Under the Dome.

So, Under the Dome is not on Netflix, however it is streaming on Amazon Prime.  So if you have Prime then I suggest you go check it out.  It's based on a Stephen King book and Stephen King is really awesome.  I'm from Maine, King's from Maine, so basically that means we're both cool, right?  Don't answer that.

Under the Dome has become a small obsession.  Caleb and I were a little late jumping on that train.  Probably because we don't have cable and don't always hear about the new shows.  We blasted right through the first seven episodes that were available and now wait impatiently for a new episode to air every Friday on Amazon.  The first season will run thirteen episodes and has already been renewed for a second season.  Hallelujah!

 
I don't know what it is about Stephen King but his work is so often turned into movies, television series, or mini-series.  I guess he's just that good!  King always has his hand in all of his screen adaptations so maybe that is why his work is so successful.  He has been around for ages and has written many novels and short stories and screenplays.... The man does it all!  I will forever be a Stephen King fan.  I love horror and I love his creativity.  Though, I do question his sanity sometimes because he writes some messed up stuff.  Check out that cow above that got chopped perfectly in half by the dome!  You get to see that cow get halved in the opening to every episode.

Under the Dome features quite a few main characters.  There does not seem to be one protagonist so I'll list the most prominent characters:

• Joe McAlister: Colin Ford is probably best known for playing Young Sam Winchester in the show Supernatural.  He also voices Jake in the children's animated series Jake and the Never Land Pirates.
• Angie McAlister: I know Britt Robertson from the short lived series Life Unexpected.  She starred in another CW series called The Secret Circle.  She's been in a lot of stuff actually!  She was in Scream 4 and I'm always up for new Scream movies.
• Norrie Calvert-Hill: Mackenzie Lintz has a short acting resume!  She was an extra in The Hunger Games and has a small role on the show Drop Dead Diva.  I like her so I hope she continues acting as a career.
• Dale "Barbie" Barbara: The ever handsome and mysterious Mike Vogel has been in quite a few titles including Grounded for Life which now that I think about it I totally remember him in!
• Julia Shumway: Most of you will recognize Rachelle Lefevre from her sadly short-lived stint as Victoria in Twilight and New Moon.  She was replaced and not for the better.  She will always be the greater Victoria!  She was also in this SUPER creepy thriller called The Caller.  I highly highly highly recommend that one.
• Linda Esquevil: Natalie Martinez is a face and name that I do not recognize.  Upon investigation I found that she plays Detectives an awful lot!  Hmm, that must be her thing!
• "Big Jim" Jim Rennie: Ahhh, good ole' Dean Norris!  I'm sure you all recognize Norris from Breaking Bad.  It's actually quite hard to watch Under the Dome and not think of him as Hank from Breaking Bad.  He's totally bad-ass and I don't know why anyone messes with this guy.
• "Junior" Jim Rennie, Jr.: Alexander Koch's resume is also a bit short.  He was in two shorts and had an appearance on an episode of Underemployed.
• And a shout out to Beth Broderick, who played Rose Twitchell the dinner owner.  Broderick was Aunt Zelda on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  One of my ALL TIME favorite shows ever.  So she needed to be mentioned.

So, that's quite a cast!  Even the unknown names are great, I think.  Sometimes the acting falls a little short but I wonder if that's the characters and not necessarily the acting.

Under the Dome can be rather predictable.  But only at times!  Caleb and I love to make predictions while we watch movies or shows so this one is perfect for us.  We'll both shout out something that's about to happen and when it does we get so excited.  On the other hand, occasionally that dome throws us a curve that we did not expect.

It's a unique plot for sure, so kudos to Stephen King for writing yet another fantastic novel and keeping his creativity right in there for the television series.  I have yet to see his cameo, though!  Maybe he saves those just for the movie adaptations.

If you haven't checked it out yet and if you have Amazon Prime then go watch this right now!  It may also be available to watching on CBS.com but I haven't checked that out myself.  It's worth watching because of how unusual the plot is.  A giant dome comes down over the town of Chester's Mill and no one can get out or get in.  Even after a military bomb the dome is still standing strong!  I can't even imagine what the second season of this series has in store for us but I am excited to find out.  Check out the intense preview below!  If this doesn't make you want to watch it then I don't know what will.

Hotel Babylon.

Wow, so I completely forgot to write yesterday.  Also, school will be starting for me next week so I may be writing less.  I will try to continue every other day but I may get bogged down in too much school work.

Now on to more important things.  Hotel Babylon is my new favorite show.  I cannot even describe how much I love this show.  It's a British series that ran from 2006 to 2009.  It stars a bunch of people that look familiar but I have no idea who they are.  The show is just so great!  I was hooked from the first episode and have been exclusively watching it for the past few days.

I'm in the second season right now and there are four seasons.  Normally I like to watch an entire series before I write about it but this one couldn't wait.  I have slightly ruined it for myself by looking at IMDB because now I know a couple of the current main characters will be leaving the show soon because they're only in half the episodes that the other main characters are in.  I can see how they're giving the long-term characters more responsibility and air-time as they prepare for others to leave.  So that's interesting to watch.

