Team Edward, Team Jacob or Team Zombie?

When I think of horror, I think of classic things. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, psycho paths with masks... Evil. And those usually come with running away, hiding in the closet as the foot steps walk by the door, things jumping out from around corners, blood and gore, etc.

But with series like Underworld, Vampire Diaries, True Blood and Twilight, it's been a full court press for vampire and werewolf acceptance. Let's get a few things straight. Vampires are bad. No matter how cute Edward looks when he's pasty and brooding or how Selene walks in her leather outfit, they are bad. Same goes with werewolves! They are supposed to rip you apart limb from limb yet the minute Jacob takes his shirt off, human teenage girls put his life in danger.

The Walking Dead on AMC may not change the balance back to horror's core, but it will even things out a bit. Here we have zombies. Nobody likes zombies. Zombies aren't cute, cuddly, hot or seductive. Zombies don't have a six pack or perfectly gelled hair. Zombies don't worry about getting fat or what their BFF texted them last night. Zombies want to eat you and make no bones about it.

I salute AMC for airing a show that isn't about a fight for love. It's the fight for survival. I'm Team Zombie. Actually, I'm Team Human. Happy Halloween!

*Image Credit: AMC; ABC Photo Archive/Getty Images/EW


Warning: Zombies are closer than they appear

Saying goodbye to cassette players

Sony's Japan manufacturers have retired the Walkman after 30 years of service. The last batch rolled off the assembly line headed towards Japanese stores. You can still find them in the US and various countries overseas, but when you type "Walkman" in the search bar on most entertainment store websites, you'll see mp3 players.

Millions of adults remember the good times. Recording any song you liked off the radio. Later on we would turn the dial just right to get the clearest signal and pray the DJ would shut up so you could get the whole song from start to finish. You learned how to push the record button and stop it at just the right time.

With the invention of the Dual Cassette, we would spend hours and/or days making mix tapes for any and all activities. Our best friends got a mix tape. Our love interest or significant others got mix tapes. We recorded others mix tapes because they put together a better mix.

Headphones became permanently attached to our ears much to the disdain of our parents. We claimed listening to rock/funk/hip hop/country music helped us study.

Ear bud headphones allowed us to route one of the buds up a stretched out long sleeve shirt. With the speaker strategically placed in the palm of one hand, our heads just happened to lean into that hand allowing us to listen to music during class. This would be a look symbolic of teenage boredom. But back then we believed we could listen to music and kind of follow along in class. As long as you looked up from time to time and did your best to take notes, the teacher wouldn't notice. Or did teachers know and let us get away with it?

The equalizer switches that always seemed to sound better when put in a "V" pattern. Later on we were blessed with the Extra Bass or Enhance Sound button.

The introduction of CDs had us saving our allowances to get a CD Dual Cassette recorder. Mix tapes got that much cleaner sounding. Even with the invention of the Discman, the first incarnations skipped so easily that those of us with more active lifestyles held fast to our Walkmans.

Soon after Discmans came out with a 3, 9 and 12 second skip buffer and became a more viable option. None the less, the Walkman will always be something that got me through my teenage years.

What are some fond memories you have of your cassette player(s)?

*image from CNN

Sony retires the cassette Walkman after 30 years

No redemption movie for Mel Gibson just yet.

It has the makings of a great formula. If you are in Hollywood and you mess up, wait a year then come out with a comedy. People will welcome you back. Ask Hugh Grant, Tom Cruise and Mike Tyson.

Unfortunately, Mel Gibson will not have the joy of such a redemption with The Hangover 2. The director and the studio were on board for a cameo by the Lethal Weapon actor, but the cast and crew don't want him there.

I think Gibson still has some more apologizing to do. Maybe a trip to help the orphans in Africa or Haiti? That might get him back in someone's good graces.

Despite all the crazy stuff going on in the courts, I think he can make a comeback. I'd like to see a funny Mel Gibson again.

*Image from Dominique Charriau/WireImage/People.com

Mel Gibson Cameo in The Hangover 2 Canceled

Is Zoey the one on 'How I Met Your Mother?'

Is Zoey the mother? I'm guessing she could be. I love the show, but I think it's nearing the end of how far it can go. We've seen Ted go through love ending in friendship with Robin and love ending with a broken heart when it came to Stella.

However, there are a few things that make me think otherwise. In an episode a season or two ago when Sarah Chalke was suspected of being the mother, Ted said something to the effect of "But if she had been your mother, things would've turned out differently. The scene then pops up with the kids wearing blonde wigs.

Either way, I believe this ought to be a good storyline to watch.

Check out a clip of Zoey here.

Image by EW.com

Who will be having a "Blu" Christmas?

Yes, I know it's not even Halloween yet, but I felt like this needed to be said. Walmart has Blu-ray players as low as $78 and it's been rated 4 out of 5 stars by Walmart Customers. That's full 1080p HD. That's what you bought that flat panel TV for.

Redbox has some titles for Blu-Ray at a dollar or two more than the $1 standard price. $2 or $3 to rent a Blu-Ray title? Why not? it's still cheaper than renting one title in standard definition from your local movie rental place.

Whether you get one now or hold off until Christmas, go through your portal and check out this deal. It's not available in stores, but can be shipped to your local Walmart for you to pick it up.
*Image from Walmart.com

Defiant Karate Kid fans... it's ok. They didn't ruin it.

I came to the conclusion that I couldn't dishonor Daniel-san by watching The Karate Kid (2010) in theaters. That's where Red box comes into play. I'd pay $1 to see it. After watching it, I would've paid a couple more.

I would yell "Spoiler Alert" at this point, but since you've already seen the original, this is the same concept combing the first, second and the Hilary Swank Karate Kid films all in one.

Mom and kid move to an unfamiliar place. The handy man is strange. Kid tries to make new friends. He meets the girl. Bully beats him up for talking to the girl. Kid takes revenge by dousing the bully and his gang with some sort of liquid. He gets caught and beaten up after a chase. Handy man steps in and beats up the bullies... Need I go on?

Homage to Karate Kid part 2 was paid when Mr. Han(Jackie Chan) takes Dre(Jayden Smith) up to the mountains where he learned Kung Fu. You start to see where the snake technique resembles the Crane kick.

Kudos to Jackie Chan during the car smashing scene. Mr. Han was driving while having an argument with his wife. He loses control and the car wrecks killing his wife and child. So apparently, He puts the car back together and smashes it because his life wasn't put back the way it was when the car was fixed. Tears and everything. Great piece of acting in the film.

Now to the best part, the fighting. I will make allowances for camera angles and sound effects, but these kids went at it! Fast and furious fighting complete with WWE style flips and kicks.

And speaking of kicks, it wouldn't be The Karate Kid without Cobra-Kai, am I right? Same thing happens here. "Mercy is for the weak..." Oh yeah, they changed it around a little bit, but it was there.

"Sweep the leg, Johnny!" In the new one the instructor wants Dre's leg broken. Same injury applies. The Doctor doesn't recommend going back out there. Mr. Han does his version of the "Rubbing Hands" technique. The announcer declares Dre has 2 minutes to return to the ring or he forfeits. Dre shows up at the last moment. The fight goes on Dre gets his leg re injured with a jumping 360 strike from his opponent. Dre takes a while to get up then brings up his leg into the snake technique... and you can guess what happens next.

Overall, I was happy with the Kung Fu fighting as it seemed like anything you find in a good martial arts movie with adults. They respected the original and I do not feel that watching this will defile your memory of the first one. Besides, that VHS tape half works if at all. It's only a buck and worthwhile for a boring Wednesday night or a lazy Sunday if you have a feeling that the Panthers are going to lose again (cough cough).

'Huge' is last one picked on the ABC Family team

I watched 'Huge' on ABC Family. I thought it was interesting to see a show that followed the actual existence of overweight teenagers.

Most shows with overweight folks like 'Biggest Loser' and 'Thintervention' revolve around them losing weight through some sort of program that leaves them physically exhausted as the cameras roll. Add in a physically fit trainer berating them as they are tempted by well placed fattening treats and it's a recipe for condescension mixed with voyeurism. "Will the fat person lose the weight or will they eat the cake?"

'Huge' dealt with teens going off to "Fat camp" and did include the overbearing trainer for a while, but it wasn't the whole show. They dealt with all the classic things that thinner teenagers deal with in TV shows. Possessions being stolen, relationships, hating each other, starting a band, running away and drinking... Apparently the ratings were high enough to make it worth keeping.

I will say thanks for trying, though. Thanks for giving overweight teens a show where they weren't just the fat kids whose clothes didn't seem to fit and were always shy, alone, sitting in a corner and eating something.

For a little while overweight teens were just teens.

*image EW.com

Huge cancelled by ABC Family

The Hangover 2: Waking up in Bangkok

When Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis took over Las Vegas, we weren't ready. A movie where the Groom is stuck on the roof of the hotel and that's just the beginning.

Mike Tyson's Tiger was abducted in a stolen police car and held in a bathroom, one of the guys pulls out his own tooth on a dare, a drunken wedding proposal that lead to the guys being saddled with an infant... Only in Vegas.

So what in the world could happen in Bangkok? We'll find out soon enough. The Hangover 2 goes into production later this month.

*Image: Frank Masi/EW

'Hangover 2' to get Bangkok Dangerous