Just watch the trailer first:

I’m really liking the look of this show! Kind of like The Incredibles… but then real. So what are everyone’s powers? From what I can gather from the trailer the father’s got invincibility/super strength or something like that; the mother superspeed; and the daugther telepathy. But what about the son? You saw all the math symbols ‘light up’, super intelligence?

Here’s ABC’s description:

The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie’s relationship lacks the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children, leaving little time for family bonding. During a family vacation set up by Jim in an attempt to reconnect, their plane crashes into the Amazon River. But this is where the fun starts for the Powells, as they soon discover that something’s not quite right. Each of them now possesses unique and distinct superpowers. But saving and savoring their family life will be equally important, as they try to find purpose for their new powers and embark on a journey to find out what defines and unifies them. The Powells are a totally relatable family who happen to be a little bit amazing.

It stars Michael Chiklis (The Shield) as Jim Powell, Julie Benz (Dexter) as Stephanie Powell, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell. Side characters are Romany Malco (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) as George St. Cloud, Tate Donovan (Damages) as Mitch McCutcheon, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews and Christina Chang as Yvonne Cho.

Episode 175: “And the sun touched neither men’s lives or their hearts…”

Interesting little movie, based on E.M. Forster’s story The Machine Stops. Now I find I need to read the original; apparently Forster predicted TVs, videoconferencing and virtual communities in this story (written in 1909!):

The Adjustment Bureau: This looks great! Based on a Philip K. Dick short story, this movie features Matt Damon as a politician who crosses paths with a ballerina (Emily Blunt). Add to that a PKD twist and you’ve got yourself a good blend of romance and sci-fi. Release Date: 30 July 2010 (UK), 17 September 2010 (US)

Super 8: Ooh, another secret alien project from JJ Abrams. I loved the buildup to Cloverfield (although to be honest I still haven’t seen the movie) and this seems pretty similar. There’s also a whole viral game added to this (of course), check out the Unfiction forum for more info about that. Release Date: 2011 (US, UK)

Easy A: This looks like fun! After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl (Emma Stone) sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne’s in “The Scarlet Letter,” which she is currently studying in school – until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Release Date: September 17th (US)

Jonah Hex: I’m not sure about this movie; it’s look a bit mediocre to be honest. It could be massive fun, but I’m not expecting a lot of this. Based on the comic book ‘hero’ of the same name, Josh Brolin plays Jonah Hex, a scarred drifter and bounty hunter. Jonah’s past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can’t refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull. Release Date: June 18th (US)

Buried: Ryan Reynolds stars as Paul, a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis, he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. This was released at one of the festivals last year and got quite a good reception. Release Date: September 24th (US)

Secretariat: Based on a true story, Secretariat is about the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, she manages to navigate the male-dominated business. Release Date: October 8th (US)

Charlie St. Cloud: I’ve got a bit of a weak spot for Zac Efron, but this movie looks a bit too soppy for my tastes. It’s about Charlie, a young man overcome by grief at the death of his younger brother Sam. So much so that Charlie begins ‘seeing’ Sam, talking to him and playing catch with him every night. Release Date: June 25th (UK), July 30th (US)

You Again: I like the look of this, but mainly because of the cast involved. Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber and Betty White. Please let there be at least one musical scene! Successful PR pro Marni (Kristen Bell) heads home for her brother’s wedding and discovers that he’s marrying her high school arch nemesis (Odette Yustman), who’s conveniently forgotten all the rotten things she did so many years ago. Then the bride’s jet-setting aunt (Sigourney Weaver) bursts in and Marni’s mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with her own high school rival. Release Date: September 24th (US)

I got invited to participate last week in a conference call with Joss Whedon about him directing this week’s episode of Glee. The episode is called Dream On and guest stars Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, and Molly Shannon. The wifi flaked out on me, so I didn’t get to ask anything myself, but I’ve written up the more interesting questions for you.

The interview is about yesterday’s episode of Glee (in the US), so beware there are a couple of (tiny) spoilers in it (mainly about set pieces and dances).

Q: What was it like directing someone else’s show?

