So You Think You Can Dance Review: Not Enough Turns For Me…I Mean Pirouettes

What an absurd yet exhilarating week of So You Think You Can Dance, and I wasn’t expecting anything less with the zany Lady Gaga blessing the judges’ panel with her presence. Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi even had to run to the studio and witness it live. Honestly, I loved Lady Gaga’s initial debut into superstardom but have waned interest in her as her fan base continues to grow and grow. The dancers are the shining sun at the center of the show, and the potential of Gaga was this black hole pulling the focus away from them into the abyss.

Predictably, bad feelings crept up when Nigel and Cat mentioned she’d be a guest. I’ve never seen anything having to do with Gaga that didn’t circle completely around her. She’s like a car crash. You just have to watch. Shockingly, she came off as comfortable in sharing her own opinions, whether I agreed or not, and though not very succinctly, she kept me entertained and interacted with the judges and contestants well. Still, she was, by far, the most self-indulgent judge, basking in the audience’s revelry and talking a lot about the choreographic styles and choice that “weren’t for [her].” Rob Marshall joined Gaga, Nigel and Mary on the panel, with a little bit more expertise to back up his personal views. I guess Gaga was there to pull in the eyes, and Rob Marshall was there to balance out the credibility, a smart move. Fortunately for this inspiring show, the dancers do that every week, and the Top 8 proceeded to expand their dance versatility.

MY FATE FOR THE TOP 8

8. SASHA and Pasha Kovalev (Season 3)
Quickstep | Jonathan Roberts | “Puttin’ On The Ritz” by Terry Snyde

Ballroom is Sasha’s kryptonite. I, who knows nothing, felt uncomfortable, even with the effervescent Pasha filling up the stage alongside her. She appeared leaden on every lift, and her legs looked like they wanted to push out and plié when they should be close together most of the time. Rob and I agreed when he said that the style just doesn’t allow her to do what she does best, which is dance with abandon, but Mary extoled her stage presence and topline but told her to work on those knees.

7. RICKY and Anya Garnis (Season 3)
Jive | Jason Gilkison | “River Deep, Mountain High” by Celine Dion

Ricky’s main goal was to make really difficult steps look super easy, and he kiiiinda did that, but besides that ballroom beauty Anya, I was also kiiiinda bored. He soared over Anya in a really cool flip/lift but struggled on what appeared to be a very hard lift, proving Anya physically stronger than Ricky. Yet, strength has never been his forte. He’s graceful and can leap like a gazelle. Nigel felt that tall Ricky was too tall and needed to get deeper, which was also Rob’s only critique. Lady Gaga had the gall to critique Anya and liken her to the forbidden words of Dancing with the Stars. So like what, Gaga? Really good at ballroom?!

6. JESS and Lauren Gottlieb (Season 3)
Lyrical Hip-hop | Nappytabs | “Take A Bow” by Rihanna

This definitely falls low on my favorite hip-hop number list. Though Lauren was giving her all, it still felt like an extremely low energy piece. Rob liked the simplicity of it, and I can applaud Jess, as both Mary and Nigel did, for taking in criticism and improving from week to week. He didn’t mug once this time. Still, where the judges saw conviction and believability, I could only agree with the former.

5. CAITLYNN and Ivan Kouarnev (Season 2)
Hip-hop | Marty Kudelka | “Let Me Love You” by Mario

In this number, Caitlynn met a lovely, young stud after feeling “fed up with her man.” Like Mary, I couldn’t contain myself after watching Ivan on the stage again. This was also a problem as Caitlynn faded into the background. The judge quickly zoned in on why he stood out instead of Caitlynn. Ivan “sits down in that pocket.” He grooves while she dances. Lady Gaga dismissed Nigel’s criticism by saying he just wanted her to “open her legs a little.” This is a family show, crazy! Only dirty Uncle Nigel gets to say creepy things. Rob willed Caitlynn to pull a little Gaga into herself because the superstar can really give into a number and character. I smell an unnecessary suck-up.

4. JORDAN and Ade Obayomi (Season 5)
Jazz | Tyce Diorio | “Nutbush City Limit” by Tina Turner

The All-Star, here, clearly out-danced the contestant. Even if Jordan couldn’t quite keep up, she was running not so far behind. He twisted her and split her and almost broke her in half. That body really can move in mysterious ways. I didn’t love this piece of Tyce’s as much as the judges, though it was more exciting than most of his numbers. It could have been a circus act (foreshadowing), still I feel a little sexed out by him. Gaga got envious of Jordan’s legs, showing us that she was wearing 10 inch heels. Secret exposed!  “It’s a fashion catheter, so I don’t have leave to go to the bathroom during the show.” TMI, Gaga.

3. TADD and Lauren Froderman (Season 7)
Jazz | Mandy Moore | “Another One Bites The Dust” by Queen

Believe me, I have nothing but appreciation for the All-Stars this week, but I could definitely tell Lauren was only one season out. She was fab, just not as fab. But she sure did look sexier and fitter than the last time we saw her with all that confetti raining down on her. There is confetti in the finale right? I may just be thinking about American Idol, but now I’ll feel really jipped if there isn’t confetti. Nigel praised Tadd for his sponge-like dance absorbability. And Mary even called some finale action for the b-boy.

2. MARKO and Allison Holker (Season 2)
Contemporary | Sonya Tayeh | “I Know It’s Over” by Jeff Buckley

Sonya may be the queen of weird, but she can create pure beauty as well. Marko supported Allison so effortlessly, and their lifts were light as feathers, even though they were supposed to be emoting heavy guilt. The two appeared so in sync and connected. It brought Lady Gaga to tears and all the judges to their feet. Oh no, they didn’t pull the mom card! Now, I’m on my feet and crying. She flew all the way from GUAM?! After letting go of all that guilt on the stage, Marko apologized to his mom for being a brat as a young buck. And Rob said that truth about himself is exactly what he brings to his dance.

1. MELANIE and Neil Haskell (Season 3)
Contemporary | Mandy Moore | “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler

Melanie who? I had to watch this one about five times to actually will my eyes to look anywhere other than a shirtless Neil. When I finally saw Melanie, I understood why the judges were on their feet at the end of the performance, Gaga oddly towering above them all and making Cat giggle with glee at the sight. Gaga even said that she was her favorite and would hire her immediately. Rob congratulated her for becoming an actress, saying she “threw away the technique and just played scene.” The pair danced as one, naturally and yet so robustly. It quickly turned Melanie into Nigel’s favorite dancer even though he had said the same thing to Sasha three dances ago. At least, he did preface his comment to Sasha with the fact that he’s a fickle one.

DOUBLES SHOWDOWN

4. JORDAN and JESS
Rumba | Jason Gilkison | “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele

Jordan may be one of the most controversial contestants this season. One person considers her gorgeous and versatile, while another labels her dumb and a one dimensional Pussycat Doll wannabe. I fall in the center with a slight lean to the latter, but this week, she had me completely riveted. It wasn’t the most exciting rumba, but it was a piece crafted for her long legs. I didn’t really see Jess though he was fantastic support. She wouldn’t have looked so good without him. He did seem to try and be present and connected to her, but even if I thought they were connected, they definitely didn’t have chemistry. JORDAN WINS.

3. CAITLYNN and TADD
Foxtrot | Jonathan Roberts | “Top Hat, White Tie And Tails” by Ella Fitzgerald

It’s not often I use the word adorable with a dance number, but this was a fun and light ballroom piece. Rob described it as “elegant and stylish.” Unfortunately as adorable as it was, it was not the most memorable. Mary wanted “more power through that base.” But Nigel and Gaga were in heaven. TADD WINS.

2. RICKY and MARKO
Hip-hop | Tabitha & Napoleon Dumo | “Bad Boy For Life” by Diddy feat. Black Rob and Mark Curry

Tabitha and Napoleon really can make a mountain out of any odd molehill. A number about waste management technicians? Is this serious? Of course, it was real but the opposite of serious. The piece was surprisingly swagger-filled. Besides Tadd (maybe), there isn’t a down and grimy male dancer in the competition, but that all changed for at least a few minutes. Cat started singing the Mario Bros. theme song due to their color coordinating jump suits, an example of why she is so loved and Emmy nominated. Gaga called Nappytab’s “interpretation of hip” contrived, basically saying she really doesn’t like their choreography or their props. MARKO WINS.

1. MELANIE and SASHA
Foxtrot | Sonya Tayeh | “Game On” by District 78

I smell a conspiracy. Add Marko, and this would be the producers’ clear favorites to win this thing. I love a strong female number, so this really got me to sit up. It wasn’t about anything other than showing off these ladies’ immense power and agility. The judges were on their feet again. Mary dubbed it the best Sonya number ever and bowed down in adoration. Gaga threw her shoe at them, and Sasha quickly scrambled to pick it up and stroke it. She tossed the other one to Sonya. TIE

No guest could even come close to the giddiness peak that I reached when Neil Patrick Harris joined last week, and I wished that everyone could focus less of Gaga and more on the contestants, but the dancing was so superb that everything balanced out. As Thursday night rolled around, I wondered if the judges would be back. I thought, for sure, Marshall would be the one returning while Gaga absconded to sing and dance in 12-inch heels somewhere. And she did…right on stage, performing “Edge of Glory” and “You and I”.

Not to be forgotten was a Water for Elephants-inspired group number that focused on Melanie and Sasha. Quel surprise! It was my favorite Tyce number by a long shot, extremely fantastical (The word always makes me think of Jellicle Cats!). I truly enjoy his pieces when he doesn’t play so overtly sexy. Also better than expected was The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. Why were there only five of them when I saw them open for the Glee concert? Now this is what a legion should look like. I swear I’ve seen at least five of these guys in various, slightly SYTYCD-affiliated, dance movies like Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D.

Let’s get on to the bottom four with only one surprise. The girls were easily Jordan and Caitlynn, however, I was stunned when Tadd joined Jess in the bottom instead of Ricky. Then I was grateful because, while the girls sat on their butts doing the same moves they tried last week and the week before, the boys acted like it could be their last day dancing…ever. There was a lot of hamming. Jess pulled off about 15 non-stop pirouettes, or turns as Cat likes to call them. Tadd flipped off the stage and took a victorious lap around the studio. It may have been preemptive. As the episode came to a close, Nigel said the judges were disappointed with the girls. Neither did their best with Jordan leaving. She didn’t get an explanation of what could have been improved or why Caitlynn succeeded where she did not. Oppositely, they lauded both boys, but Tadd’s uniqueness and ongoing metamorphosis won out.

So you know what time it is: Did your favorites survive the chopping block? Who eked through who didn’t deserve it? Was there love or loathing in your heart for Lady Gaga by the end of the episode? And can you believe there’s only a few more weeks to go? Bring it on!

For more on this week’s episodes, check out And Then There Were Six by Trisha Leigh.

Season 8, Episodes 18 and 19: “Top 8 Perform” and “Two of 8 Voted Off” (originally aired July 27 and 28, 2011)

Images courtesy of Adam Rose/FOX.

So You Think You Can Dance airs Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8/7c on Fox.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.: Only a So-So Venture

There’s a short history, and even smaller success rate, of comedic actors taking a more dramatic turn. While Crazy, Stupid, Love. isn’t a hard, gritty drama, it’s far from the normal fare fans of Steve Carell expect, like his former series The Office. Still, we’ve seen him pull it off already in with Dan in Real Life so I wasn’t really worried heading into this screening. Turns out, a little more pause might be necessary before you make the ticket buying decision.

The story begins with married couple Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) Weaver at dinner passively debating the dessert menu when Emily announces she wants a divorce…and that she’s slept with someone else. A numb Cal moves out and into his own apartment, spending ensuing nights alone at a bar. Soon he catches the attention of Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a guy that takes home a new woman every night. Jacob decides to become Cal’s alpha-male Yoda and help him get his life back on track. Along the way, Jacob falls in love for the first time with a young future lawyer (Emma Stone), resulting in a bit of a role reversal for the men.

I’m going to be honest with you upfront—Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a disjointed and uneven movie.  This should really be no surprise considering co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s last feature effort, the Jim Carey/Ewan McGregor gay con man story I Love You Phillip Morris, also struggled to find a steady tone. This one struggles in a similar way.

The film plays out like an ensemble dramedy that never quite gets to the ensemble part. It’s hard to establish which character’s point of view we should be following or to build any empathy. Carell and Gosling are definitely the leads of the story and we spend a fair amount of time with Moore, though not enough to develop any empathy for her side of the divorce story. Stone comes in with the least amount of screen time, plot points, and really anything to do. It all leads about to a very improbable, but not impossible, twist about 75% of the way through at which point I mentally checked out.

Most of the performances are solid but suffer ultimately from a lack of characterization. Carell’s already proven he can work with drama in his career and his character is billed as the heart of this story, but he makes some abrupt turns along the way that pulled me out of the situation. He doesn’t really know what he wants after his wife leaves him, and it looks like we’re supposed to discover that with him, but feels like we’re just killing time before an inevitable reconciliation. Gosling, whose shirtless scenes alone will probably be worth the price of admission for some moviegoers, is charming and surprisingly funny in his lothario role. I’d watch Emma Stone star in a musical adaptation of the phone book, so my only complaint here is her talents were vastly underused.

As I said before, Moore’s character is sidelined by the lack of backstory involved,  but at least isn’t reduced to the cameo capacity of Kevin Bacon, who plays her romantically-inclined coworker, and Marisa Tomei, who pops up as one of Carell’s first single guy conquests. Surprising standouts are Analeigh Tipton as the family babysitter who’s hopelessly in love with Carell’s character, and Jonah Bobo as his son, hopelessly in love with the babysitter. Oh, and there’s a Josh Groban cameo too.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. feels like a missed opportunity. You’ve got some great actors and an intriguing premise, but less than perfect execution. The movie’s not awful, but this might be one to catch on video.

Images courtesy of Ben Glass and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Comic-Con 2011: ThunderCats Premiere Episode Screening and Q&A

ThunderCats fans could not be more excited at this year’s Comic-Con now that the animated series has finally had a reboot. The crowd roared with delight at the screening of the very first episode of the newly remodeled cartoon, and throughout the panel room and surrounding hallways, a unanimous “ThunderCats, hoooo!” could be heard from fans all around. Producers Ethan Spaulding, Michael Jelenic and art director Dan Norton were on hand before the panel to give the awesome ThunderCats details and of course answer the burning question, “why now?” Knowing that this was something that people for many years have been hoping for was a given, but according to Spaulding, the idea has been in the works for ten years now. Not until 2010 did the project get the green light and from there, ThunderCats production went full force. Preserving the brand that is ThunderCats was of the most importance as Jelenic added that this may be a reason why so many live action endeavors for the series have yet to happen.  While the team themselves grew up with the old 1980’s cartoon, they still reviewed a few episodes, making sure to take the important elements of the series with them but still insist that it will be a reimagining of the original. The similarities are definitely there but a few major concepts were tweaked, for example, deciding that the main character, Lion-O would this time around be a teenage hero, while the irritatingly nasally sidekick, Snarf, would have no actual speaking parts. One thing that the crew knew for certain was that having the undeniably acclaimed voice of Lion-O in the preceding series, Larry Kenney, on board for the project was a must. Kenney, who’s first voice acting gig was as an on-air radio personality, was more than excited to come back to the show, although this time he would be Lion-O’s father, Claudis . He made it clear from the start, however, that due to the serious dedication of the fans and how many people had such personal memories of the show, that he would not be on board unless the new creators stayed true to the original idea and made the newly retold story a worthy series. So far, Kenney says he’s made the right decision.

The premiere screening debuted at the beginning of the panel, amping up the Comic-Con crowd with scenes filled with new adventure and tons of nostalgia rolled into one. A short Q&A followed where a few fans got to ask panelists Jelenic, Norton, Spaulding, Kenney and new voice for Cheetara, Emmanuelle Chriqui, the dire questions they’ve been holding in since the start of the reboot was announced. The panel discussed the differences in the drawing room when it came to character design, citing Tygra as one of the hardest to make a final decision on. The new anime style of the show definitely brings a refreshing look to the original ThunderCats already making it desirable to the eye. A newly budding and more forward romance between Lion-O and Cheetara was suggested while the panel quietly hinted at a possible SilverHawks appearance in the future. One audience member asked about the future of the lizards and other mutant foes of the series turning into possible allies. “That’s a great idea,” stated Jelenic, “but we can’t use that idea now because you’ll sue them,” Kenney added jokingly. The producers and writers are working hard on getting the original ThunderCats team together on the small screen and urge us to keep watch for what’s next, adding that it’s just like Christmas, so tune in every Friday night and open your gift!

 

Images courtesy of Warner Brothers Entertainment.

Win Advanced Screening Passes to Final Destination 5 (DC)

Poptimal.com and Warner Bros. Pictures are teaming up to let 30 lucky Poptimal fans know that “No matter where you run, no matter where you hide…you can’t cheat death.”  Here is your chance to win two (2) free tickets to see an advanced screening of Final Destination 5.

FINAL DESTINATION 5
Promo Screening
Wednesday, August 10
7:30 pm
Regal Gallery Place
Washington, DC

Please note, tickets do not guarantee admittance.  Seating is first come, first served.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 “FINAL DESTINATION 5” in  the subject line.

3. Wait. Winners will be notified starting Saturday, August  6.

*** If you’re on Twitter, after you enter as stated above, follow us at @Poptimal and send the following tweet: “Check out Poptimal.com for chances to win tickets to an Advance Screening of “FINAL DESTINATION 5” @Poptimal“  You will receive additional entries (limit one per day) to win the above prize.

 

In “Final Destination 5,” Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse.  But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.

The second of the Final Destination films to be shot in 3D, “Final Destination 5” is directed by Steven Quale, marking his major feature film directorial debut.  The screenplay was written by Eric Heisserer.

The film brings together an ensemble cast, including Nicholas D’Agosto (“Fired Up!,” TV’s “Heroes”), Emma Bell (“Frozen,” TV’s “The Walking Dead”), Miles Fisher (TV’s “Mad Men” and “Gossip Girl”), Courtney B. Vance (TV’s “Flash Forward,” “ER”) and Arlen Escarpeta (“Friday the 13th”), with David Koechner (“The Office,” “Anchorman”) and “Final Destination” franchise icon Tony Todd (“Hatchet II”).  Rounding out the cast are P.J. Byrne (“Dinner for Schmucks”), Ellen Wroe (TV’s “Huge”) and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (TV’s “The Bold and the Beautiful”).

Producers Craig Perry and Warren Zide return for the fifth time, working with executive producers Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Erik Holmberg and Sheila Hanahan Taylor.

Collaborating with Quale behind the scenes are director of photography Brian Pearson (“Drive Angry 3D,” “My Bloody Valentine 3D”); production designer David R. Sandefur (“Repo Men,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth”); editor Eric Sears (“Shooter”) and costume designer Jori Woodman (“Eight Below”).  The music is by Brian Tyler (“Fast Five”).

New Line Cinema presents, a Practical Pictures/Zide Pictures production, “Final Destination 5,” opening August 12, 2011. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

www.finaldestinationmovie.com

 

In Theaters Friday, August 12

Project Runway: Pre-Season Commentary

Clothes have to cover two basic body parts: the bust and the butt. Excluding the head and the feet, that leaves a designer with about 60% of open territory to cover, drape, wrap, or stitch with a pant or skirt & top or a dress. There aren’t too many cuts, necklines, hemlines, bodices, and silhouettes that haven’t been done. Therefore, a designer such as those who’ll appear on the new season of Project Runway has to think outside the stratosphere to start with the same basic concept but create a piece that a woman will spend hours at the gym to continue to wear.

Any given shopping day, I walk through a mall and turn my nose up at numerous designs. A pant with an elastic waistband.  Parachute blouses or pants.  Low-cut tops that require a cami underneath.  While the designer may be in New York, I have to wear the clothes in Texas where we’ve been experiencing 100+ degree heat.  I can’t wear a low-cut blouse in a professional setting.  It would require a cami.  Three layers of clothes (a bra, cami, and blouse) is suicide in north Texas.  Calico-printed blouses earn another snooted nose.  However, once every other aisle usually in Dillard’s, Macy’s, or New York & Co. I see a few pieces end up slung across my arm for a fitting in the dressing room.  A dark wash skinny jean that touches the top of my Carlos Santana heels.  A two-button blazer that hits at the waist, buttons under the bust and minimizes the smallest part of the waist.  A maxi dress with a uniquely flattering print that, again, cinches under the bust but flows away from the hip.  Then, there are those that stay with me to the cashier. Then, the cut that actually make it with me home. Believe it or not, there is are one or two of which I was skeptical before leaving the store and upon a second, or maybe even a third fitting, I’ve developed shopper’s remorse, and I’ve returned it to the store from whence it came. So with my final selections in which I have convinced myself I will be able to achieve a desired look, it is up to me to turn out into fabulousity.  Ironically, the least expensive pieces typically achieve that look.  For a job interview recently, I pulled on a white, long maxi dress that I bought for $20 from Old Navy.  Then, I threw on a red, shiny ruffled-collar shrug that I bought for $15 off eBay, red Carlos Santana heels, red Harvey’s seatbelt bag carriage tote, and red jewelry, and when I walked through Macy’s that morning after the interview, a slightly flamboyant Macy’s stylist who dresses the mannequins looked at me from head to toe and said I was the best dressed thing in the store. However, an ill-begotten stitch or an elongated hem line or funky cut can send a designer’s garment into a pile of threads headed for the Goodwill.

Having only seen the encore presentations of last season’s Project Runway and wishing E.Sosa was my personal stylist, I’m pretty excited to see the mental threads being woven together in the minds of undiscovered, hopeful designers to style someone like me into my next outfit of mall-stopping fierceness!

The ninth season of Project Runway airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

For more television reviews, click here.

Comic-Con 2011: Oh, You Sexy Geek! Panel: We Pander To No Man!

The word “sexy” isn’t usually something that the average person associates with the geek culture, but for self-proclaimed geeks worldwide, it certainly is. This year at San Diego Comic-Con, the ladies of the “Oh, You Sexy Geek!” panel put a few stereotypes to rest while opening up on what they think the ultimate definition of cool is, what’s sexy and what being a real geek is all about. Moderator Katrina Hill quizzed an insanely funny panel of ladies including Bonnie Burton (grrl.com), Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model), Clare Grant (Team Unicorn), Jill Pantozzi (“Has Boobs, Reads Comics”), Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Kiala Kazebee (The Guild), and Jennifer Stuller (ink-stainedamazon.com). The main topic on hand posed the question about whether or not the geek girls of today, those who especially love the art of cosplay, were simply pandering to the male gender and are in essence “fake geeks.” While it sounds like your typical pseudo-feminist panel mixed with a little geekery, it was a whole lot less pretentious than you’d imagine. The girls were smart, funny and, most importantly huge nerds, and discussed with the Comic Con crowd topics like geeks in the media, dressing up for conventions and being honest with yourself, all from the female perspective.

When asked about the multiple girls that love to dress as “Slave Leia” from Star Wars year after year, Bonnie Burton had the best answer on the panel and reminded us that Princess Leia did in fact kill Jabba the Hut in that particular outfit. Some may call it exploitative but really what could be more empowering? The ladies all agreed though that while it would be nice to see more cosplayers dressed as more iconic figures with perhaps more clothing, a true geek girl should feel confident in anything she wears.

Katrina asked the panel what they felt was guiding the definition of what’s sexy in the world today and who has the biggest influence. It was a pretty unanimous decision that what is considered sexy is a matter of opinion. Team Unicorn’s Clare Grant cited mean-girl types and girl-on-girl hate as being one of the main offenders today regarding the negativity that can be associated with sex appeal. The general media was by far the biggest issue with the panel. When asked what can be done to change the negativity that the media can create, Bonnie jokingly suggested we start demanding more scantily dressed men from Marvel comics as a way to broaden the definition. Not such a horrible idea, Bonnie.

The sexy geek girl panel also gave some advice on trying to make it in various male dominated industries, such as the comic book genre, and stressed that confidence is key. Jennifer Stuller spoke up about an upcoming project of hers that pairs female comic book writers up with current female comic writers to guide and help them get their feet wet in the big and always intimidating industry of comics.

Just when the panel was off to a girly start, previously assigned moderator, Chris Gore of G4TV, briefly crashed the onstage party along with Clare Grant’s husband, Seth Green. It was an entertaining experience to see the male and female interaction and sharp opinions on the quickly rising geek girl community.

Overall, these ladies are fully comfortable in their own geeky skins and urge all of us chicks out there to feel the same way. Promoting empowerment through social media and other outlets are a great way to start the change, as suggested by the girls. Starting your own local geek girl community page on places like Facebook is a great way to start. The more opportunities we create, the faster we geeks can take over the world!

For more of Poptimal’s Comic-Con coverage, click here.

Bonnie Burton (Grrl.com), Adrianne Curry (America's Next Top Model) (left to right) Bonnie Burton (Grrl.com), Adrianne Curry (America's Next Top Model) (left to right)	Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant ("G33k & G4m3r Girls"), Nerdy Bird – Jill Pantozzi ("Has Boobs, Reads Comics"), Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (left to right) Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant ("G33k & G4m3r Girls"), Nerdy Bird – Jill Pantozzi ("Has Boobs, Reads Comics"), Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (left to right)	ennifer K. Stuller (Ink-Stained Amazons, GeekGirlCon), Chris Gore (G4TV's Attack of the Show!) (left to right) ennifer K. Stuller (Ink-Stained Amazons, GeekGirlCon), Chris Gore (G4TV's Attack of the Show!) (left to right)
Bonnie Burton, Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant (left to right) Bonnie Burton, Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant (left to right)	Clare Grant, Nerdy Bird – Jill Pantozzi, Clare Kramer (left to right) Clare Grant, Nerdy Bird – Jill Pantozzi, Clare Kramer (left to right)	Bonnie Burton, Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant (left to right) Bonnie Burton, Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant (left to right)
Katrina Hill (ActionFlickChick.com), Bonnie Burton, Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant, Nerdy Bird – Jill Pantozzi, Clare Kramer, Kiala Kazebee (Nerdist.com), Jennifer K. Stuller (left to right) Katrina Hill (ActionFlickChick.com), Bonnie Burton, Adrianne Curry, Clare Grant, Nerdy Bird – Jill Pantozzi, Clare Kramer, Kiala Kazebee (Nerdist.com), Jennifer K. Stuller (left to right)

Comic-Con 2011: Chuck Press Room: The R3a1 N3rd HQ

Chuck Bartowski’s eyes widen and he makes a desperate move for the small device, pulling it from my grasp and cupping it in his hands. “What the hell is this?” He moves it close to his mouth, confusion crinkles his face, “Testing? Sibilance?” Without the intersect, his knowledge base is limited and he knows it. Defeated, he slides the device back in surrender.

It’s a scene that could have played out in any number of episodes of NBC’s Chuck, instead it played out in the press room of Comic-Con as I dazzled Zachary Levi with my iPod-cum-dictaphone. Surprising, given the ultra-cool tech the cast get to play with on the show, but I’ll take it anyway. The Nerd HQ party the night previous on top of an early morning Ballroom 20 Panel has left the star of Chuck with less a voice and more a guttural moan, but he continues to talk despite losing his battle to that most nefarious of biological superspy known only as Laryngitis.

For the cast of Chuck, their final appearance at Comic-Con (at least together for the show) was a buoyant affair, in with the sweet and out with the bitter. Embraced by a standing ovation both onto and off the stage, fans were quick to make the panel an affair to remember, a sentiment that was echoed in spades by the panelists as well. Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Josh Gomez, and Ryan McPartlin were all in attendance along with show co-creator Chris Fedak. Of course, when we last left our fledgling agents, they had all but been disavowed and with enough finances to buy, well, More. Which is exactly what they did. Oh, not to mention Morgan in full possession of the intersect, a narrative arc that is going to have full-circle implications. “It’s going to be a fun callback to the beginning of the show,” Zachary Levi all but screams, if not for lack of voice; his enthusiasm is hard to control and it’s so very clear that he lives and dies by the culture surrounding Comic-Con. So much so, that he squees with delight upon the mere mention of next season’s big guest star, Mark Hamill. “I know he’s one of the villains, but I don’t know his name or the organization he works for. I just hope we get to spend as much time as possible with him and we don’t scare him.” He recollects Dominic Monaghan’s appearance on the show and how he throttled him with Lost questions, stopping only to then throttle him with Lord of the Rings questions. It’s a situation he delights in. “You can nerd out on these guys as much as you want and when it’s on your show…they just have to take it,” Levi declared.

Beauty of Oz Yvonne Strahovski is leaps and bounds less nerdy than her co-stars but is more than happy to geek out over her own show. “It’s going to be different taking care of Morgan with the intersect than it was with Chuck. Morgan just wants it so bad,” she smiles, thinking about the mere prospect. “But looking after Chuck without the intersect—he has to become a full spy now.” Looking forward into the final season, Strahovski’s bucket list reads like Evel Knievel’s vacation itinerary. “Jumping out of a plane. Rock climbing, maybe. I’d love to go back to Thailand,” she said. And while not all of those may come to fruition, fans can look forward to some juicy character drama between the newly minted triangle (sans the “love”) of Chuck, Sara, and Morgan. “There’s going be a lot of marriage-y fights with Morgan in the middle, so that dynamic will be interesting for fans to see.”

None of this would have happened, of course, without the ardent, take-no-prisoners fan base that the show has procured for itself, not lost on Levi. “The power of fans and people who care and are passionate about what you do. That’s what I’m taking away from my experience on this show.” Chris Fedak is also unapologetically grateful. “We’ve always survived on such a slender margin. The fact that we’ve done five seasons is amazing. We’re thrilled to come back and do the final season. We’re designing it for a big, epic ending. We’re excited,” he revealed.

So don’t cry for the cast of Chuck, Argentina. They’re not. Except for maybe Captain Awesome himself, Ryan McPartlin. “I don’t think the reality of it will hit until I’m slobbering over everybody at the end of the last show,” he admitted. To which Fedak smiles devilishly, “Well, you’ll be dead.”

Don’t miss the final season premiere of Chuck, this fall on NBC.

For more of Poptimal’s Comic-Con coverage, click here.

Images courtesy of Keith Kuramoto for Poptimal.com

Ryan McPartlin Ryan McPartlin	Adam Baldwin Adam Baldwin	Joshua Gomez, Zachary Levi (left to right) Joshua Gomez, Zachary Levi (left to right)
Joshua Gomez Joshua Gomez	Zachary Levi Zachary Levi	Yvonne Strahovski Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski Yvonne Strahovski	Joshua Gomez, Zachary Levi (left to right) Joshua Gomez, Zachary Levi (left to right)	Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky (left to right) Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky (left to right)
Yvonne Strahovski Yvonne Strahovski	Chris Fedak, Co-creator, and Ryan McPartlin (left to right) Chris Fedak, Co-creator, and Ryan McPartlin (left to right)	Chris Fedak, Ryan McPartlin (left to right) Chris Fedak, Ryan McPartlin (left to right)

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: The Secret Circle

With so much energy being poured into the teenage angst-ridden vampire genre these days, it was due time for the witchcraft category to have its turn. The CW is about to release the first episode of the new show, The Secret Circle, a young demographic series that focuses on the lives of teens that utilize the powers of nature and magic. Ironically, The Secret Circle was adapted from a book by author L.J. Smith who also penned the novel series The Vampire Diaries of which was also brought to television and currently plays on the CW network as well. Like so many studios and artists excited to debut their work, The Secret Circle came to San Diego Comic-Con this year, bringing along various cast and crew to appeal to the supernatural fan bases.

Kevin Williamson writes and produces for the new series and talked about how much passion he has for his work. He’s looking forward to getting his hands dirty with the show, stating that mythology shows are so hard to create but that’s what makes them fun. Williamson loves working in the genre of horror which he’s hoping to brand the show with but also plans on delving into the more emotional, magical and romantic sides of the storylines. The idea of witchcraft brings a different type of menace to the plot than areas like the vampire and werewolf themes do in the way that witchcraft tends to be less violent in a physical way. “I hope to have my cake and eat it, too,” he says, if he is able make it chilling while still holding on to the romantic enchantment. Executive producers Richard Hatem and Andrew Miller joined Williamson and spoke on how they loved the idea of The Secret Circle from the start and thought it was a great opportunity to write a fresh and edgy take on witchcraft while also putting a lot of focus into amazing characters. The meat of the storyline of show was taken from the original work, although a few pieces were tweaked to change the main focus of the story in hopes of making the series special and more distinctive to viewers.

Besides the acclaimed staff brought on for the show, an amazing group of young actors were hired as well. Britt Robertson was in the forefront from the start to play the main character, Cassie. She and Kevin Williamson had known of each other prior to the start of The Secret Circle and were both extremely eager to work with one another. Britt says she heard of the probability of working with him and was willing to meet up for any ideas, no matter what they were. The more than likely “good witch” of the show is working alongside actor Thomas Dekker with whom she’d already worked with a few years ago. Dekker plays Adam Conant, a seemingly all-American guy who deals in witchcraft, unbeknownst to Cassie. The two played together in the film From Within with an almost identical plot in which Dekker’s character was a witch that brought Robertson’s character into the world of magic.

Newer face Phoebe Tonkin has been cast for the role of the opposing “bad girl” character, Faye Chamberlain. The Australian native says she grew up in her home country with various American and CW network shows and was dead set on landing the role. Tonkin goes on to say that she went as far as going in to the audition with an American accent to raise the chances of getting the part which apparently worked for her. Faye is described as an unpredictable and power hungry witch who may be just a bored teenager with too much energy in the end. Natasha Henstridge will be playing the role of Faye’s mother, Dawn Chamberlain, who is also a practicing witch. Dawn is hoping to get the witch’s circle back together in hopes of strengthening her own power, a goal similar to her own daughter’s.

The pilot episode of The Secret Circle was screened at Comic-Con and the crowd was able to get its first glimpse at what could possibly usher in the new sensational brand of entertainment. Vampires should start watching their backs as the secret circle is almost complete.

 

Images courtesy of The CW.

Covert Affairs Review: That Was Sooo a Break-Up Kiss

I’m always excited for a new episode of Covert Affairs – life at the CIA is never dull, that’s a sure thing, and Annie’s adventures keep me on the edge of my seat. This week I was even more excited, but for a very different reason: I was going to watch an episode of Covert Affairs that I actually saw being filmed. Wild!

A lot happened in this week’s episode, surely setting up for the midseason finale in a few weeks. The episode starts off with a hostage situation in Mexico City led by gang leader Delgado who claims to be part of an eco-terrorist group. One of the hostages, Megan, happens to be a CIA operative and sends out an emergency message to the folks at Langley before having her phone confiscated.

Annie is pulled away from her rock-climbing date with Dr. Weiss to head down to Mexico City and assess the situation and confirm the hostages are still alive. Delgado has made two demands: 1) a wire transfer of $83.5 million and 2) a broadcast team from an eco channel to come interview him. Annie’s cover is that of the journalist and Joan is the producer.

That’s right, Joan joins Annie on this trip to Mexico City which seems out of character for her, until we find out that Megan is actually a close friend of Joan’s. Whatever the reason, it was fantastic to finally see Joan out in the field. It showed the audience exactly why she is head of the DPD and everything she’s capable of. Hopefully this is only the beginning for Joan’s character.

The third person to round out the team was Ben Mercer, whose inclusion came courtesy of a worried-stricken Arthur who wanted to make sure his wife was being protected by the best.  Annie is quite cold towards Ben, and you can’t blame her, he’s only disappeared on her hundreds of times.

The teamwork between Joan, Annie, and Ben was great to watch. Everyone could tell “Cowboy” Ben had a trick up his sleeve, it was only a matter of when he’d unleash his bad boy. This has been one of the best episodes of Covert Affairs so far this season, and I’m not saying that because I’m biased. Nearly every character seemed to have something going on from Joan to the shady Wilcox clan and Annie’s sister. There was even an unexpected twist at the end involving the VP of the company ending up being the real culprit.

When visiting the set in May, our group had the chance to see a pretty pivotal scene being filmed in the back lots of the Toronto airport. The scene in question was one in which Ben tries to woo Annie back, promising a trip to Belize, but Annie turns him down. Annie leans in to give him a quick kiss and even from a distance we could tell: “that was soooooooo a break-up kiss.” Now imagine having to keep that a secret from diehard Covert fans for the next few months!

Now that Annie is supposedly over Ben and back to the arms of her doctor-beau, will we be seeing Ben again? Most likely, but when and in what capacity? But Ben’s not the only one we have to worry about now; Annie’s sister is getting suspicious and Jai Wilcox is getting himself involved in some mess. Things are about to get heated.

Season 2, Episode 8: Welcome to the Occupation (originally aired July 26, 2011)

Photos courtesy of Steve Wilkie, Javier Pesquera, and USA Network.

SDCC 2011: Joanne Kelly and Neil Grayston Dish on Their Syfy Shows

If ever there was a TV network that deserved to have its programs touted at San Diego Comic-Con International, it is the Syfy Channel. And this year was no exception when the cast of Warehouse 13 appeared to discuss the series and their ever-changing characters. After their panel discussion I got the chance to sit down with series star Joanne Kelly to talk about the show and her experiences on it. The full video interview can be found below but here are some of the highlights:

• Kelly says her character, Myka, has really bloomed from her time in the warehouse and is becoming a little more likable, which she thanks the show’s writers for making that happen.
• When asked if there was a definitive moment in Myka’s growth, Kelly thinks that it was when she finally got over her partner’s death and realized that it isn’t necessarily going to happen again. This has allowed her loosen up a little bit.
• Kelly says she is very athletic and enjoys the stunt-work aspects of the show because it allows her to keep eating the kinds of foods that she wouldn’t be able to eat without so much physical activity.
• Kelly is also excited by the fact that her character isn’t just peripheral female character. Myka is a smart character and fully capable of standing alone.

I then got a chance to chat with Neil Grayston who plays Douglas Fargo on the series Eureka as well as on a crossover episode that brought him to Warehouse 13. Here are his thoughts on the crossover aspects:

• He claims that he and co-star Allison Scagliotti kind of came up with the idea of the crossover over realizing how much they liked hanging out on the sets of each other’s shows. The writers had already considered a crossover but weren’t sure who should cross over and their friendship sort of sparked it.
• “I’ve always liked the idea of having a universe bigger than just our show like in comics…so I think its cool that Syfy has done that. At least with us.”
• Grayston prefers getting his scripts one at a time without knowing where the character or the show is headed rather than when the writers lay it all out for him in advance.

Warehouse 13 airs Mondays on Syfy at 9/8c

Eureka airs Mondays on Syfy at 8/7c.

Images courtesy of Ken Woroner and SyFy Channel.

Video courtesy of Matt Degroot for Poptimal.com

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