Happy Birthday to Me!
Yes, it's my birthday tommorow (Sunday)! I'm turning 21 and you know what that means... that I can do basically everything I could before. Turning 18 was more fun. But the rabble are all returning from their universities to share in the joy, yay! And in the summer it's roadtrip time.
Now to the real point of this blog.
Lost Finale (Spoilers)
Desmond makes us 'aww', Benry continues to be evil and inscrutable, Kate distracts us with more Kate!faces and Jack exhibits new levels of dickery. Why it must be a Lost season finale!
Ok, I was rather underwhelmed by the Lost finale this year, although they would've had to have done something completely amazing to top season threes fantastic season ender. 
I was surprised Locke was in the coffin... and now I'm completely confused.
The highlight of the episode for me was Penny and Des reuniting. I think Lost has successfully made me cry every god damn episode this season!
I didn't like that they actually killed Jin off... I'm also wondering if this was really the end of Micheal. Questions questions questions.
I also liked Sawyer proving he's a hero, especially more than Jackarse, one who will continue to kick arse and take names. Sawyer jumping out of the helicopter to save everyone else was awesome, I'm happy the direction his character is taking -- it's looking less and less likely that he'll end up dying in the end.
What happened to my beloved Daniel!? I don't think they showed us whether he and the others were moved with the island or blown to kingdom come with the boaties.
Poor Jules. She always get jipped, and now she thinks Jack is dead. I hope she gets off CrapHole Island soon.
He's evol.
Benry attempting to move CrapHole Island, oh Ben you magnificent bastard! Seriously Micheal Emerson needs to win an Emmy.
I love Daniel and Charlotte. They're goodbye was quite sad. I read somewhere that some people think Charlotte is Annie. Not too sure about that one.
Posted by electricpeppers, 05/31/2008 4:33pm 30 Comments
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Digg thisRin Tin Tin!
Yeah I'm incredibly bored so I thought I would spread the boredom by blogging. I've haven't written a blog in literally a year so here I am!
I've actually spent the entire day procrastinating... I have my final set of exams next week for my last year of university -- my first exam is next monday and it's on the English Civil Wars. I'm having trouble concentrating on revision, but I'll get my head down tommorow. In the mean time I nicked this from my BFFs myspace.
What is your name?
Rebecca!
What is your middle name?
Hannah, you can spell it the same way backwards or forwards. It's crazy that way.
How old are you?
20
Where are you from?
Hertfordshire, England. Pride and Prejudice county, oh yeah.
What is your racial heritage?
My mum is English and my dad was born and bred in Iran until he moved here in the 1980's to study. I'm half English and Iranian, I'm also somewhat Welsh. The British side of my Granddads family are Welsh farmers. Basically I am a bloody mongrel! My dad + my mum makes me 100% complete country bumpkin.
What do you do?
Student bum gathering debt. I'm studying History at university because I'm awesome like that.
Do you know your star sign?
Yes, I'm that crazy contradicting mess of a personality known as a Gemini.
What colour is your hair?
Very long and medium brown. In the past it has been every colour of the rainbow... not really.
What colour are you eyes?
Blue!
How tall are you?
5'2. Shut up.
Do you have freckles?
No. I'm just white as a sheet. Typical English person.
What is your favourite colour?
Deep red. I don't know.
What is your favourite animal?
I'm a cat person because dogs are evil and they stink up the joint.
What is your favourite TV show?
Lost, and Gossip Girl at the moment.
Which Fictional charcater are you most like?
Lois Lane, we're noth abrasive b*tches. In a good way.
What are you favourite films?
The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption and Donnie Darko -- all of which (if anyone has not seen them) people should go watch right now! GOOOO!
What is your favourite type of music?
Rock n' Roll and Indie. I like pop 70's and 80's music too. Favourite bands include: Plain White T's, Paramore, Thrice, Panic! At the Disco, The Killers, Yellowcard, The Eagles, Green Day (the old stuff), Ok Go and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
What was the first music festival you went to?
