Masterpiece Classic is done for the season

Sadly, Masterpiece Classic is over and Mystery is starting up for the summer; I don't watch that third of MT so I have to wait for the fall and Masterpiece Contemporary to start.

Classic finished with a bang, that is the bombs of WWII London. Small Island was the story of the Empire, the colonial experience, the wartime and postwar experience, and gender roles in Britain. Jamaican colonists served the mother country during the war and a few fell in love with British women, lonely without their husbands. Such was the story of Queenie, who fell in love with a Jamaican soldier. After becoming pregnant by him and realizing her husband left her, she takes in two Jamaican newlyweds as boarders. Hortense and Gilbert are proud people but face the harsh reality that the Yanks introduced racism in Britain and it's not going away. In the end, Queenie's husband returned in shame, but Queenie vows to work on her marriage and gives her baby to Hortense and Gilbert, who start a bountiful life together.

Masterpiece had a darker, twentieth century focus this year, as promised. Return to Cranford failed to capture the magic of its predecessor, but was a warm story nonetheless. Emma continued with the nineteenth century, and according to rumors is the last Austen story to get a treatment in a while. I loved it. The 39 Steps was ok, but not good. I skipped Sharpe, having not seen the previous installments. The Diary of Anne Frank was another wonderful story, and was aptly followed by the WWII drama Small Island. No long series this time; Emma was three installments and Small Island two, but other than that, we weren't treated to the 5 parters that made Masterpiece a name for itself.

The Best of the This Season:

1) Emma

2) The Diary of Anne Frank

3) Small Island

4) Return to Cranford

5) The 39 Steps

Sharpe, didn't watch; Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were repeats.

I don't mind the modern series but I'm hoping for more period pieces come next winter/spring.

Track of the Week

"Rain On Me" by Cheryl Cole from the album 3 Words

Cheryl Cole returns to our blog this week with Rain On Me, the rumored 4th single from her debut album. Cheryl's voice isn't the best but she really belts it out on this song. I thought I'd offer up a more upbeat ballad than Change from last week. Rain On Me has a buoyant beat and an uplifting melody with lyrics that are reminiscent of Madonna's Rain, though without the overt sexual connotation. No video yet, so here's the song.

Other songs I'm enjoying at the moment are the epic "Outta My Head" and "I Got You" by the indomitable Leona Lewis, the fun-time song "Let's Get Crazy" by Miley Cyrus, and the rocking "Wrong Baby Wrong" by Martina McBride. I'm thoroughly sick of "Telephone" by Lady GaGa and Beyonce, and it's disgusting protect placement advertisement, er, music video. I'm over Ke$ha: "Tik Tok," "Blah Blah Blah," "Your Love is My Drug" and "Kiss and Tell," while fun electro-pop, are really the anthems of a culture I'm not too keen on. Christina Aguilera released "Not Myself Tonight," earning 'you copied GaGa' cries, but the song is just so bad to earn any comparison to anything other than a rubbish heap. Her froggish vocals are no match for the beats. Speaking of GaGa, she promises her 2010 release will be her best yet. While I am excited for new music, I'm over her whole 'grateful to the fans' persona and weirdness, she's someone I don't admire as a person, but I like her tunes. Kylie announced the June release of her new single, "All the Lovers" produced by the maverick behind Madonna's comeback album Confession on a Dance Floor, and the album is to follow in July. I'm over the moon. I've heard Coldplay has tackboards up in a studio whittling down which tracks to put on their new album, and Britney is 70% done with recording her seventh, according to some record label person on twitter. Meanwhile, the Queen is not recording any material, at all, despite rumors to the contrary. Give it to her to wait years to release something new, let's hope it's a right proper album and not pandering to a market that already changed like the last one. Let her enjoy her Kaballah-water AC in the meantime.