Joss Whedon: Directing somebody else’s show is – I’ve done it once before, twice just with The Office. It helps if the show’s unutterably wonderful. That takes a lot of the pressure off. It’s a little tricky. You’re living in somebody else’s house and you have to make sure that you’re fulfilling their needs. It also takes some of the burden off you. You don’t have to be the guy who sees the big picture. You just take what they give you and make sure that you’re servicing it as best you can. Having said that, Glee is probably harder to shoot than any other show in recorded history, with all the different elements going on and whatnot; it’s a different kind of challenge, but ultimately enormous fun.

Q: What were you able to do with the dance number that maybe you weren’t able to do in your other musical episode from Dr. Horrible?

Joss Whedon: Well, dance would be one thing. There’s more real hard-core dancing in the show, not in every number. Some numbers are just about movement. Then I get to be seriously involved in creating that movement. Then some numbers are real dance numbers and that’s all Zach Woodlee and Brooke, the choreographers, they’re phenomenal. There were numbers that I didn’t know exactly how they worked narratively until I saw the choreography and then said, oh, this all works just fine. I got to really shoot some fun dancing and most of the stuff I’ve done has been more just movement.

Q: Could you talk about the dance number, the mall number. How did that fit in? Was that the most difficult?

Joss Whedon: You know, the thing about that number is that really was Zach and Brooke getting it done. Ultimately, it’s a complicated, it’s a big, big number, very gratifying, I think because we’re seeing things we haven’t seen before. I do pride myself on being the guy who knew we were actually going to be able to shoot it pretty quickly because once it gets dialed in, you pretty much just shoot them doing it. Because of the number of extras and the enormity of the number, people thought it was going to be much more of a bear than it actually was. We had two film cameras and four video cameras going the whole time, so the thing actually went pretty quickly. We were able to tack on another scene that day, which is great, because those schedules are a bear.

Glee-Neil-Patrick-Harris

Q: What was it like working with Neil again?

Joss Whedon: I am so tired of that guy. Why do they always make me direct Neil? Why the pain? Neil is a consummate pro and a dear friend, which is an ideal combination. There’s no problem. My only complaint was that I wanted to shoot even more of the kids than I got to, that and certain craft service issues about not having caviar, but really that’s in my contract, actually.

I feel like he’s one of those people who expresses the way I wish I could express myself. He’s like a muse, and he’s friends with Matt. The sort of rivalry/affection between them just informed the whole thing so much. We had such a good time. He came in the day after the Oscars, the day before How I Met Your Mother. He fit this into his schedule in the most bizarre fashion. I even got him and Jane Lynch to come in late on Friday night after finishing How I Met Your Mother, just so that we could knock a scene off because the schedule was so hard for him. Always cooperative, always imaginative; Neil’s the man.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about how much fun you had doing the flashbacks and how collaborative you guys were about what Neil was going to bring to this episode.

Joss Whedon: You know, Neil’s great because he looked at the script. He was very excited. He had some very specific questions even based on the vocal arrangements, what kind of guy am I supposed to be. So, it was a real collaboration. As for the mullet, there was definitely some talk about “Isn’t that kind of the ‘80s, I mean, it’s sort of the ‘90s, what’s with the mullet?” Sean Ryan, without missing a beat said, “Achy Breaky Heart was ’92.” So, he’s really on top of his game.

Q: Are there other shows that you’d like to direct? What are some of the other shows that you enjoy, that you’re a fan of?

Joss Whedon: I’m going to just go ahead and make a blanket statement. I don’t want to direct the shows I’m a fan of anymore. It means I always have to read the episodes that come before it. It’s like a giant slew of spoilers that quite frankly is not fair. I would say after Glee, Friday Night Lights is probably the show that blows me away the most. But, I definitely don’t want to direct one of those, because I’m still on Season 2.

Glee-Joss-Whedon

Q: Obviously the show has its own plot line, it’s well underway. Were you involved at all about the song selections for this episode?

Joss Whedon: Oh, no. They select the songs well in advance. They give you the script, not quite as well in advance, but much longer than I usually give the script, actually… You’re there to service what they’ve already thought up. Quite frankly, I felt very fortunate. First of all, because I actually knew all the people, which is not always the case. I think a lot of people feel that because I’ve run shows that I was going to go in there and be working with them on it. But, honestly, I am just a visiting director in this situation.

I would definitely give my thoughts, “Oh, I feel like the song should go like this, is there any way we can change on this line,” little stuff like that, trying very hard not to overstep. I certainly wasn’t about to say, “Oh, do this on one, well I may not get the rights to one song, and so I’d like to get another.” That would be the only thing. This really is Brad who wrote it, and Ryan and Ian. This is their world and I’m privileged to walk in it. But, I’m not going to walk all over it.

Q: I just wanted to know how Glee was different from anything else you’ve ever worked on.

Joss Whedon: Glee is different from anything else period. Every show is different. I would just say that the enormous amount of work that everybody is doing at all times on that show kind of spun my head around. It’s not an easy show to make and the kids, the whole cast works so hard and are busy working on every episode. So, really, I don’t remember we’re shooting four episodes at once. It’s hard to keep your head around all of it, the rehearsals, the recording, and the show moves as quickly as it moves. Production is tough and you have to be on your feet at all times. You’ve got a different aesthetic, an old-fashioned aesthetic in the lighting and the camerawork is very classical. It’s not edgy in that sense. The edge comes from taking a very comforting milieu, the comfort, and ease of set, and then putting something rather kind of shocking. Either shocking because it’s so snarky, or dirty, or funny, or because it’s just so open hearted in the middle of it.

Glee-Cast

Q: Could you talk a little bit about how you approach music from a visual narrative standpoint? How are you able to work that?

Joss Whedon: When I approach music, obviously, if it’s a dance number, some of the work is done for you because you pretty much know where you want the camera based on the movement. If it’s just about movement, then I approach it very strictly from the narrative of the emotion. Particularly in “Dream On” and “I Dreamed a Dream” I got to pitch my own movement and my own staging for those numbers to try to work in all the emotional elements and emotional reality of the thing, and at the same time, keep it kind of fluid and keep it exciting. It’s one of the great joys of the show to be able to do that. Then to have the actors respond and to understand and just take what you thought up to the extreme. It’s kind of the same way you block a scene, you’re just looking for emotional reality and visual panache, except it’s way more fun because there’s music.

Q: You obviously did a musical episode of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. How does that compare to Glee? Did it prepare you in a way?

Joss Whedon: Oh, yeah, oh, yeah. Doing Buffy and doing Dr. Horrible were both great prep for something like this. This is obviously not my first rodeo. It’s different, Glee, obviously, but knowing a little bit of the realities of the difference in a day’s work between shooting a musical number and shooting just a regular scene, is very useful. It’s the kind of thing that I would like to spend a lot more of my time doing. I love musicals deeply and dearly. This was a return to home for me. Not my home, but a very welcoming one.

Q: So, would you do another episode of Glee in the future?

Joss Whedon: “Nevah, nevah.” Oh, yeah, I choked, totally. Sorry. If I had the window and they would take me, yes, in a heartbeat.

I’m so in love with these jewellery designs from Chao & Eero right now. I first came across 3 designs in a Finnish online store, but after googling them I found more! The first is a Speech Bubble necklace (€72):

Speech-Bubble-Necklace

Then a Comma necklace (€75):

Comma-necklace

And a set of Quotation earrings (€82):

Quote-Earrings

On Chao & Eero’s website though I found more beauties (but no idea about the price of these):

Smily-Ring

Exclamation-Ring

Smiling-Eyes-Ring

Question-Mark-Ring

Pendant-Necklace

CI-Earring

Leaflower-Ring

Leaflower-necklace

Pretty! If I’d have to choose one though, it would have to be the Comma necklace. Or the Speech bubble. Or the Question Mark ring. Ahhh, I can’t choose, they’re all so gorgeous.

Check out the Chao & Eero website for more jewellery designs.

I love this time of the season when new shows are being announced and we get to see trailers of some of the fabulous stuff that will be coming to our screens! And of course some of the not so good stuff that fills our screen…

NBC announced their new fall schedule this morning and it includes 7 new shows. I’ll briefly give a description of each new TV series and show you the trailer, starting with the most interesting ones first.

