Archive for category WWWW

There’s nothing like the weekend to relax up and prepare yourself for the coming week at work (granted, watching and writing about movies may not qualify as “work” but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). And sometimes, it’s those guilty pleasures in life that make you happiest. Usually, you wouldn’t get me to sit down and watch more than 10 seconds of a reality TV program (excluding MasterChef that is) if you paid me but guess what? I succumbed on a very slow Sunday and got a little hooked. My parents have always said that I’ve got an addictive personality: not meaning people are attracted to me… as in ‘I’m an “all” or “nothing” sort of person.

Something tells me that neither of these gals popped that car's hood.

Back when Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton were BFFs (best friend forever for anyone not in with the “hip” lingo), they ran a little circus that we all called The Simple Life. By the way, I’m not entirely sure if they’ve made peace yet or if they’re still feuding because I can’t keep up! Anyway, I got the idea to watch this show from a little memory that came to me out of nowhere when this feisty duo made an appearance on Oprah. I still can’t forget how Paris seemingly had no clue what a washing machine is… can anyone say “acting up?”

If they don't spook that pony, nothing will!

Anyway, even though it does cause me great pain to admit this, The Simple Life is pretty funny. Wanna read more about one of Paris’ bright thoughts? While there are plenty, my favourite would have to be seeing her new invention: crispy toast created with an iron. Yep, that’s right: there is no longer any need for toasters out there because this chick is more than willing to iron your bread to perfection. Oh dear! If only we could all spend our days thinking up such wonderful inventions.

Surprisingly, my backyard looks nothing like this!

One of the best things I love about the Christmas holidays (don’t worry, I’m aware that they’re well and truly behind us) is the fact that Neighbours goes off-air for a couple of weeks (sorry Mum, I just don’t care if Toadie is with Steph at the moment or whether Ringo and Donna will ever get back together) is that we get some different programming. A couple of years back, Channel 10 made the rather courageous decision to broadcast Laguna Beach and by golly, it was addictive!

Someone's not happy with whatever's being said.

What was the attraction? After all, I’m never going to get to live like one of these teens whose most important decision on a daily basis revolves around which one of their gal pals to avoid or which guy to date. After seeing this show, I’m inclined to believe The O.C. is a little more based on reality than I once thought (who knew that some parents bought their sons a yacht to help him make friends?).

One of the most popular characters from Laguna Beach was Lauren although I’m not sure why (maybe it’s the fact that she’s so annoying that makes her addictive to watch). So, in true Hollywood style, Lauren scored her own spin-off show, The Hills (I’m sure you’ve heard of it even if you’re clueless as to what it is).

Clearly, blonde's all the rage with these girls.

Being the lucky girl that she is (‘cause you know, she already doesn’t have enough with all the wealth and fame… I’m not bitter, I’m really not!), she lands an internship at Teen Vogue in West Hollywood. As you can imagine, this leads to her making more similar-minded friends (take that as you will).

Lauren soon moves into a groovy new apartment and we’re introduced to the real star of the show in my opinion: Heidi. Her career ambition? “To be the fun, party, PR girl in Los Angeles”. Hmm… while it’s sooooo tempting to write something nasty about that I’d better leave it alone. Sometimes, letting others do the mean thinking works wonders!

I wonder if they're after Lauren...

Hey, these shows may not be winning Emmys anytime soon (although, there is a reality TV category now), they’re pretty funny to watch if you’re up for some mindless fun. That said, you can only have so much mindless fun in your life so we’re back to real entertainment on Wednesday with Sherlock Holmes, Did You Hear About The Morgans? and Zombieland.

There are some things in life that just shouldn’t happen: Tony Abbott wearing speedos, Amy Winehouse reproducing, Tom Cruise acting like a fool while parading himself on a couch… need I go on? Watching True Blood in the same room as your parents is definitely one of those things. If you’re compelled to ask “why?” at this point, you clearly haven’t seen even a moment of this vampire series. Let’s just say that a lot of people get naked quite often during EVERY (and when I say every, I really mean every) episode… do you see where I’m going with this?

Gotta love Tara's brutal honest!

Considering this, Sarah’s big tip of the day is: clear the room (especially of parents and young children) before you push that “play” button on your DVD player when you slip True Blood into your machine.

This is what happens when vamps get hungry.

For those of us still living with the parents, this is a little hard but there are still ways around this so that you don’t have to miss this very worthy addition to the vamp genre. Here’s a shortlist of ways that I get some “alone time” in a house that I don’t own: stay in a room with a door that can remain closed for a lengthy period of time (and if it does happen to open suddenly, you shouldn’t be able to see the television screen from where people walk into the room), watch it on a portable laptop, watch it at a friend’s house… get your thinking hat on because one thing’s for sure, True Blood is pretty awesome.

Before I get further into it, let’s establish one thing: True Blood is no Buffy. In fact, it’s really nothing like I’ve ever seen before (keep in mind, it is rated R18+ so I’ve only been legally allowed to see this kind of stuff for four years).

