Walking Dead, The Ships that JUST won't Die no matter what!, and writing...

1.Just finished watching The Walking Dead S3 Season Finale - I sort of marathoned it today. Watched the last five episodes in a role. Season 3 really is the best season of the series to date.

It's definitely gory and possibly the most unrelentingly violent series on television next to Breaking Bad and Justified. Although I think Game of Thrones S3 may well knock all three out of the water in this regard.

( spoilers for S3 )

2. Have decided I'm not a huge fan of serial novels. I prefer stand alone novels. For a specific reason - writers of serial novels like to end on cliff-hangers, and often put a lot of filler in their books. Their novels aren't tight. And tend to wander a bit. Writers aren't good at endings for some reason. It's like we get tired of writing or we don't want our stories to end? I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that too often you are editing as you write, and you just go back to the beginning so many times - so it gets edited to death, and second part not so much?

3. Another thing that I'm not a huge fan of, but decided to forgo writing a long post on - due to the highly controversial nature of the subject matter is the star-crossed lover relationship that just won't die or aka the Ship that Can't Die, Dang-it. This is particularly true in tv shows.

Here's the scenario:

( Jack and Jill and the ship that will never die - star-crossed lovers forever )

(no subject)

1. So am watching the Ridely Scott flick Promethesus and am having troubles with it. It's quite silly in places. And the characters do really dumb things. The archeologist portrayed by Noomi Rapaace, I'd liked to smack upside the head. Not a good movie. Quite happy I did not waste my money on this one.

Ridely Scott seemed to forget the most important thing about horror movies - the characters.
Mythology, world-building, special effects is basically just window dressing. If you don't build up audience interest in the characters, the audience isn't going to care what happens to them.

I'm thinking of giving up soon. The original Alien and Aliens were so much better. This one lacks a sense of humor - another must in horror films. In short it takes itself a wee bit too seriously. Horror flicks should be fun.

[After reading the plot summary - I decided I really don't want to watch this. It's dumb and gory.]

2. If you live in NYC or in Brooklyn area and are Gluten Intolerant - there is an excellent bakery on Carroll and Third Street called Everybody Eats - and it has the best gluten-free ravioli that I've tasted.

Oh, I have a tiny kitchen, so making that sort of thing is out of the question for me.

Tv Slut Report

Been watching a lot of television off and on this weekend.

Saw Smash - which continues to be uneven. Last season was actually more fun, but I like Julia's story better this season - and find her interaction with the Public Theater director interesting. Jimmy and Karen unfortunately are riding too much on their singing talent, but don't have chemistry and neither actor seems to know how to act for the camera. Whenever they are on-screen, I'm bored. Ivy, the Diva, Julie/Public Theater Guy, Sam and Tom are the best bits. That said, the Liza/Tom sequence was cringe-worthy. Tom sang better than Liza, I think she is getting too old for this. And Angeliqua Huston is a bit too stiff.

Grey's Anatomy was also uneven, with bits that worked and other bits that did not.
April Kepner's storyline being amongst the one's that don't work. Do however like Baily, Alex Kirev and Cristina Yang's story lines, but I always like their story lines.

Doctor Who S7, Episode 2 - The Rings of Achteunge (I don't know how to spell it.)

( eh spoilers, and warning I didn't love it like the rest of my flist apparently did...was actually sort of disappointed in it. )

Nashville - is better than Smash and appears to be finding its feet. It continues to surprise not falling into easy cliches. Also the music is stellar, T Bone Burnett does not disappoint, nor does his wife Callie Khouri who continues to create multi-faceated characters. The only weak link may be Deacon's niece Scarlette. Jonathan Jackson's Avery Brooks storyline continues to be compelling and not quite what one would expect, a realistic depiction of the ups and downs of the music biz and why there are no short-cuts into it.

Dancing with the Stars - eh, I always miss the dance episode and DVR the boring results episode - so get all the bits I hate. End up fast-forwarding through the whole thing and wonder why I bothered. I like the performances, but not the judging, interviews or competitive aspect. I had the same problem with American Idol and Project Runway. Sort of miss Trading Spaces.

Best thing I've seen all weekend though was easily The Walking Dead - it was also the most compelling. I've admittedly not seen the first episode of Game of Thrones yet. And I think I'm back to reading Dance of Dragons, even though it's not exactly fitting my mood, can't quite find anything else. Maybe it will pick up the pace once I get past Quentin.