Spinning Door

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:02:00 GMT

I had the fortune to attend a free screening last night, so this is the
first time for me to release a review before the movie comes out! 

As a fan who read these books when I was a kid, the Narnia movies are a
long time coming.  I thought the effects, score, and script were
elegantly executed, and I also appreciated that Disney did not cutesify
 it down to patronize the kids.  Aside from the cute mice (which the movie
even admitted, "oh, how cute!"), you could take a lot of the Narnian
creatures seriously.  Their style was realistic (and even a bit
frightening) instead of dainty; think Pan's Labrynth without the R
rating.  It keeps true to the spirit of C.S. Lewis' work, who took
children and a good fairy tale seriously.  It's why even though I 
didn't like the movie forming a little love interest between Susan
 and Prince Caspian, I can live with it since it  elaborated
on the reasons why she and Peter were too old to come back to Narnia
again (my sister was positively scandalized at them taking that 
liberty, though. Purist, lol).  This is a war movie, and the whole 
thing is one battle sequence after another.  Each battle had 
different elements to keep it from getting monotonous, and I really
 enjoyed the war maneuvers they added which weren't in the book.  
There is one in particular which you can say is omg badass, but I won't say what it is. 
Brilliant!  Imo, Prince Caspian is the most mundane plot out of all the Narnian Chronicles,
 so I'm impressed they managed to make it into a full length movie when the BBC version 
combined it with the third book.  Nice job, Adamson!

In the End:  Narnia's been getting a reputation as being Lord of the
Rings for kids.  I think it's an accurate description, since it is that
epic and timeless! 
Rating: [8.5/10]

3x13: Ghostfacers

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:55:43 GMT

I'll hold your glasses, Ed!

re: flashback recaps - oh yeah, I kinda/almost forget Dean is supposed to go to hell. Good job, season 3, for not wallowing!
"rugged...golden beard": yeah, now you know how all the John Winchester fans feel.
"it's okay - not cops, just hicks": and thank God we have our sweet music back. Kripke, don't ever do that to me again!
I've never heard of this Hocus Pocus song before - yay for obscure tracks. MOAR.
*rat thrown* Hahahah, yeah that is so very funny Spruce. Especially when the scaree is yelling that it's not.
Dean: "Come on, let's take this reunion aross the street, we'll have ice cream our treat, what'ya say..." You say YES,people. Say yes to Dean and ice cream at the same time, idgits.
Every time someone says 'Corbett', I keep thinking they're saying Corbin, as in Corbin Dallas from the Fifth Element
*Sam smashes chair, starts yelling* Such sasquatch-manly display of force, you guys, that's hot.
[Dean looks directly at camera. Dusty puts on sunglasses.]
You think Dean has yelled 'SAAM!!' in enough tones so far that one could edit together a little song with it? Some fangirl needs to get on that.
YEAAAH MAGGIE, GET SOME. ALTHOUGH IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEAN IF YOU HAD JUST SAID YES TO ICE CREAM. U LOSE.
"...inside your duffel bag?" lol, Ed asking himself what would Mary Poppins do.
Gratuitous XF commentary: Ed putting together the pieces and stepping out of the circle to talk to Corbett strikes me as the kind of smart thinking followed by stupid action Mulder would do.
*back in the editing room, drinking beers* Oh Maggie, that is an ugly shirt. What's going on, wardrobe? Geeky girls can wear cool Ava-esque jackets, too.
lol, the parting prank, I love revisiting that!

The the next week teaser after the end of this episode was so wrong for promising us a hunk o hunk of burning John. Teasers suck!!!

This ep proves how much Kripke should pack his things and try finding a new home on a different network. A network where Dean can say 'fuck me' whenever he wants, where the suits won't tell them to go cutesy, where Lennertz gets fired and replaced by whoever did Dexter's score. I wish Manson or Reznor could do a score. I wish I had a million bucks.

Every show should do a POV change once or twice, because I get to see sides of characters that I ordinarily wouldn't, like Scully ducking behind the ambulance door in X-Cops. Priceless! In this ep, the winchester driveby patrolling w/ Grand Funk playing was the best POV shot for me.

I know the shaky, handheld cam thing has been done a bunch of times, but it's still creepy watching something that looks like a home movie I could have taken. If I may confess something, I have gotten scared maybe twice watching the X-Files. Yet I can't watch those silly ghosthunter shows late at night, for some reason those get to me, which is why seeing the ghost popping up on camera here creeped me out too. WTG Krip!

To sum it up, there was nothing particularly fantastic to say about the plot, yet I really, really enjoyed this episode purely out of the novelty of having a different POV. And bringing back the hellhound guys was a great way to do that, go Ben, go Ben, go Ben!

Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:43:19 GMT

Charlie Wilson's War

I don't share Aaron Sorkin's politics, but I was way impressed after seeing A Few Good Men onstage, so he was what dragged me out when I would've ordinarily stayed in and watched XF.

I loved this movie! It doesn't get any better than watching Phillip Seymour Hoffman doing comedy penned by Sorkin. Comedy, folks! That's what sold me since most political movies are too preachy for my taste. But this one is more concerned with telling a great story (based on a true story, too) in an entertaining way; the politics was just part of the landscape. There are tons of political thriller/action flicks, but I've never seen one where the conspiracy and intrigue is 90% delivered by two people (barely more than 2-3 people on screen most of the time) bantering in jokes and sarcasm. That's not to say it was all jaded flippancy, which would have turned me off just as much as if it had gone preachy. You could tell in between all the schmoozing, the characters weren't souless scoffers, but they cared about what was going on - and I think that's a credit to whoever decided to cast Tom Hanks as the woman-chasing, boozehound politician instead of someone like, oh, George Clooney (ugh).

If you've had your fill of all the other comedy genres - dorky/stupid/toilet/nerdy,etc - and need something more substantive to bring the lolz, go check out all the fantastic witty repartee in this one! I'm going to watch it again tommorrow. :)

Rating: 9/10

Choice Quote:
Charlie Wilson [to CIA agent Gust]: You're no James Bond.
Gust Avrakotos [to politician Wilson]: You're no Thomas Jefferson, either. Let's call it even.

3x12

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:20:05 GMT

I saved myself for marriage, and all I got was this crappy apocalypse.

Uh oh, jittery cam action, fast cutting, swooshy panning. Kripke iz really serious about teh ~~~intensity~~~ this week.
I have had a longstanding debate with myself about whether bald men can be sexy. Never considered Skinner sexy. And Bruce Willis wasn't completely bald back in the day, and now that he is...pass. But Hendrickson seems to break the mold. I don't know what's different from Nightshifter, but this time around, not bad at all.
I don't buy that footchain tripfest. They're hunters, John didn't raise no clutzy boys!
Aarghh, those FBI jackets, the badges...it makes me so nostalgic for XF. *dorks out* Hey Hendrickson, call the basement office!!
Yeah Lennertz, where you been all season, man. I was just about to petition that they fire you.
Shit, the deputy director seems to be channeling Brad Follmer!
lol @ Dean yelling about can he has a cheeseburger.
I agree with Dean's "because we're so awesome" reasoning. To have your enemies hate you that much is a big compliment.
Have some chocolate, Hendrickson, that's how you recover from a dementor attack.
Sam: *spray paints floor* Me: WE LOST NINE MINUTES, SCULLY.
Yeah, I know he looks hot, Nancy. But he's like a piece of candy on the sidewalk, you don't know where its been, trust us.
Dean: *dramatically pauses whilst outside unloading trunk* Oh for God's sake Dean, MOVE, you've seen that shit a million times before. Go, go go!
Dudes, those are some fugly tattoos. Ten bucks says they were drunk and were like, "..aa..aand teh demonz...PERMANENT, you awesome sonofa...owww..." Yeah, I think they've been hunting so long that they can get away with doing a few important things really cavalierly.
Ruby: "Anyone have a breath mint? Some guts splattered in my mouth as I was killing on my way in here." ahaha, Kripke I see what you did there. Best line in ep! XD
Dean: NOBODY's a virgin!
Nancy: *tries to look inconspicuous* LOLOL, oh Nancy you suck just as much as Dean at acting.
I can picture Dean, even if he did agree to kill Nancy, putting down the knife at the last second and offer her a lay, being a gentleman in his own mind, lol.
Okay, this whole demons running into the buildings and shooting them down looks like a video game.
The speaker exorcism, though, A+.
Poor Nancy. But still, I can't decide whether dying a virgin is horrible or not. One one hand, hell yeah what a wasted opportunity, but on the other hand, it's a pretty romantic way to go.

I do love Ruby's gore talk ("I'm sorry, I must have blood in my ear"). Lol, demons. Actually, the more this unfolds, the more Ruby is growing on me. Not to mention that outfit - I want it, it's so up my alley, ya'll. She does seem a tad more human than the other demons, as in her maliciousness comes across more sane rather than stone crazy fruit loops (Meg). Also, we need her for the boys to be kept in the loop, otherwise the demon war would play out like a mindless kill-the-wendigo monster fight instead of a real war with tactics going both ways. I'm surprised, because I really thought Bella would be my favorite, being penned by Edlund and all. Guess SPN works better when they keep it simple, no Krycek-esque characters would fly here.

Fuck, but what's this thing with virgin = virtue? I'll grant there's a higher probability of virtuousness in the virgin pool, but hardly enough to be significant relative to uh, popped ones. I know, it's all history. But fyi, the Bible/Torah/ton o' religions doesn't even measure righteousness by a sex stick alone, although maybe life would be easier if it did, hey, all you have to do is not have sex to be perfect, yaaay! Yah, I'm drinking and am thiclose to calling my bff @ seminary, this review is going off the tracks...I told Val today I'm shunning boys and spending the rest of my days as a nun. She said I would be a repressed but awesome nun. Lol, fair enough.

Back to Ruby: "I was gonna kill myself to help you win..."
Does this mean that if they had cut Nancy's heart out, they would have won the war? If so, bad move, Dean. Even if it didn't guarantee a war win, I don't think Ruby would kill herself to win a small battle. That must have been a significant make-or-break battle, by her estimate.