The show is about eight staff at the five-star hotel Babylon who get into trouble, get out of trouble, have fun, and help their strange guests.

• Rebecca, played by Tamzin Outhwaite, is the hotel general manager.
• Charlie, played by Max Beesley, is the deputy manager.
• Tony, played by Dexter Fletcher, is the concierge.
• Jackie, played by Natalie Mendoza, is the head of housekeeping.
• Anna, played by Emma Pierson, is the lovely and scheming head of reception.
• James, played by Raymond Coulthard, is head of waitstaff I think.  His title is not clear but he does wait tables and he's in charge of ordering wine.
• Ben, played by Michael Obiora, is the token gay man of the show.  He works reception with Anna.
• Then there is the head bartender Gino, played by Martin Marquez.  Now, when I first started watching the show I thought he was Spanish.  According to his last name and IMDB profile, he is Spanish!  But for a while on the show they made him seem Italian.  Then, on the last season they clearly state that he's Spanish when a Spanish boxer stays at the hotel.  I'm not sure why there was confusion but he's definitely Spanish, don't let the name Gino fool you!

I believe there will be other main characters as the show goes on but these are the current stars.  They started in the series so they're most important.  After Rebecca leaves as Managers, Charlie takes over for a while.  Then he decides to leave as well and some other young guy, they slowly introduced, takes over.  But only for a few episodes and then he suddenly is gone and some lady is in his place.  So, once the main characters leave it gets a little dicey on who exactly is in charge.  Still a great show but I can see why it ended after four seasons.

Each episode focuses on one main theme.  The voice of Charlie usually introduces the episode while scenes of guests coming in are playing, then the opening theme song plays.  One great episode was about how guests should never pick-on the employees as employees will get revenge.  The episode featured a group of soccer (or football as they say in England) players who completely disrespect all the staff and in the end they learned a BIG lesson.  Somehow, the staff never get into trouble for their shenanigans.  I guess that's poetic license, huh?

Hotel Babylon gives an interesting look into management and hotel life.  Of course, I have no idea how much of the show is factual but I'm sure it is truthful on some level.  Within the series you learn about staff, guests, guests of guests, and how a hotel is run.  Hotel Babylon is funny, dramatic, and well made.  It has music that reminds me of Charlies Angel's, it's kind of fantastical.

I highly recommend  you check out Hotel Babylon!  It ran four seasons so there is a good chunk of show to watch.  It's always sad when you get into a show and then realize it only ran for one season so don't fear this one!  Check out this hilarious clip of Gino showing off his "gay walk" for Charlie and Ben.  Gino wanted lessons on how to act gay so that he could get better tips at the bar from a customer.  Always trying to make money on this show!

Any Day Now.

I watched a movie recently on Netflix called Any Day Now that reduced me to a crying mess.  The movie is about a gay couple in the 70s who struggle to get custody of a fifteen-year-old boy with down syndrome.  A gay couple in the 70s would have been enough.  A down syndrome boy would have been enough.  The combination sent me over the edge, though.  The movie is touching, sad, happy, wonderful, and very well made.

Alan Cumming plays Rudy Donatello, a drag singer in a gay bar who lives in a small studio apartment.  Donatello meets lawyer Paul Fliger, played by Garret Dillahunt, and the two fall in love and move in together within a few short days.  They take in Donatello's neighbor Marco, played by the talented Isaac Leyva, and the three start the most glorious family you could ever imagine.  They are so happy!  And they make this kid, who has had a crappy life with his low-life mother, so happy!  What more could anyone ask for?  Well, it's the 70s so people are not too keen on homosexual relationships, especially when children are involved.  It doesn't matter if it's best for Marco to be with Rudy and Paul, the court system sucks and bigots suck and everyone just sucks.

The ending of this movie will rip your heart out, stomp on it, grind it into oblivion, all while you're crying your eyes out.  Just to warn you.  You might go through an entire box or two of tissues.

Garret Dillahunt is AMAZING.  He plays Burt Chance on Raising Hope.  If you haven't watched Raising Hope than I suggest you do!  It's streaming on Netflix and it's hilarious.  It's a half-hour sitcom about a poor family raising a baby and getting into all sorts of silly antics.  Dillahunt is very funny in the show but he plays serious well.  Any Day Now is a serious drama and his acting shines.  He was also in the remake of The Last House on the Left in which he plays a super creepy, horrible dude.

Then we have Alan Cumming.  Dude's been in everything.  My favorites are Spice World and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.  How can the dance scene at the end of Romy and Michele not be your favorite scene from a movie ever?

These two, with the edition of Isaac Leyva in his only role ever, makes for a great movie.  I don't even know what else to say about it.  It's just so good!  It's one of those movies that speaks to me.  I felt empowered, for some reason, while watching it.

I think you should check it out.  Right now.  Do it.  It will pull at all of your heartstrings but it's worth it.  Original, well made and acted, and streaming right now on Netflix.  Perfect!  It's also based on a true story.  You never know how much of it is true but that's always something to think about.  If the part about two people wanting this perfect child with down syndrome is true then daaaaang.  I can't even.

