House, M.D.: Season Four Review

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(More customer reviews)The fourth season of "House, M.D." was one of its best seasons yet. This very entertaining (and popular) drama series has already three strong seasons behind it, and season four does not disappoint. I was kind of weary going into season four because of what happened at the end of season three, when everyone's favorite crabby TV doc lost his team. I wasn't sure if this show would still be as good as it was, but I'm glad I stuck it out for season four. Give the writers credit, because this time they decided to have some fun going into the season, and great fun it was. The show at times is very dramatic, and at other times it's very funny.
The season starts off in the first episode with Dr. House still without a team and trying to diagnose a patient on his own, while Drs. Cuddy and Wilson (House's boss and good friend, respectively) try to persuade him to put together a new team by hiring some new doctors. The humor in episode one is still very much intact, especially in the scene where House tries to get ideas from the hospital janitor ("You were bouncing ideas off a janitor", Wilson tells him hilariously). When House finally decides to give in, there are 40 candidates vying for 3 positions on House's staff. And that's where the real fun of season four begins. The next several episodes turn into a "Survivor" type game where House eliminates the candidates one-by-one until he finally makes his final decision in the ninth episode. These episodes worked very well and it was a lot of fun to watch House play off these potential candidates. In the middle of all this, House's three former team members (Drs. Foreman, Cameron, and Chase) all return to Princeton-Plainsboro, but now working in new positions. The latter episodes deal with the three new doctors trying to deal with House as well as the patients they're diagnosing. And in an interesting subplot, Dr. Wilson finds a new love interest who just happens to be one of the same doctors who was trying to get onto House's staff and lost out. The final episode ends with a heartbreaker as House and company try to save the life of a person who was the victim of a bus crash, and House's inability to find out what really happened since he was also a victim of that same bus crash and has come down with temporary amnesia which makes the other doctors' jobs a whole lot harder.
Hugh Laurie once again dominates this show as he has from day one. Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Cuddy) and Robert Sean Leonard (Dr. Wilson) provide great support as usual. Omar Epps (Dr. Foreman) is back and is given a pretty good amount of screen time since his character is now overseeing and watching the new team. Former real-life couple Jennifer Morrison (Dr. Cameron) and Jesse Spencer (Dr. Chase) are also back, but weren't given much to do this time around. This is due to the three new cast members whose characters were the ones that House picked to make up his new team. Peter Jacobson (Dr. Taub), Kal Penn (Dr. Kutner), and Olivia Wilde (Thirteen) were the best ones for the job, and if I were a doctor and I had to chose some new team members, I would have picked these same characters. However I would have picked an additional fourth member to be on the staff: and that would have been Amber. Anne Dudek was a major standout in season four as Amber, who has a personality that's just like House. This character ended up being the last to go when House made his final decision on who he wanted for his team, but she was back (surprisingly) in the later episodes as Wilson's new girlfriend.
Because of the writers strike that shut down television production on all TV shows, the fourth season of "House" is shorter. Only 16 episodes this time around, but they're some of the best episodes that this terrific show has to offer. I hope it gets multiple Emmy nominations this year because it deserves them, and maybe this time out it'll win some Emmy Awards. My fingers are crossed.

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Prepare for even more baffling, complex and shocking medical mysteries than ever before as every season four episode of House arrives on DVD! Reunite with the perplexing and prickly Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie in his two-time Golden Globe®-winning role) as he tackles impossible cases while putting a new staff of potential team members – including Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle), Peter Jacobson (The Starter Wife), and Olivia Wilde (The Black Donnellys) – through the medical wringer with his trademark sarcasm and irreverent bedside manner. Get ready for another dose of one of TV’s most original dramas and what Entertainment Weekly calls “One of the most compelling characters in TV history.”

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House, M.D.: Season Three (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)You have to give the "House" production team credit. Your show has the "American Idol" lead-in and is often the highest-rated scripted drama on TV. However, instead of playing it safe with disease-of-the week plots, "House" swung for the fences several times: putting its main character in jail and threatening him with prison; ramping up the conflicts between all six of the main characters; and ending the year with a big cliffhanger that threatened to cut the main cast in half. Even when a given episode wasn't advancing the progressive storyline, the writers attempted to push the envelope with several politically themed episodes.
Early in Season 3, the big storyline revolved around recurring guest star David Morse, a detective out to get House and his questionable supply of Vicodin. In previous years, lengthy story arcs were given to Chi McBride and Sela Ward: would House lose his job? would House get married? This year, the theme was: would House go to prison? Morse dominated his episodes by playing the rare character that wouldn't back down to House. Although some media critics grew tired of the plot, which perhaps went on 2-3 episodes too long, the resolution was clever and allowed House to keep his dignity (and his job) without having to sacrifice... anything.
Several subplots emerged throughout the season, such as the romance between Drs. Chase and Cameron (first shown in season 2), and Dr. Foreman's growing dissatisfaction with having House as his mentor. House's fascination (or, some might say, obsession) with his boss, Dr. Cuddy, reached new levels. By the end of the season, House faced near mutiny from his underlings... and still didn't seem all that bothered. Perhaps House was too busy counseling a patient to end his life, or faking cancer in order to get a supply of pain medications. Perhaps he was dodging the romantic advances of a teenager, or trading in his case for a wheelchair in order to recover his handicapped parking spot. The more outrageous the behavior, the better Hugh Laurie was in the role. He even upgraded his cane to a model decorated with stars.
Standout guest stars this season included John Larroquette as a man waking up from a decade-long coma, Joel Grey as an ailing doctor, Dave Matthews as a stunted piano prodigy, and the return of Charles S. Dutton as Foreman's dad.
While the "House" season DVDs are never what you'd call packed with extras, the tightly knotted plots and the rapid-fire dialogue makes this a great show to watch more than once. Also try and track down plot-lines that never quite went anywhere, like Cuddy's rumored pregnancy or her not-quite romance with Wilson.
"House" season 3 drew top ratings while continuing with the show's unflinching dialogue and medical situations. This may not have been a great year for "Grey's Anatomy" or "E.R.", so cruise on over to Princeton Plainsborough for a few hours of intense hospital drama.

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Above the Rim (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)With the Passing of Actor, Rapper, Tu Pac Shakur we may never know how great his acting could have gotten. In this 1994 memorable performance he puts in a chemistry that connects well to his story.This movie may have one of the simplest storylines about basketball honor but it is really a metaphor for deeper issues. Kyle played well by Duayne Martin is a high school basketball great who needs more coaching than his coach can handle because most of his needs are off the court. Shep (Leon) is a former high school great who never made the big leagues beacause he was accused of killing his brother during a one on one game on a roof. Shep taunted his brother for not being near the player he was but obviously never intended manslaughter. The interesting piece is that Shep has a mental block and cannot move past this incident. He even seems to be in severe depression. Kyle needs coaching and Shep needs to be needed. Seems simple. Not so fast! In comes Birdie played by Tu Pac who is livid when his living big brother Shep returns to bury their dead mother and wants no part of his underworld ways. Birdies influence is more effective on Kyle than Shep, But that's about to change! Good perfomances by Marlon Waynans, Kyles friend Bugaloo and Bernie Mac the bumb in the park, Flip. Good Soundtrack. The movie moves fast but keys in on more than just jumpers and foul shots. This is not a movie about basketball rather a basketball movie about people with zeal, integrity, emptiness and anti social behavior. Some characters have more than one trait. Some have more than one flaw. While watching this one you'll want to see where everyone ends up.

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A hot prospect threatens his college career by playing in a high stakes street basketball tournament. Starring Duane Martin, Tupac Shakur and Marlon Wayans. Year: 1994 Director: Jeff Pollack Starring: Duane Martin Leon, Tupac Shakur, Marlon Wayans

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House, M.D.: Season Six (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)**possible spoilers**
Season 5 of the series House ended memorably with a well-edited contrast: family and friends at warm wedding vs. Wilson watching the broken doctor as he checked himself into a hospital on a cold and gray day. Season 6 starts off with House (Hugh Laurie) in treatment for his vicodin addiction, an addiction which had fueled a series of devastating (yet revealing) hallucinations. Viewers know how House treats "normal" people (that is to say, not with warm and fuzzy feelings) and in the beginning of Season 6 they are treated to House interacting with "abnormal" people. House, ever the equal opportunity offender, does not seem too changed by his stint in Mayfield hospital. Andre Braugher (of "Homicide") was well cast as House's experienced, nothing-shocks-him therapist, able to go head-to-head with House, and there is a guest role by Franka Potente ("Run Lola Run") as a beautiful visitor to the hospital with whom House has a brief relationship.
The writers are able to take House out of his comfort zone, surround him with multi-dimensional characters, and still have House stand out. Don't expect any blatant epiphanies in therapy for House about why he is the way he is. Is it the pain, is it the drugs, his relationship with is father, is it the curse of being a genius? There are no resolutions to go back into the "real world," settle down and live happily ever after. Thank goodness!
The epiphanies are of course saved for the hospital, when House returns to work. He gradually becomes more confident in his ability to solve cases. Even after five previous seasons, the writers are able to come up with all new cases and all new characters for House to read right through.
That being said, Season 6 delves more of the personal lives of the characters than prior seasons: Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) as she balances being a mom, with a love life, and with the demands of her job; Cuddy and House; Taub (Peter Jacobson) and his wife, Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) and Foreman (Omar Epps), Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) and House (some of the best dialogue from the show still occurs between those two), Wilson and his ex-wife. Of particular note, Dr. Chase (played by Jesse Spencer) finally gets some great story lines dealing with secrets, morality and ethics (which the show has always been great at raising discussions about). By Season 6, Robert Chase is no longer the doctor who always tries to stay on House's good side, or agree with House, or play it safe. In past seasons, it was Foreman who had to gain independence from House. In Season 6, Cuddy struggles with it, Taub struggles with it, Wilson starts to and Dr. Chase definitely does, but with severe professional and personal consequences. Of course, there was also the strawberry body butter incident(season 5). Gotta love the variety in the show!
In past seasons, there has been at least one reference (that I can recall) to a patient who died while under House's care. In Season 6, viewers witness other patients not making it. When it happens to House or his team, there will be and were huge ramifications.
Overall, another great season for House.Even after five seasons, Hugh Laurie is able to make House a multi-dimensional character, capable of stinging one-liners but also of conveying internal trauma. How he could not have won every Emmy and golden globe since House was on the air is beyond me. Don't award committees love drug addicts, people pulling off accents, and people in mental institutions? It's the trifecta!
Regarding the famed House/Cuddy relationship, I was probably in the minority by not being too keen on the idea, I thought it might get too "Grey's Anatomy" if you'll pardon the other medical show reference. However, the writers managed (who knows how) to put an original spin on their relationship, it is certainly kept far from the soap opera-ish realm of workplace romances, probably because the characters involved both have complex motivations. It will be interesting to see if House and Cuddy can make it, and in any case, it at least won't be a television cliché.
House fans have come to expect changes in House's team each season finale and true to form, Season 6 does not deviate as one cast member seems to be departing.
Bravo once again! Bravo!

