The Walking Dead - getting recappy with it

“Prey”

We open with a flashback to quieter times.  Andrea, Michonne and Michonne’s “pets” camped out around a fire.  Andrea inquires about the origin story of the “pets” and Michonne tells her the whole story, going way, way back.  The level of detail she shares about these guys is astounding.  Ha!  Only kidding.  Michonne doesn’t want to talk about it except to say that they weren’t good guys pre-zombification. 

In present day Woodbury (where the bulk of the episode takes place), the Governor’s henchmen are loading up the big guns into trucks while he plays with his amateur torture kit.  Milty the science guy tries to talk some sense into him about the whole ‘killing Rick’s group and torturing the crap out of Michonne’ thing but the Governor is long gone.  Instead Milty decides to let Andrea in on the whole plan and shows her the Governor’s torture chamber including the dentist’s chair of pain.  They’re up above looking in from some type of observation room (with blinds) and he isn’t aware they’re up there.  Andrea has a chance to shoot him but Milty stops her.  UGH!!! Milty, you are such a buzz-kill.  Andrea heads off to warn the folks at the prison that the fit is gonna hit the shan and has to get past Tyrese and Sasha in order to do so.  They half-heartedly try to stop her but let her go and blab to the Governor and Martinez about her leaving.  You’re killing me, Tyrese! 

Martinez takes Tyrese, Sasha, and their two red-shirt buddies, Allen and Ben off to see the pit of spare biters they’ve been collecting.  Tyrese correctly guesses that they’ll be used against the prison folk and wants nothing to do with it.  He and red-shirt Allen fight and Tyrese is definitely the stronger of the two in both strength and character.  Later someone (we don’t see their face) sets fire to the pit of biters and I think we’re supposed to assume it was Tyrese. 

 Meanwhile, Andrea is on the run from a pick-up that’s hot on her trail.  She evades capture from some walkers and ends up outrunning the truck but both wind up at an abandoned warehouse.  Is it necessary to say “abandoned” because aren’t most things in their world abandoned?  Anywhoodle, it’s the Governor driving said truck and this incredibly scary cat and mouse thing goes down inside the warehouse.  He comes close to finding her a few times but she’s able to get the upper hand and lets loose a stairwell full of biters on him and runs out of the building.  It’s at this point where I would have found a way to take his truck from him but then that would be too easy.  Andrea finally reaches the prison, raises her hand in a wave to Rick who is on lookout and then is quickly tackled by the damn Governor.  Rick thinks he saw something and then quickly disregards it as one of his hallucinations.  Fantastic.

The Governor returns to Woodbury claiming to have not found Andrea.  He confronts Tyrese about the pit but after chatting with Milty realizes who the real culprit was.  Then the camera takes a journey down a creepy hallway ending in the Governor’s torture chamber.  We see Andrea is strapped in to the dentist’s chair of utter and total pain and my heart breaks for her.

Dude, I almost forgot to mention the creepy whistling thing the Governor does when he's in a good/torturey mood.  It's the worst tell EVER.  He did it while playing with his torture tools and again while he was chasing Andrea through the warehouse.  I know they want his character to last at least through the rest of this season but he needs to be taken care of already.  He's AWFUL!
 

The Walking Dead

(this will be my shortest review ever!)

Um, so last night's episode was really a far cry from the week before.  It was slow and boring and had lots of talk but sometimes you need those episodes to set up the end of the season. 

Rick and the Governor met at some abandoned (natch) mill full of silos and empty buildings.  They hashed out their mutual hatred and distrust for one another and sorta kinda came to a possible deal. 

It started with the Governor putting his hands up in a show of peace even though we know there's a piece taped to the table at which he and Rick are parlaying.  Andrea enters and tries to broker peace but they kick her out in a very, 'let the men do the talking' sort of way.  The guys chat a bit, the Governor shares about his wife's death before the whole zombie apocalypse thing happened, blah, blah, blah.  I think he says his last name but I missed it, rewound it, and couldn't quite make it out.  The Governor's offer is for them to turn over Michonne and he promises to leave them alone.  He gives Rick two days to think this over.