Maybe the whole innocent thing is a fake...

The series revolves around Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin whose gap-toothed smile I find terribly distracting), a likeable Louisiana waitress that seems a little too virginal and naïve for her own good. She also very open-minded about vampires and can read minds (a handy gift to have unless people were always aiming nasty comments in your direction). Although, she can’t read Bill’s (Stephen Moyer) mind because he’s a vampire and I just really need to get one thing out of my system. What kind of a name is Bill for a brooding vamp? Maybe I’m just too used to characters having less than average names like Jar Jar Binks (I really need to move on to the next point now, don’t I?).

God ol' Jar Jar Binks!

Anyway, the single most unique aspect of this television series compared to other similar television shows or movies that I can think of is the fact that the vamps in True Blood have revealed their presence to the world. That means that they’ve chosen to live socially amongst the humans, for the better or worse. How is this possible? Well it’s all thanks to the creation of a synthetic blood substitute, “Tru Blood” that allows them to survive without having to stalk humans and salivate over their necks.

Sookie's bro should save time and just keep the shirt off.

I started my True Blood journey by watching the two-part opener (as you do) and to be honest, at first found it really full on. There’s a lot of sex and violence. Seriously, now I know why Ryan Kwanten looks so different to how I remember him looking on Home & Away. If I had to bear that much in almost every scene I was in, I’d make sure I looked better than average as well. That said, after I had some “thinking” time for it to all settle down a bit in my head, I started seeing the quality behind the immediate unapologetic nature of the show.

Put it this way, the longer I watch the show, the more addicted I’ve become. And while season one only consists of twelve episodes, season two packs more of a punch and has more than enough “oh my” moments. Not to mention, the animosity between the humans and the vampires reaches boiling point!

I bet no one would have really had a bet on True Blood becoming a hit but it has and for good reason. I resisted the temptation to give it a go for as long as I could… hey, just because I like the whole Buffy thing, it doesn’t mean that I’ll take in any old vamp-related storyline… I have layers you know! And with that, I’ll blog-up and leave you wanting more (hopefully). You know Wednesdays mean new releases so catch me then.

There’s nothing like a bit of variety so with this week’s top new releases, I decided to mix it up a bit and have a play with the structure of the blog (no… I’m not being lazy, there may seem like fewer words when I do it this way but I can assure you, my mind has still had to take the time to think of something that may be considered remotely witty, funny or as a last straw, interesting). Yeah… I really should just get into it because this is all a little too transparent for my liking!

So this is what Heaven looks like!

Flick: The Lovely Bones

Who: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci and newcomer, Saoirse Ronan

Plot (in 30 words or less): 14-year-old Susie (Ronan) is murdered by a neighbour and re-tells her story from Heaven. Meanwhile, her killer (Tucci) roams free and has his eyes on his next victim: Susie’s sister.

Those blue eyes have got to be contacts!

Reasons to watch: I might be showing my age a little here when I say that I didn’t know Peter Jackson for anything much besides The Lord of the Rings movies. Hey, they’re great flicks but for me, they do lack a little emotional depth (although, there was an interesting battle going on between Legolas fans and Aragorn fans similar to the whole Jacob vs. Edward tiff that Twilight fans engage in that did add a little much-needed spice to the mix. For the record, I vote Aragorn… a guy who spends more time dying and straightening his hair than me is not my kinda man).

Someone's fond of checks!

One person you don’t want to get me started on is Stanley Tucci because you know how much I admire his work (no, this time it’s definitely not a looks thing). You’ve got to admit that he stole Meryl Streep’s thunder as the always overlooked Art Director in The Devil Wears Prada.

Someone's in pain.

Flick: The Tournament

Who: Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle and Ian Somerhalder

Hint: this isn't family friendly./

Plot (for the final time, in 30 words or less): A heap of fighters are thrown into a cage with one another chasing $10,000,000 in prize money while an underground gambling ring heats up as a group of gamblers lick their lips at the chance to score a heap of money (by the way, this word count is over 30 words but sometimes, it’s just impossible to stop my nimble little fingers from typing).

Reasons to watch: Umm… Ian Somerhalder who I first discovered in Lost and then The Vampire Diaries is here and lookin’ as fine as ever. Yes… for me, just this is enough.

This is more than enough reason to watch!

Guys, the good news is that there’s a ton of action for you so really, this is perfect to watch with your girlfriend or wife or girl that’s a friend because she won’t let those eyelids clamp shit for one moment!

Well… three great movies down and heaps more waiting for us to discover together (all together now: “awww”). What else do you want? Okay, I can read your mind: you’re a blog hog and want more action right? I’ll be back Friday with a look at the hottest Aussies doing the rounds right now in Hollywood

This really is a gross generalisation but let’s face it, not many women would actually look forward to a night in with the best sci-fi offerings that have been on television at some point. But as usual, I’m different because I’m one gal that really enjoys sci-fi… why wouldn’t you look forward to escaping reality for a while in the land of aliens and blue creatures (yeah, they existed way before Avatar)? Put it this way, I’d rather spend a night in enjoying out-of-this world CGI effects than have to endure one thirty minute episode of a show that runs five times a week on Channel 10 featuring the words “journey” and “calories” more times than I’d care to hear in my lifetime (I’m not going to name names but if you’ve seen it, you’ll know!). Argh, please make it go away sometime soon!

