In Film: Shutter Island

Either this movie was so completely smart and over my head or I'm a fairly intellectual person and it was just too far fetched.  I think that Scorsese had a bout of insanity himself and channelled M. Night Shyamalan during the filming of this movie. "Twist!"  I'm not going to give anything away (I probably couldn't even if I tried!).  At the end of this movie, all I could think of was Peter Griffin's review of "The Godfather."  And like that poignant review, this movie too, "Insists upon itself."

The Good:  I'm not a fan of Leo DiCaprio, but he actually did an amazing acting job.  Also, there was quite a bit of suspense involved which kept me intrigued (I only played with my iPhone once!).

The Bad:  It seemed to me that the story had a lot of holes in it, whether it was purposeful or not.

The Ugly:  The twists! Can't there be suspenseful movies now without some off-the wall twist at the end, then a reshowing of all the clues that were in the movie that you missed to make you feel like an idiot?

Synopsis:  If you're a die-hard Scorsese fan or really like psychological thrillers, rent it.  Don't waste the money on buying though.

★★☆☆☆

In Film: He's Just Not That Into You

You know, it wasn't all that bad.  It's one of those romantic comedies just like every other romantic comedy.  I guess the only big difference is the huge ensemble cast.  Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connely and a whole bunch more!  Jennifer Connely did an amazing job (granted, she's the only one that had to act with emotions).  It's all based on the premise that guys treat women like shit because they like them and what happens when the women realize that they treat them like shit because they actually DON'T like them.

The Good:  Jennifer Connely actually acted her ass off and did it with gusto.

The Bad:  There's not much substance to it, and it feels really long for some reason.

The Ugly:  I guess I should say "SPOILER!" but you could probably figure this out yourself, everything works out for everybody in the end.  That just pisses me off!

Synopsis:  I caught it on HBO for free.  Don't pay to watch it.  If you're bored or on a date, go ahead and watch it on HBO or get it on Netflix, but don't you dare waste your hard earned money on it!

★★☆☆☆

In Film: Vampires Suck

If you're a fan of the scary movie franchise, you'll hate this.  If you're a fan of the movies like "Disaster Movie," "Epic Movie," etc. then you may like this.  The only catch is that you have to have seen Twilight or you won't get the references.  It's somewhat entertaining, and the girl who plays "Becca" does an insanely good job of imitating Kristen Stewart.

The Good: The sexy guys in the cast, it may be a funny movie, but those abs were nothing to laugh at.

The Bad:  I thought that it would poke fun of more than just the twilight series.  There's a few minor true blood, buffy and vampire diaries references, but they could have done more.

The Ugly: Most of the time I found myself rolling my eyes at the jokes.  A few made me laugh, but overall it was pretty boring, and after the first half hour, there was no point in finishing it.

Synopsis: If there's absolutely nothing funny on and you're high and love twilight, watch it.  Otherwise save your time and energy.

★★☆☆☆

In TV: True Blood - Season 3 Episode 3

So once again, I won't spoil anything, just a quick review of the episode.  So let's start with the positives.  Whoever HBO hired as a new stylist for the show deserves a medal of honor!  Everyone looks so much better this season!  The hair, the makeup, the clothing, it's all working.  The second great thing is Alcide, yum! I'm glad he finally made it on the show.  Now for the negatives.  I'm actually pretty disappointed in the episode and hopefully it's not the direction this season is taking.  David and I were discussing, and I think he's right; they are rushing through too many separate story lines too quickly that they can't do them properly.  The ending is absolutely absurd.  Just sayin'.

★★☆☆☆

In Music: Katy Perry - California Gurls

Okay, so I really don't like Katy Perry, but I'll give this video some props, it's pretty clever and really makes me want some gummi bears!  So the song is mildly catchy (but take a look at how many people it took to write this travel bureau jingle), but the video is just plain fun!

Artist: Katy Perry

Song: California Gurls

Album: Teenage Dream

Writer: Katy Perry, Bonnie McKee, Calvin Broadus, Max Martin, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald

Label: Capitol

★★☆☆☆

In Music: Lady Gaga - Alejandro

Okay Lady, we get it, you're eccentric.  I was never a Lady GaGa fan, but I really liked "Bad Romance."  This new song, however, is not my cup of tea.  All I want to do is sing "Don't Turn Around" by Ace of Base.  The similarities are uncanny!  So the only saving grace for this video is the fact that it's jam-packed with homoeroticism and shirtless men. My final assessment: eh

Artist: Lady Gaga
Song: Alejandro
Album: The Fame Monster
Writer: Stefani Germanotta & Nadir Khayat
Label: Interscope

★★☆☆☆