Welcome back to this week's installment of Wednesday Who where I do a quick synopsis of a random Doctor Who episode (mostly just for the hell of it). This week's installment is going to be one from last season as  Peter Capaldi was starting to get his legs as The Doctor.




"Time Heist"
Writers: Stephen Thompson and Steven Moffat
Director : Douglas MacKinnon


The episode starts with The Doctor trying to convince Clara to go on a adventure with her. She, however is most interested in a date she has made with Danny Pink. She is almost out the door ofher apartment when the phone rings on the TARDIS. Next thing they know,they are in a unknown room with two other people. All 4 of them (the Doctor, Clara, Psi,a augmented human and Saibra, a mutant human) have all agreed to memory wipes. Then they receive a message from someone called"The Architect". In the video message it is revealed that The Architect wants them to perform a heist at the most impregnable bank in the universe, Karabraxos.


This is a rather fun heist episode. By this time, Capaldi is clicking as The Doctor and Jenna Coleman's Clara gets to have her usual witty lines. A excellent moment for Jenna is when The Doctor gets on Psi about something and Psi asks if he is always like this. Clara says he usually is a lot nicer but Psi tells her he knew she's been with him a long time as she is good at making excuses for him.  The best part of the scene is Clara's face as she realizes that he might be right.


Other moments of note:

- Keeley Hawks plays the president of the bank "Ms. Delphox" It is a good role and comes with a fun twist at the end

- Lots of little easter eggs to shows like "Torchwood" , "Sarah Jane Adventures" and Classic Doctor Who adventures. Also a shout-out to my favorite Doctor's favorite accessory.


- "SHUTTTITY UP SHUTTTITY UP UP UP UP

-And a lovely moment at the end for all those 12/Clara fans with a nice little line The Doctor says at the end.


- So overall, this is a nice standalone episode. It combines heist film moments with little dabs of humor.

DIRECTOR SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT

This week's spotlight is on a director who is a Oscar winner, BAFTA award winner , voted best director by the National Board of Review and the first woman to win the directing category at the Saturn Awards : Kathryn Bigelow. 

She has directed 9 feature films and has directed a few short films as well. Today I will highlight three of her films. Two are lesser known movies but the third one is well known and one of the best films of the past several years. 

Near Dark (1987) - Kathryn's second full-length feature film mixes many different type of films into one :Horror, romance, western and Vampire.  In the film, a young man meets a drifter who after spending a night with her,is bitten on the next by her. He slowly finds out he has become a vampire and after meeting back up with her, he finds that she has with a roaming gang of vampires that want him to join them. 

This film is a beautifully shot film that is at times both erotic and frightening, Bigelow is able to give what could have been a terrible Twlight-ish movie genuine emotion and frights. The cast more than hold up their end as Bill Paxton steals scenes as the anti-social psycho Severen. If you are a horror fan,vampire fan or just a fan of good films, watch Near Dark.

Strange Days (1995) - Strange Days is what a lot of people would say is a gritty film. Set in the future, devices that can record people's memories and the physical sensations into little disks.  Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) is given a disc that could lead to a vast conspiracy involving police murdering a famous rapper. It's up to him and Mace (Angela Bassett) to help unravel and understand what happened.


This film has been described as "tour de force" as it is a thriller that does not let up. Bigelow is able to craft characters that are at once sleazy and brutal yet you root for them to be saved and save others. Also it is nice to see a African American character not as the victim but as a tough woman who has to save the man. Angela Bassett does a terrfic job of conveying that strength without losing her character's fierceness and vulnerability. A voyeurist thriller with a view of the future that does not let you take a moment to relax. 

Zero Dark Thirty (2011) - Kathryn's last movie she has directed as of now is also her best. The story of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, we see it from the prospective of Maya (Jessica Chastain) , a cia agent in Pakistan. We go through the 10 years of looking for him as Maya's sole focus is on finding Bin Laden. 

It is my favorite film of Bigelow's as she shows us the dark side of the war on terror and the price it takes. Also the scene of Seal Team Six's raid on the Bin Laden compound is visual striking and one of the most intense scenes in movie history. Even though you know how the story ends, you can not take your eyes away from any of it thanks to Bigelow's direction and the outstanding performance of Chastain. "I'm the motherfucker who found this place. Sir." Also tons of outstanding cameos from Chris Pratt, Mark Duplass, John Barrowman to Kyle Chandler help elevate the film as well.  This is the rare film that will have you thinking about it long after it has ended. 

With the release of Ant-Man, we are now at the end of Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There have been 12 Marvel movies so far (Not counting Fox's X-Men, Fantastic Four or Sony's Spider-man movies) I have made my list of the 12 movies from the worst one to what I believe is the best one. I know some choice will be confusing so I will explain why I have each movie ranked where it is.

12. Iron Man 2


Iron Man 2 is without a doubt a mess. It tries to fit too much into one movie. Also it isn't helped that Mickey Rourke gives a Terrible performance as Whiplash. Sam Rockwell is given very little as Justin Hammer.(though he does a good job with what he has) Robert Downey Jr. gives a okay performance not helped but a subpar script. They try to fit a "Iron Man is a drunk''subplot that gets forgotten after a quick donut shop meeting. The saving grace of this movie is the introduction of Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson.

11. Incredible Hulk

This 2008 film is a good movie but it suffers from the fighting that went on between it's star Edward Norton (who does a decent Bruce Banner), the director Louis Leterrier and the producers of the movie. The film does give some fun action moments and Liv Tyler is a good Betsy Ross. The film however suffers from not going far enough as it keeps it as a simple action movie when it could have been so much more.

10. Thor : The Dark World

I don't hate this movie as much as others do. The main bad guy in this is not really great (Sorry Christopher Eccleston) and Sif and the Warriors Three are afterthoughts basically here. Thankfully Tom Hiddleston steals the show once again as Loki as he shows many difference sides of the damaged god. Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman play Thor and Jane Foster and do great in their roles as Kat Dennings and Stellan Starrsgard add comedy relief too the movie which sometimes gets stale but is saved by Hiddleston's performance.

9. Iron Man 3

This is Robert Downey Jr.'s 5th appearance as Tony Stark and while this is a improvement from Iron Man 2, this movie does still have some flaws. The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is played as a serious threat until you find out he's not in what is the best scene of the film. But overall, you feel as if you've seen this all before : Tony and Pepper's relationship trouble, the suits taking over his life, the evil businessman, etc. I do enjoy the end credits surprise though more than most other Marvel movies.

8. Iron Man


The film that started it all. I will admit, Robert Downey Jr. shows that he truly is Tony Stark "The Iron Man". RDJ envelops the cockiness, the sarcasm and the hint of fear that makes up Tony and it is wonderful to see. Some parts of the film has not aged well but it is still a enjoyable ride that we owe for all the movies that came after it. Also shoutout to it being the first appearance of Samuel L.Jackson as Nick Fury and Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson which is the first step to Marvel's TV universe as well with Agents of SHIELD.

7.Thor

The first Thor film introduces us to not only Natalie Portman as Jane Foster but also lets us meet two of the most influential characters in the Marvel Universe : Thor and Loki. Chris Hemsworth plays a great redemption story as the mighty Thor and Tom Hiddleston starts his streak of stealing movies as the vindictive yet sympathetic Loki who you find memorized by even when he is stealing Asgard from Odin (Anthony Hopkins)and banishing Thor to earth. It is a exciting origin story with good performances carrying a okay script.

6. Ant-Man

The last phase two film could also be it's most fun. A action packed film that never takes itself too seriously but never is needlessly goofy. the never aging Paul Rudd is terrific as Scott Lang,playing both the comedy and action parts of the movie perfectly. Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly are really good in their supporting roles as Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne. Michael Pena is laugh out loud funny in his role as one of Scott's thief friends. This film does a great job of being a fun summer movie and giving hints to what is coming next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

5. Avengers: Age of Ultron

This sequel to the first Avengers movie is not without flaws but is still a entertaining film. Ultron is a good baddie and the additions of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Hawkeye has some great moments along with a view of his family life, Captain America and Black Widow are still awesome and Mark Ruffalo continues his fine work as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. BUT there are some problems with the pacing of the battles, Iron Man's continued jerkiness and some controversial scenes. I would have liked to have seen if the movie would have been different had Joss Whedon not gotten squeezed by the studio.

4. Captain America


The best origin film of the bunch, this helped introduce characters beloved in the Marvel Universe. Besides fun cameos from Natalie Dormer and Jenna Coleman we have : Sebastian Stan's role as Bucky Barnes who is always loyal to his friend Steve no matter whether he is a string bean or muscular adonis. Also this film introduced us to Peggy Carter (No yet a Agent) who played by Hayley Atwell has grown so popular and big that she is about to start filming season 2 of her own show as Peggy Carter, a role model to many women with thanks to this film. Finally Chris Evans is PERFECT as Steve Rogers,Captain America. He does a great job of showing a man who just wants to do right by his country whether 90-pound weakling or muscular hero. Chris shows why he is the most popular avenger and also can nail the emotional scenes with Peggy near the end of the film.

3.Guardians of the Galaxy


This movie made space fun again. Chris Pratt as Star Lord leads a ragtag band of misfits into fighting Ronan (Lee Pace) to protect a world and a gem. The cast is exceptionally funny from badass Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to the naive and angry Drax (Batista). The scene-stealers though are Rocket and Groot - a talking raccoon and a living tree. Voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel respectfully, they add heart and tons of humor to the film. Chris Pratt in this movie cements himself as the next cocksure, heroic superstar as he has Peter Quill , the cockiest yet heroic hero outside of this universe.

2. Avengers



The best action film of the marvel universe , it is able to combine so many characters and make it work. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr have Captain America and Iron Man down pat and their chemistry is terrific with each other and the rest of the cast. Scarlett Johannson takes over the scenes as Black Widow showing that she is always the smartest person in the room. Mark Ruffalo plays the best version of the Hulk/Bruce Banner ever.(Sorry Bill Bixby). He is able to show the fear Bruce has of the monster and yet also the boiling rage he has inside. Jeremy Renner and Samuel L.Jackson have their moments as Hawkeye and Nick Fury. Tom Hiddleston steals scenes once again as Loki as he shows humor and evil in the same moment.

1. Captain America : The Winter Soldier

The best Marvel movie to date, this film is a great showcase for the Russo Brothers's first feature film. Each character gets their own awesome moment : From Maria Hill saving Cap, Falcon and Widow from Hydra , Falcon's battle with Crossbones, Nick Fury's car battle with turncoat Shield Agents there are so many numerous moments to mention. This is Chris Evans third film as Cap and he is Captain America in every way. His anger and disappointment at finding Shield, the agency Peggy founded , infiltrated by Hydra can be felt. Scarlett Johannson gives her best performance as Black Widow as she must help take down the organization that helped her. Her and Cap's friendship and scenes of them talking are some of the best one on one scenes Marvel's done.  A perfect mix of action/adventure and spy thriller, this is truly the best of the bunch. (As a bonus , also the best end credits/ music as well.)

SMITH AND JONES

Written by Russell T. Davies
Directed by Charles Palmer


Our first shot in this episode is of Martha Jones walking along the street confidently as she heads to her medical residence. She is answering numerous phone calls from her family as they are all asking for her help for her brother's birthday party. As you can tell by watching this scene, Martha is the one everyone in the family goes to for help. 

As she finishes answering the calls, she suddenly runs into the Doctor who takes off his tie and says " Like so. You see?" Not the oddest meeting a Doctor has had with a future companion but it is up there. When Martha arrives, she is bumped into by a mysterious man whose identity is hidden by a motorcycle helmet. Also when she goes to change she gets a electric shock at her locker.

Later, as Martha and the group of medical students go to see patients first they meet a old lady who is suffering from lack of salt and then sees The Doctor again. He is under the alias of John Smith and just after they talk with him something happens. The building is moved from the earth to the moon!! As Martha goes to investigate, she is joined by Mr. Smith who reveals to Martha he is called The Doctor.

The chemistry between the Doctor and Martha is evident from their very first meeting. it is so natural with just a touch of flirtation in there, okay sometimes a lot. This is a great episode that introduces the Judoon, a intergalactic police force looking for a murderer who has hidden themselves as human. It is revealed to be the old lady and it takes Martha and The Doctor together to trick her and have the Judoon return the hospital back to the earth thanks to a ''meaningless'' kiss and some vampire-ish blood sucking that is able to get the Judoon to find the true non-human.


After the hospital is sent back, we see Martha at her brother's party where it has been ruined by the actions of her family (mostly her dad, stepmom and mom.) As Martha is exhausted by the events, she spots The Doctor. She follows him to the TARDIS where The Doctor explains it can travel through time. Martha doesn't believe him so to prove it, The Doctor goes back to the beginning of the day to meet Martha which we saw at the beginning of the episode.


After a quick "It's bigger on the inside" from Martha and A quick mention of Rose by a still heartbroken Doctor, He agrees as a thank you to let Martha go on one adventure with him. Little did he know they would do much more than that together.



I love this episode in many ways. Introduces us to Martha Jones, one of the most underrated companions in history. Freema plays her so self-assured, unfazed at all the events but still showing human vulnerability. David is in his second season as the Doctor and you can feel he's made it his own. From all the little sly jokes to the look of pain and sound of his voice as he mentions Rose and how he's afraid of letting anyone else into his life. I highly recommend Smith and Jones to anyone if they would like to watch a fun and exciting episode of Doctor Who!

The Emmy nominations were released and down below are the nominees. Also, below the nominees are my picks to win. Tell me who you think will win in the comments or on twitter at @cdulaney85!!




Comedy Series



Louie
Modern Family
Parks & Recreation
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep


MY PICK : Parks and Recreation




Drama Series



Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men
Orange Is the New Black


MY PICK : ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK




Limited Series

American Crime

American Horror Story: Freak Show
Olive Kitteridge
The Honorable Woman

Wolf Hall


MY PICK : THE HONORABLE WOMAN



Lead Actor in a Drama Series


Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Jeff Daniels, Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards


MY PICK : BOB ODENKIRK



Lead Actress in a Drama Series



Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Robin Wright, House of Cards


MY PICK : QUEEN TATIANA MASLANY




Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie


Adrien Brody, Houdini
Ricky Gervais, Derek
Timothy Hutton, American Crime
Richard Jenkins, Olive Kitteridge
David Oyelowo, Nightingale
Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall


MY PICK : David Oyelowo, Nightingale


Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie


Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Queen Latifah, Bessie
Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
Emma Thompson, Sweeney Todd


MY PICK : MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL



Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Louis C.K., Louie
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent



MY PICK : Will Forte,I guess.


Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie



MY PICK : AMY POEHLER


Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Michael Kelly, House of Cards



MY PICK : JONATHAN BANKS



Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black


MY PICK: UZO ADUBA



Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale, Veep




MY PICK : ANDRE BRAUGHER



Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Niecy Nash, Getting On
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Anna Chlumsky, Veep



MY PICK : KATE MCKINNON

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Richard Cabral, American Crime
Denis O'Hare, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Finn Wittrock, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Michael Kenneth Williams, Bessie
Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge
Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall


MY PICK : Bill Murray



Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Regina King, American Crime
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Angela Bassett, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Mo'Nique, Bessie
Zoe Kazan, Olive Kitteridge



MY PICK : SARAH PAULSON

Television Movie
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case
Bessie
Grace of Monaco
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Killing Jesus
Nightingale


MY PICK : CURTAIN, POIROT's LAST CASE

Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice



MY PICK : DANCING WITH THE STARS 
Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste



MY PICK : Jane Lynch



Variety Talk Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With David Letterman
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon



MY PICK : LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER

Variety Sketch Series
Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live



MY PICK : INSIDE AMY SCHUMER

Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, The Blacklist
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
F. Murray Abraham, Homeland
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards
Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex
Pablo Schreiber, Orange Is the New Black




MY PICK : MICHAEL J. FOX


Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Rachel Brosnahan, House of Cards
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Khandi Alexander, Scandal



MY PICK : ALLISON JANNEY

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mel Brooks, The Comedians
Paul Giamatti, Inside Amy Schumer
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Bradley Whitford, Transparent
Jon Hamm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt



MY PICK : JON HAMM



Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory
Gaby Hoffmann, Girls
Pamela Adlon, Louie
Elizabeth Banks, Modern Family
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Tina Fey, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt



MY PICK : JOAN CUSACK

         DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY


Welcome back to the newest installment of this week's series. This week's installment focuses on a actress who became a director in 2006 : Sarah Polley. She is a most known for her roles in Existenz , 2004's Dawn of the Dead and 2009's Splice. Now I will list the 3 movies she has directed starting with her directorial debut feature film Away From Her

Away From Her is about a retired married couple Fiona and Grant (Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent) living a normal life when Fiona starts experiencing memory loss. She is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and they make a decision to check her into a nursing home. As she loses more of her memory, she also loses the memories of her love for her husband as she falls in love with another resident there. 

This is a great directorial debut for Sarah as she lets you see what the ravages of disease does to a married couple as Grant realizes that he is losing his wife and there is nothing he can do to stop it. Also this movie is a great showcase for Julie Christie as Fiona who goes through so much pain and emotion as she forget her love for one man and starts loving another. This is a great story of unconditional love of the sacrifices you make for that love.

 Take This Waltz is about a married couple that is going through the normal motions. Lou (Seth Rogen) seems pretty happy with how things are while Margot (Michelle Williams) is restless with it, talking with a man named Daniel (Luke Kirby) who she meets on a business trip. Slowly Margot is more and more enthralled with Daniel to the point she has to make a big decision on her marriage and her life. 

Sarah's second film is a wonderful tale of many mixes. Modern-day life, unfulfilled restlessness, and second-guessing is just many things dealt with as Michelle Williams delivers as a wife who is restless in her marriage but doesn't want to hurt her husband. Seth Rogen also is fantastic as a husband who slowly understands his wife is unhappy but understands he can't stop what is happening. A interesting tale of marriage, relationships, and regret.

 Stories We Tell is one of the most personal movies you will ever see. Also it is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Sarah tells the story of her mother as she learns about her, her father and the secret that was kept from her for many years. Interweaved with stories from family, friends and reenactments of key moments in her mother's life, you get to see what shaped Sarah and her life. I can not state how much I love this film. As raw and real as any doc can get, it is a masterpiece of a memoir told with restraint and yet also love. 


(Also Sarah wrote in her own words her thoughts on making this film here : http://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2012/08/29/stories-we-tell-a-post-by-sarah-polley/ )




Sarah's next film coming up is " Looking for Alaska" a film adaptation of John Green's 2005 novel. I cannot wait to see what she does with this material as she is just getting started in her directing career and hope to see much more from her in the future.

 SUNDAY DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT

This post is dedicated to highlighting certain directors's films that maybe don't get as much love as they should. Today I am going to highlight 3 Coen Brothers films that probably don't get the love and respect they deserve.

2004's The LadyKillers is a remake of the 1955 film with the same name. Usually this film is not mentioned as a favorite Coen Brothers movie but it is definitely one of mine. Tom Hanks plays Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr, a southern gentleman who rents a apartment in Mrs. Munson's house so he and his band can rehearse in the root cellar below. You soon find out though that he has alter motives for the root cellar as he is planning a bank robbery under Mrs. Munson's nose. However, does everything go smoothly for them? I won't say for those who have watched but it don't go easy.

I love Tom's performance in this as he has so much fun playing such a smarmy, slick con man who only ability is to weave one lie after the next. Also the supporting cast is very nice from Irma P. Hall as Mrs. Munson who can see through most of Dorr's lies to J.K. Simmons as Garth Pancake, a demolitions expert who's IBS strikes at the worst possible moments. This is probably the second funniest Coen Brothers film next to "O Brother Where Art Thou" and I really would think you will enjoy and laugh with this film as it goes from bank heist film to slapstick film in a heartbeat.

This is a film I only just saw a couple years ago and I kicked myself for not seeing before that. Raising Arizona is the story of a ex-criminal Herbert "Hi" (Nicolas Cage) and a police officer Edwina "Ed" (Holly Hunter) who get married but find out that they can not have or adopt kids. So they come with a idea to kidnap one of five babies of a famous Arizona resident. Complications arise in the form of : family trying to get Hi back into the criminal racket, a boss who wants to wife-swap and a bounty hunter hot on their trail.



This is one of Nicolas's best performances as the wackness he shows now in movies iis much under control here in a very downbeat way as he shows Hi as a man wanting to do good by his family and his new son. This film is one of the more upbeat Coen Brothers films as it is a fun and interesting look at life in the west. It is a prelude to their later films such as "O Brother", "Big Lebowski" and "Burn After Reading" in the style of the movie and the eccentric characters that inhabit the world the Coens weave their stories in.

Miller's Crossing is one of those films that the first time you view it , you might not notice everything. The Coens here mix the 30's gangster films with the noir films of the 1940's to excellent effect here. If you are a fan of movies and the technical side of them then I would highly suggest this film. It is one that you will enjoy upon multiple viewings.

The main story is about boss Leo (Albert Finney) and his #1 guy so to speak Tom (Gabriel Byrne). Leo is in a war with Johnny Caspar and is forced to offer protection to his lover's brother Bernie as a result of it (John Turturro in a great performance). Tom doesn't agree with Leo's decision and goes to work for his rival Caspar. Caspar's first order is to have Tom kill Bernie in the woods at Miller's Crossing. Will he do it or will he set a chain of events in motion by letting him go?

Like many of the Joel and Ethan Coen's films, this one is even better upon rewatches. You will catch so many different things. So Look In Your Heart and ask yourself "Why wouldn't you want to watch Miller's Crossing?"

So these are just three of the Coen Brothers films that I would recommend to people. Actually these were all recommended to me at one point too! So someone out there is someone who hasn't seen one or two or all of these films. If you are a fan of these films then go out and tell them about these films. Maybe once they see these , they will watch other Coen films or perhaps other films with say Holly Hunter or Gabriel Byrne in them. Pay It Forward when it comes to love of movies. (Though I wouldn't recommend that one. hahahaha!)

We are 11 episodes into this season of Carmilla and it is safe to say that things have gotten even crazier and wilder at Silas University. Instead of reviewing each episode one by one , I've decided to have this post examine what has been happening with each character so far this season. So let's start with the two main characters of the show shall we - Carmilla Kamstein and Laura Hollis.

When we start season 2 of Carmilla, our first sight is Laura turning on the lights and speaking to us again. We soon see that Carmilla and Laura are very much in the honeymoon stage of their relationship. Through the first 11 episodes we have seen a few cute moments between the two including in episode 4 when Laura and Carmilla talk to each other and admit they fell for each other way before the last episodes of season 1.  After a quick race , we see that well...everyone reading this is a adult , I don't have to spell it out for you (They have S-E-X)

                               That right there is "I just had amazing sex" hair




Though lately, it has not been all smooth sailing thanks to the arrival of Carm's sister, Mattie. Mattie has been taking over things at Silas and she has also been trying to get into Carmilla's head about her relationship with Laura.

Carmilla in this season has shown that while she is definitely the physically strongest member of the group, she is also the most emotionally fragile of the group. You can see it every time Laura calls her a hero, she doesn't want to be a hero or fight any more battles. Carm just wants to be with Laura. Though she tells Mattie that Laura is not a passing fancy, Carmilla fears she could be one to Laura. (watch her face when Laura talks to Danny in ep.11, how it changes when Laura touches Danny's arm. It is innocent but the nagging fear is there for Carm)



Laura , on the other hand, is still nerdy Laura drinking from her Doctor Who mug. (Also how old married couple-ish was it when Carmilla drank her mug?) Also Laura is in another situation that is way over her head. She feels guilty about what has happened to the school and feels it is her duty to help bring some order to the university. Also like Carmilla, Mattie's words have made Laura worry about if she is just a passing fancy to her. I worry what this will do to her and Carm's relationship as Laura has been asking for Carmilla's help in some situations like getting information from Mattie. This has made Carm very uncomfortable even though I don't think Laura means to.

Lafontaine- LaF has been dealing with a few things so far this season mostly all friend-related. They has had to deal with her best friend Perry's attack in the first few episodes. I will talk more about what happened to Perry in a bit but LaF has had to see her best friend tramutized emotional and psychically and the helpless feeling them had of not being able to help her.
The other thing that LaF has had to deal with is what has been happening to J.P. Due to...not sure how it happened but the library has vanished and Jeep's all messed up because of it. As Lafontaine notices, JP and the library have a connection and with the library gone, JP is losing himself more and more. LaF wants to help him too but they have no idea what to do. So LaF is stuck watching them friends in pain and not being able to help. So I see in the future episodes, LaF trying everything possible to try to help both of them through any means necessary.

Perry- Right now the person who at least physically had the roughest time so far this season is Perry. At the end of episode 1, Perry interrupts Carmilla and Laura's time together only to be covered in blood. She had just found the murdered newspaper students. That kind of thing shakes you up no matter what you think.

Then in episode 4 at the end , we find out that Perry has been attacked by something and it has written words in Perry's stomach! Done by whoever killed the newspaper staff (My guess), it is a threat to get them off of the case. All this and the continuing craziness has almost pushed Perry to the breaking point as she is getting madder and madder. I fear that Perry's rage will boil over and hurt the ones she truly cares about instead of the ones who deserve it.




Also Danny and Kirsch have been having a sort-of side adventure with Mel, a newcomer to the series. These have mostly been played for laughs as Kirsch is love-sick puppy crushing on Danny while D-Bear is tolerating him. This changed from laughs to serious when Danny protected Kirsch from Mel and her arrows, leaving Danny with a new enemy and a serious threat.

So since we are only a few episodes away from the halfway point of the season, I think things are going to only get tough for Carmilla,Laura and their Friends. I hope they can find the library to save JP and solve the Mattie problem but I know if they do it won't be easy.

Overall, this has been a real good season so far and really looking forward to see what is coming up next!

Today is the fourth of July, Independence Day. I have picked out below are four movies that I consider patriotic to me. I know a few choices are out of the box but I think they represent what representing America in the movies means not only to me but to other.

Independence Day - This film without a doubt, screams AMERICA. Alien invaders come to our planet to take it over. Led by the president Bill Pullman, Scientist Jeff Goldblum and pilot Will Smith, USA leads the way to fight back the invaders and defeat them. In true American fashon, we do fail miserably a few times (you will be missed Harry Connick Jr. "KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES BIG DADDY!") But like America does, we get it right the 3rd or 4th time around. This is a seriously fun action movie and always enjoyable to watch.

Rocky IV - I know in this one Rocky Balboa fights Ivan Drago to avenge a friend but this becomes so much more during the fight. In the lead-up it had become a USA vs Russia discussion but due to the iron will of Rocky, he ends up getting the crowd in Siberia rooting for the American thorough his sheer guts and determination. If that doesn't scream America, then I don't know what does. Also it has a robot in it that is very freaky and that's USA right there.

Pitch Perfect 2 - In this film, the Bellas led by Beca (Anna Kendrick) have been disgraced. To keep the Bellas in Barden College, they have to win a Worlds acapella competition. Their main competotors are the German group Das Sound Machine. The Bellas lose a riff-off to them and all hope seems lost. Then though in true American fashion, they are able to rebond and focus on winning the competition. It all leads to a epic preformance by the Barden Bellas. Do they win though for themselves and America? well I'll just leave this hint : World War II (boom)

Captain America - A underrated Marvel film, this shows what happens when you believe in helping your country and being a hero. Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) is a 90-pound weakling till he is given a serum that gives him super strength. But this movie shows that it is the heart of Steve Rogers, the heart that loves America that helps him become a super soldier and defend the land from evil Nazis. Also the movie has Hayley Atwell. HAYLEY ATWELL, people!!

Steven Universe is in it's second season right now and it is one of my favorite cartoons on the air right now. I have enjoyed a lot of the episodes as it is so good at mixing adult themes but keeping them suitable and relatable to young children. The following is my top 6 favorite Steven Universe episodes and the reason why. Remember, these are just my picks and if you disagree let me know on here or on twitter (@cdulaney85)



Honorable mentions: An Indirect Kiss, Horror Club, Tiger Millionaire, Together Breakfast, Sworn to the Sword, Giant Woman and Rose' Scabbard

Alone Together - In this episode, Steven and his best friend Connie are talking about Steven lack of ability to fusion with the other gems. Through a dance, Steven and Connie fuse into Stevonnie. As they start going through the motions of being a new fusion , we see them still being Steven and Connie as they go to a adult party and feel nervous and objectified. It's a great episode to show why Steven and Connie are who they are and how they always feel most comfortable with each other.

Winter's Forecast-In this episode, Connie is hanging out with Steven and Steven's dad Greg. A winter storm hits and thanks to a kiss on the forehead from Garnet, Steven sees visions of what could happen if they delay taking Connie home. This isn't really a big episode but I like it as we get to see a lot of the friendship of Connie and Steven here and there are some funny moments involving Mr.Universe and his driving.

Jail Break-This is part 2 of a two-parter where Steven and the crystal gems are captured by Jasper. Steven escapes and finds Ruby and Sapphire which is the first time he gets to see them become Garnet. It's a great action episode with a wonderful song by Garnet explaining what she is made of. She is made of love. I love the song as explains Garnet better than anything could.

Full Disclosure- This is the episode right after "Jail Break". Steven and the gems have just gotten back from the battle and Connie calls to see if they are alright. Steven at first delays speaking to her, trying to find the right words to say. Eventually Steven decides not to say anything to her as he fears she will get hurt. This episode highlights the destruction that the gems can cause but also that people are willing to be friends with Steven regardless of what may happen.

Story for Steven/ We Need to Talk- I really enjoy the episodes where we see the backstory of characters so these two are some of my all-time favorites. In "Story for Steven" Greg tells Steven as a bedtime story how he first met his mom , Rose Quartz. It's a nice little tale and I enjoy the singing in it as well as the hints of Pearl's true feelings towards Greg and Rose. (Hint - polar opposites of the spectrum)

We Need to Talk is in which Greg tells Connie and Steven about the first time he saw a fusion and his attempted fusion with Rose after finding out about Steven and Connie's fusion. It shows more of their backstory and how Greg and Rose fell in love. It's funny and emotional at the same time and a great view of how even Rose had her flaws like the other crystal gems.

Lion 3: Straight to Video- In this episode, Steven's Lion keeps sleeping on top of Steven at night. Steven finds out that in Lion's mane is a whole different land. In this land he finds some of his mother's things including a videotape which is in the video above. I love that this is Steven's first time ever seeing a video of his mom and it's ties in with the thoughts of family and love that this show has.