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Get ready for a full dose of medical mysteries with 21 episodes of the riveting drama series, House. Hugh Laurie is joined by James Earl Jones (Star Wars), Laura Prepon (That '70s Show) and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum) in guest appearances as he returns to his Golden Globe® winning and Primetime Emmy® Award-nominated role as Dr. Gregory House. In this brilliant sixth season, House finds himself in an uncomfortable position— away from the examination room. As he works to regain his license and his life, his coworkers deal with the staff shakeups, moral dilemmas, and their own tricky relationships with House. And when House returns more obstinate than ever, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital will never be the same again.

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Juice (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)In other words, don't start getting ridiculous, going crazy and all, like Tupac's best character ever, the one he came to maybe live out, some would say. Pac's performance is truly amazing, let's not forget, he was a trained actor before he even got into hip hop, so this maybe shouldn't be SO surprising, but for the fact that he hits it so well because, well, it's him. This is Omar Epps first movie (I think) as well, and he was excellent, as was the guys who played Rahim and Steel. The movie is great and well shot, with excellent music throughout. It's primarily the story of a dj (Epps), really, just trying to get on, and his friends, and the possibilities that can erupt in every man's struggle for respect. Never mind the critics, they seem to critique all black movies the same. This film is unique. It's NOT that violent, especially in the day of Quentin Tarantino or even Menace II Society. There's cameos by tons of rappers, including Special Ed, EPMD, Latifah, Naughty by Nature, and others. But they're small and inconsequential roles for the most part (as they should be). Don't watch this movie as any commentary on Harlem or on black youths or any of that trash. Only racists try to generalize and make every movie that a black person makes into an all-encompassing Statement of Reality. It's overall a somewhat fun movie with a strong bite to it. And it's got a classic soundtrack, the first of the many rap soundtracks that would come out with every movie after this. It's perfect, not too ambitious, doesn't try too hard, isn't a real "tear jerker" though it can be touching. Overall, I'd say its a classic and ten years later, its still as enjoyable.

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Four young Harlem friends spend their time hanging out and looking for power and respect, called juice. It all goes wrong when they pull an armed robbery.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: RRelease Date: 29-DEC-2004Media Type: DVD

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Love and Basketball (New Line Platinum Series) (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I first saw Love & Basketball at the premiere of the movie with all the stars. It was a special viewing where there was almost not a dry eye at the end of the film from tears of joy. I think you cannot get a better chemistry of on screen love then Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. I guess the film was their destiny, because last I heard they were engaged to be married in real life. The film is simply a beautiful epic that combines a little bit of everthing from drama, comedy, action and romance. You not only care about the characters in this film, you actually see them grow up on screen.
Love & Basketball is definitely one of my all-time favorite films. It seemed so realistic as if it was a true story, and I myself being a USC graduate and former Trojan athlete from the area the film is set in can attest that the film is very realistic and true to the story being told. This film is about the true undying love of two things: the love of basketball which sees both characters in their pre-teen days on the basketball court to their days of both being professional basketball players in the hometown. It's also about the true love between a man and a woman that had to evolve and elevate just like their basketball skills had to succeed. "All is fair in love and basketball"!
The DVD version of this film is a true treasure. I love every bit of it and it gives the viewer their money's worth. The producers of this DVD out did their self with giving the view a whole complete vision of what they expressed on the screen. The two original documentaries: "The Rise Of Female Athletes" and "The Portrayal Of African-American Women By The American Media" are outstanding and really conveys the point of view the writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood experienced herself as a basketball player. Plus, the deleted scenes and bloopers, three feature length commentaries, storyboards, and music video of Lucy Pearl's hit are a treat! One thing I truly loved as a screen writer was the whole screen play of the film on the DVD. This not only helped me understand the film more, but also helped me as a screen writer as well.
Love & Basketball is definitely a classic! I loved this film when I first saw it, and I still love it today, maybe even more because of the outstanding DVD version of it. This film makes you believe in the power of Love and Basketball!

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