Here's the trailer.  Usually trailers are not good enough but this one is fantastic.  I cried, just now, watching it.  My favorite part of the entire movie is when Marco cries in his new bedroom.  Please get tissues on hand for this empowering film.  Best quote ever: "I don't see why he should be punished any more for stuff that ain't his fault."  You said in Allan Cumming! You said it.

Saved by the Bell.

Saved by the Bell is streaming on Netflix!  I love this show.  It brings back all those amazing youthful feelings of happiness and being carefree.  I was born in 1991 but that doesn't mean I was too young to appreciate all the music and television shows that the 90s had to offer.  When I first started watching Saved by the Bell again I found the show kind of hard to take.  It's dorky and immature and the story lines are absurd.  It got better through it and I'm glad I pushed onward.  So if you try watching these again and think "this show is stupid, why did I ever like it?"  Just keep trying! You can do it!

The series ran from 1989 to 1993 and then had Saved by the Bell: The College Years as a spin off.  Not as good, of course, but I still watched it.  The show was actually a spin off from something called Good Morning, Miss Bliss.  Disney picked up the series for thirteen episodes, where the teacher, Miss Bliss, was the main character and the secondary characters were Mr. Belding, Zack, Screech, Lisa, Nikki, and Mikey.  Now, if you watch the first season of Saved by the Bell on Netflix you'll see that these characters are all featured.  So I'm gonna take a leap here and say that the first season of Saved by the Bell is actually the show Good Morning, Miss Bliss.  After the first season the characters change; we now have Zack, Screech, Lisa, and Mr. Belding plus Kelly, Jessie, and of course A.C. Slater.

Saved by the Bell has a great cast and stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack, Dustin Diamond as Screech, Lark Voorhies as Lisa, Dennis Haskins as Mr. Belding, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen as Kelly, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie, and Mario Lopez as Slater.  What have they all been up to since the show?

• Mark-Paul Gosselaar hasn't been in anything big that I've seen but he has had recurring roles on Franklin & Bash, Raising the Bar, and D.C.
• Dustin Diamond is an interesting dude who made a BIG splash on Celebrity Fit Club in 2008.  He has a foul mouth and giant attitude.  I can't even remember if he lost weight or not, all I remember is that he left the show and then came back.  He was also on Hollywood Squares in 2003.  That show was awesome.  OH!  Dustin also wrote an "insider" book in 2009 called Behind the Bell in which he spilled lot's of secrets.  Most of which his colleagues claim are not true.  Oh Dustin, you will always be Screech no matter how hard you try, sorry!  Even if you have allegedly had sex with 2,000 women.
• Lark Voorhies has been in all kinds of stuff since her Bayside years but nothing I've ever heard of.  She was in The Bold and the Beautiful from 1995-1996 but that's the only significant title I recognize.
• Dennis Haskins, the man, has been in just about everything.  He was in all the seasons of Saved by the Bell, including the spin-offs.
• Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, aside from being a mom, was most notably in Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1994-2000.  Which is an impressive run.  So she's been in two long television series.  Good for you Tiffani!
• You can see Elizabeth Berkley's breasts in Show Girls if you want.  She's been in lot's of other stuff but nothing really compares to Show Girls in 1995.  I mean, she plays a ruthless exotic dancer in Las Vegas! What's not to like?
• Finally there is the ever-so-popular, Mario Lopez.  Mario has been in loads of lame movies, like stuff on ABC Family.  Which I still love and will happily admit.  He has been the dorky but studly host of The X Factor, Mario Lopez: One on One, H8R, America's Best Dance Crew, and Pet Star.  Plus he's just been on EVERYTHING.  Seriously. Whether he's the host, a guest, or a contestant, he's been on too many things to list.  What a guy!

So the show did have some drama towards the end of the series.  Thiessen and Berkley refused to renew their contracts so the character of Tori, played by Leanna Creel, was added to replace them.  Tori is only in half of the episodes of the final season.  So it's really confusing to watch because suddenly Kelly and Jessie are there, then they aren't, then there they are again!  They filmed the graduation scenes while Thiessen and Berkley were still around and mixed the Tori episodes in the middle.  It's super confusing and weird but I am glad Kelly and Jessie graduation scenes were filmed so the original, favorite crew was all together for everyone to say goodbye to their Bayside friends.

If you love this show as much as I always have then give it another go!  It's streaming on Netflix right now!  If you've never seen the show before, well I'm not sure how you'll feel about it.  Let me know!  It's very 90s so beware but it's also totally amazing.

One really unique thing about Saved by the Bell is how Zack talks to the audience.  Something will be happening and he'll just stop and talk directly into the camera.  Here's a ridiculous clip that literally made me laugh out loud.

Mary and Max.

Mary Daisy Dinkle and Max Jerry Horovitz are two unlikely friends in the 2009 clay-animated black comedy called Mary and Max.

Mary and Max, directed by Adam Elliot, is a tale about two pen pals: Australian eight-year-old Mary and American forty-four-year-old Max.  Mary finds Max's number in a phone book at the post office and writes him a letter to ask where babies come from in America.  Mary's adult questions give overweight, anxiety ridden Max anxiety attacks every time he receives her letters.  Eventually, he needs to be institutionalized after one of her letters and when he stops writing Mary freaks out and pretends to forget about him.

