Ms. Amused

Wow… I’ve never really gotten angry at an Law & Order SVU episode before. Usually no matter what the controversy or how extreme, I’m empathizing with the “good” side which is the cops/lawyers.

But last night’s episode that I just watched via my DVR? ooooohhh I wanted to smack them all except Benson who was the only one who didn’t just join the mass hysteria against the mother Monica.

Premise: Baby found buried in shallow grave presumed to be murdered by her mother (was that Hillary Duff?). Turns out it was measles. How exposed? Some kid had it at the playground whose mom I”Monica”) CHOSE not to vaccinate him.

The DA (the blond one.. Alex?) and Stabler just went crazy and started frothing at the mouth for blood from Monica and tried her for murder.

I was sitting there absolutely astounded that Alex’s whole argument in the case seemed to just be repeating “YOU MURDERED (the baby)”. Over and over…

The idea was that because Monica intentionally didn’t vaccinate her son, that she murdered every other kid who got it from her son. Well what about the source that infected HER son? Where does the buck of blame stop?

Note: it wasn’t clear on whether or not Monica intentionally took her son out after knowing he was sick with measles. Pretty sure that his being at the park was BEFORE symptoms showed because Stabler learned about her in the first place when another mom at the park was bitching that Monica flaked on her by not showing up as promised to her kid’s party because of the lame excuse that Monica’s son had the measles; “Who gets the measles these days?” So seems as though Monica did quarantine her son once he was diagnosed.

And that’s the crux for me… if she didn’t and took him to the playground… then yes that was criminal behavior. But she did keep her son home. She did what she was supposed to do as anyone should when they have a seriously contagious disease.

But making her out to be the villian that *MURDERED* other kids with her “choice not to vaccinate”? Horse Pucky!!

And it just got worse from there… with the baby’s grandfather running into Monica’s house at the end and suiciding via gun to mouth in front of her after saying “now you’ve killed TWO people”. (Backstory was that he was a drunk mess up til the grandbaby was born and he got his shit together because of her and now without her, no point in living)

It just all makes me sick. It’s ultimately passing the buck of blame which ends up in people not taking responsibility for their own actions. It’s never your fault but someone else’s. And it’s horrible to see it PROMOTED on a show like L&OSVU.

Oh wow…  Just found a reason to watch my Twitter stream again… a fake Michael Bay twitter!

Sample twitters:

michael_bay WWMBBU. What would Michael Bay blow up? Jesus walked on water. I set it on FIRE

michael_bay No, I will not cut the crust off of Shia’s bread for him.

michael_bay I make all of my own furniture. Out of dynamite.

michael_bay Shots from today’s casting session. http://tinyurl.com/43tgu7

michael_bay Megan is humping a barstool again. This is why I don’t go out with the crew.

I don’t really know much about MB but watching the extras (lots of them and not boring either!) on Transformers gave me enough of an impression that these are hysterical to me.

Show that I’m most eager to see come up on the DVR list: Bones

If I previously were to give you my favorite must watch shows, Bones was an after thought even though last season I noticed that I was always very happy to get to click on a new episode of Bones. Of the early premieres this season, Bones had the best season premiere and has claimed the top spot in the excited to have a new episode to watch rankings.

I do still love House, NCIS, ER, etc but none of them have popped quite so well.

But the close on the heels of Bones is a new addition to my watch list though it’s into its 4th season: Supernatural. This year I’ve watched the first three seasons on dvd and while the 2nd season almost turned me off it altogether, the 3rd season was better than the first and I’m riding that momentum into the enjoyment of the 4th. But I agree with my friend Ally, that if they go too far in pitting Dean and Sam against each other in the overdone demon/devil vs angel battle. I’ll probably lose interest. But then again, Supernatural’s writers have a way of taking tired old plotlines and giving them a fresh twist.

I’ve only seen one episode of ER so far and I have to check to see if there was even an episode this week cause my DVR did NOT get it. It also didn’t get Grey’s or CSI. Hoping that the networks opted to skip because of the VP debate even though it was over by then. But the first episode of ER was sad. We’ll see where it goes from there.

I’m recording but not watching Grey’s Anatomy til I see the 4th season on dvd but the first disc is stuck in “long wait” status on Netflix… grr. Maybe I’ll just fork up some bucks and rent it from a Blockbuster store here so that I can get the rest and watch it. Same with Ugly Betty.

New shows… Fringe is proving entertaining and watchable. However I’m much more excited about The Mentalist thanks to a fortunate rebroadcast of the pilot. Catch is that I’ll have to give up the end of the Greek season. Yes I watch Greek. It’s cheesy as hell but I’m way too fond of “Cappie” played by Scott Michael Foster to let the guilt in guilty pleasure keep me from watching it.

Pushing Daisies: I haven’t really seen the whole first season but I liked what I saw and so when the DVR screwed up and didn’t record the premiere, I watched it online instead. I know people are mad that they apparently didn’t continue the plot properly from the end of the first season but I still like it a lot. I love the visual and the musical aspects. I’m looking forward to the new season based on the rumblings that they’re going to get more musical too.

After all, it really worked for Eli Stone which I’m anxious for to come back. And in other sophmore shows, I’m watching Lipstick Jungle too. Now that they killed off the one husband, I hope they bring the young lover back. He’s hot to watch and looks like a younger Simon Baker.

Oh yes… Simon Baker… he’s really divine in The Mentalist. Basic plot is he’s a slick con artist kind of guy who used to make a good living as a fake psychic when he’s just REALLY observational and good at interpreting all the subtle clues to get the real story. A natural profiler. And in shades like the show Profiler, he’s working as a police detective/consultant? now thanks to having been the target of a serial killer called Red John who remains uncaught. That’s all very close to the Profiler’s main character being the target of of  serial killer called Jack ofall Trades (if memory serves on the name).

Robin Tunney is in it and I can’t help but wonder if she’ll bail out early like she did with Prison Break. She’s nothing but annoying now but her character hasn’t served much purpose yet but to be a foil for Simon’s charm.

Speaking of Prison Break, hard to get too excited about it. That show really was best in its first season. After that, it’s just too corny and contrived.

Joss Whedon shuts down Dollhouse

*gasp gasp gasp* NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Oh wait… not permanently like you’d think from “shuts down”. Whew…

I know this will be spun as a bad omen for the show but I’ve faith in Joss, he’s not steered us wrong yet.

I still want Firefly. I know it won’t happen, people are scattered to the winds and some characters are now dead (I could live with Shepherd being dead but not Wash).

Helen Mirren has revealed that she researched her role in upcoming movie Love Ranch by spending time in a brothel.

The 62-year-old Oscar winner admitted that visiting Nevada’s Mustang Ranch was vital in helping her prepare for the film role, in which she portrays Grace Botempo, the madam of the state’s first legal brothel.

The Sunday Mail quotes her as saying: “I loved the girls and the madam was wonderful – she became our advisor. She was invaluable – a wonderful woman.”

Mirren added that she is in favour of legalised prostitution: “I am a complete believer in legal brothels. The girls are protected and free and it takes out that horrible situation of pimps and drugs.

“Also the men who go there know the girls are medically checked and it is very carefully controlled – everyone is in a safe environment.”

Mirren’s husband Taylor Hackford directed Love Ranch, which also stars Joe Pesci, Gina Gershon and Bai Ling.

-Source

If you are flummoxed at how Helen could support legalized prostitution, I highly recommend reading Whores & Other Feminists which is what settled it for me (YES).

My first introduction to Helen was Teaching Mrs Tingle and she stole the movie IMO. I was lost after Calendar Girls. And I LOVE that she signed on for National Treasure 2 because watching her character kick butt was one of the best things about that movie.

I still have yet to see The Queen but I’m sure I’m in for a treat. In the meantime, I will be sitting here enthralled at the thought of her playing a madam! Also, who else isn’t surprised to see Gina Gershon (Showgirls) & Bai Ling (Wild Wild West) rounding out the cast in this?

So my favorite icon making duo posted a set of Hocus Pocus icons last night and I was scanning through them and giggling at the comedy ones.

One face was familiar, very cherubic with big pouty lips but it wasn’t til I got to the bottom that I went… OMIGOD THAT’s ______!!!

Looks like Morgan will be ok

Freeman’s injuries included a broken arm, a broken elbow and “minor shoulder damage,” but the actor “was in good spirits when I spoke with him a short time ago” at the hospital trauma center in Memphis, his publicist, Donna Lee, told Reuters in a statement on Monday. – Source

He will have surgery but seems to fair to say that he’ll make a full recovery. It’s not like he’s an action star a la Christian Bale so we’ll be seeing him again on the screen!

James Doohan (of “Beam me up Scott” fame)’s son writes about the repeated failed attempts to give his dad the funeral he wanted. In Space.

And also in very worrisome news, Morgan Freeman was seriously injured in a car accident! NOOOO!!!!

As cleolinda on LJ put it… NOOOO NOT PRESIDENT GOD!!

When older actors pass away, like George Carlin, it hurts and it’s hard but it’s less devastating (for me at least) than when people like Heath die because none of us live forever and they were getting to the end of their life anyways. George had bad heart health for some time anyways.

But Morgan Freeman… he may be old but he’s also very in demand and prolific in great roles which puts him on the screen several times a year it seems. He’s in so many movies that I love that it’d be brutal to lose him though nature dictates we will one day.

Just NOT YET!!!! please not yet… not for another 20 years at least.

There’s talk about a Batman curse since Heath died earlier this year. Supposedly it was talked about on set… but why? Were there injuries and other mishaps leading up to Heath’s death and now Morgan’s accident?

Some people are even including Bale’s recent appearance in the tabloids as part of the curse. But I discount that because that’s just opportunistic parasitic family members trying to make a buck by hook or by crook. And oh yea, I don’t believe Bale “assaulted” anyone. Yelled, sure. But beat? No way. I looked up old interviews and noticed that he rarely talked about his mom and that it was mostly all about his dad. Bad relationship much?

Since I’ve already rambled to Nepal and back… might as well finish off by saying:

I SAW DARK KNIGHT ON FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT AND LOVED IT!

Not a perfect film but I actually prefer that. Too perfect movies make my head explode. I am even more sorry that Heath is dead because it is a CRIME that there’s no way to finish the Joker story.

Well someone, I think A, actually brought it up “What if they got Depp to finish it?” and that made me stop and think. I’d been thinking that no one would tolerate anyone stepping in for Heath to finish the story but how about an actor that people are lauding for having done just that on a different film? I dare say even Colin Farrell would work but not Jude Law.

The Joker was the ONE character in Dark Knight that I didn’t “see the actor” in. And that was only because between the heavy feature obliterating makeup and the voice modulation, even a focused attempt to see Heath under the makeup rarely worked.

Put Depp through makeup/costume tests and I’m sure they can get him to look very much like Heath’s Joker. Depp is also talented enough that I believe he could “find” Heath’s Joker’s mannerism & style and carry them on.

So yea… maybe there’s hope after all to continue the Joker.

Gonna force myself to save the tangent rant about one of the reasons why people say that Angelina Jolie should not be cast as Catwoman but instead point out what I’ve determined to be the current truth about casting for the next Batman movie.

There is NO casting other than the obvious already played ones, the surviving characters from Dark Knight (I listed them but realized it’d be a spoiler).

Apparently a number of actors signed multi picture deals, ie Maggie Gyllenhaal and Aaron Eckhart both reportedly signed 2 picture deals. But just because the contracts exists, doesn’t mean they have to be used in the 2nd picture of the deal.

It was reading that Christopher Nolan isn’t even attached for a 3rd Batman picture that made me realize that at this stage, absolutely nothing is set in stone. The next movie might not even be made. Common sense dictates that the buckets of cash and records breaking run of Dark Knight is enjoying will drive the studio to make another movie at some point. But that’s about the only thing you can count on.

Fare Thee Well James Doohan, George Carlin, & Heath Ledger and GET BETTER SOON Morgan Freeman!!

And someone stick Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine in a padded bomb shelter til 2009! Oh and Christopher Nolan too!

The best thing about the Golden Girls for me was always Sophia Petrillo and her mouth.

I’m now bitten with the yen to acquire GG on dvd and have a Sophia marathon/wake. 7 seasons are all on dvd now.

Thank you Estelle! Gone but never forgotten.

Picture it, Sicily 1916. A beautiful young lady walking along the beach….

He never gets “too big for his britches”. I love that he’s still a goof ball and very easy to talk to.

Reading this interview with him makes me really want to go see Journey to the Center of the Earth now. Before I was just interested because I like Brendan’s work. The talk about the footballs and treadmill sold me.

This is a great summer… Brendan times 2! and DARK KNIGHT!!!

Just to remind you of the eye candy…