(500) Days of Summer (2009)

04 Jan – €3.33 (£1.99) @ Amazon.co.uk

Justified: Season 2 (2011)

04 Jan – €19.07 (£14.86) @ Amazon.co.uk

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

04 Jan – €4.45 (£2.77) @ Amazon.co.uk

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

04 Jan – €4.68 (£2.96) @ Amazon.co.uk

American Pie 1 – 7 (1999 – 2009)

16 Jan – €24.47 (£17.84) @ Amazon.co.uk

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Categories: DVD / Blu-ray, Purchase Diary 2012
Tags: "About Last Night..." · (500) Days of Summer · American Pie · Cheaper by The Dozen · Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind · Justified · Little Miss Sunshine · Pretty in Pink · Ricky Gervais · Sixteen Candles · Some Kind of Wonderful · St. Elmo's Fire
Comments: No comments

Batman

21 Feb – €6.12 (£4.06) @ Amazon.co.uk

Law Abiding Citizen

21 Feb – €12.72 (£9.39) @ Amazon.co.uk

When in Rome

22 Feb – €7.86 (£5.43) @ Amazon.co.uk

All-Star Superman

28 Feb – €12.99 @ Amazon.de

Justified: Season 1

28 Feb – €0.00 ($19.99) @ Amazon.com (paid via gift card)

Categories: DVD / Blu-ray, Purchase Diary 2011
Tags: Batman · Justified · Law Abiding Citizen · Superman · When in Rome
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | CW 20-21

The Good Wife 1×23 Running
Whoah. This episode just added so many new shades of grey that we have a full 256 colour palette – without any colour in it.
This ending proved what a great year this has been. I knew exactly when the cliff-hanger was coming without even looking at the clock and I enjoyed it. It gives me something to wait for. I usually don’t like cliff-hangers because normally they just interrupt an action sequence on its climax and you know how it’s going to end anyway (maybe not the specifics but in general). But this was different.

This is certainly a show that will find its way onto my shelves.

Let me add something to that last statement: I don’t know if I’m ever going watch this first season again. Not because I didn’t like it (obviously) but I am watching a lot of things and my time is limited. And I buy faster than I can actually watch.
But I have a principle: Since I am not American, I cannot watch all that stuff I am watching totally legal (or I would have to wait a few years and then watch it dubbed on German TV). So when I really like a show, I still want to make a “contribution”, to make sure the producers get something back for giving me more than 16 hours of entertainment. Thus I buy it on DVD even though I know I might not have the time to watch it ever again.

Justified 1×11 / 1×12 Veterans / Fathers and Sons
Some families. Boyd & Bo, Raylan and Arlo. I find it fascinating how the show appears to be black’n'white and absolutely grey at the same time. For now I’m just wondering what Boyd’s true endgame is (excuse me for being a not-yet-believer that he’s truly changed his ways).

Burn Notice 4×01 Friends and Enemies
So, he’s back in the spy game and he’s not. It could be interesting, depending on how they manage to portray his on-duty activities (if they ship him out, he can’t have a civilian case in the same episode and that everything happens in Miami would be not very convincing).
But I’m glad he’s back.

The Vampire Diaries 1×16 / 1×17 / 1×18 / 1×19 / 1×20 / 1×21 / 1×22 There Goes the Neighborhood / Let the Right One In / Under Control / Miss Mystic Falls / Blood Brothers / Isobel / Founder’s Day
It’s not that this isn’t a good show. It has an interesting concept, interesting characters and a good dynamic between them.
It’s just never that high on my priority list. There are those shows that I need to see immediately (like Chuck and The Big Bang Theory) and those that I dropped altogether (like FlashForward and Stargate Universe). This show is somewhere in the middle sector. I watched it ’til the end because I wanted to know how the season ended but if I don’t turn in next season I wouldn’t feel like I missed out on something.

Party Down 2×06 “Not on Your Wife” Opening Night
Another one of these WTF episodes this show is so fond of. Loved it.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: Burn Notice · Chuck · FlashForward · Justified · Party Down · Stargate Universe · The Big Bang Theory · The Good Wife · The Vampire Diaries
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | Those that came … those that went … those that did both … and those that did neither nor

Community

A cool sitcom (without laugh track) about a bunch of students in a Community College.
As with most shows, it needs a few episodes to settle in, but I really liked it from the start. The dynamics within the group is so great because they have such heterogeneous backgrounds. If it weren’t for that college, these people probably would have never met. That’s were a lot of the fun comes from.

Cougar Town

A sitcom (again without laugh track) about a divorced mum, her teenage son, her ex-husband, her neighbour friends and her assistant/friend.
The show started out as exactly what it says on the tin but moved quickly away from it. Which was a good idea. They are probably going to rename it next year. All the characters are very quirky with Jules being the queen.

Glee

The Glee Club at a high school.
I’ve watched the first two episodes but it just wasn’t my terrain. It seems to be a big hit in the U.S. but I simply can’t see the appeal.

The Good Wife

Alicia Florrick is the wife of a former D.A. who has been charged with crimes regarding the misuse of the powers of his office. Now Alicia has to work again and she starts as a junior associate at a law firm of an old friend.
I really enjoyed this year, it was a good drama show with a lot of interesting characters. And it’s never clear-cut, not black/white. Just like reality.

Human Target

Christopher Chance (not his real name) works for people who need a bodyguard of the special kind.
This is a popcorn show. You watch it, you enjoy it and you don’t think about it. If you watch it, you’ll enjoy it most of the time. If you don’t watch it, you haven’t missed anything.

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Categories: Short Review, TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: Catch Me if You Can · Community · Cougar Town · Glee · Human Target · Justified · Leverage · Life Unexpected · Spartacus: Blood and Sand · Stargate Atlantis · Stargate SG-1 · Stargate Universe · The Good Wife · True Blood · White Collar
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Deutsche Version | CW 13-19 | CW 20 (LOST Finale)

The Big Bang Theory 3×22 The Staircase Implementation
It was a nice “origin story” that I enjoyed (The hair! The suits! The North-Korean spy-girl!).
But I like Babylon 5!

Chuck 3×17 Chuck vs the Living Dead
Even though Shaw might be back I enjoy this season 3.5 much more than season 3.0. I love how Ellie is getting drawn into the spy game and how his father figured out he still was the Intersect. My favourite scene was when Sarah “intercepted” the knife and Orion was wondering whether she also had an Intersect.

Gossip Girl 3×22 Last Tango, Then Paris
It wasn’t bad but a few things bothered me. For example Dan following Serena headlessly without thinking about Vanessa. And even though Jenny was “deported” I didn’t get the feeling that she was actually punished for what she did this year. And Chuck getting shot in a dark alley was a bit too clichéd for me.
But I loved the idea of Georgina returning (and her condition!). And since Mercy was axed she could play a larger role next season.

LOST 6×16 What They Died For
I loved Desmond as sideways-Mastermind, I really enjoyed these parts of the episode. But I also liked the parts on the island. I just don’t think that Ben has turned again (I think he’s conning Smokey) and I don’t think that Jack will actually become the lighthouse keeper; I think there will be yet another twist to this all.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×18 Changes
I was a bit disappointed of Kat’s behaviour. Patrick’s friendly banter didn’t feel out of place. But her reaction to it did.
I enjoyed the rest of the episode though.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: 10 Things I Hate About You · Babylon 5 · Bones · Castle · Chuck · Community · Cougar Town · Doctor Who · Gossip Girl · House M.D. · How I Met Your Mother · Justified · Kick-Ass · LOST · Mercy · Party Down · Superbad · Supernatural · The Big Bang Theory · The Good Wife · Two and a Half Men
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Deutsche Version | CW 18 | CW 19-20

Chuck 3×16 Chuck vs the Tooth
I already like this new mini-arc (there are only three episodes left). My guess for the end is something like this: Ellie and Orion get caught by the Ring and Chuck and Sarah have to burst in to save them and thus revealing themselves.
I loved to see Christopher Lloyd in this episode and while I only know him as “elderly person” I was a bit surprised how old he actually looked now (he’s 71 after all…). On TV Tropes there’s a trope called “Running the Asylum”. It has a different meaning but I loved the idea that an inmate of the Cuckoo’s Nest is now the chief psychiatrist for an asylum full of spies.
Spoiler (mark to read):
Since I’ve read that they introduce yet another game-changer into the finale my guess would be that Orion removes the Intersect from Chuck’s head for good. Except for the Karate they didn’t make much use of it this season anyway (or at least I have that feeling). I think Chuck is ready to be a spy in his own right and they don’t actually need the Intersect as plot device anymore.

The Big Bang Theory 3×21 The Plimpton Stimulation
“You are my landlord and you are my movers. And I can’t pay any of you.” Great episode. It was a great fun in itself.
I’m still somewhat troubled over that whole break-up thing. I don’t have the feeling that they’ve actually explained why they’ve broken up. Penny just ran out on him and that was it. No real aftermath or real explanation. For me that makes it a bit unreal.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×16 Too Much Information
The first episode was a bit anvilicious (modelling & eating disorders…) but I liked that Kat tried to help Patrick open up.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×17 Just One Kiss
I liked the second episode better, especially with bringing Blank/William back.

Bones 5×21 The Boy with the Answer
I liked it that they brought the Gravedigger case again. I also liked that the writers and actors made me really hate her for attacking “my people” by questioning their integrity.
I also smell change coming. When characters start to question their own purpose and goals right before the season ends, most of the time they are going to change the concept of the show (at least for a while).

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: 10 Things I Hate About You · Angel · Bones · Castle · Chuck · Community · Cougar Town · Doctor Who · Good Will Hunting · Gossip Girl · Happy Town · House M.D. · How I Met Your Mother · Justified · LOST · One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest · Party Down · Smallville · Spartacus: Blood and Sand · Supernatural · The Big Bang Theory · The Good Wife · Two and a Half Men · Veronica Mars
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Deutsche Version | CW 13-16 | CW 18

Chuck 3×14 Chuck vs the Honeymooners
I’ve enjoyed this episode very much. It had the typical Chuck mixture of fun and action the early seasons had. Sarah’s Texan impersonation was also very funny and I don’t think I have to say anything about her habit of walking around in lingerie all the time.
But I also really enjoyed Jeffster’s (IMHO good) interpretation of Leaving on a Jet Plane.

Romantically Challenged 1×02 The Charade
Nope, nothing special about this show. Just your average multi-camera sitcom with laugh-track.

Happy Town 1×01 In This Home on Ice
I’m a bit confused. Is this pure mystery? Is there a supernatural element in the story? What’s up with Chloe?
The pilot felt a bit rushed because so many different characters had to be introduced (however briefly) but it certainly looks intriguing and I’ll continue to watch.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×15 The Winner Takes It All
If there’s one thing in TV Land that gives me the creeps, it’s public embarrassments in front of a big audience, especially if one sees it coming. I always cringe and even try to stall the inevitable moment by pausing(!) the video. And yet I will not skip over it.
In contrast, I have no problem with putting myself into a spotlight and do things I’m not talented enough to do – just for the fun of it.

Unfortunately, 10 Things won’t get a second season. While it’s not the best show out there, I certainly enjoyed it.

Bones 5×19 The Rocker in the Rinse Cycle
This is one of the episodes I have my problems with. Bones always dealt with magic when it came to solve their murders but the way they found the cause of death this time was once again too over the top. It was like the episode where the bones turned into foam and they still could determine the way the blade (bullet?) went through the rips. Wall Banger.
But I enjoyed the other parts: Booth getting loose, B&B singing, Hodgins & muslim guy talking Baseball, Angela invoking her father, …

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: 10 Things I Hate About You · Bones · Chuck · Cougar Town · Doctor Who · Firefly · Gossip Girl · Happy Town · House M.D. · Justified · Leverage · Romantically Challenged · Smallville · Stargate Universe · Supernatural · The Good Wife · White Collar · X-Men
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Deutsche Version | CW 13-15 | CW 13-17

Romantically Challenged 1×01 Don’t Be Yourself
What I’ve seen so far is a run-of-the-mill sitcom and I’ve seen nothing (except for Alyssa of course ) that makes this one special. Maybe I watch a few more episodes, maybe I don’t. But I honestly don’t think I’ll miss something if I don’t.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×14 Meat Is Murder
It was really cool how Blank played Kat while being completely honest with her.
But I also liked how Bianca tried to smooth things up with Cameron and how she “trained” Stacy (especially on the topic of LOST) so that she would be perfect for Cameron.

Bones 5×18 The Predator in the Pool
Rena Sofer, huh? I can see why Booth would be attracted to her. I find it fascinating who both Bs know that it’s “wrong” what they are doing and yet go through with it (for now). But I liked the uncomfortable look on Brennan’s face because the ball is on her side now and she has to act.
As for the case: A lot of convenient coincidences in this one (like the fish burping out the skull at the right moment). I have no problem with written coincidences on TV shows but please not too many and not blatantly obvious.

Castle 2×21 Den of Thieves
Michael Trucco, huh? Starbuck fell for him, Penny fell for him – so why not Kate?
I really liked it that Ryan and especially Esposito played a bigger role than usual. They have been criminally underused so far. And it was great how the two of them and Castle totally “inconspicuously” investigated Trucco’s character.
I also liked how the episode ended and they all covered for Esposito.

Cougar Town 1×20 Wake Up Time
Again the men were the highlight of the episode. Grayson on the emotional level, Andy on the funny level and Bobby on his usual weird level. Too bad Kylie is gone already; I really thought she and Grayson made a nice couple.

And now for “emotional chicken”:

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Categories: Misc
Tags: 10 Things I Hate About You · Bones · Castle · Cougar Town · Doctor Who · Gossip Girl · House M.D. · How I Met Your Mother · Indecent Proposal · Justified · LOST · Party Down · Romantically Challenged · Smallville · Spider-Man · Star Trek VOY · Supernatural · The Good Wife · Two and a Half Men
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Deutsche Version | CW 13-14 | CW 13-16

The Big Bang Theory 3×19 The Wheaton Recurrence
Didn’t they have the “I love you.” – “Thank you.” joke on last year’s Two and a Half Men (another Chuck Lorre production)?
But first to the Wheaton part: I enjoyed him being back and once again triumphant over Sheldon. They can keep this up if it were for me.
Now to Leonard & Penny: I smell break-up. But the problem is that it wouldn’t feel organic if they did. Penny and Leonard had the most normal intimate relationship in all TV shows over the last few years. They got together and then they just were. No obstacles, no real complications – most often their relationship wasn’t even a real topic in the episode. And suddenly Penny gets cold feet. Maybe they decide that they need a break. Then Leonard sleeps with another woman, Penny doesn’t forgive him and five years later she has a baby with him and in the end she wants to move to Paris and … oh hold on there. That was another couple…

LOST 6×10 The Package
I liked the idea of Sun not speaking English anymore. It brought back memories of the first season.
Unfortunately I didn’t feel that both stories brought the entire story really forward (except for the last minute, but I already guessed that it would be Desmond).

LOST 6×11 Happily Ever After
Everything is falling into place, I can feel it. I still don’t see the whole picture or how this flash-sideways is going to turn out but I can really feel how we’re steering towards the end of a long journey and I’m still exciting to be on board.
If Smokey can’t penetrate an EM fence and Desmond can survive huge EM pulses maybe it will be his task to lure Smokey into such a place (Remember? Huge EM pockets beneath the island?) and then tear him apart in an EM eruption.
And I think Penny and Charlie are so much more interesting than their counterparts on FlashForward.

LOST 6×12 Everybody Loves Hugo
Yes we do! I liked Hugo from the moment he fainted over the U.S. Marshall. He’s basically the only one who didn’t have a big agenda over the last six years, he just went along with one group or the next.
I think it was a big mistake of Smokey to throw Desmond into that well because I bet that’s the place where Desmond was supposed to end up anyway, at the core of everything.
Assuming Sun is the correct Kwon, it means that all remaining (known) candidates are in one place: Jack, Sun, Hugo, Sawyer, Sayid and an unknown person.
One oversight on Richard’s part: since he cannot blow himself up, he should have handled the dynamite…

Smallville 9×15 Escape
It was an OK ghost story. I’ve read somewhere that “Silver Banshee” is a known DC character but I have to say I’ve seen better guest appearances of other DC characters.
But I’ve enjoyed the bathroom scene very much; somehow it reminded me of the first witch episode in season 4. I also like it when they play the forgetfulness card to embarrass one of the characters – like when Chloe figured everything out.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: 10 Things I Hate About You · Bones · Castle · Doctor Who · FlashForward · Human Target · Justified · Life Unexpected · LOST · Smallville · The Big Bang Theory · Two and a Half Men · White Collar
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | CW 08-11 | CW 13

Gossip Girl 3×15 The Sixteen Year Old Virgin
Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! Sometimes things are very predictable. OK, I did not see Chuck’s mom in league with Jack but since she is an adult, she wasn’t to be trusted in the first place…
But at least I’m into this show again and can enjoy all their plotting and scheming again.

Chuck 3×11 Chuck Versus the Final Exam
Chuck has lost something. If I had to put a finger on it, I’d say it lost its fun. Why does Chuck have to kill someone to become a real spy? He isn’t a Double-O agent (Was the bathroom scene a reference to the one in True Lies or Casino Royale?) and I can’t imagine that a kill test is part of the initiation ritual even in a TV show CIA. And if he fails they fire him? What about the Intersect in his head? Since when isn’t that a problem anymore? In the first season they wanted to throw him in a dark place in Nowheresville if they couldn’t protect him where he lived.
And what about Rome? Chuck living alone in Rome? Away from his friends, his family AND Sarah? What’s the point of being in Rome then?
Why does he need to be a “real spy” anyway? In a real-world scenario Chuck would be a great analyst; someone who stays in the Van and is the eyes and ears of Sarah and Casey in the field. He sees what they see and when he sees something important he flashes, informs them and they take out the bad guys.
I want the show be lighter again, more of the humour that made it so fun during the first two years. You can’t take it seriously anyway since there are enough plot holes in it to build a second Grand Canyon – I choose to ignore them as long as I enjoy watching the characters. But when they fail to shield me then the holes become even more visible.

Castle 2×17 Tick, Tick, Tick…
Whoa. What an end. Great episode. Even though I knew that the bad guy wasn’t dead the moment he moved away from the window I enjoyed this episode and Castle’s childlike excitement about all these new toys very much. Now I wonder how Beckett saved herself – I’d've jumped into the bathtub, it worked in Lethal Weapon 2.

Life Unexpected 1×10 Family Therapized
If at first you don’t succeed, … This was definitively an interesting “re-start” of the show. Now the big question is what the characters will do differently now. But it was a good idea to let Lux burst a bit, the “Why did you leave me?” question had to come up at some point.
I’ll have to admit that I had my doubts but I enjoy this show more and more (with Lux and Baze being far in the lead in regards to character liking).

LOST 6×09 Ab Aeterno
When I read the year I was a tiny bit disappointed: 1867. I always imagined that the Black Rock was from the 17th or even 16th century. But he’s barely 160 years old!
And does this mean that the island was once in the Atlantic? We know the island can be moved but it was never established how far. But if the Black Rock sailed from Tenerife and wanted to get to America it hardly ended up somewhere in the Pacific (where it would have to be to “allow” a plane crashing on it that flew from Australia to L.A.).
This episode gave me not so much answers but more confirmations of theories. And that’s what worries me now. What if there’s no surprise anymore? There are so many theories about the island out there someone was bound to have the right idea. What if I already read the solution without knowing it?
I hope there are still one or two surprises on the road now that we’ve reached the halftime of this final season.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: Buffy the Vampire Slayer · Castle · Chuck · Cougar Town · FlashForward · Gossip Girl · How I Met Your Mother · Human Target · James Bond · Justified · Lethal Weapon · Life Unexpected · LOST · Spartacus: Blood and Sand · Supernatural · The Big Bang Theory · The Vampire Diaries · True Lies · Two and a Half Men
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