Category: TV (Page 297 of 595)

Darker Than Black: Volume One

November 22, 2008 /

If “Heroes” was an animated series, it would probably be a lot like “Darker Than Black.” Both shows share a similar set-up (a mysterious phenomenon triggers the arrival of individuals with supernatural powers), and likely, the same audience. But while the live-action series has just recently experimented with its darker side, “Darker Than Black” is completely immersed in it from the start. You never really know who the good or the bad guy is throughout the first five episodes of the show, but you do know that Hei (nicknamed The Black Reaper) is the protagonist. Equipped with the ability to generate electricity, Hei works for a secret organization where his powers are used to carry out the dirty work of others, but when a special agent begins investigating his recent string of murders, both his friends and enemies begin to question his true intentions.

Darker Than Black 1

The introductory episodes don’t explain a whole lot, and the self-contained stories make it even more difficult to invest in the big picture (whatever it may be), but there’s something strangely alluring about “Darker Than Black” that extends a little farther than its cool concept and hyper-stylized action. Whatever the reason, you’d think that with so many different animes being released each year, a show like “Darker Than Black” would try a little harder to stand out from the pack. It’s not like it doesn’t have the tools to do so, but for some reason, the show seems content with keeping its audience in the dark; at least for now, anyway. Here’s hoping that changes, because if we don’t get answers soon, Funimation is going to have a heck of a time convincing viewers to stick around.

Click to buy “Darker Than Black: Volume One”

TV, TV Anime, TV DVD Quicktakes, TV DVDs

Kitchen Nightmares: Sante La Brea

November 21, 2008 /

Thankfully, Fox is running out of “Kitchen Nightmares” episodes it has in the can, so they showed one repeat and one new episode last night. The new one was Sante La Brea, a “health food” restaurant in Los Angeles. Like some of the food Gordon Ramsay tastes at these places, the episode was a bit bland. But here is our recap….

Restaurant: Sante La Brea
Location: Los Angeles, California
Owner: Dean
Other Characters: Dean’s Two Sons Arthur and Sammy; manager/host Mark; and chef Aurelio
The Problem: The food sucks. Isn’t that a recurring theme here? But not only that, the chef is lazy and set in his ways, the menu is unimaginative and not really healthy, and the manager has a sweating problem as well as a desire to pay more attention to decorating the place than running it. Oh, and there is rotting food in the walk-in fridge. Yuck.
How Ramsay Gets Through To Owner: He brings him to a hilltop in the Hollywood hills, and has Dean shout out as if he is yelling at Aurelio and Mark. Dean wants to turn his restaurant around, because it’s been going downhill over the last ten years.
The Solution: Ramsay shortens the menu and re-designs the stale-looking decor. He puts more emphasis on fresh, healthy cuisine options such as grilled halibut and a green salad topped with fresh, locally caught shrimp. Ramsay also goes and buys Mark some deodorant.
The Result: It takes a while, including a meltdown from Aurelio, who drives off and then changes his mind, apologizing to Ramsay but not to Dean. The re-launch is a huge success, as customers love the food and Ramsay has turned things around. But they give no update at the end of the show, so we don’t know if Aurelio wound up staying or if Dean stayed assertive enough with his employees to keep Sante La Brea afloat.

External TV, Kitchen Nightmares, Reality TV, TV

Picking Off the TV Power Rankings One by One

November 21, 2008 /

If you’ve checked out the latest edition of Bullz-Eye’s TV Power Rankings (and if you haven’t, you need to go check it out right now), then you’ve seen the love we’ve given to “Eli Stone” (at #16) as well as “Dirty Sexy Money” and “Pushing Daisies” (in our Honorable Mention section).

ABC has responded to our praise…by canceling all three series.

Well, okay, they didn’t officially cancel them. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network chose their words carefully and informed the producers of the trio of shows that no additional hours would be ordered at this time, and the series will remain on the schedule for next week. But that sure as hell doesn’t bode well for any of them to score a back nine.

With “Pushing Daises,” we can at least count on Bryan Fuller to finish the saga of his show in comic book form, and if there’s one good thing to come out of the demise of the Piemaker’s adventures, it’s that Fuller can make good on his declaration that he will return to “Heroes.” But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t sad about all three of these shows losing their fight for life.

External Entertainment, External TV, News, TV, TV Dramas

The Biggest Loser: Blue Team Blues

November 19, 2008 /

If you watch NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Families,” you know that Vicky is bitter and, as Ed said, will scratch someone’s eyeballs out in order to win. So when Amy went against her former blue team and voted Vicky’s husband Brady off last week, everyone in TV land rejoiced, except for Vicky and Heba and Ed, and Brady. Amy’s reasoning was that Brady was a big threat to her, because she was the biggest loser on campus so far and Brady was second. She also knew about the alliance between everyone in a blue shirt but her, and that when five went down to four, they would all vote Amy off. Makes sense to me.

