A new summer season with new endeavors

I've got a few updates for life here in Southern Oregon. I start work tomorrow as a Wine Steward in an Albertsons. It is only a part time job, but should be fun. Baseball has officially gotten started. My team is the Expos. We will play approximately 20 games with a tournament midway through the season and playoffs at the end of August and early September. It is fast pitch and competitive, but most of us are out just to have fun. Unfortunately, we lost our first game, but there will be plenty more. I went 0 for 3, was hit by a pitch, and scored a run. Awesome.

In other news, I have taken a second writing position with The Examiner, but on the National page, so I should see a little more traffic to my articles. I'll be writing about the TV show, The Big Bang Theory, on CBS. I've written a first article as sort of an introduction to the show and how I expect it to increase its viewership over the next year. Here's the first bit and the link to the rest. Cheers.

There was a time when every station boasted a decent lineup of comedic shows, and NBC was king with the likes of Seinfeld, Friends, Scrubs and Frasier. Though the times have changed and viewership has waned, there is still a demand for sit-coms. NBC continues to promote their Thursday night lineup as Comedy Night Done Right. And while it may win in the battle of numbers, switching to an unheard of 6 sit-com lineup, CBS’s The Big Bang Theory is the best sit-com on television today. Continue reading on Examiner.com

From Goofy to a new roof over our heads!

Disneyland 2011

Our trip was awesome - We all had a blast in the happiest place on earth. Kellan loved blasting Zorg on the Buzz Lightyear ride, and all three of us ladies screamed our way down the Tower of Terror.  It was so much fun.

New Home

We are really enjoying our new place. It just needs a few bits of decoration, but so far, I think it looks great. Everything is moved in and almost unpacked. The second bedroom has a few boxes. One of the first things we did was plant a garden. We have a sweet little spot in the backyard just big enough for a couple of tomato plants, bell peppers, basil, & jalapenos. I am thinking salsa! Oh, but a deer already ate the top off the habanero plant.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Familiar Tides

The writers for the Pirates films ought to be commended having now produced engaging storylines for an impressive four films based on a decades old ride at Disneyland. That must be some sort of record. Sadly though, the excitement of the original has since worn off. On Stranger Tides is by no means a poor film, but when compared to the series, as cannot be helped, it is lacking in a few major areas.

Now, as a whole, the Pirates series is a cut above others of its kind in terms of the quality of each successive film. In and of itself, On Stranger Tides is no worse a film than the second and third installments. But we have seen this all before.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

Priest has no saving grace

Priest could have been a good movie. Of course, that can be said for many films. Even Paul Bettany, one of the most underrated actors of his age group, cannot save this film from its failings. The film is another adaptation from a graphic novel, which has become fairly popular. Films like Sin City and Watchmen embraced the graphic novel style and produced visually unique films. Priest, on the other hand, lacks that connection to its origin.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

Thor: More than just an Avenger prelude

Nowadays, it does not really feel like summer until a superhero emerges on screen. The past decade of superhero/comic book features has changed what we require from such films. Movies like Spider-man 2, Iron Man and of course, The Dark Knight have set the bar very high indeed. No longer is it acceptable to have just a good superhero movie. Instead, we ask that it be a good movie that simply happens to be about a superhero. Regardless of the hero, expectations have grown.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

Scream 4: At long last

In this humble writer’s opinion, Scream 4 should have been Scream 3. We have waited far too long for a quality sequel to Scream 2. They should have waited until Kevin Williamson was available to write a script for his trilogy masterpiece, much of which seems to be part of Scream 4. Now, the rumor mill says Scream 4 is a rebooted beginning to a new trifecta. However, if you simply forget about Scream 3 (not difficult) and watch Scream 4 as a finale to the original trilogy, it sort of fits.

Scream 4 is a return to form for director Wes Craven. Paired again with Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream and Scream 2, Craven attempts once more to alter the future of the genre.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Scream 4: At long last - Medford Film | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/film-in-medford/scream-4-at-long-last-review#ixzz1LKYzoW9M

Fast 5 Film Review

Expectations for a fifth film in a series ought to be tempered. Generally speaking, the sequel debate proves that with some exceptions, films tend to deteriorate in quality as a series goes on if for no other reason than for lacking originality, an inherent flaw in sequels.

But let’s be honest, even the original film was not original, it was “Point Break” on wheels. “Fast 5” feels more like the furious gang decided to let Danny Ocean plan their next rendezvous. This is a heist film featuring a smattering of cast from the previous four installments, though as far as the primary story goes, only the first and fourth really matter, which is why “Fast 5” feels more like a trilogy wrap-up than the fifth in an endless series.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Fast 5 feels like Ocean's Five - Medford Film | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/film-in-medford/fast-5-feels-like-ocean-s-five-review#ixzz1L2HHODFT