The Killer Elite opens 9/23. Buy tickets now on Fandango.com.

Find out more about The Killer Elite at killerelite.com

I went to see “The Killer Elite” last week at a special press screening and I have to say I was blown away. I’m not normally one for assassin vs. assassin movies, but “The Killer Elite” is more than just your typical violence for the sake of violence film – it’s actually a real interesting story about trained assassins, government corruption and the role the West has played in the Middle East. Entirely relevant for the current culture and political times today.

Both myself and Lisa, who came along, walked out after seeing it surprised at how much we really enjoyed the film because, at the end of the day, it told a compelling, redemptive story. Added bonus? Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah Walker from Chuck) plays the romantic lead.

Synopsis:

“Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world’s most elite operatives – Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) – against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen).  Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse — where the predators become the prey.”

Non-Spoilery Verdict:

Come for the explosions, car chases, stellar cast and leave with a compelling story.

Jason Statham does what he does best in this role: he plays the hard on the outside, teddy bear on the inside lead. As Danny he gets to really play with the tortured soul who is pulled back into the assasian business because of his friend. Robert DeNiro gets to play an excellent role as a foil for Jason’s character adding to every scene he’s in without having to outshine the rest of the cast. Yvonne gets to play a good Australian country girl, and even though her role is smaller than the male leads, she really lights up the screen at every turn. I was pleasantly surprised that her character wasn’t as flat as I had anticipated she might be in this very male genre film.

Clive Owen is masterful and gripping in his role. Of the three male leads I really believed his character most of all.

At the beginning the movie did feel more like an independent film (long, non-actiony type shots), but the action picked up and left me interested through out. There were a couple unexpected turns that the movie made that I wasn’t expecting and the overall message was redemption is possible and who you were does not have to define who you become.

Downsides to the movie (for me) was it was rated R for language (brief nudity) and violence (though the violence wasn’t as bad as I thought it may be).

This is a really great movie based on a non-fiction book The Feather Men and I recommend you go see it for yourself.

This past season of the Big Bang Theory we saw a lot more of the boys at work at CalTech. Their office life is something that I envy! Imagine being surrounded by cool lasers and a cafeteria that lets you take as many napkins as you want. My last office job was full of geeks much like CalTech, but it seemed to have a higher ratio of females than CalTech.

One of the things I love about the Big Bang Theory is a lot of the relationships between the characters are centered around hanging out and eating. It’s no different at their work where a lot of pivotal discussions and introduction of new character/plots happen in the cafeteria. A lot of my co-worker bonding time has been around food as well (shared lunches, free lunch Friday, etc). There’s something universal about sharing a meal together.

Of course, I’ve never spent overnight sleeping at my office like Sheldon did when he refused to learn how to drive. But in a lot of other ways my office experiences were similar to the ones you see on The Big Bang Theory… except for the laser part.

How about you? Do you and your co-workers bond over lunch? Do you get to work with lasers (okay, I’m super jealous of the laser bit, I admit)?

Buy The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD/BluRay! http://bit.ly/nAnZ5T

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD.

Special Features are something that makes or break any DVD set, especially for TV. The special features included add to the overall valube of a show that you may be able to get cheaper digitally. Recently I’ve been kind of disappointed by the lack of great features on DVDs that I’ve bought. Thankfully, The Vampire Diaries Season 2 DVDs have some really great features and is well worth buying the set for.

My favorite is “Her Own Worst Enemy…” which goes into explaining how they do split screen scenes (when one actor plays two characters in the same shot). Especially in Season 2 where in one episode Nina Dobrev has to play 12 pages of script Katherine and Elena just talking to each other. For Buffy fans it’s kind of like Dopplegangland when Aly had to play four different characters.

There’s also an amazingly fun “The Perfect Love Triangle…” that explains all of the romances on the show (with a fun little ‘family tree’ style chart) with actor/crew interviews explaining them. Then they try and explain Elena’s family tree. It’s freaking hilarious.

There’s also a bunch of small features on the werewolves and their mythology, a fantastic gag reel, deleted/unaired scenes, and a commentary on the pivotal episode “Masquerade.”

Check the fun features out for yourself and order your copy of The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray here today: http://bit.ly/mkiZtx!

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray.

Photo: Quantrell D. Colbert/The CW

I grew up with Christian cartoons, from Superbook to Hanna-Barbera’s Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible and, as I hit high school Veggie Tales. So when I was asked to review Theo I was very intrigued. The idea of teaching systematic theology with fun cartoons is very appealing because, as School House Rock can tell you, animated featurettes can sometimes teach more lasting lessons than a room full of teachers.

Theo is a very cute premise, a nice old English man who lives in a cozy cottage in the Cotswolds with two mice named — of course — Luther and Belfry. Luther and Belfry are my favorite part of the movies. Their antics add the fun part of the videos. The two episodes I watched had them acting silly, but it actually fit with the lesson for each video.

I also enjoyed the illustrated shorts (like the story of Abraham done in pop-up graphic style) and I think that it’s a resource that works really well for adults as well as kids because of the pacing and storytelling. I can see it easily setting up a message or used in a worship service. It also would be helpful in Sunday School or homeschooling settings if supplemental materials are used (discussion especially).

The theology itself and the message is sound. For those who really want to teach the fundamentals of the Christian faith, this is a great series. Again, the lessons are simple enough for children to understand, but are also ideas that work well for adults. In one episode Theo explains how the word “sin” really means “missing the mark” and that it’s an archery term. He illustrates the fact by firing a bow and arrow.

As enjoyable as the videos are there are a couple drawbacks. The series is geared towards urban kids or younger children who probably would get bored with the didactic style of the videos. There’s not enough story here to keep people engaged (though, the videos are short 5-7 minutes). I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea that theology can only be taught by older, Caucasian Englishmen. I would have liked to have seen something more universal (or at least a larger, diverse human population).

If you’d like to find out more about Theo, which is also available on iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch check it out at:  www.theopresents.com

You can also check out the first episode for free and download it at their website.

I was given a review copy of Theo for the purpose of reviewing on this site. The free copy does not in any way change my opinions of the product and I strive to always give honest and reliable reviews.

I love ebooks for the iPad. I think they’re getting cleverer and cleverer. So I was delighted when I was able to review “Millie and the Lost Key” (the second book about the dog adventurer Millie). While I don’t have kids of my own I have a ton of kids who use my iPad on a regular basis. It’s been the best tool in combatting “long, boring adult things.” Just a couple weeks ago it was a long lunch. There’s also been long graduations, long meetings, and long bus rides. Kids love the iPad because of the tactile experience and, because of this, “Millie and the Lost Key” is an experience kids won’t soon forget.

The Interface
Millie and the Lost Key is fairly intuitive to use, though I’m glad they had the small startup instructions on how to turn pages. A lot of the pages look like their “real life” counterparts (such as pop up books) so knowing what to do on the screen is easy. The kids I’ve seen use it didn’t struggle at all. The only part I struggled with was knowing when to “scratch off” versus click on something, but soon got the hang of it.

Experience
The strength of this app is that there’s always a surprise on the next page and you can’t really tell what might come next. Where a lot of ebooks fail, Millie and the Lost Key succeeds in giving you enough variety in things to do that you’re not bored and give up halfway through. There’s things to push, pull, scratch, click and more. Plus a variety of small mini-games that help the story along.

The Story
If you’ve bought enough ebook apps you know that often an ebook is either 1) a great story or 2) a great experience, but very seldom does an ebook app give you both. I have several amazing kids books on my iPad that just make boring apps. There’s nothing visually striking about them and there’s little to click on, move or push around the screen. Thankfully Millie and the Lost Key is not only an exciting app to play with it’s also an adorably cute story.

The Price
For the amount of fun this app is, I think it’s one of the most reasonably priced kids ebooks out there. The added value is that it’s got a nice replay incentive if you’ve missed all of the hidden stickers or just want to retry to beat your score on some of the mini-games.

Bottom Line
I say buy it, it’s a fun app and is great for the kids in your life who are going to be borrowing your iPad. Plus, you can get the first book “Meet Millie” for free! Click here to find “Millie and the Lost Key” on iTunes: http://bit.ly/qm4ofG

It’s safe to say that I’m an uber geek girl. I cut my teeth on Star Trek and met Riker at my first Star Trek convention when I was like 8 years old. My dad watched the original Star Trek (ST:TOS as it’s referred to by fans) when it first aired, but he also watched the Star Wars movies as they were released. Geekdom, it runs in my blood.

So when I got the chance to read and review Matt Forbeck’s “Star Wars vs. Star Trek” I jumped at it. Long has there been a stalemate in which future franchise reigns supreme. Is it Star Trek with it’s “wagon train to the stars,” optimistic vibe of explorers and tusslers or Star Wars, with it’s small flame of hope against an oppressive regime? Both are near to my heart, so I read the book with gusto.

If you’re looking for a very serious, in-depth look at the cultural, political, social implications of two fictional world mega-franchises — this is not the book for you. And kudos to Matt for not making it another academic discussion. Instead Matt pits similar characters against each other based on their roles in a head to head combat that’s heavily influenced by both stories. My favorite parts are the show downs themselves that are written in semi-fictional prose (want to see Obi Wan and Picard battle? It’s here). Long time fans of both series will enjoy the depth of information and the (sometimes surprising) mashups. At the end of each meeting there’s a decision – who wins? Sometimes clear, sometimes a draw, the characters themselves will determine the winning franchise at the end.

Great fun to read and it often had me giggling like crazy. I highly recommend Star Wars vs. Star Trek to any uber geeky fan who just needs to know who wins.

Buy it now on Amazon:  http://t.co/8ZLyWRF

PAINMAN is a “superhero” in Los Angeles who takes the pain that has been caused to the victim of a crime, and transfers it onto the villain. He is in pain all the time, due to his Fibromyalgia, but he uses this pain to make him stronger.

In this issue, PAINMAN comes to the rescue of some women being abducted for human trafficking. He must push through his own pain in order to scale the building and defeat the bad guys. Only then can he inflict the pain of the victims onto the villains. Not all pain is physical either.

PAINMAN is a great concept. There are some deep themes that I’m sure could be explored through a series of issues. Our hero makes judgment calls just like any superhero about what punishment the villain deserves. He also has the ability to take away others’ pain and keep it as his own. He must show mercy and also justice, but there has to be a balance.

The artwork is really amazing! I enjoyed always being able to see the scarring on PAINMAN’s face. He’s never just a faceless character like in some books. The illustrations are very detailed, and I’d love to have a couple of the shots as posters.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good superhero comic story, and I look forward to continuing to read this series myself.

To learn more about PAINMAN visit the official site at PAINMAN.com where you can read issue #2 and buy issue #1 (plus other merchandise) or on their Facebook page.

The first CD I ever owned that was truly mine was a soundtrack to a TV show: Due South. Music and film have been tied together before there was even sound. It’s almost impossible to tear away a visual story from the music aspect. I’ve never thought of my favorite shows without thinking about the music behind the scenes. Like the episode of Buffy where Angel shows up to her prom after saying he wouldn’t then “Wild Horses” by The Sundays plays. Or when “Back in Black” plays when the Winchesters resolve to hunt down the thing that killed their mother in Supernatural. Music is inevitably tied to those emotions.

So it was no surprise how much I enjoyed the Pretty Little Liars soundtrack. If you don’t know the ABC teen drama the series follows the lives of four beautiful girls living in the town of Rosewood; they’re carrying a heavy secret about a friend who disappeared a year ago while trying to figure out who they are. The CD is a great collection of songs for fans and people who haven’t watched the show yet and it enhances the TV show — this isn’t your teen rock pop collection, it’s a smart collection of fantastic songs and artists you should know.

Before I get to the songs though, I have to say how great the CD was itself. Using the iconic promo picture of four main characters with muddy arms, legs and faces sets up the music perfectly. I also loved the shout out to the fans on the CD insert (what did they say? You’ll have to pick up the CD and see for yourself). It’s always great when TV shows recognize their fans as being the reason they’re still on the air.

The show’s theme song “Secret” by the Pierces is haunting, beautiful and is the perfect theme song for Pretty Little Liars. It starts off with the lyrics:

Got a secret, can you keep it?

Swear this one you’ll save,

better lock it, in your pocket,

taking this one to the grave………

Another great song on the track is Andrew Belle’s “All those Pretty Lights” (Andrew Belle’s music has also been on  hit TV shows including Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries and One Tree Hill ).

Catch Pretty Little Liars Mondays 8/7c on ABC Family, and visit iTunes to preview songs and pick up a copy of the album here: http://bit.ly/e2S527 .

“I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote the Pretty Little Liars Soundtrack.”

(Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for Season 2 of V)

V has returned in all of it’s lizard loving glory. The intense season finale from last season only propelled the recent season two opening episode to a stunning hour of television. Anna, having promised to leave at the end of last season, causes red, blood-looking rain to fall on the unwitting populace in a show of her anger over the 5th Column destroying her nest of warrior eggs.

Tensions from the first season continue including the palpable conflict between Anna and Erica as the play at being friends, but it’s easy to see both characters are at opposite sides of the Vs and humans. This is probably the most fascinating conflict to watch especially considering the double meaning in most of the or conversations.

Another fascinating plot idea is the lack of emotions the visitors have and the longer they hang around humans the more emotions they start to process. This was evident in the character of Ryan, who poses as a human and falls in love. This idea is carried into season two when Anna’s emotions cause problems both internally on the visitor ships, but also externally in her plot.

I highly encourage you to pick up season one on DVD at http://bit.ly/e6ABTG.

If you missed this season if V on ABC you can catch up on ABC’s website at http://abc.go.com/shows/v/index
And, of course, dont forget to watch V tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

I’ve always been fascinated with court room dramas. Since I’m a huge mystery buff there’s something to be said for see the legal side after the “bad guy/girl” has been caught. Now there’s been shows about prosecutors and there’s been shows about defense lawyers, but ABC’s newest legal drama “The Whole Truth” gives you a unique combination of both the prosecutors and the defense lawyers perspectives. Every angle is given to the audience and no one knows for sure, until the end, who is right.

The official description of the show follows:

This unique legal drama chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution. Showing each side equally keeps the audience guessing, shifting allegiances of guilt or innocence until the very final scene.

Kathryn Peale, the product of a New England background and a sheriff father, is the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney’s office. Jimmy Brogan, born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen and a friend of Kathryn’s since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York’s rising criminal attorney stars. Buoyed by their respective teams, these evenly matched lawyers — each with a strong streak of competitiveness, a fervent belief in their clients and an equally intense passion for the law — go about creating two different stories from the same set of facts. As this up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the legal process mirrors the excitement of a great championship match, it becomes evident that truth has nothing to do with innocence or guilt — at the end of every trial, the only thing that matters is what the jury believes.

What makes this show really compelling is the frenemy relationship between main characters Kathryn and Jimmy. Friends in a social sense and rivals in the workplace makes it for a fun, dramatic and almost reality show feel.

Frenemies are increasingly common in real life. Competition is usually good for business and can keep people pushing themselves to be better. There’s not many places that I have a true rivalry relationship other than school. In grad school this healthy rivalry right now is posting our word counts in our novels. Seeing someone closer to getting their novel finished just pushes me to be better, but without any hard feelings later.

Of course, a real maturity level is needed to maintain a friendship with a dynamically opposed work relationship and I have to applaud “The Whole Truth” for highlighting a relationship that can be both.

“The Whole Truth” is on ABC Wednesdays at 10/9C.

Find out more about the Whole Truth at
ABC’s site: abc.go.com/shows/the-whole-truth
Or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheWholeTruth
Or Twitter: http://twitter.com/wholetruthabc

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘The Whole Truth.’

I’ll be the first to admit it, I was skeptical when I first watching Vampire Diaries. It seemed a little too much teen angst and not enough compelling characters for me to stick with it. Apparently the series developer, Kevin Williamson, thought so too. He had little interest at first because he thought it sounded too similar to other vampire stories, but after reading the books he said: “I began to realize that it was a story about a small town, about that town’s underbelly and about what lurks under the surface.” I have to agree. I too was surprised at how much it brought the plot twists and surprises. Though you may be tempted to call it a Twilight spin off — don’t. The books started back in 1991 (even before Buffy). That said, romance abounds, but the show still manages to bring the scary.

One of the scenes that had me me sppoked was early on when Damon (played by the ever adorable Ian Somerhalder who you may know as Boone on Lost) snaps the neck of a victim after nursing her back to health. It’s done so casually it made my eyes pop. [To save the spoilers I won't say who dies].

The killer scene happens in the sixth episode Lost Girls (only well-establishing in my mind the idea that you should give a TV series at least 6 episodes before you stop watching). Other great scenes include several great death scenes, some fantastic chase/hunt scenes and more that I don’t want to spoil.

Rewatching the series on DVD has only made me enjoy the show more. The DVDs, set to be released on the 31st, have over 8 hours of special features including a free download of the audio book of The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening. Another thing I LOVED about the DVDs is that the package listing of each episode contained warnings not to listen to the commentary because of season spoilers! Finally, someone is thinking.

Make sure you pre-order your copy and enjoy the vampy goodness this series has before Season 2 starts this fall!

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season – which arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on August 31. Pre-order your copy, and receive free digital extras at http://bit.ly/9LSaVp

Join Tabz, Kim and Val as they discuss Ugly Betty S1 Ep1 – “Pilot”.
This episode was edited by John N.

Find out more about Ugly Betty on ABC.com

TV.com Recap:
Betty has always dreamed of working in the publishing world, but it seems as though there’s no place for the non-thin and non-beautiful in the business. People already have their minds set on the idea that beautiful women are only the thin and perfect! Betty really wants a job in that wonderful, yet cruel, world. But can she really find a place in it?

Love Ugly Betty? Check These Sites:
Ugly Is In
Ugly Betty Blog

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Leave them below or email us at betweenthelinesstudios-at-gmail.com. We’ll read them on an upcoming episode!

(Photos: ABC/ugly-is-in.com)