This is who my brother claims I resemble!

Farscape brings back happy memories for me… a time of innocence and a state of bliss because I was a kid that simply didn’t know any better about anything. Yep, I remember watching this show late at night with my brother who’d always compare me to the weird blue thing by the name of Chiana that had wild white hair and looked spaced out of her mind (umm… I did spend a lot of time as a kid fantasising about being anywhere else but in reality). Ahh… fond memories!

They're not the Brady Bunch

Besides bringing back fond memories of the past, Farscape was a pretty unique show in the way that it was funded by Americans but produced by Australians… in other words, we can actually relate to the humour which is pretty nifty! The central premise of the show is pretty simple: John Crichton is a modern day astronaut and scientist (sheesh… he could have thrown some of his brain cells this way) who finds himself in another galaxy. And when I mean another galaxy, I mean another galaxy (eg: not like when you’re visiting your parents and you’re thinking “let me out, let me out!”). Far from home, John finds three new friends in three fugitive aliens and a Peacekeeper onboard an odd ship called Moya. My advice to you: give Farscape a chance, it gets better with each season as does its budget (clearly!). Don’t be put off my the complex storylines… everything eventually comes full circle.

They look like they mean business!

Now, I’m going to be pretty honest here… I’m not a big fan of re-makes. My theory? If it’s been done before, there’s probably little reason to do it again. I do of course, have a couple of exceptions to this rule (after all, my beloved Buffy was first made as a movie and we all know what happened there). When I watched the modern version of Battlestar Galactica, my expectations were completely blown out of the water. It wasn’t littered with clunky creatures plonked in the middle of space with the intent to survive at all costs. No, instead it was sci-fi that actually credited its audience with a brain (come on, how many times have you watched these kind of shows that are just downright ridiculous?). Yes, it was dark, intelligent and spent a lot of time on character development.

Here’s an interesting fact: Battlestar Galactica was originally made back in 1978 and one of the central characters, Starbuck was a man. In the modern day version, those zany writers have gone and turned Starbuck into a woman… I’ll leave that one alone I think (I always seem to get myself in trouble when words come out of my mouth so I’ll zip it!).

Oooo... hello!

Heard of a show called Doctor Who? Of course you have and while I’d love to write a couple of paragraphs about this much-loved favourite, I’m going to talk about its spin-off, Torchwood. Why? Well, not just because I like to be different (which I do) but also because I actually think Torchwood is better than Doctor Who (all of you Doctor Who fans, please refrain from mauling me… it’s just my opinion). Maybe a lot of it has to do with the fact that John Barrowman who plays Captain Jack Harkness is quite nice on the eyes but it’s not just about me being shallow.

Gotta love the outfit!

The first thing you have to get over when giving this series a shot for the first time is the CGI effects, especially in the first season. I’m used to watching American shows with pretty massive budgets and in that regard, Torchwood just can’t compete (it’s produced by the BBC). But storyline-wise, it really is something!

Gwen (Eve Myles) is a cop who stumbles across the activites of Torchwood, a body working separately to the government to apprehend alien invaders. Soon, she is taken in by its leader, Captain Jack Harkness who oversees a group equipped with the latest toys and gadgets to ward off all kinds of vicious threats. The team includes Owen (Burn Gorman) who likes the ladies (to put it nicely), tech expert Toshiko (Naoko Mori) who’s exactly like Alfred in Batman and Suzie (Indira Varma). So what’s my favourite thing about Torchwood (apart from Barrowman)? It doesn’t take itself too seriously which is always a much-needed element in sci-fi.

Someone looks a little like Morticia from The Addam's Family if you ask me

I know you’ve been hanging out for it because you know that I just love weaving my faves into any blog post however I can so how can I talk about sci-fi without going into Firefly. I’m not even going to go into what a disgrace it was that this show was cancelled (we don’t have that long) so I’ll just rattle on about the show itself.

What I like most about Firefly is that it isn’t typical sci-fi: there aren’t any aliens, no one finds themselves bizarrely transported into another dimension and there really aren’t any heroes (sure, we’ve got our crew but no full on Superman-types). So what’s it all about? It follows the adventures of the very spunky Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion who’s gone onto greater things like Castle) and his crew onboard Serenity.

Nothing like a pretty face to help a series shine!

I don’t really want to delve too much into anything that happens because I think this show is best watched without anyone having completely spoiled anything for you. What I will say is that Firefly is more like a Western than a Star Trek or Star Wars.

Look familiar? She's an alien on V now, only with much less hair!

Oh well, the show may be gone but at least I can hang my hopes on a Serenity 2!

Now I know I don’t have to tell you this but I’m going to anyway: I’ll be back on Wednesday with the week’s best new releases.