This movie is incredible!  It is now one of my all-time favorites.  It really hit me.  I shed a lot of tears while watching and felt oddly empowered by the movie.  It's about being different and only having one other person in the world understand who you really are.  It's about overcoming the difficulties life has thrown at you and beating all the odds.  It's about friendship and love.  It's really about self-discovery and growing up.

The movie not only has an incredible story-line but great claymation and voice acting as well!  Mary is voiced by my all time favorite actress ever, Toni Collette.  Toni Collette has starred in some of my favorite programs ever like United States of Tara where she plays a mother with multiple personality disorder.  She's also fantastic in In Her Shoes, Little Miss Sunshine, Connie and Carla, Clockwatchers, and Muriel's Wedding just name my favorites.  She's AMAZING. I could go on and on.

Max is voiced by the talented and super cool Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Hoffman has been in everything from The Hunger Games to Along Came Polly to Charlie Wilson's War.  This guy does it all!  He is hilarious in comedies and great in his very serious roles.  I'll never be able to forget him in Along Came Polly as Ben Stiller's very strange friend who sharted at a party.  Also, I found this awesome picture of him playing basketball from the movie and ALWAYS thought he was saying "Letter A" and not "Let it rain."  Learn something new everyday!

I really could go on all day about Toni and Philip but this is about Mary and Max.  Apparently, according to the director, the movie is based off true events.  The character of Max is based off Elliot's own pen-pal in New York.  According to sources from Wiki, the movie took about 57 weeks to shoot and used 133 separate sets, 212 puppets, and 475 miniature props including a fully functioning Underwood typewriter which apparently took 9 weeks to design and build.

I really love the look and feel of a good claymation.  I've seen videos of people making claymation's and it takes a lot of hard work and time!  They set up the puppets then move them, take a picture, move a little, take a picture, and so on and so forth.  It's a long process but worth it in the end for how amazing it looks.

If you like claymation, Australia, Toni, Philip, weird storylines, and general awesomeness then check out this movie!  It really left a mark on me and I'm not sure why.  It's streaming right now on Netflix!  Here's the trailer. I couldn't find anything better than a trailer but at least you can hear how wonderful the music is in this movie.

Also, because I love Along Came Polly here's a clip of Sandy taking what is obviously his spotlight.  Just give him the freedom to rock out, guys!  Also, please note his outfit.  It's tight and makes him even funnier.  I never realized how much I love Philip Seymour Hoffman until this moment.

Top Of The Lake.

Top o' lake to ya!  Okay, that's Caleb's dad joke and I will not make it again.

I finished watching Top of the Lake last night and I now have mixed feelings about it.  Top of the Lake is a seven episode mini-series set and filmed in New Zealand.  It's sort of a thriller/horror/mystery/drama and I definitely recommend it.  The show was written and created by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, neither of whose previous filmography I am familiar with.

The show is about twelve-year-old Tui, played by Jacquline Joe, who tries killing herself after discovering she's pregnant.  Tui is so young that she doesn't even really understand what's happening to her.  She does not know how or why the baby got inside her or how it's going to come out.  Detective Robin Griffin, played by the oh so talented Elizabeth Moss, is obsessively determined to solve this case.  The picture above is of Tui entering "Paradise."  She's running away and this land is no paradise, that's for sure.

Robin is back in her home town to care for her dying mother when the local police (a woman called her, by the way.  I find that interesting) ask for her help because she is trained in working with children.  The policeman treat her like absolute trash, even though she is much smarter than they are.  Despite having to work with these pigs (haha, get it? Pigs?) she presses forward through the difficulty of small town secrets and lies.

With the help of her former high school boyfriend and current lover Johnno, played by the handsome Thomas M. Wright, she goes after the town bad-guy Matt.  Matt, played by Peter Mullan, is Johnno's father.... or is he?..... and he has all kinds of tricks up his sleeve.  Matt is also Tui's father and Johnno's half-sister.  Seems like Matt has children all over town.  That scum bag.

Top of the Lake is dramatic and the end took a turn that I NEVER saw coming.  In fact, it seemed random and I'm wondering if I should watch it again in case I missed something.

Oh also, what the heck is Holly Hunter doing in this show?  Her character GJ is like some sort of weird, self-help guru who is actually rather mean.  Wardrobe gave her this terrible, long gray wig that looks like a wig.  And she wears these strange, out of style, mega high-waisted brown pants.  And Hunter isn't a very good actress in this but I don't think it's her fault.  Her character is just so weird!  I don't have any other good adjectives to describe it.  The whole thing confuses me.  GJ did have one good line, though.  When Tui asked her how to get the baby out she simply replied, "Follow the body.  It will know what to do."  And boy did it.

I really did like this mini-series.  Mini-series are odd because it's like watching a really short show or a really long movie.  This one has so many twists and turns and drama and and and.... I don't even know what else to say about it.  It was so good!  I am confused about the ending and that in turn confused me about my feelings on the show as a whole.  I suggest you watch it if you haven't already.  Each episode is about 40-50min long, there are seven episodes, and I think you'll enjoy it.

New Zealand is gorgeous so Top of the Lake has some great shots of the land.  Plus, the accents are fabulous and that's always a plus in my book!

