Reviews

I just recently began watching "Twin Peaks" after hearing about it from a friend. I at first thought that it would be some sort of teen drama about high school, the type of show that I am not usually interested in. Upon viewing, I was pleasantly surprised by the plot and the characters in the show.

"Twin Peaks," as I now know, has events that are very puzzling and exciting. I feel that the show, overall, is high-caliber, original, and revolutionary. I believe it is these things because it is well-written and it doesn't try to be anything its not. David Lynch and Mark Frost and Harley Peyton and the entire writing team wrote what they wanted to and, for some odd reason, it works in the world of "Twin Peaks."

"Twin Peaks" is does an excellent job of transporting the viewer into another world of forests and small town hospitality. It's nice when a TV show is set in a place other than NYC or Los Angeles. The cinematography is beautiful and the music really grows on you. At first I thought: "Do they have another piece of music to play with their sentimental scenes?" But then I realized that the music is quirky and it seems to tie everyone together. Plus, I find myself humming the theme song when the show begins.

I like the show because everything is unexpected. To pull the viewer in, they use methods of clever dialog and subtle wit to develop characters and plot. I found myself watching "Twin Peaks" thinking: "Wasn't there a CSI episode like that?" and realizing that "Twin Peaks" came so many years before. I had no idea who killed Laura Palmer. I wasn't even going to venture a guess because I knew that the writers would shock and surprise me. Oh, boy, they sure did! I was sad when they solved the Laura Palmer case in the middle of Season 2. I wish that people had continued to watch after that, because I would've followed it.

Once the studio executives began to interfere, the show lost a little bit of magic. The plot lines were decidedly more mainstream, less quirky and bizarre. I wanted them to go back to the weird stuff: the Giant, the Man From Another Place, and BOB. But it was only when Lynch came back to write and direct the last two episodes that it felt like "Twin Peaks." I think a lot of people would agree with me here. However, I am not bashing the other talented writers for the show, only saying that an outline of main plots would have helped. I don't care about James Hurley and his tryst with Evelyn Marsh, or Ben Horne's slip into insanity with his Civil War reenactment (though that was kind of funny). I also didn't need the Little Nicky or Dick Tremayne scenes or the Lana Budding Milford scenes. I did love the Miss Twin Peaks, though! They needed to consolidate just a little bit and cut out the stuff that didn't progress the story.

On the other hand, the side plots helped the viewer to be completely unable to expect or predict what was going to happen.

After watching the final episode and letting it sink in, I will admit that I am going into withdrawals. I am an admirer of film and television and a writer, so I feel as if I slip into the worlds of these shows and movies only to find myself ripped out of it when it ends.

The finale of Season 2 of "Twin Peaks" was indeed interesting. I loved the Annie Blackburn character and I think that Heather Graham is very pretty. I liked that Cooper met someone that was innocent and kind and sheltered, much like himself.

Here is how I view some of the events of Episode 29:

• First, Agent Cooper is a man who, when he falls for someone, he falls hard. The sensation of being in love becomes overwhelming and it is like a drug to him. Unfortunately, his love for Annie (and Caroline, for that matter) makes him blind to the evils around him.

• Cooper gives up his body to BOB so that he can save Annie's life, proving his overall goodness. Also, Cooper is stuck in the Lodge for 25 years, and hopeful,at the end of those years (or maybe if BOB's spirit is discovered and expelled from Cooper) then he can be free again.

• BOB, at the final scene, is mocking Cooper's concern for Annie's welfare when he smashes his head against the mirror and says "How's Annie?"

I haven't established all of my opinions about this particular episode or about the series in general.

Overall, I LOVED "Twin Peaks," but here were things I wished could've been covered:

1.) I want a 3rd season, for crying out loud!!!

2.) Did Ben Horne die? Did the fall make him cold and manipulating again?

3.) Did Audrey, Pete, and Andrew live after the bank's explosion?

4.) Will Agent Cooper escape the Black Lodge?

5.) Is the White Lodge heaven? Why didn't they explore that further?

6.) Is Annie really Annie, or is she stuck in the Black Lodge, too?

I wish that they could reboot it with as many of the original actors as they possibly could! It's painful when a show as riveting as this one is lauded for it's originality then taken off the air simply because it gets TOO bizarre or ratings are low! David Lynch, Mark Frost, Kyle Maclaclan, the ENTIRE cast deserve the chance to have this story finished. Hopefully, maybe, there can be a resolution that will introduce the fabulous "Twin Peaks" to my generation, a generation that is being fed utterly cliché garbage.

