House, "Wilson": The Zeppo

Just when I thought I was out... Robert Sean Leonard pulls me back in! Some thoughts on the Wilson-errific "House" coming up just as soon as I stop thinking about German porn...

"I can handle it when things go wrong. You can't. And things can go very, very wrong." -House

I doubt "Wilson" is going to get me writing about "House" again full-time, because the things that made it so strong were (like "Broken") not something the show can do every week, or even ever again, period. But for one night, at least, "House" was compelling, and touching, and funny, and not really annoying at all.

"Wilson" was good because it showed us House's world through someone else's eyes - not in a gimmicky, Hey, look at our Very Special Episode! way like the Mos Def episode last year, but in a more thoughtful, organic way. We got to see what the cases we've grown so used to must look like when only seen in Wilson-sized bites (the overweight tennis pro on the popcorn diet, House appearing soaking wet), and we got to see what it's like for the sensitive, empathic to a fault Wilson to try to play House's game.

And, for that matter, we got to see what it's like for House to be the one on the other end of the differentials and the wrong turns and insane treatments.

And we got to see Robert Sean Leonard, who has said he likes the easy workload (and accompanying fat paycheck) of being in a couple of brief scenes a week, rise to the challenge of carrying the show for once, with Hugh Laurie gracefully, beautifully working in support of him.

An ongoing Wilson-centric series obviously wouldn't work. It was the contrast to what we've come to expect from "House" that made this hour so interesting, and, again, you can't go to that well more than once before it starts to feel as formulaic as the regular show.

But after being so frustrated with the last batch of episodes, "Wilson" at least reminded me why I keep watching this damn show even when I'm struggling to remember that I used to love it.

"Chuck" is back in this timeslot in January, and that's going to get my top viewing/blogging priority for the time being. But if this is going to be the last time I write about "House" for a long time, at least we're going out on a much higher note than "Ignorance Is Bliss."

What did everybody else think?

The Amazing Race Season 15: Globetrotters Eliminated, Las Vegas Final Destination Next Sunday

I watched The Amazing Race last night thinking it was the finale episode. Why I thought this, I do not know.

Meghan & Cheyne came in first again, once more with the Pitstop in Prague. The Harlem Globetrotters made it to the mat last and were eliminated.

Big Easy had way too much trouble figuring out the Kafka Roadblock and arranging N A F R Z to spell Kafka's first name. He gave up and took the 4 hour penalty. And thus their last place finish.

Brian, the teetotaler, & Erika got drunk on their Speed Bump, drinking Absinthe. Then Brian sailed through the Kafka Roadblock. The pair sort of stumbled in choosing the Detour option that had them carrying beer through the rowdy Prague streets. Erika did her usual amount of shrieking, while Brian stayed calm.

Meanwhile the Bickering Brothers, Sam & Dan and Meghan & Cheyne chose the 'Legend' Detour option and had to build a big Golem statue to push through the streets to a Synagogue to get told to go to the next Pitstop.

Prior to getting to the 'Legend or Lager' detour teams had to get as naked as possible and enter a deep freeze called the Kryocentrum where if they could tolerate the extreme sub-zero temperatures for 2 minutes they'd get their clue directing them to the Detour.

So, now I am almost 100% that next week is the actual end of Season 15 of The Amazing Race. It appears the final destination is Las Vegas. With Elvis in the house.

Can you guess the new blog logo theme?

Okay, you probably can, as I've followed one of the more esoteric logo themes to date with one of the more obvious ones. I'll just be curious to see how quickly someone can correctly identify all four characters depicted.

And, as a reminder, I have links to and explanations for all the previous logos in this post. I'll weigh in on the comments in this one once it's clear people have either figured it out or are somehow completely stumped.

Dexter, "Lost Boys": Correcting a mistake?

Spoilers for last night's "Dexter" coming up just as soon as I remind you that "Project Runway" is on...

Okay, here's my issue with "Lost Boys" (which is more of an issue with the series as a whole): in previous years, the show made it clear that Dexter didn't kill bad guys because he was worried about their victims, but because he had a need to kill, and Harry had drilled it into him that these were the only people he could/should kill. That he was saving other people's lives was a byproduct, but one that meant little or nothing to him. This point was made most explicitly in season two's "An Inconvenient Lie," when Dexter didn't really want to alter his killing timetable even if it meant he would stop the evil car salesman from claiming another victim. So seeing him so torn up about saving the little boy didn't ring true to me, even though part of Dexter's inner struggle was the realization that this killing would be his fault for having foiled Arthur's suicide attempt.

"An Inconvenient Lie" was also notable for giving Frank Lundy (RIP) a speech that tore to shreds any attempt by Dexter - or the audience - to justify his murders as some kind of social good, back in a time when the series viewed Dexter with a lot more moral ambiguity than it does now.

These days, the show is mainly interested in pitting Dexter against other killers so despicable that the audience won't have any compunction about seeing our man put them down. Every time the writers introduce the idea of Dexter killing outside The Code of Harry, they quickly dance away from the implications of that and distract Dexter and us with that season's big bad.

On the one hand, I don't want my TV characters to remain stagnant. So the idea of a Dexter who's growing - who's more aware that he has emotions, who can form attachments to people like Rita and her kids, who feels empathy for his target's victims - could, in theory, be really interesting. But in practice, it mainly feels like part of the ongoing attempt to make Dexter into a more palatable serial killer, so Showtime can justify keeping their biggest hit around for many more years to come.

So as good as Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow have been this year, I find it harder and harder to care about what's happening on the show - which is why I wanted to stop reviewing it in the first place.

Talk about it if you want, and maybe next week I'll just do an open discussion thread and save myself the aggravation.

What did everybody else think?

