The LRG's last minute Oscar picks for 2013

With the Oscars only a couple of days away,this is the time to place your final bets as who and what will be bringing home the gold on Sunday night.

 Granted,I made a few predictions early on,but with more award show giveaways and  growing buzz built around certain nominees,adjustments had to made.

 Mind you,these are just my best guesses so,don't look to me for a sure fire way to school your local Oscar pool. However, based on my years of Academy Award watching and keeping my ear to the glittery ground, these latest picks are pretty well educated ones:




AND BEST PICTURE IS.... At first,I was convinced that Lincoln would get the top honors in this category but now,not so sure. While the celebrated bio-pic will be getting a few of those golden statues as their parting  gift for the night,massive media love for this film has shifted somewhat.

 Lincoln is still seen as an excellent movie,however Argo has been basking in the awards show circuit spotlight these past few weeks. A good chunk of the reason for that is director/leading man Ben Affleck not being nominated in either Best Actor or(more importantly to some)Best Director categories.

 It also helps that some nominees such as Les Miserables ,Amour and Zero Dark Thirty will most likely be honored in other sections of the show. That,plus the added bonus of Argo not only being based on a true story far enough in the past to have some true perspective on it's subject but having Hollywood help save the day,is what should get this low key thriller a huge leg up on the competition:

THE BEST ACTRESS/SUPPORTING ACTOR SHOWDOWN: While there's no doubt about who will win Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress this year(Daniel Day-Lewis and Anne Hathaway should have their acceptance speeches well honed by now), clear favorites for their respective opposite side of the street nominees have been hard to come by.

 In the case of Supporting Actor,all of the nominees are previous winners and since this category has often been used to make it up to a fella for past losses,that makes things tricky indeed. My best bet would be for Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook,as a reward for not doing another throwaway part in a comedy or thriller the way he's been doing for a long time now.

 As to the ladies of the Best Actress section,I see it as a race between Jennifer Lawrence(Silver Linings Playbook) and Jessica Chastain(Zero Dark Thirty). Both of them have won awards for their roles and have great momentum behind them. However,I think that Chastain may edge out Lawrence for the win.

 Yes,Zero Dark Thirty does have a few issues with it's political content but it's more of a dramatic part for Chastain than Lawrence's is in SLP(which is more of a dramedy with romantic overtones). An additional plus for Chastain is that ZDT director Kathryn Bigelow was also not up for Best Director,which many saw as an oversight and may want to make up to her for with this win:

CLASH OF THE ANIMATED TITANS: The nominees for Best Animated Feature are pretty good this year,with stop motion features like Frankenweenie
and Pirates! Band of Misfits included. The big contenders,however,are Wreck-It Ralph and Brave,both having Disney ties.

 As much as WIR will appeal to gamers and fans of Toy Story,Brave's girl power themes may hold a stronger sway over the Academy voters. While the likes of The Hunger Games gets overlooked by the Academy,those yearning to vote for a bow and arrow slinging heroine have a ready outlet in this film's fiery redheaded princess:

In other categories,Best Song will go to Skyfall (especially since Adele will be there to perform it live),Best Director for Steven Spielberg(they'll want to give more than one award to Lincoln)and Life of Pi should garner a nice number of technical awards.

 No doubt,there will be a few surprises to balance out the predictable winners and the show will run into overtime at some point(possibly due to the number of lame jokes about taking so long to finish). Regardless of that,this year's Oscars should be a fun film celebration for all to enjoy. Hopefully,the acceptance speeches will have more to offer than the standard platitudes that stars practice to pitch perfect form. Go for broke,people and give us a few good quotes to talk about:

Top Chef Seattle's Finale Part I,TAR's Express Pass Plotting and Downton Abbey says farewell to Matthew

The season finale of Top Chef Seattle began with revealing the winner of Last Chance Kitchen,Kristen! After the shock and surprise wore off,the main challenge to determine which two would make to the second half of the final showdown was laid out before them.

All three of them(Sheldon,Brooke and Kristen) were to take over the kitchen of Judge Tom's premiere LA restaurant Craft. Each one had to make an appetizer,entree and dessert for the incoming guests and the judges. Judge Tom was back there with them,expediting the service and tasting their food from the back of the house.

Kristen's opening course of duck rillette and chestnut veloute shined but a couple of judges were divided about the flavors of her entree.

She served an ahi tuna with veal mustard jus and Meyer lemon puree. The lemon was purposely burnt,to add a bitter note to the dish but some of the judges felt that note didn't ring right with the rest of the plate.