Outside Daryl and the Governor's lieutenant dude threaten each other, kill some walkers, and then each have a cigarette.  Milty and Hershel get to know each other and Milty actually asks to see Hershel's stump!  For scientific purposes of course.  The nerve.  Hershel hilariously declines with a "you haven't even bought me a drink yet" type of retort.  Then Hershel comforts a distraught Andrea who know has a pretty good idea of what a complete creep the Governor actually is.  I kind of feel badly for her.

Back at the prison, Merle is antsy thinking his brother could be in harm's way and wants to go to the meeting place to take out the Governor once and for all.  Glenn refuses, they tussle, Maggie gets in on it and they stop when Beth fires a gun in the air.  Merle tries to get Michonne to go with him, she refuses but they don't tussle.  Glenn and Maggie make up, hug, kiss and get it on.  Throughout this whole scene with them I keep waiting for Maggie to get shot in the head because I know she's a guest on Talking Dead later. 

Everybody is back home.  The Governor gives orders to shoot everyone but Michonne, which Milty hears and reminds the Governor that this is against his promise.  Um, duh.  Rick lies to the group about the Governor's deal and informs them they're at war.  Wow, I'm proud of Rick for being so perceptive.  Outside he tells Hershel the truth and begs him to talk Rick out of the whole going to war thing just to protect Michonne. 

Oz the Great and Powerful

I think I'm going to change my approach to the movies where my feelings land somewhere in the middle. Oz the Great and Powerful will the first up.  My way of thinking has always been that there's something good about every movie. To stick with that I'll tell you what I liked first and then what I didn't like. 

What I liked:
It was very pretty.  The effects (almost all special and seemingly very little practical) and sets were all pretty cool.  The women in the movie were all very pretty and their costumes were as well. 

I thought Zach Braff was good.

The opening titles were neat.

Lastly I think it tied together well with The Wizard of Oz.  It really set up that movie quite well.

What I didn't like:
James Franco.  Honestly there has to have been someone else who could have done a better job.  He was more doofus than flim flam man.  He's a good actor most of the time but this just wasn't right for him.

It was campy but not in a good way.  Like the sign for China Town, which would lead one to a town made of actual china (like plates, teapots, cups, etc.). 

They stole a bit of story from Three Amigos. Ok, I'm sure Three Amigos stole this particular bit of story from many other movies but I can excuse it because Three Amigos is an awesome movie.

The acting from most of the main cast was, um, not great.  I've seen these people do so much better so it was frustrating to watch them struggle with what I think should have been more campy and less serious.  Of the three witches I think Rachel Weisz did the best with the material but that's still not saying much.  Mila Kunis needed to relax a bit and Michelle Williams should have gone with a more cutesy approach (she got close but held back).



There's more but I just don't feel like getting into it.  It doesn't help that I saw the movie with the most annoying audience filled with yapping 5-year old girls, men texting and a large man audibly sucking the popcorn out of his teeth.  But I stand by my final consensus.  It was more bad than good but only by a little.  If it's your kind of thing and you're less nitpicky than I am, go see it on a big screen.

Trailer Park Time!!!

Sure it's been a really long time since I've posted one of these and there's only one person who could have put me back in action.  I couldn't very well let the new Joss Whedon trailer go unmentioned, now could I?

Unfortunately I'm a bit worried.

Much Ado About Nothing

I'm in.  I'm so totally in.

The Hangover Part III

Conan was right, the Avengers movie spoiled us.  If one of them is in trouble, why don't they just get the gang together again to help out?

Iron Man 3

I guess.

After Earth

Jason Bateman and Alexander Skaarrrrrsssgaaaarrrrd in a movie together that's not a comedy?  

Oh yeah.