The Event

I kind of like the look of this one, but again I have the feeling it’s trying to be a new Lost… It’s about a mysterious ‘Event’ which will change the course of history. Airing Monday’s from 9 to 10pm, it’s being paired with Chuck and the new show Chase (see below). Starring Ian Anthony Dale, Laura Innes, Željko Ivanek, Jason Ritter, Sarah Roemer, Scott Patterson and Blair Underwood.

And the official description from NBC:

What if there was a cover-up so big that even the President was on a need-to-know basis? And what if some average guy stumbled upon the truth – a secret so powerful it could literally change the course of humanity? You think that guy would stand a chance of survival?

Undercovers

I used to love Alias during its first 2 seasons, so it’s nice to see another JJ Abrams spy show! Starring Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Steven and Samantha Bloom, Undercovers is about a retired spy couple who rejoin the CIA after 5 years of ‘normal’ life.

NBC’s description:

From acclaimed filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Fringe, Lost, Alias) and executive producer Josh Reims (Brothers and Sisters) comes a one-hour spy drama that proves marriage is still the world’s most dangerous partnership.

To put the spark back in their marriage, some couples take a tropical vacation. Not Steven and Samantha. They rejoin the CIA. Now they’re discovering things about each other they never knew. Like which lock-picking technique each prefers, and who killed who, and how well they work together in a hostile environment. With their day jobs and lives in the balance, date night is about to get a lot more exciting.

Love Bites

Watch the trailer first, and then I’ll give my views on this:

If I understand this correctly, Love Bites will feature new stories and new guest stars each week. It could be fun, like a sort of The Outer Limits, but then romance style. What I don’t understand though is that Becki Newton and Jordana Spiro (the two girls at the start) are listed as cast; so will they be in every episode telling the stores or something like that? Curious to see how this turns out, cause it could be fun.

Here’s the description from NBC:

Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City) and Working Title Films (Love Actually, Bridget Jones) bring us a series about love, and all the crazy things it makes us do. Like pretending to be a virgin to get a guy interested. Or competing with your fiance’s favorite bedroom toy. Or actually being in the position to take advantage of the “celebrity exemption list,” and join the mile high club at the same time! Irreverent and poignant, Love Bites pulls back the curtain to expose modern romance – in a way you’ve never seen before.

Chase

This seems a little too procedural for me, but I think it might be something my mum will like. It’s about a U.S. Marshal team who have to track down the bad guy each week.

NBC’s description:

U.S. Marshals Annie Frost (Kelli Giddish, Past Life) likes to stay one step ahead of the outlaws. As far as this cowboy boot-wearing girl is concerned, they can run, but they can’t hide from her forever. Annie has a sharp mind, a big heart, and an attitude to match. Throw in a unique perspective and personal style, and she is the reason you don’t mess with Texas. Jump aboard this rollercoaster ride. It’s all about the thrill of the chase.

Outlaw

This looks okay. I’m not too sure about the story, but I loved seeing all those familiar faces in the trailer (Carly Pope, Jesse Bradford, J August Richards). Jimmy Smits (Dexter season 3) stars as a Supreme Court judge who quits to become a lawyer again.

NBC’s description:

Few jobs are guaranteed for a lifetime, and a Supreme Court appointment is one you just don’t quit. Unless you’re Cyrus Garza (Smits). A playboy and a gambler, Justice Garza always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law. Until he realized the system he always believed in was flawed. Now, he’s quit the bench and returned to being an attorney. Determined to represent “the little guy,” he’s using his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today’s biggest legal cases. And making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way.

Outsourced

Is is just me or does this look baaaad? (and no I don’t mean that in the “so bad it’s good” type of way)

NBC’s description:

Mid America Novelties sells products like whoopee cushions, foam fingers, and wallets made of bacon. Yes, this is the stuff upon which the American way of life is built, but try explaining that to someone who lives on the other side of the world.

Well, that’s exactly what Todd Donovan must do when he’s sent to run the company’s call center in India. Talk about culture shock, and not just for Todd’s employees. While Todd has to teach them how to make the up-sell to the Deluxe Twin Beer Helmet, he’s going to have to adapt as well. Like in a country where cows are sacred, perhaps you don’t order a double cheeseburger.