Never been to any festivals, but my first gig was going to see Angels and Airwaves. Tom DeLonge oh yes! Too bad it wasn't Blink 182.
What is your favourite subject?
Hmm, I absolutely adore academic History but I'm not as good at it as I am philosophy. I have a philosophical mind and I'm pretty sure I'm a theologian at heart. Hopefully I'll go back to university someday to study what I should have done all along.
Are you addicted to anything?
Benefit makeup. And cleaning, books as well.
What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
I can not go into that here! 
Have you ever been drunk?
Of course I have. It's rare for me nowadays though, mainly because I think it's a stupid thing to do.
Have you ever dyed your hair pink or purple?
No. But when I was 18 I dyed my hair black and then bleached strands of it blonde, I think it was my way of attempting non-conformity. Although after my hair colour changed a great many times thereafter, I decided to go back to my au natural shade. I'm back to my genetic colouring now.
What colour is your room?
Pale teal (pastel greeny-blue) and white. It's pretty!
Do you speak any other languages?
No, I speak a little Farsi though. I learned it while I was in Iran, I can call someone a 'fat cow' or an 'ugly person'. I can also exchange pleasantries. 
Do you keep a journal?
Sporadically.
Do you like tortoises?
Why not?
Is the sky blue?
No, actually.
Daffodils are yellow.
Well observed Sherlock.
Which evil dictator would win in a fight? Stalin or Hilter?
Oh man, Stalin FTW!
Tell me an interesting fact about you?
Uhh, I have hay fever? I also burn in the sun because I'm so damn pale.
Have you ever had stitches?
Several times. I split my head open when I was 4 and I have the biggest f***ing scar ever in my hairline, luckily my fringe covers the bastard and it's invisible. I also had stitches on my lip because I was bitten by a dog when I was 9. Lol.
Describe yourself in one word.
Fickle.
I'm...
...Going away today. Oh yes Somerset here I come! I'm visiting friends there for a few days (my last hurrah before university starts again in a couple of weeks). Hopefully the pollen season has finished too -- the countryside can be evil that way.
But anyways aside from point collecting as the purpose of this blog, I've been a bit rubbish with commenting on peoples blogs lately so, sorry about that I've just been kinda busy.
See ya.
Buffy TV Movie: Ripper Announced!
Joss announced at Comic-Con yesterday that a Ripper TV movie was in the works! The Giles one... Gaah.
I.Have.No.Words.
The most exciting news of all: Ripper is in effect! Ripper is the long-discussed story of Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) pre-Buffy. Who knows whether or not this plot will stay the same, but Head is on board as is the BBC, which is planning to film the story as one 90 minute TV movie.
Supernatural Season 3 SPOILERS! And Other Stuff...
The BBC have finally started showing Heroes, and I have to admit I found it enjoyable. It was far more comic-book-y than I presumed it was going to be. Although, a great deal of the dialogue was considerably clunky and there was a lot of dodgy acting going on in the Pilot. I've only seen the first two episodes but I have a good impression of it thus far. I hear it gets better, so I look forward to that... but anyway:
Supernatural (season 3)
So Supernatural have cast two women to play Ruby and Bela in season three; Bela is a mercenary type figure who seems reminiscent of Gwen in Angel. She is going to be stealing things (magical junk) that is apparently worth a fair bit, and selling it on. Ruby is a Hunter who will be more experienced than Sam and Dean.
Ruby has been cast:
Bela has been cast:
Katie Cassidy (top) will play Ruby and Lauren Cohan (above photo) will play Bela. I'm excited about seeing Lauren Cohan in action; she's going to be more interesting in terms of acting. From what little I've seen of her she comes off very natural and mature. Cassidy is only 20! And she shows it, the SPN people aren't happy about Cassidy's casting although I think time will tell if she can act. But I'm pretty sure only one of them will make it to a fourth season and it'll probably be Bela (Lauren Cohan). The fans seem to be optimistic about her casting and so am I.
Coincidently both actors auditioned for each others role and then were reversed when they were cast. Also, Laurens Cohan's character (Bela) has been changed so she's English, to accommodate her accent. I'm looking forward to season three; most SPN fans seem to be dreading it! It's about time the show cast some female actors. So I'm happy. There are two interviews with the girls here and here.