 What disappointed Kristen herself was how her dessert turned out. It was a nice bowl of curry chocolate with cashews,which was fine with everyone but a tad too simple for someone of her skill level.

Her overall food performance was good enough to send her to the Final Two,leaving it down to Brooke and Sheldon.

Brooke's approach to the meal was scattershot due to her not being able to decide quickly on what to make. We've seen this before  from her and while she does manage to recover well,it is a bad habit that could easily clock her out of the competition.

 For her appetizer,she went with veal sweetbreads in a crispy salad with kumquat and beets. Hugh Acheson thought that she needed to clean the sweetbreads better and most of the judges agreed that a shot of acid would've enhanced the flavors.

However,the braised short ribs that she made for the entree course redeemed her fully. The Parmesan sauce that accompanied it on top of the nettle puree also won praise.

The judges loved her dessert, as well,a brown butter cake with fruit and goat cheese that Brooke hadn't made in some time. Turns out that recipe was as easy as riding a bike for her.

 Sheldon started off  with a bang,as his sashimi spot prawns with court bouillon appetizer was well received by the judges. The diners were also singing the praises of this dish,making it look like a real home run for Sheldon.

However,he decided to deviate from his regular norm for the rest of the meal,which threw the judges for a loop and not in the good way. I don't blame the guy for taking a chance by going outside of his comfort zone but perhaps this wasn't the best time to do that.

Sheldon chose quail as his protein for the entree,serving it roasted with a pine nut puree. The food was okay,yet the judges felt that this was not the best display of his talents.

Sheldon's dessert is what did him in,in my opinion. The white chocolate mousse was good but the fennel that was paired with the apple on the plate completely overwhelmed it.

So,Sheldon is out and it's Kristen and Brooke who are going head to head next week in Part Two of the TCS finale.Congrats,ladies and as RuPaul would say,may the best woman win!

 Ru would also remind them to not f*** it up,which Brooke may need to heed to. Keep your focus as sharp as your knives,if you want the win! I would also be happy if Kristen won,btw. It's nice when two such worthy and worthwhile opponents are facing off like this,a rare treat on reality TV indeed.

A new season of The Amazing Race started this weekend,with a new incentive for the first team to reach the Pit Stop. Not only would that team get one Express Pass(which allows them to skip a challenge during the race) but a second one to be given to another team would also be theirs.

The first five groups out of the airport made a pact that which ever team won the Express Pass package would hand over the other pass to the second pair amongst them. That seemed to be a fair way to go about it,yet it looks as if John and Jessica are going to renege on that deal. Not a good way to make friends and allies,guys! You never know who you'll need to help you along the way,especially when those Double U-Turns show up:

Meanwhile,the last three teams at the Sandcastle Roadblock were so frustrated at the seeming impossibility of finding the clue that they all decided to take the four hour penalty(which would delay them at the start of the next leg)and head for the Pit Stop. That plan didn't work out so well for Team Firefighter(Matt and Daniel),who had trouble with their canoe and wound up being the first team eliminated. Too bad,fellas,better luck next time:

  A lot of things happened on the third season finale of Downton Abbey,but the big one that everyone is talking about is the death of Matthew. Fresh from seeing his newborn son,Matthew meet his untimely end in a car accident,which will cause quite an upheaval as the promised fourth season begins next year.

 Apparently,Dan Stevens(who plays Matthew)wanted off the show and word is that he'll be appearing in a miniseries version of P.D. James' Pride and Prejudice themed mystery,Death Comes to Pemberley. That's good for him, I suppose,although a shame that we won't see him make those necessary improvements at Downton that Matthew was planning to keep the estate going. Let's hope that brother-in-law Branson will take up that mantle and keep things afloat for the Crawley crew there.

Granted,I wasn't a big fan of the whole Matthew & Mary love story(care a bit more about Edith,who deserves better than a Jane Eyre retread romance,if you ask me) but it was sad to consider the effect this tragic loss will have on Mary. Fare thee well, Matthew,you will be missed:

 RANDOM NOTES:

 THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: Chaos is breaking out all over,as Silas has risen and Jeremy may be truly down for the count this time. Hopefully,Elena can get a grip before things get even worse and yes,they will get worse way before we see any sign of better:

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker weaves a tale of a true and trying friendship

Jennifer Chiaverini is best known for her Elm Creek series of novels involving the art of quilt making but her latest work,Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, cuts a swath of historical cloth from the Civil War era for her fictional frame work this time around.

 The dressmaker of the title is Elizabeth Keckley,who was born into slavery but managed to buy freedom not only for herself but her son George,due to her talents as a seamstress. Elizabeth moved to Washington and started up a private dressmaking business of her own,with a respectable client list made up of both Northern and Southern society ladies.

