Who is the recap voice over guy for Glee?

Ian Brennan is writer, actor and producer for his work on the television show Glee. He is the voice over guy doing the recap for Glee. Some people online have called him 'Ben Stein on speed.' but I even thought he was Kevin McHale (Artie) was the voice. Now that I see the face, I don't think that voice matches with his face. But that's just me.

Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Movie Review

SPOILER HEAVY

I have yet to see Part 1 and Part 2 back to back, but I did see Part 1 a few weeks ago and Part 2 this week. I read the book back in 2007 and the first movie covered more than half of the book. And the second mostly covers the war on Hogwarts, with the beginning the infiltration of Gringotts. The first part has the comical bits and pieces, especially the sneaking into the Ministry, but it is mostly a slow-moving sleepy movie. The part that stands out the most is the part that wasn't from the books.. Harry dancing with a depressed Hermione. Hermione stands out mostly in the first part, with Emma Watson's great acting.

The most inspiring scene is where Hermione has to wipe out her parents' memories, which was mentioned in the book but wasn't a scene. Slight liberties were taken out of the movie like Wormtail's fate (in the book, his hand kills him but he is just disarmed by Doby in the movie) and other little things. Minor details that do get this Potter fan is it is not explained how Hagrid ends up with the Deatheaters and Lupin and Tonks' kid. It is interrupted by Moody like in the book-their announcement but their relationship is barely touched upon in the movies and all of the sudden Harry mentions their son in the second part of the movie. But oh well, they assume major fans would know. But many fans have just seen the movies and not read the books.

The second part is a great Harry Potter movie, it is emotional, full of action and you feel everything come to a big conclusion and not like a weak conclusion to an eight season TV series. Most Sci-Fi TV series that end by the 7th or 9th year, most of the original cast has disappeared and they are barely out of money for big special effects but the battle on Hogwarts feels epic and you get to see a lot of old loved characters, actors all grown up like Seamus Finnigan, Lavender, Cho Chang, Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil. Cormac McLaggen appeared in the first part but not seen with the Dumbledore's Army in the second. Also in the book, Draco has his two minions Crabbe and Goyle. Goyle appears but Crabbe doesn't and it is because the actor Jamie Waylett had Marijuana problems. So they used Blaise Zabini (Louis Cordice), a minor Black character from Half-Blood Prince.

It is not explained where Crabbe is and nor who Blaise is so it looks like a random black guy appears. In the book Crabbe conjures fire and dies, in this Goyle does it and dies and Blaise survives. There is very little room for funny stuff, there is a couple of giggles here and there. One big giggle is Harry carried by Hagrid (thinking he is dead0, he drops on the floor to reveal he is alive. You'd expect he to jump and be gallant but ah, Harry, the boy who lived, a.k.a. the Chosen One, trips, which is real cool, that not even our semi-invulnerable hero is not above being a butt of jokes. A great end to a great Octology (Eight movies?).

Related: http://spanengrish.blogspot.com/2007/07/harry-potter-and-deathly-hallows-review.html

Jem Inspired T-Shirts and Keytars

WeLoveFine.com, the website of LA-based t-shirt imprint Mighty Fine are now working with Hasbro on a line of retro-inspired JEM apparel. Here are the first two shirts, which are in part inspired by the 80's fashion art of Patrick Nagel; we've got Jem in her classic look, as well Stormer, since she seems to still be the most popular Misfit.

http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=296
http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=304

In early 1970s, Edgar Winter often performed with keyboards slung around his neck, but they were not technically keytars because they had no "neck." Keytars (Keyboards and Guitars combined) started becoming famous in the 80's, and all us 80's kids know them best from Jem. In the toyline Kimber had a keytar but in the cartoon she had a keyboard. Stormer had a keytar on the show but not in the toyline. I remember keytars most from Jem. Keytars faded with more advanced technology in keyboards and synthesizers but they have become more sophisticated nowadays with a recent resurgence in use, especially from Lady Gaga.

Comic Book Legend: Lily Renée

She's always been modest, is she a legend just because she is female? No, I think she is a legend because she survived so much and just did what she had to do and what she was talented to do and was changing the world even when she didn't know it. Coming from a Viennese Jewish family, she was born in Austria and came to England, running from Nazis, not knowing if her parents were alive. Then her parents asked her to come to the US but UK refused to let her out, thinking she was a spy. A mysterious man helped her and she got a job fixing inking on comics and had to put up with sexism, lewd looks and lewd comments on the art itself. She was then given Sheena and given Werewolf Hunter and later Senorita Rio.

She left comics for nearly 50 years until Trina Robbins tracked her down. Her children never knew she drew comics until she told her grandchildren. n 2007, she attended her first comic book convention, Comic-Con International in San Diego, and Friends of Lulu nominated her to their Hall of Fame. She still lives in Manhattan, near Madison Avenue. In a recent Newsweek article, she remained humble, saying she was under appreciated in her time and over appreciated now. She says that back when during the war, she got messages from army men thanking her and calling 'Mr. Renee' as she often signed as L. Renee.

Her art evoked German expressionist films and her women were dressed in the high fashion of the day.

For the past 40 years I’d been told by big burly men that girls don’t like to read and don’t like to draw comics,” said Trina Robbins, a comic artist and historian who ultimately tracked down Phillips. “I knew somewhere inside me that that was wrong.”

Related: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/30/a-real-life-comic-book-superhero.html
| http://flashbackuniverse.blogspot.com/2008/12/free-comics-monday-planet-comics.html

Strike One Jon Stewart for the Gays

Jon Stewart has always been pro-gay and more progressive about LGBT issues and being a New York citizen, he is more intune with things. But just saying Michelle Bauchmann's husband Markus dancing 'gay' like and is Anti-Gay (with a born-again gay-away therapy), he gets Jerry Seinfeld to help him. But I think it had to do more about comedy and making fun of people. But Seinfeld, who judges men if they are effeminate, evidence by The Marriage Ref. It is ironic, or coincidental or hilarious that Jon is acting like Seinfeld on the Marriage Ref and Seinfeld is actually logic. Is it because it was written for Jerry or does he really feel that way? Because he did go 'blue' on the Marriage Ref, judging a husband for being 'gay' and going for cheap stereotypes. The bit between Jon and Jerry was pretty good. They actually dealt with not going for the 'obvious' stereotype, that Markus' dancing was effeminate and socially incorrectly believed to be 'gay.' Could Jon be intuitive enough to be comparing this behavior to Bauchmann's misuse of the word 'gay'?

Related: http://spanengrish.blogspot.com/2010/05/marriage-ref-thank-you-gwen.html

Bad Teacher Movie Review

I saw this movie a week and a half ago, Cameron Diaz plays a irresponsible and gold digging moral compass-impaired woman who is dumped by her rich fiancee and forced to work at a middle school. Her rival (Lucy Punch) steals the show with her energy and comic timing. Cameron's character Elizabeth never learns her lesson and we don't know who to root for. I think it would had been better if we were to root for her downfall. I miss the days of Cameron Diaz in "There's Something About Mary," her smile and winning laugh, which can't help her out of this. Justin Timberlake brilliantly doesn't break character in a sub teacher, heir to a big company who needs a clue (and a towel after pre-cumming during a dry hump fest). Phyllis Smith ("The Office") is cute and sweet, the movie is really funny but it seems the director leaves us out in sea with this dark comedy. I was more concerned about the children there at the R-rated movie, they probably went for Gibby (Noah Munck) of iCarly who says 'shit' in the movie. They now probably think they can get away with crazy things without consequences, not understanding the movie is a dark comedy and subversive.