Monthly Archives: August 2011

TV

Curb Your Enthusiasm: 8.06 – “The Hero” Review

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Our episode continues with Larry, Susie and Jeff airborne on their way to New York. The scenes on the airplane were pretty awesome. One of them involved quite possibly the most annoying woman in the world trying to stop Larry from using the coach bathroom and the other a very drunken passenger who combined with Larry’s untied shoes turn the Seinfeld creator into a hero.

Once in New York Larry and Jeff stumble upon Ricky Gervais in a restaurant whom Jeff wants to sign as a client. After buying (inadvertently again) Gervais a $300 bottle of wine, Jeff and Susie have him over for dinner. I loved Larry and Ricky Gervais politely bickering before dinner and it lasted for over three minutes. Seeing two of the funniest guys out there on-screen for the first time I honestly think I could have watched almost a whole episode of them going back and forth.

Ricky Gervais as it turns out is a huge prick as himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm which was a good thing. Between Larry messing up Gervais’ performance of Mr. Simington arguing with Susie, his own brand of medium talk at dinner, and his last valiant act of heroism this episode was one of the best this season. I give it 4 out of 5 bears.

Good news, because it looks like next week we get to see Leon back on the scene as Larry’s louse of a roommate!

TV

Game of Thrones Season 2 Casting: Roose Bolton

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Roose Bolton, despite being a brilliant tactician is most definitely one of the more creepy characters in the Song of Ice and Fire books. He’s described as a pale, quiet man whose banner consists of a flayed man. Now if you’re curious as to what flaying is when comes to it being performed on a man, it’s when the skin is torn off of the body one layer at a time. It’s a horrific way of torture, the Bolton’s known to let the exposed skin fester and crack after the flaying. Lord Bolton also hold to the medieval tradition of using leeches to keep his blood clean and healthy. And oh yeah, his castle is known throughout the North as the Dreadfort. Very charming indeed.

I had actually thought of David Thewlis of Harry Potter (among other movies) fame being perfect for the role of Roose Bolton but it would look as if they’ve cast someone who definitely holds to the physical description of the Lord of the Dreadfort. Michael McElhatton is an actor that I am not familiar with but he has had many a role in TV shows and movies alike.

It will be much more interesting once the seasons get rolling to see Roose Bolton’s bastard son Ramsay Snow in action and some of the interactions the father and son have in whichever season book 5 happens to be in. Ramsay is one of the most vile characters I’ve seen in the Song of Ice and Fire books and when he makes his way onto the HBO show I think a lot of people will be disgusted with him and actually be clamoring for him to bite the dust at some point. Roose is a sicko bastard because he condones all of Ramsay’s antics and holds him as his only son despite being a bastard. Stay tuned for more Game of Thrones castings as they release!

The Flayed Man Banner of House Bolton. Let not the pink fool you!
Movie News & Opinions

David Yates + The Stand = Happening

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Looks like we know what David Yate’s next big undertaking will be. Fables may be on the back burner as the Harry Potter director aims to bring a franchise of Stephen King’s The Stand movies to the big screen. With news from IGN it would appear that Yates and writer Steve Kloves are ready to commit to the project:

Continue reading David Yates + The Stand = Happening →

TV

Game of Thrones Season 2 Casting: Jeyne… But Which One?

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Apparently Charlie Chaplin had a granddaughter who is into acting. I never knew that but Oona Chaplin has been cast in the latest season of A Game of Thrones as a character named Jeyne according to Access Hollywood. Now as fans of the books will realize this could mean one of two characters. The first is Jenye Poole, the daughter of a steward of Winterfell that accompanied the Starks to King’s Landing and was held captive after the slaughter of the Northmen. Jeyne Poole makes a lot more sense in the long run since she plays a pretty big role in the fifth book ‘A Dance With Dragons’.

