10 years ago today...first drafted 2012,updated 2015

I was in NYC attending a live taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...

Jon Stewart or J-Stew as his friends call him  well what is there to say? I became a fan of Jon's during his 90s short lived MTV talk show called...The Jon Stewart Show.

In 1999 he became host of The Daily Show. I had just started college and was a long way from home and needed some cheering up. A year later the nation knew who to turn to at our time of crisis, thus Indicision 2000 was born. Since then the show helped us get through a lot, including the most stressful times of our modern history known as The Bush Years. We laughed, we cried, there were many bad inpressions. I personally don't think I would have made it through without him.

Throughout his career Jon also made a couple of movies. Now he is the first to tell you he is not an "actor" BUT I do have to admit every time he stands up in Big Daddy and says "As that boys father I refuse to press charges!" I cry a little.

Jon Stewart from all of your fans--Thank you life would suck without you! 

Tonight as we learn he is leaving The Daily Show all I have to add is late night TV is changing and he will be missed I am sure I will still watch the show but it will not be the same.
Good Luck Jon Stewart and I look forward to your next adventure.

AL:VH Book report/Film review

The life of President Abraham Lincoln and the “myth” of Vampires, these are a few of my favorite things. So when I saw the movie trailer for Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter a feeling of pure happiness came over me.

As soon as I could I got my hands on a copy of the book (thanks for the b-day present sis) and for the next two weeks threw myself into the story (A short amount of time for me considering I’m more the I’ll wait for the movie then reading a 300 page book type, but this was a special case).

Special because historical fiction is my favorite genre in the section of any bookstore and while you will find this particular one in the fantasy/horror section as an amateur historian and if given the chance I would use this as a teaching tool for the short attention span of the vampire loving teens of today.

The book and screenplay written by Seth Graham-Smith tells a tale or should I say The Untold Story of Abe Lincoln and his lifelong mission to “kill every vampire”. I didn’t think I could love our 16^th President more then I already did until I read this book. Half Abraham Lincoln biography, Half scary campfire story it all begins with Abe as a young boy who is devastated by the death of his beloved mother. Eventually he learns the truth of how she died and thinks of nothing but revenge! At the start of his mission a teenage Abe comes across Henry Sturgess, a vampire who is on his own mission to stop his kind from killing all humans who want to make America their own country. Henry goes on to teach Lincoln how to hunt and kill the undead without getting killed himself “Some people are just too interesting to die” ( I have to add he looks good doing so dress with hat and long coat). The author takes on many events in Lincolns life from childhood to store clerk (love life) to lawyer then politics (Springfield legislative to Lincoln/Douglas debates) to his Presidency and the Civil War (Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg) and finally his assassination by John Wilkes Booth. All the facts intertwine with vampire lore(old and new) and fiction. At first it might seem like an odd concept, Lincoln hunting Vamps (though I never did) but once it sinks in and you read the book cover to cover as it is told from the prospective of the author and Lincoln,through his “journals” the story is pure genus! Hay, who’s to say it never happened?!

Even though the film directed by Timur Bekmambetoy, takes out some of the history it is still smart and a lot of fun! There are a couple of different characters and new scenes not in the book but I believe it’s just Seth Graham-Smith turning his story into an action packed graphic novel! After all you have to give the viewer something thrilling to look at (in 3D) and it certainly does that! From the look of the 19^th century to the clothes and even jewelry worn by Mary Todd, to a battle between man and vampire amongst a stampede of horses and the Civil War itself to a major train ride! Benjamin Walker as Lincoln, Dominic Cooper as Henry, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd , Jimmie Simpson as Joshua Speed, Anthony Mackie as Will and Rufus Sewell as Adam make this a popcorn must see thrill ride(more then once if possible)

In the end if you can see ONLY ONE superhero movie this summer MAKE IT    

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER    

Summer TV-TNT

Another network that uses the summertime to air new episodes is TNT here are my picks...

Last season was the highly anticipated series produced by Steven Spielberg called Falling Skies. This series follows a ex-history professor and his three sons as the fight in the aftermath of a world wide alien attack. I have to say this show had me when I learned that Noah Wyle was going to play this lead. As a said Tom Mason was just a ordinary teacher, married and raising three sons when the aliens came. Afterwards his wife is dead, his middle son is missing and he finds himself as one of the leaders of the newly formed 2ed Mass. A small band of military and civilians working together to survive! In season one we met each of the characters and learned who they were before the attack and why they have joined the fight. When last we saw the gang Tom was boarding the alien ship to try and talk to them this past Sunday Falling Shies has returned right where it left off. It was my new favorite last season and a look forward to what happens this time around. They weren't kidding when they said there would be a lot more aliens this time around. We see them every week!

On Tuesday night you can watch two good TNT series-The cop procedural/female buddy show called Rizzoli & Isles. Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) is a police detective her friend Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) is a state medical examiner. Together with Rizzolis's partners the two solve crimes in Boston. Rizzoli also has her younger brother on the police force and her newly divorce mother working in the cafeteria.

