1. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

The alternative rock band weezer returns with their latest single “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” from their seventh album “Raditude” (planned for an Oct. 2009 release).

Produced by Butch Walker (of Marvelous 3) who has produced songs for Pink, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne and Japanese female rock duo Puffy, the latest single features an addictive, fun and enjoyable style, somewhat reminiscent of the Cheap Trick classic “I Want You to Love Me”. But that’s not a bad thing… It’s actually kind of interesting but for the most part, fun and enjoyable.

The track is acoustic guitar and percussion driven with enjoyable vocals, catchy rhythm and entertaining lyrics and definitely a departure from a lot of their past hits. For the most part, I enjoy hearing something different from the band.

Granted, it will be interesting to see what kind of album “Raditude” will be. I know plenty of fans who want the return of the band’s power cords and something upbeat and electric guitar driven and this track, may not sooth their souls but for the most part, I enjoyed the track and yeah, it may be commercially appealing for those not familiar with their music but as long as the style of “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” is not indicative of the overall upcoming album, I definitely look forward in seeing what the group has to offer, especially with their other track collaborations with Butch Walker, especially with Jermaine Dupri.

Overall, “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” is an entertaining single from the band. Different, but then again weezer has been one of those bands that have never shied away from experimenting with there music, so although this track did seem a bit Cheap Trick-ish, I really enjoyed it!

I definitely look forward to their upcoming album!

 

Saihuun/AAA (Attack All Around) – Break your name/Break Down/Summer Revolution (A J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

“The 21st CD single from AAA is another fantastic release from the group featuring three solid triple-A sided singles which includes the debut of the 15-member group known as Saihuun.”

ARTIST: Saihuun/AAA (Attack All Around)

CD SINGLE: Break your name/Break Down/Summer Revolution

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31701/B

DURATION: 27:43

RELEASE DATE:  July 29, 2009

BUY THIS CD SINGLE

1. Break your name
2. Break Down
3. Summer Revolution
4. Break your name -Instrumental-
5. Break Down -Instrumental-
6. Summer Revolution -Instrumental-

DVD: Region 2, 16:9 LB, Duration: 7 minutes

1. Break your name -Music Clip-
2. Break your name – 20090429 – C.C. Lemon HALL LOVE-

AAA’s 21st CD single triple-A sided single for the Summer titled “Break your name/Break Down/Summer Revolution” continues the trend of AAA releasing four different versions of their CD single.   One that features a normal CD version with 11 tracks, the second version that features a Summer-themed cover featuring all seven members and comes with a DVD of “Summer Revolution”, a third version featuring the seven members with Takahiro Nishijima in the center and comes with a DVD for “Break Down” and a fourth version of the CD single which I’m reviewing, which features for the first time, the mysterious 15-member boy band known as Saihuun.

Saihuun’s first single “Break Your Name” consists of the five members of AAA but ten other members that no one knows the true identity of at this time.  For the single cover, each has a hood on their face with kanji letters large on top sporting “Saihuun”.  And this version comes with a DVD featuring a music video for “Break your name” and a live performance of Saihuun at C.C. Lemon Hall from April 2009.

The single kicks off with “Break your name” by Saihuun and features an upbeat, synth pop track and although I think that the members that are singing primarily are members of AAA (yes, the guys have performed live with hoods covering their faces), I am guessing that Saihuun may be similar to EXILE in which the primary members on vocals are AAA and the others are possibly background dancers similar to the recently expanded EXILE.

The second track “Break Down” is an uptempo dance track that incorporates break beats but overall, a very solid track from AAA.  And possibly one of the most exciting upbeat tracks I have heard from the group in awhile.  Definitely a solid track and wonderful vocals from Misako Uno and Takahiro Nishijima and crew.

The third track on the CD single “Summer Revolution” features the female duo of AAA – Misako Uno and Chiaki Ito.  Definitely an upbeat track with that trademark avex trax club sound.

The remaining three tracks are the instrumental versions of the three vocal tracks.

As for the DVD, the DVD includes the music video for “Break your name” and a live performance of the song by Saihuun.

The music video features all 15 members of Saihuun performing and dancing and members of AAA reveal themselves when they take off the hoods while the other ten keep their hoods on.  The group then performs on top of a CG background of a futuristic city or an all white background.

The live performance of “Break your name” was done at C.C. Lemon Hall LIVE back in April 29, 2009.  Mainly featuring the 15 members of Saihuun and of course, all members in their hoods.  So, you really don’t know who is singing (well, actually you can tell its probably Takahiro Nishijima, Naoya Urata and rap by Mitsuhiro Hidaka.  While everyone is primarily dancing.  And of course to further confuse the audience, all members of AAA then join Saihuun onstage to thank them.  But if you pause the DVD, you will then notice that only ten members of Saihuun remain on stage.

As for the CD insert, the insert is a tri-fold with the lyrics and production credits for the songs.  Also a flier which contains information on AAA’s “4th Anniversary Live” and an AAA collector’s card of one of the members.

Overall, the CD single is pretty solid.

Although, I still wish that they would stop with the four CD single versions.  I know, it has worked with other idol groups but I can imagine how costly it is for the fans trying to collect all releases.  But with each version, they offer extra tracks and the main three which include a DVD offers a different music video.  As for the three A-sided tracks, all tracks are all enjoyable, uptempo dance tracks and pretty much showcases the music that we have loved from AAA, which is that synth pop club music that avex trax artists are known for.

As for Saihuun, it’s an interesting concept and it will be interesting to see if the group is the real deal and is permanent or if it’s just a marketing gimmick, or the fact that the group is following a similar direction like the music group EXILE with many members while a few sing and most of them dance.  I have no idea how far avex trax will be taking Saihuun for the near future.

Overall, another fantastic AAA release!  If you are a fan of AAA, this single is definitely recommended!

BUY THIS CD SINGLE

 

CHATMONCHY – Last Love Letter (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

“A much more mellower offering from CHATMONCHY but for the most part, if you enjoy the band’s music, you’ll definitely find enjoyment with their music on this single.  Personally, I enjoyed the third second coupling track the most as the tempo is much more upbeat.”

BAND: CHATMONCHY

CD SINGLE: Last Love Letter

LABEL: Ki/oon Records

CATALOG #: KSCL-1302

DURATION: 11:21

RELEASE DATE:  February 4, 2009

BUY THIS CD SINGLE

1. Last Love Letter
2. 片道切符
3. Good Luck my sister!!

CHATMONCHY is a three-member all female rock band which consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Eriko Hashimoto, Akiko Fukuoka (Bass and backup vocals) and Kumiko Takahashi (drums and backup vocals) who hail from Shikoku, Japan.

The group which started back as early as 2000, received their big break when Supercar producer Junji Ishiwatari produced their first album “chatmonchy has come”.  But it wasn’t until 2007, when the bad had their first anime-related tie-in with the anime series “BLEACH” and their song “Daidai” was used for the ending theme.  Although previous singles have charted on the Oricon charts, the band would receive worldwide recognition for that single and not long after, their third major label album “seimeiryoku” debuted at #2 on the Oricon Album Charts.

The group released their first single of 2009 titled “Last Love Letter” and features three rock tracks: “Last Love Letter”,  “片道切符” and “Good luck my sister!!”.  The single debuted at #7 on the Oricon Charts and the title track is included on the band’s fourth album “Kokuhaku”.

As for the single, the first two tracks are actually quite mellow.  With the first track “Last Love Letter” definitely showcasing Akiko’s bass playing and definitely love the intro as the bass works in tandem with Kumiko on drums. The second track is “片道切符” and sports a pretty smooth but mild tempo rock track with a pretty cool section in which Eriko jams with her guitar.   The third track “Good luck my sister!!”, a song celebrating a sister who just got married, is actually an upbeat, faster rock track and my favorite track on the CD single.

The CD single features a trifold insert with the lyrics and production credits, plus a flier promoting their website promotion for “Last Love Letter”.

Overall, the single is good and to tell you the truth, personally I found it to be quite average compared to other tracks that I have enjoyed from the band.  A definitely more mellow CD single release this time around from the trio but fans of CHATMONCHY will definitely find some enjoyment especially hearing the girls jam with their instruments in all three tracks.

BUY THIS CD SINGLE

 

Tamara Braun and Nadia Bjorlin at the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

Actress Tamara Braun, winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series,and actress Nadia Bjorlin attend the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards after party on August 30, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images). Content © 2009 Getty Images . All rights reserved.

 

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: PIRATES, PUZZLES, RATTLERS AND ROLE-PLAYING

“All for one and one for all” is an apt way to describe the latest lineup of downloadable games from the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi™ Shop. Each of this week’s new titles is a single-player affair, but they’re all quite different in genre and style, offering something special for a variety of gaming tastes.

WiiWare™

Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 2
Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Alcohol Reference, Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Guybrush’s adventures continue on the high seas as pox-plagued pirates lay siege to the innocent Mer-People. Between defending the Mer-People and dodging the persistent pirate hunter hot on his trail, Guybrush manages to catch up to his beloved wife and despised arch-nemesis, but the reunion is short-lived. Now Guybrush must focus on eradicating the Pox of LeChuck before more harm can be done. And as the Mighty Pirate draws closer to a cure, the waters will only grow murkier in this thrilling chapter of the epic saga.

3-2-1, Rattle Battle!
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: 3-2-1, Rattle Battle! is a party game packed with exciting mini-games. Intuitive controls mean that anyone can enjoy playing – just grab the Wii Remote™ and shake it to “rattle.” Great fun for single players, but the party really gets started when you register high scores on Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to see how you measure up against players from around the globe.

Virtual Console™

Phantasy Star™
Original platform: SEGA Master System
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone 10 and Older) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Originally released on the SEGA Master System, Phantasy Star is a pioneer in the role-playing game genre. Alis is the fearless female protagonist out to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of cruel dictator King Lassic. Players must guide Alis and her troops through the sprawling environments of the Agol solar system in an attempt to defeat King Lassic and liberate the people of Agol. Engage in dynamic turn-based combat with dragons, ghouls, giants and magicians by using unique weapons such as glowing daggers, crossbows and magic spells.

Nintendo DSiWare™

Puzzle League™ Express
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: The ever-popular Puzzle League comes to Nintendo DSiWare. As it is with all good puzzlers, the concept is simple: Connect blocks of the same color to clear them from the screen and prevent your stack from becoming too high. There are four single-player modes to choose from: Endless (survive to earn a top score), Clear (eliminate all blocks above the line), Score Attack (score as high as possible in two minutes) and Vs. COM (use items and combos to attack a computer opponent). You can choose from a variety of background music to help get you in the zone, and even play in horizontal or vertical mode by holding the Nintendo DSi system normally or like a book. Whichever way you play, you’re guaranteed maximum fun.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

 

Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Third Season (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

“More Ojai Walker family goodness (and drama) and an interesting story shift in the second half of the third season of ‘Brothers and Sisters’.  Overall, a solid DVD set and if you are a fan of the series, then definitely check out this third season box set.  Definitely recommended!”

Images courtesy of ©WDSHE. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Third Season DURATION: 1032 Minutes DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles RATED: TV 14 DLS COMPANY: abc studios RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2009

Created by Jon Robin Baitz

Directed by Ken Olin, Michael Owen Morris, Michael Schultz, Laura Innes and David Paymer

Written by Jon robin Baitz, David Marshall Grant, Molly Newman, Sherri Cooper, Cliff Olin, Monica Breen, Peter Calloway, Alison Schapker, Michael Foley, Liz Tigelaar, Jennifer Levin, Jason Wilborn, Daniel Silk, Josh Reims, Brian Studler, Nancy Won

Executive produced by KenOlin, Monica Breen, Alison Schapker

Produced by Suzanne Geiger, Nicole Carrasco, Sparky Hawes, Jennifer Lence, Michael Foley, Nancy Won, David Marshall Grant, Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Josh Reims, Molly Newman, Michael Morris, Stephen Judge, Sarah Caplin

Music by Blake Neely

Cinematography by Cynthia Pusheck, Michael Mayers

Edited by Barbara Gerard, Imelda Betiong, Kristin Windell

Casting by Gillian O’Neill, Jeanie Bacharach

Series Production Design by Lee Mayman

Series Set Decoration by Bryan Venegas

Series Costume Design by Melina Root

Cast:

Dave Annable as Justin Walker

Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker

Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon

Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden

Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper

Sally Field as Nora Walker

Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker

Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker

Kerris Dorsey as Paige Whedon

Balthazar Getty as Tommy Walker

Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker

Maxwell Perry Colton as Cooper Whedon

Rob Lowe as Robert McCalister

Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper

The Walkers are everything anyone could ask from a family—and a few things no one would want. The Complete Third Season of this compelling one-hour drama continues to follow the sprawling California-based clan as they face the complications of contemporary American life. Passionately devoted mother Nora Walker (Sally Field), her grown children and their loved ones contend with romance, parenting, divorce, infidelity, addiction, war and even death.

“Brothers and Sisters” is a show created back in 2006 by Jon Robin Baitz (a writer who worked on “Alias” and “West Wing”).  The series revolves around the Walker family, an upperclass family that owns business known as Ojai foods.

During the first season of the series, the family is rocked by the death of the father and business owner, William Walker.  But even more shocking to the family is that their father had a mistress and an illegitimate daughter but that William had embezzled money from the company.  So, the family focuses on the lives of the Walker family and how the brothers and sisters must move on with the family business and make sure it is not run into the ground and try to keep it afloat.

Each character has a lot going on with their lives which had been featured in the first two seasons.  Here is a basic synopsis of what has taken place in the last two seasons which each main character:

The main characters of “Brothers and Sisters” are: The Walker Family

• Nora Walker (Sally Field, “Gidget”, “The Flying Nun”, “The Girl with Something Extra”, “ER”) – The Walker matriarch and the mother who likes to get involved with her children’s lives.  In the first season, she tries to get over her husband’s death, learns that her husband had an illegitimate daughter and is now trying to move on.  She blames Kitty for encouraging their younger brother in joining the military.
• Sarah Walker (Rachael Griffiths, “Six Feet Under”) – The family business woman and mother who has tried to lead the family business as the company president. Has a strained relationship with her husband Joe which eventually led to a divorce.
• Kitty McCallister (Calista Flockhart, “Ally McBeal”) – A former radio host who marries politician, Senator Robert McCallister.  Both were trying their best to have children.
• Tommy Walker (Balthazar Getty, “Charmed”, “Alias”) – The other family businessman who has butted heads with his sister Sarah.  Married to Julia Walker (Sarah Jane Morris), the two have major problems in their marriage.
• Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys, “Shooters”, “The Lost World”) – A successful lawyer and a gay man.  Tends to bail out his family when they need legal help but most of all but also put in situations in opposition to some of his family members.  Has a relationship with Scotty.
• Justin Walker (Dave Annable, “Reunion”) – The youngest of the family who joined the Army and went to Afghanistan.  When he came back, Justin was no longer the same as he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and also battled with drug addiction and now trying to clean himself up.

Other Key Characters:

• Saul Holden (Ron Rifkin, “Alias”) – Older brother of Nora Walker and works at Ojai Foods and once had a relationship with Nora’s husband’s mistress Holly Harper but in season 1, it was revealed that Saul was involved in a gay relationship.  In season 2, Saul comes out and admits he is a gay man.
• Robert McCallister (Rob Lowe, “The West Wing”, “St. Elmo’s Fire”, “About Last Night”, “Oxford Blues”) – Married to Kitty Walker and is a Republican Senator in California.  Once a candidate for the US Presidency.
• Holly Harper (Patricia Wettig, “Prison Break”, “Alias”) – Holly is the mistress of William Walker (for 20 years) and owns a large share of Ojai Foods. In season 2, she has become the Ojai Foods CEO.  Her relationship with her daughter Rebecca is not so strong.  She and Tommy Walker are business partners and own Walker Landing Winery.
• Rebecca Harper (Emily VanCamp, “Everwood”) – The illegitimate daughter of William Walker and Holly Harper.  She works at Ojai Foods as an advertising executive and is secretly having a relationship with her step-brother Justin Walker.

Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Third Season features a total of 24 episodes are featured on six discs. In the third season, changes are afloat with Ojai Foods experiencing financial difficult.  That leaves the Walker family having to partner up with Holly Harper, the mistress of William Walker.  Throughout the third season, Kitty and Robert experience the highs of a family wanting to have children but also the lows as a family where their dedication to their careers interferes with their relationship. For Sarah, knowing that she has a family to take care of, she knows that her brother Tommy is becoming the main family member dedicated to the company.  As for Tommy, he starts to unearth things about his dead father and what he has done to the company, causing Tommy to make some decisions that can harm his position.  Kevin will see chances for him to advance his career, but he will have to make a difficult decision of whether or not he should stay true to the person he loves and to himself or to do what he can to become a partner at his law firm.  As for Justin, he tries his best to clean up, especially now that he has found love with Rebecca but has issues with recruiting people for the military. Meanwhile, last season’s bombshell that William may have had another illegitimate child, will become a significant issue for season three.  If anything, relationships and family will be tested more than ever and whether or not the family matriarch, Nora can keep the family together is going to be important. Here is a spoiler-less summary of the 24 episodes from season three: DISC 1:

• EPISODE 40 – Glass Houses - Sarah has more problems with Holly being appointed as the new C.E.O.   Norah drops a bombshell on Holly.
• EPISODE 41 – Book Burning – Kitty finds out that a book that her friend wrote about her thoughts of Robert (her husband) and his campaign and tries to hide from him.
• EPISODE 42 – Tug of War – Justin is being hailed a hero for rescuing a soldier but inside, he is torn by having to recruit soldiers for the war.  Meanwhile, Sarah and Saul make life-changing decisions.
• EPISODE 43 – Everything Must Go – Nora wants to raise money for charity and thus has a garage sale.  Holly wants to build her relationship with her daughter Rebecca.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 44 – You Get What You Need - Rebecca discovers something about her mother, meanwhile Scotty’s parents arrive in town and Scotty is not so thrilled that Kevin can’t fit them into his schedule.
• EPISODE 45 – Bakersfield – Nora and Kitty make a trip to Bakersfield to meet up with George Lafferty and learn more about Ryan.  Meanwhile, Kitty and Robert have news on their adoption plans.  Meanwhile, Kevin and Tommy get into a fight.
• EPISODE 46 – Do You Believe in Magic? - Tommy and Julia celebrate their anniversary but what happens when George Lafferty arrives?  Meanwhile, Kevin has information on Robert and confronts him about it.
• EPISODE 47 – Going Once… Going Twice – Scotty gets a promotion and Kevin notices that he has gotten a paycut, so to make himself feel better, he goes out and buys a house.  Justin tries to find a boyfriend for Saul.

DISC 3:

• EPISODE 48 – Unfinished Business – Kitty and Robert take a huge step in their adoption, meanwhile Holly makes a decision in the winery without consulting with Tommy.  Meanwhile, Nora tricks her songs into helping the guys into reconstructing the charity house.
• EPISODE 49 – Just a Sliver – The Walker family sans Nora and Sarah, spend their Thanksgiving away from home and leaving mom and daughter alone for the holiday.  Meanwhile, something happens to Elizabeth.
• EPISODE 50 – A Father Dreams – With Elizaeth’s ailing health, Kevin and Tommy get into another confrontation.  Meanwhile, Kitty prepares for a promotional tour for her book on Robert.
• EPISODE 51 – Sibling Rivalry – Kitty goes on “Live with Regis & Kelly” to promote her book.  As for Sarah, she encounters financial trouble and Kevin has to keep Robert’s secret away from his sister Kitty.

DISC 4:

• EPISODE 52 – It’s Not Easy Being Green - Sarah throws a party to launch Greenatopia.  Meanwhile, Sarah’s business partner Ethan drops a bombshell.
• EPISODE 53 – Owning It – The President of Wexley University offers Kitty a job as a principal but must make a decision for either pursuing her career or becoming a mother.  Tommy decides to go behind Holly’s back.  Meanwhile, Robert tells his secret to Kitty.
• EPISODE 54 – Lost and Found – Kitty has a bit interview with Times Magazine but someone kills the interview.  Meanwhile, Nora invites Ryan to her home.
• EPISODE 55 – Troubled Waters – Part 1 – Kitty and The Walker family await the birth of a newborn, meanwhile something terrible happens to one of their own.  Rebecca also discovers some devastating information about the Crawford deal and goes to her father, easily angering her mother Holly.

DISC 5:

• EPISODE 56 – Troubled Waters – Part 2 – While Kitty rejoices for the birth of her new baby, Sarah breaks bad news about Robert to Kitty.  Meanwhile, Rebecca and Holly discover damaging information about Tommy.  And Ryan makes a visit to the family.
• EPISODE 57 – Taking Sides – After the situation that Robert was in, he is still driven to run for Governor despite Kitty now being against it.  Meanwhile, Saul and Sarah try to find ways to hide Tommy’s legal problems.  Meanwhile Ryan wants to get close to his new family but it may be a bit too quick for the Walker family.
• EPISODE 58 – Spring Broken – Kevin and Justin take Tommy away for Spring Break in order to have some brotherly bonding.  Meanwhile, Kitty, Sarah and Norah try to get to know Ryan.
• EPISODE 59 – Missing – Justin is not liking how Ryan is getting a bit too close to Rebecca.  Meanwhile, Tommy goes missing and things are not going well between Kitty and Robert.

DISC 6:

• EPISODE 60 – S3X – With Holly considering that she may drop charges against Tommy, the family hope Tommy returns home and as for Sarah, another career change.  Meanwhile, Kitty starts to show some doubts about her marriage to Robert.
• EPISODE 61 – Julia – With Tommy not having returned back home, Julia makes a major decision with or without the Walker family’s help.  Meanwhile, Rebecca starts to realize something about Ryan.  And Kitty starts spending time with another father at the park and Robert finds out.  Thus escalating the problems between the two of them.
• EPISODE 62 – Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – Things continue to look bad between Kitty and Robert and Kitty starts to remember memories about her father. Ryan discovers information in regards to his mother.  Meanwhile, Holly and Sarah get into a major argument, while Ryan starts to see how things are with the Walker family.  Justin steps up in his relationship with Rebecca.
• EPISODE 63 – Mexico -  Kevin tries to become a referee between Robert and Kitty’s marriage as Robert wants to focus on his governor campaign and Kitty wants to move to California and raise their child and looks as if they hit a wall with their marriage. Nora and the Walker family take a trip to Mexico to confront Tommy. Meanwhile, Saul reveals to Holly about what happened between William and Ryan’s mother and now, wants to make amends for his part in it.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Video is featured in Widescreen (1:78:1), enhanced for 16×9 televisions.  There are a lot of outdoor and indoor shots and “Brothers and Sisters” does have quite a bit of grain but nothing too distracting.  But for the most part, picture quality is satisfactory. Audio is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the show is mostly dialogue-based but there are quite a bit of music featured in the episodes, but the audio is pretty much front and center channel driven and audio is clear.  There are no really need for major sound effects for “Brothers and Sisters” but for the most part, dialogue and background music are heard quite clearly.  My receiver setup preference was set as “Stereo on all Channels”.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Third Season” comes with the following special features: DISC 1:

• ABC Starter Kit – If you hit play all on disc 1, you will get the ABC Starter Kit which briefly explains about what happened in the previous seasons of “Brothers and Sisters”.
• The Ojai Experience – (12:44) Co-producer Sparky Hawes talks about bringing the cast on a trip to a real family-owned winery in Ojai and how it works.  The cast talks about their experiences at the winery and see the complexities of seeing a family running a winery and their daily challenges.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of three deleted scenes which include: You Hurt Your Sister (:55), Prospective Family (1:47) and You’re Gonna Be Late (:29)

DISC 2:

• In-Between Scenes - (6:35) How the talents are behind-the-scenes during filming such as a pull up contest, toy robot fighting game and other behind-the-scenes fun among a few of the cast members.  How the set has a family atmosphere and the beautiful locations where the show is shot and also behind-the-scenes on some scenes especially the garage sale for the episode “Everything Must go”.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of four deleted scenes which include: I Want to See You (:20), She Could Grow a Conscience (:36), The Walkers are Seductive (1:18) and The Dog House (:34).

DISC 3:

• The Mothers of Brothers & Sisters – (10:18) The writers, producers and talent talk about the mothers on the show and how many talents see Sally Field’s Nora similar to their own mother and Sally Field talks about how many people come up to her and tell her that her character is like their mother and more.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of two deleted scenes which include Robert Confronts his Past (2:14) and Behind Closed Doors (:14).

DISC 4:

• Audio Commentary – Audio commentary for “Troubled Waters, Part 1″ with Actors Rob Lowe and Matthew Rhys and Executive Producer Monica Owusu-Breen.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of three deleted scenes which include Hottest Woman On the Planet (:30), We Have Issues (2:06) and Thank You (:44).

DISC 5:

• Audio Commentary – Audio commentary for “Troubled Waters, Part 2″ with Actors Rob Lowe and Matthew Rhys and Executive Producer Monica Owusu-Breen.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of three deleted scenes which include This Is All Weird To Me (:59), Calm Down Mom (:23) and Robert’s Discovery (2:05).

DISC 6:

• Audio Commentary – Audio commentary for “Mexico” with Executive Producers Alison Schapker, Monica Owusu-Breen and Ken Olin.
• Bloopers & Outtakes – (5:03) “Brothers & Sisters” Season Three Blooper Reel.
• Deleted Scenes – A total of four deleted scenes which include News About Tommy (1:19), Good Night (:41), I Just Want To be With You (:29), and Knowing What You Do (:56).

“Brothers and Sisters” definitely had quite a bit of surprising moments for the third season.  For the first half of the season, our attention was focused on the family dynamics with Kitty and Robert focusing on adoption, Saul’s sexuality and wanting to come out, Justin and Rebecca’s relationship and starting to feel disconnected with the military and of course, Sarah and Tommy trying to keep the business afloat.  While Nora, was being a mother as usual and involved in her family’s lives and trying to find out more about Williams other illegitimate child Ryan. But I guess, what surprised me the most was seeing how Kitty and Robert’s marriage had this major change during the second half was a bit of a surprise.  As for the character of Tommy, with rumors on the entertainment gossip blogs that Balthazar Getty was leaving the show, now I’m not sure if Tommy is even going to be a factor in future episodes, let alone seasons.  But the hype around something bad was going to happen with a character in the series definitely made things more exciting and seeing what was going to happen in the “Troubled Waters” episodes, but the episode did set the tone for the second half of the season. As for the DVD, the DVD is a solid release but I did find it interesting that instead of putting the deleted scenes in one disc (since most of them are quite short), they spread them out on all discs.  I wish there were more audio commentary with someone in the Walker family included on the disc but overall, the amount of special features should make fans content with the box set. Overall, “Brothers and Sisters” had a solid third season and definitely it will be interesting to see where the writers take the series for it’s fourth.  If you have invested in the previous two seasons, “Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Third Season” is definitely worth recommending!

 

Hurley Pro Webcast to Provide Comprehensive Event Coverage

Hurley today announced a comprehensive live HD webcast for the Hurley Pro, September 13 to 19 at Lower Trestles. The only U.S. Mainland appearance of the ASP World Tour, the Hurley Pro will broadcast in HD on www.thehurleypro.com and www.fuel.tv . A Facebook stream will be available at www.facebook.com/hurley.

Following an epic Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, the Hurley Pro moves from the stadium to the stage, where the world’s best will be competing at the ultimate high-performance event. Stop number six (6) on the ASP’s elite grand prix circuit, the Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles pushes the top surfers to redefine the possibilities on a perfect, head-high wave. The Hurley Pro comes at a critical point on the year-long tour where world title contenders either finish the job or lose steam…and virtually every minute of it will be available online for the world to see.

The state-of-the-art Hurley Pro webcast, produced by Echo Entertainment, will feature unprecedented content for consumers including multiple videos and photos, heats on demand and pre-produced “broadcast-quality” segments. The extensive content also will be made available to print and broadcast media, free of charge. Press outlets can access the daily coverage via myriad sources including the web, ftp and satellite feeds on all five days that the event is slated to run (details forthcoming).

“Echo Entertainment is thrilled to be involved with this amazing event yet again,” said Echo’s Director of Production, Phil Smith. “The surfers, crowd, sponsors and city all go to great efforts to make this a premier stop on the ASP World Tour and we strive to bring innovative coverage of the event to the web and to television. Eight high definition cameras will capture the excitement of the Hurley Pro like never before and we have a few new ideas for the webcast to enhance the viewing experience.”

Leaving no cobblestone unturned, Hurley has lined up a world-class team of hosts, reporters, color commentators and special guests. Hosts include Dave Stanfield, Mark Fewell and Mitchell Ross. Pat O’Connell, Evan Slater, Brock Little and Saxon Boucher headline the color commentators and beach reporters are led by Jodie Nelson, Rosie O’Laskey and Peter King.

In addition to “yet to be named” celebrities, Hurley Pro guest commentators include Bob Hurley, Sean Collins, Rob Machado, Peter Townend, Ian Cairns and San Clemente locals Tanner Gudauskas, Pat Gudauskas, Dino Andino, Mike Parsons and the Hurley Sliders.

Along with all the great content, Hurley will be giving the fans a voice with the Hurley Expression Session powered by Facebook. “We wanted to give the online audience an opportunity to really be involved,” said Hurley Pro Contest Director, Pat O’Connell. “Everyone thinks they’re a good judge — now they have their chance. In the early rounds of the event, we will be holding an expression session with the world’s best surfers. At the end of the heat, the online audience votes for the winner on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/hurley . Stay tuned to the webcast for more details.”

Part of the philosophy in creating this elevated webcast is to allow surf fans across the globe to enjoy the Hurley Pro from the comfort of their laptop (and not drive to Trestles). With this in mind, Hurley is embracing Save the Waves’ World Surfing Reserve initiative and is implementing a comprehensive program to lessen the environmental impact on Trestles. The World Surfing Reserve initiative is designed to bring awareness to the world’s most pristine and valued surf spots.

“We understand that Trestles is a fragile ecosystem and want to do everything we can to minimize our impact on this world-class wave,” said Hurley’s Evan Slater. “Of course, we have all intentions of leaving the beach cleaner than we found it.”

The $340,000 Hurley Pro, September 13 to 19, 2009 at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, is Hurley’s first as the sole sponsor of an ASP World Tour event. Lined with cobblestones, Trestles is California’s premier point/reef break and a world-class showcase for high performance surfing. The five day competition, held during a weeklong window, features the ASP’s top 45 surfers (Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, C.J. Hobgood, etc.) and three wildcards (Brett Simpson, Rob Machado and World Junior Champion Kai Barger).

 

Gwen Stefani and Zuma hit beach in Malibu

Gwen Stefani and her baby Zuma on the beach in Malibu. Pictured: Gwen Stefani and Zuma Rossdale Picture by: Vincent Barksdale / Splash News. Content © 2009 Splash News . All rights reserved.

 

Kate Walsh attending Ellen Pompeo’s baby shower

Kate Walsh looked cute a summery as she arrived at Ellen Pompeo’s baby shower in Los Angeles, CA on August 29, 2009. Fame Pictures, Inc. Content © 2009 famepictures.com . All rights reserved.

 

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