Magic Mike XXL (2015)

Well pat me on the back and call me shallow because instead of watching serious dramas and falling in love with the Golden Age classics, I’m looking at the screen where Tatum is shaking his booty. And I’m not even sorry. And frankly, since I don’t actually really care that much about watching a well toned piece of meat thrusting his hips, I was definitely able to focus more and I started seeing a very strong message in between the raunchy scenes: female empowerment! So, as a female myself, I appreciate Magic Mike XXL for elevating women to a strong pedestal, showing how everyone is worthy despite their looks and demonstrating men respecting all women equally.

True Blood 5×01-03

Beginning this post with a nice Estonia reference, yet again True Blood mentions this small country, this time regarding a vampire uprising that is taking place there. Well, good to know, because I now can stock up with some stakes. On a much realistic note, True Blood is bringing in more politics this season and lots of it.

I don’t really have to say that there are major spoiler ahead, right?

True Blood is a kind of show that has the perfect amount of entertainment mixed with blood and sex. Sadly, it does have the tendency to have way too many characters and a lot of them are forgotten time to time. Such situations happen when there is too much going on with the main cast including Sookie, Bill and Eric. They are the trio that are driving the show but I am slightly seeing a change in this pattern after first three episodes of season 5. It seems that the focus is now more or less divided in between other characters and there is less and less of Sookie. I assume it is because Anna Paquin is pregnant and can’t really do nudity, let’s face it, its something that has worked well for her in the past. But one thing that I would have liked to see changing was the screen time Tara (Rutina Wesley) had. She got shot in the end of season 4 but then got turned by Pam (Kristin Bauer) and now, even as a vampire, she still annoys me.

Season 5 sets in motion multiple story lines just like TB always does and one that I already mentioned I would like to ignore from now on, so the vampire-Tara gets no attention, starting from NOW. All the new plots that are emerging in the first three episodes are supposed to keep us interested and some of them actually work for the most part. As far as Eric and Bill go, at the moment, I am not very invested in how they are doing there, being all locked up and all. It is strongly connected to the former storyline of the vampire laws which is now featured from the point of view of Christopher Meloni’s character. I get that it is still heating up, but after the first episode where Eric gets saved by his sister (which is an interesting family relationship) the whole story kind of wears down. Though, the bromance between Bill and Eric, even after the whole Sookie drama, is still there and quite pleasing. Meanwhile, Pam, who’s maker is Eric, and Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), Bill’s baby, finally get their spotlights that they have deserved ever since they have been on the show!

Not sure which one I like the best, but I think it is purely up to the episode itself, second and third was super exciting for Pam who gets couple of flashback scenes with Eric. She is a delightful character because she is so evil but yet so sweet. Now I can totally see why she is so cold and rigid but at the same time cares about others, the flashbacks to her past were heartbreaking – especially when she cut her wrists. She wanted to live forever because she would have died alone in the streets if Eric hadn’t come along. I feel kind of sad that she had to trick him but I guess if Eric didn’t really have to save her by making her. Jessica will probably have much more action with the new guy who appeared in episode 3 and apparently smells really good, don’t know why though, I doubt he is a male-fairy or something because Jessica should be used to that smell, with Sookie being all fairy dust shooting creature that she is. Maybe it’s an animal instinct type of thing like imprinting in Twilight. Oh no, hopefully not, cause that would be so not cool – what next, glitter Lafayette and even more sparkly Sam?

So far True Blood has explained a lot of things in a relatively logical way but when Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Terry (Todd Lowe) start having supernatural problems, the former with his ex-boyfriend and the latter with his ex-combat friend, I start thinking of the worst. There are such things as going too far and I hate to see the show going the extra mile to make everything revolve around supernatural ghosts in season 5. Not to mention the whole Alcide (Joe Mangeniello) and his pack issues which don’t interest me at all. What this season should be all about is poor-poor Jason and his love/sex problem.

There is no doubt that Jason (Ryan Kwanten) has been the sweetheart on True Blood. He is the naive boy who can’t keep his pants off (to be honest, I prefer him without them anyway) but who now faces an issue regarding his ex-best-friend and his friend-with-benefits Jessica. Jason is definitely in love with the little baby vampire but she does not feel the same, especially with the guy who smells like cotton candy and sex. I hardly think that this is a reason for Jason to run to Steve (Michael McMillian), another new vampire who we know as reverend Newlin who has been around but keeps popping back up and this time I am actually thrilled to see him. Steve might go to Jason and compel him or something (oh, yes, please!), for him being gay and in love with Jason and all! – honestly, the best story line twist in season 5 so far!  McMillian is a cute actor and mixed together with his unpleasant character he becomes a treat for the eyes, so sleazy and uncomfortable that it is actually fun.

So not to make this post like way too long compared to what I usually write, I just want to add that I think my True Blood hype is wearing off. I think it is because last season had all that Eric and Sookie thing going on and this season is totally stripped of that even being a possibility (at least so far). I feel like things are not progressing but slowing down and going backwards, this is probably why a lot of the supporting characters like Terry and Andy are getting more screen time. Or is it just me who feels like the balance has shifted? I mean, do we really see so little of the golden trio and so much of others? Either way, I will keep tuning in on True Blood because Pam wore a Walmart sweat suit and turned straight for Eric or was straight for him and then turned lesbian because he was the only man she ever wanted to be with… in other words: so much confusion but so much awesomeness.

Images from True Blood homepage.

True Blood covers EW

Following my very long post about a very disturbingly awesome movie, I saw these bad boys on the Internet and thought I’d share just because. The show’s newest season is very very close and I can’t obviously wait any longer, especially now as I’ve seen these covers of Entertainment Weekly. I guess those promotion things actually do promote things. As you can see from the magazine covers, this is a very manly show and to be honest, I actually made it a little bit manlier by not including the image of Tara – the character I hate and thought was gone for good but apparently not. Oh well, she’s not gonna ruin this post, so enjoy this True Blood cast this time without her and get Christopher Meloni instead, who’s character probably has his own laws and brings new order to the show (see, see what I did there? – hint).

Images from Celebitchy.

Magic’s in the air!

The following post is about something that makes me giggle every time I think about it, soon it will be on the big screens and despite my strong humor against it, I’m probably going to watch it anyways. I mean, it is a movie that is deliberately made for women and the gay community, so how can I, as a member of the female population, deny them of my attention. Therefore it is quite the obvious situation, I am going to watch Magic Mike in the cinemas, I am going to enjoy it, I am going to talk about it afterwards and I am surely going to laugh about it before, during and after.

Concept of Magic Mike, if you still haven’t heard, is quite simple actually, an experienced male stripper shows the ropes to an inexperienced  stripper about everything from taking off the clothes, getting ladies etc. The casting is very six-pack-centered, which is expected when the characters are supposed to dance and entertain the ladies. Channing Tatum takes the lead, Alex Pettyfer takes the part of the novice, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer also join in and some female lead as well. While the movie itself is supposed to be slighlty based on Tatum’s own stripper career (I am not kidding), the casting of McConaughey seems brilliant. The guy is rarely seen wearing a shirt in his spare time, running on the beach, walking the dog and so on, but now he gets payed to do so. Matt Bomer throws away his clothes and I can assume that his casting was strategical from the point of view of the gay community, having straight guys strip is definitely great, but Bomer is a fantasy that serves a much more realistic base. Pettyfer is more of a hit and miss for me, depends on his character, if he is a bad guy then yes because he has that bad boy vibe but I am not sure he can act as much as he can show off his ripped body.

Before I continue, check out the trailer which pretty much tells the whole story anyway:

I just hope that the dancing will be good, Tatum can dance, but the other guys are pretty much a mystery because the trailer doesn’t give away much of the stripping and only shows the other stuff that is going to happen. As you can see, the new guy’s sister is a love interest! I bet you didn’t see that one coming.. or did you? I mean, you should have, cause what’s a stripper movie without some down to earth love story? Anyway, I forgot to mention that Joe Mangeniello is in it as well, I mean, since he rarely wears any shirts on True Blood, I guess he was another obvious choice for this movie.  I mean, seriously, what’s the whole idea of seeing this stripper movie, if all the guys in it are half naked on the regular basis anyway? I mean, all I can say is “Seen that, seen that, oh, and seen that as well and I guess I’ll see more of that on June 29th!”