My Recent Reviews
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Gossip Girl Avg Score: 8.79 Total Ratings: 4588 Total Reviews: 181 Users who agree: 1 |
Now, I was a huge VM fan so I only watched this show initially because the wonderful Kristen Bell is acting as the voice of Gossip Girl. So I came for KB (not expecting much in the way of good plot etc.) but ended up staying for the awesome writing, acting and colourful characters. When I first saw the Pilot I was rolling my eyes a great deal and nearly did not come back to watch the next episode; I'm glad I gave the show another chance because I would have been missing out on what is a great show, the Pilot was just a creative blip. The Pilot is literally the worst episode of the season and the whole show improves leaps and bounds from thereon in.
My favourite characters by a huge mile are the two fan favourites Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf. I have to give the writers huge kudos for putting them together in the middle of the season, I always thought they would be an interesting pairing but never thought they would actually get together. Chuck and Blair's immense popularity as a couple and as individual characters is a testament to the excellent acting of Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester -- who literally always steal any scene they appear in. Westwick and Meester also have the most explosive and heated chemistry of any of the cast; their scenes just radiate heat. Blair is initially presented as a nasty, vindictive girl, although it's this ruthless mean -side to her that is part of what makes her lovable; her scheming is particularly brilliant in episodes like The Roman Holiday. You can't help but root for her, especially as her deep seated insecurities are revealed -- it's all these traits that make Blair the shows protagonist because she is presented as some who is imperfect, but tries to be perfect, it's this controlling flaw in her character that she struggles with. 'I'm Chuck Bass' Chuck is wonderful in his own right, the sexually promiscuous and somewhat nasty person is basically as vindictive and scheming as Blair. He's an excellent manipulator but as he falls in love with Blair the audience is shown with some fantastic writing that he's far more complex than he first appeared to be; of course Chuck would not be half as interesting without Westwicks charisma and acting nuance.
The other characters Gossip Girl focuses on is Nate Archibald, Serena Van Der Woodsen, Dan Humphrey, Jenny Humphrey, and various other secondary characters. Dan and Serena's not so torrid relationship is the focal point of the season along with the Nate/Blair/Chuck love triangle. As the triangle culminates in episode thirteen a new arc begins with guest star Michelle Trachtenburg, who is evil to delicious degrees. The first thirteen episodes of the season are well written, acted and all the episodes tend to contain various amounts of symmetry and subtext, particularly episodes like Hi-Society which exposes the weaknesses in Chucks character in a very Shakespearian manner. The whole core of that episode is very Othello. The post strike episodes are well conceived but some plotlines are rushed and lacked cohesion, indeed the story arcs and the rate in which they unfolded was exponentially swift. The season initially starts out with the triangle of Blair/Serena/Nate but that soon is all but dropped in favour of more viable storylines; at the end of the day the most stabilizing relationship of the show is between Blair and Serena. The season finale 'Much I Do About Nothing' (there is a season two coming, yay!) is fantastic albeit slightly heartbreaking in its final moments; it centers around a wedding which involves all the regular characters -- it very much acts as a taster for what one can expect in season two, with people like Chuck and Blair at center stage. Gossip Girl is a fantastic show which I would highly recommend to anyone to watch, it's most certainly a step above the average teenage drama.
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Heroes Avg Score: 9.30 Total Ratings: 26982 Total Reviews: 1219 |
The principle characters on Heroes are extremely varied and diverse. There is most certainly someone for everybody to relate to. Whether it be sensitive Peter, gutsy Claire or the rather `mild mannered' Gabriel Gray; there is always someone interesting and hence a story worth following. There are certain characters in particular I found to be extremely fascinating namely Sylar exquisitely played by Zachary Quinto and Mr Bennet (HRG) played by Jack Coleman. Without these actors I doubt the characters would have been portrayed in such an intriguing way, both tend to own the screen with sheer intense magnetism. That kind of screen presence is a rarity in film let alone television. I suspect some of the bumps down the road for their characters would have been different had they been acted by other people. In all honesty every character on Heroes is well acted and the actors themselves are incredibly well cast. It's unusual to have such a large cast and not to have a weak link amongst them. Every character has an absorbing story to tell, this is due both to the writing and to the sympathetic portrayal by the actors.
