VH Corner

Top Chef: Las Vegas
Meat Natalie

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

• Quickfire Challenge: TV Guide Quickfire – Reinvent a classic TV dinner
• Elimination Challenge: Cook at Craftsteak at MGM Grand

I love when the show throws what should be obvious twists out to the chefs, who would normally see it coming a mile away, but at this point in the competition, they are starting to get exhausted and not thinking straight. It reminds me of the season where the chefs thought they were going out to a night on the town at a club, but ended up having to work the food carts outside.

Continue reading “Top Chef: Veggie Time!”

Tags: Gail Simmons, natalie portman, Padma Lakshmi, Paul Bartolotta, Tom Colicchio, top chef, vegetarian

Amazing Race
Do It for the Hood! Do It for the Suburbs!

I’ve complained before about not understanding people with fear of heights going on the show since every season there is some task that has to do with heights. It shouldn’t be a surprised. There were so many people that didn’t like water in this episode either, which I don’t remember being such a big problem before. In the past some people go on the show to get over their fears, but the ones that aren’t interested in getting over any fears, why do they go on? Do they think they can avoid it and still win?

The teams left the pit stop in the following order:

1. Meghan & Cheyne – Tetherball – 8:17 am
2. Brian & Ericka – IR Couple – 9:59 am
3. Flight Time & Big Easy – Harlem Globetrotters – 10:42 am
4. Gary & Matt – Pinky & the Brain – 10:45 am
5. Sam & Dan – Gay Brothers – 11:34 am
6. Maria & Tiffany – Poker Ladies – 11:47 am
7. Mika & Canaan – Christians – 11:54 am

Clue: Teams had to choose a nearby locked briefcase and find the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. Teams had to search the marina boardwalk for their next clue.

Tetherball were way ahead of the other teams due to the fast forward so they were on their own finding the next clue quickly. It was a road block.

Continue reading “Amazing Race: Afraid of Everything”

Tags: Abra Station, amazing race, Atlantis, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, The Palm

The movie has been compared to The Blair Witch Project for a few reasons. They were both made cheaply. They were both a smash at an indie film festival (Sundance). They were both made popular by viral marketing campaigns and word of mouth. They both have the same basic premise that a tape was found and we watch the people on the video as they film what is happening to them. I believe the similarities end there since I wanted so much to like The Blair Witch Project, but didn’t find it scary. I think it could be that I don’t find being in the woods scary and I can’t fathom being lost for that long. While I haven’t ever experienced any kind of paranormal activity, hearing people describe ghost encounters or spooky houses can freak me out. I watched the trailer and thought it looked like the Ghost Hunter shows, but where they actually capture stuff on the camera instead of freaking themselves out about nothing.

Continue reading “Paranormal Activity”

Tags: Amber Armstrong, Ashley Palmer, Katie Featherston, Mark Fredrichs, Micah Sloat, Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity

Top Chef: Las Vegas
Restaurant Wars

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

• Quickfire Challenge: Tag Team Cook-Off
• Elimination Challenge: Restaurant Wars

The restaurant wars episodes are not my favorite, but this year I think they made some changes to it that made it more enjoyable to watch. I know that owners of restaurants do have some say in the decor, but I liked that the series was about the food so I liked that they took decor out of the equation this time. I did like it that they forced the front of the house person to be in charge of a dish so they couldn’t just “hide” in the front and not actually make anything, even though others in the past have made dishes and ran the front of the house. It is probably their fault that it’s expected now.

Continue reading “Top Chef: Slow Service”

Tags: las vegas, Padma Lakshmi, restaurant wars, Rick Moonen, RM Seafood, Toby Young, Tom Colicchio, top chef

There are so many bad movies this week. Let’s just ignore it and hope it is better next week.

Nationwide Releases

Amelia
Astro Boy
Saw VI
The Vampire’s Assistant

Amelia
Directed: Mira Nair
Starring: Hilary Swank, Ewan McGregor, Richard Gere, Christopher Eccleston
Trailer

Synopsis: Biopic of Amelia Earhart who was the first person to fly across the Pacific solo and disappeared while trying to be the first person to fly around the world.

My Take: While Earhart’s story sounds interesting, the movie looks dull.

RT Score: 16%
RT Consensus: Amelia takes the compelling raw materials of its subject’s life and does little with them, conventionally ticking off Earhart’s accomplishments without exploring the soul of the woman.

Continue reading “Movies Opening October 23″

Tags: (Untitled), Adam Goldberg, Amelia, Anthony Edwards, Antichrist, Astro Boy, Betsy Russell, Bo Zenga, Charlize Theron, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chris Massoglia, christopher eccleston, Costas Mandylor, David Bowers, Desi Lydic, Diora Baird, donald sutherland, Eion Bailey, ewan mcgregor, freddie highmore, Gaylen Ross, hilary swank, john c. reilly, Jonathan Parker, josh hutcherson, Karin Albou, Katherine Dieckmann, Ken Watanabe, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Greutert, Killing Kasztner, Kristen Bell, Lars von Trier, Lizzie Brochere, Lucy Punch, Mark Rolston, Marley Shelton, Minnie Driver, Mira Nair, Motherhood, Nathan Lane, nicolas cage, Olympe Borval, Ong Bak 2, patrick fugit, Paul Weitz, Peter Outerbridge, Primrata Dej-Udom, Ptolemy Slocum, Ray Stevenson, richard gere, samuel l. jackson, Saranyu Wongkrajang, Saw VI, Shawnee Smith, Sorapong Chatree, Stan Helsing, Steve Howey, The Vampire's Assistant, Tobin Bell, Tony Jaa, Uma Thurman, Vinnie Jones, Wedding Song, Willem Dafoe, Zak Orth

Amazing Race
I’m Like Ricky Bobby

Whenever there is a desert episode, it usually involves a camel. I love the camel challenges since camels are ornery and hilarious. They usually spit and drool. When that happens to other people, it makes me smile. I was sad in this episode since, even though we got to see a camel, they did not spit on anyone. How sad.

The teams left the pit stop in the following order:

1. Sam & Dan – Gay Brothers – 12:25 pm
2. Big Easy & Flight Time – Harlem Globetrotters – 12:27 pm
3. Brian & Ericka – IR Couple – 12:30 pm
4. Gary & Matt – Pinky & the Brain – 12:35 pm
5. Meghan & Cheyne – Tetherball – 12:37 pm
6. Lance & Keri – Law-Talking Guy – 12:47 pm
7. Mike & Canaan – Christians – 12:49 pm
8. Maria & Tiffany – Poker Ladies – 12:55 pm

Clue: Fly to the Persian Gulf and find the World’s tallest building. It is the Burj Dubai in Dubai.

Continue reading “Amazing Race: Sand & Ice”

Tags: amazing race, Burj Dubai, Dubai, Dubai Autodrome, Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Persian Gulf, Ski Dubai, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, United Arab Emirates

My pick for October is Beverly Hills Cop. You might remember back when Eddie Murphy really was hilarious. You’ll have to concentrate very hard though because it’s been a while.

Netflix synopsis: Tough-talking Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) heads to the rarified world of Beverly Hills in his beat-up Chevy Nova to investigate a friend’s murder. But soon, he realizes he’s stumbled onto something much more complicated. Bungling rookie detective Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) joins the fish-out-of-water Axel and shows him the West Los Angeles ropes in director Martin Brest’s Academy Award-nominated action comedy.

RT Score 83%

Watch it in all of it’s glory and report back here!

USA has a show to fill the gap in between the break that Pscyh is currently on until January.

Season Finales: Shark Tank, Flipping Out, Real Housewives of Atlanta

Pick of the Week

White Collar
Channel: USA
Time: 10/9c
Starring: Matthew Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson
Premieres: Friday, October 23
Trailer

Synopsis: The FBI get a white collar criminal to help them catch other guys just like him.

My Take: It seems to have the same amount of fun fluff that other USA shows have so I think it’ll fit in quite nicely with its escapist fare.

Tags: Matthew Bomer, Tiffani Thiessen, Tim DeKay, White Collar, Willie Garson

Top Chef: Las Vegas
Pigs and Pinot

Here is a quick run down on the two challenges:

• Quickfire Challenge: Pair a Dish with Alexia Crunch Snacks
• Elimination Challenge: Pigs & Pinot – Create a pork dish & pair with Pinot Noir

I didn’t realize one of the questions during the commercials was about Eli and Robin since I was skimming past the commercials while watching it the first time. I ended up talking about it in the recap below. There was a great bit by Michael in the “stew room” towards the end of the show where he was giving Eli a hard time saying that it was sexual tension between him and Robin. Eli looked like he was going to punch Michael if he didn’t shut up. It was hilarious.

Continue reading “Top Chef: Drunken Pork”

Tags: Aureole, Charlie Palmer, dana cowin, Food & Wine, Padma Lakshmi, pigs and pinot, pork, Toby Young, Tom Colicchio, top chef, William Sherer

The most original movie coming out is an adaptation of a children’s book. The other two are a remake and then a Charles Bronson movie with a different name.

Nationwide Releases

Where the Wild Things Are
Law Abiding Citizen
Stepfather

Where the Wild Things Are
Directed: Spike Jonze
Starring: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini
Trailer

Synopsis: Based on the children’s book, a boy wants to escape his real life where he’s misunderstood so his mind escapes to a magical place where he is king.

My Take: I know I loved the children’s book, but I don’t really remember anything about it. I do love Spike Jonze and it visually stunning, so I want to see it.

RT Score: 68%
RT Consensus: Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze’s heartfelt adaptation of the classic children’s book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising.

Continue reading “Movies Opening October 16″

Tags: Agustín Silva, Alejandro Goic, Allen Hughes, Amber Heard, Andrea García-Huidobro, Andy Garcia, Black Dynamite, Bradley Cooper, Brett Ratner, Byron Mills, Catalina Saavedra, Catherine Keener, Cedric Yarbrough, Claudia Celedón, Dylan Walsh, F. Gary Gray, gerard butler, hayden christensen, I Love You, Irrfan Khan, James Gandolfini, jamie foxx, Jiang Wen, Jon Tenney, Justin Bartha, Kevin Chapman, Kym Whitley, lauren ambrose, Law Abiding Citizen, Mariana Loyola, mark ruffalo, Max Records, Michael Jai White, Mira Nair, natalie portman, Nelson McCormick, New York, Penn Badgley, rachel bilson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Scott Sanders, Sebastian Silva, Sela Ward, Shekhar Kapur, Shunji Iwai, Spike Jonze, Stepfather, The Maid, Tommy Davidson, Where the Wild Things Are, Yvan Attal