Disconnect

Adorbs.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

I have a little beef with this last movie. I quite enjoy Abigail Breslin and 

I think Halle Berry is a fine actress indeed.  But... 

WHAT IS UP WITH HALLE'S HAIR?!?!?!

The Call

A Partial Retraction - The Following

Previously I stated how much I was enjoying the new Fox show, The Following.  I still like it.  I still think it's compelling and well-acted but I am having an issue with something:

A reminder as to what I said:

5. Lastly, I'm satisfied with the pacing on The Following.  Things happen and the story moves along quite well.  There's action, we learn things about the plot and the characters, and we're assured there's much more to come.  Well done, writers.  Well done.  Oh and the cops/Feds aren't idiots. I can't stand when TV shows or movies make cops into buffoons who can't shoot straight.

Now?  Now I'm pissed at the writers.  The feds are being outsmarted at every turn.  It's getting completely predictable.  They have no edge over serial killer, Joe Carroll, and his nameless, faceless, countless minions.  Ok, followers. However, my woes with the writers isn't going to stop me from watching the show.  I haven't been keeping up with its ratings so I have no idea how close The Following is to possible cancellation, but I would suggest the writers not fall into patterns of bumbling police and too-smart bad guys.  I'm presuming that one of the main feds is a mole, which again is utterly and completely predictable.

In defense of the writers, I can't imagine how completely difficult it is to write fresh, new ideas without falling into being completely predictable.  We're a been-there-seen-that society and have high expectations for entertainment.  So I'm still holding hope that the show is able to throw a curve ball that most of the viewers don't see coming.

A Walking Dead twofer

Last Week:

“I Ain’t a Judas”

 -Hershel yelled at Rick to get his shit straight.

-Wyatt Twerp (aka Carl) told Rick to take a much needed sabbatical from the Ricktatorship

-The Governor lied to Andrea about the situation with the prison gang and got himself an eye patch.

-Andrea wanted to orchestrate some peace so she made herself a pet (curbed him and everything) to escort her to the prison where she received a chilly reception.

-Hershel and Merle got to know each other; even quoted the Bible a bit.

-Carol and Daryl caught up but still no hanky panky (will those two crazy kids ever get together?)

-Tyrese & co. headed to Woodbury with Milty the science guy and even offered to help the Governor with his Rick problem.

-Beth sang.

-Rick held his baby,

-And finally, Andrea got nekkid with the Governor, pulled a knife on him while he slept, but couldn’t bring herself to kill him.

Last Night:

(This, IMHO, was an outstanding episode.  If you haven’t watched it, don’t read this recap.  You need to experience it.)

“Clear”

Rick, Michonne and Wyatt Twerp are on a road trip to Rick’s old town to find weapons and ammo.  They totally ignore a hitchhiker…twice.  Karma gets ‘em though and the Hyundai gets stuck in some mud.  They’re quickly surrounded by walkers but take care of them and the car in a matter of seconds.

The town is, well, weird.  There are messages spray-painted all over the walls of buildings and the ground.  It’s oddly fortified and has its very own sharpshooter on the roof of a building.  Wyatt Twerp shoots the guy who has come down off his perch but he was wearing body armor so he's not dead.  Rick takes off the dude’s helmet and HOLY CRAP, it’s the dude (Morgan) from the first episode!!!  They drag Morgan into his heavily booby-trapped residence and proceed to marvel at all the guns and ammo he’s acquired.  Rick wants to wait until he wakes up before they take all his weaponry.  That’s…thoughtful.

Wyatt Twerp heads off to find a crib for Lil’ Asskicker and Michonne offers to escort him to help carry it.  As it turns out, he really wants a framed picture of his parents and him from a while ago so Lil’ Asskicker can see what her mom looked like.  Awwwwww!  Michonne is a huge help in the process and grabs an ugly cat sculpture thingy that automatically gives her some personality points.