There is a very distinct stylized visual theme to Heroes. The series itself is set into volumes and the first season is known as `Volume One: Genesis'; the episodes themselves are labelled as `chapters'. The look of the show has been heavily influenced by comic books and the show even goes as far as to put filters on the cameras to give each location a distinctive colour; New York is generally very blue whilst Texas is seen as yellow or sepia toned. Even the subtitles are made in such a way that they loosely resemble the pattern of speech bubbles a la comic books. This gives Heroes a unique vibe and sets it apart from many of the more generic genre shows on television. The comic book connotations are everywhere, supplanted throughout the narrative not only in the written script but in the scenery too. There is many a homage to various comic book characters; an obvious one is the Clark Kent/Superman parallel to Sylar.
The plot and writing on Heroes is generally excellent with the narrative rounding off quite nicely in the finale episode `How to Stop an Exploding Man'. Some found the finale anti-climatic but I would disagree with that. This is just the beginning after all. I won't give anyway any plot arcs but there are several running through the first season which will all get resolved come the end. Rewatching the season is very rewarding since things come together more upon repeated viewings. One of Heroes greatest strengths as a series is how much is going on in any one episode; the subtext in the acting, to the visual clues in the direction is what sets this show above and beyond many others right now. Overall this show has everything in spades, compelling acting, interesting and complex characters, a fascinating villain, Sylar, whom I am sure will go down in history as one of the greatest screen villains of all time; and a compelling story that doesn't try to make it easy for the viewers. This show is convoluted and it expects you to keep up, it begins with the introduction to the characters and its plots; once the story gets going it's full steam ahead (with many a plot twist along the way). Heroes Volume One left me begging for more, thankfully season two is already well on the way!
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Avg Score: 9.18 Total Ratings: 12006 Total Reviews: 856 |
Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is quite possibly the best season of the bunch. While the series peters off rather a lot during its final two years the first few seasons truly remain emotionally resonant, beautiful, complicated and well written metaphors for the emotional trials of becoming an adult. Season 2 is by definition, where things get darker and more complex, this was the season that really made Buffy an unpredictably smart series. The beginning of the year starts off a little unsteady with several episodes that aren't really all that well formed. Yet despite a few shaky plots these early stories contain a lot of interaction between the main characters -- fun moments that really give the show its character-driven quality. The latter half of the season contains the best arc ever conceived in Buffyverse history with the emergence of Angelus. The season opens with 'When She Was Bad' which deals with the fallout of Buffy's momentary death in the previous year one finale; this episode, whilst not my favourite is appropriately handled and sees Buffy acting rather out of character after returning from her summer away from Sunnydale. The preceding episodes are a fun affair and help the viewer to settle back into the rhythm of the series with various episodes focusing upon certain characters. The 'Big Bads' of the season appear early on and come in the form of Drusilla and Spike, the former being a rather off-her-rocker vampire and the latter a bleached, leather wearing, cocky undead Englishman! As villains they are a lot of fun and help to shape season 2 as something unique and well constructed. However, come the end of the year things are considerably shaken up in terms of 'the Big Bads', with the appearance of Angelus.
Willow, Xander and Giles all find themselves venturing into new territory: dating! Cordelia continues to redeem herself and becomes a fully fledged scoobygang member, whilst Buffy and Angel undergo many changes to their relationship which is mostly the driving force of the season. By the middle of the season the episodes gradually become darker and a more coherent storyarc begins to emerge, starting with the events of 'Surprise (Part 1)' which culminate in the emotional and incredibly shocking 'Innocence' (Part 2). Said episodes are some of the best in the history of the series and set in motion events that help to lead to the end of the season. The circumstances surrounding this two parter does literally change everything once established between Buffy and Angel; and brings into question their future. The continuity, witty one liners, oblique use of language does continue into this season and helps to boost the chemistry between the actors as they discuss, for example the oddness of some TV movies and sore thumbs (among other things!). These subtle touches give the season a vibrancy and kooky edge; what makes Buffy such an enjoyable show is the warmth and heart it retains, mostly provided by the actors but also by the wonderfully consistent writing.
