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TV Review: GRIMM – Season 1 – “Three Coins in a Fuchsbau”

By CARL CORTEZ 03/03/2012

David Giuntoli in GRIMM - Season 1 - "Three Coins in a Fuchsbau" | ©2012 NBC/Scott Green

Stars:David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz Writers David Greenwalt & Jim Kouf Director: Noberto Barba Network: NBC, airs Friday nights Original Telecast: March 2, 2012 The good news about GRIMM is it’s found a pretty comfortable weekly police procedural structure that always ends up involving monsters usually derived from the Grimm fairy tales. The bad news is the series tends to be a little redundant at times and the CGI-creature effects often take you out of the show. That said, “Three Coins in a Fuchsbau” is an okay episode that brings a little […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “All My Children”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 02/23/2012

Paul Wesley and Kat Graham in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "All My Children" | ©2012 The CW/Bob Mahoney

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Evan Bleiweiss, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: Pascal Verschooris Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: February 16, 2012 Well, that was the shortest plot thread in the history of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES plot threads, now wasn’t it kids? By plot thread I am of course referencing the plot where Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and all of his siblings are tied together by their resurrected witch of a mother Esther (Alice Evans), so she can make them mortal and then kill them off. Sad that it only lasted two […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “Dangerous Liaisons”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 02/16/2012

Claire Holt in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "Dangerous Liaisons" | ©2012 The CW/Quantrell D. Colbert

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Caroline Dries, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: Chris Grismer Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: February 9, 2012 THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is making the storyline involving Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and his original vampire family at least interesting to watch. I was concerned initially at the start of the season when they brought Klaus back. Bringing back a villain from a previous season seemed weak sauce compared to how they had leveled up between prior seasons of the show. However, I have been pleasantly surprised with all of […]Read On »

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TV Review: GRIMM – Season 1 – “Tarantella”

By ANNE LOUISE BANNON 02/14/2012

Amy Acker in GRIMM - Season 1 - "Tarantella" | ©2012 NBC/Scott Green

Stars: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz Writers: Dan E. Fesman & Alan DiFiore Director: Peter Werner Network: NBC, airs Fridays Original Telecast: February 10, 2012 Consider “Tarantella” an episode somewhat higher than normal on the ick factor for GRIMM, not to mention the attempt at sad and tragic which felt like the writers had written themselves into a corner because there was no satisfactory way to end it. An art lover (Nicholas Gonzales) is talking to his girlfriend on the phone while he’s dissing the art at a gallery opening, and while […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “Bringing Out the Dead”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 02/08/2012

Joseph Morgan and Paul Wesley in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "Bringing Out the Dead" | ©2012 The CW/Quantrell D. Colbert

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Turi Meyer, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: Jeffrey G. Hunt Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: February 2, 2012 So the new episode of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is all about family. “Bringing Out the Dead” has some truly touching moments, and then some nice shockers and twists as usual. What exactly does family mean to our Mystic Falls crew? The ties that bind are tested and tightened in some cases as everyone gets put through the paces and more plots against Klaus (Joseph Morgan) move forward. The […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE talk with Lucy Lawless and creator Steven S. DeKnight

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 01/27/2012

Lucy Lawless in SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE | ©2012 Starz

SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE, which premieres tonight on Starz at 10 PM, is actually the second season of the SPARTACUS series, even though it’s the third year of the show. Series creator and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight understands how this might cause some head-scratching. In 2010’s SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND, Andy Whitfield starred as the famous historical figure. The season followed him through his early days of being enslaved, being trained as a gladiator and finally leading a revolt at the Ludus (gladiator training camp) that left its owner Batiatus (John Hannah) definitively dead and Batiatus’ pregnant wife Lucretia, played by […]Read On »

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Theatre Review: DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

By SEAN ELLIOTT 01/22/2012

Stars: Juliet Landau, Matthew J. Williamson Writer: John Patrick Shanley Director: John McNaughton Company: The Crown Theatre Company, 11031 Camarillo St./North Hollywood, CA 91602 Performance Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays . October 21,2011- January 29, 2012 So every once in a while I get to review live theatre for this site. Since theatre is my background and the world that I come from, I love seeing it, and love supporting it even more. Especially when it’s GOOD live theatre. DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is a play that is written by John Patrick Shanley who is more noted […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “The Ties That Bind”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 01/20/2012

Persia White in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "The Ties That Bind" | ©2012 The CW/Quantrell D. Colbert

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Brian Young, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: John Dahl Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: January 19, 2012 I appreciate that THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is constantly evolving their characters and the characters relationships to each other. I really do. I don’t like tuning into a show every week to find the same old stagnant relationships that we’ve seen for a couple of seasons continue to limp towards some kind of inevitable confrontation or goal. The writers on this show consistently try to up the ante and to […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “Our Town”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 01/17/2012

Nina Dobrev, Candice Accola and Kat Graham in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "Our Town" | ©2012 The CW/Bob Mahoney

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Rebecca Sonnenshine, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: Wendy Stanzler Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: January 12, 2012 THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is still one of my favorite guilty pleasures on television. The series is such a soap opera with supernatural elements that you can’t tear yourself away for fear of missing something important (or something tiny that will turn out to be important). “Our Town” continues the power play between Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Stefan (Paul Wesley); each one seeing how they can out maneuver and out […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 – “The New Deal”

By SEAN ELLIOTT 01/10/2012

Steven R. McQueen and Michael Trevino in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - Season 3 - "The New Deal" | ©2012 The CW/Bob Mahoney

Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder Writer: Michael Narducci, Based on the book by L.J. Smith Director: John Behring Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: January 5, 2012 Well, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is back from hiatus finally, and once again the clever writers of the series have found ways to change relationships, and flip a lot of things on their ears with “The New Deal” Before the break the big plan to kill Klaus (Joseph Morgan) was kiboshed by Stefan (Paul Wesley) who was trying to save Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) and really pretty […]Read On »