 Her impressive skill with the needle even had the wife of Confederate leader Jefferson Davis make her an offer to come back South as her personal modiste(stylist). However,Elizabeth refused on more than one ground,a main one being that she was selected by Mary Todd Lincoln to be her modiste and maker of the many gowns required for her public appearances as First Lady. Mrs. Lincoln also become a friend as well as a most valued client,a bond that Elizabeth cherished and that Mary Lincoln needed.

 Mary Lincoln,in some respects,was like the little girl with a curl from the nursery rhyme-she could be a good hearted soul and a real charmer but was prone to self created turmoil and strong emotional outbursts. One of her bad habits was her tendency to spend beyond her means(and keep that information as far away from her husband as possible),a weak point that her critics eagerly loved to touch upon:

Elizabeth's role in the Lincoln household went beyond making sure Mary's dresses were ready on time. She also assisted with the children and even offered emotional comfort to Mr. Lincoln,whose health and heart were weary with war troubles.

 One of the times that Elizabeth's presence was a great boon to the family was during the tragic illness and death of young Willie Lincoln. His mother's grief was all consuming,causing the other members of the family to restrain their own sorrow in order to carry on.

 Elizabeth offered what comfort and support she could to both parents,understanding the loss of a beloved child all too well herself. Her son George(who was able to pass as a white man)had died in battle,fighting for the freedom that his mother had to purchase and that Lincoln was doing his best to give to the whole nation:

Elizabeth was with the Lincolns through good times and bad,the worst being after Abraham Lincoln's assassination She was a shoulder for Mary to cry on and even stayed with her in Illinois for a brief time when the remainder of the family moved out of the White House.

 In some ways,Elizabeth's deep emotional ties to Mary came at great personal cost. When the former First Lady's financial problems caused her to attempt to secretly sell her ball gowns through dubious buyers(causing even more gossip and criticism), one of the ways that Elizabeth sought to help her was to write a memoir of her own life that included the White House years.

Unfortunately,that noble attempt backfired,as the book received harsh reviews and critical attacks that accused Elizabeth unjustly of trying to cash in on her connection with the family. It also caused Mrs. Lincoln to cut off all ties with her,a sad shame since Elizabeth was one of the true friends she had left.

 Elizabeth carried on to rebuild her life and revive her dressmaking business,which had suffered due to her unwavering respect to the memory of Abraham Lincoln and what she felt was her duty to help his widow in any way she could. However,her real legacy was in the art of sewing,a gift that she shared with many willing students and friends over the years:

This is the first time that I've read Jennifer Chiaverini's work and I have to say that her first hand at historical fiction is skillfully applied here. She brings to vivid life Elizabeth Keckley's life and times on the page,creating an emotional portrait of a woman who dealt with her own struggles best by helping others,with her major fault being not knowing when to quit giving more than she should.

While Mary Lincoln's difficulties make her rather sympathetic at times,the toll that her  issues took on her loved ones is well showcased without painting her as a villain,something that the press during those days loved to indulge in all too much. Chiaverini's pacing is steady yet not swift,which makes this novel a good long read for those eager to take their time with a good read.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker is now available at a bookseller near you and it would make for an excellent reading group selection. While Mrs. Keckley has gotten some recent notice for her place in history from the award winning film Lincoln,Jennifer Chiaverini brings this wonderful lady further into the spotlight and displays her contributions to humanity on the high shelf she so richly deserves:

Top Chef Seattle makes a memorable meal,Thomas in trouble at Downton Abbey and the winner of Rachael Vs. Guy is...

For those of you who check in on my regular TV Thursday post,my apologies for not having one up last week(had a few technical problems to work out that took longer than expected).

Hopefully,we can now get back on track with Top Chef: Seattle,which was still in Alaska last night.  The Final Three contenders consisted of Brooke,Sheldon and Josh,who was most anxious about the impending arrival of his first child(congrats are in order for him and his wife there,due to their lovely baby girl Georgia coming in safe and sound).

 Brooke got a little anxious herself when they all had to ride a helicopter to get to the Quickfire Challenge. Flying is not her thing, particularly in tight quarters,yet she managed to overcome her tensions there.

 After the copter ride,everyone traveled by dog sled to a camp for professional sled teams where Padma and Judge Tom were waiting.

 The challenge was to cook a meal in thirty minutes,using only what was available in the camp kitchen and supply tents.Brooke prepared a halibut dish,along with Sheldon. Hers,however,was more satisfying and Brooke won the round,a nice start for this day indeed.