Following them at 10 is a show starring Breckin Meyer and Mark Paul Gosselaar as the title characters called Franklin and Bash. Cute, well done fun series about a couple a lawyers who don't play by the rules when it comes to courtroom conduct but now that they are partners in a major law firm they have to keep their sennaagins to themselves. Malcolm McDowell stars as their boss.

OK I didn't want to but as a TV fan and kid of the 1980s I had to check out the new "season" of Dallas. I really didn't want to watch or even like it because it wasn't good 30 years ago, popular maybe but I've seen some reruns and it wasn't worth watching but I took a look at it because I believe it is as much a part of me as my brown eyes and is in my DNA so  I tuned in. I guess the story picks up where it left off but this time instead of J.R. (Larry Hagman) and Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) fighting it out they got their now 20 something kids involved, John Ross (Josh Henderson) against Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe). Fighting for gets South Fork Ranch and who gets the oil rights  I have to admit as much as I don't want to like Dallas iI have to tune in each week (Wednesday at 9) if for no other reason then see if the fighting ever ends.

A TV Letter...

Dear The Killing,

Now that you have finished your second season and finally given viewers the answer to "Who killed Rosie Lawsen?" I have to tell you something--The only reason I even watched you was more out of obligation then want. From the first commercial you had us wondering who shot this teen girl but by the end of the first season you gave us nothing, no ideas or closure to the case.
That was just the beginning for me, the story of The Killing wasn't as bad as the character development. Out of the entire cast there was only one character I liked and routed for The Mayoral Canidate, Darren Richmond played by Billy Campbell and the main suspect until he too got shot! The rest from the police to Rosie's family were just unlikeable. Yes a good mystery has a lot of suspects and twists and turns but all the finger pointing at the wrong people, like Rosie's teacher in season one then having Stan beat him up made me ill. The end of season two was even unsatisfying because while we got to learn the truth and the killer/s I didn't care or even know who a couple of them were because of my lack of interest. To sum up if there is a season three unless Mayor Richmond gets a better role I will not be watching.

Sincerely,
Sarah

The summer season part 2-USA Network

Another show that comes around every time this short season is the "endless summer" series called Royal Pains. The series centers around two brothers, Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) a big time doctor who got fired from his hospital in the first episode. To cheer him up his younger brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) talks him into a trip to The Hampton's and they never left. Instead the two set up a concierge doctor business in which they make house calls to the sick and rich. They do have some help in this with their P.A. Divya (Reshma Shetty) and another doctor, Jill (Jill Flint) who until this season worked at the clinic. At the end of last season and continuing now the brothers are fighting and have decided to go their own ways when it comes to the business. Tune in Wednesdays at 9:00.

The other USA TV series that has been on for a few seasons and sometimes returns in the fall or winter is Burn Notice. A series about a CIA agent named Michael Weston played by Jeffery Donovan, who got "burned" which means he no longer could work for the CIA or any one really so he got together with an ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), recently back together, a spy herself and bomb/explosion expert, another friend an ex-Navy Seal Sam Axe (The magnificent Bruce Campbell who I have loved since he was Brisco County Jr.) aka Chuck Finley, his mother Maddie (Sharon Gless) and another burned agent, Jesse (Coby Bell). All together they make up a  team that, well let's just say help those in need all over Miami. Michael's voice overs on how to make a bomb,break into a highly protective secret building or how to control a car chase just may be the best reason to watch. Burn Notice, created by Matt Nix, is an fun, funny and action packed series and should be something to jump into on those hot summer Thursday nights at 9:00.

New last season and returning this season also on Wednesday at 10:00 is a series called Necessary Roughness. Dani Santino (Callie Thorne) is a stay at home mother until her husband leaves her and now she has two kids to raise and no job.  She decides to become a therapist and is able to get a job with a professional football team. Her first patient is the teams' star player Terrance T.K. King (Mehcad Brooks) when he is forced to see her for his anger issues. From there she is able to get a few more patients and works with a new one each week while raising her son and daughter and working with the teams athletic trainer Matthew Donnally (Mark Blucas) and the teams head of security Nico Careles (Scott Cohen). new this season the owner who has fired his manager and has taken over as GM.

Another series that was new last year and back on Thursday night at 10:00 is a new favorite of mine, Suits. Starring Gabriel Macht as Harvey Spector and Patrick J. Adams as Mike Ross. Harvey is a Lawyer at a big time law firm and in the first episode was in charge of hiring a new Harvard Grad. instead he got Mike who never went to college let alone law school. What he does have is a crazy memory in which all he has to do is read something, like a law book and once he understands it has it memorized (kind of like my knowledge of Film and TV, if either is a Jeopardy category there is no beating me, more on that some other time) Harvey likes Mike right away and hires him without the legal documents, irony anyone? The show also stars Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt a Junior partner who is really annoying and is not friends with Harvey. Then there is Jessica Pearson played by Gina Torres, she is Harveys' boss and a senior partner who in this seasons opening episode has found out mike isn't a real lawyer. Suits is only in its second season so if this sounds like something that you want to check out please do you won't regret it.

