The Secret Circle - Small Screen Review

The Secret Circle - Small Screen Review

Episode 8 Review - “Beneath”

Cassie worries for her grandmother after not hearing from her for few days. Diana decides the entire Circle should help with the search in case Jane is in trouble. The search takes them to the home of Faye's grandfather Henry Chamberlain, who they do not know was killed earlier. The whole circle including Jake, stay the night due to the storm. They drink and have some fun. Faye starts having hallucinations. It escalates when she sees a little girl. During a game of truth or dare, tension rises from everyone and they break off.

After Faye storms out of the house, she sees a little girl again and chases after her. Cassie comes outside to search for Faye and she sees the little girl and follows her too. Soon finding Faye. The group ends up at the dock, stopping Faye from heading into the water looking for the girl who it turns out is the young version of Faye herself. Cassie then sees the girl at the end of the dock and goes to the little girl and finds Henry's body in the water. After the police come they all head home. Cassie tells her grandmother about what happened and tells her that she found her scarf. Yet due to some magic mind wiping she doesn’t remember and says something entirely different. Confusing herself and Cassie.

Vampire Diaries - Small Screen Review

Vampire Diaries - Small Screen Review

Episode 8 Review - "Ordinary People"

That was a history lesson and a half as we learn the origin of the Original family and how they came to be the Original vampires. Having to reveal this much information might have been a drag, but thanks to the always good Vampire Diaries flashbacks and Rebekah (Claire Holt) as a narrator this was far from a bore. It also helped that this amount of exposition was combined with a separate Damon and Stefan story. This once again showed how great these two are together and how much this dynamic has been absent for most of this season.

Elena's plan to have a "mean girl power struggle" with Rebekah actually worked in getting her to spill her. Elena has spent enough time around vampires to know how to manipulate the conversation to her advantage, all that time playing Katherine's mind games has paid off as she got Rebekah to reveal all the important details.

Protecting family is the key theme of their backstory- first from disease in Europe, followed by the predators in the US (long before it was the US). Klaus (Joseph Morgan) is at the heart of all of this as it was his intrigue about the werewolves that led to his younger brother being killed, which in turn led to the creation of vampires. No wonder Klaus turned out the way he did, that's a lot of guilt right there. The big reveal in this story about how they became vampires isn't that Mikael (Sebastian Roché) is their father, as this is something I think most had guessed. The big surprise is that their mother Esther (Alice Evans) was a witch and not just any witch, but the witch from the Original family. It is her talisman, which she received from another powerful witch that has been the source of much of this seasons bother.

The even bigger twist was not in the version of the story that Rebekah told, Rebekah believed that her father had killed her mother by ripping out her heart, but in reality it was Klaus. This destroys the 1000 year relationship and unsurprisingly turns Rebekah into a sobbing heap. How will she react when she sees her brother again? Which won’t take too long considering Mikael has threatened Stefan and Damon in order to bring Klaus back.

Coming Soon: 11-11-11

Coming Soon: 11-11-11

Plot: After the tragic death of his wife and child, famed American author Joseph Crone travels from the United States to Barcelona, Spain to reunite with his estranged brother Samuel and dying father, Richard. However, fate has a different plan for Joseph as his life becomes plagued with strange happenings, and the constant sightings of the number 11. Curiosity quickly turns to obsession, and Joseph soon realizes that this number holds a horrific meaning not only to himself but possibly to all of religion. Isolated in a foreign country with only the support of his companion, Sadie, Joseph soon realizes that 11/11/11 is more than just a date, it's a WARNING!

Cast: Timothy Gibbs , Michael Landes , Brendan Price , Wendy Glenn

Release Date: November 11th, 2011 (wide)

Supernatural - Small Screen Review

Supernatural - Small Screen Review

Episode 6 - "Slash Fiction"

Sam and Dean are framed for a series of murder-robberies by two Leviathan that take the forms of the Winchester brothers. Bobby tries to figure out how to kill the Leviathan using the one they have hostage, while Sam and Dean take refuge with a surveillance expert, who gives them temporary identities to evade authorities. The brothers try to stop the two Leviathans and track them across the country, discovering that the Leviathan are committing the crimes in every town the brothers have visited since Sam left college.

Meanwhile, Bobby continues to try and find a way to stop the Leviathan, finding that decapitation works. However, with the head in close proximity, it eventually re-attaches itself. The brothers eventually find the Leviathan in Iowa but are arrested by local law enforcement. Bobby gets a visit from Sheriff Jody Mills, who offers to clean up the cabin and cook some food for Bobby. While cleaning, however, some soapy water spills onto the Leviathan, causing serious burns. Bobby gives the hostage Leviathan's severed head to Jody, telling her to dump it. Soon after, Dean, given a phone call, contacts Bobby and manages to learn how to at least stall the Leviathan.

The local sheriff eventually helps Sam and Dean when he sees the Leviathan eating one of the officers and turning into Sam and Dean. Sam, in an interrogation room, is confronted by the Leviathan Dean, who reveals Dean's killing of the kitsune, Amy. Dean and the sheriff manage to decapitate the Sam Leviathan, and then the Dean Leviathan shortly after, keeping the heads with them to prevent re-attachment.
Afterward Sam confronts Dean about Amy's death, telling him he can't talk to him right now, leaving Dean alone. Meanwhile, one of the Leviathan, disguised as an FBI agent, contacts his superior - a man named Dick Roman - about the recent failure. Crowley then appears to Dick in an effort to build a partnership, but Roman harshly turns Crowley down, considering demons to be even more pathetic than humans, and hinting that he wouldn't mind wiping them off the face of the Earth.

Episode 7- "The Mentalists"

Sam and Dean discover that an angry spirit is killing off resident mediums in Lily Dale, the most "psychic" town in America, but with a town full of people claiming to be summoning spirits, they have some trouble finding the true medium who's controlling the ghost.

Coming Soon: Immortals

Coming Soon: Immortals

Plot: Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares.

Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king's hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man's conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion...until a peasant named Theseus (Henry Cavill) comes forth as their only hope

Cast: Henry Cavill , Stephen Dorff , Luke Evans , Isabel Lucas , Kellan Lutz , Joseph Morgan , Freida Pinto , John Hurt , Mickey Rourke

Release Date: November 11th, 2011 (wide)

The Walking Dead - Small Screen Review

The Walking Dead - Small Screen Review

Episode Three - Save The Last One

Hershel tells Lori and Rick that he might need to perform Carl's surgery without anesthesia if Shane and Otis do not return soon. Daryl and Andrea return to the forest to find Sophia. The search leads to Daryl share an insightful childhood memory. In the woods, the two come upon a walker hanging from a tree, which they kill after a friendly debate.

Glenn and T-Dog arrive at the Greene home, where T-Dog's injury is treated while Glenn and Maggie talk about faith. Lori contemplates letting Carl die to end his suffering, while Rick holds to the belief that Carl may yet live in a better future. Meanwhile, Shane and Otis fight to escape the high school, only to face more walkers at every turn. An injured Shane betrays Otis to escape the walkers, and returns to the Greene home just in time for Carl's surgery. Shane misleads everyone about Otis's death and destroys the only clue that he himself was responsible, having shot Otis in the leg.

Episode Four - Cherokee Rose

Dale, Daryl, Andrea and Carol arrive at the Greene home and set up camp as Carl recovers. Since Shane is still injured and Rick is weak from blood loss, Daryl decides to search alone for Sophia. He does not find Sophia, but instead finds a Cherokee Rose (a Native American sign in which children were protected), and gives it to Carol. Hershel takes Rick on a tour; he then tells him that he should leave the property after Carl heals and they find Sophia.

Rick begs Hershel to reconsider that they leave; the latter will think about letting them stay if they follow certain guidelines. Dale and T-Dog decide to retrieve water from a nearby well, although they realize that there is a walker inside. Since the survivors cannot kill it for it might infect the water further, they decide to use Glenn as bait to lure the walker out of the well. They succeed, but due to the moisture from the well, the walker's legs and internal organs spill back in the well, infecting the water; T-Dog then kills the walker. Maggie and Glenn decide to head to a local pharmacy, where Maggie offers to have sex with Glenn. Glenn retrieves a pregnancy test, requested by Lori; Lori uses it and realizes that she is pregnant.

Pretty much nothing happens or better yet I can say the same things happen but different situations; the past three episodes. Now I do not mind that at all. This is a drama with zombies and drama comes first but the last three episodes all feel like the same thing given to us. To me they could have cut it down to two episodes worth and then give us something different in the fourth. Thankfully it seems the story with pick up next episode.

Supernatural - Small Screen Review

Supernatural - Small Screen Review

Episode 5 - "Shut Up, Dr. Phil"

Sam and Dean find cases of individuals meeting gruesome deaths in a small town. Several of the crime scenes contain ancient Romanian coins, acting as hexed objects. The brothers learn that each victim was connected to Donald Stark (James Marsters), a wealthy businessman, philanthropist and pillar of the community. While Donald assures the brothers that the business deal he and the victims had nothing to do with their deaths.
Sam searches the house and discovers that Donald's wife, Maggie (Charisma Carpenter), is a powerful witch who is currently separating from Donald. In the process, Maggie is killing people connected to 'helping' Donald set up a fling with one of the victims.

Heading to Maggie's house, Sam and Dean learn that Donald's receptionist is next, and manage to save her before Maggie's curse kills her. Later on it is revealed that Donald himself is a witch, as he uses his powers to destroy Maggie's auction paintings and decapitate her best friend. When Sam and Dean realize this, they wait for the two to meet at Donald's house, then try to kill them using a spell with chicken feet. The spell fails, and Sam suggests they counsel the witches on their failing marriage to prevent them from killing Dean and himself.

Although they manage to counsel the witches, they are summarily thrown around and beaten for seeming to side with the other party, until Dean is able to say that Donald never tried to have a relationship with his receptionist. The two witches reconcile their love, and Sam and Dean leave with their lives. At the hotel Sam and Dean are confronted by one of the Leviathan, who had been tracking them for days. After almost killing Sam, the Leviathan is rendered unconscious by a spell from Donald, who had dropped by to save the brothers' lives (initially) from Maggie's coin curses. Sam and Dean bind up the Leviathan for transport to Bobby's, in order to determine how to defeat the new monsters.

Coming Soon: J. Edgar

Coming Soon: J. Edgar

Plot: J. EDGAR explores the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century. As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover (DiCaprio) was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

Cast: Josh Lucas , Armie Hammer , Leonardo DiCaprio , Naomi Watts , Judi Dench , Ken Howard

Release Date: November 9th (Limited) November 11th (Wide)

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas Review

By: Robert Acosta

Cast:
John Cho as Harold
Kal Penn as Kumar
Paula Garces as Maria
Danny Trejo as Carlos

Plot: Once best friends, Harold and Kumar are now leading completely opposite lives. Harold has become a successful businessman while Kumar is out of med school and still high out of his mind. The spirit of Christmas brings them back together, only to get caught in some more crazy situations.

Review: A movie I long awaited, could not wait to see, Harold and Kumar still deliver. It certainly has a different look and feel to it compared to the first two parts. That could be because it was in 3D and I saw it in an RPX theater...whatever that means. But more than that, it wasn't the epic trip all the place like we've come to expect. But that doesn't mean it's any less effective.

It's a couple of years after Guantanamo Bay and Harold and Kumar have split. Harold has a nice house, a wife and is thinking of making a family. Kumar is smoking. And smoking. And smoking. By some Christmas magic, they meet again and almost right away, things start going hilariously wrong. Once again, Harold must clean up another mess and Kumar must do his best to help him.

Running at very short 90 minutes, HK3 sure does pack in a lot of stuff. It almost seems outrageously random what they get into in such a short time..and if it does...that's because it is. From a lovely home to a party to beer pong to nearly bring killed to waffle bots and Neil Patrick Harris and much much more. Is this the funniest Harold and Kumar, maybe.

The comedy is still there. Most people may not realize this but the first HK movie was back in 2004. They've done a great job of spacing out the movies and being able to keep the movies fresh, something most comedy sequels and trilogies have a hard time of doing. The comedy is just as crude as ever and 3D somehow makes things funnier. Dick jokes and smoking never looked or sounded better. Actually the cool smoke effect they had going was awesome. Neil Patrick Harris is a nice touch as well. But overall, it's John Cho and Kal Penn who are gods of buddie comedies. This generations Cheech and Chong, they are the heroes.

Like I said, the 3D is really fun. It must have been shot in 3D because it's the best looking movie in 3D this year. Never thought i'd see the day where I would say a comedy movie is the best looking 3D movie. On top of that, they take good shots at the whole idea of 3D that it brings out the greatness of 3D, when done correctly.

You've got your cameos/small roles from guys like Bobby Lee, Danny Trejo, Thomas Lennon, Patton Oswalt and Amir Blumenfeld. Also, the great return Eddie Kaye Thomas and David Krumholtz, the two jewish friends of Harold and Kumar from the first films.

Overall, the film is packed with hilarious moments, lots of memorable scenes and it's a damn Harold and Kumar movie. How can you not have fun!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

November Movie Releases

By: Robert Acosta

It's been a while since The Movie Spot has done this, and we certainly want to get back on track with letting you know what movies are coming out and what you may want to see or miss within the months. There is certainly a lot going on this month, both good and bad. Let's take a look:

NOTE: Bold means that movie is a limited release

November 4th:

• A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 3D
• Tower Heist
• The Son of No One
• Killing Bono
• Goethe (Playing in LA and NYC only)

November 11th:

• Immortals
• J.Edgar (Comes out November 9th)
• Jack and Jill
• Melancholia (LA and NYC only)
• 11-11-11
• London Boulevard
• Into the Abyss

November 18th

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
• Happy Feet Two
• The Descendants 
• Tyrannosaur (LA/NYC)
• Another Happy Day (LA/NYC)

November 23rd (Thanksgiving Week)

• The Muppets
• Hugo
• A Dangerous Method
• Arthur Christmas
• My Week with Marilyn
• The Artist

A lot of great stuff coming out this month, lots of cant miss movies with some questionable watches along the way.

In the first week, you've got two nice comedies coming out, on different sides of comedy really. The next chapter in the Harold and Kumar series is coming and I expect it to be raunchier than ever with the 3D release. It looks like it's shot in 3D so that may be a huge plus for it. One movie I certainly won't miss. Also, Tower Heist comes out bolstering a cast of big time actors like Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck and Matthew Broderick. Don't expect it to be as funny as Harold and Kumar but it should still be a worth a look.

Every year there is a movie based around Greek mythology and it usually ends up being pretty good and Immortals is on that very same track. Future Superman, Henry Cavill is starring so it may be something to watch if you're into either Greek mythology or the future of the Superman franchise. Another Adam Sandler film where he casts his friends in roles and provides lackluster stories is on the way. Won't lie when I say that the trailer got some chuckles out of me, but I may end up seeing this for free...or HBO in a year.

Many teenage girls are awaiting November 18th, as a crucial (but unfortunately not final) part to the Twilight series coming. The trailer suggests that a lot happens. I really wouldn't know the whole story of what does happen, but i'm sure Twilight fans will patch that story up for me. Another somewhat useless movie in this month, Happy Feet Two. Sure, Happy Feet was a hit, and it was inevitable that a sequel was coming (though I thought maybe a lot sooner). Nonetheless, kids and some adults will enjoy the cash cow that is Happy Feet Two.

The last week brings two events i've been waiting all year for. Thanksgiving and The Muppets movie. I wouldn't want a Muppets movie if it was half assed but this looks to be phenomenal. Jason Segal and Amy Adams are two great actors, and the list of cameos involved should really enhance the film. Also, it's the damn Muppets!