Morgan comes to, struggles with Rick, stabs him, and doesn’t seem to recognize him at all.  Rick holds up the walkie talkie he’d left with Morgan a year ago and it finally clicks.  This whole scene of them talking is absolutely incredible.  Lennie James (“Morgan”) is brilliant and heartbreaking.  Morgan tells him that he did as Rick instructed every day, which was to get on the walkie talkie at dawn and listen for Rick.  He did it every day.  Rick was never there.  We know Rick’s been through some stuff but the heartbreak in Morgan’s eyes is more than anyone could handle.  He’s lost his wife, his son, and now (kind of) his mind as evidenced by all the literal writing on the walls.  Rick tries desperately to get him to come with them to safety but an astute Morgan says they wouldn’t need all the weapons they’re about to steal from him if they were actually that safe.

Wyatt Twerp tells Rick that Michonne is OK with him because she’s really one of them and this surprises Rick.  Michonne tells Rick it’s OK that he’s been seeing things because she did too at one point.  Morgan stays behind in Morgantown and goes about his business of rounding up and burning the walkers caught in his traps.  And that hitchhiker from earlier?  Well he got torn up by some walkers but Carl got his backpack so there’s that.

Beautiful Creatures

I read half of the Beautiful Creatures series last year and really enjoyed it.  My friend Keenan would disagree as she's been having trouble even getting through the first book.  Anywhoodle, I was excited when I read that they had cast some heavy hitters like Emma Thompson, Viola Davis and Jeremy Irons in movie adaptation.  I was fine with the two relative unknowns that were cast for the two main roles of Lena and Ethan.  I was less happy with the casting of one other character, Ridley, but I'll get to that.  I was truly angsty about this adaptation when I saw the trailer and sadly, the movie didn't prove me wrong.

So overall the movie was fine.  I really, truly tried not to sit there the whole time comparing it to the book but then that's just impossible.  The story is this: a girl, Lena, with powers moves to a small-minded, small town in S.C. and becomes outcast, undesirable #1.  The good news is there's a cute, smart, boy, Ethan, with (early)Ginsberg glasses that's hot for outcast witch girls.  Lena is about to turn 16 and when she does, she and her powers will be claimed for either the light or the dark (supposedly based on her true nature). There's a lot more to it but I think the movie didn't really do a great job of getting it all across.  Instead they picked the main plot and stuck with the basics.  But then I guess that's what they have to do when adapting a book for the big screen.

There were problems.  One problem was the accent used by a few characters.  Actually the aforementioned heavy hitters did just fine (it's been proven time and again that the Brits have no trouble with a southern accent).  The kids?  Well actually the girl who played Lena, Alice Englert, did fine but then she's from New Zealand.  The actor who had the most trouble was the guy who played Ethan, Alden Ehrenreich...an American.  His accent was soooo thick and comical that it was distracting.  Plus he tended to get a bit high-pitched and screechy at times, which didn't help.  The actor himself is utterly adorable (he's 23 so it's legal for me to swoon) and pretty much embodied who I thought Ethan was so that's good. 

What did I like? Um, well, uh, mostly the movie worked on the whole but when it's broken up into parts then I get a bit stabby about it.  Some of the choices made by director Richard LaGravenese were a little head-scratchy but most of those were because I wanted it to be truer to the book (like keeping it filmed in SC instead of New Orleans-but I'm sure it was a tax thing).  My biggest issue was the casting of the aforementioned Ridley:

Ridley is supposed to be more teen Lolita than a vampy, slutty 20-something.  Emmy Rossum is a fine actress and was ok in the film but I can't figure out why they went in such a different direction with only one character.  Everyone else looked pretty much the same as the characters were written.  Sometimes I'd really love to know exactly how decisions were made and the motivations behind them but I won't so I'll have to learn to live with that disappointment.

