Rupert Grint Doing It!

I guess he's the spokesperson for some Band of Outsiders clothing line, but yeah let's be honest, he just shot to the top of the must party list.

A Brief Update on James Bond

This James Bond business never goes out of style does it? Ok, ok, relax "Quantum of Solace" wasn't that good, it suffered some serious "Chaos Cinema" sickness, and when I say "serious" I mean I had almost no idea what was going on for the bulk of the film. But hey, wait, let's knock Bond too much because as you probably know...James Bond will return next November for his 23rd adventure. Here's a brief update to shake you up!

The Location
Haf the fun of these Bond flicks is seeing all the exotic locations (more on other exotic elements of the films later) and news today announced that filming is confirmed to be taking place in India, specifically in Goa, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Other locations will certainly be announced, but for now this is the only confirmed spot on the map

The Cast
Obviously Daniel Craig is back as 007. His boss "M" played by Judi Dench will be returning as well. But here is where it gets interesting. Three names have constantly been circled regarding the 23rd outing and 2/3 are highly promising, the third being a bit of a wild card. The two big names are Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes. It's unconfirmed what role they will be playing but it is safe to assume one of the two will be the villain. Considering both are responsible for some of cinema's greatest on-screen villains, we are going to be in for a treat. The third and final name is Ben Wishaw, a big time British actor who could one day be Bond*.

The Babes

Bond movies gotta have babes, fact of life, kind of like jelly sandwiches gotta have peanut butter. No female names have been added to the cast, but if the old rumors are true, we could be seeing Frieda Pinto and Oliva Wilde join the cast. I'm cool with that.

The Action
Part of the reason that they're shooting in India is because a massive sequence in the film is going to involve an epic throw down on a cargo train. How very "Uncharted" for JB.

The Story
Got nothing for you, but it's rumored to involve trains. See Above

The Score
Serbian Cellist Jelena Mihailovic has been set to write the score for the film. This is a pretty different tune from the days of "Die Another Day" but with Jack White and Alicia Keys doing the music for the last film, guess someone in the Bond world really wants to go super indie/hip with the score.


Som people are saying the film will be called "Carte Blanche" but I'm hearing that's bogus.  That's all I got, stay tuned for more updates!

TPG's Chemistry Class: Episode 7 Problem Dog

Do I even need to say how good this episode was? How delicious is that "Pollos Hermanos" when the drink comes with Gus Fring fingerprints? How fun is the video game? Just how joyful is the joyride? How was the fruit platter?


1. Just get it over with will ya. Just give Aaron Paul the Emmy. Honestly, that scene in rehab, are you serious? Man, often times people talk about "Breaking Bad' and besides the usual "Oh mann, Breaking Bad is the shit" you often get the "I can't believe that's the Dad from Malcolm In The Middle," yeah I get it, but now it should be "Aaron Paul is the truth" when people bring up the show.

2. Game on! We now have our third "Breaking Bad" video game reference for those who have been counting. Earlier this season we got Badger and Skinny Pete discussing "Resident Evil" and "Left 4 Dead," then we go Pinkman's "Sonic Racing" kick, and now we've hit a next level of video game reality because Jesse was playing a game that isn't even out yet: RAGE. Didn't you love this scene though? It was a peak into Jesse's psyche but also a commentary on video game violence. Shooting mutants in the face in a virtual world is just like and shooting Vegan mutant chemists in real world!

3. Saul is a good character made great by Bob Odenkirk's inspired acting and I loved his line about the problems of finding hit-men: "They know Mike and Mike knows them!" Yes Saul, Mike the Cleaner is one of the most interesting, well acted, and bad-ass characters on TV. That being said, if you're looking for predictions one of them will be dead before the season is over. Mike or Saul? They could ice Saul but then they wouldn't get as many laughs or they could dispose of Mike and they wouldn't get...well Jonathan Banks genius work. Your pick.

4. I used to think I had a handle on Jesse's loyalty and based off AMC's Facebook poll they want viewers to start guessing. I have two theories going: What I Want To Have Happen - I want Jesse to kill Walter and take over the empire (this would be the most shocking and satisfying) What I Think Will Happen - Jesse is going to try to kill Gus, but won't be able to because of loyalty to him/Mike, but  Walt will get it done.

5. Loved that instead of saying "quit" while playing the video-game, Jesse chose "Restart." This whole mentality of a "restart" was also present when he was painting over his walls. He may change his surroundings, but he's still trapped, locked into a situation with Gus, Mike, Walt, his own demons, and the Meth. How he handles that situation now is yet to be seen.

6. I don't know about the process of time but Hank progressed from walker to cane in one episode and made his biggest leap forward in chasing down Heisenberg ever. Who his physical therapist this is dynamite! Also, it should be noted that he abandoned the walker only after eating Los Pollos Hermanos, so perhaps the chicken has got a lil extra somethin somethin that heals him faster.

7. Maurcie Compte who plays Gaff, aka the Cartel based villain to Gus succesfully out "Gussed" "Gus, kind of looks like the spanish Corey Feldman.

8. When Jesse was giving his big speech in rehab about the Dog, his acting was so on point I really started to think of Gale as a Dog. Really that not that hard when you think about it.

Escape from City 17 Part Two Has Arrived (Half Life Short)

Years ago I covered this story in the press, now part 2 is here!

The 10 Positions Steve Jobs Could Be Moving Onto

Let me be clear, I love Apple. The iphone, ibook, ipad, and appletv (dayum when did I end up with all of those) are great and make my life easier and better. So while it's "sad" that Steve Jobs is no longer the bossman, here are ten jobs that he could potentially fill.

1. See above, clearly the top of the Jedi Council. I'm talking the Yoda positon, even though with his long ass turtle ass neck and bald dome he does kind of loook like Ki-Adi-Mundi. If you're not like Perlin or Rizzla and don't have ample ammount of Star Wars knowledge, check out this link.

2. Considering the Earthquake in the northeast is just a recent sign of the coming apocalypse, one must hope that Jobs left Apple to focus on saving us from whatever is coming in 2012 (unless of course Apple will become Skynet in 2012, then we are all screwed)

3. Joining the Avengers or The Justice League or joining one and then buying the other one to destroy the competition

4. High ranking tech/leadership position on the Council of Elrond.

5. He could run for President, that's all I'm saying.

6. Considering this photo from extremely *trustworthy* site Kiwileaks this photo shows that Jobs has been reverse engineering alien technology for years.  Now that the Ipad 2 is out and snow crash is imminent, he needs more tech so is becoming Luke/The Last Starfighter/Ender/Sheppard to travel the galaxy looking for alien tech.

7. Something to do with Transformers but I can't come up with a good story, all I can think about is 3D explosions and fighting.

8. Finally going back into Tron to rescue The Dude/Flynn and also go play secret DJ sets with Daft Punk at the End of the Line club

9. He's teaming up with Caesar the ape...no?

10. God (shitttt brahhhhhhhhh)

TPG's Chemistry Class:Episode 6 Cornered

Sorry this one is late, I've been busy buying automobiles and ruining small business owner's dreams. Whoah, that wasn't me talking that was Walter White. So here we are again, another stellar episode of "Breaking Bad," this one titled "Cornered." Let's grab our shovels and get into it.


1. Do you think this season has been slow or underwhelming? More and more people have been telling me that they miss the craziness of previous seasons with their diabolical mexican twin assassins and intense desert sojourns. To all those people, I understand your concerns but I don't feel ya. The show has become more of a ultra-dark character study than the crime thriller it was in previous seasons, and while key moments still live on from previous seasons, this character centric approach is better in the long term.

2. You ever notice how the "villains" this season have been off screen. Twice we've had people try to jack Los Pollos Hermanos blue meth, yet we barely know anything about them. While I know we will learn more about them soon, it's fitting they are nameless, because so much of the adversity the characters on the show face is faceless. What/Who will finally do Walt in? Skyler? Hank? Gus? Jesse? Same goes with Gus, is Mike going to take him down from within? Is the DEA going to catch up with him?

3. I agree with my friends, Skylar's visit to the four corners seemed pretty damn phony. Like is she really going to leave the car-wash that she just bought, mainly by using her own savvy business/corrupt soul? It felt like they just wanted to say: SHE IS AT CROSSROADS YO. They should have just played this track!

4. Rob Sheffield wrote that "Breaking Bad" is a commentary on how we view our jobs in this excellent article, and his hypothesis was definitely proven by this episode. The husband and wife squabbles, co-worker disagreements, son wanting a car crisis, and workplace laziness would all be at home in a zany family sitcom. Speaking of laziness you know that when Tyrus said those maids were going to the "bus to Honduras" they were going to the bus to get killed.

5. This was the episode where Walter White became the bad guy. He doesn't call himself Heisenberg anymore and he doesn't wear hats, exterior transformations aren't necessary if the inside is already fixed. His whole "I AM THE DANGER, I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS" line was wild and accurate. This was evident in the heartbreaking way he used the Bogdan's dollar. He doesn't care anymore, he thinks he is some type of corporation. Hard work is nothing to him, just another payment when you're the boss. To steal a line from Entertainment Weekly: he thinks he is "The Godfather" (you heard him quote the film in the episode right - "Keep your friends close..."!)

6. I'm still rooting for Jesse. His arc this season has been more the easiest to root for by far and I'm hooked and Aaron Paul's acting is a big reason why. So far we saw him sacrifice his humanity at the end of last season, put himself through hell to punish himself, and now he's working his way up the criminal ladder. I wonder if soon he will be the one that has to save Walt or perhaps....he won't be saving him, he'll be killing him on Gus's orders.

Coriolanus Trailer

I've tried to cut back the trailers I post up on here, but this "Coriolanus" movie looks too good to post. Directed by Ralph Fiennes (aka Voldemort) this is an adaptation of the Shakespeare play of the same name. And while last year's "The Tempest" was considered a real train wreck, the actors involved with this military adaptation are so money, I'll be shocked if this turns out poorly.

Also any chance to feature Gerard Butler in a non-romantic comedy should be celebrated, not to mention Brian Cox always turns out great work.

TPG's Chemistry Class: Episode 5 "Shotgun"

For a whole week after last week's episode, I couldn't stop thinking about how Mike The Cleaner got his ear Tysoned by a bullet. That little piece of gore was grosser than the gallons on "True Blood," so when he showed up this week with a Band-Aid, it made me realize if there was something bigger going on here. But more on that later! Hopefully you've recovered from the latin flavored time-lapse of an episode and are healthy enough to dive in!

1. Let's just get into it! Mike the Cleaner is starting to get tired of Gus Fring. We first witnessed this last week was Mike got a chip in his armor (a piece of his ear getting blown off) and now we see it again with his very un-Mike breakdown to Jesse..."You're not the guy!" His line at the end of the episode, "I know better by now to ask questions" indicates he is growing tired of Gus's manipulations and un-predictability. If you go back and watch Victor get throat surgery from Dr. Gus, Mike is totally shocked and afraid. He's starting to make moves to protect himself.

2. At this point there is so much Red & Blue in the show, it could mean a variety of things including. Red States vs. Blue States, the Halo web series of the same name, some type of commentary about Captain America, the difference in what blood looks like with and without oxygen, different color uniforms of the Red Sox, a preference for Airhead flavors. Who knows.

3. So Hank has really got his mojo back huh? I hope everyone noticed that Hank is now rocking his DEA shirt which obviously means he really is back on the hunt now. But he's wearing more than a simple DEA shirt, he's rocking the FUN RUN shirt, a reference back to a season 2 fundraising event for Walt, which just happened to have been partly financed by Gus Fring. Translation = he's just starting getting deep into this web of lies.

4. Besides looking like a combination of Gus and Chris Bosh, we really don't anything about Gus's new henchman who according to the Breaking Bad wiki is named Tyrus Kitt. He's good with a fork lift, rocks a mean leather jacket, will probably get blasted by the end of the season.

 

5. I don't now how to say this without sounding messed up, but I think Skyler is one of the most morally vacant people on the show. Seeing her get turned on by investing in the carwash, hearing Walt say he loves her, manipulating Bogdan, just strikes me as really morally wretched. The zest she has shown for diving into illegal activities is wild and very un-settling.

6. "Breaking Bad" continues to be one of the most experimentally directed shows on television. Last night's director Michelle Maxwell MacLaren had all sorts of crazy time lapses, POV shots, and bizarre angles. I'm digging it, but I know some viewers find it off-putting and to those viewers I say this "Go back to NCIS brahhhh!" On another note, the first person shots of Walt "cooking" were excellent.

7. A lot of the imagery of Mike and Jesse visiting barren fields and burned out factories while wearing all black and carrying shovels really reminded me of the end of freakin' days man. If the end comes and Mike is waiting there with a shovel, I'm just gonna assume, I'm done.

8. WHO ARE YOU ROOTING FOR? This is the ultimate question for anyone watching "Breaking Bad." Walt, the (dying?) family man who's just trying to provide? Jesse, the lost soul who's searching for a way back on track (who thanks to Gus, he found it)? Or is it the heroic cop Hank, who has been injured physically and mentally in his quest for justice and Heisenberg? The genius of the show is that it allows us to pick. As for my pick-----I'm rooting for Jesse yo.

10 Reasons Why You Should See RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

If you have told me a a month ago that I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about excellent film "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes," I would have told you had gone to bananas (first & last time I will make any monkey reference, I swear). But the fact of the matter is, this movie is the shit, and why it make take some convincing to get you to go see a movie where the primates take over, here are ten reasons why you should go.

1. In a summer where character comes second to chaos of the special effects variety, Caesar, the protagonist (that's him above) is easily the best character of the summer. The film is clearly his story and his rise from a cute "curious george" esque baby monkey to a ruthless ice cold revolutionary leader is the more satisfying that you can imagine and needs to be seen to be believed.
2. Most people don't know the name Andy Serkis but have seen his work on screen in some of the biggest movies to come out in the last ten years. He did the "motion capture" work as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" (and the upcoming "The Hobbit") and the big boss ape himself in "King Kong." He is the heart and soul of "Apes" and his motion capture work so good he's generating Oscar buzz. A big part of the reason it's so realistic is that "Apes" was the first film to have motion capture actors on location, instead of on a sound stage (see above right).
3. Readers will know that I'm all about the "Oh Shit Moments" (OSMs for short) and this film has more than any other this summer by a longshot. The most delicious part is that they are of the action and character variety. No spoilers but you'll KNOW em when you seem em.
4. It's the creative welcoming party for director Rupert Wyatt. Wyatt's last film was the rarely seen prison escape film "The Escapist," and "Apes" is his big studio reboot for Fox. With this incredible film now getting rave reviews, his next one will be huge. The last British director with this trajectory: Christopher Nolan. Simply but for all you SAT analogy junkies Nolan : Wyatt as "Batman Begins" : "Apes"
5. For the fellas: Freida Pinto. For the ladies: James Franco 
6. A simple yet engaging topical story. By now the plot of the testing on apes which leads to super smart primate apes which leads to revolution is known, but that doesn't detract from how well it works. In a summer where plots involve alien robots secret allegiances with humans, each other, and their automotive identities, a straight forward steam rolling plot is a welcome gift to the audience.
7. For all you Harry Potter junkies out there who need a fix, Tom Felton, who plays Draco is in the film basically playing the same asshole character.
8. I've never seen any of the original films and I totally enjoyed this one. No prior apes experience necessary.
9. In some ways the film is really a gangster picture in the manner of "The Godfather" or "Scarface," with Caesar as the underdog who rises up. The scenes of Caesar getting his allegiances on point and dealing with his enemies are the best in the film and as Cee-Lo and many twitter users point out are just straight GANGSTA
10. It's a moving story. Unlike other summer flicks it makes you feel for Caesar and his struggles which is unique in the summer where the only emotion is "ohhh shit sonn." As in "ohhhhh shiiiitttt Optimus just sliced that metal tentacle in half or ohhhhh shitttt look at the coin move in in slow motion." The combination of story, acting, directing, and everything else just makes you feel!

APES. SEE IT!

A. Samuels "Living De Life"

Is an explanation needed for this. Much credit to legendary AJMATTERO!!

Attack The Block Is The Best Film Of The Summer (And Maybe The Year)

"Attack The Block" is about a group of lower class london teenagers who fight an alien menace invading their low income housing project. If the words teenagers and aliens bring you back to this summer's other kid alien flick "Super 8" that's good, you should definitely have "Super 8" in your brain so it can be properly destroyed by the kick-ass power of this flick. This is the film that "Super 8" wanted to be.

Written and directed by Joe Cornish (who co-wrote the upcoming "Tintin") the film excels at creating a world for the viewer to live in. The kids, lead by breakout star John Boyega as "Moses" are part of a pack, you might even call it a gang, and they speak in a thick British accent (subtitles were once considered for the US release). They swear, talk that bullshit with each other, and know that the aliens on the block are just as dangerous as the untrustworthy police or the local drug dealers. Luckily they're equipped to deal the alien threat with weapons including, baseball bats, samurai swords, fireworks, machetes, supersoakers, motorbikes, and ice-skates. In the words of one character before he fights the space invaders - "I'm shitting myself in it' but at the same time, this is sick."

Yet, film transcends it's genre roots because Cornish isn't afraid to show us what lurks behind our young protagonists. There are many elements swirling behind the action here and they include such things as the problems of race, gender, and class that afflict London and the world at this moment. In a perfect stroke, Cornish reveals a semi- key detail about a main character in the grand finale and it's sad, intense and jarring, but he doesn't linger on it, he just presents us with the facts, and pulls us right back into the story. This is different from J.J. Abrams "Super 8" a film that "Attack The Block" has to be compared to. Where Abrams seemed to be burdened by some type of nerd serfdom to the bearded master, Cornish pays Spielberg homage with his tight focused story and creature thrills. There are solid un-forced emotional beats here that Abrams can only drool over...and there is also awesome action and excitement. Oh did I mention that "Attack the Block" was made for pennies compared to "Super 8."

"Attack The Block" is hands down the must see film of the summer and shit...it's my favorite film of the year so far. And yeah I know it may be hard to believe it cause you scroll through these pages and see my praising "Transformers," but all I gotta say it you got' believe me fam! This is entertainment that makes you think, makes you afraid, makes you laugh, and makes you bask in awe of the power of the filmaking. Believe!

TPG's Chemistry Class: Episode 4 "Bullet Points"

Man, what a crazy cold open that was! Sorry, I had to folks, for those of you don't know what a cold open is, check out this page here. Alright now that we got the cheesy line out of the way, let's talk about this episode. There were murmurs in the press that people thought this show was too deliberate and slow, well, now we had a little more action: courtesy of everyone's favorite "Modern Family" guest star: Mike the Cleaner (Jonathan Banks)


1. As we move onwards with this season, I'm constantly thinking of the "real life scientists" observation from the first episode regarding the "blue-red shift." The scientific concept assigns colors to describe movement as objects are increasing in wavelength. Redshift is when things are moving away and blue when things are moving close. Throughout every episode it's always red and blue, red and blue and more red and blue. Take the opening scene, everything is tinted to blue that's to the cold...except Mike's jacket. Later on when Walt and Hank check out the lab book everything is blue. In Jesse's house...there are red sheets everywhere. The lab...everything is red. I'm still struggling to figure out what the red/blue mania means...but I just had to mention it.

2. Somewhere in Jonathan Banks contract as Mike the Cleaner there is a clause that says....every four episodes you gotta do some badass shit. It was just four episodes ago in the season 3 finale that Mike went on his little "I'm a ice-cold hitman who shoots people through walls" demonstration, and now he's at it again. His character is so ridiculously good not because he gets to blast fools but also because he get's to act fools out of the water as well. See this classic scene from the last season where Mike explains his entire philosphy.

3. Skyler White's descent (or is it ascent?) to being a full on money laundering Queen has been something huh?. It's clear that Walt isn't cool with it, but it seems like his frustation comes from her extreme attention to detail, something that he himself is proud of when it comes to his own work as a cook. He seems to think that using his personal life as a cover is wrong...but is fine with cooking meth to support his life. This brings up an interesting point about the character of Walter White? When is he going to show some remorse for what he's become? Simply put, Heisenberg has completely taken control of Walter White. With the choice to disappear being presented to him by Saul...he doesn't accept.

4. We've learned so much about Gale post mortem than we did when he was alive, but that video was strange as hell.

5. Saul is looking more and strung out with each episode. He's also getting paranoid as hell. I don't think he's going to survive the season. On another note, good to see "Gus" alive and well, even if he's still rocking his patented yellow shirt.

6. THE RETURN OF THE MIND MELT (WITH SPICY LIME MAYO & MANCHEGO) Of all the video games Jesse could play he chooses Sonic Racing.Sonic is a little punk hedgehog running around aimlessly, chasing money that has no real value, dealing with a mad bald scientist that antagonizes him (whoahhh), and searching for crystals to return to happy times with his girl. It could be argued that Sonic likes techno. This is either a genius move on the writers part or simply the fact that Jesse was playing PS3 and Sony who produces Breaking Bad produces PS3s. 

If any readers want to comment on the significance of Walt Whitman or The Far Side cartoon please do.

7. This is no doubt one of the more exciting episodes of the season so far. It will be interesting to see how far Walt goes to save Jesse from Gus's wrath especially because Walt has to see Jesse is becoming a serious liability.

8. How do you guys feel about Hank. I'm kind of rooting for him to get better because I feel bad for him, but I don't really wanna see Walt and Jesse get busted. But I do want to see Gus get busted. But not really Mike. Skyler....ehhh...maybe.  I guess these complications are the soul of Breaking Bad.

First Photo of "Catwoman" raises some question.

Warner Brother's released the first official photo of "Catwoman" today from "The Dark Knight Rises" aka the most anticipated movie of all time. The pictures come from Slashfilm (who have even more if you click the link) but there are a couple of things I wanted to point regarding this flick.

1. In previous screen incarnations Catwoman was all about the sex appeal. Check out the pics here. And while that's a nice tight outfit and it looks like the hair and lipstick are on point, those big ass rex-bex glasses aren't really selling the woman of the cats as a power babe. This isn't really that surprising considering women in the Batman movies so far have always been totally underdeveloped characters.
2. That's definitely some Wayne tech she's riding so either Catwoman has stolen Batman's gear from da cave, or he gave it to her, or her alter ego Selina Kyle works at Wayne Enterprises and jacked it there.
3. There are always big wheels in the Batman movies....no other movie gives the viewer gigantic tires like the Batman flicks.
4. Where is she driving? It doesn't look like a road? Is this a breakout scene?
5. This movie can't come soon enough. 

Best Video Ever?

TPG'S Chemistry Class: Episode 3 "Open House"

Last night's episode of "Breaking Bad" titled "Open House" was a real downer of an episode, there really isn't any other way to spin it. Yet as the show get's dark and bleaker (Jesse's house party scene....yikes) I keep enjoying it more, if only because it's just so well done. But anyway, let's grab our Cheetos and get into it.


1. This is the most sitcomed out episode of this show ever. The way Walt acts about his job in this episode was almost surreal. He enjoys his morning cup of brew, get's upset when his private office in the work place is violated by a camera, and refers to Mike beating his ass as a slight agreement with a co-worker. Then he spends some serious time arguing with his wife (?) about financial issues. Honey....did we pay the taxes yet...just kidding how is the money laundering going. It was strange and awesome at the same time.

2. Is everyone else anticipating something awful or wonderful to happen with Jesse this season. His quote regarding getting the shit kicked out you - "You do kind of get used to it" was more heartbreaking than seeing what's become of his house. And while seeing him throw that money into the passed out guys mouth was funny, this is the second time him giving away money has come up. Something terrible is going to happen to him or he's going to pull himself out of the abyss. I'm hoping for the second. Side note that dude talking about getting pushed through the fence had been watching too much Final Destination.

3.  Fritos and Cheetos. What a tough break for good ol' Marie. I mean who hasn't messed that up. But since we're talking munchies...I'm going Fritos every time. The Cheetos texture is a little too funky for me and I can't put my finger on just what I'm tasting. Fritos on the other hand kind of taste like corn and that makes me more comfortable.

4. It's funny hearing Walt talk about the ethics of acquiring the car-wash. He doesn't want to do anything "dirty," which is just hilarious considering how many people he has killed. I wonder when this aspect of his personality is going to come out to Skyler.

5. What does Vince Gilligan have against family? As I watched Skyler and Marie descend into crime this episode, it made me think what motivates everyone on this show to "break bad" per se? Walt was motivated by providing for her family, Skyler is doing it to help Hank/she likes it, Marie is doing because she's scorned by Hank,  and Jesse is doing it because he has no family/loved ones (the desecration of his house represents this yo). C'mon Vince...what happened to you on the family road trip?

6. Did you catch how bedridden mineral cataloguer Hank didn't want anything to do with the rice pudding but once he started talking police work he started gobbling it up? As much as I think Hank is a pain in the ass, I feel for the guy. The cliffhanger of him opening the lab book was incredible only because you know it's going to drive him to get back on the force with fury....but it was that fury that lead to get messed up in the first place.

7.  The "soil expert" guy that you were trying to figure our where you saw him is named Bill Burr. You recognize him from "The Chappelle Show." You're welcome

8. Until next time...stay good....don't let your family turn into a criminal.

Who Won The 2011 Super Hero Showdown?

Way back in February I projected that this summer would be a Super Hero Smackdown. There were four films battling it out to be the King of the heroes: "X-Men: First Class," "Green Lantern," "Thor," and "Captain America." Now they've all busted into the multiplex with their assorted powers, let's take a look back to see how they all stack up.


1. "X-Men: First Class" - Michael Fassbender dominates the summer as Magneto, it's that simple. His final kill is the biggest OSM* of the entire summer and he's doing so much badass shit in the movie it's just straight bananas. That being said James McCavoy is great as Professor X and the alternate history plot is effective and the most original of the summer. This film more than any other this summer has the most scenes that I remember and think back on and say "yeah....that was worth my loot."

2. "Captain America: The First Avenger" - While it's cool to see Magneto killing Nazi's with his magnetic mastery, Captain America is my favorite on screen hero this summer, and it's for his non-action related abilities. One of the key themes in the flick is that Cap is a "good man" and Chris Evans really sells this theme. It's great seeing a hero who isn't an asshole like Tony Stark, a psychopath like Batman, or a emo-baby freak like Superman. Also, the shield throwing was as cool as I hoped it would be. Bonus points for having the best romance of any of the flicks.

3. "Thor" - Unlike some of my pals who thought "Thor" was an abomination, I enjoyed the film. Pretty much unknown actor Chris Hemsworth brings the humor, heart, and hammer time to his performance as the Norse God. Out of all the movies this one had the best production design. I mean Asgard has rainbow bridges, galaxies flowing into waterfalls, and Stringer Bell as the gate keeper to an ancient portal involving an cosmic tree. Not for everyone. (Note...my Dad saw Thor twice and loved it)

4. "Green Lantern" - A buddy of mine who possesses the power of Comic-Book knowledge called this movie "The Frat Lantern," and he's right. I like Reynolds and he's trying hard here...but the story which involves rastafari alien cloud monsters, fighter jets, alien fish with British accents, and Blake Lively just doesn't work. Guest blogger Kosher D once said this was one to be taken seriously, and to that I say... c'mon son.

Until next summer (holy shit next summer) have a good one.

Comic Con Revisted

After taking last year off, I returned to Comic Con and it was glorious. And while I wasn't there for the whole weekend I managed to do enough to bring you these simple Comic-Con reflections

1. While there are nerds everywhere they're harmless. It's the action figure collecting 50 year old dudes that are huffing and puffing while carrying a 60 pound bag of Gandalf replicas that you have to worry about.
2. I met the President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige. I asked him where I could get an "Avengers" T-shirt and if he could give me any information about "Dr. Strange." He said he couldn't talk about either thing, but he did offer me a part as "Dude that Hulk Picks Up" in "The Avengers."
3. It never gets old seeing giant figures of the toys you enjoyed as a child. And in case your rookie self didn't know it...that's Voltron on the right. Respect tha Voltron!
4. When it comes to people giving out free swag it's really a feeding frenzy out there. What you giving out...give it to me...oh you only have it in extra extra extra extra large....thats fine...gimme that shit.
5. When you're at the Con, you hear stories about the worse kind of monster that roams the halls. The line cutters. 
6. There are tons of kids on the floor at Comic Con. They're really pumped to be there, I mean it's a magical place. That being said there is a crazy amount of very scantily clad women walking the floor in their favorite characters "outfits," so simply put it's a dream land for 13 year old boys. (See below).
7.                                              
8. I met Guillermo Del Toro and Tom Morrello and besides both having last names that end in O they both were extremely nice and both were taking down egg white omeletes. Are Egg White omeletes the key?
9. I don't think I saw any of these people put it's pretty funny to read about celebrities who have to go incognito on the floor
10. In between all the madness there is still some heartwarming stuff, like this little guy.    

 

TPG's Chemistry Class: Episode 2 "Thirty Eight Snub"

Party Party Party! Last night's episode of Breaking Bad titled "Thirty Eight Snub" was both one of the happier episodes ever (no-geyser's of Victor Blood) and also one of the most foreboding. I mean you just know that something bad is going to happen right. Also what's up with the minerals? Let's get our lefty draw on and dive in.


1. Technology! Last night's episode seemed to have machines running rampant like a Terminator movie. We had Jesse's brand new stereo equipment (complete with psychedelic lights yo), the roomba, Hank and Marie's mechanical bed, and finally the thirty eight snub nosed pistol. That last one, which the episode is named after is the most important piece of technology out of all of them. With an opening scene discussing the mechanics of using it, it was interesting to see Walter approach it with the how-do-to style of a scientist. Yet even with all these mechanics, not one device brings anyone happiness.

2. But......things aren't all empty. For a little bit there, this was one of the happiest episodes of "Breaking Bad" ever. Jesse was back with his old chums, talking that bullshit and throwing an epic party. I mean let's be honest here, any party where cutting a pizza with scissors is discussed had to be epic right. It was strange seeing Jesse surrounded by so many people, and it just made the end, with Jesse losing it right next to his massive speaker that much more intense. Songs from this party world are all broken down here.

3. He's Back...the real life theorist Dr. Anthony Megamix had this to say about the episode:

Mike killed Gus. (Gus) was absent from the episode and Mike had blood on his shirt at the bar. Some think he has cancer as well which is why he's coughing throughout the episode. I also think Saul is next to go. Mike raised his glass to the commercial of Saul at the bar. 

4. At first I thought that Badger and Skinny Pete's video game conversation was the writer's attempt to inject some humor and knowledge for all the gamer bros that love "Breaking Bad," but reviewing the episode on a whole their conversation takes a new life. They were mainly amped about the various types of zombies both their undead motivations and their foes, but I couldn't help but notice at the end of the episode...Badger said said he needed a brain transplant as him and Skinny Pete did the hangover/zombie shuffle across the lawn. As for Jesse, he just curled up...empty...a zombie himself. No real motivation for anything, totally apathetic, and searching for anything.

5. Give it up for Betsy Brandt who plays Hank's wife Marie. She's been doing great work on this show since the beginning, but this season, with Hank all incapacitated she is doing work!

5. MILD NOT SPICY MIND MELT I really wish I had something epic to tell you about this blue corundum mineral that Hank is really into, but the only thing I could dig it that it is extremely abrasive and hard, with only diamonds being stronger. Then again a blue corundum is also a a sapphire. So maybe it means that Hank acts hard but really ultimately a pansy? He's going to write about a book about Urban poverty? Anyone?

7. I was kicking it with a buddy and he said that he likes "Breaking Bad" but it's really really "arty." I responded with a: "Yess...brah it's arty as hell but Gus Fring son!" But he's got a point, the camera angles and the sound design and score in particular are on some next level shit this season. Last week we talked about cinematography so this week let's notice Dave Porter's excellent score.

8.  Even though he hasn't been around for that long, I love how Gale's coffee machine still lingers the meth lab. It serves as a constant reminder of the simple plain innocent* life that Walt/Jesse took, the coming storm of Feds looking into lab book, an example for the still complex process of cooking,  and as memento of a rosier past for all parties involved

*Innocent - Gale did get excited with the prospect of his own lab.

Unofficial poster for The Dark Knight Rises is Incredible

Via Slash Film

TPG's Chemistry Class: Episode 1 "Boxcutter"

Welcome to my weekly recaps of AMC's "Breaking Bad." I got into this show thanks to all AMC's repeats of past seasons, so this will be my first season that I watch live. The recaps will be in the style of my previous ones for "24," "Lost," "Boardwalk Empire," and "Game of Thrones." Hell I might even throw in a "True Blood" reference if you're watching that to. But in the mean time, let's put on some red and blue outfits and get some acid huh?

1. This has gotta be one of the most dialogue free episodes of TV. Gus Fring (more on him later) said three words the whole episode and Pinkman barely said anything until the final scene. While some people found this to be underwhelming, I thought it was fantastic. It allowed the shows reigning Emmy titans to really dig in and get into it! It also showcased one of my favorite things about the show: it's deliberate haunting thematic imagery.

2. I watched the show with blogger/ TV wunderkind Henning of The Lifting Fog Blog and he pointed how incredible Michael Slovus's cinematography was in this episode. Besides Breaking Bad's obsession with bald dudes (see above picture) the show was really driving home this red/blue thing last night. Red floor, red chemical/murder suits, blue mood lights, red body after getting pulverized by acid, it goes on and on. What does this mean? Of course it's some statement of the shifting duality of the characters but also how patriotic the show is.

2.5 *BONUS* THISLALIFE reader and real life scientist Anthony Megamix had this to say about the real life science of red and blue

Now that you mentioned the blue and red imagery, being that the show focuses on the science, it could relate to the physics aspect of blue and red shifts in physics, in space. stars and objects appear blue when they are traveling towards you because the frequency they appear at is greater than their actual frequency so they travel at smaller wavelengths (blue), so a star traveling towards earth will appear blue and a star traveling away from you will appear red because its image is at a smaller frequency than its actual object and travels at a larger wavelength, its called the blue-red shift. anyway thought it could relate to the shifting of characters as they go further away or towards what we expect from them. walt going away from the righteous science teacher to moral less drug supplier and gus from the seemingly humble chicken restaurant owner to a no nonsense drug pin

3. As I was taking notes watching this episode, I wrote down what a great character Victor is. Had to cross off that "is" and put a "was"....but jesus....that was an extremely violent and gnarly death. I mean I watch HBO and even those shows don't compare in crazy violence to that. Dare I type that "Mike" is a great character for fear of what might happen to him.

4. Walt's vehicle of choice: an Pontiac Aztec is rapidly becoming a key part of the show's imagery. Who would have thought this funky looking SUV would become associated with running over drug dealers, breaking up cop stakeouts, and finally becoming symbolic for the shifting relationship between Walt and Skyler. Is that a good marketing for the SUV Brand?

5. Gus F***ing Fring! Can we talk about this dude? In addition to being a calm reserved negotiator, brilliant criminal strategian, and an exceptional chicken magnate, we can now add stone cold ice in the veins i don't care if i'm covered in blood evil killer to his resume. Naturally is next role is in a light hearted ABC series about fairy tale creatures. Giancarlo Esposito who plays the madman is an acting powerhouse!

6. MIND MELT WITH A SIDE OF BLUE CHEESE I know the last scene where we saw Gale's lab book on the table was ominous, but the real crazy foreshadowing scene took place in the driveway with Walt & Skyler. Take Walt, he's dressed in flashy white pants and red shoes (he's got blood on em metaphorically) and wearing a Kenny Rogers shirt. Skyler, who with her brilliant lying to the locksmith routine, knowledge to call Saul, and sweet face about paying Hanks medical bill with drug money is 95% corrupt is dressing COMPLETELY IN BLACK. In the world of Badger and Skinny Pete...."she's like evil yo!" And don't think I forgot about the significance of dear ol' Kenny Rogers. Check out the lyrics to his most famous song "The Gambler," they hold some serious significance to our characters...."know when to walk away....know when to run....."

Harry Potter Ends Today and I've Had Way To Much Veritaserum

Since it all ends tonight at midnight I figured this is my last chance to come clean about everything Harry Potter. Thanks to some shady contacts at Diagonally I've managed to procure some veritaserum. Whoahhhh, here comes the truth bombs!

1. Selby, Dewey, Zach, and John, back in seventh grade when I bailed on a sickkk NFL Blitz tournament after school on Friday cause I had to do "chores," I wasn't doing chores, I was curled up in a chair reading Prisoner of Azkaban.
2. Let's be honest here, if you're not gonna sorted into Gryffindor, the only other house you should want to be in is Slytherin. The other houses just don't compete
3. I think the real life version of Quidditch is kind of lame. I understand people are really passionate about it, but it seemed like a bunch of Hufflepuff's pretending to be Gryffindor's, it's just not the same.
4. When the book of "Goblet of Fire" dropped I took down a giant two liter of Barq's root beer and a huge bag of Lay's BBQ Masterpiece chips and read it in one sitting. Harry Potter +Junk Food+Caffeine = Heaven.
5. No matter how hard I've tried, I've never been sorted into Gryffindor in any sorting hart ceremony, online or in real life....and this really breaks my heart.....Am I Snape?
6. Lee Jordan is the coolest person in Hogwarts. This is undeniable.
7. Dementors are scarier/better than Nazgul, even if Dementors are clearly Nazgul rip offs.
8. EXCLUSIVE - Rupert Grint will play BRJ in the 500 million dollar adaptation of "BRJ and The Soul of The Universe," coming out in 2020.
9. I once ditched out on a summer job to get the final book, almost got fired, but it was totally worth it!
10. I didn't realize that Padma and Parvati Patil were Indian until I saw the movie. And on that accord I thought Hermione was pronouced Her-meeee-ownnnn for a solid 3 books...yikes guy.
11. My favorite character in the entire series is Remus Lupin.
12. Book 5 is a waste of time. Emo Harry + Lame Prophecy = C'mon JK!
13. Bernie Bott's beans are delicious. Giving them out to strangers at midnight showings is more creepy than it is charming, I learned this the hard way.
14. Goblet of Fire is hands down the best book.
15. The best part of any book is in "Half Blood Prince" when Harry has to poison Dumbledore to get the Horcrux. This was so terrifying, sad, thrilling, and just intense!
16. In my truest hearts of hearts, I always had a sneaking suspicion that Jane Yolen's "Wizard's Hall" was a little more than "inspiration" for everyone's favorite boy wizard book series.
17. Harry should have ended up with Hermione.
18. The story collection "The Tales of the Beedle and the Bard" is a magical book.
19. Marauder's Map or Invisibility Cloak? That is the question!
20. I'm going to miss Harry Potter so much after it's gone. I've met so many people cause we all loved the books. Thanks JK.

Is "The Hurt Locker" a Spiritual Sequel To "Point Break"

"Point Break" was released 20 years ago today and I'm still shocked by the amount of people who have not seen it. I credit this massive tragedy to the fact that people consider just another 80's action film that gets lumped in with "Cobra," "Road House," and "Commando" (Note the writers at THISLALIFE support those films). And while "Point Break" does have a certain 80's vibe to it (see Bodhi's hair brah) it is actually way more than a standard 80's action flick, in fact it has a lot in common with 2009 best picture winner "The Hurt Locker."

Both films examine the seductive rush of pushing oneself to the edge. Think of Bodhi's famous line in "Point Break,"- "It's not tragic to die doing what you love." This theme of men who are seduced by the flirting with power and death runs through all Bigelow's films, but is most prevalent in "Point Break" and "The Hurt Locker." Both films lack a clear antagonist, because the true antagonist lives withint the broken heroes. The antagonist bomb maker in "The Hurt Locker" is never found and Bodhi, the pseudo antagonist in "Point Break" is apprehended but never has to answer to his crimes. There's no real closure because their is no real bad guy.

Think about the final scenes of each film. In "Point Break," Utah reveals he has never stopped searching (or surfing) for Bodhi, who is basically the ultimate rush personified. In "The Hurt Locker" Renner's character is talking to his child and says that "there is only one thing he knows he loves," cut to Renner back in the field...on the edge. This theme of the ultimate is easier to recognize in "The Hurt Locker," but it's there in "Point Break," it's just wrapped in an extreme sports package!

While both films focus on a man's drive to the edge in the pursuit of saving lives/catching bad guys, I know "The Hurt Locker" is a superior film. I also don't have to remind anyone that "Point Break" was also produced by cinematic titan James Cameron, which gives the surf bank robbing masterpiece even more credibility. So on this 20th Anniversay, let's give Point Break the respect it deserves...after all good things come in twos.....so.......GIMME TWO!!

The Dark Knight Rises Poster Drops

No doubt this is a mashup of the mind bending imagery of "Inception," the iconography of Batman, and a promise of destruction. Either way, it's awesome

Films To Inspire Us To Get Back To Space

Today marks the final launch of the Space Shuttle and while it's pretty tragic, I like to be optimistic about the future of the space shuttles and space travel. Nasa.gov are you listening? My reasons for this aren't really that complicated: space, space travel, space exploration, aliens, x-wings, jedis, galaxies, planets, comets, the borg, Oa, are extremely exciting and awesome. So while it's easy to get down that there won't be any space shuttle launches for a while, check out some films that will hopefully inspire us to return to the cosmos

2001
I mean where does one start with this flick. It's both incredibly detailed in how it envisions space travel to evolve and wickedly heady in terms of it's cosmic implications about....everything.......brahhhhhh. I recently saw it on the big screen for the fist time and the level of detail and care put into showing space exploration is astounding. If anyone in NASA needs a shot of inspiration check out this flick, just don't drop any acid when you do, everyone knows how that works out. 

Star Wars: A New Hope
Yo...N.A.S.A. the sooner you create X-Wings, Y Wings, A-Wings, and hire frog people like Admiral Akbar the sooner the public will be ready to get back to space! While you're at it, have some other government agencies make some lightsabers!

Michael Bay
Now before you Wes Anderson junkies start freaking out about including this divise director on the list. Remember that he made "Armageddon" a movie which NASA both loves and hates. The message in that flick is clear that: A) Anyone can be a space hero B)N.AS.A has tons of cool space tech C) Respect space or it will drop fiery rocks on you. Bay also has successfully linked real life Space missions to his transformers reality both in the plot lines and trailers of first and third film. I mean the guy has the real life Buzz Aldrin meetings Optimus Prime in the new one! Respect!

Apollo 13 

I saw this flick on opening night and it blew my mind. As real as it gets when it comes to NASA and space flight this movie is so accurate we watched in science class, and not because my science teacher sucked, but because of it's brilliant lessons of problem solving and teamwork that film conveys. Also the explosions in the launch sequence are choice, also Tom Hanks is the man.

Star Trek (2009)
The deep space jump on the rig that's destroying the planet with some shady red-matter science is a long way off (maybe 20 years tops) but this sequence is enough to get anyone fired up to go to space. Unlike "Star Wars" it has kind of basic connection to science and reality and that scores major points.

Event Horizon & Alien
Just kidding, don't watch these unless you want to start signing petitions for NASA not to explore space/hell/the abyss.

The Right Stuff
Yikes I've never seen this flick, but I had to include because I know my Dad and my older readers who care about space would think I was a real rookie/ferengi (that's for you JP) if I didn't include it.

Sunshine (Update)
My Dad pointed out this title was missing from my list. Not only is it from Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle but it also features real life science in a practical sci-fi setting. I dig how the ship makes it's own oxygen via plant garden, the physicist is the most important person on board, and kick ass soundtrack.

Honorable Mentions
"Space Cowboys" is pretty good, I never bothered to see "The Astronaut's Wife," but apparently it's wack so don't bother. "Galaxy Quest" is notable for being hilarious and "The Last Starfighter" is also notable for being the bomb.com

I'm gonna miss the space shuttle, but sense of wonder in the cosmos in strong. This is mainly in part for a desire to go on my own personal trench run (with my boy Jay Judah as Wedge) to save the galaxy and because I read Astronomy Picture of the Day every day of my life. Go Space!

The Hype Train: "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"

David Fincher's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is my most anticipated film of the end of the year. I mean let's be honest here there are a lot of great films coming out in the Fall, a couple of highlights include "War Horse," and sequels to "Sherlock Holmes" and "Mission Impossible," but nothing compares to "Dragon Tattoo." Alright, I know what you're thinking, TPG,  you're just missing James Bond and wanna see D. Craig back in ass-kicking mode. Sure that's part of it, but the main reason here is the director called David Fincher.


Before he was getting robbed of the Oscar for "The Social Network," Fincher was making some pretty dark ass movies. "Seven," "Zodiac," and "Fight Club" all come to mind when thinking about his menacing work. Don't get me wrong, I love "Benjamin Button" but having Fincher back in the menacing zone is a good thing for everybody. Hell, D. Craig in a recent interview disclosed about what to expect from the director's vision of the popular Stieg Larson bestseller

And this is a $100 million R-rated movie. Nobody makes those anymore. And Fincher, he’s not holding back. They’ve given him free rein. He showed me some scenes recently, and my hand was over my mouth, going, Are you fucking serious?.

So wow, Daniel Craig has quite the mouth on him huh? But you get the vibe here right, anyone who has read the book knows that the original Swedish film held back a little bit when it came to the super intense torture, rape,violence etc.  To top it off, the cast is also on point. Daniel Craig is a beast, but the supporting cast including Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgard,  Christopher Plummer, and Joel Kinnaman (who audiences will recognize from "The Killing") is on point as well.

 Fincher is gonna bring it like a director scorned and it's going to be dark, intense, and an incredible cinematic experience from one of the world's best storytellers.