As for Lillith - I really, really hope she doesn't stick with the little girl form. I hope she was a little girl in that scene just because she knew it would be a form most appealing to Nancy, and that she changes appearance depending on what is most efficient.

ETA: As dahliablue/anteka mentioned, this ep is grievously lacking the classic rock. Not cool, Kripke. You could of at least played the opening chords to Rush's "Working Man" when the fight started. Don't forsake your roots, man. :(

This was an action!episode, and thank God, because we are loooong overdue for one. Even though it hardly matched the nuanced & charming (in a dark way) caliber of Nighshifter, I am not complaining. I'm glad they finally got around to balancing the season with more gun action, and hope they'll continue evening out the scale with it. Just..squeeze in some slow, suspenseful mindfucks, Kripke, and I will love you forver. XD

3x11

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:35:58 GMT

Ooh, Snap. I think this may be the first time a Winchester let the bad guy get away. Tricker's got mad bragging rights now.

Mystery Spot

Hai, Sam's eyes! It's almost like watching LOST isn't it?
For the record, "Heat of the Moment" is a crappy song, and Dean is tasteless and tacky for liking it(p.s. - blacklid and sis! Guess what popped up on the radio as I was driving home?? YES). Also, I never thought "Carry On my Wayward Son" was a good song, either. You heard me.
*Dean holding bra* Oh, SPN, pleeease come up with some better bow-chicka-bow-wow music.
Hello, hello, Waitress = XF alum (Syzygy, small business horoscope reader, schwinnnng)! SHOT! Man, I miss my random xf actors popping up.
Dean bitching about tourist traps, Sam defending the random legitness of extreme possibilites: if that isn't a Scully/Mulder XF nod #2! This episode knows how to get on my good side (shot).
Dean: "Sounds a little X-Files to me". #3, YAAY, BUT NO SHOT HERE BECAUSE I AM A LADY WITH LIMITS AND SOPHISTICATED DISCRETION (*hic*).
Hello, EMF meter, long time no see! I noticed that Dean hasn't upgraded it from last time; I'm dissappointed. I always look forward to seeing its evolution.
First that painted forest hallway last week, now the swirling vortex hallway this week; major kudos to the set department, awesome.
Lol @ the horse's ass...I almost feel like I'm in a Darin Morgan script.
Dingo ate my baby crazy...what reference is that? I don't get it.
I also don't understand what a Pulitzer has to do with moving furniture?
Dean bleeds from the mouth this week, too. I told you I couldn't take that, Kripke. :(
With the old music, always traveling around flyover country, and being surrounded by outdated-ness, I always thought, while growing up, Sam felt like he was in some twighlight zone of a life. To me, he doesn't seem that phased/disoriented about the fact that he's stuck in a time loop. I think he'd actually find it boring if it wasn't for Dean dying.
Dean: "I get tingly when you take control like that." So uncommon for siblings joke like that, most blatant wincest nod ever.
What I love about the time loop is that Dean mentions X-files every time.
DON'T JUST SIT THERE SAMMY, HEIMLICH, HEIMLICH! Oh, for fuck's sake.
Ew, the axe death felt kind of Tarantino. *shudder*
Archery range? The waitress shooting Dean with an arrow, that is really bizarre.
Sam: "Eat your breakfast." Ooo, bossy!Sammy is hot. I like it when he yells, too.
Trickster:"...never save your brother, evar, etc..." Man, did he take some serious pills since we last saw him or what? I guess the demon apocalypse is getting him down, too.
Back in Time! I need to watch Back to the Future again!
*freaky obsessed hunting montage* Damn, that boy sure takes after his daddy (minus the moldy hamburgers), doesn't he?
I knew it wasn't Bobby when the second he pulled out the knife. After the going to hell speech he gave Dean, there's no way he'd do something like that.
Trickster: "This obsession to save Dean...nothing good comes out of it." Oh, shut up, Trickster, you can't get over your demon apocalypse existential crisis by trying to dish out lessons. This ~~serious business~~ kick he's on is really cramping his style. I love how he realizes it too, at the end, and gives Sam what he wants.
Aww, what a fantastic hug!
Since when did Sam get so hot. Not to say he's not, but there are times when something's different and it's like, damn.
ETA: I agree with something I read in another review: who does their morning routine after getting dressed? The boys should be wearing only boxers and/or jeans. NO SHIRT ZONE.

Haven't been so engrossed in an episode since Bad Day at Black Rock, so I'm happy! Except for the music in the past 2-3 weeks. What is up with that, come on now.

I didn't recognize the names under the teleplay and writing credits - new people? If so, keep them on, they freakin' brung it!

Two for One: 3x9, 3x10

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:56:49 GMT

Total catfest: Malleus Maleficarum

the teeth falling out is a big nightmare of mine, Kripke. ugh.
Lol, Vancouver rain reminds me of a camera-hogging extra. New shot rule, yeah?
Hahaha, demon needs to change the radio station before it gets busy. Yeah, good move. It would pick the non CCR version. :P
Mr. Dutton's a cutie.
I hate those motivational posters.
Aah, the demon housewife is a collar-popper, too!
After season 1, I can't watch Dean spit up blood. :(
Dean:"..you're the shortbus,..shortbus." LOL it's the "dark spots" of S3! XD
Maybe it's because I'm on cold medicine, but the look on the blonde housewife's face once the demon reveals itself is hilarious.
Ruby has a cross logo on her shirt. Significant?
That brunette housewife looks like Krycek when she dies!
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Poor Dean, about to go to hell, YED dead, and everyone's still hung up on Sam.

The dream sequences saved the show: Dream a Little Dream of Me

I like this song.
You know who's great? Giovanni Ribsi. I could see him do Dreamboy's role. Man, XF was able to get some really good people.
Polyjuuuice red pill action, yeaa.
Bobby looks strange without his hat on. My world is turned upside down.
Imo, driving while sleep-deprived is even more dangerous than driving while drunk. Gtfo the wheel, Dean!
Now hold on, John did care whether Dean lived or died. Dads just aren't, you know, talky. Dean really needed a mom, that's what. :/

3x07

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:55:59 GMT

Blood. Lots and lots of blood.

dammit, I LOVE it when we meet the boys right in the middle of a job. Good stuff.
"I don't get out of bed for three grand." - I didn't know the spn writers knew about that quote. fantastic, I'm loving it!!!
Hahah, Dean didn't have to cut himself, just stand there a couple more seconds, his hotness is bait enough.
was that blonde vampire on Buffy? She looks like she was Harmony....well, she's got nice breasts. Well done.
Hmmm, Lucy's becoming a common name. I like that it's making a comeback.
Oh Gordon, go away. You're so last season.
"Listen to my voice and tell me if I'm serious." - Oh man, it would be great if Dean starts doing things that show he's taking advantage of the fact that he's going to hell no matter what.
"Naw wee caaan't, he's a humaaan, it's wrooong!" LMAO!!! So true, Dean, so true.
NO FUCK YOU, GORDON. YOU KILLED MY JESUS HUNTER, DAMN YOU.
Oh God, the music when Sam says he wants Dean to be his brother again = SOB. Pianos and Lennertz, why you gotta hurt me like that.
OMG BLOODY GORDON DEATH. Ewww, but...wow!
Awww, sweet lovin' TLC under the Impala's hood

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:55:07 GMT

I hate that all the bananas in a bunch ripen at the same time. If I were to live my life over again, I would shun economics and major in science instead, and develop a genetically altered variety of banana which has a time-releasing ripening function so that the consumer can eat their bananas one at a time instead of ALL AT ONCE. But I can't. So I'm throwing this out there to you future scientists. It will make the world a better place.

2x06

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:49:17 GMT

"Everyone's thinkin' it...I'm just sayin' it: PIRATES!"

Dang, the opening scenes this season are KICKASS. Kripke stepped it up a notch, bringing his A- game. Reminds me of how my favorite XF seasons were 3-6, actually.
Boys arguing in the car, again. SHOT. You know, I've seen this so much that I almost wouldn't mind having Sam roll off Dean in bed and they start some post-fuck bickering. I'd see that and be like, "well, at least they're not in the damn impala again."
Oh, Bella...leather wrap-around jacket, matching belt: I need it. I must have it.
Ever wonder why ghosts always beat around the bush before finally attacking? I do, and I'm starting to think hollywood ghosts are either on caffeine, or have ADD.
Victim #2: Hello?
Ghost: *swhoosh* BRB, gonna check out your pad first! *whoosh* oooh, nice jacuzzi *whoosh* k, u can die now
First the most graphic choking I've seen and now the water coming out of the mouth is FREAKIN' COOL.
I mentioned awhile back that I wanted Sam and Dean to fail at saving somebody, and here it is, yay.
"When this is over, we should really have angry sex." I love her! And I equally love Dean's reaction, all mixed emotions, BEST EVER, LMAO!!! Btw Dean, you were made for objectification.
Sam is making the best faces in this episode. Harrassed, freaked out, pissed, snarky(!) - and none of them are Bitchface!!!Alright!
Witty rejoinder? I assume that's a fancy way of saying 'comeback'.
Room 235 - lol omg, that's my apartment number. XD
LOL that old lady is a hoot. She's beautiful for her age, too.
oh, John. I would love to credit you for raising the kind of men who will save the life of a woman who's a real bitch towards them. But I won't, because when it comes to stuff like that, you just got lucky.
Ooh, Dean gets thrown, but his shotgun goes off this time. Nice twist on the usual, lol.
And I think it's hilarious that when Dean does get thrown, Sam just looks kinda annoyed and keeps reading, hahaha.
I LOVE Bella's clothes. I want that black leather jacket and marroon top, too.

~~Best motw since Nightshifter, imo.~~ (On second thought, I'd give Bad Day at Black Rock that honor. I thought that ep was better than this one.) It felt American history and scary the way Kripke is always talking about. Also, Lennertz brung it! That score was lovely, and I believe it made the episode better. And the water coming out of the mouth, as well as the final water scene - I thought it was pretty unique and cool - Quite XFish! The little comedic touches throughout balanced things wonderfully, and made everything go down easy - I cringed, I gasped, I loled. I think the girl who's playing Bella is a wonderful actress, and she sucks me into the story and her character instead of taking me out of it; and it seems whenever Bella shows up hunting for some freaky deaky trinket, that trinket-otw has been making for some great motws so far. The most surprising thing about this episode was the "to be continued" tone it ended on. It's different, and I like them dealing with the serious stuff this way than they way they did in S2. The only thing I missed was the rock music, but nothing else was lacking. A- !

