Despite the fact that I'm in my mid-twenties and headed toward my late twenties soon enough, I still watch the CW. I came of age when the network did (back when it was the WB): Buffy started when I was 13; Dawson's Creek premièred when I was 14. We have a bond. It's usually called"hotties."

I went into Melrose Place Tuesday evening expecting nothing and got the same in return. It doesn't seem like it will be the endlessly fun camp-fest of the original, and virtually none of the characters attract attention. Katie Cassidy, known to some as original recipe Ruby (Supernatural) and others as doomed Trish Wellington (Harper's Island), is the lone stand out as the truly bitchy Ella Simms, a.k.a the new Heather Locklear (compete with jokes about bad dye jobs). They've upped the ante by turning the character bi, but she's still hung up on some guy who's only got eyes for someone else. As much love as I have for Cassidy, she's not enough of a reason to stick it out. Final Verdict: Good enough when there's nothing else to do and you are bored our of your gourd. Not good enough for any other reason.

Though the Vampire Diaries books are older than Twilight and True Blood, the success of the latter two no doubt secured Kevin Williamson's adaptation a place on the CW's schedule. Fortunately for us viewers, it's just the right blend of soapy, campy, and violent. Also fortunately, no one's used the word soulmate yet. After one episode, all the characters are more vivid and interesting than everyone in the Twi-verse. Sadly, because of a little thing called "censors," they will never be as "vivid" (read: naked) as the good people of Bon Temps. But hot vampire brothers locked in a centuries long battle over a woman whose doppelgänger is already interested in at least one of them? There are worse things.
Final verdict: Assuming I never have to hear the s-word again, a full season order would do me fine. 

I cannot believe this didn't occur to me sooner. Normally I like my pop culture worlds to remains discrete (e.g. I don't spend a lot of time wondering what would happen if we got Edward some TruBlood because: Bill), but in last night's episode of True Blood (this season's penultimate), Eric did something that I knew I had seen somewhere before. To wit:

Blair's expression, while not moving in any way, somehow becomes totally terrifying. It is one of the greatest parts of this or any other episode. 

That's from Jacob's recap of The Ex Files, season 2, episode 4 of Gossip Girl.

As if appearing in Millennium, Buffy the Vampires Slayer, and Angel didn't buy him enough Cult Cred, actor James Marsters has signed on to Caprica, the upcoming Battlestar Galactica spin-off.

I'm still only halfway through watching BSG, but I'll definitely look forward to seeing Marsters on Caprica when I finally get through the series!

Fanboys is a film with a troubled past; subplots that were shot, then deleted when a new director was brought on board, only to be re-inserted by the original director after that.  The film hit theatres years after its original intended release date, and it played on a limited number of theatres with little marketing to support it.

Which is unfortunate. The film isn't great, but there are definitely three or four huge laughs in there (Peyote Ewok, I'm looking at you) and it is a story with real heart to it.

That said, the studio missed a HUGE opportunity in the marketing of this film. Forget about the all the fantastic cameos (Shatner!). Forget about Seth Rogen playing multiple characters. Forget about all of that.  The studio could have advertised one thing and on thing only, and this movie would have been a hit!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, Fanboys features Veronica Mars in a Slave Girl Leia outfit:

In case you haven't already checked them out, this week's YouTube picks are now up.There's four (4!), which should provide you with four perfect, if short, escapes from your workday. Plus, hotties! You're welcome.

Okay, they're from Ocean's Eleven and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. But check them out!

Whoo! Long weekend. But after last week's bounty, does Ottawa have anything left to watch?

Hurrah! (500) Days of Summer, which Dana Stevens called an "almost a classic romantic comedy," is finally here.  I've only been telling you about it since forever (or since earlier this month or, um, March). As you already know, I think break-up movies make for the best romantic comedies. Add in Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and you know you are going to get my butt in a seat this weekend.

Funny People, which you already know all about due to its omnipresent adverting, also opens everywhere under heaven today. I had been excited about this one until I read some middling reviews this week. A flawed, deeply personal film seems to be the consensus. Ah, I'll probably see it anyway. Eric Bana looks great in it, and we share a birth date. Surely that bond is worth my ten dollars. 

After last night's True Blood, in which Sarah and Jason go at it in the balcony of the sanctuary at the Fellowship of the Light while Sookie and Hugo are locked up downstairs (and Godric's apparently rattling around down there somewhere) and Lorena prevents Bill from saving Sookie at Eric's behest and Daphne betrays Sam to Maryann so she can cut out his heart, I had a heart attack. At the second season's mid point, Alan Ball et al had ratcheted up so much tension that I cannot possibly watch an episode without a lot of yelling. Then, this happened:

Could it be? Are there movies worth seeing playing again in Ottawa? Saints be praised!

The Hurt Locker is playing in Ottawa! I repeat, critically-acclaimed, award-winning, best-damn-Iraq-war-movie-yet The Hurt Locker is finally here!  Consider the question of what to do this rainy Friday night resolved. You're spending it with Jeremy Renner and Kathryn Bigelow. You're welcome! The plot revolves around an expolsives ordinance disposal unit, and, uh, yeah. That's what you're getting.

The Brothers Bloom, Rian Johnson's sophmore feature, is finally here as well.  We dig our Rian Johnson at (Cult)ure, so we'll be checking this one out even if the critical reception has been less than warm. It's an one last heist movie, but it involves Rachel Weisz as a recluse that collects hobbies and the only good part of Babel, Rinko Kikuchi.

Hollywood Reporter reported (heh) this morning that Taylor Kitsch has been cast as the lead in John Carter of Mars, an adaptation Edgar Rice Burroughs book series, which Disney hopes has franchise potential. I'm all about a) Taylor Kitsch and b) fame coming his way (and not just because he's in my fantasy studio), but do me a favour and click on the HR link. Because what is that? Is that a bad photo of Taylor Kitsch? I did not know such a thing was possible! He looks a bit like Hugh Jackman (never good), and I don't know, exactly. Tired and a little ruddy. I didn't know there was a lighting/clothing/make up situation in which he could look like anything less than an Adonis, so I'm a little confused by the very existence of the image.