Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

03 Sep – €9.99 @ Amazon.de

The International (2009)

08 Sep – €9.99 @ Media Markt

Morning Glory (2010)

08 Sep – €7.99 @ Media Markt

Paper Man (2009)

08 Sep – €7.99 @ Drogerie Müller

Happy Endings: Season 1 & 2 (2011 – 2012)

14 Sep – €0.00 ($24.55) @ Amazon.com (paid via gift certificate)

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Categories: DVD / Blu-ray, Purchase Diary 2012
Tags: Burn Notice · Contraband · Das fliegende Klassenzimmer · Happy Endings · Morning Glory · Paper Man · Sherlock Holmes · The International · The Nines · White Collar
Comments: No comments

Love Happens

03 Nov – €7.19 (£4.95) @ Amazon.co.uk

Rawhide: Season 1

03 Nov – €17.74 (£13.88) @ Amazon.co.uk

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

04 Nov – €0.00 ($6.99) @ Amazon.com (paid via gift certificate)

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

04 Nov – €0.00 ($7.65) @ Amazon.com (paid via gift certificate)

Starman

04 Nov – €0.00 ($9.99) @ Amazon.com (paid via gift certificate)

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Categories: DVD / Blu-ray, Purchase Diary 2011
Tags: Batman · Billy Madison · Grease · Happy Gilmore · Harold & Kumar · Love Happens · My Name Is Earl · NCIS · Picture Perfect · Rawhide · Scream · She's the One · Smallville · Star Trek · Starman · The Object of My Affection · White Collar
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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
Comments: No comments

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 13-14 | 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 09-10 | CW 12

Chuck 3×10 Chuck vs. the Tic Tac
The team has hit rock bottom now. It’s basically not even a team anymore. But as the saying goes, it’s always darkest before dawn and since this season was only supposed to have 13 episodes and got an additional set of six and going by what I’ve read I assume this arc will be resolved by the end of episode 13 and then a new one begins.
Chuck without either Sarah or Casey wouldn’t work, so I’m pretty sure they’ll find a way to bring them both back.

White Collar 1×14 Out of the Box
This was a pretty cool season finale. I didn’t expect that so much would be going on in there. As for the final scene, I didn’t really care whether Neal was going because if there’s a season two he would have come back anyway. But this ending was a bit too clichéd – no way in hell did Kate die on that plane.
I certainly like that show and I will be back for the second season.

LOST 6×07 Dr. Linus
The episode didn’t do much to bring the mythology forward but it was a helluva story. Both sides were really great. I loved it not knowing how Ben or Dr. Linus would decide and I loved it how he decided off-island and how the story turned on-island. Michael Emerson is a great actor one has to admit that.
Now I am wondering how this puzzle will look when completed since off-island Dr. Linus and his father have actually been to the island.

LOST 6×08 Recon
And another great episode. Miles and Sawyer as cop-buddies – I’d watch an entire show of that. What did strike me as odd though was the fact that now-we-know-he’s-a-cop Sawyer let Kate escape at LAX in LA X. And I have to wonder if everything has a deeper meaning or if the producers just throw in a bone from time to time (“LaFleur”).
And it’s nice to know that LAPD cops are allowed to sleep with suspects.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: Chuck · FlashForward · Gossip Girl · House M.D. · How I Met Your Mother · Human Target · Life Unexpected · LOST · Spartacus: Blood and Sand · That '70s Show · The Big Bang Theory · The Good Wife · The Odd Couple · Two and a Half Men · White Collar
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | CW 07 | CW 09-10

Chuck 3×08 Chuck vs the Fake Name
Chuck sad. The path of the hero is a lonely one.
I think Chuck made the right choice (even though it was cruel to her) but I’m also sad that Hannah is gone (at least I assume she won’t be there in the next episode).
What I personally would love to see would be an episode where Team Bartowski has to hunt random bad guy into a mall and Hannah is in one of the lanes. Casey is running behind bad guy, Chuck comes from the side, does one of his dorky moves and brings down bad guy. Casey cuffs him and when the Mall Cops arrive, Sarah IDs herself as CIA – with Hannah witnessing all this from afar and finally understanding (yes, I know the scenario is a lot like the one in Smallville’s Promise, but I loved that scene, too).
PS: Is it just me or does “Sam(antha) Lisa” not really roll off the tongue?

How I Met Your Mother 5×16 Hooked
Barney’s history of jobs for attractive women was very funny but the episode as a whole wasn’t as memorable (in fact, having it watched two days ago I’ve already forgotten most about it).

Smallville 9×14 Conspiracy
This is an episode I have some issues with. And all these issues are connected to Chloe, my once favourite character of the show. But since the Doomsday/Brainiac arc she has changed.
While it’s technically true that Clark has lost his moral compass at times, it’s always been when he was under influence of something (e.g. Red K) but I can’t remember him doing anything immoral when he was “normal”. He might not have done what was necessary (for example: before and during Zod’s first appearance) but that is a big diff from doing what’s morally right.
And why she is blaming him for the disaster that was Doomsday is beyond me; I’d say Clark is one of the least guilty in that whole affair.
I fear that when Zod finds the tracers in the ID that this will be the reason he convinces his people that Kal-El and the Earthlings are not to be trusted and he will use them against him.

The Big Bang Theory 3×16 The Excelsior Acquisition
Also an average episode. Granted the bit with the Restraining Order was funny but overall it was pretty predictable.
And let’s face it: DC also has it’s share of identical-initial-names: Lex Luthor, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, …

Two and a Half Men 7×15 Tinkle Like a Princess
This was a good sad episode that showed the door isn’t closed. And yet Charlie remained Charlie (with the church and afterwards). I like it that there’s hope after all (even though only he viewer can see it right now).
I also liked the opening theme spoof with the growing Jake – they either used it for the first time or I just didn’t notice it before.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: 24 · Babylon 5 · Burn Notice · Chuck · How I Met Your Mother · Life Unexpected · LOST · Smallville · The Big Bang Theory · Two and a Half Men · White Collar
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | CW 04-05 | CW 07

Chuck 3×07 Chuck vs the Mask
This episode has cause quite an Internet Backdraft, for example: Chuck, “Chuck vs. the Mask”: Night at the museum, The Double-Edged Sword Of Devotion: ‘Chuck’ Vs. The Entitled Fan Base.
I agree on the part that Sarah/Clark KentShaw was indeed a bit rushed. But I disagree on the Chuck/Lana LangHannah part. And I think that both couples actually do have chemistry. Maybe that’s the reason people are so irritated about it.
I also agree on the assessment of one of the commentators on the first link that Chuck is trying to wear a mask to become a better spy and that he runs the risk of becoming the mask. My prognosis is that the mask is shattered when (and I’m totally guessing here, I have no actual spoiler infos) something happens to Hannah – she’s only a guest star after all.
So in sum, I liked this episode because I didn’t think it was unbelievable what I saw.

Heroes 4×19 Chapter Eighteen ‘Brave New World’
When a friend told me last week that this would be the season finale I was stumped. I couldn’t fathom how they could bring all these loose ends together in just one episode. They somehow did but it felt very rushed and in my opinion it fell a bit flat – but that seems to be a Heroes tradition since season one.
I liked it when they started slow, I got a bit bored when it didn’t speed up in the middle and then it end abruptly.
To be perfectly honest I wouldn’t care if there were never a fifth season – but if there is I’m probably going to watch it anyway in the slim hope that they manage to return to the quality of the first season (excluding the end).
Heroes seems to be the perfect example of a New Year rocket. It rises fast, burns brightly and is burned out even faster.

House M.D. 6×13 5 to 9
That was a great Cuddy episode, it worked really well. From this point of view it’s even more astonishing how Cuddy can bear House and his games and habits.
What bothered me about this (and also last(?)) episode is Lucas’s behaviour. House is a jerkass (with a heart of gold), he always has been and Cuddy knows that. But Lucas isn’t that much better. We saw him threaten House and Wilson over the condo issue and now he’s betting with House about his sex with Cuddy?! If he isn’t a good person, Cuddy might as well choose the original bad one instead of this copycat…

Human Target 1×05 Run
The show is very predictable; there are no hidden plots or meaning, no surprises: WYSIWYG. For example, it was totally obvious that the D.A. was his daughter. But somehow that is part of the fun. It’s like riding a rollercoaster. You know it’ll be fast, you’ll get two downhills, maybe a looping but in the end you’ll get safely back to the station.

Castle 2×15 Suicide Squeeze
Parts of the reveal were pretty predictable this time, with Castle’s background and all… Apart from that not much else happened either.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: Battlestar Galactica · Burn Notice · Castle · Chuck · Cougar Town · Heroes · House M.D. · How I Met Your Mother · Human Target · Leverage · Life Unexpected · LOST · Smallville · Spartacus: Blood and Sand · Supernatural · The Big Bang Theory · The Good Wife · The Vampire Diaries · Two and a Half Men · White Collar
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | CW 04 | CW 05-06

Chuck 3×06 Chuck vs Nacho Sampler
Interesting choice of conspiracy partners. I don’t think both will found out but just one of them and he/she will help Chuck cover it up for the other one. On the one hand if it would be his sister, Awesome could finally relax before he breaks. If it would be Morgan it would certainly be fun because he would be a sure candidate for interfering in the wrong moments.
It was also an interesting use of flashbacks to show how much Chuck and Chuck has changed over the past few years. On some level I’m sad that the show has lost its more lighter tone on the other hand I do like it.

Heroes 4×18 Chapter Seventeen ‘The Wall’
So I was right, it will go out in a fight of Specials vs Specials vs. Normals. I liked this episode because this “compressed time” gave Sylar and Peter the chance to deal with their issues. But it’ll only work if the writers don’t come up with yet another Face Heel Turn for Sylar – it’s already hardly believable how often Sylar switched sides…
Now I am keen to see the fight between Samuel’s ma/en and Sylar/Peter. I don’t see him having the slightest chance against them, especially if Peter copies Sylars abilities.

How I Met Your Mother 5×14 Perfect Week
It was OK, but since I knew neither the moderator nor the Yankees baseballer I assume some of the    punchlines got lost on me.

House M.D. 6×12 Moving the Chains
House is doing nice things and still remains a scheming mastermind. I liked both side-stories about Foreman’s brother and the condo pranks. The case was also mildly interesting but pretty routine…

Life Unexpected 1×03 Rent Uncollected
Huh. They pretend to have problems, but they actually don’t. This time Baze had a big row with his parents but in the end his daughter who has known him for merely a week fixes things and the episode ends with a roof-top party.
I had hoped for a more realistic portrayal but this episode was too much 7th Heaven for my taste. If this continues, I’ll drop it again.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: 7th Heaven · Angel · Bones · Burn Notice · Chuck · Cougar Town · Heroes · House M.D. · How I Met Your Mother · Human Target · Leverage · Life Unexpected · LOST · Smallville · Supernatural · The Big Bang Theory · The Good Wife · The Vampire Diaries · Two and a Half Men · White Collar
Comments: No comments

Deutsche Version | CW 02-04 | CW 04-05

Chuck 3×05 Chuck vs First Class
Both stories were really great. It was really cool that put the Buy More (without Chuck) in the focus and Morgan and Casey are awesome together. But Chuck’s mission was also really cool. And I have to admit it: I really like Kristin Kreuk. I liked her on Smallville and I like her here. She’s probably one of very few persons that I wouldn’t mind as “love interest” replacement for Sarah. And Shaw seems to be a good character, too.

Castle 2×14 The Third Man
Another nice scavenger hunt I enjoyed very much. The “double date” dinner was really cool and the case itself was fascinating. It was so funny how Castle tried to hide the newspaper(s) from Beckett and how the “Gossip Girl” had to explain to him why she wrote it that way.

House M.D. 6×11 Remorse
The schizophrenic was a nice proxy to get a glimpse into House himself. This episode was very well written and I really liked the side-story about his former fellow student and (however short) Cuddy. I wish they’d make a full-blown House/Cuddy episode anytime soon.

Life Unexpected 1×02 Home Inspected
Things were a bit rushed in this second episode because of the custody inspection (which they had to pass in order to get the show running) and this caused this back-and-forth in just one episode. But I liked the part about her orphan friends and I still think this is going to be an interesting show.

White Collar 1×09 Bad Judgment
“What does the fridge magnet represent?” – “A fridge magnet.” I really liked this episode, the way they played the OPR agent and made him lose his judge-in-the-pocket. But Mozzie was once again the funniest part of the episode.

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Categories: TV Season 2009/10 Diary
Tags: Bones · Burn Notice · Castle · Chuck · Heroes · House M.D. · Leverage · Life Unexpected · Smallville · Superman · Supernatural · The Vampire Diaries · White Collar · X-Men
Comments: No comments