The Mothman Cometh: A True Story

Mothman is a Sci-Fi-Horror film about Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Local legend has it that settlers fought an Indian chief, Cornstalk, whose last act of retribution was to summon evil and turn into Mothman, basically a moth-like grim reaper. Fast forward to today and six friends are yanking one of their little brother under water, just to tease him. But he drowns and they cover it up by bashing his head in, one by one. Being a righteous daemon, the mothman cometh only when evil-doers get away with gruesome acts. In gory twists and turns, the mothman enters our world through mirrors (his version of portals include rear-view mirrors, drivers beware) and pick of the six friends.

Mothman is satisfying in that the six friends were so wicked that it was great seeing them get their just desserts. The Mothman CGI wasn't horrid like most of Syfy Channel's effects, and the gore was delightful, especially a line of guts sliding down a trailer. The acting wasn't exactly award-winning but it served its purpose. On the other hand, the costume department left something to be desired, the film was shot in an odd yellow hue, and Frank (the creepy old man character) was ridiculously deceiving.

Better yet, the Mothman Myth is real. So is Point Pleasant. So is the sightings and bridge accident of 1967. This adds a dimension of realism to the film, and an eeriness. Citizens of Point Pleasant still insist Mothman is real. Just as in the film, Point Pleasant commemorates Mothman at the yearly Mothman festival.

Mothman is worth the gore and CGI; the added layer of true elements makes the film worth a watch.

American Zombie

American Zombie is the story of the zombie community in Los Angeles. A mockumentary, comedy, and issues film, American Zombie slightly humorously follows several fictional zombies, or revenants as they prefer to be called. I didn't know that this film was actually supposed to be a statement about racism or civil rights going into it, but that became clear as the film progressed.

The fictional zombies themselves are mildly funny. Judy, an asian zombie, tries the hardest to hold onto her human past. She collects cat statues, makes scrapbooks, works at an organic food company, and is searching for a human boyfriend. Lisa, by far the funniest, is a florist who specializes in funeral arrangements while pursuing her not-so-good art. Ivan, a dud of a character, is a teenager that happens to be a zombie. Joel (pronounced ho-el) is the founder of ZAG, Zombie Advocacy Group, which puts on Live Dead, a zombie Woodstock. What happens at Live Dead is the big twist of the film...

The film is told from the perspective of real life documentary filmmakers Grace Lee and John Solomon, who are parodying themselves. This is another theme of the movie that some viewers may find pretentious, in that American Zombie is something of a tongue-in-cheek diatribe on documentary film-making. Many reviews I've read have claimed it's boring, and that's a fair assessment but the humor is more quiet and not a goofy in-your-face attempt at garnering laughs. The other biggest complaint is that the last third of the film takes a serious turn, but that's the point and I didn't mind it. The events of Live Dead shift the documentary's focus both in the film and the film itself. Also, there is so much foreshadowing to the climax that I don't know why people didn't see it coming.

I recommend this film if you have nothing better to do, but thankfully it's not too long. It's a wee bit boring but there's some twists that make it possibly worthwhile in the end. Perhaps that was part of the point, in that some documentaries can be hideously boring (read: Food, Inc. Waste of time!)

Track of the Week

"Change" by Carrie Underwood from the album Play On

Carrie's voice is perfect and soaring. On this song, about how an everyday person can make extraordinary changes only if they're willing, Carrie belts out an inspirational song. The violin backing music doesn't overwhelm her, but instead bolsters up the already emotional tune.

Carrie preformed it on Idol Gives Back last night and it was a show-stopper. Carrie is blessed with such a beautiful voice. It's not a single, but I think it should be after "Undo It" inevitably tops the country chart. There's no video, so this is Carrie's performance from last night.

Country may be cliche, but songs like this prove that uplifting messages can transcend genres. Carrie is an angel.

Rant: Remakes, and to a lesser extent, 3D

BSG: the Best TV Show Ever (Why Remake It?)

I sadly discovered that Bryan Singer is set to direct a Battlestar Galactica movie. BSG was riveting and science fiction (and television) at its best. With series and season long story-arcs like the X-Files, BSG was done right because it focused on amazing, deep, well-developed characters and amazing, deep, well-developed storylines. The show basically was about what it took humans from worlds destroyed by the cylons to survive while being aggressively pursued; throw in a heavy amount of spiritual and technological themes and you have as a sublime a television show as you’d ever get. And the ending was mind-blowing and very academic too. The need for a movie that has nothing to do with the remake series is lost on me. Why remake something that’s already been remade so well that you can’t possibly surpass it? Even the original 70s series (fans of campy scifi with like it) was sued by George Lucas for being way too similar to Star Wars. And do we have to be subjected to the inevitable 3D!

