Californication Finale

Last night marked the finale of the fourth season of the Showtime series, "Californication". I have personally been watching this show since it first aired back in 2007, and the ride has been nothing but wild.

For those not familiar with the show, it follows writer Hank Moody, played brilliantly by David Duchovny. Hank is a ladies man who doesn't want any lady except for the one he can't have, Karen, who is also the mother of his teenage daughter, Becca.

Hank has a series of blunders trying to get back the people he loves while at the same time going after anything in a skirt, typically with hilarious, and often significantly poignant results. All the while he is trying to get his writing career back on track to support his life of debauchery.

To speed up, and also point out a spoiler alert, season four ends with Hank awaiting to be sentenced for statutory rape, a storyline finally being wrapped up from season one. It also includes the dinner party from Hell, possibly one of the best scenes from this already hilarious show, and a bit of uncertainty for our anti-heroic protagonist as the episode comes to a close.

From what I've read, "Californication" is booked to do a fifth season, although the ending leaves it slightly unclear. Hopefully the network has everything on the up and up, because I personally am not ready to let Hank Moody out of my life just yet.

If you're keen on jumping on the bandwagon of one of the funniest, smartest and sexiest shows of our time or just into rehashing old episodes, the first season is available instantly on Netflix.

I would also recommend checking out the book that makes Moody a star in the literary world, God Hates Us All. It became a real book out of the fiction of the show. I picked up a copy and couldn't put it down. I'm not sure if it's what I imagined what Hank Moody would write or not, but as a fan of the show it's interesting to see into what this fictional genius penned.

Mahalo

Phoenix Film Fest

March 31st through April 7th, the city of Phoenix will play host to the 11th annual Phoenix Film Festival. The festival will boast 167 films ranging from collections of shorts to full length features.

Personally, I've never been to a film festival, but I'm very excited about catching some of these showings and then post some reviews here afterward for my eager reader(s).

There are several ways to enjoy the events including options for the hardcore viewers with the Platinum Pass, giving access to all shows, the Opening Gala and priority seating but it also caters to the casual movie-goer with the Flex Pass which allows for four tickets to any films at a reduced price.

The festival is also senior and student-friendly with reduced pricing (good thing I still have my student ID). This seems like a very cool event for the Phoenix area, so if you are around, check it out.

I'm also not sure yet which movies I want to see, so if you have any suggestions or there is anything you'd like to see reviewed, let me know, and I'll try to accomodate.

Mahalo

"Paul"

 Score: 8.5/10

This weekend I went to the movies for the first time in a very long time, and it was to see "Paul", the new movie from the brain trust of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost that brought us "Shaun of the Dead".

Long story short, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard in a movie theater or continued to talk about a movie with my friends so long after the credits rolled.

"Paul" is the story of a couple of English tourists (Pegg and Frost) on a hunt for famous American UFO sightings. Being the "believers" they are, they candidly discuss what it would be like to actually meet an alien at one of the sites and to be the first human diplomat. Well, pretty soon they pick up an unlikely hitchhiker in a space alien trying to get home, voiced by Seth Rogen.

So, they set out, homeward bound in a rented Winnebago to get Paul home. All the while, they are being chased by government agents, set on bring Paul in.

Agent Zoyle, played by an always awesome Jason Bateman, is joined by two in-the-dark lackeys, Haggard and O'Reilly, played by the hilarious SNL alum Bill Hader and rising star Joe Lo Truglio (best known for backing over Jonah Hill in "Superbad").

Now, I'm a big sci-fi geek and love a good stoner comedy, but the main thing that made me apprehensive about this flick was the inclusion of Rogen. His brand of comedy has become so stale and unchanging since "Knocked Up". Well, I was wrong. Rogen was by far the best part of the movie, a mix of the warm-hearted and goofball stoner, that kept the audience wanting more.

One final thing of note was the brilliant joint of comedy teams in this film. The "Shaun of the Dead" guys, a large sum of the "Arrested Development" crew, including cameo's by Jeffrey Tambour and Jane Lynch. These are all great groups of comic actors and it was even better to see them all work together.

If you're a fan of Pegg and Frost's previous work or just love a good comedy, check out "Paul" immediately. You shan't regret it.