Top Chef Masters get schooled,Under The Dome closes the curtains and a visit to Sleepy Hollow

The next to last episode of Top Chef Masters began with a recent blast from the past,as the latest to be eliminated chef Sang dropped by to judge the food in the Quickfire Challenge.

The challenge was to create a high end hamburger and most of them seemed to be sliders in terms of portion size. Sang wasn't told who made what before tasting them,so even he was surprised by the one that made the cut.

Jennifer's beef burger with srircaha ketchup and caramelized bacon won this round,plus a nice chunk of change for her charity(over fifty grand to date). Ever since she came back from being part of a double elim,Jennifer has been on fire and a nice streak of victories to boot.

Bryan was again disappointed about not winning any Quickfires this season but cheered up when he found out his sous chef had earned immunity for him in the Battle of the Sous(a pretty nifty edition to this series,I have to say).

The Elimination Challenge had the chefs prepare a four course meal to honor a quarter of L.A.county teachers.

Each dish had to reflect upon one of the teachers and each chef was responsible for one course. A new guest judge,Alan Richman from GQ magazine,joined the panel and was very impressed by an entree that took almost everyone's breath away.

That dish belonged to Bryan,who made a calamari Bolognese with squid ink and miso cavatelli. He had doubts concerning the choice of fish but Alan Richman declared that it was good enough to make him cry,uncommon praise indeed!

Bryan already was guaranteed a spot in the Finale but earning his first win(and ten grand for his charity,Share Our Strength) was that extra touch that means so much.

Joining him for the finale,Douglas earned his place with a smoked salmon that had three kinds of caviar served with it.

 Curtis thought it was a tad too rich for his palate but the rest of the judges loved it enough to let it pass.

Jennifer was in danger of being sent off to pack her knives for the underdone nature of her rack of lamb.

There was a mini debate at the judges' table about how well cooked lamb has to be(which I have no opinion,since I've only had it once in my life and that portion was thinly sliced rather than on bone) but the fennel porridge that came with it helped to save her bacon,so to speak.

That meant David Burke was the one who was sent home. His bittersweet chocolate souffle with raspberry sauce came out okay but deflated quickly as soon as it arrived at the end of dinner.

He made 60 of those suckers,no easy task there,and it was with great reluctance that he was dismissed. The finale is next week and the final Battle of the Sous Chefs aired last night,with Bryan's sous winning ten grand for his boss's charity and David's sous not allowed to help him out during the first day of prep. How will that affect the competition? We shall soon see and savor,folks!

Under The Dome wrapped up it's first season in a very loosey goosey way,as the butterfly born under the mini Dome caused the outer one to turn black.

 That naturally freaked everyone out(more than they already were) and as chaos lead folks to the nearest church to pray, Big Jim went on the hunt for the mini Dome. The group of four(Joe,Norrie,Angie and Junior) managed to open the small dome and release the butterfly,which chose Julia to be it's "monarch".

The big Dome stayed in place,however,and the egg from the smaller one grew in size. After taking it away from Junior's reach, Norrie got a chance to ask the unknown powers behind their situation to let them in on what was wanted of them. Their reply came in the form of a vision of Norrie's deceased mom, who insisted that the Dome was intended to protect them. From what, you may ask? Good question,but that knowledge wasn't shared with the group just yet:

 While that was going on,Big Jim prepared to have Barbie hanged in the town square(on a quickly built scaffold,no less!) and Julia had the fun choice of either hiding the egg or rushing into town to save her man from the noose.

She decided to send the egg on a one way trip to the bottom of the river,which appeared to be the right answer as the much talked about pink stars started to fall in line. Quite a cliffhanger set-up here and while this initial outing of Under The Dome had it's ups and downs, I am willing to check back in next year to see what happens next:

The fantasy horror series Sleepy Hollow debuted this week,setting up it's premise of Revolutionary War era Ichabod Crane awakening in modern day Westchester,NY,along with a certain cranium deprived warrior.

Soon enough,Crane and his new partner,Lt. Abbie Mills realize that they have been tapped by fate(and possibly a secret coven of good witches) to bring the Horseman down in order to halt the end of the days. Pretty far fetched,even for network TV,I know and yet, this show does have a interesting spark or two worth exploring.

The two leads on this show(Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie) do possess a nice chemistry together and the pace of the plot is well balanced between the bizarre and the farcical. Not to mention that as a Westchester gal myself, it's nice to see this neck of woods represented here. So, I'll give Sleepy Hollow a strong shot at being a must-see mainstay on my dial and perhaps I won't be alone at that:

RANDOM NOTES:

THE EMMYS: I don't usually bother with this particular award show,as it rarely honors something I actually like and watch. However, with Neil Patrick Harris on board as host, it should be worth a look:

Jennifer Cody Epstein answers a literary prayer via The Gods of Heavenly Punishment.

