Summer TV Preview Countdown #2

2) Psych


Oh James Roday. You're so cute. And swoon-worthy. And, of course, a complete fake. This fun series returns this summer, and I will be absolutely glued to my TV set. For one thing, Psych is not just the story of two best friends getting in and out of trouble. It's also a fast-paced journey back in time with numerous 80's references that only those of us born '85 and earlier will get.

Then there's the show's unique brand of humor and focus on friendship. All the characters have different relationships to each other and play those parts well. The young ingenue detective, Juliet just wants everyone to be happy and cheerful. She was a sorority sister, and probably also a cheerleader at one point. She's happy and sunny, and the only thing that brings her down is when her partner, Lassiter just doesn't want to be happy. Which is always.

The cast has fun doing each taping, and you can tell. The excitement is palpable. Shawn's twitchy over-acting for his part of the SBPD pet psychic is just right here. And after last season's fantastic Tuesday the 17th episode, I can't wait to find out what else the writing team has in store for us.

Upcoming Films: Prince of Persia

Ay, Me! It's been a whole month and it's just flown by. Life's been pretty busy and I've moved out to Sacramento for my job, for a little bit. Getting an internet connection has been a trial in and of itself, but relax, dear readers! Here I sit, able to communicate once again!

Recently, I was scrolling through an Upcoming Disney Films webpage (as I am often wont to do), and found ... "Oh my gosh, they're making a Prince of Persia movie!!! With Day After Tomorrow hottie Jake Gyllenhall as the prince!" To say that I'm intrigued and excited is a bit of an understatement.

So we'll add that to the list of awesome movies I simply MUST see. Everyone knows that summer is a great time for all the action block busters, and this summer has been no exception.

Indiana Jones was great, and having just seen Pixar's WALL-E, and priming myself to see Will Smith in Hancock, and yet another Benicio Del Toro take on Hell Boy, well, I have to say, this summer has not let me down. But it's of course never to soon to start prepping for next year and the list of upcoming films is a joy. Along with PoP, Disney is also working on it's first 2D film since 2004, The Princess and the Frog with a nicely rounded ethnically diverse cast. I miss the good old days of 2D Disney, so I'll be looking forward to that one. In the meantime, I'll have to wait for the next round of exciting releases.

Forbidden Kingdom, Redux!

So several things. I know it's been a bit of a while since I updated last. My main issue is that my job at the hospital, while not particularly exciting or helpful, is extremely exhausting and I often find myself collapsing into bed upon my arrival at home. With my energy so low, it's difficult to induce myself to get anything done at all!

But hey there, I have managed to enjoy myself a little. Today I headed out to see "Forbidden Kingdom" which I had earlier been raving about going to see. I can recommend it to you all now. Although there are some plot holes, it doesn't stop the movie from being enjoyable and Jackie Chan is downright lovable. The main character, played by Michael Angarano is uh... well, he's a hottie.

There. I've said it. I always loved him in Will&Grace as Jack's son, and he's definitely grown up. Although according to his profile on IMDB he's 20, he plays a fairly believable highschool student overwhelmed by a sudden bout of destiny.

(Quick note here: his profile places him in some of my favorite shows and movies, including Will&Grace, The Pretender, Sky High, Almost Famous... There's a training montage in Forbidden Kingdom where he's shirtless. It's awesome. My attempts to recreate the event for you all by scouring the internet have failed, however, and you're either just going to have to see the movie or use your imagination to get the full effect.)

The movie also nicely features a solid jibe at the disconnect between staged martial arts movies of the 60s and 70s and the actual process of learning the martial arts. Though, it's still highly romanticized here.

Really, there's a lot to recommend here, even though the plot is not particularly sophisticated. Here's a thought though; Jet Li has the dorkiest laugh ever, and I don't think anyone's ever really seen Jet Li laugh until this movie.

Go because: Jet Li laughing, Jackie Chan drunk, Michael Angarano shirtless, hair whips, pretty pretty special effects, gang retribution, sweeping landscapes.

Avoid if: You hate monkeys, you dislike montages, martial arts aren't your thing, you dislike the concept of someone getting their throat cut with their own sword.