There’s nothing like a bit of a Friends-fest to kill some time over the weekend while you’re waiting to go out (hey, if you’re young, you’ll know that nothing heats up until the midnight mark). But during my Friends-fest, I found myself derailed by thoughts of the wonderful Jennifer Aniston (get your mind out of the gutter thanks guys). Unlike the other famous horrible Jennifer who wants us to believe that she’s still “Jenny from the block”, this Jennifer is likeable and no diva (trust me, I’ve seen her on Oprah). With this in mind, I went through my DVD collection, picked out a few of my fave Aniston flicks, grabbed a firm grip on that remote, pushed play and POOF: Jennifer was right in front of me.

Jenny from the block seems quite flexible...

Unfortunately, in The Break-Up, you can’t see Jennifer without also seeing Vince Vaughn. Argh… bear with me on this one because he’s not one of my favourite people. In fact, I find him quite annoying, very over the top and I’ll admit that I almost swallowed my own tongue when I read one of those gossip mags that described him as a “babe”. Oh please… babe is Zac Efron… babe is Jesse Metcalf but sheesh… babe IS NOT Vince Vaughn (I’m thinkin’ more on the lines of egg head).

Take note gossip mags... this is a "babe"

Whew… back to normal me now that that’s done and dusted. It’s a shame about Vaughn starring in The Break-Up because I really do like the flick. What I can’t help but thinking is that Vaughn’s character should consider himself more than lucky that such a fine looking lady (and she’s quite nice even if she is a little bit of a perfectionist) takes a second glance in his direction. And I’m not just saying that because of looks, he’s actually a really selfish person in the film. My favourite scene? Well, it’s pretty hard to forget Brooke (Aniston) going completely insane (yep, Russell Crowe throwing the phone insane!) after Gary (Vaughn) doesn’t bring enough lemons for her dinner table centerpiece. Uh-oh!

Guys, this is what forgetting a couple of lemons can do...

Thankfully, the next movie I threw into the DVD player co-starred someone I really like… Ben Stiller. Yep, he was awesome in Zoolander (gotta say, apart from the height factor considering he was supposed to be a model, he was lookin’ mighty fine) and even better in both of the Night at the Museum flicks and teamed with Aniston in Along Came Polly, they make such a cute couple. Gotta say, the only thing that does sort of get under my skin about this flick is the whole “fate/destiny” themes that play out in the background given that the characters have known each other since seventh grade before drifting apart later in life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if a hottie like Chris Hemsworth (hey, maybe even the little brother Liam) came knockin’ on my door, I wouldn’t be wasting any time pondering on about destiny or fate. And guys, flick it around… you just imagine Jennifer Hawkins on your doorstep. Enough said!

Love that dress. No self-esteem issues there.

Back to Along Came Polly… awesome flick!

For my final Aniston movie ride, I had a bit of a look at a golden oldie: The Object of My Affection. Sure, you may not remember this little gem but it has been around. Silly me… it was only after taking another look at this flick that I remembered that the leading man was Paul Rudd. Yep, that’s the same awesome Rudd that has since starred in great flicks such as I Love You, Man and Knocked Up. Hey, he even had a guest appearance in Buffy (haha… snuck in a little mention for my fave show ever there) as a possessed hyena man.

Rudd looks barely out of primary school here...

Put simply, this is your classic soppy love story but you know, we’re all in the need of a bit of lovin’ now and then and if you can’t ever achieve perfect bliss in real life, I say: get it in a movie! Yeah… that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it whether you like it or not.

Who's a cutey?

Whew… is our time up already? That’s a shame but you’re probably already guessing what I’m going to end this little entry on: new flicks Wednesday (ooo… join me to find out Where the Wild Things Are).

I’m going to have to hide myself away after posting this blog because this is the kind of stuff most people (or at least, I) don’t like to readily admit: sometimes, even I need to watch a good old musical to life my spirits. So, with an entire weekend to kill and news that Friday night’s (which means most of Saturday’s) plans had been canceled, I became a bit of a diva and embraced the melodrama with a few awesome musical flicks that (shucks!)… I actually enjoyed!

Why? Why? Why?

Don’t take this badly, but the reason I enjoy Hairspray is because it’s so cheesy and wrong (come on John Travolta as a woman… how can that ever be right?)! Call me narrow minded, but I really don’t see the appeal of this role for Travolta. I’m trying to imagine how this role was pitched to him: “yeah… we’re going to dress you up as a woman, make you a little tubbier than you already are, pile on more make-up than was used on Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire and pair you up with Christopher Walken”. And the incredible thing is… he said yes to that proposal!

If only all musicals came with this included!