Jackie Chan Praises Jaden Smith in 'The Karate Kid'

Not just contented being Will Smith's son, 11 year old Jaden Smith is carving out a name for himself after snagging the lead role in the updated version of the 1984 cult hit movie The Karate Kid. Yes, he will be taking the role that Ralph Macchio went famous for. And, Jackie Chan will play as his mentor in the film.

The 55 year old veteran martial arts superstar was actually impressed with Jaden's dedication and perseverance during the filming. Jackie revealed the young Smith was an eager student not only on set, but when learning about the entire filmmaking process because "he took the training very seriously.... Jaden had a lot of respect for me as his teacher, even off the set. He is as professional as many adult actors who have been in the business for years." The movie takes place in many locations, including the Great Wall of China, where Jackie and the film's fight coordinator Master Wu had the opportunity to share valuable lessons to Jaden. In his interview in People, Jaden shared that he "trained every day for four months with Master Wu. We did a lot of stretching, and Jackie taught me to ask, 'My left or camera left?' That helped.'"

Jaden Smith changed a lot because of the new learned lessons, according to 'Rush Hour' actor Jackie Chan. He added that Will Smith, Jaden's dad, informed him about the things that changed about Jaden: "When he takes his shoes off, he doesn't throw them in the corner, but puts them away neatly!" Well, learning karate really needs discipline and Jaden's out to achieve that!

Reviewing the revamped 'Scrubs' - Sepinwall on TV

In today's column, I look at the new season of "Scrubs":

You can look at the new season of "Scrubs" either as a continuation of the series that aired its alleged finale last spring, or as a spin-off with the same name and many of the same faces.

I prefer the latter view, and not just because creator Bill Lawrence lost a fight with ABC to rename the show "Scrubs Med" to clearly delineate between the two. If we treat the new season - which relocates Sacred Heart Hospital to its nearby medical school campus - as a separate show, then we don't have to take anything away from the resurgent final season, or from the funny and poignant finale. Nor do we have to worry about the new incarnation threatening the legacy of the original show, any more than "AfterM*A*S*H" or "The Golden Palace" sullied the reputations of "M*A*S*H" and "Golden Girls."

Which isn't to say that "Scrubs Med" (whether ABC calls it that or not) is an abomination on the level of either of those shows. It's a solid little comedy, in which "Scrubs" fans can recognize the spirit of the show they loved, even if it's not "Scrubs" at its best.

You can read the full "Scrubs" review here. I'll have a post tomorrow night on the first two episodes.

Megan Fox Buys 1966 Mustang Fastback in eBay for Brian Austin Green

Megan Fox is really foxy when it comes to great deals. The Transformers hot chick just bought a 1966 Mustang Fastback in eBay for her boyfriend Brian Austin Green. The 23 year old actress just happened to surf the auction site when she saw classic red 1966 Mustang Fastback at a reasonable price, although the car needed a lot of repairs.

Megan Fox is so happy with the deal as the car was in good condition and beautiful. She also shared that her mother used to prohibit her from learning how to drive until she was 18 because she used to sneak out of the house most of the time! However, that did not stop Megan from loving cars so much. In an interview with Jay Leno, she admonished: "I used to steal my mom's car all the time when I was like 14 and 15 right before I got my license." Well, look right now, you can drive all you want. Her mom's car was a teal Kia and now you're getting a iconic 1966 Mustang Fastback. Hope you refurbish it much and get it on the street fast.

The Amazing Race Season 15 Finale Tonight

UPDATE: I was wrong. Last night was not The Amazing Race Finale.

I don't remember when it was that I quit being as entertained by The Amazing Race as I was when it first appeared on my TV.

Did the show change? Or did it just quit seeming so unique and interesting? The race still goes to some interesting places. But in the first few seasons the race managed to go to some rather exotic spots that I'd never heard of.

Anyway, I'm not at all invested in who wins. It usually comes down to a taxi race to the end, with little suspense as to who is in the lead taxi.

Of the 4 remaining teams all have gotten on my nerves at times. I can't quite pinpoint why I find Meghan & Cheyne annoying. But I do. They sort of look alike. Meghan getting mad at a Globetrotter, last week, for slowing up their descent from the pull yourself on a cable above a river challenge, and then getting mad at Cheyne for grabbing a taxi after agreeing to work with the Trotters to find their way to the Opera House in Prague was annoying, but not as annoying as Meghan screeching Cheyne over and over again while he was searching for the teeny violin.

Prague, now that brings up something else. Sam & Dan. They can be likable when they aren't bickering like a pair of brothers. But. When they got the clue to fly to Prague, one asked if they spoke Spanish there and then one, maybe it was the same brother, said Prague was a country. I'm thinking if you don't know Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic you don't deserve to be on The Amazing Race.

Then there is the only married pair remaining, Brian & the former Miss America, Ericka. Ericka is quite a piece of work. Her husband seems a bit hen-picked. I would not mind if they are the winners, but I don't think they have a chance. They make a lot of mistakes. And they have a Speed Bump to overcome tonight due to coming in last last week, after Erica took a long time to find the teeny violin in the Opera House.

That brings us to the Globetrotters, known as Flight Time & Big Easy. Real names Herbert & Nathaniel. This pair has done the least to cause me to dislike them. They are pretty funny. Do Harlem Globetrotters make a lot of money? Would the million bucks be a big deal to this pair?

I'll be watching tonight, hopefully without a delay due to a football game running long.

Tiger Woods Car Accident:Tiger Woods Suffered Facial Lacerations in Car Crash

Tiger Woods was hospitalized after being injured in a car accident outside his home in The Sunshine State Firday morning.

According to Orlando Sentinel, the 33-year-old champion golfer struck his Cadillac SUV into a fire hydrant and then hit a tree in his neighbor’s yard about 2:25 a.m. Tiger’s wife, Elin Nordegren, used her husband’s golf clubs to smash open a window and helped free him from the vehicle.

The athlete was reportedly suffered facial lacerations following the accident. He was taken to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee, Florida.