Upon arriving at the place where the Final Three would be staying,two surprise guests were waiting for them. Emeril and special judge for this round Roy Choi(who worked with Brooke before) prepared for them a great meal and shared a few reminiscences about what was their turning
point for entering the culinary field.

 That,of course,lead to the Elimination Challenge. Each of them had to prepare a dish that defined their own personal push towards a career as chefs. Including Emeril and Roy Choi,Judge Tom,Padma,Wolfgang Puck and Gail Collins were also present for that extra special dinner party.

Brooke had a lot of difficulty in settling on what to make and for a while she was seriously floundering. Fortunately,she decided on a braised chicken(like her mother used to make) combined with a grilled quail(to represent the chef she is now).

 Even with the quail being a tad overdone,the other flavors on the plate more than made up for that. The judges loved the picked veggies and carrot barley served on the side as well. Brooke won this challenge and will be in the Final Two,yes! So happy for her,Brooke has been quite the rock star this season.

 I was worried for Sheldon,due to the saltiness of his broth. The judges really liked how his pan roasted rock fish was cooked and how well the
prawns went with it,too.

Sadly,he didn't realize until the last minute that the liquid for the broth had reduced too much,making it way too salty. Judge Tom was concerned that this one misstep could take him out of the game.

Lucky for him,Josh made an even bigger error. He chose foie gras and prepared it three ways;pan seared,profiterole and touchon. I'm not familiar with the last style but from what I gathered from the judges,it's a dish that takes a long time to cook before it's right and Josh did a rather hasty version that fell apart and was laden with veins.

 So,it's off to Last Chance Kitchen for Josh and next week,we will see if he returns to face off against Brooke and Sheldon for the win. I suspect that it will be Kristen who does the victory walk out of LCK,but we shall see.

 On Downton Abbey,the focus was on Thomas for the most part this episode,due to him giving into his loneliness and making a very unwelcome move on James. His lack of discretion was due to listening to O'Brien who slipped a good number of poison pills into the ears of most of the male servants here.

Thomas has usually been the type of guy who could bounce back from a sticky situation but this time,he felt truly defeated and didn't even bother to put up a fight when Carson(upon pressure from James via O'Brien)was ready to dismiss him without a reference. Mr. Bates wound up championing his cause,so to speak,and got the whole thing taken of,with a little help from Lord Grantham. As devious as Thomas has been to Mr. Bates in the past, Bates couldn't help but offer a hand to someone in such dire need of it and even Thomas didn't deserve to be set up like that,not at all:

The finale airs this upcoming Sunday and there are sure to be some surprises,along with surprise guests as well. I do hope that a fourth season of Downton Abbey will be coming our way in the near future because it's hard to see how everything will be neatly wrapped up for good:

The second season finale of Rachael Vs, Guy: Celebrity Cook Off had Dean McDermott(aka Mr. Tori Spelling) and Carnie Wilson going head to head to whip up a three course meal for a group of  guest judges that included Kathy Griffin.

It was touch and go there for awhile,but in the end,Dean emerged triumphant. He appeared to actually know what he was doing in the kitchen and his win was well earned.Carnie meant well but her erratic approach to cooking really got on my nerves.

 Since it was all for charity, the real winner was Miracle Babies,Dean's cause that he was competing for. Congrats,Dean!:

 RANDOM NOTES:

 WORST COOKS IN AMERICA: Season Three begins this Sunday,with Chef Anne going up against Bobby Flay as the best to teach the worst. Good luck to them both,since this new crew of recruits looks
rather raw indeed:

A musical box of Valentine's Day treats

With Valentine's Day on tomorrow's horizon,many folks are doing their best to show their loved ones how much they truly feel about them with some last minute gift shopping.

 You really shouldn't take a hasty present for granted,considering that even remembering this special day so close to the wire is a sign of affection(although a rather slow one at that).

For some of us,gift giving on this day is hard to bear since we may not have sweethearts of the romantic sort to shower with purchased pink and red products.

 As for me,I am offering readers a sweet deal on my Chronicles of Copper Boom e-book series. Starting yesterday,a coupon for a free download of the first book,Party Overkill,is now available. Just use the code YH89E at Smashwords to get your copy gratis by February 16. Part of the reason for this coupon caper is to celebrate the recent publication of Part Two in the Chronicles of Copper Boom saga,A Chilling Warmth.

Hopefully,some interest will be peaked and momentum for the rest of this super sized tale of potential heroes and villains that will slowly but surely come. In the meantime,here are a few music videos that highlight a traditional trinket handed out for Valentine's Day:

DIAMOND JUBILEE: Jewelry is a highly anticipated gift on this day and the number one gem on the holiday hit list is diamonds. Sparkly is as sparkly does in my book but the glow of those ice stones turns quite a few heads. The best known musical tribute to these gems is Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" that has been lip synced and sung in plenty of pop culture venues,including the guilty pleasure flick Burlesque:

A ROSE IS A ROSE: Flowers are another standard of Valentine's Day,with just about any combination of posies making the cut. However,roses are held up as the ultimate floral token of true love.

 One of the best songs,in my opinion,that uses the flower metaphor so aptly is Seal's "Kiss From A Rose",originally a key tune in the Batman Forever soundtrack. Not one of the better Batmans,I grant you ,but this sensuous ode to heartfelt passion plays well in any forum:

CANDY CRAVING: Numerous connections to love and sugar have been made over the centuries,with phrases such as "sweets to the sweet" and "he/she is sweet on you" only being the tip of the iceberg.

Chocolates are a steady safe bet when it comes to a last minute Valentine's gift but other confections such as candy hearts and red hots are deemed acceptable in a pinch.

So,if your sweetheart happens to be humming Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy",your sugar options are rather open there:

HEART OF THE MATTER: That pictographic symbol of love(although not at all automatically correct) is seen everywhere on Valentine's Day and can be given out in various forms. Candy boxes,flower arraignments, a repeating pattern on specially selected clothes and even a simple trace and cut out form on drawing paper manage to make the grade(the last one being more suited to grade school).

 What kind of heart you offer up is often telling about your true feelings,according to most,so if someone accuses you of having a "Heart of Glass",it's not a shout out to the Blondie song,trust me on this one:

Regardless of your relationship status,I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day and hope that some small item of affection makes it's way to you on time tomorrow.

 As for you last minute shoppers,don't get too wound up over what to get your someone special. Having the perfect present would be nice but even a little gesture like their favorite snack or giving that most precious commodity of all, your time and attention,can be just as good and perhaps so much better.

 Of course,if you need to buy something,a card always goes over well. Even if the recipient acts like it's not good enough at first,it can win them over in the end:

Star Wars 7: Redemption of the Jedi?

The biggest news in sci-fi movie fandom these days is that J.J. Abrams has been tapped to make the next Star Wars film,which will be a sequel to the original trilogy. The reaction to this news consists of a mixture of elated cheers from happy Jedi masters with some grumblings from the sullen Sith squadron in the far corners of the internet universe.

So far,the celebration has gotten louder than the boos from the pop culture peanut gallery. With Abrams' track record as a genre genius due to his hit TV shows(Lost,Alias)and feature films(Mission Impossible III,Super 8),plus his successful revival of the Star Trek film franchise,many are confident that he is the one rightly chosen to bring order to the Star Wars galaxy:

Of course,some are worried that we might get a Star Wars film worse than the prequels,which is not a fear to be taken lightly. It was bad enough that George Lucas gave into his doubts about the first three movies and tweaked them with mostly needless fixes(in my opinion,Han shot first) but the triple tripe that was The Phantom Menace,Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith did a lot to damage the lore of the first set of SW flicks.

However,Abrams has proven to be a quality writer,director and producer who respects genre material and fans of that material as well. He also seems to be able to balance gracefully between pleasing his audience and adding his own original touch to the story lines,no small feat there. Perhaps his hand on the Star Wars tiller will help to steer a path for old school and new geeks to come together at long last:

Abrams' fans shouldn't get too comfortable just yet,though. Granted,the man is a big fan of Star Wars and making this movie is a lifelong dream fulfilled for him but the same was said when Bryan Singer left the X-Men series to helm Superman Returns and we all know how well that turned out.

J.J. Abrams may very well exceed the high bar that's been set for the Star Wars series by audiences and critics alike, and odds are that he will,but it would be foolish to ignore the possibilities for an epic failure that could make Battlefield Earth look like a Masterpiece Theater production:

It will be some time before Star Wars 7 is out in theaters(at the moment,the tentative release time is set for 2015),so any anxieties both for and against this new installment should perhaps be tabled for now. At least fans can breathe a sigh of relief that their beloved saga is in capable hands and hopefully rise to the challenge of entertainingly expanding their horizons.

This may also heal the breach between Star Trek and Star Wars folk,who truly should be allies against the forces of nay sayers of the pop culture realm. If J.J. Abrams can bring these two divisive groups together to form a perfect geek union, there may be hope for us all:

Going Psycho over Hitchcock

To order to get into the mood for Oscar season,I decided to dive in and read Stephen Rebello's Alfred Hitchcock and the making of Psycho,which was the basis for the potential Academy Award contending film Hitchcock. While that movie didn't get as many nominations as hoped for(more on that as we go along),the book has plenty to offer anyone interested in not only the legendary filmmaker but the art of putting together a ground breaking genre piece.

The creation of Psycho is incredibly though,starting with the terrible crimes of Ed Gein that inspired Robert Bloch's chilling novel that was picked up by Hitchcock and adapted for the screen with Joseph Stefano. Hitchcock wound up financing the film's production costs(with a distribution deal made with the studios upon completion)and he used a good number of crew members from his TV anthology series,Alfred Hitchcock Presents,due to their being used to working at a faster pace than regular film folk.

Rebello really makes the whole process engaging to follow,even the technical details such as how to position the cameras during crucial shots and the painstaking hours of editing,to which Mrs. Hitchcock lent her very capable eye to:

The success of Psycho took everyone by surprise,even Hitchcock himself. Critics,for the most part,were dismissive in their reviews due to being peeved about not having advance screenings held for them. Hitchcock's promos for the film took a page or two out of the B movie playbook by having movie theaters not admit ticket holders after the start of the movie,a strategy that worked big time.

Despite those negative write-ups,the film took on a life of it's own with audiences and eventually the critics followed suit. Keeping the viewing public as much in the dark as possible about the special shocks and twists in the story line was no easy task but Hitchcock managed to pull that off nicely:

Over the years,Psycho has been declared Hitchcock's definitive film and it's one that left quite an indelible mark on pop culture. It's the type of film that even those who haven't seen it can quickly understand any references to it,such as the iconic shower scene or lines like "A boy's best friend is his mother."

Rebello's book does talk about the impact of Psycho on film makers and viewers,along with mention of the sequels made later on(thankfully,no coverage of the misguided Gus Van Sant remake comes up). Some about this story still resonates with horror fans,which is perhaps why another attempt to create a TV show out of the Psycho legend is due to arrive on cable TV this season.

Unlike the earlier 1987 version,this rendition of Bates Motel places a young Norman Bates and his mother at the start of their strange connection to hotel management and maternal love. How well that's going to turn out is debatable but I suspect enough people will check in for a few episodes,due to the revived interest in the original film:

As for the making of the movie film,Hitchcock was expected to earn a few Oscar nominations,particularly for Anthony Hopkins as the man himself and Helen Mirren as Alma,the wife and film making partner in crime. It only received one in the Best Make-up category. One of the reasons for that could be the comparisons made to HBO's The Girl,which showcased the troubled relationship between the director and Tippi Hedren,his leading lady for his post Psycho film,The Birds and Marnie.

Also,both films depict the less than appealing side of the director's nature,a factor that caused a bit of an uproar amongst critics and Hitchcock fans. Regardless,if Hitchcock the movie pays as much of the proper tribute owned to Psycho as Rebello's book does,it is well worth seeing(and I plan to,once it's out on DVD).In the meantime,I'll be watching Psycho this weekend with a newer appreciation and understanding of what makes this taut chiller thriller tick.

No matter how many remakes and reboots can be churned out,there's no getting away from the deliriously dark charms of the first modern day cinematic boogey man of the twentieth century,Norman Bates. Without him,there wouldn't be the likes of Freddy,Jason,Hannibal or Jigsaw. You could say he's the type of fella that any motherly movie maniac would be proud of:

Savoring the good,the bad and the strange of this year's Super Bowl ads

The Super Bowl has come and gone,leaving behind not only a number of happy sports fans(unless of course,you were rooting for the 49ers)but a crop of new TV commercials to consider. Like most ads for this event,we were given a mixed bunch of humorous,heart warming and at times hideous images all designed to make us eager to purchase goods and services.

Since I didn't see any of these ads on the night in question(too busy with Downton Abbey that evening!),my efforts to catch up have bore pop culture fruit,although how sweet it is you can judge for yourselves:

ANIMAL ANTICS

BUDWEISER CLYDESDALE DEVOTION: One of the most talked about commercials from that night was this little featurette showcasing a horse trainer reunited with the Clydesdale that he raised for the traditional Budweiser caravan. It's a charming piece that uses the Stevie Nicks rendition of "Landslide" particularly well. Oh,and the colt seen in the commercial was named Hope,thanks to viewer votes:



DORITOS GOT YOUR GOAT: The folks behind this nacho chip seem to have a weird sense of humor,as this latest ad shows a guy regretting his decision to buy a goat who can't stop chewing on the cheesy treat. It's okay,I guess,but why this would make me want to eat Doritos(especially around farm animals)is beyond me:



SUPERNATURAL SALES PITCH

SATANIC STYLE: A couple of car ads went with mythological figures as their spokespeople,starting with a Mercedes commercial that offered up Willem Dafoe as The Prince of Darkness himself. This slick enticement that allowed it's everyman hero into avoiding eternal damnation in order to own a fancy car was well played with a few not too over the top cameos from celebs and sinister sweet use of "Sympathy for the Devil". Plus,extra kudos must be awarded for the excellent casting of Dafoe,who needs to be in a good movie these days,it's been a while!:



WISHFUL THINKING: Kaley Cuolo's commercial gigs are growing,what with her Pricefinder spot and now this Toyota ad,where she plays a genie with a whimsical way of granting wishes. She has the perfect spirit of fun for this bit and it's good to know that this Big Bang Theory star may have a strong career outside of her hit show:

MOVIE MAGIC

IRON MAN 3: A slew of movie teasers and trailers were shown during the Super Bowl,most of which were action genre flicks like the upcoming Snitch(starring The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson)and sci-fi thrillers such as World War Z and Star Trek: Into Darkness.

The spring into summer sequel,Iron Man 3,highlighted both of the selling points of this Marvel franchise,sly wit from Downey's "extensive" look and pulse racing action sequences. Shane Black is in the director's chair this time(taking over for Jon Favreau,who takes a producer's credit here instead)and his cinematic skills promise to be a good fit for this third feature:

THE LONE RANGER: The old school western legend is being hauled out again for another retread and frankly,folks there's a stench of Jonah Hex film flop wafting off of this go-round. As much as I like Johnny Depp and his offbeat approach to movie roles great and small,he doesn't seem to really fit in here.

My guess is,that since the people behind The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy are putting this movie out,they expect that Depp's odd ways will engage audiences for the Lone Ranger in the same way. Sorry,guys,but some special ingredients don't work with every dish:



CREEPY CANDY TIME

A lot of people have stirred up a fuss over the GoDaddy ad where a model and a tech guy noisily kiss(to me,the sound effects are what are disturbing there) and some are griping about others,like the Taco Bell spot where elderly folks are partying as hard as the young folk,a concept that is as fresh and new as stale bread.

What I find a tad squeamish is the M&M clip where the hapless Red warbles the Meatloaf classic "I Would Do Anything For Love(But I Won't Do That)" as he has a romance with a gal who attempts to literally eat him alive. Yes,I know it's a joke and it's just a piece of candy but that whole shoving him into the oven on top of a cookie has a really dark Hansel and Gretel tone to it that might put a few kids off of the sweet treat and into nightmare land for awhile there:



Oh,well,things could be worse on this front. Eventually,these ads will fade away but for now,they do provide a nice distraction from most of our real world worries which is part and parcel of pop culture's appeal. A good number of them will become quickly outdated and give future generations an amusing excuse to wonder about our tastes,plus try to figure why "Gangem Style" was such a big deal once upon a time:

The Chronicles of Copper Boom embraces A Chilling Warmth

As some of you may know, I've writing e-books for some time now and last year started a series called The Chronicles of Copper Boom. Part One was entitled "Party Overkill",where a super villain on the run named Kingston Cobre ducked into a children's birthday party and was mistaken as the hired entertainment. During that brief visit,he ran into Penny Slater,the stepsister who was being treated worse than Cinderella and who had a couple of super powered secrets of her own.

Last week,Part Two of TCOCB was published at Smashwords with the title "A Chilling Warmth". The story starts off with Penny under hospital care but being far from safe and sound. Here's a little description of the plot:

While recovering from her encounter with super villain Kingston Cobre,rest is the last thing that Penny Slater is getting.

Between angry phone calls from her stepmother and an unexpected interrogation,our would be heroine is ready to check out of the hospital in more ways than one. A new friend,however,appears to be the cure for what ails her but what are the sinister side effects of this alliance?

The new friend in question is a hit woman for hire named Gillian Glacier,who also happens to know a few other bad guys and so called good ones as well. Her contact with Penny is done at first as a favor to a mutual acquaintance but over time,she has more than casual feelings about this injured young girl.

I chose an ice wielding villainess because that power lends itself to very interesting possibilities,not to mention a nifty metaphor for emotional coldness. What's also intriguing about this ability is that who ever uses it for what ever purpose,good or ill,that person is never truly as cold as their frosty skills imply. In fact,they can be extremely hot under the collar during the heat of battle:

Another new character brought into this narrative is Agent Daniel Cleaves,a member of the Mutant Security Counsel. He's on the trail of Kingston Cobre and has a few probing questions for our heroine,along with some so not subtle hints about knowing more about Penny and her special skills that she cares for him to.