The centerpiece of Jennifer Cody Epstein's second novel,The Gods of Heavenly Punishment,is the 1945 fire bombing of the city of Tokyo during the Second World War, with the major characters in this story illustrating the before,during and after math of that event.

One of the key pieces in this plot puzzle is Cam Richards,a soldier going off to war armed with a special keepsake by his beloved wife Lacey,a ring meant to ensure his safe return home to her. Cam joins the Air Force and is on the flight crew of an early attempt to bomb Japan,which ends badly in more ways than one.

Other major players connect during a dinner party in Karuizawa,Japan as two architects and their families celebrate their mutual success while hiding their private woes. Anton Reynolds feels somewhat out of place in life,especially with his wife and son Billy while Kenji Kobayashi and his European educated wife Hana have class differences that divide them emotionally. All of them are not expecting the impeding war to touch their lives and yet it does:

A most unexpected connection is made between Hana and Anton,who find relief from their emotional turmoil in one another's arms. Their affair is as discreet as possible yet Anton can tell that Hana's bitter disappointment over not being allowed to lead the life she truly wanted is something he can't or won't be able to fix.

Leaving Japan for other work gives him the opportunity to break off his ties with Hana without much of a goodbye but his memories of her  and their stolen moments haunt Anton still ,particularly years later as his building skills are called upon to help the U.S. military prepare for a more powerful attack upon Tokyo to win the war:

The true heart of TGOHP belongs to Yoshi,the daughter of Hana and Kenji who loses her innocence of heart as she bears witness to the disintegration of her family,along with the country during the harsh years of the war.

Over time,Yoshi becomes a reluctant caretaker of her unraveling mother,ashamed of the cruel blunt nature of her father and falls in love with a young man whose heart and soul changes during his time in service.

 She barely survives the horrors of the fire bombing in Tokyo and is given a rare chance to escape a dismal future due to a random encounter unknowingly connected to her past:

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment may not sound like a cheerful book and while the tone is serious,that does not mean that spending time with these characters is a depressing experience.

The intricate emotional portraits of the people,places and events of that time period are blended in an elegant style that not only teaches you more about the history regarding that part of WWII that you may not have known before,it also displays the resilience of the human soul trapped in situations both within and beyond their control.

 Jennifer Cody Epstein handles her prose with the skill of a calligrapher,adding emotional depth and tender touches of triumph and despair when needed.  If you haven't discovered her work just yet,now is the time to do so. The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is readily available at all literary outlets and I was pleased to be asked to be part of the blog tour for the book this fall.  My sincerest hope is that more readers tune into the amazing talents that the author has to offer:

Joanna Trollope's Sense & Sensibility heralds the arrival of The Austen Project

Many fans of Jane Austen's  original works are as equally interested in the fictional variations on them via sequels,prequels and re-imaginings from modern day authors. A group of writers not known for their Austenseque lit have come together to form the Austen Project,which will have each one of Austen's classic novel made over in their own personal style.

Starting with the first published book by Austen, Joanna Trollope introduces us to her take on Sense & Sensibility,which is due out in October. As I was fortunate enough to be sent an Advance Copy, I am more than eager to give my opinions upon this new version of the well known sisterly story.

The time frame of Trollope's S&S is set in present day England,where Dashwood sisters Elinor,Marianne and Margaret(who are often referred to as Ellie,M. and Mags at times) and their mother Belle are unduly being forced out of their home at Norland, due to the death of their father who only had a common law marriage to the second Mrs. Dashwood.

Their half brother John and his obnoxious wife Fanny quickly move in and start rearranging the entire household,giving not so subtle hints to the former family in residence to pack their bags.

One of the key elements in recreating an iconic story is in bringing both the heroes and villains to believable life without over exaggerating their best and worst features. Fanny Dashwood,however, is the sort of social ladder climber that can't be too overdone.

In Trollope's version,she seems to be the exact type of entitled diva who would fit right into a Real Housewives reality show and steal as many scenes as she could:

 The main heroines are also well defined, with Marianne being the most emotionally open(although her little sister Mags gives her a run for her money in the moody category) and  the most physically vulnerable, due to an inherited asthmatic condition.

She is musically inclined but prefers guitar to piano and is pretty much finished with school yet has no immediate plans for her future,unlike Elinor who has to put her architecture course on the back burner and immediately finds work in order to help the family out financially.

Marianne has no bones about barely tolerating the good natured Sir John Middleton(who is a successful manufacturer of hunting gear and outfits) who offers them a home and his extended family and friends such as Bill Brandon,a former military man that has turned a good portion of his estate at Delaford into a rehab center. She is all too enthusiastic in her relationship with Willoughby,aka "Wills", whose eager affections are suddenly broken off,leaving her in a state of misery that plays out as dramatically as any Taylor Swift ballad:

 Meanwhile,Elinor has to keep a brave face on about Ed Ferrars,who shares a mutual attraction to her but is under a lot of family pressure to find a more suitable girl ,money wise.