Anywhoodle, see the movie, don't see the movie.  I just don't care.  It's making no money so it's not like there's hope for the sequels to make it to the big screen.  So I'll just keep my fingers crossed that the Hollywood powers-that-be don't hold it against Ehrenreich.  I'd love to see him screech his way through some more movies.

Sunday's Walking Dead

Expecting a recap?  Well you're not gonna get one.  My Sunday was consumed with Oscars mania so I didn't get to watch The Walking Dead.  Guess what?  I didn't watch it yesterday either.  I'm a slacker and I have no excuse.  Sorry!

Here's a fun infographic to make up for my lameness:

Safety Not Guaranteed: Is It Ever?

This 2012 sort-of drama, sort of comedy, sort of sci-fi, sort of mumblecore, all the way awesome flick won screenwriter Derek Connolly a writing award at Sundance. He deserved it. The movie was inspired by a fake newspaper classified ad seeking a partner for time travel without any guarantee that either person will escape unscathed. But the film's true concern is the all-too-real risks anyone takes when they open themselves up to another person.

The movie follows a trio of magazine writers who go rather clumsily undercover to write a profile on the man who placed the ad, the reliably excellent Mark Duplass. A young intern with pain in her past agrees to pose as the interested partner, and as she tries to convince Duplass's Kenneth to trust her, she begins to believe in him as well.

Her boss, Jeff, is also pursuing a type of time travel: he agreed to take the story in order to look up an old girlfriend, love for whom he confuses with nostalgia for a younger, more hopeful version of himself. Jeff, who looks like Oliver Platt crossed with Mark Ruffalo, nearly steals the movie. His stutter steps toward emotional maturity are compelling and moving to watch.

But this movie belongs to Kenneth and Aubrey. Their story is a reminder that falling in love with someone means listening to, sharing, and believing in those intimate fictions we tell ourselves about our lives in order to make it through the night. Moving backwards in time like that is just as complicated and dangerous as the machine Kenneth claims to have constructed and used once before. And, as Safety Not Guaranteed spectacularly affirms, those "fictions" are often the most authentic, most real, truths about life and how it's not just survived but lived. As Kenneth concludes, going it alone looks like freedom, but having a partner in a world that is capricious and cruel is better than safety--it's liberating.

Last night's Walking Dead

 

“Home”

The episode opens at the prison with birds chirping on a sunny morning and a crazy Rick watching Lori’s ghost stand by her grave in a pretty, white dress.  So, of course, he goes to talk to her.  By the time he gets to the grave she’s moved outside the gate.  He runs to her and she stays put this time.  Lori’s ghost touches his face, he melts into her touch and we see what Michonne sees…a crazy man, standing alone.

In Woodbury, Andrea gets a visit from the Governor who compliments the speech she gave to the townspeople to calm them down.  She asks about retaliation against the prison group and he tells her that as long as they leave them alone, there’s no reason for it.  Oh and he wants Andrea to step in as interim Governor for a while.  I’m guessing he’s gonna be busy with that non-existent retaliation. 

THE DIXON BOYS!  Honestly these two could have their own show.  They’re hiking through the woods, hungry and disagreeing about how to do things.  Poor Daryl.

Back at the prison, Glenn is devising a plan to hold off the Governor.  He wants Michonne to help since she knows where his place is.  Michonne agrees without actually saying yes. She really doesn’t talk unless absolutely necessary.  Glenn and Hershel go back and forth about staying at the prison or moving on (former wants to stay and latter thinks they should go).  Glenn makes good points that being on the road was easier when Hershel had two legs and they didn’t have a baby with them.  Then again, Hershel thinks it’s better than staying there like sitting ducks.

Next stop on the Governor’s tour of tying up loose ends is a visit with Milty the science guy.  The Governor tells him how valuable he is, how he thinks of Milty as a friend, yada, yada.  Then the Governor sures up Milty’s loyalty by asking if he’d take a bullet, which Milty agrees to.  Unfortunately the Governor questions Andrea’s loyalty and wants Milty to keep an eye on her, you know, since the Governor doesn’t have one to spare…  Meanwhile, Andrea is looking for Martinez and then wants to know where the Governor has gone off to.  All Milty says is that he’s on a “run.”