Now, if I can get over just how bizarre the whole “Travolta woke up as a much larger woman” thing is, Hairspray is highly entertaining. There are a couple of things I particularly enjoy about it: Zac Efron and James Marsden. Now, I always knew that Efron could sing and dance (the High School Musical films and that brief little dance stint in 17 Again pretty much summed it up) but James Marsden? Yup, as well as being hot and a decent actor, the man can sing… and dance! Not too sure about the character name though: Corny Collins? Hmm… I could go on all day about Hairspray’s bumper cast because with names such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken and Amanda Bynes, it’s a who’s who of Hollywood but seriously, I prefer to just sit back and watch a flick that doesn’t involve too much brain power from my end.

Higher! Higher!

Onto a flick that I (and I imagine, a whole heap of other people) love to hate: Mamma Mia! Do you know how long my Mum nagged me to see this flick with her for? She even wanted to go to the cinemas to see it but I told her that the thought of hearing Pierce Brosnan singing in surround sound was just too much to bear! I thought I was out of the woods with that excuse but then the film came out on DVD and I knew that it was time to concede (seriously, I know my limitations and hey, she has dealt with my Harry Potter fetish for like six movies now so I guess we’re even).

What would Bond say?

As the movie started up, I sat there with an air of expectation and just one question: just how bad would Brosnan be at belting out the numbers? I’d heard a lot of negativity surrounding his big debut but hey, it was weird but it really wasn’t THAT bad and for entertainment value, it was priceless. Let’s just say, it’s a long way from 007! Hey, I give this guy a lot of credit because he really has put himself out there with this role…

In all honesty, Mamma Mia! is pretty entertaining as long as you’re not expecting some Oscar winning film. And if you’re an ABBA fan, there really is no holding you back because you’re set for a couple of hours of belting out “Money, money, money!” and “Fernando” (my personal favourite… NOT! What an odd name for a guy!).

Fernando... in misty cam!

I think it’s time we delved a little deeper into the musical genre and took a little look at a flick I thoroughly enjoyed (one that is worthy of Oscar nominations): Chicago! Yep, I loved every minute of this extravaganza despite who one of the leading actresses is (we’ve spoken about my Zellweger issues before…). Luckily for me, there’s enough people who I enjoy watching such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah to block out the Zellweger factor!

All smiles!

What is it with these guys who act and want to sing as well? Yep, when Richard Gere started spinning and weaving about across the dance floor, I was scared (until I got used to it of course ‘cause he ain’t all that shabby).

Nice hat!

As far as the storyline goes, it’s a tad complicated: Roxie (Zellweger) aspires to be just like the sexy Velma (Zeta-Jones). But she’s married, has a boyfriend and is now on trial for murder which has made her a bigger star than she could have ever dreamed of (yes, it’s quite twisted and complicated). I guess if you said, “who cares about the storyline?” you’d be well within your rights because Chicago is definitely all about the singing and dancing.

Whew… I think I’ve worked up a sweat on the dance floor after having a look at all of those musicals (not that I was singing or dancing along… never!). We all know what Wednesdays around here means… new movies! Yep, I’ll be back then.

So, you know how we all have our guilty pleasures in life? Well, one of mine happens to be Gossip Girl. You know, when The OC and even Dawson’s Creek ended, I was thinkin’, “how on earth am I going to get my trashy TV fix now?” Lucky for me, by the time I’d saved up enough to own and then watch Dawson’s Creek and The OC on DVD, the world gave me the gift of Gossip Girl.

All work and no play makes Sarah an angry little girl

I have to admit, I have no patience for the TV networks and their tendency to switch their programming at their will (don’t even get me started on what Channel 10 did with Nurse Betty and Dexter: what a joke!). So with Gossip Girl, I didn’t even try to keep up with it on television because I knew I’d be buying these bad boys on DVD.

We never used to dress like this at my high school

I’m going to just come out and say this next bit and try not to sound too ashamed when I say that most of my wage each week is spent on DVDs (not clothes or shoes like most girls my age). So, what did I do on pay day last week? I invested in Gossip Girl: Season One and Gossip Girl: Season Two. Hey, who needs food and clothes when I have a gazillion hours of Gossip Girly goodness (and that’s not even counting the Special Features!).

It’s hard for me to put my finger on why I love this show so much and I’m certain it’s impossible to do so in just one sentence. That said, I’m going to start at the beginning to try and determine just why these obscenely rich kids have caught my attention.

No self-esteem issues here, that's for sure!

First off, let me explain who Gossip Girl is. Basically, she offers commentary online about the lives of everyone in the show (she doesn’t mince her words and uses abbreviations such as ‘B’ for Blair and ‘S’ for Serena). If the voice sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the one and only Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars behind the mic.

The face behind Gossip Girl

Now, enough dallying about. Onto the show! Played by Blake Lively, Serena van der Woodsen (whew… what a name!), former ‘it’ girl who suddenly disappeared to complete a short stint at a boarding school where no one knew she existed, reappears and not everyone is happy. And by ‘everyone’, we really mean biatch (can I say that?) Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester… yes, that chick who also sings in that Good Girls Gone Bad song they play on Video Hits). Seriously, this chick could give Joan Collins’ character in Dynasty a run for her money.

Love the hat!