Check out the video below.  It has a trailer to introduce the show and some behind the scenes looks with the show creators.  Interesting to me how much Holly Hunter in the trailer when her character has such a small role in the show.  Guess they needed one big(ish) name to help promote them.

What Dreams May Come.

Hamlet" (Act 3, Scene 1): "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause..."

Hamlet just happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play and within that quote is "what dreams may come" which is the title of a movie I watched recently on Netflix.  That particular day was full of movie watching for me.  It was my day off, I had nothing else to do, no one was around, so I watched at least five movies in a row.  And they were all good!  The best was What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams.

The movie came out in 1998 and I had never heard of it before, which is too bad because it is wonderful.  I was only seven when it came out so that's probably why I hadn't heard of it but I'm glad I have now seen it.  It is imaginative, original, well acted, and it has Robin Williams.  I love that guy!  I had not seen one of his films in a while so it was refreshing.  In this film he is both funny and serious, the best of both worlds I think.

Basically, the movie is about a man who goes to the afterlife after dying in a car crash.  You could call it heaven but really it is whatever one wants it to be.  For Chris Nielsen his heaven is a painting by his suffering wife.  Everything in this afterlife world is made of paint!  I found this fascinating!  It looks so real and fun and I am impressed by the graphics of this movie.  After his wife commits suicide she goes to hell because that is where suicides go.  Chris Nielsen will not accept that and leaves his heaven to try and save his wife.

The way heaven and hell are portrayed is different from anything I've ever seen before.  It was beautiful and that's how I would like to picture the afterlife from now on.  The best part of this afterlife is that if people want to be reincarnated they can!  Or if they want to stay in heaven, they can!  How wonderful to think we could all choose that!

What Dreams May Come was shot mostly on Fuji Velvia film, which is quite rare, and is known for its vivid color reproduction.  Filming for the hell scenes took place on the hull of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany while is was at Mare Island in California.  That same ship was later sunk to make an artificial reef in 2006.

The original prints of the film were lost in the back-lot fire at Universal Studios on June 1, 2008.  That devastation led to a worldwide search for a copy and one was found in Europe.

The movie is based off a novel and the plot differs greatly.  The novel is less about the love story and more scientific than fantastic.  There are some major plot differences but I don't want to give anything important away in case you decide to watch this.

This movie is really fantastic.  It is now one of my favorite films and I cannot wait to watch it again sometime.  It completely changed how I think about heaven and hell.  It doesn't matter if it's true or not because no one really knows what the afterlife will be like until we die and experience it for ourselves.  If you're afraid of dying then you should definitely watch this movie because it makes it seem less scary.

So, give it try!  It's streaming right now on Netflix and it's worth the watch.  Check out my favorite scene below, when Chris decides to leave his wife Annie on earth and discovers his heaven.  Enjoy!

Breaking Bad.

Bryan Cranston is the man.  You cannot get cooler than a chemistry teacher with cancer turned criminal cooking meth.  He rocks bald better than anyone, in fact it makes him look even more bad-ass.

If you don't already know the greatness I am talking about, it's Breaking Bad.  Breaking Bad is a series created and produced by Vince Gilligan and first premiered in January 2008.  The show is set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico and follows the story of chemistry teacher Walter White and former student Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. Walter discovers he has lung cancer and wants to secure his families financial future before he dies.  So, with the help of drug addict Jesse the two manufacture and sell methamphetamine.  Like all television shows, this shit gets dramatic.  Very dramatic.

The show features a stellar cast, music, settings, storyline, and just overall awesomeness.  It's a show I did not think I would like but was talked into watching.  I breezed through the first two seasons on Netflix like it was nothing.  Then I got stuck in season three.  Apparently that happens, or so I was told.  It took me a long time to get through it and I took a hiatus from watching the show.  Finally I got back into season four and hope to catch up soon to the final season which is currently running on AMC.

Breaking Bad has some great characters and actors.  Anna Gunn plays Skyler White, Walters wife.  Betsy Brant plays Marie Schrader, Hanks wife and Skyler's sister.  And then there's the talented Dean Norris who plays Hank Schrader.  Schrader has been in a number of television series including the current Under the Dome, which is a mini-series by Stephen King.  If you have Amazon Prime you can watch all the current episodes of Under the Dome for free.

Breaking Bad is one of those programs where you cheer for the bad guys.  Walter and Jesse are the main characters, we all root for them but they are breaking the law big time!  They cook crystal meth!  Yet, they make you understand their feelings and the show can be a real roller-coaster of emotions.

Series creator Vince Gilligan was afraid his show would be too similar to Weeds but I think it stands independently on it's own.  Weeds always felt more like a comedy to me and Breaking Bad is definitely a drama.  The series, with its writing and characters, feels unique and the show becomes addictive.

Gilligan uses the help of Dr. Donna Nelson at the University of Oklahoma to check chemistry facts and make sure the scientific information is all correct.  Dr. Nelson will write down chemical equations and structures that the show uses as props.  While the show does not have a full-time person on to assist checking facts, Gilligan wanted to be sure all the information was correct so Dr. Nelson is on call when an expert is needed.