Things get even harder to bear as Lucy Steele(and her dippy sister Nancy) worms her way into Ellie's life by burdening her with the secret of Lucy's engagement to Ed. Lucy is also someone who would blend all too well into the modern mean girl society of today and you really feel for Ellie as she is called upon to be the strong shoulder that her immediate family leans on far too often:

Joanna Trollope does stick to the main track of the story yet does add a few twists of her own that play out well in the end. Insights into characters such as Mrs. Dashwood gives a more developed nuance to the modernized counterparts and yes, the Austen originals are in no way surpassed,however this updated edition does true justice to them.

 Even if you are completely familiar with S&S, this rendition offers up some real delights and makes this old fashioned novel feels as fresh and new as when it was first published. Joanna Trollope's S&S may even inspired new readers to take up the splendid source of this story,another bonus for the ever growing Austen army of admirers.

Next year will yield two more books in this series(Val McDermid tackles Northanger Abbey in the spring and Curtis Sittenfeld 's P&P is set for the fall of 2014) and I have to say that Joanna Trollope starts this party off just right. This version of Sense and Sensibility will be available on October 29 and should be a lovely bit of ivory for any Austen library to display:

Rounding up some friends for a Friday the 13th fear fest

Yes,today is Friday the 13th,the perfect excuse to watch a few good(or bad) horror movies before October rolls around. While you could go for the obvious choices here, it might be more fun to get together with a few friends or even watch on your own a few frightening examples of what happens when the whole "safety in numbers" concept goes horribly wrong.

First up is V/H/S, an anthology flick whose framing device is a group of rowdy guys who take a break from filming their chaotic antics to break into an old house to steal one videotape. As most of the group separates to search the place(that only has a seemingly dead man as it's occupant), one guy starts watching the five videotapes that make up most of the film.

A lot of those stories have groups of friends looking for trouble and finding more than they could handle,such as a trio of college kids picking up a pair of girls,one of whom turns out to be less than human and a four pack of buddies heading for a Halloween party but stumbling into the wrong house in more ways than one. Different types of video taping are showcased,from online video chats to handheld cameras and even a hidden eyeglass spy cam.

I saw this film over the weekend by chance(and it was late at night,making the experience extra spooky) and found myself impressed by the ingenuity of the multiple film makers on board here. While the found footage formula can get very routine these days and the horror anthology a rather old staple, this merging of both had real moments of startling creativity and suspense. A sequel was recently made and I'm more than willing to see if it stands up to the previous eerie effort:

 Next up is Identity,a thriller from 2003,that has a group of stranded strangers at a remote hotel becoming victims of a mystery killer one by one. As the lone survivor recounts what happened that night, a pattern emerges that reveals the connections amongst the members of this supposedly random gathering.

The cast of this movie is pretty impressive with the likes of Alfred Molina,Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet,Rebecca De Mornay and John Cusack who acts his little heart out here. The set-up of this story line is smarter than the average slasher film and while it wasn't a big hit when it first came out(it did make some money but not a lot of impact, pop culture wise), I feel that it's very underrated and deserves another look at and appreciation of:

Last but far from least is Tales From The Crypt Presents Demon Knight, based on the HBO series that revived the old school horror comics genre.

The main story of Demon Knight has a mystery man on the run(Will Sandler) hiding out at a run down motel from a creepy "Collector"(Billy Zane,in fine villain form) and who winds up having to recruit one of the locals(Jada Pinkett) to help him battle the forces of evil. Much like the early seasons of the cable show, it's gruesomely funny but scary smart as well.

I have great memories of this movie,since I saw it at a midnight preview thanks to the NYC Fangoria convention that year,where I meet  two of the screenplay writers(Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voff)and the screening was attended by one of the film's co-stars,B-movie legend Dick Miller. Also, if you're in the mood for a good old fashioned gore fest with a heap of humor and  characters worth cheering on, Demon Knight fills the bill nicely:

Whatever you watch tonight, I hope it's a great scary time had by all. Even if you do go for the traditional Friday the 13th fare, maybe that will spark some fresh conversations with your usual gang of fiendish friends:

Top Chef Masters wrestle with a meal,Big Jim goes all out evil Under The Dome and a peek at next year's Downton Abbey

Top Chef Masters got off to a surreal start this week,as guest judge Daniel Handler(aka Lemony Snicket,author of the off beat Series of Unfortunate Events books for kids) showed off his special brand of weird during the Quickfire.

The QF challenge was chosen by Douglas,due to his sous winning the Battle of the Sous Chefs, and not only did that particular helper appear(a replacement for the earlier gent,who had to leave due to a family emergency) but Douglas decided to aim his arrows at Sang here by selecting ketchup as the focal point of the dishes.