Beside the 6 shows above, Law & Order: Los Angeles will also air this fall. There will be a couple of some more new shows airing midseason: the comedies Friends with Benefits, The Paul Reiser Show, Perfect Couples, and the dramas The Cape and Harry’s Law. I’ll be posting more about those once we get nearer to their release date.

So what do you think of NBC’s new shows? Any musts watchs?

I came across Chocomize yesterday and I so so wish that they shipped to the UK! The idea is simple, but brilliant: you can make your own customized chocolate bars.

Just pick a type of chocolate (dark, milk or white) and then add up to 5 ingredients… whatever you want. They’ve got a great range of nuts and fruits (the usual suspects), but also some more unique, eccentric ingredients, like black peppercorns, rose petals and even beef jerky.

Chocomize

Besides letting you create your own chocolate bars, Chocomize also has a couple of premade popular bars, just in case you have trouble deciding what to put on your own bar. Some of these look great with bars like the Smores bar (mini marshmellows and Graham teddies) or the Tropical Island bar (banana chips, coconut flakes and cantaloupe melon dices). Or my favourite: the ‘I Feel Lucky’ bar, where you get a mystery combination of ingredients!

As I said, I so wish they’d ship to the UK (or is there a UK equivalent?) cause I’d love to make my own personalized bar! I’d probably end up mixing white chocolate with macadamia nuts, and adding some special stuff like lavender to liven it all up. What would your personalized bar be?

Ooh, this book sounds goooood: set in an alternate Renaissance Venice with vampires, werewolves, assassins and pirates!

The-Fallen-Blade

Here’s the description:

In the depths of night, customs officers board a galley in a harbor and overpower its guards. In the hold they find oil and silver, and a naked boy chained to the bulkhead. Stunningly beautiful but half-starved, the boy has no name. The officers break the boy’s chains to rescue him, but he escapes…

Venice is at the height of its power. In theory Duke Marco commands. But Marco is a simpleton so his aunt and uncle rule in his stead. They command the seas, tax the colonies, and, like those in power before them, fear assassins better than their own…

In a side chapel, Marco’s fifteen-year old cousin prays for deliverance from her forced marriage. It is her bad fortune to be there when Mamluk pirates break in to steal a chalice, but it is the Mamluks’ good luck – they kidnap her…

In the gardens beside the chapel, Atilo, the Duke’s chief assassin, prepares to kill his latest victim. Having cut the man’s throat, he turns back, having heard a noise, and finds a boy crouched over the dying man, drinking blood from the wound. The speed with which the boy dodges a dagger and scales a wall stuns Atilo. And the assassin knows he has to find the boy…

Not to kill him, but because he’s finally found what he thought he would never find. Someone fit to be his apprentice…

The downside: you’ve got to wait for it till January 2011…

I’ve only gotten a PS3 this year, but one of the first games I fell in love with for it was Little Big Planet. I still haven’t completely finished the standard game and haven’t even started trying out some the amazing custom levels; there’s just so much going on!

Even though I’ll be still hooked on the first game for quite a while, the recently announced Little Big Planet 2 looks amazing:

Ooh, so many cool new features! I can’t wait to see how this will turn out. I like the look of the AI/digital puppetry features; curious to see what crazy levels people come up with!

To read about more of the new features of Little Big Planet 2, check out their website.

Event: London MCM Expo

May 12th, 2010

I’m so looking forward to this event and we’re only 2.5 weeks away! The London MCM Expo will take place this year in the weekend of 29th and 30th of May at Excel London, for two days of geeky fun.

London-MCM-Expo

Tons of stuff will be happening there that weekend: a Comic and Anime section with stands featuring artists and writers; a Games section showcasing some of the latest games; a Steampunk exhibition with art, contraptions, sculptures and clothing; a Cosplay masquerade; and of course lots of guests from our favourite TV shows and movies.

From the guests announced so far the ones I’m most looking forward to seeing are John Noble and Jasika Nicole from Fringe (Walter Bishop and Astrid), Warwick Davis and Ron D Moore (BSG). Here’s a video from last year’s Expo:

Tickets are available on the London MCM Expo site. Only Early Entry opening tickets are available in advance and with these you can access the Expo from 9am on (2 hours before the General entry).