WARM BODIES - Trailer

"Warm Bodies" puts a fun twist on the supernatural teenie-bopper fad that has swept the nation. The story focuses on the zombified antics of R, played by Nicholas Hoult. Shortly after enjoying a late evening lunch, briefly played by Dave Franco, R is faced with a moral dilemma -- to eat or not to eat. R opts to skip a second course and instead rescues Julie, Teresa Palmer, the gun-toting girlfriend of his latest victim.

What follows thereafter can only be described as the exhumation of the 80's romantic comedy. Think Teen Wolf (1985) meets Once Bitten (1985). Fans of these cult classics are sure to love the predictable zombie-themed relationship hiccups. (e.g., need to eat brains, want to eat brains, heady fleshy corpse aroma) While newcomers to the genre will still enjoy watching Hoult's lumber across the screen, with an unrealistically naive Palmer in tow.

Twilight fans and haters alike will enjoy the light-hearted tone of "Warm Bodies."

I rate it a popcorn combo! (As P would say, "Give it a look.")

The Last Airbender: Korra Trailer

NETFLIX CHANGES: 60-Second Summary

"rebel yell" by plasticrevolver. 2006. Courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons.

Netflix wants to retain customers:

• Video games by mail 
• More streaming content 

Netflix wants to save money:

• Separating services (Netflix for streaming, Qwikster for DVDs and Games by mail) 
• No Starz movies
• Two price hikes in 2011 

Inconvenient Ripples

• Ratings and Reviews will be separate on the two sites 
• You won't be able to see what is available by DVD/Streaming on one screen 
• Video games service costs more 

Questions to Ask

• Why a new name? 
• Are they going to sell Qwikster? 
• Will there be more price hikes? 

And that is all you need to know.

Great Spock Moment: "Forget"

Being a fan of historical romance novels, I love the stoic facade of Spock. It is remarkably similar to the warrior motif adopted by so many writers. 


Why is it that Kirk is the only person who accepts Spock as he is? (He's rarely around -- or conscious -- when Spock is being truly wonderful. See picture above.)


Scotty constantly yells at him, McCoy calls him names, Chekov mutters and Sulu is generally clueless...


Poor Mr. Spock.

Free Movies This Summer in NYC

Hey, New Yorkers! Just letting you know there are a TON of free outdoor movie events this summer. Check out the almost-comprehensive listing below or click here to view the listing as a webpage.

"Star Trek" beams up to Netflix

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is a three-star anime that could have been more.

The story follows the life and training of Kenichi Shirahama, an average Japanese teen with average problems. Lacking even the slightest fighting abilities, Kenichi is ridiculed by his peers. His only solace is the dream that he will one day rise above his foes and become a strong martial artist. A chance encounter with a busty girl leads Kenichi to stand up for what's right, revealing that -- despite earlier displays of cowardice -- he does indeed have what it takes to be a fighter. Several hormone-induced nosebleeds later, Kenichi finds himself at the doorstep of Ryozanpaku, the world's foremost dojo, where he is accepted as head disciple. As the series progresses, the masters of Ryozanpaku put Kenichi to the test, simultaneously training him in muay tai, karate, traditional weapons, Chinese martial arts and aikijujitsu. Kenichi faces everyone from school bullies to infamous gang leaders and emerges as -- here it comes -- the mightiest disciple.

The first season had a good balance of action and comedy, but the second season seemed to have a shortage of dark elements. There were no big questions, no soul-searching, no heart-wrenching deaths.

The animation is crisp and the voice acting is superb. 

But the lack of intensity left something to be desired.

-S