Character death? Did someone say character death? Did someone let George R. R. Martin into the writer’s room? My guess is that yes, he was there, talking about football and when to destroy the dreams and potential of whichever particular character that you were just starting to like.

Make no mistake, I loved this season, and that’s part of why. I really dislike kid gloves, and Season 3 takes off the kid gloves, takes off the adult gloves, and peels off three layers of skin from the hands. And then, at the very end, it chops off your hands, slaps you with them, and then takes you out to a movie and buys you dinner.

There’s not much that I can say about this season without spoilerizing it. I’ll just leave this little teaser for you. At least four of the last five Cylons are revealed. Five stars. And I have it on good authority that Season 4 is even -more- screwed up. I can’t wait!

I’d never pictured the dude from Fight Club, Edward Norton, as a tough guy. Really, as a muscley guy at all. And as a skinhead? Woah. This movie was truly amazing, and nailed nearly every single thing I look for in a movie. I was caught up, I was emotionally involved and invested in the characters, and the ending wasn’t rushed and didn’t take the easy way out. I really didn’t expect to see the girl from The Craft there, either. If you get the chance, see this movie. Five stars.

Apparently, I was on a bit of a skinhead run. Maybe I’m trying to figure out my cousin. Who knows? This one was recommended to me a while back, but I don’t remember who did it. This one’s got a bit more of an innocent cast to it than the other, due to the age and circumstances of the main character. Again, I was invested in the characters, and it was a great film. You could tell that it was an independent film, but the actors were amazing. The actor that played Tommy in Snatch was another surprise showing. That man can play really diverse roles. The ending was inevitable, but not labored. Four stars.

I’ve been wanting to see this one for a long time, and I’m glad it’s finally come up in my queue. In the end, it’s a straightforward piece that presents its science and facts upfront, without any obfuscation. Plain speech, for once. Sure, there are the emotional cues and it is skewed toward its premise – humanity is causing an unprecedented rise in CO2 in the atmosphere, and the link between CO2 level and global temperature.

I’m going to do what I can. Four stars.

So, pretty much all of my friends have been tossing around BSG lingo like it was, you know, English, for quite some time. So, of course, I get around to watching Season 1 just as Season 4 is coming out on TV. I’m on top of trends like politicians on truth. Which is to say, not at all. Anyway, the first season was frakking awesome. I could probably rant for a few hours about how much I hated the 70’s version, and now I’m thanking the writery gods for the inspiration that brought this dramatic sci-fi awesomeness into the world. I will be taking up an offer of seasons 2, 2.5, and RAZOR on loan, just so that I don’t have to wait for Netflix. After all of the damage and carnage, though, I have to wonder how they’ve got more than, like, three Vipers any more. Also, the first season’s cliffhanger = OMGWTFBBQ NO YOU DID NOT!! And details like a museum with the 70’s Cylons in them, the newer versions being obvious upgrades, and then the red pulse up and down the spine of the humanoid Cylons? The details added so much depth to the series… just, wow. Please, for the love of the Lords of Kobol, do not comment with spoilers.

5 out of 5 stars.

I’ve been intrigued by Michael Moore’s documentaries for a long time. I mean, with all of the publicity that he gets, how could I not? Especially with the MSU hats he wears around. Anyway, I decided to start with his first (that I know of).

I was born in Flint, MI. My Dad worked the AC Spark Plug line there. I grew up, until I was 8 or 9, in Clio, outside of Flint. I’ve also got a soft spot for Detroit. Hell, like Michael Moore, I moved out to San Francisco, figured out it wasn’t for me very quickly, and then moved back. This movie just… I identified with it throughout the entire thing. I am sad for Michigan, for Flint, for Detroit, and for Lansing. I also have a fierce pride and hope for my home state. I see all of the potential in the ruined factories, the abandoned houses, the foreclosure signs. I know what we could be, if we really, really wanted it. But how many people want it that badly?

Four out of five stars.

Leaps and bounds and jumps and more leaps ahead of Shaun of the Dead. The main character reminded me of Horatio from CSI: Miami, but without the over-the-top I’ll-catch-the-bad-guy lines. Oh, wait, no. Definitely with the over-the-top lines. Much, many, scads, lots of those lines.

Also, gore. Gratuitous, squishy, bloody gore. Yay for gore! The bit of the church coming down on the reporter was the best.

I really liked this one, even through a massive sinus headache and slight nausea (could have been temporary con crud, could have been sleep dep, who knows). I gave it four stars.

I had added this movie to my queue because it’s one of the few Kevin Spacey movies that I hadn’t seen. From The Usual Suspects to K-PAX to Superman Returns, I’m a pretty big fan of his acting ability and style. I’d heard that it was more of a chick-flick than I’m used to, and I’d heard some poor things about Helen Hunt’s performance. So,I was skeptical when I popped it into the PS2. I was pleasantly surprised.

Be warned, this movie is a tear-jerker. I don’t know if it’s the idealism and hope that I used to so easily espouse. I don’t know if it’s the way in which I ended up caring for and about the characters. I don’t know what it was, but it definitely tugged at my heartstrings.

I would definitely recommend this movie. I rated it 5/5 stars.

This movie was a big old bowl of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. And I mean that in a good way. For the first half of the movie, I was just embarassed for every single character. As it went on, it felt like somebody had secretly replaced my brain with Folger’s Crystals to see if I’d notice. When I finished watching the thing, I sat there, staring at the credits for a while. It took a day or so to fully digest how I felt about it, and then I realized… this is what happens for the few months before every single CSI episode. There was evidence to incriminate all involved, whether they were guilty or not. And yet, the victim was so happy. Just… my brain bleeds, and in such a good way, when I think about this movie.

I was not expecting anything but a straightforward bank robbery/hostage movie when I popped this one in the DVD player. I was a tad surprised when I witnessed the politics, backstabbing, and back and forth that I’d expect to see at a well-run and well-played Vampire LARP. I’ve never really been big into Spike Lee movies, and perhaps I just needed a push in the right direction. Also, the nods toward noir and Dick Tracy style were beautiful. Definitely an entertaining cop movie.