His rep issued a statement regarding the crash, saying "Tiger Woods was in a minor car accident outside his home last night. He was admitted, treated and released today in good condition. We appreciate very much everyone’s thoughts and well wishes”.

Officials has confirmed that the accident was not alcohol-related.

Juniper Rose for Donna Karan Jewelry

Every fashionista should be eying for Juniper Rose's creations for Donna Karan jewelry. Juniper Rose created some of the most must-have accessories for this season. Her designs will make you look tough and chic at the same time. I can associate Kristen Stewart's current fashion style with these leathers and crystals.

The Necklace costs $895 and Cuff is $595 at Donna Karan New York. Know more about these accessories from Net-a-porter's interview with Juniper Rose.

Hugh Jackman Takes Lead in Robot Film 'Real Steel'

Leaving behind his Wolverine costume, Hugh Jackman is now all set to portray a pivotal role in an upcoming film salvo Real Steel. The 41 year old Australian actor will play a down-in-his-luck boxing promoter where he encounters a life-changing fate on finding a discarded robot he will train to become a boxing star . The film plot will be based on a short story penned by Richard Matheson.

This will be the first offering of the newly re-organized DreamWorks Pictures, where Steven Spielberg and film impresario Stacy Snider are in collaboration, after the film outfit moved away from Paramount in 2008. Film director Shawn Levy described that Real Steel "is a rousing sports movie about a former boxer who can no longer do the only job he's good at, and one particular robot that may be his return to grace." The budget for this film was pegged at $80 million. DreamWorks is said to be very keen on their maiden project with Hugh Jackman and the production will be kicking off in June 2010.

Murder at the Trickle Creek Lodge!

It's happened again. Seems to happen every year in this town, usually late in November.

Somebody, inevitably, drops dead at the Lions Hall. And then all hell breaks loose...

Yep. Another successful Murder Mystery in the books. This was the 17th annual for the Quyon Lionettes, and I'd like to know, has there ever been a year when they weren't told it was "the best one ever"?

This was my second year directing, along with Brenda, and once again, the show went off without a hitch. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we had an amazing cast, and they were firing on all cylinders when it came showtime! They literally had the audience dying with laughter (no pun intended).

Everyone was invited back to 1983, where the college gang from '63 had gathered at the Trickle Creek Lodge for their 20-year reunion. Unfortunately, before the fun could begin, one of them, Bobby Whitmore (Kenny Fleck), turned up dead in the bathtub. Lieutenant Frazer Watson (Curtis Hudson) of the Quyon Police Department arrived on the scene and narrowed the list of suspects down to eight:

Peter McCoy (Shawn Laframboise), owner of the Trickle Creek Lodge and a gambling man; Cynthia Lauper (Laura Stewart), editor of a trendy woman's magazine and former college radical group leader; Bill "Backstop" Bishop (Rolly Bernier), a one-time fastball star with the Quyon Flyers, but had taken one to many hits to the head; Phyllis Vanielli (Lynn Kearns), a high-flying stewardess caught up in the aerobics craze; Keharn Flake (Troy Cote), a "Whiz Kid" in college, but now more of a drunken mess; Wanda Wickers (Sherri-Lynn Foran), a spoiled Russian princess with a 'wicked' attitude problem; Denis Mais-Oui (Pat Carty), an undercover police officer who had dug up some dirt on his old classmates; and Bess Diddler (Steph Belanger), a beauty queen in college who ended up crippled and in a wheelchair after a devestating snowmobile accident.

Did I mention how awesome they were? Literally, one of the most enthusiastic casts I've ever been involved with. Very early on in the process, they each had begun developing their characters, coming up with names, costumes, wigs, and accents that they carried through and perfected by the time they hit the stage last Saturday night. Everything from French to Russian, ditzy to drunk, spray-painted hair to mullets, red boas to a Hawaiin shirt with a "tigger" on it...They were a diverse bunch, to say the least!

And quite literally - they had the crowd in stitches. The funny stuff they had come up with? I seriously can't even begin to describe it, because I wouldn't be able to do it any justice.

Of course, they caused me a few panic attacks along the way, including a scene that they actually did in REVERSE!! And we didn't make it through the evening without swearing, thanks to "Jumbo- F-BOMB -Tron"!! But overall, it was so much fun, and I'm again a little lost, as I am every year, now that it's over.

In the end, the game of "whodunnit" was solved by Dale MacKechnie, who correctly identified Keharn as the murderer, and provided the best reasons for how and why he murdered poor Bobby. It wasn't until Lieutenant Watson brought in his K9 unit, Shadow, though, that the murderer was finally "sniffed out"!!

Special thanks once again to all who were involved - to our incredible cast; to Brenda for keeping me sane, setting the stage, and coming up with all the awesome decorating ideas, as well as her hand in directing; to Tania Racine, Donna Provost, and Barb Meredith for their behind-the-scenes work in organizing the event; to the Lionettes for not only hosting, but also providing the delicious dinner; to Randy Labadie Financial for providing the prize; to the servers, bartenders, etc.; and of course, to the people who bought the tickets, showed up, laughed until they cried, and then told us it was "the best one ever"...

Now...it'll be fun to see if we can top it again next year!

(Cast photo thieved from Kristen Hodgins' Facebook - from left to right - Laura Stewart, Lynn Kearns, Rolly Bernier, Steph Belanger, Troy Cote, Sherri-Lynn Foran, Curtis Hudson, Pat Carty with Shadow, and Shawn Laframboise)

Reader mail: 'Lost' forces ABC mid-season changes, 'The Corner' vs. 'The Wire'

Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving. Today's column is another reader mailbag, mainly dealing with the fall-out of ABC's plan for the final season of "Lost."

Enjoy your weekend, and try to stay away from the malls. And I say that not just because I once almost lost my spleen driving home from a Black Friday sale.