But hey, it’s not as though Blair doesn’t have her reasons as we soon find out later in season one (Serena’s got a massive secret that involves Blair’s beau and I’m guessin’ you can fill in the dots). Although, Blair is cruel to the core at times and she completely frowns down upon those she views as ‘beneath her’ such as Dan (Penn Badgley), Serena’s new love interest who happens to stem from a more modest background than everyone else in Gossip Girl (apart from his own father and sister, Jenny of course). Seriously, she even has the nerve to utter ‘ew’ any time Dan comes in her vicinity and let’s just say, she doesn’t approve of his dress sense.

Do I really need to say anything?

Here’s where I’m going to really exercise some creative control (it’s my blog after all) and say that I have a little crush on Dan. Sure, he might not be as good looking as Nate (Chace Crawford) but he’s so much more. Most importantly, he can string a sentence together and he’s thoughtful. Now, I could launch into a whole ‘Nate’s bad because blah blah blah’ speech but my venomous words are saved for the one and only arrogant repugnant rich kid, Chuck (Ed Westwick). He pays his way out of everything and to give you just a glimpse as to his attitude, when asked why he should be accepted as a college usher, he replied “I am Chuck Bass”. Enough said!

Chuck makes me want to chuck up!

If I go any more into season one and continue with season two, I would be robbing you of the experience of watching this juicy show right through without knowing what’s about to happen. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be left marveling at just how spoilt some kids are. Although, I wouldn’t mind having a little bit of what these brats have minus the domineering parents. I’m going to end by paying tribute by letting you know what’s coming up Gossip Girl style: S talks new releases on Wednesday.

If there’s one thing I share in common with people my age still living at home, it’s that exhilarating feeling you get when you hear your parents utter the following: “we’re going out tonight”. Oh my…  remember that scene in Braveheart where the kilt-wearing Mel Gibson screams out the word “Freedom!” with a Scottish accent? Well, that one word was ringin’ in my brain repeatedly (hey, call me harsh but you know what it’s like when you’re still at home, “space” is just a distant concept). So there I was, an entire night to fill in doing whatever I wanted. Bring on the comfy pants, the ice cream and a couple of killer television DVDs (note: at this point, I also have my legs up on the coach which is a big no no when my parents are around so hey, I’m really getting’ in touch with my rebellious side now, aren’t I?).

"Freedom!" Yes Mel, I'm with you!

Call me crazy but I think Tom Hardy appears far more alluring sporting a cleanly shaven head of hair in Bronson than in The Take where he actually has hair (who knew?). To be honest, his enigmatic presence in Bronson was the first time I’d even ever heard of him and I was captivated by that bald head and that killer moustache (it was one of those types that curls up at either end. By the way, how do they do that? Is it hairspray?). In The Take, Hardy has hair (yeah, it’s as weird as seeing Bruce Willis in any role where he has a full head of hair) but by the end of the first episode, I had adjusted to this look (it was driving me insane for a while there).

Hardy with hair!

One of my favourite elements of this show is that it’s set in 1984 (three years before I was even born) and Freddie Jackson (Hardy) feels as though he’s in a different world after serving four years in prison (apparently, the aerobics fad that swept Britain didn’t penetrate through the prison walls). Not that this matters because Freddie is one feared badass and rightfully so because he has a shorter fuse than Serena Williams on a tennis court. Oh, and he doesn’t mind the ladies which is a bit of a problem considering he has a wife and a couple of little gremlins (otherwise known as kids) at home. You see, Jackie (Kierston Wareing) thinks prison has changed her short tempered husband. In reality, she couldn’t be more wrong and Freddie’s cousin Jimmy (Shaun Evans), isn’t helping her cause any. Don’t be fooled by Jimmy’s timid appearance because he’s just as lethal as Freddie. Put simply, he’s the epitome of the saying “silent, but deadly!” And then there’s Maggie (Charlotte Riley) who’s madly in love with Jimmy and very peeved by the return of his pesky inmate of a cousin who she loathes.

One of my favourite things about a good television show is the fact that there are some absolute priceless quotes. That said, I can’t resist sharing one of my favourite from The Take with you when Jimmy is talking to a woman, letting her know that she reminds him of a character from Deep Throat (the movie for anyone not following). He says to her: “Yeah, now why don’t you just turn around and go on back to whatever hole it is that my old man keeps you in?” Well, I guess that’s that then!

Now, after all of that violence and mayhem, I needed something a little more lighthearted to finish off the night. Growing up, I loved Malcolm in the Middle because it was the exact opposite of everything American sitcoms had been in the past. It sure was no Brady Brunch and if one piece of dialogue really drove this home it would have to be Lois (Jayne Kaczmarek) telling her sons to chew on the milk if it smells funny (come on, that’s pretty extreme!). Everyone knows that television shows don’t last forever and even a show as good as Malcolm in the Middle has to eventually end its run but someone who’s really gone on to show his acting chops is Bryan Cranston who’s now starring as Walter H. White in Breaking Bad.

She looks mad...