And this year alone a remake of a new movie is being pumped out. In this case, it’s a remake of the upcoming (hopefully) romcom (of the year) The Back Up Plan. Starring Jennifer Aniston, The Switch is a romcom about a woman who gets artificially inseminated. Uh, hello, strong J-Lo! J-Lo’s starring in exactly the same plot in her movie. Next thing you know, Jennifer Aniston’s turkey baster is going to pop out at you in 3D. The only thing about the Switch is that it’s based on a short story by a Pultizer Prize winner, so it may be deeper than The Back Up Plan. Though I’m a fan of Jenn, I have to side with J-Lo in this one. (Soundtrack suggestion: use So Hard by the Dixie Chicks, a heartbreaking song about the Chicks’ struggle to get pregnant.)

To be fair, a good portion of movie goers and critics were lukewarm to Clash of the Titans. My personal enjoyment of the film aside, we didn’t really need a remake. The original is iconic and its effects hold up to today. The story was better executed in the original, and the addition of the mechanical owl gave the movie an R2D2-eque character.

What Hollywood needs is originality. I’m certainly not hating on remakes (Dawn of the Dead and My Bloody Valentine were great) but just calling for some freshness in Century City.

Peter and Vandy: An Adventure into Indie Land

I had been on a misanthropic kick toward hipsters as of late, so in an attempt to temper that I decided to plunge into their world by watching an indie flick that was recommended to me through Netflix Instant. "Peter and Vandy" is a very short film (just over an hour) that has earned comparisons to the more mainstream 500 Days of Summer. Instead of breaking up in the end like in 500 Days of Summer, Pete and Vandy wind up getting back together. I liked how optimistic the ending was because it was unpretentious.

Peter and Vandy was neither good nor bad. It was so realistic that it was deeply unsettling and there were many raw scenes juxtaposed with warmer ones. Peter and Vandy was a memory narrative similar to La Vie En Rose, in that it had non-linear narrative structure composed of Peter and Vandy's collective memory. The dialogue was all realistic, save in the artsy part when they drifting apart from each other figuratively and mentioned having to walk to stores in the opposite direction (Peter even says "I'd walk with you, but I have to go the other way.") Peter was selfish, and Vandy was a little too good, and together they were very "Manhattan-urban-trendy-mildly-counter-culture." That was the part that tested my chagrin, but in the spirit of my adventure in watching this film, I really worked hard to suspend my irritation and wound up going along with the gamut of emotions in this film.

It's a brief but too perfect look at people who can too neatly work out their problems. On the other hand, it's very realistic that it's actually disturbing but winds up nicely. I liked the movie but I'd sooner watch Twilight. I never lied, I'm a mainstream junkie!

The Diary of Anne Frank

Masterpiece Classic aired the two hour new adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank" on Sunday. This was a really moving and powerful adaptation of the young Jewess' diary of the trials and tribulations of living in captivity during WWII. It's streaming online for a week at the PBS website.

The cast were all British but they did a faithful job recreating the Jewish experience and acting as the Dutch. I love the old movie from the 50s, but this one did as good a job with the story. Ellie Kendrick, a newcomer to acting, portrayed Anne deftly as the stubborn, sometimes petty, but courageous teenager she was. Her romance with Peter Van Damme was really sad because you knew they wouldn't live to fulfill the dreams they spoke of. Her parents gave rousing performances, and Felicity Jones captured Margo Frank's demureness but resoluteness.

I wept at the end of this movie. You'd have to be a Nazi yourself not to be moved to tears by this story. Anne was just a girl with big dreams and high hopes, but it was human hatred that denied her a chance to live them out. She was a human being, but her transition into womanhood is relateable for any teen, regardless of gender. Her struggle with comprehending the mad world around her is heartbreaking.

