Fear Itself: In Sickness and in Health
When I got the chance to review this week’s episode of Fear Itself, I was pretty excited. Firstly because I knew it starred James Roday and Maggie Lawson from Psych, and secondly because it was directed by John Landis.
While I admit that Landis’ directorial offerings in the theater have been less than stellar in recent years, he still holds a special place in my heart for being the man who brought us Trading Places, The Blues Brothers and Animal House. I was also excited to see how Landis, Roday and Lawson do with a different type of script than the one they worked together on with Psych.
I was hooked almost from the beginning. I almost fell asleep during the setup about the wedding being “too soon’ and all the bridesmaid junk, but once Lawson opened the note and the great theme music kicked in I was ready to go.
The only word I can use to describe the first fifteen minutes of the episode is uneven. I loved how Landis used the innate creepiness of the church and its decorations to weird me out, but seeing Roday deliver his lines the exact same way as Shawn Spencer made it hard to believe his character. Lawson, on the other hand, was emoting so little that I couldn’t figure out what her character was thinking at all. I never thought I would be in such a hurry to see the cigarette smoking man.
Another nice scene was between Lawson and her bridesmaids after the wedding. The way Landis used the angled mirror was very cool to see. Unfortunately, it completely overshadowed the lackluster storytelling. Between the phoned-in performances of the stars and the thick Canadian accents of the co-stars, I wasn’t sure which was making me more uninterested.
What’s worse is I had figured out the twist by the half-way point, so I didn’t even have that to keep me going. My only hope was that Landis had put in a “See you next Tuesday Wednesday” somewhere for me to find.
With ten minutes to go in the episode, I couldn’t have been more disappointed. If I wasn’t obligated to finish watching the episode, I most likely would have bailed right then and there. The whole situation is quite sad, really, because I wanted this show to be good.
In my many years of watching TV, I have noticed that anthology shows seem to be an undying staple of American television. I suppose it has something to do with the early days when it was a lot easier to get some writers and actors to work on one project for the week and then be done with it. As far as supernatural or horror anthology series go, it’s clear that The Twilight Zone is the standard by which all others are judged, but since the day TZ debuted, no other show has even come close.
There have been a few series with a decent episode here and there. Amazing Stories had its moments, and there are those that have a fondness for The Outer Limits, but shows like Darkroom, Monsters, Nightmares & Dreamscapes and both of the updated Twilight Zone abominations have all been supremely sub-par.
It’s clear to me that Fear Itself is no better. When the ending came and Lawson revealed that she was, in fact, the serial killer, I wasn’t surprised. I was, however, angry that none of the other questions got answered. Without going through the entire list, how about we just find out why Lawson’s character was so afraid of her groom when she knew all along that she was the killer and not her husband?
This episode was a failure to say the least, but the saddest part is that I will still watch next week in hopes that it gets better.
Eva Longoria and Tony Parker: Home, Sweet Home
Eva Longoria and Tony Parker: Home, Sweet Home
Following a post-NBA season trip around the globe, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker have arrived back home in Los Angeles, California.
The cute couple was spotted making a late night arrival to LAX Airport on Tuesday (June 10) - quickly scurrying past the paparazzi and into their awaiting ride.
As previously reported by , Eva and Tony spent the past weekend enjoying the offerings of New York City. The duo checked out good friend Mario Lopez on Broadway, along with a retail romp at the Big Apple’s finest shops.
Prior to NYC, Tony escorted Eva back to his homeland of France to spend time with family and take in a French playoff basketball game.
Lauren Conrad Shops, Audrina Patridge Talks
Lauren Conrad Shops, Audrina Patridge Talks
Now that she’s entered the fashion world with a line of her own, Lauren Conrad has all the reason she needs to spend days shopping with her girlfriends.
Checking out the latest offerings in West Hollywood, the star of MTV hit The Hills was spotted checking up on the latest trends with a gal pal yesterday.
Speaking of gal pals, LC’s new roomie, Audrina Patridge, has been speaking out of late about the never-ending drama between Lauren and Heidi Montag.
“Heidi and I were friends,” Patridge told People magazine. “I didn’t know Lauren, but Heidi and me always hung out, and then I became friends with Lauren … I mean, so many things change all the time.”
And now that Audrina’s become closer to Lauren, it’s going to take some work on Heidi’s part to win her old friend back.
“If I ran into her (Heidi) I wouldn’t go up to her … (She’s) another person who hurt my friend. If I saw her out and she came up to me to say ‘hi’ I’d say ‘hi,’ but I’m not going to go out of my way.”
Jessica Simpson Hits Macy’s Herald Square
Jessica Simpson Hits Macy’s Herald Square
As previously reported by the , Jessica Simpson is in New York City doing a little promotional work for all of her fashionable offerings.
The With You singer took to Macy’s Herald Square for an in-store appearance on Saturday morning, hoping to increase sales for her collections, which range from makeup and footwear to outerwear and handbags.
And just recently, it was announced that the Dukes of Hazzard babe is adding yet another product to the unending list that she already has on the market.
According to a press release, “Jessica Simpson has reportedly signed a deal with Parlux Fragrances to create her own line of fragrances becoming the latest in a long list to do so. Parlux is the power behind the successful scents from Paris Hilton. The company is also responsible for fragrances for tennis player Maria Sharapova. Twenty-seven year old Simpson’s new perfume is as yet unnamed but is expected to be available by summer 2008.”