Tres Quotable:

"You're so damaged."
"You stink like sex."
"I don't know. Your daddy give you enough [hugs]?" (Oooh SNAP! I really <3 Bella's lines.)

3x04: Sin City

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:50:01 GMT

Because Demons are people, too:

"It's Mr. Beaver, hon." I wonder if Jim ever turned his name into a pick-up line.
Has SPN's budget increased enough to have a helicopter shoot that gorgeous bird's eye view of the metallicar on the road?? Lovely.
RE: the ceiling mirror. I dunno about you, but I would not want to be able to see myself in that kind of situation. I'd start laughing my ass off.
CCR: Run Through the Jungle. FUCK ME UP AND DOWN, I LOVE THIS SONG. I love this song more than own existence. Well chosen, Kripke.
I'm a sap. I can't watch Papa Scully being a bad guy. :(
That bartender is gorgeous.
"You drink hurricanes? I do now." Please, I don't think Dean is very discriminating about his alcoholic beverages to begin with.
"Yeah...toys trump oils." Hey Richie, toys trump you. Just sayin'.
OH NOES, THEY DID NOT JUST PUT BOBBY ON MONSTERCAM. OH shitshitshitshitshit.
phew. Just Ruby. And I've seen enough to say that I think she's Meg revisited. A kinder, gentler Meg, lol. Red leather jacket look famliar? And please, for the hate of Satan, please stop doing that dramatic pause every time you want to flash your blackeyes. That's bush league.
I am loving the "look what I can do!" camera angles going on this season. Fantastic!
I mean it, that bartender is gorgeous. She reminds me of Monica Bellucci. I am SO dissappointed she didn't make out with Dean.
HAHAHAHAHA LINDSAY LOHAN IS FAMOUS IN HELL LMAO.
Wow. Her going on about how she barely had to do anything - that reminds me of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. But she's wrong, if it really was that easy for her, then they were already on mostly on her side to begin with. That's like convincing kids to eat candy and gloating about it like you're the shit. Dusty is not impressed. :P
Ooooh, Dean says he's an agnostic! Interesting. I think he's a little bit of a theist and doesn't realize it, personally - he has too much anger to be a real agnostic.
I think I am enjoying this ep because I'm drinking.
Dean:"What's a point in worrying about your future when you don't have one?" Hey idiot, after that deal, now you do, good job.
LOL @ bobby getting montypython!flicked away by the priest. hahah
That's cool, the way those two demons are in a fling. I'm sure their "hey, nice body" is the same thing as our "hey, nice shoes".
Man, I can't wait till Sam has some pissed off, FuckYou sex with Ruby. Evil!sex is the best.

3x01

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:32:15 GMT

Oh, man. Supernatural is back. As I was telling Dahlia, I think I really loved it because I came into this with low expectations. I came in thinking it was going to be more of the same s2 stuff. BUT NO, ohhh snap on me! XD

For those of you not intimate with the sensibilities of classic rock, let me tell you what AC/DC means in the rock world: "If you're looking for anything more than straight up rock and roll, there's the door, Nancy. We don't fuck around here." Imo, S1 and S2 did a lot of fucking around with its teen boy bitchery when it should have done grown man bastard-ness. SO AC/DC IS A PERFECT ATTITUDE, PLEASE DON'T FORGET AC/DC, KRIPKE.
I shrieked when I saw the new title card. I don't even remember the last time I screamed over something on tv. Meh to squee in zero seconds.
Whooa, whoa, whoa. Did they hire a new editor? Because DAMN, this shit is cut like 24 carats.
omg, a long, one shot that swirls around them as they talk, and not during a dramatic moment. I do not remember seeing this before on spn. Way to bring the A Game, Manners!
Could Jensen BE any more hotter? And is there such a thing as saying that too many times?
LOL, leave it to Kripke to make a joke about women and shoes in a violent manner.
Bobby's cool and all, but I miss Ellen.
Supernatural is always putting on the hottest jackets on their girls. I want the New Girl's jacket the way that woman wanted those shoes.
Bobby: "Spilled a glass of holy water on her, just to be sure." 10 bucks says Bobby 'accidentally' spilled it in bra cup territory.
OH SHIT, A DEMON BAR? JOHN, IT'S A HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO RISE AND FALL. XD XD XD
HOMG. THE EYEBALL AND NOW THE DRAINO? KRIPKE, YOU ARE BEING VERY UN-CW AND THAT IS THE WAY TO DO IT, YEEEEH.
Bobby: "The seven deadly sins! live and in the flesh!" This line sounds like some twisted circus announcer, and it is awesome.
"WHAT'S IN THE BOOOX?": Best spn movie reference to date. *swig*
hooollly molllee. BOBBY. yelling. Wow. Yes.
If you're wondering how it's possible that Dean could withstand Lust's advances, it's because after fucking a thousand girls, there is no supernatural Whammy capable of making Dean believe any one pussy is that worth it.
they didn't show the exorcism, great move, great move, since we've already seen 'em.
A salt n' burn in the daytime, also a nice change.

If this premiere is an indication of what S3 will be like, consider me a satisfied fan, because I have been waiting two seasons for Kripke to bring out the balls. I thought this ep is way different from what we've seen before, for these reasons:

Violence/Gore

Directing/Editing

Music

More breathing room for the plot

more

I think the reason SPN's pilots are so good is because it seems like the peeps have been relatively refreshed after the break (enough sleep makes Jensen look younger!), and have enough time to make it good. I've heard they have to move at light speed during the season, which I'm sure makes everything 10x more difficult to pull off. I hope they can maintain the level of the pilot, but I don't blame them a bit if they can't.

Nitpicks, I do have them: dialogue could be better, story could have been more interesting (I was bored watching it a second time). But that's usually the case in the past, too, lol, so it's not like I was expecting any differently.

Loving: the ep titles always referencing a rock song. The Clash, in this case. \o/. I love the Clash.

Choice quote:
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

Review: 'ARRY POTTAH!

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:54:39 GMT

I just came back from the midnight premiere of the Potter film where I'm at:

I haven't been in a theater that crowded since I saw the last Potter movie. And let me tell you, having a crowd full of big fans gasping and giggling and aahhing at everything they were seeing for the first time which they had been imagining all along made watching it feel special. I could tell those people loved that world and its characters. I'm not really an invested fan, more of a casual reader. I hardly remember everything that happened in the books, but I do remember liking the story, and totally understand why it's so popular. It's brilliant.

Anyways, the movie: I enjoyed the maturity of the story, and especially loved the cold war overtones to it (I'm a sucker for govt/political type elements). The visuals were mindblowing (two words: WIZARD BATTLE! It was awesome, folks), and the plot was more absorbing than prior installments because of Harry dealing with growing up.

A lot of the characters were fantastically acted: Alan Rickman rocked (how could he not?), the woman who played Umbridge pwned it, and my girl Helena Bohnam Carter was a pure joy to watch as usual. Also, Cedric Digory, Sirius Black, and Lucius Malfoy were totally hot. And I've never found Gary Oldman hot before, so it's something. I regret them having to cover up Ralph Fiennes' handsome little face. Can't have everything.

My sister had a bunch of nitpick scruples about the movie from her fan's perspective even though she liked it, but I think for people like me, this one was the best Potter movie so far because of it was less whimsical and more serious than the others both visually and plotwise. The musical score was freakin' magical, too. I'd hit it again. :D

Rating: 7.5/10

Movie Reviews: Die Hard 4, Transformers

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 06:36:15 GMT

The past two weeks were not soft on people like me who are Hitchcock, Shia LaBeouf, Die Hard, and gearhead fans. I had to keep making trips to the theater because of it. :D

Die Hard 4: If you want an action movie, this is an action movie. It's 24 on super steriods, basically.

I liked the way John MacClane's buddy in this one was a nerd kid; loved how they played his old-timer ways against the kid's modern attitudes. I liked the bad guy being hot and relatively young, and his undying, parkour, monkey men. There's no such thing as too much parkour. But I didn't buy that tiny asian woman being able to send John, huge and twice her size, through a wall with a mere kick of her twig leg. I've fought men twice my size before, and that just isn't physically possible. So her kicking John's ass was cheap and an eye roll moment. I'm okay with crazy, fantastical leaps of physics, but that there was too far to swallow. I'm all for yay girl!power, but at least make it, you know, a little realistic? Like that german lady in Die Hard 3 who did major damage with those knives. That was cool.

And I thought there wasn't enough of MacClane's panic face in this installment. It was incredibly badass of him to take down a chopper with a flying car (incredibly badass) and have him chuckling afterwards, but I miss that little period where he's openly scared to death and pissed off and "Ohh, shit, I'm FUCKED" (like when he wore that sign in Harlem). I missed it a lot. Also wasn't a fan of the uberclose-up filming and fast editing style, because John MacClane is not supposed to look bigger than life. He's not supposed to go stoically silent when he finds out his baby girl is taken hostage. He's not a supersoldier, he's not Jack Bauer. He's the opposite.