This was truly a Masterpiece.

Track of the Week

"I Keep on Loving You" by Reba from the album Keep on Loving You

Reba described this song, her newest single, as a message to her fans for sticking by her through the years. It was written by her friends Brooks and Dunn but fits her vocals very well. The song is your standard Reba fare: couples have ups and downs but stick it out. The electric guitar bridge near the end is jarring, but Reba's voice is epic.

In the video, Reba plays a relative attending a wedding, and the camera focuses on different couples going through the story of the song. I don't normally consider Reba much of a looker, but she's really pretty in this video in a stately sort of way.

The song won't be as big as Strange or Consider Me Gone, but it's already in the top twenty which is decent, considering Reba's singles for the previous few years haven't done as well. But she said she back to focusing on music now that her sitcom has been done since three years ago. Her tour is extending in the fall, so hopefully she'll grace Chicago with her presence.

I consider her the Oprah of country music, she's on top but it's all business for her in the guise of feel-good.

In Defense of Mr. Lucas

Described as a loving tribute to the YouTube generation, the new film The People vs George Lucas seeks to explore the love-hate relationship that Star Wars fans have with the Creator. I think on the seventh day God created George so I don't see the point of so-called 'Lucas Bashing.'

Jar Jar Binks and the whole Phantom Menace project, while commercially successful, has earned the derision of many fans and critics alike. I'm not a big fan of film critics (they loved A Single Man but that was quite the bore!) and fans are downright silly for bashing George when they pined for years and years for a new installment in the franchise. George is the man responsible for the creation the fans 'defend' when there's no need for a defense! Without George there would be no Star Wars, and just as if Madonna never lived, and Jesus never died, the world would be very, very, different. Though some films may echo the excitement, the wonder, the magic, of the Phantom Menace hype and release, nothing will ever trump it. 1999 was my favorite year; I have so much nostalgia for it all that it's actually really sad that more than a decade separates me from then. Jar Jar is adorable. Gollum was a far more egregious character in terms of annoyance than Jar Jar ever was. Jar Jar wasn't made for adult fans, George had the children in mind, and in light of that, he was successful at earning laughs from the kids.

Lucas has a right to tinker with his creations. After all, he made them. No one questions Michael Jackson for adding Fergie to Beat It on Thriller 25 ("he's an artist, he can do that"). George is an artist of the highest calibre! Sure, his ideas are silly sometimes (re: the fridge scene in Indiana 4) but that's why they're so darn endearing. I compare him to Madonna, in that her lyrics, because they're so unpoetical, they actually are poetic. George, like his friend Stephen, and peer Jim, is fascinated by technology. If he wants to add scenes, and replace outdated effects with CGI, by all means, do so. I embrace the changes. Film evolves. I loved the addition of Jabba the Hutt in A New Hope, and when he updated the Jabba CGI in 2004, it was even better. The ending of Return of the Jedi was great, it showed the galactic scope of the struggle. Sure, the "Han Shot First" crap makes Han less of a rogue, but George is family friendly. I will agree, replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christiansen was a crime, but only because it didn't make sense and I feel sorry that Shaw's portrayal was removed.

George is a marketing genius. Why people fault him for his huge campaigns is beyond me. The Cold War proved that socialism doesn't work, so I give George loads of credit for being as capitalist as a capitalist can be. It was thrilling with each new release to see potato chips bags, socks, toys, and Pepsi laden with Star Wars imagery. I love the commercial tackiness of it all! The Phantom Menace kid's meal toys were wonderful; I remember eating at Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC all the time to collect them all. "Fans" who criticize George for over-marketing need not forget that Star Wars, after all is said and done, is a franchise, a business. George makes money off of his ventures and I doubt he'd do something without money in mind. He has a girlfriend to woo, and technological ventures to support.

Closing verdict: George shouldn't pander to the fanboys, he's better than that.

