time I pick up a Clint Eastwood movie I do it with a heavy heart – but every time he delivers.  It’s like my mind tricks me.  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.  The relationships are strong and believable.  It delivers a heavy message, but it doesn’t preach it.  It’s also marvelously shot and directed.

So that’s been my day at the movies.  I’m very happy with how my movie day has panned out.  I would recommend them all.  All of these have strong characters that you can identify with and champion.