Agent Provocateur New Comic Book Features Venus Fly Trap and More!

The second comic book of Agent Provocateur are out in the market. If you have seen some of the super heroines in the first comic book, you'll meet other super heroines in the second one. Venus Flytrap, Miss Pony Tail and The Red Baroness wear their Agent Provocateur's lingerie outfits in reality.






Source: Fashionising.com

New Moon Stars at Entertainment Weekly December 2009 Issue

Your favorite New Moon characters will be on the cover of Entertainment Weekly's December 2009 issue. Edward Cullen, Bella Swan and Jacob Black will recruit you as their allies. Which team are you in? Team Edward, Team Bella or Team Jacob?



Check the rest of the entry for bigger images!




Source: Just Jared

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. The only TV watching I'll be doing today will involve football (and wondering why half my fantasy team is playing this afternoon and evening), but for those of you near your computers and in need of some more Thanksgiving-specific programming, I give you the legendary "WKRP in Cincinnati" Thanksgiving episode over on Hulu. And YouTube has the classic "Cheers" Thanksgiving episode in these three parts.

Cougar Town, "Here Comes My Girl": Popping your balloon

Quick spoilers for tonight's "Cougar Town" coming up just as soon as I get the rolling pin...

It's not at the level "Modern Family" is maintaining right now, but "Cougar Town" has found itself a nice little groove, and the show feels particularly strong in episodes like this one that just throw all the characters together into a situation to see how they bounce off of each other.

In particular, this episode was the biggest, and strongest, focus so far on Jules and Travis's usually awkward, occasionally sweet mother/son relationship, and I thought it did a nice job of illustrating how tricky (if not outright stupid) it is to try to be The Cool Mom to a teenage son.

In and around some of the pathos of that, there was some inspired silliness, like Andy's panic at having to keep a secret from his wife, or the guys getting all pumped to beat three neighborhood kids at basketball. (Note that the girl is on crutches the second time we see her.) The show has also become very good at using music (beyond Grayson's guitar songs), from the hilarious use of Kenny Loggins' "Playing With the Boys" (from this infamous "Top Gun" scene) during the basketball sequence, to the more poignant use of Noah and the Whale's "Give a Little Love" to accompany Travis and Jules silently getting dinner ready (and showing the bond they share, even through all the angst).

There's a warmth to the show now that I'm not sure I would have expected from that pilot. Simply put, I like these people - in part because they make me laugh, but in part just because I like them. Not every TV show has to work that way, but it's how "Cougar Town" is working.

What did everybody else think?

Modern Family, "Fizbo": The day the clown cried

Thoughts on tonight's "Modern Family" just as soon as I drive through neighborhoods that have only recently been gentrified...

Thirty seconds into Fizbo, I tweeted an objection to "Modern Family" being the latest show to use the very tired in media res opening device. (See Tuesday's "V" for a recent hackneyed example.) By the time we found out why they were in the hospital, though, my objections had gone away. For once, the non-chronological storytelling served a purpose: adding a nice comic kick to the party as we wondered if the crossbow, the rock wall, the poisonous scorpion, Dylan's mayonnaise allergy or something else would land a character in the hospital.

At this point, in fact, I may just need to start putting some real trust in the "Modern Family" creators. I'm not going to love ever episode (as I didn't the Ed Norton stuff last week), but part of what makes the show so much fun is how it takes things that seem so familiar from other sitcoms - the clueless dad, the party that gets out of control, the bickering siblings, the outrageous uncle - and makes them all feel fresh.

The highlight of "Fizbo" was, of course, Fizbo himself, and how seriously Cam/Eric Stonestreet threw himself into the part. Every time I think that the contrast of Cam's gregarious nature and Mitchell's more introverted, judgmental qualities is going to get old, we get a hysterical talking head like the one where Cameron outlined the four types of clowns, followed by Mitchell creating the marvelous assembly of words that is "weird gay clown uncle."

Rico Rodriguez continues to be wonderful as Manny. The character doesn't know how to tell the Interrupting Cow joke (or its funnier/more aggressive spin-off, Interrupting Starfish), but Rodriguez can even find a way to make Manny's sad bouncing funny. (Gloria being ogled by the dads was more predictable, but when you put Sofia Vergara on a show with a bouncy castle, some things just have to happen the way they're gonna, I suppose.)

We got a more sarcastic side of Phil than usual (I liked him offering to go on a supply run to the 1950s to get Claire some more crafts), which then nicely offset his pathological clown fear.

A very funny, very satisfying episode, and one that'll hold me until the next new one in two weeks.

What did everybody else think?

Rachel Uchitel - Mistress in Tiger Woods Affair?

The Tiger Woods cheating wife saga has continued to branch out. Now, it seems the third party involved is a woman named Rachel Uchitel. Mediatakeout says that they got this scoop from National Enquirer. However, with more digging on who Rachel Uchitel is, it seems we figured that this rumor is somewhat unreliable and too schmaltzy if true. Major drama if this is confirmed.

Rachel Uchitel (the woman in white blazer) is the same woman that actor David Boreanaz has allegedly cheated his wife on while she was pregnant. If the Tiger Woods affair with Rachel Uchitel is true, then are they sharing the same mistress? Eew... For where ever these rumours about the Tiger Woods affair are heading, then let's just pretend it's not true for now. Unless more reliable sources will spill the beans on it, we're still not buying the National Enquirer's scoop.

Lois Pope Huntsville AL

Tiger Woods Affair - Is Tiger Cheating on Wife Elin Nordegren

Tiger Woods has been known to have a solid relationship with his 29 year old wife Elin Nordegren. The couple has two children Sam and Charlie. However, recent reports convey that there's a Tiger Woods affair going and he and his wife are allegedly in the brink of divorce. No credible source yet has emerged but it seems so many people are looking into the Tiger Woods affair in search engines.