A section of the prison is overrun again with walkers so Glenn wants to do a check of the far side.  I’m thinking they mean the section where Tyrese’s group came in, which leads me to wonder where they got off to.  Before heading out, Glenn checks on Maggie and pretty much forces her to recount exactly what when down when the Governor humiliated her.  Glenn reaches for her but Maggie slaps him and then slaps him a few more times before shoving him away.  They have got to get fixed, y’all.  Daryl gone and Glaggie fighting?!?!  No bueno.  We catch up with Carol and Axel who spills what he did to land in prison.  She shows him how to use the gun he’s been given and he compliments her.  This time is cute instead of creepy like when he was hitting on young Beth.

The Dixon boys (!) are still wandering and bickering when Daryl hears a baby cry in the distance.  Merle is convinced it’s some animals getting it on but they spot a group of survivors fighting off some walkers.  Daryl rushes off to help them but, of course, Merle can’t be bothered and would rather not waste bullets on strangers.  What a stand-up guy he continually proves to be.  Merle, never change you racist jerk.  Daryl and his crossbow help out quite a bit and even Merle takes out one walker.  However it’s Daryl who gets the kill of the week…decapitation by Subaru!  I rewound it twice.  The folks they’re rescuing are Spanish-speakers so Merle starts in with the racial slurs and tries to relieve them of some of their supplies but Daryl stops him with his crossbow.  The boys finally revisit the recent past and even go back to their childhoods.  It’s revealed to Merle that their dad beat on Daryl too and Merle, who had to leave for his own sake, left Daryl feeling pretty abandoned back then.  So Daryl decides to go back to the prison (yay!) and Merle begrudgingly follows.

Glenn is taking a shiny new-ish pick-up out to go who knows where (Woodbury? the back of the prison?) and Hershel tries to stop him.  It’s at this point I realize we haven’t seen Rick since the beginning and it’s like they read my mind because Hershel gets a load of Rick wandering around outside the gate.  Rick hears his name and is a little creeped out until he realizes it’s just Hershel who has hobbled his ass down there to talk.  Rick tells him that he’s been seeing ghosts, namely Lori and Shane back when they were in Woodbury.  He knows they aren’t real but feels like they’re appearing to him for a reason and is waiting for some sort of answer.  It’s obvious to Hershel that Rick is in need of a good night’s sleep (one of the first things to drive a person crazy is a lack of sleep).

We join up with Carol and Axel who are still chatting about life when Axel gets shot in the head.  HOLY CRAP, Y’ALL!!!   It’s the damn Governor on that retaliation mission he didn’t see as necessary.  He’s unnecessarily shooting at everyone and has 3 guys with him who are doing the same.  One, Martinez I’m guessing, is shooting at Rick and Hershel, one is in a pick-up next to the Governor (who is standing in the open) and one is up on a tower.  All of our folks are shooting back as best they can but it’s not doing much good.  The shooting stops when a truck comes speeding up to the outer gate and blows right through it.  Nothing happens for what seems like forever until the back doors open and a mess of walkers amble out.  Great.  The only good things about this cluster eff is that it forces Rick to rejoin the living and Michonne gets to use her katana.  Rick comes WAAAAYYY too close to getting overtaken by a few walkers when one gets an arrow through the head.  DARYL IS BACK!!!  He and Merle rush in and help Rick with his current walker problem.  Glenn speeds up, passes the Governor’s truck as it speeds away, and picks up some of the folks to bring them inside to safety.  Rick gives Daryl a nod to welcome him back but then we realize they’re still on the wrong side of the fence and there are a ton of walkers between them and the inside of the prison.  The episode ends on a close-up of an incredibly pissed-off Rick. 

Dude.