Clash of the Titans: Cute Creatures and Sam Worthington

*minor spoilage below*

I went into Clash of the Titans with some trepidation. Though I will always have fond memories of the original, this new movie was entertaining in its own way. The story deviated in that they condensed some elements and added new ones. The major change was the character arc of Perseus, who wants to prove his humanity by fighting like a man rather than using his abilities as a demigod. In the original he didn’t question the gods. They added the character of Io, played by the beautiful Gemma Artenton, who is the new Keira Knightley as far as I am concerned.

The CGI is great, and I don’t think 3D is necessary for this movie, having seen it as 2D. Pegasus’ wings are really realistic, and the Kraken is impressive. Medusa fell short: she wasn’t as terrifying as the original stop-motion Medusa; I think there were too many distractions in her scene and the CGI tail was pretty fake looking. A major annoyance in the movie was a religious zealot who goes after the royal family of Argos, but the other actors were really good, most of them being familiar faces to Masterpiece Theatre fans. The bad guy with the scar from Casino Royale pops up, as does Colin Firth's TCAP pedophile-bait from A Single Man. There were lots of cute creatures in this, my favorite being the Gin people. They resemble the helper that worked with Scotty in the new Star Trek, but with awesome black magic powers. A sentient severed hand even appears. The witches with the oracle eye were really well executed. I was awestruck by Charon, he was a skeleton twisted into the sinews of the wooden shop he pilots.

The jokes were a little conventional, but endearing in a Pirate of the Caribbean sort of way (though without the obnoxious water wheel and Keira-Johnny-Orlando banter). The training scene, though short, was cliché. Sam Worthington shined in this movie, and I’ll pay $10 again to watch him save the day in a Greek warrior tunic. He was his normal serious self, but mustered a smile (I counted twice in the movie) which was a departure for his otherwise predictable performance. His chemistry with Io was a treat, and I wish they did more with that story. The ending was different in that he doesn’t wind up with Andromeda, but there’s a nice twist in the end (though they could’ve shown them kissing).
Sam and Gemma: Great On Screen Chemistry

This isn’t better than the wonderful original, nothing can beat the mechanical owl, but it is a decent movie and I wound up really enjoying myself. This felt very Jerry Bruckheimer, and I think Guillermo del Toro could've made magic with this movie. 4 stars out of 5.

Sticky & Sweet CD/DVD Review

Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet CD/DVD or BluRay set was released this week to stores worldwide. The packaging is glossy and has a booklet of album credits and fantastic pictures by Esther’s longtime manager/agent Guy Oseary. The CD and DVD follow the same motif of the tour and the Hard Candy parent album.

The DVD is presented in surround sound with a widescreen ratio. The direction is not as choppy as that of the Confession Tour release, and there are more shots of Madonna, but being a Madonna show, the visuals of her background screens and dancers are highlighted, as is the crowd: a 60,000 throng of Argentines, pining in rapture for a glimpse at a rather small woman whose ego is so massive the stadium itself can’t engulf it. The sound is cleaned up, and her vocals are too. This is a real shame, because I love Madonna’s tour voice: it’s really strong. However, just when one thinks the vocals are too cleaned up, we get a familiar off-key, flat, or screaming note. I don’t think they edited the vocals per se, as I remember seeing the tour and my brother commented that her microphone sounded pitched higher.

The CD is the same audio as the DVD and can go with, or without the visual experience. It’s so Madonna to include Spanish Lesson, a universally derided song, on the CD as a defiant stroke to the public. A Madonna show isn’t complete with politics, and her Get Stupid video juxtaposes scenes of violence with hopeful figures, like Oprah. Madonna’s onscreen and onstage persona is larger than life: in one moment she can go from being a bitch, a sex goddess, to the Commander. It is in this last role that she is her most convincing; after gloriously belting out a song she hears the audience chanting her name in adoration, ordering more, she lays down on the catwalk, literally basking in the love. So many moments, whether beating up past incarnations or exposing a vest that has her name on it, are meant to pet her ego. Her dancing is perfectly timed, her singing is on cue, and her looks and banter is rehearsed: through a whirlwind of hits she is imperious. Even video cameos by Britney Spears, Timbaland, Kanye West, JT, and Pharrell, get lost in her midst. Madonna is the star of the show.