Tiger Woods wife has not yet spoken on the issue, as well as the golf superstar. Last November 21, the couple together with their kids were seen in Stanford University as Tiger Woods was inducted in the university's Athletic Hall of Fame. In fact, he was booed in the said event. Was this because of the Tiger Woods affair? Here's the controversial video of Tiger Woods being booed at his own university:

How Much I Loved New Moon...

To call this past weekend 'exciting' would be a bit of an understatement.

What a weekend!

To kick things off - I saw New Moon on Friday!! WOO-HOO!! I took the day off work to take Brittany, who was also off on a PD Day. We made sure we got to the Colisseum theatre in Ottawa early, as our showtime was 12:20 PM. Sure enough, by 10:30, the line-up was starting to form. Britt and I were fortunate to be at the head of the line, and got awesome seats, exactly where we wanted to be - last row, dead-centre.

It's impossible for me to write a re-cap that would fully capture how much I loved New Moon. So instead, I'm just going to give you a list of 20 reasons why I loved New Moon. And here they are, in no particular order.

1. Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off.

For those of you who don't know the story - Lautner plays Quileute native Jacob Black, Bella's childhood friend. Jacob becomes more than just a friend to Bella in New Moon - that's when the love triangle between him, Bella, and Edward begins to take shape. Edward has deserted Bella, in the hopes of keeping her safe from his dangerous world, but in his heart-breaking absence, Bella finds comfort in Jake. Lautner, only 17 years old, was in jeopardy of losing his role as Jacob in New Moon, but he fought hard to keep it by tackling a vigorous work-out & diet regimen that saw him pack on 30 lbs. of raw muscle for the flick.

And in the scene when Bella crashes her bike and Jacob first removes his shirt (you know, to help stop the bleeding on her forehead) - a very appreciative gasp went up from the predominantly female audience.

Yowzers. I've always been Team Edward, but I'm starting to appreciate where the Jacob fans are coming from...

2. OK. Now that I've got the Jacob drooling out of my system...Edward. Oh, sweet, sparkly, cold-as-ice Edward. He's beautiful. Rob Pattinson? Sexiest man alive. And even though we don't get to see him as much in New Moon, I'd still go see it just for the few amazing scenes and the "apparitions" he appears in. So awesome.

3. The Volturi - The creepy leaders of the Vampire world. Pretty cool to see them come to life. And Michael Sheen in the role of Aro was amazing - exactly how I imagined Aro should be.

4. The wolf pack - Jacob's brethren. In human form, they're all rather handsome young men who spend most of their time shirtless and in cut-off jeans. And when they're in wolf-form, they're pretty amazing CGI wolves. What's not to love about the wolves?

5. Bella's human friends, especially Mike & Jessica, add wonderful touches of humour to an otherwise somber, dark film. Both Michael Welch and Anna Kendrick sparkle - and even steal the few scenes they are in!

6. Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off. Mmmmm...

7. The movie has a pretty wicked soundtrack, which I downloaded last week in anticipation of the film's release. The only downside? No R. Pattz. Apparently Rob declined any offers to be on the New Moon soundtrack, despite pleasing his fans with two contributions to the first movie. Word is, he didn't want people to think he was cashing in on the movie, using it as a stepping-stone for his music, which he still considers his "back-up plan". Too bad, considering he's pretty talented on both guitar and piano, and is reminiscent of Ray LaMontagne with his vocals.

But, even without, Rob, we've got Death Cab For Cutie, OK Go, Grizzly Bear, Muse, The Killers, and Thom Yorke. No complaints!

8. Kristen Stewart! She does a fabulous job of portraying Bella - I can't imagine anyone else in the role. She portrays the pained-and-depressed side so well, but the bonus was that she got to smile a little more than her character ever did in the book. (And yes, I do believe her slightly more happy character might have something to do with Taylor Lautner taking his shirt off...)

9. The underwater scene. After Bella goes cliff-diving, and before Jacob rescues her, there's a dream-like moment underwater, where she lingers side-by-side with Edward. Kind of took my breath away.

10. Alex Meraz. He plays the role of Paul, one of Jake's friends in the wolf pack. Aycarumba!

11. Bella & Jacob's almost kisses. Never thought I would root for Jacob over Edward - and, well, I still don't - but when Edward was gone, it was very easy to get caught up in Jacob's hotness. And there were two scenes in the movie where they come very close to kissing! The two steamiest non-kisses I've ever seen in my life!

12. Bella's "date" with Mike and Jacob to the see the action movie Face Punch was priceless. Poor Mike. The guy is trying to compete with a vampire and a werewolf...he never stood a chance!

13. Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off. YUM.

14. The Cullen Family. They don't get a lot of screen-time this time around, but Edward's pseudo-family of vampires also provide a bit of the comic relief - Kellan Lutz as Emmett, especially. If you had to be a vampire, I'm thinking they'd be a pretty cool bunch to hang out with.

15. Dakota Fanning as Jane, the little vampire girl who can cause anyone horrific pain with just a glance. For so long, we've seen Dakota as the sweet little wide-eyed child-star - it was sort of neat to see her looking vicious with the blood-red eyes. And while I did not enjoy her causing my beloved Edward such pain, her acting resume has definitely been ramped up with this effort.

16. Edward & Bella's reunion in Volterra. When Alice whisks Bella off to Italy to save Edward, she must make her way through a throng of red-cloaked festival-goers, across a busy square, and through a fountain before finally flying into his arms and embracing him. Passionate does not begin to describe it. Seriously awesome.

17. Edi Gathegi & Rachelle Lefebvre reprise their roles as nomadic vampires Laurent and Victoria. Laurent tries to kill Bella before she's saved by the wolves, and Victoria's relentless pursuit of Bella is still not completed by the end of New Moon. It's just too bad Cam Giagandet didn't make it to the second film (his character, James, was killed in Twilight). That was some serious evil vampire hotness...