While I do agree that Sang has a point about ketchup possibly drowning out the flavors of a dish, banning it from his restaurants is a bit much. Douglas' choice backfired on him as his duck breast with ketchup and red miso was deemed to be a rather heavy entree by Handler.

Jennifer wound up taking the victory for her scallop served with ketchup sauce and fermented black beans. That didn't spare her,however,from the obstacle to come in the Elimination round.

The challenge was to make two Mexican style dishes for 300 folks attending a Lucha Vavoom wrestling event. At first, things seemed fine as everyone went shopping for ingredients but as soon as it was prep time, the boom was lowered.

Since Jennifer and Sang's sous chefs(all of the sous were on board to help out here) scored the lowest in their battle,they had to switch sides. Taking on someone not familiar with your cooking methods is rather daunting for something like this but it worked out well enough for one of them at least.

Bryan was hoping for a win,especially since he hasn't won anything for his charity so far. He did well enough to land in the Top Two,but alas no win just yet.

The judges did love his chile masa dumplings with braised beef tongue but his shrimp with chorizo and yellow corn porridge didn't quite rock the house for them.

Jennifer managed to beat him out with her shrimp,bass and scallop ceviche served with a plaintain crisp. The judges also appreciated her chile posole with shaved cabbage,liking the balance of flavors and textures within the dish.

At this point,Jennifer has won about twenty grand for her charity,Work Options for Women, a nice hefty sum. Congrats and keep up with the good work there,chef!

On the bottom were Douglas,David and Sang for varying degrees of lackluster approach with their food. David's quesdilla seemed more like a instant party food item(to Judge Gail) and the olives in his red snapper Veracruz overwhelmed the plate.

Douglas had immunity,which made the judges go over his food with more of a fine toothed comb. While they liked the shrimp and chorizo fritter that he made,the Bloody Maria drink that Douglas presented as his second dish felt phoned in.

Yet it was Sang sent off to pack his knives. The Thai approach taken with his shrimp cocktail didn't give it enough of a Mexican flavor,plus the fish sauce was pretty powerful on the palate. Not to mention that his pork shoulder barbacoa with slaw was mostly a salt bomb.

I really thought Sang was going to be in the finale but you never know with these things. He did at least earn thirty thousand for Worldwide Orphans,a very good cause and apparently from what I saw in the clips for next week, we won't be missing him for long!

Big Jim has been building up to some serious bad guy maneuvers Under The Dome but by now,the gloves are openly off.

It wasn't hard for him to convince the residents of Chester's Mills to accept his brand of marital law in order to hunt down Barbie and that loosening up of the search and seizure laws helped him to try and track down the mini Dome as well.

Dodee,without realizing his ill intentions,clued him in on the mini Dome's existence and brought Big Jim to her set-up at the radio station to listen in on the military radio signals that she was picking up. He freaked out when it was clear that the forces outside wanted Barbie to take charge of things in Chester's Mill and that his murder of Rev. Coggins was known to them.

Unfortunately,Dodee heard too much and Big Jim chose to add her to his list of "accidents" to blame on Barbie. I was sad to see her go,her character was a sharply smart one but perhaps too book savvy and trusting for her own good. At least she lived longer on the show than she did in the book:

Meanwhile,Barbie was able to hide Julia before Big Jim could silence her for good(thanks to Angie) as Joe and Norrie were smart enough to hide the mini Dome before Big Jim and his crew found it first.

The kids were hauled off to jail and later released,as part of a deal Big Jim struck with Barbie to go along with his "trial". So,we have at the next to the last episode,a frightened Julia,a number of other people now clued in about the mini Dome which is set to go off and do something and Barbie out and out defying Big Jim in public. The finale next week should be one hell of a show,I hope:

The fourth season of Downton Abbey won't be airing until January of 2014 but already news of what's to come is spreading like wildfire. Most of the info relates to the casting as Paul Giamatti will be appearing as Cora's feckless brother Harold(and yes, Shirley Maclaine will be showing up again as their mom).

Other new characters include Gary Carr as a jazz singer named Jack Ross,Dame Harriet Walter as an old friend of our beloved Dowager Countess Violet(one of her best known roles is as Fanny Dashwood in the 1995 Ang Lee directed and  Emma Thompson penned adaptation of Sense and Sensibility) and Tom Cullen as Lord Gillingham,a Crawley family friend.

Expected plot lines will of course include Mary dealing with her widowhood status and frankly, I wouldn't rush her into another relationship just yet. Give the poor woman time to truly grieve before shoving a new man at her already! I am looking forward to seeing a stronger side of her sister Edith and finding out how things are going between Bates and Anna,along with the rest of the folks assembled for what will be the final season of this delightful series:

RANDOM NOTES:

THE WHITE QUEEN: Things are heating up on this Starz saga of the War of the Roses and it certainly is making Saturday night viewing well worth the wait for. Catch it if you can,folks:

Browsing thru the literary offerings at the Movie Trailer Park this fall

Movies based on books come out at just about all times of the year but fall films in particular seem to attract more than their fair share of shelf worthy adaptations. Included in that lot are films with literary themes,which also seem to be more suit to autumn audiences,according to the studios, anyway.

