SUNDAY, 28th (Week of March 28 – April 3)

THE SIMPSONS: Sasha Baron Cohen voices an eccentric tour guide in the Holy Land. That doesn’t sound implausible. (8pm/FOX)

MONDAY, 29th

GREEK: ABC Family’s clean cut take on college Greek life is mildly amusing, to say the least. (10pm/ABC Family)

TUESDAY, 30th

V: They’re heeeeeeeeeeere … again. (10pm/ABC)

WEDNESDAY, 31st

IN PLAIN SIGHT: How have I not seen this show yet?! Clearly, I live under a rock. Season premiere. (10pm/USA)

THURSDAY, 1st

FRINGE: Series return. Have you heard the rumors of a Fringe musical? What’s next – a 24 musical? (9pm/FOX)

FRIDAY, 2nd

MERLIN: NBC continues getting rid of the good stuff. Season 2 of this British show will premiere on SyFy tonight. Don’t miss it! (SyFy 10pm)

SATURDAY, 3rd

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS: Time to turn off the computers, nerds and have a Tolkien night! (8pm/TBS)

Win Law & Order: C.I. Gear From Poptimal.com

Poptimal.com has partnered with USA Network to bring you a great giveaway from our fiends at the hit television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT returns with 16 all new episodes on its new night, Tuesday, March 30 at 10/9c. SAG nominee Saffron Burrows and Academy Award nominee Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio join Academy Award nominee Jeff Goldblum for the Season Nine two-part season opener featuring the departure of long time cast members Emmy Award nominee Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian. Become a fan on Facebook, Follow on Twitter and visit the official website.


Two Winners will receive:

• Criminal Intent Nylon Cinch Sack
• Criminal Intent T-Shirt
• Criminal Intent Hat
• Criminal Intent Logo Pin
• Criminal Intent Season 3 DVD
• Criminal Intent Season 4 DVD

Here’s How To Win (No Purchase Necessary)
1. Post your comments about at least one (1) of our front page articles

2. Email your name, email address and name of the post you commented on to contests@poptimal.com. Put “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” in the subject line.

Just that easy!

*** If you’re on Twitter. you will have an additional chance to win courtesy of our popular podcast, The Jone Dome. After you enter as stated above, follow us at @Poptimal and send the following tweet: “Jeff Goldblum rocks our lame asses. He should call into The Jone Dome Show and talk with the fellas. @Poptimal @USA_LawOrderCI” You will receive additional entries (limit one per day) to win the above prize.

Guidelines
-Open to U.S. Residents only
-Entrants must be at least 18 yrs of age
-This prize pack is valued at $160 and is provided by USA Network

How to Train Your Dragon Review

As a single gal, I don’t usually spend my Saturday mornings surrounded by munchkins.  I don’t have anything against kids, but sometimes I can only take them in small doses.  They are pretty manageable if you can keep them entertained, and I guess the same can be said for some adults.  Well adults and kids alike should enjoy How to Train Your Dragon, the story of an awkward young boy trying to please his father while finding his own identity.

3D movies are flourishing lately, with Alice and Wonderland still tops at the box office and the Oscar-nominated Avatar still putting up respectable numbers.  While How to Train Your Dragon isn’t nearly as visually stunning as Avatar, it is a great movie.  I’ll be honest though, I think the studio just wanted to jump on the 3D bandwagon.  My 3D glasses weren’t very necessary for the movie because there weren’t many “wow” 3D moments.  Sure it was cool to see certain parts in 3D, but this movie would have been just as good in 2D.  Contrast that with a movie like Avatar, which in my opinion would be pointless to view in 2D because it contained so many breathtaking effects.   Although How to Train Your Dragon lacked the jaw-dropping 3D effects of Avatar, it compensated for that shortcoming with a great story.

The plot centers around Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), a young Viking who just can’t seem to fit in.  Hiccup is a kinder gentler Viking.  This doesn’t sit well with his father, a really tough Viking named Stoic (voiced by Gerard Butler) who specializes in killing dragons that plague their village.  Dragons routinely raid the Vikings’ farms, stealing their animals and making short work of anyone who gets in the way.  There are dozens of breeds, each one specializing in a unique bit of nastiness, whether it’s breathing fire, spitting boiling water, or slicing and dicing with sharp tails.  Hiccup longs to be like a traditional Viking by killing a dragon.  Rather than use his bare hands he fashions a net-shooting weapon in hopes of ensnaring one of the beasts.  He gets lucky one night and catches one of the most feared types of dragons, the dreaded Night Fury.  No one believes that the weakest boy in the village is capable of such a feat, but Hiccup returns the following day to examine his prey.  He can finally prove to his father that he is a true Viking, but when it comes time to kill the dragon, Hiccup doesn’t have the heart.

He frees the dragon from the trap and the frustrated monster looks as if he might tear Hiccup apart, but instead he extends him the same compassion, sparing his life.  A new friendship has been formed, and Hiccup names the Dragon “Toothless,” due to his gummy grill.  Vikings and dragons are natural adversaries, and Hiccup’s secret friendship is a dangerous one.  No Viking has ever killed a Night Fury, and if Toothless is discovered he will surely be slayed.  Moreover, Hiccup is already the “odd man out;” if the other Vikings find out he’s a dragon lover he’ll be ostracized even more.  Plus his Dad has finally allowed him to enter Dragon Training, and his instruction will culminate with him killing his first dragon.  Unbeknowsnt to his father, Hiccup has had a change of heart.  He spends a lot of time with Toothless, feeding him and even soaring with him high above the clouds.  He bonds with the dragon and has a special way of communicating with them, almost like a Dragon Whisperer.

One day Toothless takes him to the draglon’s lair that his Dad has always looked for in hopes of destroying them all.  Hiccup learns that the only reason the dragons steal their cattle is because they have to feed a mammoth queen dragon that will kill them otherwise.  He has gained a deeper understanding of the dragons and knows that they are truly peaceful, only killing to defend themselves.  Back at Dragon Training this knowledge serves him well and he begins to outperform the peers who once ridiculed him.  The training consists of measured exposure to increasingly dangerous breeds of dragons until the student is able to successfully defeat each one.  Hiccup has a gentle, soothing approach with the Dragons, a departure from the brutality displayed by all the other Vikings.

Shocking the entire village, Hiccup finishes at the head of the class and therefore must kill a dragon.  There was a time when he would have dreamed of this day, but not now.  Face to face with a deadly dragon, all he can do is try to explain to the Vikings that the dragons aren’t what they think.  With his back against the wall, Toothless flies to Hiccup’s rescue, but the Vikings are overcome with bloodlust and capture his beloved pet.  Will the dragons and Vikings ever co-exist peacefully? Will Hiccup’s Dad ever accept him for who he is, and more importantly, will he get to keep Toothless??

I don’t want to spoil everything, but if you think the folks at Dreamworks are gonna devastate children everywhere with a tragic ending, you’re crazy.  Although I guess it’s possible.  All kids’ movies don’t end well.  Anyone remember Bambi?  His. Mother. Got. Shot!  My mom had to wonder what she’d done to me after taking four-year old Tanya to see that little bit of hidden horror that still haunts people even now, but I digress.  If you expect to be blown away by some dazzling 3D effects rivaling epic Avatar, I can tell you right now that you’ll be disappointed.  If you want to spend a nice day at the movies with your kids watching a heartwarming tale that preaches individualism and acceptance (too pretty good ideals for the kiddies), then How to Train Your Dragon shouldn’t be missed.

Win In Plain Sight Gear From Poptimal.com

Poptimal.com has partnered with USA Network to bring you a great giveaway from our fiends at the hit television series In Plain Sight.

IN PLAIN SIGHT starring Mary McCormack returns for season three on its new night, Wednesday, March 31 at 10/9c with guest star Donnie Wahlberg. IN PLAIN SIGHT also stars Frederick Weller, Nichole Hiltz and Paul Ben-Victor. Returning guest-stars for season three include Lesley Ann Warren, Cristian de la Fuente and Joshua Malina. Other season three guest stars will be Emmy winner Allison Janney (“The West Wing,” “Juno”); Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner Rita Moreno (“Cane,” “The Guardian”), Steven Weber (“Wings,” “Studio 60”), Tess Harper (“No Country for Old Men,” “Breaking Bad”), and Josh Cooke (“Committed,” “Four Kings”).



Two Winners will receive:

• In Plain Sight Canvas Travel Bag
• In Plain Sight Luggage Tag
• In Plain Sight T-Shirt
• In Plain Sight Season 1 DVD
• In Plain Sight Season 2 DVD

Here’s How To Win (No Purchase Necessary)
1. Post your comments about at least one (1) of our front page articles

2. Email your name, email address and name of the post you commented on to contests@poptimal.com.  Put “In Plain Sight” in the subject line.

Just that easy!

*** If you’re on Twitter. you will have an additional chance to win courtesy of our popular podcast, The Jone Dome.  After you enter as stated above, follow us at @Poptimal and send the following tweet: “@marycmccormack rocks our lame asses. She should call into The Jone Dome Show and talk with the fellas. @Poptimal  @InPlainSightUSA“  You will receive additional entries (limit one per day) to win the above prize.

Guidelines
-Open to U.S. Residents only
-Entrants must be at least 18 yrs of age
-This prize pack is valued at $130 and is provided by USA Network

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