But it was still a great action movie in spite of what I was expecting with his character. One thing that made me grin like mad: MacClane's a Creedence fan! Hell yeah. XD

Rating: 7/10

Transformers: I felt like a 10 year old boy watching this. Machine porn at its finest. Just, WOW. All you need to know is that it's everything it is in the trailer times ten: minimal plot, maximum awesomeness. And hey look, it's Shia LaBeouf working his awesome comic skillz in another movie again! <3

Rating: 8/10

Review: Die Hard Trilogy

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:16:27 GMT

Last year, I said I thought Die Hard sucked balls, but I was wrong because 1)the random scene I saw wasn't even Die Hard, it was from Lethal Weapon. White guy/black guy fighting team, the 80s, lots of explosions, it all looked like the same shit to me at the time. And 2) Bruce Willis. I love Corbin Dallas (The Fifth Element), and apparently he was an imitation of the orginal, John McClane. He makes the best "Ohhh, Shit" expressions ever. <3

I've never gotten around to watching these, and seeing the new one is out, I wanted to catch up:

Die Hard: Whoa, Alan Rickman was awesome. Wow. The writing was equally awesome, too. And John McClane being built and hot and the underdog and sarcastic and in an increasingly bloody wife beater (it starts out white and ends up brown by the end of the movie)...in the commentary, the producers said they wanted McClane to appeal to women, too. Mission accomplished. Rating: 8/10

Die Hard 2: The lines on this one were forced and embarrassingly fake sometimes. I can see why this is the least favorite (Bruce Willis admitted he didn't like it). Still, it's worth watching, I think. If I can sit through "Playthings" just to stare at Sam/Dean/Impala, I can be appropriately entertained at Bruce being hot and bloody and cranky again. He does it so well. Lol @ him bitching to himself about not getting a normal Christmas. Rating: 6/10

Die Hard 3: Samuel L. Jackson = The Man. I LOLed so hard (in a good way) at his "WTF" reactions. And John getting catapulted out of the manhole was the most hilarious thing in the whole movie. I will remember it forever. This one was just as good as the first, and even better in some parts. John wearing the "I hate Niggers" sign in the middle of Harlem was pretty damn terrifying, totally memorable! Then him flipping a car around 180 degrees and shooting the hell out of the bad guy (poor Metallicar must be getting blue balls for not getting in on any of that action. :/), Zeus and John jumping onto the ship (as cool as the swinging firehose scene in the first movie). Oh, oh, and the opening scene! What a way to start things off. XD Rating: 8/10

The reviewer at The Onion is a nitpicky bastard for giving Die Hard 4.0 a C rating, but he did have a point when he said what made Die Hard work was the everyman "fly-in-the-ointment" vulnerability in the first one, which wasn't there in the last two. I agree, that's what sucked me in at first.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 05:53:16 GMT

I know I'm forgetting and leaving out an assortment of tricks and feats that I liked (like the swords flying up from the floorboards, etc.). On the whole, the movie was a mixed bag. Some stuff worked, some didn't, but it didn't take away from the entertainment of seeing it all. I appreciated that it was more mature than the first movie and not as cartoony as the second.

boo: Broadway musical singing at the beginning. :/

yay: Disney goes all film art student in the Davey Jones' Locker sequence. Jack, in the middle of nowhere, talking to himself. Rocks that turn into crabs, which then enable the ship to sail ACROSS DESERT DUNES? Cool as ice! Very surreal and un-Disney. A+

yay: OH YEAH, JACK SPARROW TOPLESS.

yay: Ragetti knowing how to whisper into Calypso's ear. Awww! I really love his character, and how he's been refining himself since the second movie. <3

yay: The entire up-is-down concept in order to get them out of DJ's Locker. As far as movies go, that was original and interesting to watch, from the swaying of the boat (probably not possible, but...movie!) to seeing all the water whoosh up/down. Cool. That part and the rock-crabs reminded me of the serious/quirky tales like Alice In Wonderland and Gulliver's Travels. And even Pan's Labrynth. This is the kind of stuff Disney should corner the market in doing.

boo: Orlando Bloom, still not hot, still not acting. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for LOTR. Jensen Ackles could act circles around this guy. And he's 3 billion times hotter. If we didn't need Jenny 24/7 to play Dean, I'd want him to be a pirate. He and Johnny can frolick around being pretty, pretty pirates together.

yay: Elizabeth: "This is madness!" Me and my sister: "THIS IS SPARTAAA!" Yeah, we yelled at the screen like ghetto peepz, but the theater was 8% full and people lol'ed so it was okay. FYI, Elizabeth says it in POTC2, too.

yay: And then they made Elizabeth their chief. Nice pwnage by Capt. Jack. :D

yay: TWO SHIPS RIDING A SWIRLING MAELSTROM, TILTING, TILTING TOWARDS EACH OTHER UNTIL THEIR MASTS LOCK TOGETHER LIKE TWO BULLS' HORNS. THAT WAS INSANELY BADASS. THAT'S, LIKE, MATRIX!POTC RIGHT THERE. I ♥ maelstrom.

boo: Elizabeth and Will's wedding ceremony in the middle of a battle. *facepalm*

yay: I did like the way Barbossa married them, though.

yay: and the way Barbossa cackles.

boo: The guy from the EITC walking down on the deck, as the splinters and debris were flying all around him. WTF was that about. And also him not giving the order to fire? Lame.

boo: NORRINGTON!!! NOOOO!!!! You were so dashing, you were so torn, and a real manly man. If you were on the X-Files, you would have been Skinner. Why is Norrington suddenly an extra in this movie? I'm not upset he died, only that he was in this flick for about 5 seconds. He was the most interesting, he's the humanity in POTC! I am scandalized and dismayed and all of the above. >:(

yay: The romance angst scene between Davey Jones and Tia Dalma/Calypso in the jail. Nice.

boo: A bit too much attention on Sparrow, kind of overkill. But I'm just nitpicking now.

This would be my favorite Pirates installment because of what I said at first. But it's not because it criminally underused Norrington. I know there's only so much room available, so they should have cut out some of the Sparrow scenes and made room for Norrington angst/triumph.

Rating: 7/10

2x22

Sat, 19 May 2007 07:19:18 GMT

For the sake of making the last one of the season a Big Freakin' Deal, I wrote this review out old-school style: in a long, bloated narrative. The parts in bold are commentary (what would ordinarily be my bullet points), and the rest is re-cap. There is excessive use of victory arms (\o/) towards the end. fyi.

Here we go, awww, they played Kansas again! How poignant! You know, they're going to have to play it again next year now that they're starting a precedent. We love ritual. <3 And speaking of ritual, I wonder what new element they're going to change the title card to next season, if they are at all? Smoke? Lava? Aurora Borealis? *ponders*

So we have the flashback scenes running, explaining the Colt gun, and I'm suddenly feeling like the past season never happened and we're back at the end of season one, which really hit home the hamster-in-a-wheel feeling the boys must have all the time. *sniff*. More flashes displaying The Greatest Hits of Monster Killing: Season Two, then showing the crossroads demon, showing the YED's Miss America plan, and Sam's death. Sorry 2 say, the crossroad blues flashback went past my oblivious self, because for some reason I was thinking it was driving at some soon-to-be-revealed terms of the deal John made with YED instead of the obvious: Dean is gonna make a deal, and haha now you're spoiler'd before the the title card.