Let's flip through a handful of such upcoming releases,starting with Saving Mr. Banks that stars Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers who wrote the Mary Poppins series of books(sort of the J.K. Rowling of her day) and is being courted by Walt Disney(Tom Hanks) to allow the first one to be made into one of their family films.

Naturally,she is reluctant to have her work turned into a cartoonish corporate creation and puts up a good fight,only to be persuaded by Disney who is tuned into her daddy issues. While it is true that Travers resisted and then relented on making Mary Poppins a movie,she was less than pleased with the animated portions of the final product and refused to allow the three other titles to be adapted.

As someone who did read all of the Mary Poppins books as a kid(no dancing penguins in any of them,by the way) and does enjoy the Disney musical version even so,this sounds like an interesting movie. However,since this is a Disney production, odds are that certain elements will be slanted in their favor:

Nest up is a more serious story involving children,The Book Thief,based on Markus Zusak, about Liesel, a nine year girl in 1930s Germany who is taken in by a foster family(Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson) begins to steal books as a way of dealing with the loss of her brother and then later as a means of coping with the rise of the Nazi party and WWII.

The book won several awards and while it does have a dark theme,there is a touch of fantasy as the story is narrated by Death,who takes a strong interest in Liesel's plight. That plot point will be present in the film and seeing how well that is pulled off is one of the reasons to check this out:

Speaking of fantasy,the next chapter of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit will be out and about in time for the holidays. Called "The Desolation of Smaug",our hero Bilbo Baggins will be encountering the title dragon as Gandalf deals with the battles between elves,dwarves and the occasional evil wizard.

I still don't see why this had to be a three part film,but far be it for me to deny Tolkien fans their epic entertainment. However,some of them are a bit peeved at the addition of characters not found in the original book(such as Evangeline Lily's warrior elf maiden) but if you're being invited to a cinematic feast in your honor,why quibble over an extra course there?:

The most anticipated book related film in this lot is the second installment of The Hunger Games:Catching Fire, where Jennifer Laurence reprises her role as Katniss Everdeen,whose victory with Peeta is causing more trouble that she ever expected.

During their victory tour of the Capitol cities,Katniss awakens the spark of revolution amongst the downtrodden District citizens and in order to quell the possible uprising,the powers that be hold a special version of the games. Only past winners are called upon to play,which raises the stakes considerably. If this film is as great as the previous one, it will be hard to wait for Part Three to commerce:

Not all book connected movies are winners,but it never hurts to hope. Sometimes you get lucky enough to find a film that inspires you to read the most likely even better book and other times,it's the literary equivalent of snake eyes.  It would be helpful if Hollywood wasn't so quick to jump on the bandwagon of what ever seems to be in vogue at the moment and actually took the time to see what went right in bringing certain books to life on screen the right way. Then again,that's even more of a fantasy than any book or film could imagine there:

Does this new documentary truly cast light upon the shadow of Salinger?

One of the big releases into movie theaters this weekend is Salinger,a documentary about the legendary writer(which comes complete with a tie-in book) that claims to open the lid on the Pandora's box that was his life.

The film talks to fans as well as fellow writers and people who did interact in J.D. Salinger's limited world,plus reveals that a number of previously  unpublished works of his will start to see the light of day on bookshelves within the next few years.

That's good news for lit folk,however,most of the reviews of the film find the documentary to be rather bombastic in tone and an overall badly done bio for any writer,let alone one famously known to hate "phonies". How well this will do at the box office is yet to be determined but I'm sure the film makers are hoping for some Oscar buzz:

 I don't have plans to run out and see this movie,regardless of the reviews,but I am concerned about what I consider to be an important element in discussing J.D. Salinger's personal life and that is Joyce Maynard.

An author in her own right,best known for her novel To Die For(which became a Nicole Kidman film),Joyce Maynard had some controversy sent her way after the publication of her memoir At Home In the World,which talked about the troubled relationship between her and Salinger.

Maynard was 19 when he at age 53 contacted her to praise the article she had written for New York Times magazine and his pursuit of her lead to their living together for nearly a year. The balance of the relationship kept him in control and Maynard was emotionally as well as sexually manipulated until he grew tired of her company and abruptly sent her away.

It took her twenty five years to even consider talking about the impact of that time period upon her openly and she did receive some flack for "betraying" Salinger's trust,which was and is ridiculous in my opinion. Yes, I read AHITW and as a reader, I know the truth when I see it in print:

Joyce Maynard was interviewed for the film(as well as another woman who was drawn into Salinger's life when she was 14 and he was 40) and has said to find the finished product lacking in regards to discussing that unseemly aspect of his nature.