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The O.C. Avg Score: 8.72 Total Ratings: 12993 Total Reviews: 1040 Users who agree: 3 |
The OC was at its creative height in the first season and the final chapter closes the door in a remarkable flurry of quirky, nostalgic and romantic episodes. I have always been of the opinion that this show worked better as a romantic comedy and with much gratification this strength was put to appropriate use this year. The OC never worked as a serious drama henceforth the final season sought to fix that issue and consequently delivers numerable episodes which can be easily considered some of the strongest of the entire series. The OC is about as flawless as a narrative in this medium can be. The second and third season are weakest, but one cannot deny that there is little fault in such a funny and innovative season of television such as season one and four.
The new-ish characters, namely Taylor Townsend et al. and the new relationships formed in the final season really drive forward the considerably shorter run of episodes (16 in fact) in a way one has not seen since the beginning. Autumn Reeser, an incredibly nuanced actress, is quite the revelation as she steals almost every scene she appears in. Having said that without giving away any plot points Taylor and her new love interest couldn't have more electric and beautiful chemistry; the romance in season 4 was poetically handled all round with humour and wit, something that has been in deprivation previously. Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson prove they can still be one of the only couples on television that are actually more fun together than apart; Ben McKenzie absolutely shines this season and Ryan has a wonderfully realized character arc that assumes the focus of the story as it should. One can really tell the actor was enjoying himself this year.
The series finale is moving, poignant and I freely admit to blubbing my way through much of the entirety of this season, the finale being no different. But never fear there is plenty of sqeeing like fangirl to be had too :)! A thoroughly enjoyable run of episodes in a series that was sadly cut short. But thankful for small mercies the OC went out in a blaze of glory not to mention a creative high. The final episode acts as a rewarding payoff for both long and short term fans with a healthy dose of irony and melancholy the sun finally sets on the OC as we flash forward several years in the future to revisit our favourite characters. The finale could not have been more fitting; the last scenes might just stand as the most perfect 10 minutes of the entire series as the story comes full circle. So why watch this season? If you want funny situations, tongue in cheek dialogue, romance abounds and the haunting tribute to characters past watch the season that had critics everywhere praising it's creative choices and led to so many old fans returning. Watch and judge for yourself, no one can quibble at the quality of the writing.
So that's it. The end of an era. The OC it's been an interesting and (at times) irritating ride but I wouldn't take back any of it, not one single second. Redemption was had in the end, season 4. The perfect way to say goodbye to a transcendent show.
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One Tree Hill Avg Score: 9.01 Total Ratings: 11312 Total Reviews: 1113 Users who agree: 1 Users who disagree: 1 |
The Good:
OTH is at its best in the first season and doesn't rely on so much appallingly over the top drama and plot contrivance. The first season is far quieter than the future ones and holds onto character focus to drive the plot forward. The basic premise for the show is two half brothers (Nathan and Lucas Scott) one born illegitimately (Lucas) and one (Nathan) born and raised by Dan. The boys eventually find their way onto the same OTH basketball team at school. Lucas was raised not knowing his father (Dan) by his mother Karen, and consequently hates Dan for abandoning her after she became pregnant in her senior year of school. Nathan was raised by his father Dan and his mother Debra who became pregnant in the first year of university. Both boys dislike one another and were raised very differently hence their opposing attitudes. Lucas as the quiet, intelligent boy and Nathan as the atypical womanizing teenage boy obviously influenced by his Machiavellian father. As a consequence wackiness ensues.
The acting from the adult cast is always high quality and one can often tell they turn flat writing into decent material. One thing OTH did well was advancing the character arcs for several characters; most notably Peyton who I could not stand in the first few episodes but her journey over the course of the season was well written and sympathetic. The Jake storyline was my favourite and was handled in a realistic manner; the romance that he eventually becomes involved in is one of the only well written love stories this show has ever produced - one that progresses steadily here and on into next season. Kudos to the writers on that one. They obviously took great care in the way they wrote it, and it showed. Credit where credits due: Dan; he's complex, manipulative and one of the most well acted and intriguing characters on this show. Another character worth the mention here is Nathan portrayed by James Lafferty who in turn managed to create this wonderful redemptive arc for his character in a believable manner. OTH has some funny and vibrant episodes; not to mention some wonderfully emotional moments that resonate far more than the campy drama. There is enough redeeming value in the series to make it enjoyable but... it just could have been so much better.
The writing in the first season ranges from very good (`Every Night is Another Story', `Spirit in the Night', `The Search for Something More') to mediocre (the Pilot) to bad (`The Games that Play Us', `Hanging by a Moment' etc). OTH season one is about as good as this show gets, it's the most cohesive season and flows with some narrative fluidity. At the end of the day continuity will not be spinning in her grave because the episode to episode continuity in season one is surprisingly good.
The Bad:
The "acting", or rather the lack thereof. Don't get me wrong many of the actors on this show are either competent or improve over the course of the season; the high calibre of which include Paul Johansson, Bryan Greenberg and Moira Kelly. The weak links being Hillarie Burton and The Chad (Chad Michael Murray who plays Lucas), coincidently the two leading cast members. Hillarie Burton improves a great deal thanks to her character growth over the course of the series and also thanks to many scenes with stronger actors including Barry Corbin and Bryan Greenberg. The Chad on the other hand was abominably miss-cast for this role; he doesn't appear to be able to act at all (Lucas comes off smarmy and self-satisfied as opposed to sensitive and intelligent) which is a shame seeing as everything else I've seen him in he was either `competent' or `good'. Which leads me to the inevitable opinion that he phones in his performance as Lucas because he either doesn't think television is worth his `skillz' or he is was miss-cast. Either way his performance isn't up to scratch and both the character and the audience suffer for it. In the hands of a better actor the role could have been well acted; or in the hands of a more charismatic actor even mildly interesting. Seeing as OTH is focused upon Lucas it doesn't help the series any that the lead actor isn't a very strong contender.
And the Delusions of Grandeur:
Mark Schwahn (the creator) really seems to believe OTH is some poetically beautiful show full of emotional resonance and "organic" storytelling. When in reality it's often pretentious, asinine and irritating (at its best OTH is poignant, funny and enjoyable). I recommend going into this show with only a plan to watch this season and perhaps the next one, after that it really isn't worth it. OTH is fun for what it is but let's not fool ourselves into believing it's a quality one hour drama when in reality it's a trashy teen soap. By all means accept it for the latter and enjoy its inherent silliness, but don't pretend its poetry. If you're after an intelligent romantic comedy then I'd recommend watching The OC especially Season one and four (there's a reason it's critically acclaimed!)
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hollacious Blank Stares At Blank Pages, No Easy Way To Say This... Friday, July 25, 2008 | 1 comment |
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sunaya94 Free....!! at last...... Friday, July 25, 2008 | 0 comments |
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feraug It ain't over till I say it's over. Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 3 comments |
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SMGslayer97 Do we all have to have the same lives to have the same rights? Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 26 comments |
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winkipop69 Help! Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 27 comments |
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coolemochick So..my life this week Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 5 comments |
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brittanym1411 New Icon+New Editorship+New Level+2,000 posts Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 16 comments |
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VGFreak8 Running to Stand Still Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 9 comments |
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eelisdh level 10 | Icons | Veronica Mars finale | b-day child | Turkey-trip | + Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 64 comments |
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Jellybean_86 Challenge 9: The Emmys - Best in Comedy... Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 3 comments |
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Friends' Videos
short video i made about Max and Liz's relationship. Hope yall enjoy :)
Clips from mostly 'Leave it to Beaver' 'Not Pictured' and 'Spit & Eggs'
This song is "Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care" from "Relient K" =) Enjoy