**Spoilers Below**

The other character that she could possibly play is that of Jeyne Westerling, but it wouldn’t make much sense because she doesn’t show up until book 3 ‘A Storm of Swords‘. But it wouldn’t be unheard of for them to add the character in early to move things along. They put in an Arya scene at the end of season 1 that was from book 2 so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they did something similar in season 2. Jeyne is a very important character because Robb Stark marries her after she tends to his wounds in book 3. This proves problematic since he had a marriage agreement with Lord Walder Frey that is now null and void. The whole ordeal leads to one of the most shocking scenes I’ve read in the George R.R. Martin books aside from Ned’s beheading.

I’m betting on her being Jeyne Poole, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see how everything unfolds as filming continues. As always, stay tuned for more casting news!

Movie News & Opinions

The Return of Austin Powers…. Yeah Baby!

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Well it had to happen. One franchise, thought dead long ago, is on the track to return to our movie screens once more. It’s been about nine years since the last Austin Powers movie came out in the form of ‘Gold Member‘ and I’m sure I’m’ not the first one to admit that it sucked pretty hard. I think at that point Austin had just become annoying along with the rest of his multiple characters. The formula just got outdated, but now there is a whole other generation of people who dig the raunchy sex and fecal jokes that so many found appealing back in 1997. Check out the news below via IGN:

HitFix is reporting that Mike Myers has signed on to return to his biggest movie role ever — the titular inept spy — for Austin Powers 4. (Yes, AP was even bigger than Wayne.)

Okay, so it’s not much to go on. There is no mention of who would be signing on besides Mike Myers (who else do you need?) or what the story is, but let’s face it: Austin Powers movies could probably be written by a duo of teenagers just entering puberty. They definitely need to bring Seth Green back in as Scott Evil or I won’t even go see the damned movie.

What’s everyone think about this news? Is it too late to bring Austin Powers back into our lives? Will he be as groovy as we once remembered? Myers tried to play another goofy character in the Love Guru if you can remember that soggy piece of scum-crust. I’ve actually tried to suppress the memory of it completely.

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Marvel Comics Review: The Amazing Spider-Man #667 – Spider Island Part 1

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The excitement of Spider Island continues in full force in this issue of Spidey! The Jackal and his cohorts are hosting a meeting with all of the major crime families of New York to distribute a little something to the now spider-powered thugs. Spider suits. Almost every Spiderman costume there has been, and he has also given them orders to terrorize the city in every way possible. Not good! Peter in the meantime can’t get over the fact that his gal pal Carlie has spider-powers as well now. What makes it worse is that she flat-out told him instead of keeping it a secret. What a jerk that makes you Mr. Parker! Or it just makes her look like a gossipy woman who can’t keep anything to herself. I’ll let you the readers decide on that one.

Mayor J. Jonah Jameson as you can imagine is happier than a pig in its own excrement due to the fact that his idiotic Aniti Spider Patrol is somewhat relevant for the moment. After all the guy did spend 30 percent of the city budget on it…. good call JJ. A group of folks not so happy are the Avengers who show up in the issue to perform some spider control. I get the feeling that the spider powered criminals may be in over their heads because you have the likes of Wolverine, Ms. Marvel, Red Hulk and the Thing whooping their web-clad asses in the issue.

I have to say one of the best moments for me was when Peter showed up in his spider suit to help out and was rewarded by getting pummeled by his comrades. Something tells me that he should have just thought that one over a few minutes longer before jumping into the fray. Overall I give the issue 4 out of 5 grizzlies.

The issue was a bit on the light-hearted side even as all hell breaks loose in New York. I have to say it kind of annoys me continuity wise when an event like this happens during the same time as another event, that one being Fear Itself. How can all of this crap be happening at once?! Regardless, Spider Island is just too much fun for me to care at this point. I hope Dan Slott keeps it up throughout the arc because I am thoroughly entertained. I may be one of the few but I still enjoyed the issue even when I’m not a huge fan of Humberto Ramos’ art. I’ve grown to accept it over the years but not enough to hope he’s drawing one of the books I read.