18. Billy Burke is back as Bella's overprotective dad, Charlie, and he's another scene-stealer in a flick where it's pretty hard to steal scenes from the likes of Pattinson, Lautner, and Stewart.

19. Back to Edward...Possibly my favourite part of the movie was a very simple one - at the very beginning, on the day of Bella's birthday, she's hanging out in the school parking lot with her human friends, when Edward pulls up and gets out of his car. He walks towards her, all gorgeous and slow-motion-y, and I think my heart might have just stopped, he was so beautiful. *sigh*

20. Oh. Did I mention Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off?

OK. So I intended this blog to be a re-cap of both my exciting weekend events - New Moon and the Murder Mystery. However, I think this is long enough for today. Look for the re-cap of "Up the Creek" in the next few days!

PS - If anyone wants to go see New Moon - I'm so up for going again! Let me know! :)

Michelle Obama Offensive Image - First Lady Portrayed as Chimpanzee

There's an intense brouhaha now that refers to Michelle Obama offensive image found in the search engines. We've searched for the offensive image now but it seems it has now been removed. The image below, as you can see, represents the First Lady photoshopped into looking like a chimpanzee. This was posted by a blogspot blog titled "Hot Girls" and the site has also deleted the controversial image because people are now up in arms because of the "offensive" photos.

In fact, Google received a complaint in their help forums last week that prompted an employee to delete this offensive photo. Allegedly, the Michelle Obama offensive image is now up again with an explanation saying that “Sometimes Google search results from the Internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries. We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google." If you want to see the site that initiated this you can find it HERE.

Prince William Going Bald (PHOTOS)

Prince William used to be the hottest bachelor around. That was about five years ago, but now it seems age is not gracefully coinciding with his looks. Last Saturday (November 21), he was snapped by paparazzi as Prince William leaves Raffles Nightclub in London after spending some gracious time with his friends. Look closely at the photos below to see whether you'll still find Prince William hot like the old days.

Is this too much testosterone or Prince William is now getting what his genes are really made out for? We hope his girlfriend Kate Middleton would not mind his going bald. Looks like having no hair will be his luck over time. Or he can take hair implants to make him look gorgeous for everyone. Whatever! Prince William is just 27 years old and having this kind of hair makes him look like his 20 years older. Get implants, please?

Shauna Sand-Chace Crawford Romance?

Former Playboy model and Lorenzo Lamas ex-wife Shauna Sand sort of revealed that she and Gossip Girl hunk Chace Crawford became lovers when he was still 18. That was in 2003, when Chace was still a college freshman and Shauna said they met at a college party in Malibu. In an interview with Star Magazine, Shauna stated that: "He was so incredibly beautiful - I immediately fell in love with him!" Although there's a 14 years age gap between them, Shauna revealed Chace didn't mind dating her: "I even gave him a key to my apartment."

Shauna Sand has even the chutzpah to reveal about the intimacies that happened between her and Chace Crawford. The 28 year old mother of three daughters shared that she and Chace often had you-know-what. To support Shauna's intimate revelations, a close friend the Gossip Girl hottie testified: "Chace told me, 'Shauna was the first girl I ever had s*x with! She blew my mind, and I'll never forget it!'" If this true, ...Eeew, Chace! The two continued to date on and off for a year before breaking up. Chace Crawford was unavailable to comment on this yet because he's busy shooting for Gossip Girl and training for his upcoming film, Footloose.

Penelope Cruz Wedding Set on December

For the longest time, Penelope Cruz has been evading questions regarding her engagement to actor Javier Bardem. Now, it seems that the couple have already decided on their wedding plans this December because Penelope Cruz has been sighted shopping for a wedding gown in the House of Balenciaga. In Touch Weekly initiated the wedding speculation by interviewing a close friend of Penelope who informed that the pair may walk down the aisle "over the holidays." No exact date has been released though.

The source further said that the 35 year old Spanish actress has a very conservative Catholic family and they are the ones pushing for them to get married already: "Javier would like to take things slowly, but Penelope wants to make her parents happy". Since both Penelope and Javier are from Spain, they insisted on having a Spanish designer for them, No exact details for the wedding has been released to the press but we wish the couple all the best for their wedding.

Michelle Obama Wears Naeem Khan Dress at State Dinner

First lady Michelle Obama channeled her fashion side during the first state dinner of U.S. Pres. Barack Obama. She pulled a strapless, silver-sequined, cream-colored gown by Naeem Khan, an Indian-American designer. The gown was accentuated with beads that form an abstract floral pattern. Michelle completed her fabulous look with a stack of bangle bracelets and dangling earrings.


Photo Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Top Black Friday Fashion Sales

November 27 is a Black Friday. In the United States, the Friday after Thanksgiving is referred as Black Friday, the day that officially starts the traditional Christmas shopping season.

Checkout the Top Black Friday Fashion Sales that you must checkout as you start your shopping spree.

Ashley Greene In Bottega Veneta's Red Resort 2010 Collection

Ashley Greene who plays the character of Alice Cullen in the Twilight Saga: New Moon, guested at David Letterman Show. She appeared in red striped suit number from the Resort 2010 collection.

Photo Source: style.com & fabsugar.com

Michael Kors Will Open A New Store In Germany

It's official! Michael Kors will be opening his first ever store in Germany this coming February. The 2,400-square-foot boutique will display accessories such as eyewear, handbag and watches, fragrances as well as clothes for his own line.

Source: http://cocoperez.com

Lisa Rinna Without Makeup (Picture)

Lisa Rinna, the 46-year-old actress who is best known for her plumped-up lips, posted a-makeup free picture of herself on her Twittter on Tuesday, writing, "This is what it looks like before beauty team arrives. Just keepin it real ppl!"

Earlier this year, Lisa has admitted that she “overdid” the beauty treatments by getting dermal filler injection into her face.

"When you change your face, you don't look like yourself," she said. "Looking fresher is one thing. I look like a freak! I always said I wouldn't change my face, but I did it."

How do you think of Lisa without any makeup?

Sons of Anarchy, "The Culling": I love it when a plan comes together

Spoilers for tonight's "Sons of Anarchy" coming up just as soon as I play with the siren...

"I love all of ya." -Clay

The previous two episodes of "Sons of Anarchy," "Balm" and "Service," took the show to a new creative level. Based on those two shows, and the general momentum of a cable drama season - where the dramatic peak is often in the penultimate episode - I had high hopes for "The Culling."

Instead, I found myself oddly disappointed by it.

I wrote last week that part of what made "Service" so powerful was that all these big moments and revelations were coming from the characters. There was a story there, but everything that happened - whether it was Tig confessing to Opie, or Opie confronting Stahl, or Clay letting Chibs and Piney slide on their crimes against the club - clearly started off with a question of, "How would this character, given his personality and recent events, react to this?"

There was a visceral quality to it all that I found lacking in "The Culling," which felt more like a chess game than a street fight. Kurt Sutter and Dave Erickson's script efficiently moved all the pieces into place, then blew up the board a few times with the arrests of Weston, Zobelle and Polly. Some of it was fun, particularly the club getting over on Stahl (and Ally Walker's performance as Stahl epically lost her cool), and perhaps at an earlier stage in the series' lifespan I would have loved watching all the tumblers click into place. But after the richness of the last two episodes, the sheer plot-intensiveness of "The Culling" felt a bit empty. Necessary, given all that had happened this season, but not nearly as deep as what had come immediately before.

I guess I find the internal struggles of the club more compelling than wars with external enemies like the Mayans and LOAN. "Service" focused entirely on the former, then healed the club to the point where SAMCRO as one could deal with the latter in "The Culling."

And for an episode that was so plot-y, I'm still not sure I understand exactly what SAMCRO's plan was. If, as Clay and Jax decided last week, they intended to "kill 'em all," then why bother with the brawl at the timberlands? Is that really what they were going to use their manpower advantage created by their alliance with the Niners and the Triad just to pick a fistfight with Weston and his best goons? A fight that, even with the various levels of badassery at hand in the combined Charming and Tacoma chapters of the club, they weren't guaranteed to win? Why not lure them out there, disarm them and then put a bullet into everyone's shaved head?

Now, some of this can be ascribed to the ongoing tension between Hale and Unser, and Unser's conflict between serving his friends and serving the law. Perhaps the plan involved a righteous beating and then a cold execution, whether SAMCRO won or lost the fight itself, followed by a trip into town to use Polly to lure Zobelle out of hiding. But while the move to screw over Stahl, get the guns and save Chibs from Jimmy O's retribution worked like clockwork, I'm having to contort myself to figure out how the LOAN half of the campaign was supposed to work.

The more interesting - and, at times, unsettling - part of the episode dealt with the role that the club plays in the lives of its members. The opening sequence, with everybody going to the mattresses - and the realization that SAMCRO takes everybody (kids, wives, old ladies, two-fingered friends) to the mattresses with them - and Clay giving a speech to the assembled crowd, showed the power that the club has. We need to see that power, and that sense of community, every now and then so we understand why it is people like Jax and Opie are trying to save the club instead of burning it to the ground.

But if the show usually dances around the question of whether it considers the club a good or a bad thing - or whether it's willing to judge the club at all - the scene with Tara smacking around Margaret felt uncomfortably in favor of Clay and Gemma's vision of SAMCRO. The whole scene, and particularly the "No, this is assault" moment, seemed structured to get the audience pumping their fists - Let's watch Tara show that snooty administrator lady who's boss! - and yet I was mostly horrified by it. For all that "Sopranos" fans wanted Dr. Melfi to sic Tony on her rapist, David Chase was always clear that Melfi was the closest thing the show had to a representative from real society, and in a society of rules, that stuff's just not done.

Now, Tara occupies a different dramatic space on this show than Melfi did on "Sopranos." She grew up around the club, is dating a member, taking care of his baby and befriending the club's matriarch. Perhaps I was meant to be horrified by her actions in that scene, and one of the storylines of season three (if not the finale) will be Tara recognizing that perhaps she's adopted more of the club's morality than she wanted to. But if this is just the next step into her ascension to Gemma's throne, and something meant to be applauded, then I'm going to have a problem with it.

But we'll have a better sense of that - and of how (or if) Jax and Clay can still get their righteous vengeance if all their targets are behind bars - in next week's finale. Even though I didn't love "The Culling," I still have very high hopes for what's to come.

Some other thoughts on "The Culling":

• The show has more or less dropped the tension over the club members getting their bail revoked, Oswald losing his land, etc. Even with his recognition that LOAN is worse for the town than SAMCRO, wouldn't Hale at some point in this episode have just thrown Jax, Clay and others back into jail for violating the terms of their release?

• Last season, Jay Karnes did a multiple episode guest stint as Agent Kohn, and we have our second "Shield" regular turning up as an "SoA" guest star, as Kenny Johnson pops up as the Tacoma charter's version of Tig. Predictably, the two hate each other, though I thought it a nice touch that Tig is too messed-up by recent developments to even care about whatever their feud is about.

• As mentioned previously, the explanation for what happened to Chuck and Darby in the Caracara fire had to be cut for time from "Fa Guan." We got half an answer here, sort of, in that Chuck turns up alive and mostly well at the clubhouse, and continues to be a useful friend to the club. But where exactly has Chuck been in between the fire and now? And what happened to Darby? If he died, wouldn't Hale have also charged Weston with murder? If not, where the hell is he?

• I have to commend whoever was responsible for the work on Chuck's mutilated hands. Not sure if that was a prosthetic or something digital, but it worked. I had just assumed they would keep him in the gloves all the time, as that's an easy way to hide the actor's non-amputated fingers and thumbs.