Season One introduced us to Walt, a chemistry teacher with a fairly mundane life: his wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn) is pretty detached from the world and his son, Walter White Jr. (RJ Mitte) is forced to endure a heap of bullying because he’s physically challenged. But Walt’s ordinary world turns on its head when he discovers he’s got lung cancer and must find a way to secure his family’s financial future. So what does he do? Why, he starts cookin’ and sellin’ crystal meth of course! Make no mistake about it, Cranston’s performance is what really sells this story, it’s gritty and pretty in your face, two things that don’t change through Season Two.

None of my chemistry classes were ever this exciting!

What does begin to develop and evolve even further throughout the second season are the consequences of Walt’s actions. What makes Breaking Bad so effective is its ability to make you connect with this guy who was essentially a goodhearted family man to begin with, but has now changed into something he himself can’t even recognise in order to hide his numerous indiscretions. I know this had me drifting off with my thoughts and really considering how one seemingly small decision can really hi-jack your life (no, I’m not talkin’ about the kind of decision where you decide between chompin’ down on Maltesers or M&Ms although, we all know how hard that can be!). At some point, we always knew that Skyler would find out about Walt’s dirty secrets and when she does, boy, she hits the ceiling (and rightfully so). While I don’t want to give anymore away, there’s one thing I’d like to know about Breaking Bad: why is there so much nudity? I thought it was bad seeing Cranston in a pair of jocks (no not boxers, actual white underwear-ey things) but the second season sees him completely in the nuddie! Hmm… maybe I’ll just leave that one alone for now.

And just as the final episode of Breaking Bad: Season Two was ending, I heard the garage door telling me only one thing: the parents are back! Well, that was my Saturday night in a nutshell but I’ll be back with more bloggy goodness on Wednesday gettin’ down with my favourite man of the moment as we’ve already explored here before, Gerard Butler in Gamer. Oh, and I’ll also be dining with Julie & Julia (Homer Simpson was right: you don’t make friends with salad!) and mixing it with the fashion-forward in Coco Avant Chanel.

Ah, another weekend with my feet propped up on the couch, my jim-jams set to extra-comfy, a smorgasbord of snacks and drinks on the coffee table, and a pile of DVDs and Blu-rays to get through. Is it just me who thinks that this is the perfect weekend?

So, what kept me focused on the screen over the past two days? Glad you asked.

Seeing as we’d just celebrated Australia Day this past week, I thought I’d kick it off with an Aussie classic – and what could be more Aussie than a host of muscle cars, some random acts of violence and a Yank who we claim as an Aussie in the lead role? The original Mad Max is a dead-set movie legend, but because it’d been quite a while since we saw it last, there’s quite a few standout bits that we’d forgotten about: has Steve Bisley ever been in a movie where he didn’t act like, well, Steve Bisley?; how good is Hugh Keays-Byrne as the flamboyantly theatrical biker bad guy Toecutter – you just don’t see villains like that anymore; why didn’t Joanna Samuel become a bigger star?; the cars – oh, the cars (well, we hadn’t actually forgotten about that one).

I can't imagine leather in that heat would be terribly comfy!

Of course, it’s hard to forget about Aussie Mel (who even I admit looks pretty badass in police leathers), and when you see his earlier, rawer performances like this, it’s not hard to see why Hollywood came calling. It’d be great to see a modern day Tarantino give him a gritty bad-guy role so we can see that the mid-50s Gibbo can still act up a storm.

Yes... this is what we all look like in our singlets...

Keeping the high-octane action going, I went to what might be my favourite superhero movie of the past decade – X-Men 2. But here’s the thing, even though this is one of my favourites, I can’t help thinking that this is a movie of two halves, and one is certainly better than the other.

The first half of this movie is really hard to beat: you kick off with Nightcrawler making his film debut, as we see him attempt to assassinate the US President. The slo-mo shots of the teleporting blue demon battling with Secret Service agents seems to be director Bryan Singer’s way of saying “OK fanboys, this time around you’re going to see the X-Men really bring the noise.”

From there you have the action highlight: we get to see Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in full berserker rage mode as he defends the mansion from a military special ops team. If you thought that Wolvy’s claws were just for show, think again as he slices and dices his way through a horde of claw fodder. Plus we get to see cameos from Siryn, Kitty Pryde and Colossus.

Gotta love that stare!

That gets followed up with Magneto’s (Ian McKellan) amazing escape from his plastic prison. The way he gets his hands on even a tiny bit of metal is ingenious, and what he can do with it is nothing short of awe-inspiring – there’s a reason why he’s the X-Men’s most enduring villain. And then we go to Boston, where Wolverine and the X-Kids have to deal with both the police and a couple of Air Force jets to make their escape. It’s all edge of your seat action, and it’s just fantastic.

But then the film slows down somewhat, and while it’s not bad, it is noticeably less engaging than the frantic first half of the film as we get bogged down with the workings of Professor X’s (Patrick Stewart) mind. Still, the final action scenes are certainly worth sticking round for and even with the second half lull, it’s still one of the best superhero movies around.

Don't you just love the hair?

