Tag: television

It’s the end of the world as we know it

All of these are signs of the end of the world as I know it…

I called Comcast and reduced our cable subscription to the lowest possible that still gives me access to “Defiance,” “The Strain,” and “The Walking Dead.” At the end of the call I’d reduced my monthly bill by $85.

I cancelled my Hulu subscription.

I decided to empty out my storage room, which means getting rid of accumulated items that have been sitting in that room for three years.

I am going to share my brother’s Netflix subscription, which means I am going to  cancel mine.

And, oh, by the way, I’m thinking of cutting back on coffee. No, I’m not talking about giving it up completely. My sleep patterns go wonky when I give up coffee. But I’m up to somewhere between 4-6 cups a day. I think I need to cut back a little.

And that’s just the beginning …

 

“Bitten” is coming to SyFy

2013.12 Bitten bookSo, for those of you who are fans of Science Fiction, and all its subgrenres, Bitten is coming to the SyFy Network.

Bitten is the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. Written in first person, Bitten follows Elena Michaels as she’s called back home from the life she’s trying to create in the normal world to the life she has tried to leave behind. Elena is a werewolf, reportedly the only known female werewolf in the world, and she’s not one by choice. We learn that Elena was turned without consent and without knowledge by the only person she trusted, her boyfriend Clayton Danvers.

Please don’t let this Harlequin-sounding plotline turn you off. The writing is exceptional. I got the sense that I understood Elena, even if I didn’t always agree with her flawed reasoning. And the fact that the entire book happens in her voice, in her mind and from her perspective, is genius for this type of book.

I am a fan of the Urban Fantasy genre, which basically means books about supernatural/paranormal/science fiction that are set in the “real world” instead of a completely made up one. Think Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and yes, even to an extent, Harry Potter. Books that take the world we see everyday and add witches, vampires, werewolves, angels, faeries, creatures from outer space and things that go bump in the night. Armstrong’s series is one I recommend without reservation.

2013.12 Bitten showI’m always more than a little apprehensive when one of my favorite books is turned into a television show or a movie. I almost always hate it. In fact, it’s gotten to where I try not to read the book if I know a movie is on its way. I always enjoy the movie much more if I go in ignorant of what the original author wrote and not what the screenwriter or director created as an interpretation.

This caution is especially evident when there’s a strong female character. I love Elena especially because she’s trying so hard to delude herself about what she really wants and what her options are. Ultimately, she is Clayton’s mate, his equal, and, eventually, the pack alpha… but that’s more than a dozen books into the series, and a lot of spoilers.

I have read that the show isn’t a series so much as a 13-part serial covering the first book. Regardless, I am going to watch because I am curious.

The show premieres Monday, January 13, 2014 10/9c on the SyFy Channel.

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Notes & resources:

TV Land, Reruns and Classic Movies

I watched the last episode of Seinfeld last night and was a little disappointed. I’d become a reluctant fan of the show and the fact that there was going to be a last episode held a lot of promise. Unfortunately, it was just a thinly veiled collection of the best moments of the show. I think I’ll stick to reruns next time.

On the subject of television, those of you who are addicted to it, like me, have noticed that this is the time for season finales. The X-Files season finale is this Sunday, May 17. Mimi Rogers guest stars and the episode will be the set up for the much-anticipated TXF movie this summer. If you haven’t checked this TV show out yet, watch the movie. Dana Scully, one half of the show’s main attraction, rocks! If nothing else, watch it just to check her out. Another finale to watch is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This Tuesday, May 19, is the second part of the season finale. This show, ending its second stellar season on television, is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Of course, there are no Latinos on it, and the one time they did have one it was a monster Inca Mummy girl, but that issue aside, the show is really good.

Just a friendly reminder: Godzilla comes out sometime next week. I love classic horror films and am going to watch this just to see how they screw it up. Nice attitude, isn’t it? But I’ve never seen a remake of a classic film that’s as good or better than the original. I hope that this one proves me wrong, but I’m expecting the worst.

Hasta luego, gente.

Golden Globes

Congratulations to The X-Files for winning the 1998 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Series. It is one of my favorite shows — due in large part to the absolutely fabulous character of Dr. Dana Scully. I was sorry that Jennifer Lopez didn’t win — she was nominated for her role as Selena Quintanilla Pérez. I was also sorry that Hector Elizondo didn’t win — he was nominated for his role in Chicago Hope. All in all, the rest of the awards went pretty much the way they do every year.