The musical arrangements are updated. Like a Prayer becomes a fierce rave backed by fiery screens. Into the Groove is a colorful tribute to her friend Keith Harring. Ray of Light and Hung Up are dance-metal infusions. Songs from Hardy Candy get a second wind, whether the swirling Heartbeat or the thumping Spanish Lesson. Madonna’s vocals shine on You Must Love Me, Don’t Cry for me Argentina, and Miles Away, as she strums a guitar; a rainstorm surrounds her as she belts out Devil astride a piano. The only embarrassing moment is when Madonna humps an amp with her guitar, the distorted frequency matching the cringing of the viewer. But all the while Madonna is beaming, transforming herself into a giddy 16 year old girl living out her wildest fantasy. Lots of jeers and sneers, the occasional smile, and hours of unforgettable hits leave the audience with the message Game Over: the Commander is in charge.

The behind the scenes documentary recalls her Truth or Dare and I’m Going to Tell You a Secret docs, but sadly this one is way too short. I love that smooth voice during the voice overs, telling us her message of unity. I love her diva personality, obsessing over the details. “I’m a gypsy,” Madonna says as her reason for taking back her many vows to quit touring. Madonna takes herself too seriously, but we do too. And that’s where the connection lies.

A+

Kirstie Alley's Big Life

I am big fan of celebreality shows and of Kirstie Alley so when I heard she was doing her own show I was excited. Kirstie is most known for her Star Trek role and her stint in Veronica's Closet. Her television show Fat Actress, a fictional take on her own life, was sadly short lived. Kirstie is hilarious and her show Kirstie Alley's Big Life, Mondays on A&E, is an expose on celebrity and weight loss and gains tackled with deft humor and some deep moments.

Kirstie is a natural, funny and engaging, and her show focuses on her big life: it's a busy mix of work and keeping up her house (and life) along with raising her two kids and tending to a cage full of lemurs, and on top of that she's really fat and trying to lose the weight. Her staff is heavily featured, and they are the only drawback of the show. Sure, their exploits are humorous and their interaction with Kirstie entertaining, but I can't help feel like she allows her self to be used and taken advantage of by being friends with them, rather than maintaining a professional relationship. They're lazy and annoying.

The deepest moments are when Kirstie's relationship with fame is explored. Such as when her most recent appearance on the Oprah Show was highlighted, and she muses about 15 minutes of fame. "You can never decide when it begins, or chose when it's going to end, but you can make the most of everything in between."

I also recommend Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. Tori Spelling is the daughter of the late TV mogul Aaron Spelling (Charmed and 90210 are among his many credits) and famously left a life of millions to marry Dean McDermott, a z-list actor from Canada. Her life is a roller coaster of trying to get over her wicked mother and dealing with the pressures of her recently (re)expanding fame, while raising her infant children. She acts in her own life which makes it seem so fake sometimes, and conflates the drama in her life to annoying proportions, but her relationship with her friends, husband, and children is touching because it's the only genuine thing in her life. People who have said Tori can't act need to look no further, she's can't turn off acting. Tori & Dean airs on Oxygen. I also recommend her first book sTORItelling. It's a great examination of her life, and helps clear up the tabloid gossip that seems inescapable in her life.

Track of the Week

"The Time of Our Lives" by Miley Cyrus.

It's pretty pathetic at first that Miley is the track of the week this week. But Miley is ubiquitous and thus hard to escape.

This song, from her most recent (and eponymous) album is actually a stunning slice of pop. On one hand the song is so sad that I can't bear it, but on the other, it's a celebratory anthem of youth, however transient being young is: "let's have the time of our lives 'til the lights burn out." People grow up but that doesn't mean you can't live life when you're young. This is surprisingly deep for Miley, a bildungsroman song. This is one of the first songs in a long while to move me so much; it makes me want to tear out my eyeballs and put them in acid because the pain of that would be easier to process than the emotional pull of this song.

