Monthly Archives: April 2013

T is for… Teen Wolf/Tru Calling #AtoZChallenge

T is for… Teen Wolf/Tru Calling

Teen Wolf is the second TV series in my list that derives from a somewhat fluffy movie start (the first being Buffy). I loved the Michael J Fox Teen Wolf movie (not as fond of Teen Wolf Too though). When I saw there was a series starting I had to watch it.

Teen Wolf is much more serious, with better special effects and lacrosse (which I’ve wanted to play since reading Malory Towers) instead of basketball.

Basic premise – Scott gets bitten by a werewolf and turns! Werewolves and teens mix well because of the parallels with raging hormones. Throw in some hunters, one of which is a gorgeous girl and you also get a Romeo and Juliet feel of forbidden love.

My favourite character though is Stiles (Scott’s best friend who he confides in) – who does provide much of the comic relief.

Ned Vizzini who I interviewed for the House of Secrets blog tour at the weekend has also written for this show – I asked him about the difference between scriptwriting and writing novels.

This is a current show, I’ve seen the first two seasons and there is a third on its way.

Tru Calling is the fourth show in the list to star Eliza Dushku – Angel and Buffy as Faith and Dollhouse as Echo. This is not a Joss Whedon show though and I just read that she turned down a Faith spin off to star in Tru Calling.
Eliza plays Tru Davies who is a wannabe medical student who works in the morgue and discovers that when a corpse asks her for help that she repeats days to change their fate.

This ran from 2003 − 2005 and had two seasons (the second only 6 episodes, the first 20). The second season was never shown on TV in the UK so I only got the chance to see it on DVD.

Looking at the cast list now I see a lot of familiar names, A.J. Cook – Criminal Minds (JJ), Matt ‘White Collar’ Bomer, Jason ’Beverly Hills 90210’ Priestly and Zach ‘The Hangover’ Galifianakis.

A few stand out episodes here.

Putting Out Fires – Season 1 Episode 2
Tru tries to save a young firefighter who died saving a child.

Brother’s Keeper – Season 1 Episode 3
This time it’s Tru’s brother who asks for help.

Haunted – Season 1 Episode 5
Medical students performing dangerous experiments – reminds me of Flatliners.

The Longest Day – Season 1 Episode 11
Tru’s Groundhog Day – each repeated day someone different dies – will Tru get out of the loop and solve what she needs to.

And a quick nod to True Blood

Interestingly for a vampire fan I’m still not 100% sure about True Blood and am now a season behind. I have bought some of the books the series is based on but not read them yet. This is darker in tone than most shows I watch and the opening credits freak me out.

So which is it for you, werewolves, vampires or day repeaters?

Posted in April A-Z Challenge, Film and TV Reviews

S is for… Situating Everyday Life (Book) #AtoZChallenge

Apr 23

Posted by kirstyes

S is for… Situating Everyday Life (Book)

Another book I’m yet to read – but I love the front cover of this one. I have to admit to being very grateful to my dishwasher – my back has definitely been less painful since I got one.

From the back cover:
‘This agenda-setting book provides a coherent, interdisciplinary way to engage with everyday activities and environments. Arguing for an innovative, ethnographic approach…’

Some of my fellow OTs and other online fans may be interested in Chapter 8 – The Digital Places of Everyday Life: Thinking About Activism and the Internet

Chapters for me:
Chapter 1 – Introduction: (Re) Thinking about Everyday Life and Activities
Chapter 2 – Theorising the Familiar: Practices and Places
Chapter 3 – Researching Practices, Places and Representations: Methodologies and Methods

My thoughts:
I think this book may help inform my research methodology – there seems to be discussion of use of online technologies in this (something I mentioned being interested in, in my R post on Saturday).
The idea of the everyday interests me – I have always said I want to look at the ‘everyday’ experience of creative writing rather than looking at creative writing as therapy.
A quick scan through the reference list at the back doesn’t immediately show up obvious OT or Occupational Science literature (hopefully I will find something when I look more closely, if not there is a question that needs asking again about how we can share our insights with others).
I really do love my dishwasher!!

What aspect of your everyday life do you think is worthy of further study?

Posted in April A-Z Challenge, OT/Lecturing/PhD Reviews, PhD

S is for… Supernatural and some more #AtoZChallenge

Apr 22

Posted by kirstyes

S is for… Supernatural and some more

In a series of posts on Supernatural/Sci-Fi and Fantasy shows it only makes sense to mention the one and only Supernatural. (Please note there may be some slight spoilers below)

Top Reason to love Supernatural – Jensen Ackles – here he is bloopering away.

Two brothers follow in their demon hunting father’s footsteps to battle all manner of demons – they go to hell and back – literally.

Standout episodes – I may have gone a bit overboard and found it hard to stop (no season 8 shown here in the UK yet).

Bloody Mary – Season 1 Episode 5
I could never play this ‘game’ when I was younger – this episode reassured me that I was right to stop at one mention (yup too scaredy cat to even say it twice let alone the fated three).

In My Time of Dying – Season 2 Episode 1
Dean has a scar like mine after a nasty car accident (shock ending of season 1). Jeffrey Dean Morgan suits a hospital bed (as he did as Denny in Grey’s Anatomy).

Ghostfacers – Season 3 Episode 13
Now if reality supernatural TV had Sam and Dean I might watch it.

Lazurus Rising – Season 4 Episode 1
We get introduced to Castiel – enough said.

The Monster at the End of This Book – Season 4 Episode 18
An author has been writing Sam and Dean stories – how?

Changing Channels – Season 5 Episode 8
Stuck in TV shows – reminds me of a game my sister and I used to play with some friends when we were younger.

Abandon All Hope – Season 5 Episode 10
Can’t tell you why this episode stands out but it made me cry

The French Mistake – Season 6 Episode 15
Sam and Dean end up in an alternate universe where they are actors in the show Supernatural – adore Misha (Cas) in this episode and would love for them to do a second episode where the actors end up in the real situation.

Slash Fiction – Season 7 Episode 6
How do you try and stop Sam and Dean – clone them – twice as pretty but too mean.

I also love Supernatural for introducing me to Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas – used in their ‘The Road so far’ season summaries.

S is a good letter so here’s a quick nod to
The Secret Circle – based on books written by L.J. Smith who also wrote The Vampire Diaries – the series was very different from the books (basic premise and characters only) and they only let us have the one season before cancelling it.