And finally, I indulged in one of my guilty pleasures: pro wrestling. With the WWE all abuzz at the moment thanks to the return of Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart (after a 12 year absence), I thought I’d take a look at his DVD set: Bret “Hitman” Hart: The Best There Was, The Best There Is, The Best There Ever Will Be (wow, that’s a long title.) While I’m an unashamed fan of Bret Hart, it’s pretty clear from watching the documentary that he takes himself very seriously, which for many viewers will turn them off appreciating the man’s talent – and he certainly had some talent.

The featured matches (which includes Hart facing off against legends like Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Steve Austin, Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig, his late brother Owen Hart, and The Undertaker) show that Hart had amazing in-ring skills, and the matches hold up now (impressive considering that some of them are over 20 years old).

You gotta love that pose!

Yes, the doco does cover the 1997 “Montreal Screwjob”, which saw WWE CEO Vince McMahon screw Hart out of the WWE Championship days before Hart was to leave the company for hated rivals WCW. While long-time fans might not learn anything new, it’s still a fascinating part of wrestling history, and in hindsight was the catalyst for the WWE’s biggest period of success.

Now that Hart has made his peace with McMahon and the WWE (and will probably be at this year’s Wrestlemania to butt heads with the 64-year-old CEO), this excellent 3-disc set is a must see for any rasslin’ fan.

There’s nothing the Done Dirt Cheap DVD crew appreciates more than the best. So with that in mind, we spent our weekend having a look back at three movies that have won Best Picture at the Oscars in the past.

No, this isn't fancy dress!

‘Why hello, Clarice’. If that’s not one of the best pieces of movie dialogue ever spoken by a character in a feature film, we don’t know what is. Sir Anthony Hopkins stole the screen in The Silence of the Lambs with his portrayal of a world renowned psychiatrist whose food of choice happens to be human flesh. We just can’t get over the fact that the role was originally offered to Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall and Jeremy Irons before Hopkins (what the?). Jodie Foster is also very good in her portrayal of Clarice Starling, an ambitious student studying to become an FBI agent who is sent by her boss to question the cannibalistic Lecter. The two develop a relationship of sorts (it’s a little unconventional but still) as Lecter tries desperately to extract information from Clarice about a serial killer who’s on the loose known as Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). Clarice is hot on Buffalo Bill’s trail and the final scene sees her forcing her way into his home. It is here that The Silence of the Lambs moves from being slightly eerie to truly horrific. Why? Because it’s in the comfort of his own home that this maniac murders and skins his female victims and trust us, it ain’t pretty. This twisted flick is definitely a worthy winner of 1992’s Best Picture Oscar if you ask us!

Ooo scary lego!

Now, there’s nobody people (including us) like to poke fun at more than good old Russell ‘Rusty’ Crowe. Despite this, we can’t deny that this guy is one sensational actor and Crowe really began receiving praise for his work in Gladiator which won 2001’s Best Picture Oscar. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) is elderly, frail and about as close to death as it gets. His son, Commodus (Jaoquin Phoenix) is nothing but a bitter disappointment to him and certainly not a worthy successor. When Aurelius asks the buff looking General Maximus (Crowe) to become the Protector of Rome after his death, Commodus sniffs that something isn’t right and moves to remove the problem (Maximus). Commodus’ selfish behaviour sets the Roman Empire on a path that Aurelius was initially afraid of but it’s as a slave-gladiator that Maximus finds a way to serve the people in Rome best anyway. In its time (and even today), Gladiator showed audiences some of the best ever stunt scenes and had Crowe looking in the best shape ever (is anyone else a little bit alarmed with how often this guy has gained and lost weight to play different characters?).

You don't wanna mess with Rusty when he gets this way!

Speaking of actors and actresses looking finer than ever before, the Best Picture Oscar winner in 2005 included some of the fittest looking humans to ever grace our movie screens. Yep, Chicago revealed a very different side to Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and (wait for it…) Richard Gere. Roxie Hart (Zellweger) is married but unfaithful (does anyone else feel sorry for her disturbingly naive husband?). She dreams of singing and dancing her way out of her suburban world and idolises performer Velma Kelly (Zeta Jones). After Roxie is dumped by her boyfriend who promises her the world, she snaps and shoots him which leads to her meeting Velma in jail. Velma’s in the big house for murdering a man, a story that is attracting big headlines. Guided by the very crooked jail warden Matron ‘Mama’ Morton (Queen Latifah), Roxie meets a very famous defence lawyer, Billy Flynn (Gere). He charges big bucks to get his clients off with the rest of Chicago unfolding as a power struggle between Velma and Roxie who both want to be in the headlines at any cost! While the storyline is in no way shabby, the performances in Chicago are really the main attraction. Who knew these three Hollywood A-listers could bust some serious moves and can we say… Queen Latifah is sensational as Mama.

And all that jazz!

Believe us; these flicks haven’t been awarded Oscars for nothing. They’re every bit as sensational as the critics say they are and there’s nothing we enjoy more than a trip down memory lane!