Here's a bunch more neat facts from IMDB:

• The actor who plays Walt Jr., RJ Mitt, actually has cerebral palsy in real life.  Mitt's condition is much milder than Walt Jr's, so he learned to walk with crutches and slow his speech for the part.
•  Characters on the show who are smoking meth are actually smoking sugar or rock candy but do not inhale
•  In the beginning of each episode, the chemical formula C10H15N along with the number 149.24 and the word "Meth" can be seen just before the title Breaking Bad appears. C10H15N is the formula for methamphetamine, which has the molecular weight of 149.24.
• Bryan Cranston stated in an interview that the term "breaking bad" is a southern colloquialism and it means when someone who has taken a turn off the path of the straight and narrow, when they've gone wrong. And that could be for that day or for a lifetime
• Betsy Brant was pregnant during season two. Whenever she reached the point in the pregnancy that Skyler was supposed to be, the producers would do pick-up shots with her as the fake bare belly on Anna Gunn.
• 10 actors cast on the show have previously appeared in the Vince Gilligan produced The X-Files.
• Sony and AMC were initially reluctant to cast Bryan Cranston because of his previous comedic roles and considered both John Cusack and Matthew Broderick for Walter White. When they both declined, Vince Gilligan got to cast Cranston.
•  Bryan Cranston has a Breaking Bad tattoo on his ring finger.
•  The first episode to the second half of Season 5 is dedicated to Kevin Cordasco, a teen Superfan of the show who died of cancer in March of 2013. Before his death Kevin was able to meet Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, and other prominent members of the Breaking Bad family, and he was even offered the chance to read the final scripts of the series so he would know how the show ends. Kevin denied, as he didn't think he could keep the secret

So, basically, Breaking Bad is awesome.  I am super glad that Cranston was cast as Walter White because I cannot even imagine Cusack or Broderick in that role.  I love both of them but this role needed a slightly lesser known face.  As I've stated before, I love when unknown actors (even if they're just unknown to me) are cast in movies and shows.

If you haven't already, please go check out the first four and half seasons streaming on Netflix right now.  Netflix is on it and offers the most up-to-date season of the series.  Season five, the final season, was broken up into two parts and the first half is available on Netflix.  If you get bogged down in season three just press on!  You will get through it!  If you are already a Breaking Bad lover then enjoy the new episodes of the final season.

One of my favorite things about Breaking Bad is Jesse Pinkman and his mouth.  He ends most sentences with "bitch" so please enjoy the video montage of Jesse using his favorite word.

AAADVENTURE TIME!

What time is it? Adventure time!  Adventure Time is the most glorious of all cartoons.  Starting in 2010, this hand-drawn cartoon created by Pendleton Ward on Cartoon Network has gathered an impressive following.  It's almost like a cult-hit, the fans are hardcore about the show, people dress up as the characters at Comic-Con.  I even dressed up like Princess Bubblegum for Halloween last year!

The series follows the sweet adventures of Finn the human and Jake the dog.  Together in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, Finn and Jake have fun, battle bad guys, make friends, and learn plenty of lessons.  The show is really geared more towards teenagers and adults, it's not exactly kid-friendly.  So give it a try!  The first season is available to stream on Netflix, there are three other seasons you'll probably end up wanting to find elsewhere.  The fifth season is currently playing on Cartoon Network, so if you have cable then flip on the television!

Along with Finn and Jake are a few more fun recurring characters like Princess Bubblegum, The Ice King, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and my favorite Lumpy Space Princess.  Most of the voicing actors are people I am unfamiliar with but Cloris Leachman and George Takei voiced a couple episodes and they're both mega cool.  Below is George's character, the very creepy Ricardio the Heart Guy.

Each episode of Adventure Time is only about twelve minutes long but apparently it takes about nine months to complete just one.  It's like growing a baby!  I think one of the reasons I love this show so much is that it's hand-drawn.  Computers are neat and all but I love some good old fashioned hand-drawn hard work.  Also, the actors all do their lines together in one room, rather than recording separately as many cartoons do.  That just makes it all the better!  This show is obviously made with a lot of love, laughter, and hard work.  The writing is hilarious, the animation is fantastic, and the show is unique.  What more could you ask for?

So please, check this one out!  If you like weird and good then this the animated series for you!  Check it the math out, okay?!

Here's some most excellent LSP moments.  Like, what the lump?

The Reef.

It's still Shark Week right?  Well, I decided another shark movie would be a good idea.  I came across The Reef last night while browsing Netflix and decided to give it a try.  It was a good decision because the movie was great!  I've seen it around on Netflix but thought it looked stupid; you know, just another dumb college kids giant shark film.  Luckily, it was none of those things.
 

I was happily surprised to see actual adults!  They weren't partying, naked, or drunk.  Already, within the first 10 minutes I was happy.  The movie is about four friends coming together in Australia to go on a boat when it capsizes!  The main dude decides the best option is for them to all swim back to an island they were at the day before.  Ten miles away.  In the open ocean.  In Australia.  Sounds like a horror movie to me!  The captain decides to stay behind on top of the capsized boat while the four friends swim their way to the island.

It was even before this point that I had predicted the order of which everyone would die.  I was almost correct!  I think it's fun to predict what's going to happen when watching movies or television shows.  It keeps me from getting bored and losing interest.

The Reef is an Australian horror film directed by Andrew Traucki and was released in 2010.  The Reef was Traucki's second film and his filmography includes all Australian horror.  Being an Australian film, I was unfamiliar with the cast but sometimes that can be a good thing.  Especially in horror, it is nice not to see familiar faces in movies because some big names are too well-known to see eaten by a shark.

Unlike 2-Headed Shark Attack, this movie is not hokey and is much more realistic.  It's a regular shark eating regular people.  They even used shots of real sharks which is super awesome and does not usually happen.  I guess because shark movies are often about giant sharks, two-headed sharks, dinosharks, or octosharks to name a few.  I mean, you can't really use real footage of that!  So kudos to the filmmakers for finally giving us a real shark movie.

The one thing that is silly about The Reef is that probably a shark won't eat people or follow you while you swim in the ocean.  The only reason sharks ever bite humans is because they're curious creatures and think we're something else.  In this movie, when the shark bites the first guy in half it comes back and eats the rest of him.  I'm pretty positive that would not actually happen.  Of course, if the movie were totally realistic then it wouldn't be very entertaining.  Poetic license is a very useful tool.

To celebrate this last day of Shark Week, the cool people's favorite week of the year, please turn on Netflix and stream this excellent shark movie.  Enjoy the movie trailer below, it was the only clip I could find!  Also, apparently this movie is based on some true events.  I have a feeling it was pretty loosely based.

2-Headed Shark Attack.

Nothing says Shark Week better than watching 2-Headed Shark Attack!  This movie is hilariously bad.  It's one of those B-horrors that is so bad it's good.  First of all, it stars Brooke Hogan.  That should say it all.
 

The tagline for the movie is "1 body, 2 heads & 6,000 teeth!"  Um, it that supposed to be scary? This movie is just ridiculous but I enjoyed it!  It's like watching all the Tremors movies.  The first one is good, the second one is good, and the rest are awesomely bad.  It's almost as if they know the movie will be bad so they make fun of themselves.  Also, if you haven't watched the entire set of Tremors than you should. Numbers two and three are available to stream on Netflix.

Along with Hogan are such actors like Carmen Electra, Charlie O'Connell, and a host of young unknowns who should probably stay away from acting.  As you may have already guessed, I found the acting quite terrible.  The film came out in 2012.  I had heard about the movie in 2011 while watching a SyFy show called Monster Man where Cleve Hall created the puppet form of the two-headed shark.  It was Cleve's idea to give the shark two separate heads, as the movie creators originally wanted a second head coming out of the forehead.  That episode of Monster Man showed the creation of the shark head and even the filming of a scene where the shark eats two characters.  The scene was shot in a pool, Cleve was behind the shark puppet controlling its movements, and the two actresses had fake blood in their mouth to spit out when the shark bit them.  Apparently that left an impression on me as I watched the movie about a month ago on Netflix, a couple years after first hearing about it.

Only a few scenes used the puppet, the rest was CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), which I'm not a huge fan of in horror movies.  CGI can do many cool things but often times it looks so fake that a puppet would be cooler.  I  watch a lot of horror and I'm more entertained by puppets and more impressed by the overall feeling it gives to movies.  Yes, of course there are times when CGI is mega awesome and looks so real you think, how did they do that? In this particular case, the puppet shark has way more impact than the computer animated shark.

As a monster movie, and more specifically a giant shark movie, 2-Headed Shark Attack is a great one to watch in celebration of Shark Week!  I enjoyed the movie, the good and the bad.  I made fun of it, I laughed, gasped, and probably even hid my face a time or two.  I was completely enthralled the entire movie and I get bored fairly easily.  If you like monster movies where a giant two-headed shark attacks a boat of college age kids in bathing suits then this is the flick for you!  Enjoy!

Here's a clip of the body count for 2-Headed Shark Attack.  It's very graphic and bloody but remember that it's all fake.  Please notice how much better the close-ups of the puppet look over the full-body CGI shark.  Happy Shark Week!

Big Fish.

Big Fish is one of my all-time favorite movies.  The film is directed by the incredible Tim Burton, whose filmography includes Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissor Hands, and my favorite movie ever Beetlejuice.  Burton is known for his weird and wacky settings, stories, and writing.  The term "Burtonesque" is sometimes used to describe movies that resemble a Tim Burton film.  The dark humor of his movies are probably what draws me to his work as an artist.

Big Fish is both different from other Burton films and the same.  The movie is not as dark and deathly as much of his other work but it has that same feel to it.  It was only recently, after having seen the movie for probably the sixth time, that I learned that Burton directed this movie.  That made it all the better!

The film was released in 2003, which was ten years ago by the way.  The film in no way feels outdated yet, because most of it is set in flashbacks and stories of when the main character Edward Bloom was a young man.  Edward Bloom, as an old man, is rehashing his life to his son Will through tall tales.  Edward senior is played by Albert Finney and Edward junior is played by Ewan McGregor.  Two talented men share the spotlight of playing the strange role of Edward Bloom.

Along with Finney and McGregor are plenty more big and talented names. Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, and Danny Devito to just name the big ones.  Jessica Lange stars in American Horror Story right now, an excellent show even though it was hard for me to get into.  Helena Bonham Carter is married to Tim Burton, has acted in many of his movies, and of course is well known for her role in the Harry Potter films as Bellatrix Lestrange.  Steve Buscemi has appeared in just about everything!  My favorite is The Wedding Singer but more recently he was in the movie Grown Ups.  Danny Devito is a big name and he currently stars in the comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The favorite character from Big Fish is definitely Karl.  Karl is a misunderstood giant until young Edward Bloom talks to him, cleans him up, and helps him join a circus run by Devito's character.  Karl is played by the late and great Matthew McGrory who died in 2005.  McGrory was 7' 6" in real life but in Big Fish was meant to look over ten feet tall so a lot of camera tricks were used to make him look extra large.  There is so much trivia on this guy!  Apparently, he holds the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest shoe size not caused by Elephantiasis.  He wore a size 29 1/2.  He is also listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as "The Tallest Actor."  He was born fifteen pounds! Also, he was friends with Bam Margera and would hang out with his crew.  How cool is this guy?  HE WAS FRIENDS WITH BAM.

Also! Miley Cyrus has a very small role in the beginning of Big Fish.  I am not a fan of Miley but I still think it's cool that this was one of her first roles on the big screen.  She plays Ruthie, one of young Edwards friends who goes to see the witch.  It's very brief but she made a big enough impression on fans who realized it was her.  Check out the clip below of her cameo!

This movie is a tear-jerker, just to warn you if you have not yet seen it.  It's available to stream on Netflix right now, so make sure you watch while you have a chance.  It's so amazing.  Just the director and cast should be enough to make anyone want to watch this film.  The story is great, too!  All his life Edward Bloom told tall tales and in the end Edward became what he always was: a very big fish.  I want to cry just thinking about it.  The ending is so perfect.  If satisfying endings are important to you then you'll like this one.

"Did you ever think that you're not too big and that this town is just too small?"  Check out the first sighting of Karl below when he meets Edward for the first time.  What a gem this gentle giant is!

Now, "let's get out of here!"

Netflix Original Series.

In 2009 Netflix starting creating their own original programs.  I hadn't heard of anything until House of Cards came out in February 2013.
 

House of Cards is a thirteen-episode long political drama.  It stars none other than the talented Kevin Spacey as the conniving genius Francis Underwood.  This show is fantastic.  It's well made, acted, casted, and written.  The settings and scenes are gorgeous!  Everything is placed just so.  I hate politics but this show is too good to pass up.  So if you haven't checked it out yet then I suggest you do.  You'll love it, trust me.

Then on May 26, 2013, the next (semi) Original Series by Netflix was of course Arrested Development.  Originally the show aired in 2003 and ran with a serious fan base! It was those same fans who convinced Netflix to bring the series back.  The show is in a totally different format.  Each episode is about one cast member specifically and all the episodes end up tying together.  It's still funny and I still love it but I do not laugh the same as I did at the original show.  However, MAJOR KUDOS to Netflix for giving the hardcore fans what they wanted.  And remember: There's always money in the banana stand.

Most recently Netflix released the first thirteen-episode long season of Orange Is The New Black.  This show rocks.  Everything about it is wonderful.  If you haven't already then go read this to learn more about the show.

Those three series are it for what I've watched of the Original Series.  There's Hemlock Grove but I heard it's kind of strange and I didn't feel like wasting my time.  But I'm sure I'll end up watching it anyway and I'll let you know how it is.  Oh! There is the new Mako Mermaids series which is based off the Australian show H2O.  Even though H2O is played on Teen Nick and I'm technically too old, I still watch it and like it.  So, of course, I watched the first episode of the Netflix re-boot Mako Mermaids.  It appears to be a prequel to H2O, except it doesn't quite work because it's set in modern time.  It's still well made, though.  I'm impressed with how well made Netflix Originals are.

Looks like there are at least four new series to look for on Netflix late this year and next year: an animation, another drama, a sci-fi drama, and some sort of stand-up comedy which doesn't interest me.  So keep your eyes peeled for all the goodness coming to Netflix.

Netflix was established in 1997, started distributing in 1999, and now in 2013 Netflix has over 33-million subscribers.  2013 saw the real rise of Netflix as a competitor of cable and network television.  Netflix became a streaming service and apparently "hopes to one day revolutionize TV by making television ratings obsolete."  That literally made me laugh out loud but they are definitely on the right path to making that goal a reality!

The company is the first to have a web series earn a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Series for House of Cards (which earned a total of nine nominations, by the way).  That nomination is definitely deserved!  Arrested Development and Hemlock Grove also earned nominations.

Netflix is doing incredibly well right now.  Almost everyone I know has a Netflix subscription.  If you don't, then you can't rent movies! Unless you have a RedBox near by, but those don't always have what you want inside.  Netflix completely demolished video rental stores like Movie Gallery and Blockbuster.  I don't have any in my area anymore.  It's sad but at the same time, go Netflix!  It's impressive what one company can do.

I wasn't sure what kind of video would go along with this post best.  So on a completely unrelated note, here's a song by the talented Caleb Orion.