Covert Affairs has return this summer with a BANG! Right of the bat we have killed a character that has been part of the show since the beginning, although he never had much of a role. Anywaythe series about a female spy and the CIA. It is fast paced and full of action. The characters get to go around the world to catch the guy or girl and try to return un-hurt. The best part of the show is computer tech Auggie Anderson played by Christopher Gorham who became blind while serving in Afghanistan and is the lead agents Annie Walker's (Piper Perabo) go to guy when she finds herself in trouble. Check it out Tues at 10.

Finally on USA we have a great and one of my favorites series each time it airs called White Collar. When this show premiered I originally missed it because well I thought it sounded like a been there done that plot, but while the network was airing the first four episodes back to back one weekend I had nothing better to do so I gave it a try and had to eat my words. (proving that I don't ALWAYS get it right) but I am happy this time I did. If you haven't watched then where have you been?!  Th series stars Tim DeKay as Peter Blake the only FBI agent who has ever caught Neal Caffrey, the best con-artist in the world played by Matt Bomer.  Peter got Neal out of prison early to team up with him to help the FBI catch other con artist such as art thief and bank heist. They have become a true bromance and are a lot of fun to watch. The writers did surprise  me and still do with every new season as the two along with help from fellow agents Clinton Jones and Diana Berrigan (Sharif Atkins and Marsha Tomason), Peter's wife Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) and Neal's friend Mozzie (Willie Garson). An all around good show to watch every Tues at 9.

The Summer TV Season

You' already know  about the 4 seasons of the year (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall) but did you know that there are also three TV seasons within a year? There is the fall/original season (September-May) the Mid-Season (January-May) and the Summer Season (June-Labor day). That is the one we are in NOW.
  I cannot discuss this particular season unless I start with the quincintencial series of the summer with a little series called True Blood which started its 5th season this past Sunday on HBO. Vampires, Werewolves, Shape shifters, Fairies and Witches ,hell you name it they have it! If you haven't seen it where have you been?! The premise and characters are too complex at this point to go into details so I will just give you the main points-The center character is Sookie Stackhouse who can hear others, that are living, thoughts and shoot what can only be described as electricity through her body when she gets upset, later in the series she discovered she is a type of fairy. Through the seasons Sookie has had this on again off again relationship with a vampire named Bill Compton who has made it his person mission to protect her from his world and other vamps like Eric Northman and his protiage Pam. Sookie also has a brother named Jason who is now a cop but has had he share of supernatural run-ins. Then there is her best friend Tara, those who she works with Lafayette, Terry, Arlene and her boss owner of the best bar and grill in Bon Temps Sam Merlotte who is my favorite and as a shape shifter can change himself into any animal he wants his dog look is the most frequent. I can't forget the werewolf Alcide and Bill's young own protiage who is finally coming into her own, Jessica. As I said this is the 5th season premiere and a lot has happen in the past 4, far too much to explain here but if you haven't yet it is really worth catching up on and watch.

A movie review-The Ides of March

You have two handsome actors and two great character actors, how could you lose?

The Ides of March starts with the line 

"I'm not a Christian. I'm not an Atheist. I'm not Jewish. I'm not Muslim. My religion, what I believe in is called the Constitution of United States of America."

and is a suspenseful and intriguing drama about the inside workings of a primary campaign. The film was nominated for best adapted screenplay which included co-writer George Clooney who also directs and stars as a Governor running to be the democrats choice for president. He plays Mike Morris and in order to win he has surrounded himself with Junior Campaign

 manager Stephen Meyers played by Ryan Gosling and heading up his campaign is Paul Zara played by the cool talent of Philip Seymour Hoffman who unlike Stephen has been working on campaigns most of his adult life. They both work on and live with one goal in mind-To Get Morris Elected.

The job becomes a lot more complex and dangerous then Stephen thought. First there is the competition, whose campaign is being run by another tough as nails manager Tom Duffy played by the genus that is Paul Giamatti. At one point in the film he meets with Stephen who goes on to ask him to drop Morris, who he says is going to loose and to join his team. Stephen leaves the meeting unsure about what to do. Later he is comfronted about what was said during his talk with Duffy by a reporter (Marisa Tormei) who has been following the Morris campaign. If that wasn’t enough to deal with Stephen then meets and starts up a sexual relationship with a young female intern (Evan Rachel Wood)  who has secrets of her own. Finally there is another secret meeting between Stephen and a Democratic Senator named Franklin Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) in order to get him on Morris’s side.

Stephen’s world begins to fall apart and how he copes with everything is the real story of the film. If any of this makes you want to know what happens next then I have done my job and you should rent or tune into the Starz cable network and watch The Ides of March.

Spoiler line from the film-

Stephen-You can lie, you can cheat, you can start a war, you can bankrupt the country, but you can't fuck the interns. They get you for that.