The Great Gatsby

A mixed bag.  First, the good.  This is probably the best looking movie I've seen in a while.  If you've seen any of Baz Luhrman's other movies (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge), you'll have an idea of what to expect.  Everything looks good, amazingly good.  The party scenes are overloaded with glitz and glamour, the outdoor scenes resemble something from a fairy tale.  Lurhman also knows how to make his actors look good.  Its no surprise that the last time Leonardo DiCaprio and Baz Luhrman together (Romeo + Juliet in 1996), it launched DiCaprio's career and made him an international heart throb.  The music accompanies the hyper stylized direction of the film with lush scores and energetic samples of its diverse soundtrack throughout the whole movie.  If I could only rate this movie on how it looks and how it sounds, I'd probably give it a 10/10.

But then there's the plot and the character relationships.  I'm not going to criticize F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, because that novel is a masterpiece.  Unfortunately, the plot doesn't translate as well on screen.  The first half was okay, the second half seemed to drag for me.  The movie's resolution isn't as good as it's setup.  The motivations of the characters seem hinted at but not thoroughly explored.

Overall, probably worth seeing just for the visuals and the music.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 8: "Second Sons"

A good episode, which seemed light on drama but heavy on entertainment.  I'm a little worried because there's only two episodes left this season and things dont seem to be moving fast enough for anything substantial to happen the remainder of Season 3, but I'm probably wrong.  With that said, I enjoyed this episode because the main focus was on three main characters that I like spending time with: Tyrion, Stannis and Daenerys.

At King's Landing, we get out first wedding of many planned weddings with Tyrion and Sansa. Everyone involved in the affair seemed miserable and looked like they were contemplating their doomed arrangements.  The only one seeming to have a good time is Joffrey, until Tyrion awesomely tells him off and blames it on the alcohol.  In the end, Tyrion demonstrates he's a decent husband to Sansa by telling her she never has to "consume their marriage" unless she wants to.

Meanwhile, we get some nice scenes of Stannis and Davos having a heart to heart about Melisandre.  Stannis explains to him that he's seen things Melisandre has done that he can not deny, of which Davos has no answer for.  Gendry gets brought into the mix and Melisandre cruelly tricks him into thinking that he's going to have sex with her, only to have him take off his clothes so she could unleash some leeches on him. Daenerys meets with the "Second Sons" and things go very well for her, she somehow gets one of their leaders to turn on the others and pledge his allegiance to her.

Overall, the episode went by super quick and left me wanting more, which is usually a good sign.  Bad news is that there won't be a new episode next week and we're gonna have to wait two weeks until Episode 9.  Good news is that Episode 9's of Season 1 and 2 were the best episodes of their seasons.  Season 1 Episode 9 was Baelor (aka Ned Stark dies), Season 2 Episode 9 was Blackwater, which I consider to be the best GoT episode so far.  See you guys in two weeks!

Observations:

-Arya and the Hound are the new odd couple.  I look forward to her reunion with Catelyn and Robb if that's going to happen.
-The first "Second Son" guy who talks to Daenerys had the demeanor of a douchebag meathead.
-Davos teaching himself to read was somewhat adorable.
-"If you ever call me sister again I"ll have you strangled in your sleep".  Cersei don't play.
-Does Joffrey suddenly have a thing for Sansa again or what?
-Why didn't Sansa bend down for Tyrion to cloak her instead of waiting until he asked her, seemed like an obvious thing to do after Joffrey took away his chair.
-You would think everyone in the Knight's Watch would know how to start a fire.
-Did Sam leave that dagger behind? It seemed so cool and useful.

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 7: "The Bear and the Maiden Fair"

A talky midseason episode that has its ups and downs.  It felt busy, with some character's arcs' more interesting than others.  The best was definitely saved for last.

New relationships seemed to be the focus of this episode.  We start off with Robb Stark and his newlywed bride Talisa in a session lovemaking/war planning.  It's been a while since we've seen an intimate scene with these two characters, and we're reminded of why Robb ultimately chose marrying Talisa over doing what's best for the war.  He seems ecstatic when Talisa tells him that she is preggers, which is not surprising if all she does is lay around naked and distract him.  The ultimate metaphor for their marriage and the war.  Meanwhile, Tyrion and Sansa separately discuss their anxieties about getting married, and Joffrey summons Tywin in frustration of not being involved in his plans.

All the way in the North, Jon Snow and Ygritte ponder their relationship and what they're currently doing.  Jon gives Ygritte a history lesson, in which he tries to convince her that they will ultimately fail in their planned attack.  She responds by reiterating her love to him and then they proceed to kiss.  Ahh young love.

And finally, Jaime and Brienne.  In one of the most rousing and exciting sequences of the season, Jaime realizes Brienne is in trouble and rushes back to save her. From a bear pit!  He even jumps into the pit, unarmed, and wedges himself in front of her.  Their odd relationship is finally proven to each other like it was the end of some buddy comedy.  His character's finest moment so far in the series, and biggest indication that his journey with Brienne has changed him.

Overall, an uneven but forward moving episode with an exciting ending.

Observations:

-Weird to see the Wildlings not surrounded by snow.
-Ygritte points out that Jon Snow is a prettyboy.
-Even Margaery knows Tyrion is the best Lannister.
-Joffrey complains about climbing stairs to Tywin.
-Daenerys, "Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons"
-Shae is kinda annoying.
-Gendry learns he's Robert Baratheon's son, epic music plays.
-Arya is a badass, the only true god she believes in is "Death".
-The Theon torture show continues, disturbingly.
-Ygritte needs a dictionary to learn new words.
-"All girls see more blood than boys."
-Jon Snow and Ygritte basically said "Yolo!" and did it on that hill.

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 6: "For Immediate Release"

My favorite episodes of Mad Men involve Don Draper and the firm being in crisis.  The show is at its finest when all the chips are down and then suddenly, Don gets a quick and sudden stroke of genius that changes everything in its path.   This is an episode that starts off seemingly like any other episode, and then during a pivotal scene, Ted sits down for a drink with Don.  By the end of their conversation, we know that everything at SCDP has changed.

The episode starts off with Bert and Pete discussing their stock value if they go public.  Unfortunately Don is not aware of Bert’s motivations and gets pulled into a dinner with Herb, the representative at Jaguar. Don tells Herb off, something that’s been boiling in Don and with us ever since Herb got his way with Joan last season.  Meanwhile, Pete runs into his father in law at a whorehouse and assumes everything is okay because Ken explains to him that they’ll both be harmed if the truth is revealed.  Everything isn’t ok, Trudy’s father care more about his daughter than harming his own self image.  SCDP ends up losing Vicks and Jaguar when they need them the most.  That’s when Roger and Don basically come in and save the day.

The last time business at SCDP was this exciting was in the Season Three finale “Shut the Door, Have a Seat”, which is universally regarded as one of the show’s best episodes.  If you don’t remember, this was the episode where Sterling Cooper was on the verge of being sold to the English, so Don convinced Lane to fire him and all the important members of the firm and thus, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce was born.   Now the firm is changing again, but this time merging with Ted and Peggy’s ad firm.  There are changes in store for almost all of the characters from this.  Much like its main character, Mad Men is a show that takes risks and just like with Don, those risks usually pay off.  

Observations:
-Was Pete hitting on Joan and trying to get her drunk?  Pete couldn’t handle that.
-Roger shows us why he’s a good businessman; it’s good to see him successful again.
-Megan got kinky this episode, at the suggestion of her mother.
-“I love puppies.”- Don
-“If I could deal with him, you could deal with him. And what now? I went through all of that for nothing.”  I liked Joan telling Don off.  Its pretty much true, Don does whatever he wants without thinking about the firm.
-I knew it, Peggy and Ted have a thing for each other.
-How weird must have it been to be Peggy, getting called into her boss’s office and seeing Don there.
-Bonus:  Here’s a gif of Pete stumbling on the stairs.  http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2013/05/oQnzqR3.gif

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 6: "The Climb"

Contrary to what the title of the episode may have you believe, this isn't the Game of Thrones episode where Miley Cyrus guest stars and sings an awe inspiring ballad about womanhood (thank goodness, although Sam gets a song).  Instead, "The Climb" refers to Jon Snow and Ygritte's trek to get to the top of the wall, which is easily the best and most exciting part of this episode.  What else happens in "The Climb"?  Not much, I'm afraid.

The episode starts with a scene of Sam and his "new family" enjoying a cozy fire and talking about their plans.  There will be a lot of scenes like this in the next hour, with characters conversing to each other about what they're about to do.  In between them, we get some exciting scenes of Jon Snow and Ygritte climbing the wall that almost feel like a Discovery Channel survival special.  Meanwhile, Robb convinces his cousin to blindly marry a Frey daughter to make amends for his wrongdoing.  Gendry sadly gets taken away by Melisandre.  Tyrion and Cersei discuss the ramifications of Tywin's plans for their new marriages.  Theon gets mercilessly tortured, again.  

Overall, the episode was somewhat of a disappointment in that it felt like there were no substantial developments, although there were some.  The last shot is beautiful and epic, with Ygritte finally seeing whats on the other side of the wall and sharing a lengthy kiss with Jon.  It comes off as an award for viewers who ultimately had to sit through a slow moving episode.  

- The scene where they skinned the rabbit was pretty disturbing to me, and I don't usually get bothered by any of the violence that happens on the show.

- "He wasn't good to me the way you're good to me.  He didnt do that thing you did with your tongue".  Oh Ygritte...

- "Face. Tits. Balls. I hit them right where I wanted to." A lot of good lines this episode.

- Random thought: Arya and Katniss would be good friends, I think.  

- How ugly are these Frey daughters?

- Poor Jaime, can't even eat a steak properly.

- Loras is the most desirable bachelor in all 7 kingdoms? Muhaha.

- Apparently "The Climb" also refers to Littlefinger's theory on chaos.

- So Joffrey hasn't done anything evil or disturbing lately.  Oh wait... 

Mad Men Season 6 Episode 5: "The Flood"

A sad and somber episode, which is appropriate given the historical material that the show is trying to tackle.  I sometimes forget that Mad Men is a show set in history, but then an event like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. finds itself intersecting with the Mad Men plotline, and I’m reminded that this is a show woven into America’s history.  This was an interesting episode, in which it dealt with the reactions of the characters to the assassination and how it molded each of their personal dramas. 

For Don, the news of the assassination made him reevaluate his relationship with his children, as he was unsure on how to approach the topic with them, primarily Bobby.  I think for the first time in Mad Men history, Bobby gets an actual story arc as a character.  Their scene at the movie theatre was the most important scene in the episode, with Bobby communicating to the janitor that he feels his loss and sympathizes with him.  The scene is followed by a drunken Don, explaining at first horrifically that he sometimes feels like he is faking love for his children, only to have it be proven real and true.   

For many of the other characters, news of the assassination found its way changing their personal lives.  Pete actually wasn’t a despicable and annoying character this episode, reacting to the news as a tragic event and reaching out to Trudy to see if she was ok.  Their exchange was caring but distanced, it seemed as Trudy was almost about to give in to Pete’s offer to come over but had to remind herself not to at the end.  He followed that by almost getting into an office fistfight with Harry, who viewed the news through a business standpoint and feared that it may affect the airing of his television commercials.  Burt’s attempt to make the two apologize to each other was one of the only comedic parts of the episode. 

Overall, a solid and quietly compelling episode about national tragedy and how individuals may connect and cope with it.

Observations:

- The first real characteristic we learn about Bobby is that he is not a fan of mismatched wallpaper. 

- Don seemed overly interested in where Sylvia and Arnold were going, to the point it was even joked about.  Not smooth Don, not smooth.

- SCDP’s only two nominees at the awards, Peggy and Megan, no longer work there.

- That girl Ginsberg was setup with was way out of his league.  She also talked like Peggy.

- Joan and Don comforting Dawn was uncomfortable, seemingly making her feel more like an outsider despite them trying to be compassionate towards her. 

- That sideways hug Joan gives Dawn was hilariously awkward.

- I like the fact that Don and Bobby enjoyed Planet of the Apes and seemed blown away by the ending.

- “Everybody likes to go to the movies when they’re sad”.  Well said, Bobby.

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 5: "Kissed By Fire"

Hard to believe but we’re already halfway into Season 3.  Things are definitely heating up (literally, there’s fire everywhere this episode), with important developments all around.  This episode focuses on the relationships of the characters more than usual, which I enjoyed and thought was needed.

As the episode starts off, we get right into action with the Hound’s battle against the Lord of Light soldier.  Arya has kept her bloodlust for the Hound and all those involved in her father’s execution, still reciting their names every night.  Next, Ygritte finally makes a man out of Jon Snow.  They somehow manage to find a romantic waterfall to do it near and have pillow talk after.  I’m glad Jon and Ygritte finally get this moment, even though Ygritte had to make all the moves.

Meanwhile, Robb’s army is facing hard times.  His execution of the “traitor” reminded me of Ned’s execution of the deserter in Season 1.  Stannis comes back to check on his home life, revealing he has a somewhat crazy wife and a scarred but cute daughter.  Jaime and Brienne take a bath together and Jaime tells a harrowing story about how he got his nickname.  This is Jaime at his most vulnerable; his story is tragic and adds another dimension to his character.  At King’s Landing, there’s a matchmaking power struggle going on.  Tywin delivers two bombshells when he proposes that Tyrion wed Sansa (whaaat) and that Cersei marry Loras (whaaat).  The episode ends with Stannis’s daughter singing over the end credits.

This episode, in many ways, felt like a soap opera, but a good one.  Although there wasn’t as much action as the previous two episodes, there was a lot of development with the personal lives of the characters.  Overall, I found it to be a refreshingly emotional and character driven episode. 

Observations:

- Booty booty booty rocking everywhere in this episode (Ygritte, Jaime, Brienne, Loras’s lover).

- Ygritte and Jon’s foreplay involves her “stealing his sword”.

- “I don’t know, I just wanted to kiss you there is all.”

- Jorah seems to still be in love with Danerys. 

- Danerys is trying to run a democracy within her army.

- Sansa is smitten with Loras, she falls too easily.  Remember when she had undying love for Joffrey?

- Littlefinger’s advances on Sansa were pretty creepy and had a creepy uncle vibe.  “Call me Peter”.

- Tywin is not a good matchmaker.  Or is he….