Pan in on Sam lying cold and dead on a filthy mattress in the middle of I don't know where. Dean is in the doorway staring down at him, and looking quite pale and dead himself, thanks to the emo powers of eyeliner. I don't think the make-up girls will get sick of their job. I feel like I'm watching a movie because Dean looks so damn awful (as in depressed, not literally awful) and the place looks so rundown and un-CW. Props to the crew for that! Then in walks Bobby, swingin' a bucket of chicken in one hand and he tries to get the boy to eat something. Dean is understandably heartbroken but still says, "I'm fine." Bobby ignores that plea for solitude and delicately urges him to put Sammy to rest, which makes me wonder just how long a time has passed since he died. Bobby doesn't want Dean to be alone, so he uses the imminent apocalyptic meltdown to his advantage and asks for Dean's help, but Dean couldn't care less, seeing that he's already lost too much to the damn Job, and he says so to Bobby. Dean is really looking like hell, just as pale and with chapped lips like he was in Faith. Bobby is saavy enough to know any of that hardball, get-yourself-together-son fathering will make it worse, so he assumes the role of fellow hunter and leaves Dean be. Dean takes another look at Sammy's body and Jensen executes a perfect Gillian Anderson ©Single Tear.

~~~FIERY WHOOSH~~~

Open with Jake sitting in front of a campfire, he gets "woken" up with a 'Howdy' by YED, who makes a joke about American Idol, which I take to mean even though Jake won the contest, it wasn't because YED phoned in his vote. And right after that, I pull out my journal and write, "Dear Diary, today my heart leapt when the words "Jeffery Dean Morgan" came onscreen." I am so surprised SPN managed to steal Jeffrey away from Hollywood. But back to Jake who is looking just as surprised, except it's because YED is sitting there casually chattin' him up a congratulatory speech. Jake expresses his desire to kill YED, and YED goes, "Others have tried...it's not easy." Understatement of the year. Then in his smooth devil-may-care (ha) attitude, he calmly threatens to torture Jake's family. Jake is caught between a rock and a hard place, and does what Dean would probably do and follows orders.

Dean is talking to deadSam, apologizing for letting him down. I am thinking what kind of crazy expectations did John put on him to make him believe accepting Sam's death = letting him down. Dean has been in denial about the mere possibility Sam dying this whole season and when it finally happens, it gets worse. Poor guy. Dean is feeling very lost and purposeless, wondering out loud what he is supposed to do now. mf_luder_xf says Jensen's Texan accent comes out in this scene, but I can't hear it for obvious reasons, so I'll take her word for it.

And then Dean cracks. Shift to him driving like a madman, and I can't help but hear the video from my defensive driving class in a voice-over, "It is important to remember not to drive in situations under extreme emotional stress. Pull over to the side of the road or let someone else drive for you," as Dean weaves a little in his lane. The metallicar comes barreling down a dirt path and its headlight stops a few inches shy from breaking the camera lens. That is Kim Manners' voodoo, ya'll. He did a similar shot in season 8 of XF, except the camera was on a crane in the sky which then came rocketing down to stop at a moving car's headlight. I'm sure it involved having someone sit down and do one of those annoying "if a train is moving at 50mph" math problems. He talked about it at length in his XF commentary. That's the shiznit right there. <3

Dean opens the trunk and puts all the necessary supplies for his soul-selling needs into a tin box while Lennertz is bringing it on with a kick-ass layering of a dark, pounding drum base, electric guitar churning in the middle, and violins wailing on top. *applauds madly* At first I thought it was the beginning of a song I hadn't heard of, but nope! All Lennertz! THAT WAS AWESOME, MAN. Fantastic. He should do that all the time, in different variations. ♥

Dean buries the box, stands up, looks right, looks left, looks right, looks left, puts his right foot in and his right foot out, does the hokey pokey and turns himself around, and I am loving Kripke and/or Manners for having the demon take longer to show up, lol. Dean gets frustrated, yells "bitch" which turns the demon womenfolk on and there she/it is. I'm crossing my fingers hoping this crossroads demon is better than the last one, but, horrors, she was worse. I didn't think that was possible. She was so horrible that I actually missed the last demon chick. The, the thing where she keeps getting all up in his face was so cringeworthy to watch! Aaah!! You're ruining the finale, woman! So I'm waiting for this all to end, focusing my attention on what she's saying. She won't give Dean ten years, not 8, no not even five. She tells Dean to stop groveling, which is something, because she's practically licking him in the face. Dean is so messed up in the head, he'll take anything and eventually settles with one year, on the condition that if he tries to get out of it, Sam dies and the deal is off. Whatever. She didn't say what constitutes "weasel your way out" so the boys have crazy leverage there. The kiss was hot, though, I'll give her that. But oh Dean, you could have bargained with another demon, couldn't you? He did say there were others who wanted him. He should have called a demonic auction, demon with the best offer gets to bang him for all eternity.

Sam wakes up, Dean busts in, sees him, they hug, and I hear the sound of fangirls cheering like they just witnessed a touchdown. Or bitching because it's still a one-sided hug. This elusive Hug is just like The Kiss in XF, with Carter toying around with different versions of it for several years until the fans got a real one, lol. I wasn't dying for a hug all this time, but it is a beautiful broyay moment nonetheless. Sam is confused, and it looks like he's thinking Dean must be more stressed than usual. He asks what happened, Dean says Bobby patched up a stab wound he got. Sam can't get suspicious, because he hardly remembered anything, but still, you can tell something feels weird to him, but not weird enough to make an issue of it. Sam wants to go medieval on Jake (*sings* awesoooome!), Dean says 'Van Damme' and I take a sip. Dean asks his baby bro if he's hungry, to which Sam makes the cutest, almost pouty nod. AWww, Sam is so cute it makes me want to bake him something. I know Jess understands me. So they consume the miracle Supernatural junk food and soft drinks which keep their bods buff and strong. Dean drops the news to Sam that the Roadhouse got totaled, they argue over nothing, and then head over to Bobby's.

People, we need an SPN version of the Rocky Horror Picture show talkbacks, because I get the urge to yell, "Surprise!" when Bobby opens the door to see Sam very much alive and breathing. Needless to say, Bobby does one hell of a job covering up his astonishment. Sam obliviously pats him on the shoulder in thanks and walks inside. Dean can't even look at Bobby in the face, and for good reason; it's calm on the surface right now, but we know Bobby's gonna tear him a new one. Bobby asks Sam to look at a map of demon activity and "asks" Dean to step outside to help him fetch some more books. This is where it gets good. :) Bobby can't play Hunter Buddy anymore and unleashes into Father Mode in the junkyard, demanding answers from Dean. Dean says nothing and looks away, but that only confirms Bobby's suspicions. "You made a deal. For Sammy," he accuses. Dean doesn't deny it. Bobby asks how long Dean's got. "Bobby..." Dean quietly pleads for him to back off, but Bobby just growls it again. Dean finally admits to having one year, and Bobby looks at him like he's the biggest idiot this side of the Appalachians. "Damn it, Dean," he lets out, and I imagine he's probably bemoaning himself for leaving, unsupervised, a grieving kid who has enough knowledge to be dangerous. Dean quickly spins into what's-done-is-done business mode and tells Bobby all that matters now is killing the YED, but Bobby won't be easily thrown off his tirade. "I could throttle you," he grabs Dean's shirt in both fists. Dean, being his typical self, cracks a weak joke about ending up in hell early, and Bobby looks at him in amazement. He says he doesn't get how both Dean and his father can get so kamikaze-psycho over hunting. But there's the crux, Bob, it ain't about hunting, and Dean tells him so. Bob asks Dean if he's screwed in the head anyway (yep) for believing his own life is that worthless. Dean wilts even more onto Bobby's fists (no, not in that way, you salivating slash vultures :P) and says plainly he couldn't let Sammy die. "How's your brother gonna feel when he knows you're going to hell?" Bobby shines some reason on the whole mess. Bobby: 1, Dean: -infinity of damnation. "Please don't tell him," Dean begs. Bobby grimaces, staring at Dean as if he's already in hell, and half-slaps, half-holds Dean's face in one hand. And this is why Jim Beaver is Hot Shit. SCENE to your mother.

They hear a rustle in the junkyard, Dean creeps over and snatches out a very shaken Ellen behind a truck. Ellen passes Bobby's holy water litmus test and demands a shot of drink which will actually burn going down, because she's hot shit, too. She tells the guys the roadhouse burned down in 15 minutes while she was out to get pretzels. Kripke snickers to himself as he types that line, but Yaaay, Ellen survives round 2 of Kripke's purge! I take a sip, relieved. She pulls out a map Ash had locked away (I take a sip, not relieved. RIP, Dr. Badass *sniff*), and somehow none of these seasoned hunters can tell the X's are scattered in the shape of a pentagon. Except me, because I'm a genius. :P Anyhoo, Bobby finds a book and proceeds to tell us the coolest little history lesson that never existed - the X's are connected by railroad tracks in the shape of a Devil's Trap, which was constructed by the demon-killing-gunmaker Samuel Colt. The more I hear about Samuel Colt, the more I think he's a badass. He sounds like the Jack Bauer of ye olde frontier. Wouldn't it be cool if every season they added to the feats he did until there's a long, badass laundry list of them? Like, I want to find out next that he founded the first group of North American hunters. More Samuel Colt stories, plz. They all do some communal brainstorming and figure out that the YED is trying to let loose something (ALL HELL! IT BREAKS LOOSE! \o/ I loooove Kripke's straight-up titling system :D), and how he can get past the boundaries. Cut to: Jake driving up to the Devil's Trap.

Jake gets out of the car, the YED appears and tells him to go open a crypt in a wonderful kind of delivery as if he was sending Jake out around the corner to fetch his dry cleaning. Jake tells YED to go screw himself, YED hands him the Colt and says it's the only gun which can kill him, Jake pulls the gun on YED, and *snerk* YED goes, "Oh my. I'm shocked at this unforeseen turn of events," and tells Jake to "be all you can be". LOL!! He then goes to remind Jake how much his life will suck if he kills him and promises him wine, women, and song if he does as told. Hello! Jesus in the Wilderness? The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe? If you'd read any of that, or hey, just simply wasn't born yesterday you'd know it's a big, fat lie, Jake. But no, he Wants to Believe, and so he lowers the gun.

YED: "Atta baby." XD

Jake finally reaches the cemetery, finds himself surrounded, is shocked Sam isn't dead, makes Ellen pull a gun on herself, makes them back down, and opens the portal. The guys dive in to save Ellen while Jake gets the hell shot out of him. The camera pans over to Sam, who looks like he's turned darkside which is kind of hot. Jake begs for his life, but Sam finishes him, little specks of blood on his face. Everyone walks past Jake's body on the way to the portal, and LMAO at the way Bobby is staring at Sam. I can't describe it, but it's hilarious, as if Bobby's on a conveyor belt. It's like he's shocked, but not shocked enough to stop walking.

The dial on the portal begins to spin ominously, Dean pulls the Colt out of the keyhole, and everyone runs to take cover. I rewind, about three times, the part where Dean does the flying leap and flip over the headstone, because that's a potential head-injury stunt, and I'm totally impressed. Then the door blasts open and ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE! \o/

"What the hell just happened?" Dean hollers.

I want so badly for Ellen to say all hell broke loose (\o/), but she just irritatedly goes, "It's a damn door to hell," which is just as funny because she says it like some bar patron threw up on her floor and not like all hell just broke loose (\o/). Oh Ellen, never change.

The other three run to close the door while Dean wields The One Ring and tries to use it, but the YED is faster on the draw and super-yanks it out of Dean's hand. He launches Dean through the air, and by God does Dean have a hard skull - he wasn't even knocked out! I take a shot because even though a headstone isn't a wall, Dean got thrown against it real good, so it counts.

Sammy sees Dean in trouble, and by God does Ellen have the strength of a thousand men to still be pushing on that door after Sam runs off without any warning.

YED does some Grade A quality monologuing and finishes it off with "What's Dead Should Stay Dead," and I actually like it coming out of his mouth instead of Dean's, because it's creepy knowing YED has known and heard everything that's been going on this whole time, and now he gets to mockingly throw it back in Dean's face. Nice. He cocks the gun, readies his grip, and

HELLO DADDY!!! XDDD GhostJohn comes up to save the day! I'm grinning like an idiot to see him again, but that doesn't last long because after GhostJohn grabs smokeYED in a backwards bear hug, smokeYED does this: \o/. And presto, he's free! I can't believe I just saw smokeYED pull a WWWF move and proceed to rewind that part 10 times...rolling on the floor, laughing my ass off!!! And then the look of surprise on GhostJohn's face after he gets thrown on his back, like, "Wow, he actually got me off." (again, not in that way) LOL 2 infinity.

SmokeYED climbs back into his body, and DEAN SHOOTS THE MOTHERFUCKER DEAD. \o/ Pure, undiluted, awesome.

Bobby and Ellen finally get the doors shut. They're going to be sore in the morning.

But we don't get any time to recooperate, because we go back to John who gives Dean his blessing and seal of approval in that nonverbal way only parents know how to do. It's beautiful. It's perfect. And John vanishes, where to we don't know...but IT'S NOT HELL!!! \o/ Thank you, Kripke, this is exactly what I wanted.

Let me take a moment here to give a standing ovation to the special effects people. I read somewhere that JDM wasn't able to be on set to film any of that, so they shot it on a green screen in a different place and put everything together afterwards. It's seamless, it's mind-blowing, and I'm sure the guys who did that must have done it on half the money the guys on Heroes get paid to do. I'm sure Heroes will get the Emmy for special effects, but this episode deserves a nom, too.

Epic-ness in 5 seconds: Sam doesn't know what to say after it's finally over, but Dean does. The music swells, and "This is for our mom...you son of a bitch." \o/

The guys get back to the Metallicar (still in one piece - the demonic fleeing hordes were kind. \o/), Sam confronts Dean about the soul-selling thing. Dean couldn't say it to Bobby, so he mos def couldn't say it to Sam. Sam gets the picture and it looks like his heart is breaking when he finds out how long Dean has. Dean will not accept any anger from Sam, but Sam turns that on its head by asking Dean, "What do you think my job is?" which kind of surprised me as it probably does to any older sibling, and oh, the love. Can you feel the love tonight, folks? It was perfect.

Bobby and Ellen trot over, remind us the war is coming. Dean gives a shit-eating grin which says he weaseled his way out of another tight spot. He tosses the Colt into his trunk like a new trophy. He's still got Sam and the job. "We've got work to do," he says and slams the lid shut. XD

~finis~

Conclusion:
Whoa. The crossroads demon aside, this is the best mytharc ep in S2. Plot! Real shit going down! And I love to death how much it's told like a fairytale, like in just 2 seasons there is real closure for the YED-hunting chapter of their lives, and also for John and Mary (btw, I love how GhostJohn and GhostMary both got to save their boys, because it goes to show good supernatural forces have not gone AWOL in the Superverse. And possibly, a family's love is stronger than death?), but the story goes on. It's just the way Dexter does it, closing the book on old arcs and starting new ones! I approve x 1000000!!!! Hah, I guess after going through Carter's neverending bogs, any XF fan greets this with hugs & kisses. And with the way Kripke ended this season, I'm 200% more convinced he is going to end the series on a similar note - resolved, victorious (\o/ oh yes, in spite of it all, there was so much victory! That's why they're called WINchesters...waah, waah), and still running on. XD

Even though Dean went off his rocker with the crossroads deal, I'd like to think for the most part that him killing the Demon is his rite of passage into manhood. He finished what his father started, and now he isn't a lost boy anymore. And neither is Sam, for that matter, with the way he killed Jake - that was something a matured, self-realized hunter like John or Bobby would do, not a boy who is still figuring out how to fuse his beliefs with the real world. They both fulfilled a lifelong goal and have become men with a new purpose, and one which is fully their own and not shared with their father anymore. I am very excited to see what our guys will bring to the plate next season. (more balls-out action, I hope.) :P

2x21

Sat, 12 May 2007 05:48:16 GMT

As griva_x referenced: THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!

It bothered me when the static kicked in just before it hit my favorite part of that song. Damn you, YED, you really are a sonofabitch.
And no pie for Dean, either? Double sonofabitch!
karmicunderpath said that Dean would be dead if he had gone inside the cafe with Sam. Which is a scary thought, of how flippant the YED is. Thank God for saving coincidences.
Andy, I missed you, sweetheart! Lol, yes it does look like Frontierland. You look like you could use another bongload right now.
Ava! And you brought your hot jacket, too! *gropes it*
Soldiers in a demon war to bring on the apocalypse...kind of as crazy as bees whose sting carry a virus which cause aliens to grow in you in a plan to recolonize the world.
I don't feel like Ash is really dead. He's supposed to be genius. Right...RIGHT?! AASSH!
Haha, funny the way Ava jumped when Sam yelled for Lilly.
D. Hasselhoff. No, that's not the signature of someone who's trying to hide their identity. *snicker*
You know how whenever someone beats up Krycek, it's kind of hot, because he knows how to pain beautifully? Dean's the same way, all gasping and clutchin' on his car. :D
LMAO: "...about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels." Dean Winchester has a gift for describing pain. He should create a pain chart for general use. Like a 6 would be getting strung up by a Wendigo.
YED sounds like his day job is doing voice-overs for movie trailers. What a baritone.
Ooo, Mary knew the Demon? WHOA.
The sawed-off shotgun returns! Hey, baby.
Wow, look at Sam bring on the hurt. This is like WWWF Smackdown.
Part of me wishes Sam would have killed Jake, but if I were in his place, I wouldn't have killed him, either.
Oh God. Dean's last yell is a killer. :(

Where do I even start...WTF is up with killing off Andy and (supposedly) Ash and Ellen??! It was a horrible wibblefest to see Andy go, but I can deal, he's had a nice run. But Ash and Ellen?! Kripke did say the supporting characters would be coming and going. He had better have some equally interesting ones lined up to come along next if Ash and Ellen are really dead. Towards the end of this season, though, I am happy to say the same thing I said at the end of the last, which is I still trust Kripke. Season 2 is better than Season 1, my nitpicking aside.

And how cool was this new retread into the pilot? I love the way Kripke is keeping the pilot fresh and relevant after all this time. I love it when the creator knows where he's going and where he's been and doesn't make it up as it goes along (sup, Carter). We got a new perspective on Mary, which, omg, I hopehopehope gets explained next week and I won't have to wait all summer to find out what's going on there.

The Great Plan in a faceoff between the demon kids was a little dissappointing, though. Sorry to say, I can see where Meg got her corniness from. The cartoonery > menacing in the YED, when it should have been the other way around. The whole thing was anti-climactic and a tad contrived. Is Kripke's mytharc map not as grand as we hoped or did Sera just have a bad week? :/

And oh God, I was shocked as shocked could be when Sam got stabbed. I was sitting there with my mouth open and my hand over my face! Of course Sam isn't going to die, but O. MG! Just the way it went down! And Dean losing it!

In spite of my mixed feeling about this ep...*presses rewind*

ETA: Maybe Kripke is making a habit of killing off people at the end of every season. Like some kind of purge.

ETA2: And PLZ BE LETTING DEAN GO PSYCHO AND KICK DEMON ASS. WITH LOTS OF BLOOD. PLEASE.

My Favorite X-Files Episodes of All Time

Wed, 09 May 2007 07:09:54 GMT

Someone made a post in xfiles about Milagro, and I realized, hey, I have never said in my LJ what my favorite XF episodes are. That must be corrected. So, with explanations, here are my Favorite X-Files episodes of All Time (in no particular order)...and by favorites, I mean episodes I could watch over and over and over again. Notice they're all motws. That's because while most of the mytharcs are brilliant and timeless, they're too heavy for me to view more than once or twice:

Milagro:
One constant rule on XF is that sexy is not allowed - there will be no after-sex cigarette or cuddling, but some monster will come by momentarily to snap your neck backwards or suck out your fat. And so Milagro is one of my favorites because it managed to stray from that rule a bit, in a good way. It's both creepy AND sexy. That's one hell of a combination. Manners said Scully is like a "moth to the flame", because she's drawn in by the complete attention and focus Padgett has on her; it's dangerous, it's disturbing, and yet it's quietly thrilling because she's a malnourished woman in that area of her life (for God's sake, Carter, if you'd let her get laid already, she wouldn't actually consider fucking every psycho that comes onto her). And the actor who plays Padgett is simply mesmerizing in his talent for being able to show us the pull he has over Scully, that attraction he can generate in spite of his mediocre looks, in spite of his eccentricities, in spite of everything telling you to run like hell the other way. It's one hot, scary story.

Jose Chung's From Outer Space:
Darin Morgan took a note from all of Carter's complicated conspiracy-spinning and spinned us something just as layered and schizo. In one episode. While making me laugh. Even though Darin said he's not that interested in the mytharc at all, but the humanity of the characters (like Clyde Bruckman and the misfits in Humbug), I think Jose Chung is a genius parody of the mytharc. In a comedic Darin way, this ep says yeah, you really should Trust No One because even though the Truth is Out There, it's in a million tiny pieces stuck all over space and time and minds.

Dreamland 1 & 2:
So fans usually write this off as an amusing Mulder and Scully's Most Excellent Adventure...Body swapping! Ass slapping! Handcuffs! Pollinated Yogurt! But given my personal tastes in entertainment, those things are exactly why it's one of my all-time favorites. It has everything I could want in an XF episode (conspiracy, comedy, suspense, great characters, intrigue, absorbing plot, gripping internal conflicts, more comedy) and in the amounts that I like them. It's like a mini-movie that could play on the big screen. It's Bad Blood on an epic scale for me, and I am so glad they made it. :D

Never Again:
Alright. I wrote a fic with this episode in mind, and what happened was that it got under my skin. And ever since then, it never left me. As corny as it sounds, that whole environment has permanently occupied a part of my mind, and I could theoretically watch this admittedly sub-par episode every day for months on end, and I wouldn't get sick of it since it's always "with me" in the first place. Snicker if thou must. :)

Avatar:
For the same reason as Never Again, except I never wrote any fic about it. This also isn't one of the best motws, but for some reason I drop everything and pay attention whenever it comes on. Why? Maybe I subconsciously find Skinner-angst attractive? Maybe because it feels like crime-noir to me? I'm not exactly sure, you tell me.

X-Cops:
I am a sucker for crossovers. If there is a crossover between two fandoms I love, I will e-crawl on my hands and knees across broken links and ghost archives to read it. Mulder and Scully are in another universe that I'm familiar with, and that shifts everything into a new, delicious context. I think if you want to see your fandom in a different, fresh way while still keeping true to who they are, the best way to do it is to contrast them with another fandom. This was done, to a small extent, in Bad Blood (except instead of using another fandom, it's Mulderists vs. Scullyists, so more like sub-fandoms?), which is why I think that episode was such a success. That's why I eat up crossovers and could watch X-Cops over and over again. It's Mulder and Scully through the eyes of the Cops audience! And in this world, the FBI has nothing to hide. XD

Improbable:
Whenever I see this, I keep thinking that Chris Carter was trying to imitate Darin Morgan even though I'm 98% sure that isn't the case. XF has lightly touched on different lines of philosophies through its run, but I don't remember any one episode making such a big statement about it as this one. Scully and Reyes bat back and forth the age old free will/destiny question while Burt Reynolds cha-chas around them in a hawaiian shirt. It's that mix of quirky flippancy (which you know isn't complete flippancy, but the surface of some higher understanding) and serious questioning that wins me over every time. It's totally up my alley. And for goodness' sake, if you haven't listened to Carter's commentary track here, do it.

Omg, if you read all that, let me e-shake your hand. Love you!

Part Music, Part Retard

Mon, 07 May 2007 23:30:57 GMT

Omg, ya'll. The classic rock station here got usurped by this rock-country outfit, and it's AWESOME. They're playing freakin' Creedence and country rock and blues rock. I am so glad I am finally, finally getting some variety up in here. And instead of tacky djs screaming about boobies, these people are actually discussing the influences of blues in rock and roll, as well as doing artist spotlights where they play a block of their music to support said discussion. Melting like buttah, I am. I would like to think this is the influence of Supernatural, and the fangirls requesting every spn song 100000 times (by my non-scientific estimate, plays of "Carry On My Wayward Son" has increased from crickets chirping to 862% ever since it aired on SPN), in a roundabout, domino effect way. I want to believe that Kripke set out to scare us, and in the process, saved rock and roll. Because that would make a cool made for tv movie.

Secondly, let me pimp: spn_macros, for all your juvenile needs.

SPN MACROS from my inner 12 yr old...BECAUSE I SAID SO.

2x20

Sat, 05 May 2007 14:36:21 GMT

CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN: I'm sure he dreams.
DIANA FOWLEY: About what, I wonder.
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN: The dreams all men who are owned by the world have-- a simpler life... full of small pleasures. Extraordinary men are always most tempted by the most ordinary things. Dreams are all he has now.

Oh Impala, I love how you can fool the cops by changing license plates. ;)
I'm probably the last to realize this, but those boys must haul a library in the trunk along with everything else.
Lynyrd! oh, sooo goood. ♥
hah, like Mulder and Scully, Dean also transitions from big-ass flashlights to itty bitty ones.
asdgasdhl Dean's normal necklace is gone! When are they going to tell us what the amulet it stands for.
I wonder if Jensen will have to take his shirt off on stage. He's built like a little G.I. Joe action figure.
Dean's a brunette man! Carmen is pretty. She reminds me of Kate Beckinsdale.
Somebody, give Jensen an award already. OMG his faces when he sees Mary!
These photoshopped pictures: I have never laughed at anything on SPN so hard as I did at those pics. Especially the ones with JDM in them, because it looks like his grinning head is pasted on another body in every single one. I DIED LAUGHING.
*shakes fist* And fie you, movie business, for stealing JDM! I've been robbed of a John re-appearance.
Awww, Mary is sooo motherly! She makes me miss my mom. :(
HAHAHAHAHAH SAM'S GRADUATION PIC!!! *DIES AGAIN* JOHN ISN'T EVEN IN THE SAME COLOR TINT AS EVERYONE ELSE LMAO!!!!
I thought Dean was looking kind of tired and older in Folsom Prison Blues - I kept staring at the huge lines in his forehead. But now, he's blindingly perfect again. Weird.
HAHAH CHRISTMAS SWEATERS. Omg, this will never get old.
Professor: "Ah, no...no I don't think they can really do it." LOL, I love this guy!
OT: my mom says her food tastes the best because she puts her love in it. I totally believe it.
Dean mowing that lawn - it's happy and really sad at the same time! Sure beats diggin' graves, doesn't it, my boy?
What A Wonderful World song is nice, too. :D Ah Dean, you wound me with your desire for normality. LOL at him waving at his neighbor like he's in a 50s tv show.
I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I love Jess. Her attitude in the whole 5 minutes she was onscreen in the pilot won me over.
AU!Sam with his "I need to see you in my office, Dean" vibe is surprisingly hot.
I KNEW IT. I knew if it wasn't for hunting and if Dean had to live a normal life, he'd be a grade A jackass. He's just like Mulder, neither of them are cut out for domesticity, however much they think they'll be happy in it.
Okay, Raelle pwned me there, I totally thought Carmen was working as a stripper for a second.
Skeletons in the closet, that was scary. Good one, Kripke! And about time, too. The last time I jumped was the face-stretching in Crossroad Blues.
Au!Dean owns the same amount of flannel as the real one.
the grave scene. Perfect. *tear*
Revisiting the pilot with AU!Sam, awesome! Really, really fun to watch. :D
The girl who's strung up in the building did a fantastic job of being a victim. She wins. And Kripke gets so much love for filming her feet, that shot is 100% goodness. Leon nod, anyone?
When Dean goes "...supernatural acid, and it kind of feeds on me slow..." - FIELD TRIP! Recycling XF FTW!
"It's worth it." ♥

Kripke brought us the whole package here: I laughed my ass off, I wibbled a lot, and I got scared. There was angst, yes, but it didn't dilute the monster plot for a second (well, okay, maybe a few seconds, but...it was worth it :P). How cool and completely disturbing was that Jinn thing, fondling and blood-sucking? And then there was Jared's acting. Usually his frownface drives me up the wall, but on AU!SAm, somehow I didn't mind it at all. I love it when Jared gets to branch out and act different, he totally brings it. And even though this episode was about Dean, Sam wasn't in the background and I'm thankful for that.

And then, on top of the awesome scare story, we get a bonus look into Dean's subconsciousness...you're right, man, Sam doesn't have anything in common with you besides hunting, and eventually he will leave you (again). And you know better than to wish that way.

Two superb motws in two weeks - I am a very happy fan!

ETA: I realized why I loved the Sam and Dean dynamic in this episode. It's one of the few times we can see how they're like when they're NOT working - it's like seeing a co-worker outside of work. They're the same, but different.

On Principle: A Cap Bustin' Mix

Sat, 05 May 2007 07:50:38 GMT

Yes, I have a thing for Sam and Dean hunting in the ghetto (hello, season 2 promo pics). I even made a playlist about it.

Sounds like: alternative-electronica/hiphop. Hollow vocals against sneaky backing tracks. The songs start out slow and sinister and then build up to a big, street-battling affair.

The first half of the mix is about the urban monster, a quietly desperate creature, who stews in his impulses until he drives himself to murder.

The second half starts with the arrival of the brothers; they get on the scene, research, argue with each other, investigate in the neighborhood, flail around in dangerous situations, burn a clip in the monster's ass, and drive out of town - pretty much your stock motw plot. ;)

LYRICS:
(all individual tracks are streamable/downloadable)

1. BIG FURRY HEAD : AMON TOBIN*
instrumental - intro

2. LOST : JUST JACK
keeping it all inside of you / something will have to give
and if you could you’ll take it back / but you lose your way in the way you live

3. SOUL AUCTIONEER : DEATH IN VEGAS
there are hands in my pockets / pulling at my spine
eggs bearing insects / hatching in my mind
the stones in my shoes / get sharper all the time
in the soft sick underbelly / in the carcass of these times

4. WHAT IS HE THINKING : THE STREETS
I wish I could read what his eyes are sayin' / staring straight and not blinking
he's not giving anything away / what is he thinking?

5. ABANDON ALL HOPE : AESOP ROCK
OK I lay me down to sleep, creepin' a slumber under red skies
Heads splittin', straight sippin' a drip of dead vibes
It's red tides from here, stop and smell analog hell

6. MELTDOWN : CLINT MANSELL
instrumental

7. MURDER OF A TEENAGE LIFE : MOS DEF
the temperature of flesh / and the shortness of breath
the murder of a teenage life
pressure pulled him to the earth like a raindrop
take not life in vain...anyways

8. CROOKED : EVIL NINE*
we don’t like it when the city lights start fading
when the city people act crooked
when the city pigeons break wings
when the city fire starts spreading
then we can’t get down!

9. EARTHSICK : SUBTLE*
bang
life grows in a cut
and bang
it's a sunny rut
a twenty-odd year young man washes his hands...
he drew a line in the sand

10. CRIMIN' AND DEALIN' : CLINT MANSELL
instrumental

11. LIVE TRAP : THEMSELVES
welcome to the live cage
you know you're in it
out of lock or luck or...
could it be that you are a free bird now?
caught you looking like a barb wired fire escape.

12. BOOK OF THE LAW : CANIBUS
Quoted from the book of the law,
I don't govern them, I summon them,
speaking in tongues again/
instead of trying to murder me, it tried to flirt with me
I got away nervously, talked about it purposefully
next time I see it, it's going to have a word with me/
Killing my health, killing myself,
rebuilding myself, nobody feel what I felt

13. HERE I COME : THE ROOTS*
He said yeah / You better come out with your hands up / we got you surrounded
He said blink / we gonna send the hounds in
I said wait cause here I come / You boys get ready cause here I come
Dusk to dawnin / Waitin to catch me sleep But I'm not yawnin

14. ESTHER'S : AMON TOBIN*
instrumental - extro

*most favorite tracks

Zip File with all tracks: here (via Divshare)

Also: The tracklist I listen to has four extra songs (more of The Roots, Themselves [I'm so into DoseOne right now, the man is sick], and then Missy Elliot and Handsome Boy Modeling School) which I cut out for a few mix-making reasons. But if you would like to download the mix with these extra tracks, I've made it available here: On Principle - extended version.

Reviews: Zodiac, Music & Lyrics

Wed, 02 May 2007 06:46:52 GMT

I saw Zodiac today. I really enjoyed watching it. It's been ages since I've seen something that made me feel suspense. And I LOVE quiet suspense, so this hit the spot for me (I'm wondering if I should watch Disturbia after this, but I'm worried it will be a Rear Window rip-off and I'll be bored). The 70s song selections were dead on, appropriately wonderful (I need the soundtrack, asap. <3), and I remembered why David Fincher is so freakin' famous - I could not look away, the way he moved everything was mesmerizing...and that's with the characters just sitting around and talking 85% of the time. Not an easy thing to make watchable, I imagine, but he did it. And with much thanks to the writing. And Robert Downey Jr., who seemed to be channeling both Hunter S. Thompson and Jack Sparrow at the same time. He's still hot, even when he looks like a mess.

OT: Afterwards, I thought it was pretty messed up that some guy really killed all these people, and he gets a movie made about him, like it's a reward. Not that I wish they didn't make the film, it was a great film. But just that it sucks I'd never be this entertained watching a movie where a person does something equally radical in goodness, like Mother Teresa or somebody.

Rating: 8/10

Saw Music and Lyrics, earlier last month. I love 80s music and I love Mulder-esque, dry one-liners, thank you Hugh. Besides Joe vs. The Volcano, it's the only rom com I think I'd call a favorite, since it was more com than rom. I was impressed by how good every original song was, and kind of wish they released an album of it. I'm sure they did.

Rating: 7/10

2x19

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:19:54 GMT

The wardrobe department tried to make Dean look ugly and they failed. Miserably. :)

p.s. - I'm having layout hosting issues, so I don't have a layout as of right now, just the default LJ thing.

Do you know how many prison episodes the XF did? I don't know but it was a lot. This is the best teaser in all of season 2.
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. AAAAUUUGGHHHHHHH!!!! Dean did it, he did Blue Steel! OMG! I did not see that coming! And that is the best Pop Culture Reference Shot in all of season 2! *is speechless and then squeeams some more* XDDDD *rewinds* ETA: subtle__sarcasm told me Blue Steel was a promo pic. Wow, this is exactly why I'd rather not see the promo pics, because I really liked this coming as a surprise.
the extra Nolte joke felt forced, but I loved the Officer telling Dean to shut up. Everyone should tell Dean to shut up. "Shut up, Dean" should be the new "Go home, Roger."
Joooohn Sheeebaaaaan!! You're winning me over with this one so far.
Mike Rohl, never heard of him directing before. Twenty bucks says Kim Manners was his Yoda, because I was seeing Kim all over that teaser.
I know the lawyer is thinking, "why are the hot ones always crazy?" It's true. A nice chunk of the ex-cons my age I've met have babyfaces. I think it's because they can get away with more looking like that.
Dean:"It's 100% sure plan". Way to jinx yourself.
Dean waxes on hunter/winchester loyalty. Deacon may not be close, but he's like family, which is why Dean is there all the way. Nice. I am really liking this episode so far.
Oh boys, that orange jumpsuit hugs you in all the right places.
When the fat inmate did his "you're dead" signal to Sam, I LOL'ed. But the fight before that, yeaaah, HOT!
Lord Voldemort?! I love this monster/ghost!
"You're like Clint Eastwood from Escape from Alcatraz" My glass is already empty because Dean's a huge fanboy. Dean=1, Dusty =0. Could not keep up.
Looks like they're finally taking turns digging up graves. It's Sammy's turn!:D
Exploding ghost nurse. That looked cool
That Alice in Chains song. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Beautiful.

John Shiban, he's a hit and miss. Sometimes I really hate his scripts, and sometimes he blows me away. I have almost nothing to say because I loved everything. Dean's idea of going into a prison was ballsy of him. And that's the testicles I've been waiting for. Just like Nightshifter I didn't have high expectations coming into it, but was surprised by how much I was engaged in it. I loved the addition of Deacon, because it brought in the memory of John and gave the story a familial bonding ("your Daddy raised you right"), and I think those moments about family and friends (without compromising the badassery of the motw - omg, I am So Glad they did not angst in this episode) is what sets SPN apart from XF, and made it work! Excellent, excellent episode all round!

Oh yeah, and THANK YOU Jared for NOT MAKING THE FACE. Or at least me not noticing it if you did! I am proud of you, man. Very proud of you.

And the Alice in Chains song was Perfection. Americana + SPN makes me melt, it doesn't get any better than that for me. I love you so much for that, Kripke.

2x18

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 06:27:43 GMT

You sleep with Sam, you die. You do it with Dean, everyone walks into the sunset.

I didn't know Ben wrote this one! All of a sudden my expectations have gone up. The teaser is fantastic.
Ahahaha, the Gilmore Girls shoutout, obligatory and cute. :D
If Sam and Dean weren't brothers, they would so not be able to stand each other.
Sam: "Does this seem like swimming pool weather to you? It's practically Canadian." And this is why Ben is my golden boy. A wink and "an explainer" in one - *golf clap*
FACEJARED AAAAA. I will point it out every time for as long as he does it. Aah, he did it again inside the span of five seconds! Omg, and again. I think he's trying for a record.
Even though I saw the Pop Culture Reference Shot coming in full force and said I wouldn't, I did do shots to this episode. Dean is a madman, a crazed fanboy of crap movies. I bet he saw Grindhouse while Sam saw, I dunno, The Last King of Scotland. :D
AAAAHHH Gary Cole!!! *is fearful* And right after I JUST talked about it in my scary hiatus post! The Odds! Kripke totally read it and stuck him in there. I told you Kripke knows me.
FYI: for those who missed the interview, Kripke did say some producers actually wanted him to "lighten up" the show and make it look brighter.
Now their EMF meter looks amateur again. Now that is one question to ask the props department - I'm sure they have a story behind why the meter looks different every time.
Awww whenever Dean stuffs his face, it makes me sad because I get a "Please sir, can I have some more?" starving orphan Oliver Twist vibe, as if he doesn't get enough food because he's always running around somewhere.
Dean: "I'll get right on that." Eww. EWW, I can see his chewed up food! Ew.
What's great is that Dean really could walk up to a movie actress and just strike up a convo with her, because he is just that hot. If Dean banged Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johanessen in one day, in cannon or fannon, I'd totally believe it.
Tara's eyebrows are perfect.
Facejared.
"Pepper steak" is my new "Yeah Eli, that's enough". And I love the abrupt ending to that scene.
Marty the writer! X-Files actor! He was Morris Fletcher's co-worker. Omg, he has gray hair now, like Mitch does. That's depressing.
"They must have super hearing!" Hahahah! I wonder if that's Krip's way of blaming lame lines on the suits.
Alright, Gary Cole's dead! \o/
facejared.
I can see facejared, again, from 20 tv screen feet away. *shakes head* It's out of control. And another one. And again.
Dean: "We're diggin' tonight, aren't we?" LMAO, I totally hear you, Dean. At least you'll burn off all the stuff you ate.
Ramones reference! Niice. *high fives*
"No, you I love, Bob. You're kickin' ass and takin' names!" BOB nod! <3
24:58 - I'm diggin' it, Lennertz. You made the usual salt n burn scene look different.
Hahaha, those previews! And the monster truck! *claps hands* That's funny they acknowledge how ridiculous Route 666 was. And I admit, I did go to hellhazers2.com, hoping there would be a fake website. No cigar.
Hey, whose trailer is S&D always hanging out in? I know it's got to be a female, but that doesn't narrow it down much.
Hehehee, it's not that often guys are made to horror scream. I can get used to that.
YAY, sawed off shotgun appearance. <3
"You are one hell of a PA." And like a Hans Solo pimp, Dean goes, 'I know.' :D
the cellphone camera ghost hunting - SO COOL, Ben. I am impressed.
Huh. Sam tells Walter that they can't stop the ghosts from killing him, but he's giving Dean the "don't use the gun" hand sign. Capital punishment, hunter style?
face.jared.
Lol, @ Dean grabbing a burrito right after sex.
They don't drive off to a classic rock track, but you know what, I don't care, that corny music at the end was perfect!
It must suck to for the actress to sleep with Dean but not onscreen. Audition for Demon Chick next time, babe.

I liked this episode a lot - I laughed and laughed some more. I loved all the in-jokes and winkwinkwinkwinks, but afterwards I was scratching my head wondering what felt "off". I felt like I should have enjoyed Hollywood Babylon much more if something wasn't missing. Then it hit me: Sam.

Poor Sam, everyone he loves does end up dead, which means he never gets a chance to let his hair down (so to speak) and geek out over something, fanboy style. Besides supergluing and sarcasm, does the boy not take joy in anything in life? I'm sure he must, he's human, right? And I'm hoping the writers will give him a hobby or fetish or musical taste or something we can sink our teeth into. Seriously. Because here, his only function seems to be rolling his eyes at Dean and giving exposition. Even Scully was as equally invested into Hollywood A.D. as Mulder was (it was her idea to drag Mulder out of the apartment), when it was Mulder who was the big fan of that dead guy.

So that's it. I still love you, Ben Edlund, ya done good writin' everywhere else.

p.s. - I just swooned thinking about how Darin Morgan (crazy genius XF writer, for those who don't know) could have done this story. I MISS YOU, MAN. *clings*

New fanmix!

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:17:20 GMT

This mix is about the boys' lives on the road so far. And it's mainly about roaming, restlessness, and the constant movement of travel that underlies all their experiences, which is the kind of cruising sound I was going for in the song selections. It's essentially background driving music with the SPN plot in mind. :)

Sounds like: Think Almost Famous. With angst and guns.

All individual tracks are streamable as well as downloadable.

I'm rabidly visual with my tunes, ergo this bigass crop of pictures with which to better illustrate the lyrics...

Intro theme
1. "Saving Grace" by Tom Petty

Growing up
2. "Holiday Inn" by Elton John

Sam flies from the nest
3. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by The Animals (John POV)
4. "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" by The Animals (Sam POV)

Dean is bummed Sam's gone
5. "One" by Three Dog Night

John checks up on Sammy at college
6. "Toulouse Street" by the Doobie Brothers

Dean hunts solo
7. "Midnight Rambler" by The Rolling Stones

The boys are back in town
8. "I'm Going on a Long Journey Never to Return" by T Bone Burnett

Meg
9. "The Devil's Been Busy" by The Traveling Wilburys

Fighting monsters, looking for Dad
10. "Eminence Front" by The Who

Gearing up for the big showdown
11. "Run Like Hell" by Pink Floyd

Dad's death
12. "The Wind Cries Mary" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Dean gets pissed off
13. "Take It As It Comes" by The Doors

Dean tailspinning
14. "Dirt" by Iggy and the Stooges

Sam stays classy
15. "I've Been There, Too" by Ten Years After

"We are so screwed."
16. "Outlaw Man" by The Eagles

Good times with the bad
17. "Route 66 (Get Your Kicks On)" by The Cramps

End theme
18. "Night Moves" by Bog Seger and The Silver Bullet Band (It took a few listens to grow on me, but GUH...really good nostalgia song.)

Zip File with all songs: Here (via divshare)

(older mixes, fresh links)
p.s. - thanks to leggyslove for the screencaps.