Fortunately,she has more positive things to focus on right now,such as the impending film release of Labor Day,an adaptation of her 2009 novel(it's a great read,I strongly recommend it) but it still troubles me that this documentary may be glossing over such a pertinent detail into Salinger's psyche.

 Whenever you look into the life and times of a major artist, it is tempting to paint the subject in the most flattering light and even slightly adjusting some of the less than perfect features of their persona to suit your needs is an injustice to those wanting to gleam true insight about what made this person the creative force that they were. Worse still is the possible excuse making for certain behavior,which is easier to forgive when the people involved are long dead and buried.

A diligent biographer,regardless of medium, should embrace their subject with a firm desire to accept both their good and bad traits as part and parcel of the deal in showcasing him or her to the rest of the world. Downplaying the negative facts is just as much of a disservice as overlooking or ignoring them altogether.

 Salinger isn't the only writer to get this sort of blind adulation but there comes a time when you need to evolve your feelings and face the truth that someone who may have been a great influence in your world view was a rotten bastard in many ways. Charles Dickens is one of the greatest authors the world has ever known and yet, most of his modern day biographers acknowledge his terrible faults as a husband and a father,which to my mind only enhances the turbulent nature of his work:

 The temptation to rewrite an artistic hero's life is understandable. However, if your aim is to be perceived as a serious biographer or documentary film maker,your standards of truth in presentation need to be set higher than most.

I know that other documentaries in the past have debated the notion of "truth in advertising" in their depictions of a person or cause but it can severely undercut your ultimate goal by framing the actual facts in a frame that serves your purpose(rather than the audience's)the best.

In the end,Salinger the documentary will rouse a renewed interest in the man's current body of work and at least that may achieve something good there. It's too bad that finding a real literary hero may be something best left to the realm of fiction:

Top Chef Masters deal with a fishy situation,power plays Under The Dome and the dangers of Cutthroat Kitchen

First things first on Top Chef Masters this week,as it was announced that the two eliminated chefs from last time went up against each other during The Battle of the Sous Chefs and the winner was Jennifer.

She returned to the competition in time to get a Quickfire Challenge from Ali Larter(loved her in Heroes). Everyone had to make their own version of nachos and since the closest that I've come to that is Doritos,I was interested to see an elevated take on the well known snack food.

Ali and Curtis Stone were most delighted with Douglas Keane's "deconstructed" rendition,which included a salsa consumme served in a shot glass.

Douglas won the round and earned his immunity(since that option wasn't up for grabs during the sous chef battle,it had to be won here). No penalties were handed out to the others this time but obstacles still await them for the Elimination Challenge.

The six remaining chefs were then tasked with making hot and cold fish entrees(to be served on the same plate) at a local seafood restaurant called Duke's. They broke up into teams of two and had to shop for supplies without knowing which protein they would be working with the following day.

The fish choices were made the next morning and the infamous TC knife pull determined in what order each team would be able to select either John Dory,sea bass or sable.

Douglas and Jennifer had first choice and they went with the John Dory,that they prepared two ways.one kimchi style and the other crispy.

The judges adored the texture of both portions and even commented that it felt as if one chef was behind the wheel here. They won the challenge,each receiving five grand for their charities(Doug,Green Dog Rescue,Jennifer Work Options for Women).

 Sang and Bryan wound up with sable fish and their two part plate was one of the teams on the Bottom this time. Sang's fish was dashi cured and it  tasted so unpleasant Curtis actually spat it out(so not good!). Part of the trouble with Sang's fish was that he originally intended to use wood chips to create a smoky flavor but couldn't find any at the store.

His substitution of charred cucumber did enhance the emulsion but the protein was lukewarm and mushy,two things you don't desire in a fish plate.

Bryan's BBQ fish with pine nuts and soy bubbles went over much better yet the real problem was the obvious disconnect between the two offerings of fish. Bryan acknowledged that he and Sang have very different styles of cooking,which is fine but the point of this exercise was to blend the best of each together for a great plate.

Fortunately for them,David and Neal's sea bass duet was a major dud and Neal was the one who had to pack his knives and go. His crudo cut was packed with sinew and he should have gone for a tartare instead.

David's couscous served on the side of his Mediterranean glazed bass was oily and while his fish was well cooked,a tad over spiced as well. Sorry,Neal-better luck next time!  Speaking of next time,Lucha wrestlers will be on deck for another big themed challenge and there will be a switch up for the sous. Should be fun!

More strange happenings Under The Dome occurred as a mysterious funnel cloud in the sky was unleashed,threatening the limited landscape below.

 That weather wonder was due either to Junior having another break up snit with Angie(who should realize by now that a psycho ex-boyfriend is not going to be a reliable ally in an unexplained phenomenon situation) or Julia being shot by Maxine,take your pick!