Cleaves is a troublesome guy,to be sure and his straight laced,by the book manner was inspired by a former Watcher of Vampire Slayers from England. Yes,Wesley Wyndam-Pryce would find a lot in common with Agent Cleaves,both of whom also fancy themselves to be a bit like the James Bond of the superhero world:

A Chilling Warmth is currently available only at Smashwords but will be shipping out to other online retailers such as Kobo,Sony and B&N. com very soon. Each installment of The Chronicles of Copper Boom is priced at $0.99 and to encourage readers to try the latest one,a free coupon for the first book "Party Overkill" will be made available during the week of Valentine's Day(please check this blog or the official Copper Boom FB page for more news).

A special thanks to my sister Stephanie,for creating the cover art for this and all my other e-books. I do hope that those of you who enjoy my previous titles,The Hench Woman's Handbook and The Austen Avenger,will like this ongoing story of a young woman whose path to greatness can easily flip from good to evil via the folks she meets along the way to her destiny. Penny's fate is not settled yet,but so far,she's run into plenty of people willing to do some bad things with her and her powers:

When it comes to Darcy,are you rocking the Rintoul or feeling the Firth?

As part of my Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge this year,I decided to check out the pre-Colin Firth miniseries version of P&P that aired on the BBC in 1980.

David Rintoul plays our man Darcy to Elizabeth Garvie's Lizzie Bennet,following a script written by novelist Fay Weldon. In terms of the screenplay alone, Weldon keeps pretty well to the book but has a few interesting twists of her own slipped in. For some reason at one point,Mr. Collins is shown planting reeds(with poor Charlotte in tow)at a nearby pond at the behest of Lady Catherine and even wearing a strange hat,presumably to keep him safe from drowning if he happened to fall in the water.

Granted,it was meant to seen as a means of keeping both the Collines out of the way for Darcy to make his movie(more on that later)but it seemed rather unnecessary to me. A simple "We must pay a call to Rosings" would do just as well for the purpose,in my opinion.

Also,Fay Weldon's favorite Bennet sister seems to be Mary, portrayed by Tessa Peake-Jones,who is the first character to be seen in the opening scene of Part One(Elizabeth appears in an upper window). Mary is given a bit more dialogue than she usually is in most adaptations and while she's still a seriously silly girl with her attempts at intellectual superiority,this Miss Bennet stands out much more than she has done before or even since this version.

Mr. Bennet(Moray Watson),on the other hand,comes across as cold and gruff with little of the good humored tone that softens many of his sarcastic comments. Perhaps,I am a bit prejudiced when it comes to Mr. Bennet,who is not the best parent in regards to offering any strong guidance to his children,yet he is a tad too harsh for my taste here:

I can,however,see the charms of Rintoul as Darcy. His cultivated manner and speaking voice are suited to this Austen icon and he does ignite a few sparks with Garvie's Elizabeth. The two of them do make an engaging couple,Rintoul with his quiet smolder and Garvie's lively expressions.

Their strongest scene together is the first proposal of marriage from Mr. Darcy. While their heated exchange is not as passionately fiery as the one between Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the later 1995 version,it is higher in temperature than the same scene acted out in the 1940 Hollywood adaptation between Greer Garson and Laurence Oliver:

Another key element to any Pride and Prejudice re-telling is Lady Catherine,played here by renowned actress Judy Parfitt. In some ways,she was a much younger looking version of Lady C yet she's hardily lacking in the haughty bearing department. She's incredibly chatty in the Rosings scenes,verging at times on Miss Bates from Emma territory.

When it comes to Lady Catherine's big confrontation scene,however,Parfitt pulls it off quite nicely. While I do wish they had gone outside in that "pretty wilderness" at Longbourn to square off,Garvie and Parfitt have a good little showdown in the sitting room. There is something to be said for showing such an obnoxious visitor the door at just the right moment:

In discussing the differences between the P&P adaptations and preferences for one over the other by Austen fans,it was pointed out to me that most people tend to like the version he or she saw first,a "first imprinting",if you will. I do agree with that notion and while the 1995 BBC miniseries is my all-time favorite rendition,I can appreciate the merits of other P&P productions including this one.

Rintoul and Garvie may never replace Firth and Ehle for some but they are a respectable and very romantic Austen couple who do justice to these quintessential roles. While I remain a faithful Firth fan girl,it's not hard to see why Rintoul fans still swoon to this day: