While some of the movies being released this fall are aimed at a more "serious" audience, many folks do tend to tune out anything that doesn't offer a sweet escape from reality right away.
That's doesn't mean you should feel bad about seeing a film strictly for fun but a fact based movie,whether it's a documentary or simply a "based on the true story" feature,can be just as inviting and intriguing to enjoy.
One documentary is certainly getting a lot of promotional love from critics and the media these days,due to it's theme of our troubled educational system. Waiting for "Superman" goes over the vast inequalities of public education and focuses on families trying to get their kids into a better situation as well as educators in the field working on solutions.
Even if you no longer have children of school age,this is a concern for all of us as education helps to create the present and future society in which we all share:
For those who think that cooking competitions are all hot oven hype,the dead seriousness of the 16 chefs who spend three days of baking,sculpting and strenuous sugar art in order to win the top prize of Master Craftsman in France as depicted in Kings of Pastry may change your culinary outlook there.
This isn't about personality clashes or game playing for the cameras;the real drama is in each piece of pastry that doesn't measure up in taste or a collapsing sweet sculpture which could cost someone the chance to showcase their skills as one of the best in their field and in the world:
For a fictional take on the facts,let's start with Howl,starring James Franco as controversial beat poet Allen Ginsberg as his most infamous work is being tried in court as part of an obscenity case against indie book store owner and publisher Lawrence Ferlingetti in 1957.
The movie blends pieces of Ginberg's life and times in New York as he begins his literary career,along with the trial and an animated depiction of the title poem.
I'm not into the whole beat generation thing myself but this flick looks like a good introduction to that scene and an unique way to get a handle on what it was all about:
Last but certainly not least,animal lovers and sports fans alike can get together to watch Secretariat,with Diane Lane as owner Penny Chenery ,who along with eccentric trainer Lucien Laurin(John Malkovich), reared the legendary race horse that won the American Triple Crown back in 1973.
That horse was the first to do so in twenty five years,amidst several odds including bias against women in horse racing circles,the financial woes of the stables that Penny took over from her ailing father and the sheer boldness in attempting to have one horse win all three races.
Yes,this is a Disney movie so the tone is your typical triumph over adversary but isn't that a good vibe to tune into every once in a while?:
Whether partaking of one of these movies or any other nonfiction flick,be sure not to assume that all of the facts are fully featured on film. Even a documentary feature can have their material shaped to suit the filmmaker's agenda and while it's a nice start to learning more about a certain subject,scoping out the sources on your own is a smart idea(also,don't be too quick to believe everything you find on Wikipedia either,folks):
Tomorrow is the start of Banned Books Week(September 25-October 2),the literary community's annual look at how the freedom to read has been and still is under siege. Freedom of thought is one of our most valued rights and part of that deal includes allowing people of all ages to choose their reading material without fear of reprisal.
Freedom of expression is another cherished right and as Peter Parker's Uncle Ben once wisely said,"With great power comes great responsibility." Normally,I don't get political on this blog(there are more than enough places online for folks to have those discussions)but for Banned Books Week this year,it's necessary for me to address the red hot elephant in the room.
Yes,we have to talk about book burning,that ugly sizzler of a subject,which made the news over the end of summer. While not getting into the whole ongoing debate that spurred a certain person to call for a nationwide bonfire of a well known religious text,it's safe to say that destroying anyone's spiritual writings is wrong for whatever reason.
Of all the ways in which to suppress reading that there are,book burning is the ultimate attack upon not only lovers of literature but authors and ideas themselves. It's a horrific notion that is scarier to bibliophiles that any imaged monster or evil curse could ever hope to achieve:
In order to make something less frightening,it's good to take it apart and see what really makes this terror run. To begin with,why fire? You could just as easily destroy books with water or scissors(not trying to give some misguided soul out there any ideas,I swear!) or any other method that allows for a major public display of force there.
Fire,as well demonstrated in the classic Ray Bradbury novel Fahrenheit 451, has strong symbolic meaning along with it's capacity to render objects into ashes. It represents positive as well as negative influences upon humanity and in the right hands,can be a source of progress and protection for those seeking a better way of life:
A key element that gives book burning any solid ground to stand on is mob mentality. Many of us would prefer to believe that we are not so easily persuadable as to be swept up into group based hatred but even the best of us can fall sway to fears from peers.
This mindset has been used by both those wanting to do the right thing for all as well as those only concerned with gaining power and delighting in chaos. Beware the urge to follow in lockstep,regardless of what the theme may be,because such social movements have not only lead to the burning of books but of people,too:
Part of the fear that drives people to book burning is of change;from the world around them to their companions in life.
Seeking to be educated is a time honored path towards finding personal happiness but some of the major obstacles along the way are those who want everyone in their social sphere to stay in their place and go no further than their own backyard.
Trying to keep someone planted firmly on your level is actually a sign of insecurity rather than pride in your origins as many will maintain as a defense for such emotional sabotage. Direct and indirect opposition like this can quickly backfire,however,adding more fuel to the fire driving that special someone in life farther away from you than any book can:
As we celebrate our freedom to read,let us hope that book burning becomes one of those bits of history that we are no longer doomed to repeat. It's hard enough for local libraries to get the proper funding they need these days without having to worry about their collections going up in smoke.
The written word is each generation's lasting legacy to the next and it would be a sin and a shame to render such rich treasures into trash. Keep the fires burning in your heart instead of on the book shelves:
For the second Quickfire challenge on Top Chef:Just Desserts,the chefs were tasked to make a sweet treat using penny candy,which sounds like an ideal concept there.
Danielle went back to her childhood and made a grown up version of "worms in dirt" with a chocolate mousse and lemon gummy candy,plus malted milk balls and lemon soda on the side. That savvy sugar rush gave her the win and immunity,but her victory was quickly overshadowed in the aftermath of Seth's hysterics.
Seems that Seth's sorbet wasn't ready in time and wound up being served in melted form. He was planning his whole dish around sweets that his mom(who has some health problems)likes and when it didn't fully work out,Seth broke down before and during the judging. Guest judge Elizabeth Falkner even went over to comfort him at one point but he was pretty desolate over that dud of a dessert:
That could've blown over quickly but for the Elimination Challenge,everyone had to make a dessert based on a cocktail and pick their ingredients from behind the bar at Tar Pit restaurant(where the sweets would be served).
Seth freaked out over not finding pink grapefruit and wound up yelling at his fellow contenders,most of whom were just trying to encourage him to find something else to use. This guy is just making enemies all over the place and it's only the second episode,geez!
As to the challenge,Eric made it to the winner's circle for his pineapple upside down cake with bourbon,along with Yigit for his panna cotta with basil ice cream.
The big winner,however,was Ericka for her margarita "bomb"-a creamy creation with tequila mousse,lime cookie and creme brule with Grand Marnier.
Erika was particularly clever in her presentation of the dish,realizing that her fully rounded bombs were one short for service,so she sliced them in half in order to have enough for all.
In the Bottom Three was Seth for a blueberry gimlet cake that resembled edible clay,in my opinion,and Malika for her blood orange and blackberry mojito cake. It was way too sugary,which may have been due to yet another timing issue for her.
The one sent packing this time was Tim,for a basil pudding with orange and lime granita. The dish turned unappealing rather fast,becoming what most of the judges called "scrambled egg soup." Tim thought that might have been due to the brief brule on top of the pudding. Regardless,that pudding made tapioca look sexy in comparison.
Next week,a wedding cake must be made and hopefully,Seth will not be alone in his freak outs for this one.
In addition to the regular batch of blood drinkers and witches on The Vampire Diaries,another supernatural menace will be making their presence known in Mystic Falls this week. Yes,it's werewolf time and our local pack will be made up of troubled Tyler Lockwood and his mysterious Uncle Mason,for now anyway.
One of the things that I really like about this show is that they don't leave the audience hanging for too long when it comes to introducing new plot points. Hopefully,the werewolf transformation scenes will come across much better than in previous prime time lupine outings(I adored Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but in wolf form,the guy looked like a were version of a Planet of the Apes resident).
