Do You Watch Revolution?

It’s been ages since I posted about a TV show on this blog, but I just had to add something new… Season 2 of Revolution is AMAZING. Really, the show has improved vastly since Season 1. If you started the show in Season 1 and gave up on it, I suggest you give it another try. They’ve made one big change to the show that I think accounts for the huge improvement…

Rockne S. O’Bannon has joined the ranks as a co-executive producer. If you’re not familiar with the name, Rockne is the genius behind the amazing series Farscape. He is also currently at the helm for SyFy’s Defiance. And since he joined Revolution, the show has improved by leaps and bounds. Now I’m on the edge of my seat and something in every episode surprises me.

What do you think? Have you noticed the show’s improvement since starting Season 2?

David Hasselhoff’s attempt to destroy Knight Rider

In honor of the recent Knight Rider movie:

Back in the 80s, David Hasselhoff was exceptionally cool. He was THE Michael Knight: action hero, KITT driver, and all-around hot guy. Then one day, he destroyed it all.

Is THIS how he thanks the awesome Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) for his fame? And what’s with the graphics of a US Flag and stars and stripes behind him while he’s dancing like a drunken Tickle Me Elmo? Throughout the video, I kept wishing that KITT would run over David.

But David didn’t stop there. He got on some heavy drugs and made another video:

David, David… Why didn’t you just let KITT rest in peace?

Knight Rider – New and Improved: Sweetest Movie of 2008

I just finished watching the new Knight Rider movie on NBC. I give this a 10 out of 10!

When I was little, I watched the original Knight Rider with David Hasshelhoff. Talk about a cool show! I loved KITT and really wanted one of my own. I put together a model KITT from scratch and owned a remote-control KITT that drove around and even had a red flashing light in front!

Yes, I was obsessed. 😉

So with that obsession in mind, I wasn’t sure if this would be good. I really hoped it wouldn’t be another one of those silly remakes with no substance (i.e. “Tin Man” on SciFi; “Flash Gordon” on SciFi; even “Bionic Woman” wasn’t so great…) Well, Knight Rider did not disappoint me!

The 2008 KITT is a special edition black Shelby Mustang, and boy is it a sweet ride. (Incidentally, one of my nieces is named after the Shelby Mustang! Her dad is a race car driver and a pilot. Talk about cool!) But back to the movie…

When the opening credits rolled with the familiar “Knight Rider” music that soon morphed into a 2008 modern track, I knew this was going to be a treat. The show paid homage to the original series on numerous occasions (which I won’t mention here so I don’t spoil you!) In fact, the movie was not a silly remake but, rather, a very believable sequel that followed the original series’ plots and characters very closely.

Throughout the two hours, I was treated to exciting views of KITT from all angles and all speeds. I really never got enough of that car! It could change color, had bullet-proof windows, used nanotechnology to fix itself, interacted with satellite technology and more, and still had the voice that talks back with that “unintentional” humor we all know and love.

The plot was really good. It’s basically a murder mystery combined with international espionage and lots of high-tech “wizardry.” The characters were also quite believable and not at all one-dimensional. For example, when the female lead asks Michael why he never called her back after a great summer together, his answer is quite typical of the average male: “I don’t know. Sorry.” Most shows would have the guy fall on his knees with some sob story and beg forgiveness. The Michael in this show acts like a regular human being (even if we don’t always like that!)

The show kept me entertained throughout, and there were several moments when I actually started clapping for the characters. (Of course, I always cheered for KITT.) 😉

I won’t spoil the ending, but there is a scene at the very end that you definitely don’t want to miss. Fans of the old series will be in for quite a cool surprise that will leave you grinning from ear to ear (not to mention another scene a bit before the ending that also includes a fun nod to the old series.)

All in all, Knight Rider was a really fun ride for scifi fans and car fans alike.

Here’s hoping they’ll turn this into a regular series!

Cloverfield Review: Too much clover, not enough field

It was a dark and stormy night. The cold rain beat against me as I raced across the parking lot, stumbling into masses of people, all hurrying to the same destination. I turned on my phone, checking to see if I had reception yet. Nothing. The roars grew louder. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. If I didn’t find somewhere to hide soon…

Oh, I’m sorry, did you need something? I was just enjoying a lighthearted memory of a horror-flick I recently saw: Godzilla. Or was it King Kong? No, no, it was far more recent than that. New York was under siege. Crazy creatures were attacking people in the night. No one could escape because everything was blowing up.

 Oh ya, I remember now!

 

What? That’s not the movie you were wanting to read about? Oh silly me. It’s so easy to get these shoot-em-up, big-monster-is-going-to-eat-us-all-and-no-one-will-ever-live movies mixed up.  At least I Am Legend had a cute dog. I’m a big fan of German Shepherds now. I think I’ll even be getting one for myself one of these days.

But you wanted to read about Cloverfield. So here we are, with a guest appearance by the Statue of Liberty:

Oh, oops! Wrong again. I must be suffering post-traumatic movie disorder. Let’s try that one more time:

Ok, that’s better. You know, come to think of it, why are movie producers always picking on Lady Liberty, anyway? And why do monster movies always take place in New York? Can’t anyone come up with something original, like Tokyo?

As a scifi fanatic, I had to see Cloverfield on opening night. So I dragged my friend Rachel with me, and we braved the wind, rain, and really long lines to see what all the hype was about. As we entered the theater, movie employees warned us that people were getting motion sickness from this flick. I just laughed off the warnings. I made it through Blair Witch. How could this be worse?

We sat down, and a cute guy decided to take the seat next to me. We chatted away, with him commenting about what a totally cool girl I am and what amazing taste in movies I have. Ya, I know, thank you, what can I say? I hear it all the time. 😉

As for the movie itself, sadly, I can only give it 3 out of a possible 5 “Star Trek communicators.” A grade of C. I love JJ Abrams. I’m a big fan of Lost. But this just didn’t hit home. It was packed full of every horror-flick cliche one can imagine. It employed the Blair Witch technique of filming with dizzying effect. I never thought I was prone to motion sickness before, but I got seriously queasy. I even contemplated pulling over on my drive home to puke in the pouring rain. I don’t know anyone in their 20s who films THAT badly. I know it was supposed to have a “home-spun” feel, but come on. If I tied a camera around my dog’s neck, the film would have turned out better than that. The effect was a great idea, but VERY overdone. If your audience is so busy trying to keep their lunch in their stomach that they can’t oooh and aaaah over your monster scenes, you’ve done something wrong. In fact, if you want to see the movie, I’ll help you out. Here it is: 

Yep, that’s basically every scene.  

But seriously, if you really want to see the movie, just watch the preview. It’s basically the same thing, just a shorter version. Sure, you’ll miss a few laughs and a love story… Yes, you heard me right. Abrams dropped in a completely inane love story that only served to move the characters from point A to point B. If I wanted romance, I would’ve gone to 27 Dresses. Come on Abrams!

(On a side note, my friend Rachel really liked the movie. Maybe I’m just a scifi snob.) 😉

One word of warning: this film is not for kids, so don’t even think about taking your 4-year-old Barbie fan. The glimpses of the monster were compelling, but anticlimactic. Why is imagination always better than the big screen?

I know Abrams was trying for a home run, but this time he only made it to second base. One suggestion to Abrams: Try creating a “Cloverfield world” on the web – one where we can delve into the mysteries, watch additional news clips, explanations of events from “Cloverfield scientists,” etc. That would be fun. (Disclaimer: If this already exists, please post the link in a comment!)

With all that said, save the movie for the dollar theater or a rental for a night at your house with your friends. But don’t serve popcorn or pretzels. Just leave a candy tray of Pepto-Bismol and airplane sick bags on the coffeetable. Your friends will thank you later.