As soon as Julia was stabilized,Barbie teamed up with Big Jim to deal with Maxine once and for all. She was ready and waiting for them(with a hench man on hand),not to mention being in a bad mood after finding her mom drowned,thanks to Big Jim. A couple of throw downs later and Team Barbie had the upper hand. However,our potential hero made the classic mistake of trusting in his less than trustworthy ally and was quickly framed for murder. Come on,Dale,show a little more sense!:

Meanwhile,Junior and Angie managed to call a truce and teamed back up with Joe and Norrie to confront the mega Dome. When the four of them touched it together,a vision of a bloody Big Jim appeared before them,which upset Junior of course.

Since the kids also saw bloody knives in their hand,the obvious conclusion was that they were intended to take down Big Jim,whose plan to rule over Chester's Mill is now getting started. With the finale a couple of episodes away, my best guess is that Big Jim won't be given the Julius Caesar treatment just yet(unless it's a cliffhanger for next year):

The newest cooking competition show on Food Network is Cutthroat Kitchen,hosted by foodie favorite Alton Brown. This show is a bit more down and dirty than the likes of Chopped,as the four chefs called forth are given 25 grand apiece in order to bid on sabotages to their fellow players.

The last chef standing is able to keep what cash she/he has left and these "auctions" are no joke.

  A standard one is for a basket which allows the winner to take an item away from someone and some of the others include switching out the main ingredient for an inferior product(cottage cheese for a cheese steak,for example) or making one of your opponents do without cooking materials such as cutlery or a proper stove.

 One episode that I saw had a chef being allowed to only use tin foil for her utensils and pans! This is not your typical FN fare and while I know that many people find it too mean spirited, do keep in mind that the name of the show is Cutthroat Kitchen,not Cuddlebear Kitchen,seriously. Give it a shot,that's all I'm saying:

RANDOM NOTES:

TOTALLY BIASED WITH W. KAMAU BELL: Last season's fresh new late night comedy series is now on five nights a week at FXX and still as sharp as it ever was. Bell might be able to give Stewart and Colbert a run for their satirical money here and it will be more fun to watch that the VMA's were,no doubt about it:

Is it worth getting all a-flutter over Fifty Shades of Grey movie news?

I'm not a big fan of the whole Fifty Shades of Grey deal,however since the revelation of who will be starring in the big screen version slated for next summer is making international headlines, it seemed like the right time to toss my two cents in.

Cast as the leads for FSOG are Charlie Hunnam(best known for his lead role on TV's Sons of Anarchy) and Dakota Johnson(who was a star player in the short lived sitcom Ben And Kate). Hunnam's a very good actor and while I'm not familiar with Ms. Johnson's work,both of these actors do have a real opportunity to either make or break their careers with this film.

 It's not prudishness that turns me off to any major promotion for this film,it's just that I am less than impressed by the whole whoop-de-doo over this publishing phenomenon,not to mention that I find the term "mommy porn" to be rather patronizing.

I haven't read any of the books in the trilogy(which has fallen under the eye of censorship at local libraries) but neither would I prevent anyone from doing so or enjoying the upcoming movie.

 Although if pressed, I would recommend either checking out a site like Smart Bitches,Trashy Novels(which is included in my blog links on the side) for better written examples of the genre or sampling a few fantasy novels with rather saucy love scenes(Jacqueline Carey's" Kushiel books and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander saga) for a more satisfying romp in the metaphoric hay.

Fifty Shades of Grey may have a shiny candy coating of kink there but something tells me this that is really old  genre ground being dug up yet again to shock the middle classes:

That being said,it doesn't automatically mean that this will be a bad movie. Many a lackluster written yet popular book has been improved(or at least made watchable) by a big screen adaptation,which may be literary heresy to some but true in quite a few cases,nonetheless.

 For one thing, the content of the book will more than likely be watered down to meet the criteria for a respectable "R" rating,which will annoy some of the fans but seats will still be filled at multiplexes there.

 How that will affect the plot line and characters is yet to be seen and hopefully for the readers, the complete intent of the material won't be too compromised(much like the differences between Hannibal the book and it's movie version).

Also,a better take on the overall arch of the plot might be better served by the screenwriter. Kelly Marcel(who has written the screenplay for the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks movie this fall) has been tapped for the job and perhaps she will offer a more empowering slant to the controlling relationship between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

 Writer/director Mary Harron was able to turn the controversial upscale slasher novel American Psycho into a stinging social satire that gave audiences a smartly savage look at the coldness of corporate privileged classes of that time.

 Whether you came away from the film thinking that Patrick Bateman was either a delusional drug addict or a maniac trapped by his step on the social ladder to have his brutal rebellion taken seriously, it was a vast improvement upon the off putting tone of the original novel(which I tried to read but gave up on it quickly):

 This just doesn't apply to shock fest stuff only;even the most mainstream material can be elevated by a good script. The Bridges of Madison County was a book that I did read and regret still to this day(the only good thing about that experience was that the copy I had was gladly given to me by a relative who didn't want it back-should've been a sign unto me!).