Also,I hope that the whole "werewolf bite is lethal to vampires" bit isn't a cheap way to wipe out newly vamped Caroline and cheat us out of a major mother-daughter confrontation moment to come:
Speaking of daughters, Don Draper's little girl Sally unexpectedly showed up at his work on Mad Men this past Sunday. Sally is starting to grow up fast,which is displeasing her emotional freak of a mother(I don't care what time period it is,threatening to cut off your preteen's fingers if she dares to pleasure herself ever is beyond mental,folks),so she ran to her father to see if he would take her in.
Unfortunately for Sally,her dad is barely able to keep himself together let alone one of his kids(I suspect that if it was one of his sons,Don might seriously consider the notion of single parenthood for awhile there).
Between the divorce and having to see a psychiatrist before she hits the main level of adolescence,Sally is truly caught in middle with neither the rock or the hard place willing to take the lead in guiding her to emotionally safe waters.
Don's attempts to use new love interest Faye as a lifeguard here was another poor choice. The only one who seems to get a clue about what Sally's feeling is receptionist Megan,a very sympathetic soul that might make for a good stepmother in Sally's future-stranger things have happened!:
RANDOM NOTES:
THE AMAZING RACE: Season 17 is set to launch this weekend,with quite a wild early challenge on deck. It involves aiming a slingshot and watermelons at suits of armor in a field,with one of the racers getting some serious blow-back right in her face. Granted,some of the people who enter this competition whine too much about the hardness of the tasks but you really have to give this poor gal a major pass in that department here:
Over this past weekend,I got the chance to watch a classic musical that I've heard about for years but never saw before,Gigi. It's a rather charming film,especially when you consider the main point of the plot is about an older man falling in love with the young girl intended to be his mistress.
The tone of the whole piece is delightfully sweet,with deft touches of cynical social satire mixed in to off set any candy coated gloss clinging to the characters.
One of the best numbers was a duet between Gigi's grandmother(Hermione Gingold)and the uncle of her intended suitor(Maurice Chevailer),who were once lovers back in their youth and fondly recall their last days of courtship(one of them being more accurate with the details than the other):
The bittersweet beauty of that duet got me to thinking about what other love songs dealt with romance amongst the older set,in all of it's forms. After all,romance is not exclusively meant for young people only,folks. Whether it's the fondness of a couple wedded for years or simply seeing each other on the side,a duet between longtime partners in love can hold a lot of resonance and well honed harmony.
Memories of a former love also count,which is why our look at longtime lovers begins with this bit from Xanadu. "Whenever You're Away From Me" was one of the last hurrahs for Gene Kelly on film,teaming his aging entertainer character Danny McGuire with the ghostly muse of his once true love(Olivia Newton-John,who keeps up pretty well with such a pro on the dance floor).
This melodic memory piece is a real highlight that every Xanadu fan cherishes as much as they do the eighties:
Amidst all of the hair hopping teen hijinks in the musical version of Hairspray was a small subplot regarding the grown-ups that made for a perfect excuse for Christopher Walken and John Travolta to do a dance of love together.
"You're Timeless" was a way for devoted husband Wilbur to reassure his plus size wife Edna that she was still and always would be the apple of his eye(after she caught him in what looked like a compromising position with another woman).
Edna eventually came around and reaffirmed her love for him as well,giving both of these sideline supporting players a catch to shine on their own. It may not be one of the first songs that come to mind when thinking of Hairspray but it's subject matter is truly timeless in it's appeal and delivery:
One of the things that Fiddler on the Roof is not always known for is it's quieter moments but one of the most touching moments comes when Teyve asks his wife of twenty five years "Do You Love Me?" Arranged marriages may be a concept of the past best left behind,yet it is nice to think that some of those couples perhaps did find love for one another over time:
For the film version of the Broadway musical,The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,Dolly Parton wrote a few original numbers,some of which didn't make it into the finished movie.
One that did tied into the plot twist that had Dolly's Miss Mona and Sheriff Ed Dodd(Burt Reynolds)as secret lovers who enjoyed their private romps and were determined to keep them out of sight of their contemporaries.
"Sneakin' Around" is a fun little ditty that showcases the simple pleasures of a pair of born rascals who in a different time and place could've shared their love out in the open without fear of reprisal. While the fates are certainly fickle about these things,they can also share a good laugh about the situation as well:
Film moments like these are meant to serve as inspiration and seeing love survive beyond the first blush of youth is very inspiring,especially for those looking to reach that stage of life linked arm in arm with that special someone themselves when the time comes. Having a musical accompaniment to such a golden period for a lucky couple is not an absolute necessity but it does make for a great serving of gravy goodness to savor there:
Along with many other coming attractions quickly showcased during the third season finale of True Blood,HBO gave some promo love to their upcoming fantasy series due in early 2011,Game of Thrones.
Based on the popular set of seven books in the Song of Fire & Ice series by George R.R. Martin,the show chronicles the clash between the territories of a mythical kingdom and the various families struggling to keep or claim power.
The cast includes some rather well known actors who are no strangers to the fantasy genre such as Sean Bean,Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage and judging by the early reception from fans and newcomers alike,Game of Thrones has the makings of a hit,so far anyway:
Hype and a good cast,however,are not always reliable indicators of quality viewing. From what I understand,these books are rather intricate in their plotting(finding a simple synopsis of the story line is about as easy as getting a straight answer from a politician),which may make it difficult for those unfamiliar with them to latch onto the story right off the bat.
Another small stumbling block may be the lack of magic involved here. George R.R. Martin has said he prefers to focus more on people instead and that these stories are meant for adults,not a bad way to put a new twist on things.
Yet,when most people hear the term fantasy,they expect a little razzle-dazzle of some sort to be included. There are a few mystical elements blended in the background that should pop up in the HBO adaptation,plus quite a bit of combat action,so folks looking for otherworldly thrills should take to this sword play saga just fine:
It does help that the author is fully behind the series and that the fan base for Game of Thrones is incredibly strong. Board,card and role playing game versions of the books have been made,with more no doubt to arise based upon the HBO adaptation.
Martin's creative style does lend itself well to television,as it turns out. In addition to writing other fantasy novels and anthologies that he's edited,George R.R. Martin has done scripts for sci-fi/fantasy shows such as the revived edition of The Twilight Zone back in the mid-eighties and the popular Beauty and the Beast. He wrote over a dozen episodes of that series,combining romance and realism for those enthralled with seeing such a classic love story come to life every week:
With all of that in mind,A Game of Thrones is at least worth one look. The first episodes will start airing by next spring,giving us plenty of time to prepare for what's to come. Hopefully it will fulfill the hopes of it's faithful fans and give a much needed boost to viewers of fantasy fare seeking a new place on the tube to call home:
With the month of October soon to be upon us,it's important to note that fright fests are not only found on screens big and small but can be sinisterly showcased in the most terrifying arena of them all: the human mind.
Scary stories can become even more twisted on the page,flavored with your imagination as each fearful moment unfolds chapter by chapter before your very eyes. Of course,it doesn't hurt to add a few laughs in or change up some of the set in place dynamics of your genre in order to add a little extra spice to the scare sauce there.
So,for your reading pleasure,here are a handful of sinister suggestions to get you in that Halloween state of mind well before the costume party begins. All of these titles are in paperback,by the way,to make them slide into your trick or treat bag that much easier:
DOUBLE ZOMBIE TROUBLE
Fans of the living dead have a couple of fun titles to munch on this year,starting off with Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall. The plot of this new Quirk Classics novel has a band of intrepid Star Trek fans going forth to attend GulfCon,a major Trek convention in the Deep South,only to find that their fellow Klingon and Captain Kirk devotees have turned into an army of ferocious flesh eaters.
Naturally,they do what any red blooded fantasy follower would do:use their arcane knowledge and mock combat skills to attack this invading force that grows faster in number and threat than Tribbles ever would. Zombies and Star Trek may appear to be an odd pairing but just think of this as a hilarious hybrid of Shaun of the Dead and Galaxy Quest,folks,and you'll be fine:
Jesse Peterson takes a slightly more down to earth approach to this material in Married With Zombies. Combative couple Sarah and David are too busy fighting with each other to notice the rise of the undead around them until a visit to their marriage counselor ends in a literal bloodbath.
Now,the stakes are even higher for this pair of all out of lovebirds,as they struggle to survive both the zombie apocalypse and each other. Combining romance with the living dead is certainly a new twist,one that could make any future film versions more of a true date night there.
Much like a long term marriage,the zombie genre does need to keep things interesting and a little love can make the undead madness fresh and fun for everyone involved,indeed:
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series introduces the reader to Alexia Tarabotti,a sensible spinster in a Victorian era London where werewolves and vampires are somewhat accepted members of polite society.
Miss Tarabotti is not altogether human herself,being a "preternatural"(born without a soul)which makes her less susceptible to the hynoptic influence of certain immortals.This,however,does not make her safe from the various plots and strange schemes hatching between human and inhuman forces at work alike. Armed with otherworldly allies and a trusty parasol,Miss Tarabotti seeks to bring order to chaos and find a proper time for tea along the way.
The books are a blend of steampunk sensibilities and comedy of manners,suitable for many literary tastes,with a dash of romance and intrigue rounding it off nicely. The newest book in the series,Blameless,has just been released but it would be wise to start off with Soulless and then proceed to Changeless before taking the third tome up.
While some of the tone in these tales is rather tongue in cheek,manners are a serious consideration for Carriger's characters. If you think about it,being properly introduced to a vampire before he or she requests to partake of your blood is a pretty reasonable social standard to uphold:
A DEADLY MEDIA DARLING
When we last left the tormented duet of Detective Archie Sheridan and beautifully evil serial killer Gretchen Lowell from Chelsea Cain's Heartsick and Sweetheart,the two of them had come to a gruesome understanding-Archie will not end his own life as long as Gretchen doesn't end anyone else's.
In Evil At Heart, that pact seems to be in place as Gretchen's celebrity status grows,with a legion of fans cheerfully counting off every day that she's loose on the world.
However,a string of murders that have victims bearing Gretchen's signature heart motif is causing Archie to wonder if Gretchen is back to her old tricks or is someone following in her blood soaked footsteps? The answer may be more horrifying than the questions sprouting up in this diabolical dance of death between hunter and prey:
A VAMPIRE WITH REAL BITE
With the debut of the American remake of the Swedish horror sensation,Let The Right One In ,due on October 1st,some might be surprised to know that both films are based upon a novel by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvuist and available to read in translation.
Whether you prefer the new version of this story or choose to stick with the first film that depicts the developing relationship between a bullied young boy and the alluring vampire child next door,checking out this haunting modern day fable of twisted love in it's original fictional format should be a real blood chiller:
Reading about horror may be a safe alternative to experiencing Halloween hi-jinks live and in person,but it doesn't have to hurt if you put down your book and get a taste of(tame)terror there. Halloween is meant to be live action fun and a great way to use your imagination in the interest of home grown entertainment.
You can pick your pop culture poison in many varieties but if you choose to step out of the fictional realm to create a real world prank,be sure to careful in your creativity and make sure your target audience is willing to have a laugh at their expense. Fun and fright shows should walk hand in hand on All Hallow's Eve,a great tradition to keep alive for future generations of fear fans:
It's official,folks-Jonathan Franzen's Freedom is the 64th title to be chosen as an official Oprah Book Club selection,something that has been rumored about for a while now. In a way it's not completely surprising,what with all of the hoopla the book has generated so far.
Plus,this is the final season of Oprah's show,so picking Freedom gives her a chance for some closure after the riff between her and Franzen over The Corrections. Seems like a win-win for everyone involved here.
Since I haven't read the book,it's hard for me to really tell if Freedom truly is all that and then some,but the word of mouth has been mostly positive,so in the spirit of celebrating reading,I wish those who take up the book ,for Oprah related reasons or not,well.
If however,you are seeking a group read more suitable to your tastes than the Oprah experience,I do have a few fun suggestions. On the heels of her month long salute to Georgette Heyer,Laurel at Austenprose is launching a blog tour to celebrate the 200th birthday of Victorian era author Elizabeth Gaskell on September 29th.
Elizabeth Gaskell's novels and short stories showcased the small town world of English society with a strong edge of social commentary regarding the treatment of the poor and role of women on each rung of the social ladder.
She also had a sweet sense of romance and even a sense of humor at times in her depictions of country folk. This is a great opportunity for Gaskell's fans to learn more about her and for those like me who have simply delighted in the BBC miniseries version of Cranford or Wives & Daughters,major incentive to finally open up at least one of her books at last:
Kathy L. Patrick and the gang at Pulpwood Queens are still going strong with their book club selections and sheer joy of living that their many chapters(which include Timber Guys for the fellas)not only in the U.S. but through out the world,have beaten the drum for a many a good book and author.
In addition to that,the Pulpwood Queens are involved with many pro-literacy campaigns and passionate in particular for encouraging young people to have access to books in areas that need more and to embrace a love of reading. Looking out for the next generation of readers is beneficial to us all:
Speaking of the next generation,the folks behind 60 Second Recap may appear at first glance to have merely create a viral video version of Cliff Notes,but their series is much more substantive than that.
Hosted by the charming Jenny(who could give the Gilmore Girls a serious run for their money with her verbal skills),these breakdowns of classic works are thought provoking clips designed to encourage further studying of the material,rather than spoon feed the answers to any upcoming pop quiz.
If you're searching for a good read for your next book club,Jenny has plenty of "Pick of the Week" suggestions that include contemporary as well as classic books to choose from. Yes,some are young adult themed but it's no secret that many of the grown-ups read these titles,too,and not just for the kids. A good book is a good book,no matter who it's initially meant for:
We're heading for a post-Oprah world,folks and I think we will survive it quite nicely. Even for authors who really desired to have that nice little PR bump for their book on her show,another media door will be opened when that window of Oprah opportunity closes,sooner or later.
After all,shameless promotion has become an art form in these high tech times and slipping in a bit of tongue in cheek along the way can really brighten up your book sales as well:
For the final challenge on Top Chef D.C.,the three finalists were given former TC winners as their sous chefs;Angelo had Hung,Kevin was paired with Michael Voltaggio and Ed wound up with Ilan(for which I pity him greatly). Their big meal was to be four courses-veg,fish,meat and the dreaded dessert-with Judge Tom and Eric Ripert picking out the proteins for all of them to work with.
Angelo had a setback early on,as he came down with a nasty illness that made him unable to do any shopping or prep work. Hung took care of that and consulted Angelo by phone on what to buy and how things needed to be done. Lucky for Angelo that Hung happens to be a natural speed demon in the kitchen,he really saved the guy's bacon there.
Angelo did make a good showing with his dishes,including his "Thai Jewel" dessert,but the duck course had a mixed reception.
The tart cherry shooter on the dish was supposed to be a palate cleanser but Padma said it really overwhelmed hers. Angelo tried to explain that she needed to eat the daikon ginger salad afterward and then work her way back. Judge Tom thought that was nonsense,saying that food"doesn't need an instruction manual."
Ed's food went over well,especially the summer corn soup with fried black cockles,but his dessert was deemed rather bland. He let Ilan make the whole thing( a date pudding with salty sweet cream)and yes,it tasted okay but that was a pretty middle of the road choice that Judge Tom called him out on.
Ed defended him by saying that he could've done a lemon curd but didn't want to screw it up-as opposed to screwing up any of the other dishes you planned to make,Ed? No one was buying that argument.
So,the winner of this season's Top Chef turned out to be Kevin and I think ironically enough,that his dessert course is what won the day for him.
Everyone flipped out for Kevin's take on Singapore Sling that had a hidden layer of coconut panna cotta at the bottom. The rest of his dishes were good(altho his veg plate was considered a little too plain)but that sweet treat at the end knocked the whole table of regular and guest judges alike out of their chairs.
Congrats to Kevin,he was a decent competitor this season and seems like a nice guy,so good on him here. Next week,we'll be getting a Top Chef reunion special(it's been awhile since they've done one of these)and perhaps we'll get to the bottom of that pea puree mystery once and for all.
Right after the regular Top Chef finale,we were treated to the premiere of Top Chef:Just Desserts which gives pastry chefs their chance at the Bravo big time. The show is hosted by TC judge Gail Simmons with Johnny Iuzzini taking the Tom Colicchio role and occasionally joined by Hubert Keller and Dannielle Kyrillos.
For their first Quickfire challenge,the chefs were asked to make their signature desserts. In a classic TC twist,midway into the prep they were told to take whatever they were making and put it into cupcake form.
The winner was Seth,for his strawberries with basil and brioche cupcake. It was nicely done but this guy has a chip of self entitlement on his shoulder due to the fact that he's the pastry chef at the restaurant that TC's season one winner Harold once worked at,so he believes that winning TC:JD is his destiny. Dude,manifest destiny didn't work out for our ancestors and it doesn't hold true for competitive reality shows either,trust me on this one.
For the elimination challenge,everyone had to create an amazing chocolate themed dish for fifty people,including reowned chocolate chef Jacques Torre,aka "Mr. Chocolate." Zac impressed the judges' panel with his chocolate fondant brownie sundae but Mr. Chocolate wasn't thrilled with Zac blowing edible "disco dust" onto the dish. A tad unhygienic there,I do agree.
Heather H(yes,there are two Heathers in this competition)was the winner for this round with her dark chocolate mousse with Grand Marnier sauce. That seemed to irk Seth,who also made it to the Top Three,but he needs to deal with the notion that this is not going to be a simple cakewalk for him,the sooner the better.
Our first departing dessert contestant was Tania,for a flourless chocolate torte that had a terrible texture to the mousse. Judge Gail issued the chosen dismissal phrase for this show-"Your dessert did not measure up. Please pack your tools and go." I would've gone with "pack your kit and go",since it was a kit that we saw Tania collect her cooking utensils with,plus "pack your kit" just rolls off the tongue better,in my opinion.
Well,this sweet spin-off has gotten off to a good beginning and based on the promos,should be serving up some not too sugary drama with their fiercely frosted creations-we shall see!:
The third season of True Blood wrapped up on Sunday,setting up a few dangling plot points for next time such as Sam shooting at his younger brother for ripping him off(some of which is Sam's fault for being a late in the game jerk,if you ask me),Tara cutting her hair and heading off for the hills and Lafayette finding out that his new boyfriend is literally a magic man.
The main thrust of the story line clean-up on aisle five is,of course,the Sookie situation and I have to admit that things felt a tad rushed there. Burying a burnt crazy King Russell in cement was a good idea to keep his wacky self in storage for future plot developments but for Bill to shove Eric in as well(plus siccing a hitman on Pam)seemed to be slightly off kilter for the character there.
Trying to protect Sookie from all vamps who know of her magic blood,including the Queen of Louisiana now out of hiding,is right in keeping with Bill's persona but things are getting way too off the mark here.
While I can't blame Sookie for taking a trip to Fairy Land after the craziness that she's been through,hopefully next season more of the book based plot lines will strengthen the spine of the series and let a more even keel take control of the creative reins:
Speaking of next season,I hope that Hoyt and Jessica's relationship can thrive despite the sinisterly sad manipulations of his mother. Hoyt has really grown as a character,going from dutiful whipped son to a man not afraid to say what he means or hide the fact that he loves a vampire,particularly with the backlash against them due to Russell's media madness.
He's a real stand-up guy that anyone would be lucky enough to be involved with and I wish the best for him but in the interest of drama,he and Jessica will probably shed a few more bloody tears before all is said and done:
RANDOM NOTES:
MAD MEN: Sexism is nothing new to this show or it's time period but this past episode,Joan was on the receiving end of some rather nasty displays of it from a younger member of the agency's creative team. Peggy put a stop to it(after getting marching orders from Don to handle it alone)but made the mistake of excepting Joan to thank her for that.
While Joan did have a point about the after affects of the situation,Peggy did appear to be sincerely offended on Joan's behalf as well as her own. It's a matter of which method you prefer-the subtle approach or direct action. A small step for feminism was taken but not every woman wishes to follow in another's wake:
