One Tree Hill is love, One Tree Hill is life

Is it possible to both love and hate a television show at the same time? Absolutely. Since fall break I've been watching the drama TV series One Tree Hill anytime that I open Netflix. It is horrifyingly unrealistic, but I LOVE it.
OTH is probably the most overdramatic show I've ever seen, next to Grey's Anatomy. It follows popular high school athletes, their friends, and enemies in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina. A lot of the conflict surrounds Lucas and Nathan Scott, basketball stars and half-brothers who sway between kinship and rivalry. Lucas is played by heartthrob Chad Michael Murray, and Nathan is played by the equally handsome James Lafferty.

Lucas & Nathan at basketball practice. (YUM [baes])

Other prominent high schoolers include head bitch/cheerleader Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush), talented artist and music lover Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), "tutor girl" Haley James Scott, and the geeky but lovable Marvin "Mouth" McFadden (Lee Noriss). Then there's the parents... Lucas' kind mother Karen Roe (Moira Kelly), Lucas' and Nathan's sociopath father Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), and Nathan's crazy mother, Deb Scott (Barbara Alyn Woods).

There are all sorts of funky romantic pairings that happen on this show and it is hilarious. It's as if there's only 3 guys and 3 girls in the whole school with the way they all end up cross-dating. For example: Lucas + literally every character.

Brooke & Lucas - troublesome relationship

(Ok Brooke, calm down u r crazy)

Lucas & Rachel - idk what even happened here

(KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON, BRUH)

Lucas & Peyton - the pair I've loved since episode 1

(Ah yeeees I approve of this pairing.)






Basically he dates everyone and it's a tad bit creepy. There's also crazy stuff that happens in literally every episode--i.e. teens getting married at 16, everyone getting pregnant at the same time, online stalkers pretending to be Peyton's brother, sociopaths all over, etc.......

I'll tell ya, it definitely keeps life interesting. Maybe a little too interesting...I find myself telling stories more dramatically lately and then I think "Is OTH actually influencing my life choices??" Maybe?! I don't know?! All I know is that I can't stop watching it, it's addicting. No shame I'm 5 seasons in and won't stop till I'm done. Have I mentioned how awesome the soundtrack is as well. Snaps for 90's and early 2000's music choices. Not to mention the actors sing on the show....pretty cool

(If any of you readers watch this show and want to discuss the craziness/awesomeness that is One Tree Hill, plz do. It'll be a great time.)

Masters Of Sex

 
One of my new favorite American television drama series is called Masters of Sex. This show was developed by Michelle Ashford and based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How To Love. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star as the lead characters, Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two pioneering researchers of human sexuality at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The series tells the real story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson and was picked up for a first season consisting of 12 episodes. September 29,  2013 was the premier date  for the show but, with great ratings for the pilot October 22, 2013 Showtime renewed Masters of Sex for a second season for 2014.

This show is based on the real life Dr. Masters and Virginia. It's exciting to know how much the show has differed from the original story. Some characters like Barton Scully was a combination of several men whom Masters knew. One of them gay, but it was not the same man serving as provost during Master's initial study. Writer/producer Michelle Ashford also serves as a showrunner for Masters of Sex. Because of the time period Ashford has it set in the prop masters Jeffery Johnson had an extremely difficult job in creating and finding the sexual devices from that time period. He was able to obtain some vintage vibrators and dildos for use in the series along with acquiring condoms manufactured in the era. He designed "Ulysses," a transparent dildo with attached camera first seen in the pilot episode, from scratch,  along with a diaphragm sizing kit seen in later episodes. As I watched I remember how sex was such a "taboo" idea to talk about. The release of this show in a time period where sex is something that is more open to talk about allows the audience to fully be intrigued with the content of the show and realize the irony of the time period then and now.

The first season of Master of Sex has received acclaim from critics. Based on 48 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received a 90% approval rating from critics, with a rating average of 8.4 out of 10. The sites consensus: Seductive and nuanced, Masters of Sex features smart performances, deft direction, and impeccable period decor." Metacritic gave the first season a score of 85/100, based on 32 reviews. Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote that "There is no more facinating, or entertaining, news series this fall season." Diane Werts of Newsday gave it an "A" grade, complimenting the series on its use of humor, stating "its deft balance of epic scope and whimsical humanity", as well as the strong performances of the actors and creator Michelle Ashford's "scene-setting scripts". David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle particularly praises the performances, calling them "extraordinary" and "stunning", and noting the series' A-list directors such as Michael Apted and John Madden. Hank Stuever of the The Washington Post wrote that after two episodes, "the character get better and more complex, the story builds, strange things start to happen and now I can't wait to see how its interweaving plots unfold. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised lead actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy long stretch. It's also a refreshing anomaly: a prestige cable drama that doesn't fee; like a recombination of elements from 15 shows that came before it.

Voice Over (2011)

Recently I watched a short film titled Voice Over, directed by Martin Rosete and written by Luiso Berdejo. The main reason why I was so interested in this film is because it contains so many different settings all within 10 minutes, and balances between them perfectly. The film contains no dialogue, only voice over from what appears to be the "voice of God." In each setting (a man who crash landed on a distant planet, an amputee in combat in a war, and a sailor trapped underwater) the individual has three minutes to save themselves, whether it be getting oxygen, blowing up a bridge, or untying a knot which drags them down.

Since our videos have to be around 10 minutes, this video gave me a lot of inspiration for the amount of scope you can include in a movie that is rather short. I was blown away at how tense the film made me feel simply from a voice over reminding the viewer how much time they have left until they die. One thing I noticed is that for each individual, the stakes got higher toward the end of the film, seriously drawing me to the edge of my seat, only to be taken aback by the twist at the end, which I won't reveal. It's funny how you can watch a full length movie which has hours to build up character development, and it still will not captivate you as much as a short length film such as Voice Over.

How would it feel to win the Lottery?

I'm a big fan of ABC television series. I'm constantly impressed with the shows they are coming out with and I'm especially excited to see the new series executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. It's a new Drama series about seven gas station employees in Queens, New York, who have been chipping into a lottery pool for years, never thinking they'd actually win. With some luck they actually win. This show reveals the life changing events of theses characters and their secrets that are now exposed. People think their lives change when you win the lottery and it solves all your money problems but there is always another side to things and "Luck 7" shows that.

This new series hits ABC this fall, premiering Tuesday, September 24 at 10. Lucky 7, is based off the hit British show "The Syndicate", written by David Zabel and Jason Richman executive produced by Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Zabel and Richman. This is a show you don't want to miss! Tune in and watch!

The Scandal on Scandal

Abc's newest sensational drama Scandal, is full of steamy hot and sexy content about scandals in the white house. Scandal is an American Political thriller television series starring Kerri Washington.  Kerri Washington plays the revered and feared Olivia Pope. Olivia leaves her job at the white house to open her own crisis management firm, Olivia Pope and associates. Her methods aren't conventional and most of the time illegal but she is known as the "fixer". Miss. Pope and her team are called upon to protect the public image of the nations elite and to make sure their secrets never get out. Her intelligence, strength, and her ability to challenge every man or woman she comes across is uncanny, but like every superhero she has one weakness, her kryptonite, a man.

This show is full of shocking twist and surprises where the writers leave you gasping and grasping for more. Scandal is brought to you by the same creator Shonda Rhimes and executive producers from Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. I've been inspired by Olivia and I'm officially obsessed with the show. It's fast paced and exciting and I can't wait for the third season to start October 3!

Les Miserables

While I was home over break I went to the movie theater 3 times.... well i personally lover previews and always have to get to the movie theater 15 minutes prior to the start of it so i can see whats coming out. One of the films that they were talking about was Les Miserables. It was originally a musical and is now being turned into a featured length film. The interesting thing about this film is that they are not pre recording the music before filming the music. They are going to have the actors sing on set so they they can change up their emotions and how they play to role as much as they want. This allows the actors much more freedom with their roles. I am very interested in seeing how this movie turns out and am excited for it to get to theaters!

And to all you haters I finally made a blog post deadline!!!! GO TORI!

The Town and Ben Affleck Directing

It seem like Ben Affleck is in a groove directing, going three for three on his first three films.  Those films he directed in order are- Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and the newly released Argo.  One of these films is special to me because it is filmed very close to where I live.  That is The Town.  I remember first seeing the trailer to this film and being so excited to see it.  And then when I saw it, it did not disappoint.

This movie is a crime-drama and it tells the story of a bankrobber who is trying to leave the crew and get rid of his bad ways and move on with his life.  There is a great balance of action and meaningful dialogue which is something I love.  The movie is intense but it touches on emotions you don't usually feel in movies in this genre.  Affleck makes the audience feel for Dougie (main character) and shows that people like him can be good.  There is very high quality acting by everyone in the film.  I think Ben Affleck is showing that not only can he be a successful actor but he is one of the best directors out there right now.

Breaking Bad

With the conclusion of the show's fifth season last Sunday, creator Vince Gilligan has yet again left his audience feeling anxious, excited, and maybe even a bit sick for what is to come. I don't want to give anything away, but I will go ahead and make a bold statement: Breaking Bad is the best show on television. First of all, it is shot beautifully- often featuring creative transitions, disturbingly violent montages set to upbeat music, time-lapses and wide shots of the barren New Mexico desertscape. The way it is shot even gives it almost a cinematic quality. More importantly, all of the main characters are equally complex, going through their own transformations as each season progresses. Each episode is darker and more intense than the last, somehow all without going too far or jumping the shark. I admire Vince Gilligan's dedication to the storyline of his main character, Walter White, a once-sympathetic awkward high school teacher turned meth kingpin and ruthless killer. In a recent interview Gilligan said that for the final season he plans to fulfill the show's constant need of "shock and surprise and showmanship," and that he plans to "carry that through to the bitter end- if indeed it is a bitter end." Clearly, Gilligan is not one to tie things up with the conventional "happy" ending, and is unafraid to confront what might be at the end of the dark direction we've been heading in. Breaking Bad is not only an endlessly entertaining, well-crafted show, it also leaves the us looking at the big picture, and questioning the idea of morality itself. How far should one go to "protect" his family? How far can one push his luck before finally being caught? Is Walt beoming a total sociopath? I guess my final thought is: I'm scared for next season.

Talking about TV

This past Fall Break was good for two things: Sleeping and watching TV. So I would like this opportunity to recommend one of the most interesting, and complex shows I caught up with during the break. Of course I'm talking about Game of Thrones. This show is HBO's adaptation based on a series of books, called A Song of Ice an Fire (which I personally haven't read) by George R. R. Martin. One of my friends' described this series as "The Lord of the Rings meets the Godfather". I can only describe as exceptional. It is a show set on a hypothetical middle earth where its characters plot, plan, and backstab each other to get the power of the seven kingdoms. In this series everything is fair and possible. As they try to win the Iron Throne the show reveals each of the characters' story, and how these characters relate to each other. I feel that's what adds realism to this show. The uniqueness of each of the characters. Everyone has suffered a different path that drives each of the character's motifs during the show. The series makes a great job combininge these stories naturally, regardless of their complexity.

Production wise Game of Thrones is an ambitious project. The detail they put into every scene is just incredible. From the acting, sets, costumes, music, props, and even the language, they have succeeded creating this fantastic world, not so different from ours, but still unknownt and mythical. I would recommend this series a hundred percent and if you guys want to know more about the production of this series I would also recommend watching this video.

WEEDS

Well, given that Dave already posted about Dexter... (rude) I'm making my post about my second favorite showtime show, Weeds. Weeds is currently on its seventh and probably final season . The first 3 seasons of Weeds are just amazing. The story is great, and the built up in the story arc is both interesting and fresh. I honestly can say that the season 2 series finale is one of the best season finale's I've seen on TV, because the climax reaches a point where all of the story lines crash together, raising the stakes for the lead character (Nancy).

One of the things that make this show pretty special is that it's a dark comedy, meaning that it combines both drama and comedy. So, If you are into both of these genres this is the show for you. Seasons 4 and 5 and 6 are not the best, given that the show takes a different direction which in my opinion, is not that smart to do in a Tv show. So you might wonder why I'm still watching this show if the first 3 seasons are the best, well by this point I feel really attached to its characters. As a viewer I am interested in knowing if they are going to make it at the end of the day, Plus I think the show it's funny. Also, I feel that this season of Weeds improved from its predecessors.

I love the characters of this show, and the casting for it is excellent. For example, Nancy Botwin (played by Mary Louise Parker) is the strongest character. She is the leader, and the one who decides how things are going to be. The decisions that Nancy makes put her, and her family in either funny or atrocious situations. I think it's entertaining watching these characters trying to clean Nancy's mess ups.