In this film starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy as Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy, respectively, the premise is one that is sure to intrigue anyone who has ever read an Austen novel.

Basically, "Becoming Jane" explores Jane Austen's early love life and how she came to meet the dashing Tom Lefroy, a would-be lawyer with a love of partying and women. I wouldn't say he's a womanizer, in fact, his laid-back personality only gives him the illusion of being care-free. Truthfully, Tom is indebted to his uncle (a sour sort of fellow)and his entire family back in his hometown of Limerick, Ireland depends upon him for their welfare.

"Becoming Jane" has its flaws, yes, but the film has a few redeeming qualities that will undoubtedly give it a great following of fans. There are moments of great wit and subtly from the parts of Hathaway and McAvoy, and the film boasts some lovely cinematography, though it, on more than one occasion, seems to draw inspiration from Joe Wright's 2006 adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice." This is shown in the dance scenes as well as in some of the dialogue, which, to a lover of that film, seems to be in poor taste.

I had a few complaints with the film upon watching it twice:

1) Anne Hathaway didn't seem to embody the striking and headstrong persona that was Jane Austen. Her accent slipped at times and I felt like she was poorly-casted. However, she obviously tried and her delivery of lines was good. My BIGGEST complaint, however, about her was the pitch of her voice. At times she would while attempting a British accent, go far too high in her voice. She seemed to be squeaking at McAvoy half of the time. (I still love Anne Hathaway, though)

2) Some of the dialogue was obviously placed in for humor and sounded cheesy and corny. Also, the mock-Austen dialogue where they tried to embody the way of speaking in Austen's books only works when McAvoy speaks.

Which brings me to the HIGHLIGHT of this film: JAMES MCAVOY! Oh, my goodness, he is excellent in this movie. He portrays the part of conflicted Tom Lefroy with such conviction and you cannot take your eyes of his character. He steals every scene; I am not kidding! I have written about another one of McAvoy's films and that review shares many of the same sentiments, but I promise you that I am not an addicted fan-girl, rather an appreciator of film and of good acting. Anyways, McAvoy brings dimension to a character who, played by anyone else, would have been flat and static. You really feel as if Lefroy loves Jane and his eyes burn with passion and regret in the later scenes.

On the whole, "Becoming Jane" is an average film with a heart-felt ending and a few excellent characters. It is a great showcase of McAvoy's talents as well as a vehicle for a new generation to become familiar with the always lovely Jane Austen.

I, unfortunately, am one of those people who did not catch this hilarious gem of a show when it was on air (2003-2006.) However, my sister introduced the show to me when she was beginning to watch it with her boyfriend. She thought that I would "enjoy it." Well, she was VERY right! So, I went online to Hulu.com/arrested-development and began to watch. Instantly I was intrigued. Here was something that was not overly dependent on sexual innuendo to get a bunch of laughs. This was comedy; this was witty. The family dynamic of the show is what makes you love each character.

But believe me, there were some characters I just did not like (Ann, namely). So, I kept burning through each episode, hungry for more, wanting to know more about these mysteriously hilarious Bluths.

However, I would mainly like to comment on the finale: Development Arrested. Overall, I enjoyed this episode, but I was sad because I knew it was ending. The twists were funny, but sometimes became crude, especially the fact that Lindsay wants to marry her own brother at the end (even though we find out that Lindsay is adopted). The whole G.O.B./Ann angle was a bit disturbing too, but I did enjoy seeing George-Michael punch his uncle.

I must say that my favorite characters are Michael and George Michael, and Maeby. Plus, I liked the George-Michael/Maeby pairing, even though it was wrong because they are cousins. They just had such an awkward chemistry. And I love Michael because he is so level-headed and he is a great guy all around. Plus, his inability to date without seeming silly is hilarious, though I didn't really care for Rita in the earlier episodes of season 3.

Development Arrested packs a punch, even though it's not as funny as earlier episodes. I love the Bluths and the Funkes and I must agree with everyone else and say that this show certainly broke boundaries in comedic sitcoms. I just wish I could have enjoyed it on television and that the series had not been canceled.