What did everybody else think?

V, "It's Only the Beginning": In treatment

Spoilers for the fall finale of "V" coming up just as soon as I show you my turbine room...

"The more predictable we are, the more vulnerable we are." -Erica

Well, if you're gonna make it that easy, "V"... As many of you know, Scott Peters was replaced as "V" showrunner shortly before the show premiered, but after the first batch of episodes was produced. His replacement is "The Shield" and "Chuck" alum Scott Rosenbaum, who had some encouraging things to say in this interview, specifically these two portions:

I’m going to probably do the show a little more visceral, it will be a little more fast-paced, it will be learning more of the mythology and the history of the Vs. In my mind, viewers are very advanced at this point, and I want them to come to “V” and see, A, stuff they can’t see anywhere else, and, B, also feel like they’re getting storytelling that doesn’t feel retread or old, that’s, frankly, exciting.

And

my goal is that in every single episode there will be an “Oh my God, I can’t believe that happened” moment, or a “Wow” moment – at least one – in every single episode. And I think that would not only be a mythology plot reveal, but also a character reveal.

Those two passages underline so much of what's been dull about these first four episodes. "V" thus far has been the exact show - no more, no less - you would have expected it to be as soon as you heard ABC was doing a remake.

Peters was obviously wrestling with how to deal with viewer expectations, leading to some unfortunate pacing issues. Too often, it feels like the show has raced past important plot points, like the off-hand reveal of what the Vs really look like, because Peters and company felt the audience knew they would be coming, and/or that it was something they had to do, rather than a part of the story they were really excited to tell.

And yet on the flip side, sometimes the show tends to drag its feet in a futile attempt to create suspense. I rolled my eyes at the start of this episode as soon as we got the in media res teaser, both because the device is so overdone and because any viewer with half a brain would know that Ryan was shooting past Erica, and not at her. So all the time spent later in the episode suggesting Ryan and Erica didn't trust each other seemed wasted.

So we have plotting that feels rushed and/or obligatory, characterizations that can be charitably referred to as thin, and fairly lame post-pilot production values. Why exactly am I supposed to care? Other than the fact that Morena Baccarin is rocking the pixie cut and occasionally looks like The Joker when she grins?

I'll check back in at some point during the spring run after we're into Rosenbaum-produced episodes, but nothing in "It's Only the Beginning" had me feeling particularly sad that I'd need to wait months to see the next episode.

What did everybody else think?

Fox mid-season schedule: get it while it's hot!

Over at NJ.com, I have the full details on Fox's mid-season schedule, which, as usual, requires a certain knowledge of trigonometry to completely understand.

Lie to Me, "Secret Santa": Over there

Spoilers for last night's "Lie to Me" (plus some random thoughts on Jason Gedrick) coming up just as soon as I learn how to pronounce "Baltimore" the way the natives do...

"Lie to Me" initially seemed like it was going to be just another crime procedural in a primetime landscape dotted with them. But Sam Baum argued at the start that the show would be a lot more versatile than that, and Shawn Ryan has helped him back up that statement this year. Because there are questions about truth and lies in every walk of life, because Cal Lightman's services are obviously much in demand, and because the government likes what he does, there is really no professional setting - or, in this case, geographic setting - the show can't plausibly visit. There will always be some kind of mystery at the center of things, but the mystery can range from a murder, to who caused a Black Friday riot, to the location of two captured Marines in Afghanistan.

This story was obviously familiar territory for Ryan and the people he brought over from "The Unit," and I liked that we spent very little time on the Jason Gedrick(*) character distrusting Lightman's methods. It's way too easy to try to set up your guy as a genius by putting him together with strawman characters who loudly question his genius and can therefore be easily proven wrong. Gedrick was right to be at least a little suspicious, and he quickly got on board as much as he could under these harrowing circumstances.

(*) Gedrick takes a lot of heat as one of the pre-eminent showkillers of our age (look at his resume and you'll see why), but I've always had a soft spot for the guy. Not only did he star in one of my favorite Brilliant But Canceled shows ever, "EZ Streets," but I spent way, way too many hours in my youth watching scenes like this one from "Iron Eagle" on HBO. (Look closely and you'll spot a young Melora Hardin - Jan from "The Office" - as Gedrick's worried girlfriend.) One of the best moments of my early career was at a CBS press tour event in 1997. Gedrick was there for "EZ Streets" (which wasn't quite dead yet), and Lou Gossett Jr. was there for some TV-movie. I was talking with Gossett and asked if he realized Gedrick was in the building; Gossett's eyes got really wide with delight and he ordered me to lead him to the "EZ Streets" people, where he gave his old "Iron Eagle" co-star the bear hug to end all bear hugs. Later, Gedrick talked to me for a while about how Gossett more or less taught him how to act, because he was pretty terrible at the time (as you can see in the clip). It made all those hours wasted on the movie feel really, really worth it.

The ticking clock intensity of the assignment brought out the best in Tim Roth. And I love the way the writing staff has managed to take a character who should, because of his talents, be the world's biggest cynic, but instead remains oddly, endearingly hopeful about other people's capacity to be true to both themselves and the world at large. The relationship with his daughter helps, and I was relieved that Emily getting to witness the video feed neither hindered nor helped the case; it was just another complication between father and daughter.

We have one more episode next week, and then there will be four left over from this initial order of 13. Fox didn't order more in the spring because they have a lot of mid-season inventory ("24," "Human Target," "Past Life"); at this point, they might still be able to order more episodes for this season, but the more likely scenarios seem to be either renewing the show for next fall (and dealing with the four leftovers somewhere down the road) or not renewing it at all.

I'll be very disappointed if the latter happens. Not that it was ever a bad show, but "Lie to Me" has been much improved this year, and it deserves a longer chance to stick around.

What did everybody else think?