The film could have easily turned into the pretentious sap story that the novel was but fortunately,director/leading man Clint Eastwood had top notch writer Richard LaGravenese on board.

 He added on sequences that had the children of the woman whose brief tryst with a roaming photographer enliven her life discover her letters and journal about the whole affair, a development that brought the emotional plot points to a more mature level. Also, dialogue between the romantic pair showcased the fears and doubts of their situation,making that small window of time they shared together all the more meaningful. It's not a movie that I would rush off to see again but it certainly was far better than I expected it to be:

I'm not saying that Fifty Shades of Grey will be Oscar winning fare,by any means,but who knows, it might be worth a look when the time comes. Perhaps now that we know who will be in it,folks can calm down about FSOG until later next year. At the very least, the film should provide fresh new fodder for comedians everywhere:

Flipping through the fantasy options for fall TV

Happy Labor Day,folks,and with the start of the fall season comes a fresh crop of TV programming. Our focus for today is on a handful of debuting shows that all share a fantastical theme with plot lines straight out of classic scare fests, a well known children's tale and comic book lore. Let's take a look and if all that glimmers is really gold:

SLEEPY HOLLOW: The legend of the Headless Horseman gets a modern day upgrade,as this Fox series has Ichabod Crane(Tom Mison) as a secret agent for George Washington who seems to die on duty but is revived in present day Sleepy Hollow.

Also returning from the beyond with him is the horseman,who may have been summoned by an occult group seeking to bring about the end of the world(don't they always?). Crane teams up with newly appointed sheriff Abbie(Nicole Beharie) and also gets a little assistance from the ghost of his wife Katrina(Katia Winter). Granted, Tim Burton has covered this territory on film before,with Johnny Depp being his usual odd as a cod self, but that was strictly a period piece and this clash of cultures concept might work for the short term.

How long they can keep this going should be interesting to see and it doesn't hurt that Mison is pretty easy on the eyes(hey, I'm not made of stone,okay?). At the very least, the pilot might be worth checking out:

DRACULA: Another easy on the eyes actor,Jonathan Rhys Meyers, stars here as the iconic vampire king who arrives in Victorian London under the guise of an American business man.

His main objective is to take revenge on those who betrayed him in the past but while doing so,is falling in love with a woman who may be the reincarnation of his dead wife(quite an old Drac trope to haul out of storage there!).

This series is being touted as a "limited run"(only ten episodes were given the go-ahead) and it does look like a hefty chunk of change was invested in this production. Rhys Meyers had both the talent and the looks to pull this off but it's going to take a solid set of scripts to see if Dracula is ready to rise from the tomb yet again:

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND: This spin-off to the surprisingly successful Once Upon a Time has it's heroine in a mental asylum in Victorian London, where her tales of living in another world are
not believed by the staff.

Alice(Sophie Lowe) is offered a "cure" for her woe,particularly her heartbreak over losing the the love of her life,a genie named Cyrus(Peter Gadiot). Before she is able to go through with it, the appearance of the Knave of Hearts and the White Rabbit opens a door back to Wonderland where her true love may still be alive.

While I'm not into OUAT and much of this story reminds me of Zack Snyder's ill conceived Sucker Punch, this might appeal strongly to Alice in Wonderland fans(which are legion) as well as the regular fan base for the original show. Wait and see sounds like the right approach for this one:

AGENTS OF S.H.E.I.L.D.: Marvel has decided to return to television with Joss Whedon on deck to bring this action packed series to small screen life.

 While most of the crew from The Avengers movie will not be directly part of this show,other than Agent Phil Coulson(Clark Gregg) and Maria Hill(Cobie Smulders), there will be references made to them as well as other superhuman characters being introduced. Most of the focus is intended on the very regular human agents trying to save the world from the forces of evil in any form.

High hopes are on this one,especially with Whedon on board and bringing a few friends with him such as J. August Richards(who played Gunn on the Buffy spin-off Angel) as a newly emerged superhero and Ron Glass(an alum from Firefly).

Others will follow,no doubt and since Whedon hasn't really worked before with ABC since his days as a staff writer on Roseanne,there are no burnt bridges to be rebuilt here,unlike at Fox. Plus, having the considerable weight of Marvel on your side may be a great help in flexing any creative muscle needed. I will give this a shot and cross my fingers for it to last-I resisted watching Dollhouse because I didn't want to fall in love with another doomed Whedon series but AOS sounds like it's worth the risk:

Well,we will soon see which of these flights of fancy can truly spread it's wings and fly. Besides, fan boys and girls need something new to argue about,now that the big summer movie season is over: