3 posts tagged “he-man and the masters of the universe”

.:What I'm Watching:.

Frida. [Julie Taymor directs this Oscar-winning biopic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek), focusing on her often rocky relationship with husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). Also known for her controversial political and sexual reputation (she was a communist and a bisexual), Frida struggled with a life of wracking pain following an accident, the amputation of a leg, and finally, drug and alcohol abuse that killed her at age 47. ~netflix] it was pretty good. 3.5 stars. btw, when they say "oscar-winning" they're talking about makeup and original score. it was nominated in some other categories, though. also, i don't know why they won for makeup. was it because they gave salma hayek a unibrow during filming? i don't get it. or maybe they just did something so subtle that i just didn't notice it. meh, whatever. anyway, it won.

Get Smart. [When the identities of secret agents from Control are compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) promotes hapless but eager analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and teams him with stylish, capable Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), the only spy whose cover remains intact. Now, they must work together to thwart the evil plans of KAOS and its crafty operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp). Based on the classic television show, this comedy caper co-stars The Rock. ~netflix] i liked it. thought it was all right. there were a few scenes that could've been cut out, but it had its good moments. i never watched the tv show, so i don't really know how the movie measures up against it... the source material is probably better as it tends to be, but, i thought the casting was well done. 3 stars.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Season 2, Volume 2. [Prince Adam may seem like nothing more than a pampered royal, but when danger threatens, he morphs into powerful superhero He-Man, ready to protect Castle Grayskull from his malevolent nemesis, Skeletor. Join He-Man and his pals Teela (the beautiful captain of the guards), Duncan, Orko and timorous tiger Cringer (who becomes the mighty steed Battlecat when danger lurks), for the final installments of this cartoon classic. ~netflix] finally. the last volume before i get to watch the NEW(er) he-man show. i hope the new one doesn't mess things up. i love the old he-man. 5 stars.

Jodhaa Akbar. [What begins as a strategic alliance between two cultures becomes a genuine opportunity for true love in this epic romance set amid the opulence and glamour of the 16th century and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar agrees to marry the Raja Bharmal's daughter, Jodhaa. But he never expected her stunning beauty, fierce intelligence and considerable charms to inspire him to win her heart. ~netflix] damn. it's an epic, indeed. that's a loooooong ass movie. just the first disc is 2 hours long. the second disc is 1.5 hours long. rai is not nearly as pretty without her green eyes. don't get me wrong, she's still hot. but she's WAY hotter with her green eyes. they're just more striking. the first half is really good and if i were to base my star ratings on the merits of the movie on the first disc, i would've given it 4 stars. the second disc felt rushed. if you're going to make an epic, you should just go for it. don't make it feel like it's being cut short. unrelated: the main character is one of two good looking male actors in india. yeah, i said it.  3 stars.

Love Story 2050. [Karan's (Harman Baweja) mad scientist Uncle Ya (Boman Irani) sends him and his girlfriend, Sana (Priyanka Chopra), to a futuristic Mumbai, complete with flying cars and talking robots, but their love may not survive the trip in this sci-fi Bollywood blockbuster. When the two lovers are separated, Karan must track down Sana and bring her back to the present -- but he's becoming involved with a mysterious woman from the future. ~netflix] it could've been SO AWESOME... i mean, READ THAT SYNOPSIS! LOOK AT THAT MOVIE POSTER!!! total awesomeness, right? ... WRONG. it was not good. 2 stars. btw, this movie stars the other good looking male actor in india. heh.

Mad Hot Ballroom. [Ballroom dancing goes from lame to cool for a group of New York City public school kids in this insightful documentary. The film follows a group of 11-year-olds as they learn to dance old-school styles including the merengue, rumba, tango, foxtrot and swing. Candid interviews capture the kids' initial reluctance at learning ballroom dance and their transformation into serious competitors determined to win a citywide competition. ~netflix] it was mad cute, yo. seriously. those kids ... they're so bright, so smart, so insightful... i honestly wish the best for them. 10 and 11 year olds are smarter than we give them credit for, i think... and DUDE, they can dance! hehe. i wish i knew how to ballroom dance. but not enough to take a class. mostly because i don't think anyone would take one with me. and i'm too chicken to go by myself. 5 stars.

Wonderfalls, The Complete Season. [In a small gift shop adjacent to the magnificent Niagara Falls toils Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), a highly intelligent Ivy League grad whose parents have invested all their hopes and dreams in her. Much to their chagrin, all Jaye wants is to work as a clerk at the store, until unexplainable events -- such as lifeless objects speaking to her in secret -- remind her that she may actually be destined for an offbeat kind of greatness. ~netflix] have you heard of this series? is it as little known as i think it is? anyway, we've only watched a couple of eps, but so far, i really like it... i guess i'll reserve final judgement until we've finished all the discs. it only lasted one season, but it's cute. and quirky. also, lee pace is in it. in the first two eps, he's in it for all of 5 minutes. i'm hoping to see more of him. :D hehe. so far, 4 stars.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

TC: Watch the Ride. the first time i listened to his Essential Mix i thought to myself, "hey... this DJ's pretty good." the second time i listened to it, i wasn't so enamored with it. i thought, "hey... this is... just all right." well, after listening to the album, i'm thinking, "hey... this guy's pretty average." 3 stars. he plays something hard and fast and then slows it down with some girly ass shit... like steve said (and i'm paraphrasing), this guy doesn't know what he kind of DJ he wants to be.

Chicane: The Best of Chicane 1996 - 2008. my favorite song is probably Stoned in Love... but mostly because it's got tom jones on the vocals. heh. there's a whooooole lotta cheesy trance on there, but every once in a while, there's a track i like. 3 stars.

.:What I'm Reading:.

Doctor Who: I am a Dalek - Gareth Roberts. [Equipped with space suits, golf clubs and a flag, the Doctor and Rose are planning to live it up, Apollo mission-style, on the Moon. But the TARDIS has other plans, landing them instead in a village on the south coast of England; a picture-postcard sort of place where nothing much happens. Until now... An archaeological dig has turned up a Roman mosaic, circa 70 A.D., depicting mythical scenes, grapes—and a Dalek. A few days later a young woman, rushing for work, is knocked over and killed by a bus, then comes back to life. It's not long before all hell breaks loose, and the Doctor and Rose must use all their courage and cunning against an alien enemy—and a not-quite-alien accomplice—who are intent on destroying humanity. ~barnesandnoble.com] this one features the doctor and rose. it's one of those "quick reads" books... when they say "quick read" they mean it. it's about 100 pages or so in kinduva big font. it takes no longer than 30 minutes to read. good for when you've got a few minutes to kill. i didn't like this one as much as i liked the other quick reads that i've read so far... it's just all right. i do love the doctor, though, so i am probably skewing my rating higher than it needs to be. 4 stars.

.:What Mia's Reading:.

Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3 - Alan Baker. [Gray Rabbit finds some clay and makes different kinds of animals, from one wiggly worm to ten scurrying mice. ~barnesandnoble.com] this week mia is obsessed with this book. i am not sure how many times i've read it to her. if it's not this particular book, it's that Percy the Park Keeper book from last week. uffff. WHY DO KIDS LOVE REPETITION?! anyway, alan baker has a bunch of these Little Rabbit books and i think we have quite a few of them. mia really enjoys them. and the art's really cute. mia gives it 5 stars. hehe.

The Octonauts & the Frown Fish - Meomi. [THE OCTONAUTS are a team of undersea explorers in search of adventure and fun! From their base "the Octopod", these eight animals are always ready to embark on new exciting voyages. In their third storybook, the crew meets a fish with a giant frown on his face. He looks so glum, he's causing everyone around him to feel down also. Our heroes need to find a way to cheer him up! The Octonauts try music making, field trips, miniature golf, and even a baking marathon but can they make their new friend smile? ~octonauts.com] i loooove meomi's art. this book is so cute. look for doctor who in this book. :D also, collect the other octonauts books. you won't regret it. :D mia likes it, too! mia gives it 4 stars for now... but i think as she gets older, she'll like it more.

.:What I'm Watching:.

Baby Mama. [Tina Fey (TV's "30 Rock") stars in this hilarious comedy as Kate Holbrook, an ultra-driven career woman who, upon learning she's infertile, hires Angie (Amy Poehler), a South Philly working girl, to be her live-in surrogate. As the pair struggles to adjust to their unconventional partnership, Kate and Angie soon discover that sometimes family can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Sigourney Weaver and Greg Kinnear co-star. ~netflix] tina and amy have such good chemistry. and i thought the movie was really cute. also, i have a big ol' girl-crush on tina fey. seriously. i'd be her baby mama. hehe. 4 stars.

The Blue Elephant. [Khan is a little blue elephant whose dreams of adventure come true when he's accidentally separated from his family. In his quest to reunite with them, he finds love, a few new friends and bravery he didn't know he had. This whimsical animated tale is brought to life by the creative geniuses at the Jim Henson Company and features the voice talents of Martin Short, Carl Reiner and Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly"). ~netflix] take a little mulan, a little of the lion king, and dumbo and you get.... not much, apparently. this movie is about 75 minutes of SUCK. the weinstein company and the henson company picked up this thai movie. bad move on their parts, in my opinion. and does anyone know why thai people are obsessed with elephants? 2 stars. see what steve thought HERE.

Da Ali G Show, Season 2. [The genius of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's mock talk show is that his "guests" don't often know when he's joking and when he's serious (which isn't very often). As Ali G, the hip-hop host who mangles words and ideas left and right, he interviews such heavyweights as legendary Sam Donaldson, conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, U.S. Olympic Committee president John Nabor, and ex-EPA Administrator and New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman. ~netflix] i think i might like the second season even MORE than i liked the first season! and i liked the first season a whole lot. 4.5 stars.

The Fall. [Set in the 1920s, director Tarsem Singh's visually lush drama stars Lee Pace as paralyzed movie stuntman Roy Walker, who bonds with an imaginative 5-year-old named Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) as they convalesce together in a Los Angeles infirmary. To coax the girl into procuring the cache of morphine he wants from the hospital pharmacy, the suicidal Roy regales Alexandria with an elaborate fantasy about larger-than-life heroes. ~netflix] i reeeeeeally liked it. the little girl is so cute and so good. it's directed by Tarsem... who apparently just goes by one name... like Madonna. anyway, this has Lee Pace in it, who is Ned in Pushing Daisies (which is an awesome show and should be watched by everyone. heh.) and he is really good... but the star is the little girl. she is amazing. i think that Tarsem's probably a bitch to work for, but he did a great job getting great performances out of everyone. it's a gorgeous movie filmed on location all over the world. i loved it. 5 stars. OH! and i'm so used to CGI that in some moments during the movie, i just watched it, assuming that it was enhanced, but then we watched the extras and i was shocked to find out that it was real. also, apparently, many of the cast and crew (as well as the little girl) believed Lee Pace to actually be paralyzed from the waist down. for 7.5 weeks Lee kept up the charade... i guess that added to the believability because the little girl gave an awesome performance. i can't say enough good things about this movie. watch it. you won't be disappointed. and if you are, well, then, you have no soul. or no taste. hehe.

Gossip Girl, Season 2. [Expect even more shocking secrets revealed in this hit drama's second season, which continues to trail the privileged life of rich young Manhattan teens. The players, seen through the eyes of a blogger known only as "Gossip Girl" (narrated by Kristen Bell), include Serena (Blake Lively), who left Manhattan for boarding school, her friend Blair (Leighton Meester), who took Serena's place as the "popular girl," and Nate (Chace Crawford), Blair's boyfriend. ~netflix] why do i watch shows when they air?! i should just wait until they come out on DVD so i can just overdose on the show. man, but i LOVE chuck and blair. 4 stars.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Season 2, Volume 1. [Raise your sword to the sky and cry out, "By the power of Grayskull!" as you join He-Man and his faithful friends against the evil Skeletor in this first half of Season 2 episodes from the classic cartoon series. Revisit the 1980s animated adventures with a cast of unforgettable characters, including Orko, Teela, Man-At-Arms Duncan and, of course, Cringer, the cowardly feline who transforms into the ferocious Battlecat. ~netflix] i always wondered why Skeletor never knew that Prince Adam was He-Man. i mean, he's got that thing like a crystal ball and he's always finding about things that way... so, why wouldn't he know about the Prince Adam/He-Man thing? i mean, it's bad enough that Prince Adam and He-Man look EXACTLY the same (how stupid are those Eternians, anyway?!)... but at LEAST Skeletor should know, right??? 5 stars. :D i love he-man.

Kirikou and the Wild Beast. [Based on traditional West African folktales, this beautifully animated film follows the exciting adventures of Senegalese hero Kirikou as he his uses his intelligence and bravery to protect his fellow villagers from poverty, sickness and danger. Up against terrifying enemies such as a black hyena and an evil sorceress, the ever-resourceful Kirikou becomes a gardener, detective, merchant and even a doctor in order to save the day. ~netflix] it was good. i didn't think it was as good as the first. but still good. 3.5 stars.

The Mighty Boosh, Season 2. i love this show. i love Vince Noir, the king of the mods. and Howard Moon, that jazz-loving little bastard. ahhh. this show is the best ever! oh, but in series 2, they're not zookeepers anymore. i guess now they just live together... with naboo the shaman. and bollo, the gorilla. who used to live in the zoo... and is apparently, naboo's Familiar. yeah. it's crazy. i love it. 5 stars.

Princes et Princesses. [After conjuring up six fantastic tales of love and adventure involving princes and princesses, two students and their art teacher are magically transported into the worlds of each story, where they must play out the imagined events themselves. Rescuing a cursed princess from captivity, entering the home of a dangerous sorceress and avoiding a futuristic queen's death ray are just a few of the thrilling adventures they experience. ~netflix] interesting. i rather liked it. by the same director of the Kirikou movies. 4 stars.

Samurai Girl. [When Asian teen Heaven Kogo (Jamie Chung) learns that her adoptive father (Anthony Wong) is actually in charge of the Japanese yazuka -- and might have even ordered her brother's murder -- she resolves to get revenge by running away and training to become a samurai. Brendan Fehr, Saige Thompson, Stacy Keibler, Steven Brand and Kenneth Choi co-star in this ABC Family series based on the novels by the same name. ~netflix] another guilty pleasure of mine, i guess. hehe. nothing's really GOOD about it... acting? dialogue? no bueno... some SERIOUS cheesy moments... and the music kinda sucks. sometimes it's just too overpowering for the moment... even her fake eyelashes are distracting... although, damn. they did a great job on making her skin look flawless. or maybe it IS flawless... it looks almost unnaturally flawless, though. and i think it's in HD, too! uhm... wait. what was i talking about? oh yeah. that nothing's really GOOD about this show, but i kinda like it. despite all of the ridiculousness. hehe. 3 stars.

What Happens in Vegas. [After a night of heavy partying in Vegas, two strangers (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) wake up to realize, much to their displeasure, that they've gotten married, and now, each must vie for a $3 million jackpot won since their wedding. They try every trick in the book to get their hands on the cash, but as fate would have it, the more zealous they become about seizing the riches, the more passion they develop for each other. ~netflix] it was actually pretty cute and funny. funnier than i thought it was gonna be, that's for sure. i'm giving this one 4 stars because i actually laughed a lot. yes, it's very predictable, but there is some really funny dialogue.

.:What Mia's Watching:.

Miffy and Friends: Miffy's Surprise. oh my goodness. this is currently mia's FAVORITE dvd. she is constantly asking me to watch miffy... and we have like, 6 miffy dvds, but she either points it out or asks for, "miffy's soopwize." i really like the miffy and friends dvds because they're all so sweet and gentle. and CUTE. 4 stars.

.:What I'm Listening To:.

The Faint: Fasciinatiion. i really loved Danse Macabre, Blank-wave Arcade and Wet From Birth... so this was a little bit of a disappointment. i like it, but i didn't think it was as good as their previous stuff. the first track was kickass and the rest was just all right. it was a really short album, too. 3 stars.

.:What Mia's Reading:.

See How They Grow. i don't usually write down what mia's reading, but these books are so darn cute. and they come with a sheet of stickers!!! everyone wins! there are a few different series with similar names... this series is published by DK publishing. we have the bunny, duck, butterfly and penguin one. SO CUTE. we love these books.

.:What I'm Watching:.

The Bank Job. [Based on a true 1971 event, this thriller tells the story of Terry (Jason Statham), a car dealer who becomes involved in a London bank heist only to find that the contents of the bank vault will draw him deeply and irrevocably into the city's criminal underbelly. Murder and scandal abound in this tale of corruption populated with a surprising mix of offenders, from low-level thugs to government officials and all the way up to the royal family. ~netflix] finally! jason statham in a good movie! i totally forgot that dude could act because he is usually in some suckfest of a movie. 4 stars.

Baran. [When 17-year-old Latif (Hossein Abedini) loses his job at a Tehran, Iran, construction site to the illegally hired Afghan Rahmat (Zahra Bahrami), he begins playing cruel pranks on Rahmat. Soon, however, Latif discovers that Rahmat is actually a girl, and he begins helping shoulder her burden at the construction site. When officials demand that all illegal workers be fired, Latif must choose between safety and social standing, and his young love. ~netflix] 3 stars. it was all right. it's slow and stuff and if you're not in the mood for this movie, i can see how someone might really dislike it. there's not a whole lot going on in terms of excitement. but i liked it.

Blood Brothers. [Inspired by John Woo's renowned Bullet in the Head, this highly stylized gangster film set in 1930s Shanghai follows three friends from a poor fishing village who travel to the big city in search of their fortune. What they find, however, is a seductive criminal underworld that tests their values and threatens to tear their friendship apart. Daniel Wu, Ye Liu and Tony Yang star. ~netflix] i don't know about this movie... it was... okay, i guess. i was expecting a little more, but some parts were pretty lame-y. okay, make that a lot of parts. the last shootout was okay, i guess... but i wouldn't really recommend it to anyone else. 2.5 stars. i mean, with the starpower behind it, you'd think it would be better. pretty disappointing.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog . [Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 43-minute tragicomicmusical in three acts, each released as a separate episode. It was produced exclusively for Internet distribution and tells the story of Dr. Horrible (Billy), an aspiring supervillain, Captain Hammer, his nemesis, and Penny, their mutual love interest. The movie was written by writer/director Joss Whedon, his brothers Zack Whedon (a television writer) and Jed Whedon (a composer), and Jed's fiancée, actress Maurissa Tancharoen. The writing team penned the musical during the WGA writers' strike. The idea was to create something small and inexpensive, yet professionally done, in a way that would circumvent the issues that were being protested during the strike. ~wikipedia] it was awesome, awesome, awesome. 5 stars. if you didn't watch it when it was streaming a couple of weeks ago, either download it off iTunes or you can also watch it here, as well. free streaming is back!

Doctor Who: The Five Doctors. [This 90-minute special of Britain's long-running fantasy TV series first aired in 1983. When four of the current Doctor's incarnations fall prey to a rogue Time Scoop, they end up at the evil Death Zone of Gallifrey and must make it to the tomb of Rassilon to uncover the secret of the first Time Lord President before being sucked into a vortex. But they've got company -- the men are besieged by a Dalek, a Yeti, Cybermen and the Time Lord himself. ~netflix] i love the doctor who theme song. can i say that without sounding too nerdy? i don't know. i love the new doctor more, i think... but i still enjoy the old doctor whos. 3 stars.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. [ Having satisfied their urge for White Castle, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) jump on a plane to catch up with Harold's love interest, Maria, who's headed for Amsterdam. But the pair must change their plans when Kumar is accused of being a terrorist. This fun comedy follows the hapless stoners' misadventures as they become fugitives and try to evade being recaptured by the Department of Homeland Security. ~netflix] not great, but there were some funny parts. the first was way better, though. 3 stars.

He-Man, Season 1, Volume 2. [The battle for power continues on the planet Eternia as mighty warrior He-Man guards the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil Skeletor and his minions in this collection of episodes from the first season of the animated television series. Whenever danger threatens, Prince Adam and his timid tiger transform into muscular superhero He-Man and fearless Battlecat, saving the day with the help of loyal comrades Orko, Teela and Man-at-Arms. ~netflix] i love he-man. 5 stars!

A Man Named Pearl. [A Man Named Pearl tells the inspiring story of self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar. It is a subtle and intriguing film that is certain to open hearts and minds. It offers an upbeat message that speaks to respect for both self and others, and shows what one person can achieve when he allows himself to share the full expression of his humanity. ~imdb] in may, we watched a screener DVD of this movie. it's a pretty awesome movie and he is really amazing... read steve's review for more info. i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Meerkat Manor, Seasons 2 & 3. [Flower, Shakespeare, Yousarrian, Mozart and the rest of the Whiskers family are back for another season of high drama in the Kalahari Desert in this popular reality series from Animal Planet. This second season sees the group face even tougher challenges, with bitter new rivalries, vicious battles over territory, the disappearance of Shakespeare, two pending pregnancies and a potentially catastrophic love triangle. ~netflix] good lord, those meerkats are effin' cute. 4 stars!

State of Play. [Powerful politico Stephen Collins (David Morrissey) is embroiled in a scandal when his research assistant dies in a freak accident and his former campaign manager Cal McAffrey (John Simm), now a reporter, realizes the incident may be linked to the death of a drug dealer. As McAffrey digs deeper, he uncovers a dangerous connection between government and big business in this exciting conspiracy thriller from the BBC. ~netflix] reeeeally good. i see on netflix that they're making a hollywood remake of this mini-series. i don't think they could do it justice, but helen mirren and jason bateman are in it, so i'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it. 5 stars for this mini-series.

Vexille. [In a futuristic world where Japan has isolated itself with a magnetic field so it can continue the development of robotics and biotechnology, it's up to a U.S. special forces team to find a way inside. Dubbed SWORD, the team is led by a formidable female commander named Vexille, who's tasked with figuring out whether Japan's top secret experiments pose a serious threat to the world at large. ~netflix] pretty awesome. it was really well done, in my opinion. if you liked Appleseed, you will like this one. 4 out of 5 stars.