However, I am greatly looking forward to the 2009 film version of Arrested Development. I'm hoping it will pick up a few years after the series ended. Of course, I will continue to watch the shows and will perhaps inquire about the DVDs. Meanwhile, I know where I can go to watch online to get my AD fix.

I just love this show and all the characters and I hope that they are all back for the movie! And now, I will leave you with an AD quote: "There's always money in the banana stand!"

*Edit* Did no one else notice the hilarious joke in the beginning of the episode in the office where an employee is injured and he's wearing nothing but a long button-up shirt, socks, and sunglasses? It's a parody of that Tom Cruise movie "Risky Business." I LOVE IT!

Okay, yes, I'm rather young, but I still remember this movie quite well. When you are little, this movie is SO cute! I remember getting this film for Christmas on VHS and loving it. I still sit down and watch it around Christmas-time whenever my 6-year-old niece comes to visit.

But I don't believe that it should be compared to the 1964 original Rudolph Rankin/Bass Special. There are some things that I like about this movie that I think make it cute, not great, but cute. It's not like it's supposed to be Academy Award material.

I really enjoyed:

-Santa: Santa is so friendly! He has that red scarf...and he sings a happy song while Rudolph hides in the snow. He roots for our red-nosed friend just like we do!

-Slyly: I don't know,he's cheesy and silly, but hey! Live a little!

-The Rudolph/Zoey Romance: To a little girl, the whole mistletoe scene is SO romantic and cute. It makes me blush... Then there's all the songs!

-The Reindeer Games: They are a lot more elaborate. And the reindeer sit like regular people! (I think, I haven't watched this movie in a while...)

Overall,I give this movie a 6/10 because I grew up with it during the holiday season, along with the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to town, etc.

I don't really watch any show every week in a row, but CSI:NY is one that I think is interesting and funny while dealing with serious subject matter. I particularly enjoy when they lead a little bit into the personal lives of the CSIs. However, most of the time, the teasers for the episodes are cliché and typical. So, I usually don't expect much unless the teaser gets me hooked.

I'll admit, it was a cheap trick for the teaser to have Lindsay say "I'm pregnant," because the episode, to me, was much deeper than that. Basically, I was waiting through every commercial break to see what was going to happen with Lindsay Monroe and Danny Messer. It showed the internal struggle of Danny's character, how this entire ordeal sent him into a whirlpool of emotions.

The camera deliberately panned to show him expressing his anxiety. For example, he cups his hands a lot. Danny also stares at a picture of the growing baby in various areas of the episode. This was a very beautiful way to convey such emotion, in my opinion.

Overall, the murder subplot wasn't as strong as it could've been, and I still can't figure out how a baby could've lived after being cut messily from its dead mother's stomach. I was thoroughly creeped out. Plus, the baby did not look like it was only a few weeks old, which also bothered me. Ah, technicalities, technicalities! One thing I did like was that Anna Belknap, who plays Lindsay, is visibly pregnant. It was a nice change from those stick thin girls who say their pregnant and then all you can do is assume that the baby is the size of a peanut...

Anyway, at the end of the episode, Danny is riding on his motorcycle (which was a really cool shot, plus the music in the background was amazing for the scene). You can see how troubled he is in his expression. Will he assume responsibility for his unborn child? If so, will he be a good father? The viewer can tell that these things are running through his mind.

To me, the defining parts of the episode are that he actually cares about Lindsay, shown by his concern for what is going on with her, why she won't talk to him, why she's at the doctor, etc.

But, my absolute favorite part of the episode was the very end. You see that Danny is unloading his anxiety and nervousness on the parents of the victim while they are waiting for Child Services. The mother asks him:"What happens now?" (or something like that) and Danny answers "I don't know." (What a great actor!) Then Stella, Lindsay, and Flack (or either it was Adam, I wasn't paying attention) show up with the baby in tote. Lindsay hands them the baby, then the parents, knowing who she is now that Danny has told them all about her, wish her and Danny luck. Lindsay looks a little dumbstruck, like "What's going on?" You see the grandparents cuddling the baby, then Danny and Lindsay stand next to one another. Their hands are by their sides; the camera focuses on their hands, so ready to touch, to say "Everything is going to be okay." You can tell that they just want to hold each others hand. It was such a sweet, genuine, heartfelt shot.

Then the credits roll. And I'm left feeling "Wow." Because I know that Danny cares.

It was the deepest, most meaningful episode I've watched yet.