There's a mellow dance beat that picks up during the chorus, mirroring the melancholy-triumphant dichotomy of the song's theme. Her vocals on the choruses sound robotic almost, but it's not as bad of a use of auto-tune as in hip hop. Her smokey vocals have emotion to them rarely found pop music, and she can belt out a tune when she wants to.

RIP Caresse Henry Norman

Caresse was Madonna's manager for many years. She served the Queen through her Drowned World and Reinvention Tours. It is rumored that Caresse was fired/quit in 2005 after Madonna discovered her affair with a security guard. According to the sources, the Kaballah has a strict zero tolerance stance on infidelity. I'm sure it's easy for Madonna to cut of contact with people--she's done it before--but Caresse was a personal friend and professional manager.

Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's longtime publicist, released the details of Caresse's family and did not confirm whether or not Caresse actually committed suicide, as was previously reported. Madonna has not released a statement as of yet. Caresse worked with Paula Abdul and Ricky Martin among others. Paula Abdul's twitter was noticeably blank on any mention of Caresse.

Caresse will be remembered by most for her appearance in the Youtube video "Madonna Being a Bitch" which features Madonna being a bitch to Caresse. "Caresse, you have no idea. I can't take it."

Hellhounds: You Get What You Pay For

Hellhounds recently broadcast on SyFy channel; being a loyal viewer of their Saturday movies, I had to watch it. I'm sure they chose to air this movie because of Clash of the Titans' release. Kleitos, a Greek warrior, married Demetria, a Grecian princess. On their wedding day, she is captured by Kleitos' jealous best friend and taken to Hades. She dies but is revived. However, as Kleitos and Demetria make their way to the Seer that can save Demetria forever, they are pursued by a pack of Hellhounds. These, I believe, are based on Cerberus, the three headed dog of Greek mythology. They get to the Seer and she manages to figure out how to save Demetria, but sacrifices herself. In the end, the evil best friend is defeated and the hell hounds with him.

This movie is a case of getting what you paid for. They didn't spend much money on this movie, but it wasn't to the film's detriment. The costumes were great. The special effects for the Hellhounds were actually on par with the werewolves of New Moon (I guess that's not saying too much, from a certain point of view). I look forward to lots of gore, but this film didn't have that much. The acting was wooden in many parts, but at the least the leads were good looking enough to make up for it. I liked the Seer character, she could get a little cliche in parts, but her acting was good and her all-black eyes were good visual effects. There's a scene in a village where Demetria magically gets new clothes and Kleitos' brother is expected to carry a tray of apples on a horse that is laughably bad, but the well meaning intentions of the scene make up for it. The fight scenes in the woods are well shot, especially the horse riding moments, but the Hellhounds just weren't scary enough.
Kleitos and Demetria: Pretty People in Need of Acting Lessons

I'd watch this over 300 any day for its so-bad-it's-good qualities (the film itself is oddly endearing in its underdog way), but when all is said and done (that's an ABBA song, by the way) this movie needed scarier dogs and more blood, guts, and gore.

The Making of Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland was filmed almost entirely in front of a green screen. According to Wikipedia, Johnny Depp actually wore lavender colored contact lenses to avoid getting sick. Much of the cast and crew felt nauseated by being surrounded by the green screens for hours on end. The film was shot in conventional 2D and was later converted to 3D, earning the criticism of James Cameron, who advocated shooting in 3D.

Promotional stills released from The Visual Guide to Alice in Wonderland reveal that only the actors and costumes were real, and the entire setting was CGI. This resulted in a relatively short shooting schedule, 40 days in total. The sequence when Alice falls through the roof and sits upside down was shot right-side up, with a tall wig replicating the look of hanging hair. The deck of card and chess piece soldiers were portrayed by motion capture actors, while Cheshire Cat was all CGI. A veteran commerical actor was hired to preform the Fudderwacken sequence.

Johnny Depp said the character of the Hatter was easy to portray, as it just came out during filming. His casting and that of Helena Bonhome Carter was obvious, as Depp has been in many Burton films, and Carter is the mother of Burton's children. The film's storyline is self contained, thus a sequel would be unnecessary, but welcomed nonetheless.