But Vicky went on to call Amy a “backstabbing bitch” and posted a “REVENGE” sign on her dorm room door. Trainer Bob Harper was shocked about Amy’s choice, but he wanted to talk to her and see what her reasoning was. When Amy explained it, Bob understood and also told Amy she had a great shot at winning. But Bob also wanted his “blue” team (remember we’re in individual competition now, but blue still trains with Bob and black with Jillian Michaels) to get along. He also thought that the whole “revenge” thing with Vicky would bite her in the ass.

So before the first challenge, host Alison Sweeney shows up dressed in ’80’s gear Continue reading »

External TV, Reality TV, The Biggest Loser, TV

10 Vampire Films That Should Be Made In The Wake Of The Success of “Twilight”

November 19, 2008 /

“Twilight” is shaping up to be a full-fledged film phenomenon…and whenever there’s a phenomenon, you can count on Hollywood trying to reproduce it quickly and in sub-par fashion, so prepare for a huge glut of new vampire-themed movies in the very near future.

The good news in this case, however, is that there’s a lot of great source material out there already, so let’s hope at least a few of the suits have good taste when it comes to buying up the rights to adapt certain books to film form…but since we have a really bad feeling that they don’t, we figured we’d throw a few suggestions their way for vampire flicks we’d like to see made. And, yes, we know that our #1 pick isn’t a book, but it’s so far ahead of the pack when it comes to the must-make vampire movies that we put it there, anyway.

(P.S. The movie adaptation of Darren Shan’s “Cirque de Freak” is finished and due for release in February 2009, or else it’d be on this list for sure.)

10. “Bloodsucking Fiends,” by Christopher Moore. Not only is this a solid mixture of horror and humor, focusing on a hot young redhead who moves to San Francisco, is promptly bitten by a vampire, and has to learn to adapt to her new lifestyle, but it already has a sequel ready to roll. Better yet, it’s called “You Suck”!
9. “Fevre Dream,” by George R.R. Martin. Are you kidding? I’m a fan of pretty much anything written by the guy who created the “Wild Cards” series, but this novel about vampires on a steamboat has earned reviews which feature the phrase “Bram Stoker meets Mark Twain,” which is high praise by most people’s standards.
8. “Lost Souls,” by Poppy Z. Brite. Maybe it’s just because I enjoy pretty much any film revolving around a band, but I’d love to see the adventures of Lost Souls? make it to the big screen.
7. “Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire,” by P.N. Elrod. It’s set during the American Revolution, with Barrett on the side of the British. Surely the success of HBO’s “John Adams” has made history cool again, and what better way to make it even cooler than to add vampires to it?
6. “Riley Jensen, Guardian,” by Keri Arthur. A half-vampire, half-werewolf in Australia who works for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races. “Underworld” meets “Torchwood,” anyone? I’m sold already.
5. “Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter,” by Laurell K. Hamilton. It’s already got a huge fan base between the sixteen novels and various comic books, but for those who don’t know Ms. Baker, she can re-animate the dead, licensed vampire hunter/executioner, and she has a lot of sex. I’m simplifying, of course, but, hey, it got your attention, didn’t it?
4. “They Thirst,” by Robert R. McCammon. The dastardly Prince Vulkan, master of the vampires, is hell bent on taking over Los Angeles as part of his quest to transform the entire population of the planet into the undead. Their opposition? A police captain, a comedian, a reporter, a junior high school student, and a Catholic priest who’s a former heroin addict and has just been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
3. “Carrion Comfort,” by Dan Simmons. Actually, this is such an epic tale that it might warrant a full-fledged mini-series rather than just a film.
2. “Vampire Academy,” by Richelle Mead. Rose Hathaway is a half-vampire / half-human teenager who’s simultaneously finishing high school and training to fight evil vampires determined to destroy the Moroi vampire race, a.k.a. the good vampires. Bonus superhero-ish aspect: each Moroi can control an element, either fire, earth, water, air, or – on rare occasions – spirit.There are two other books in the saga, with a fourth set for release next year. Surely someone has already started work on a script, because it seems tailor-made for a film.
1. “Angel.” Come on, Joss, you and I both know that the time couldn’t be more right. The kids love the vampires, and although David Boreanaz is on his fourth season of “Bones” and has now officially escaped permanent typecasting, he ain’t getting any younger, so if he’s going to play the immortal undead, it’s time to make your move and make an “Angel” movie. In fact, while you’re at it, you might as well go ahead and make it a big ol’ epic that incorporates “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as well. We’re really excited about “Dollhouse,” Mr. Whedon, but, c’mon, it’s Fox. Your schedule will be free and clear within a few weeks of its premiere, so let’s go ahead and get this ball rolling right now.

Action Movies, Actors, External Entertainment, External Movies, Horror Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movies, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas, TV Sci-Fi

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