I was super excited (and not at all surprised) to hear that a concept for Avengers 2 is already in the works. I saw the movie opening weekend along with millions of fans, and for all the hype and anticipation and waiting... It was totally and completely worth it!

I plan to see it in theaters again at least one more time (though I would like to watch Captain America once more first because I seem to have forgotten most of that movie). My problem is I don't retain anything the first time around, which is why I think I enjoy watching movies over and over. There are bits and pieces that stick in my mind, but until I see it two or three times I feel like I haven't fully embraced it.

So putting my own personal feelings on the awesomeness that is the Avengers aside, even the statistics show that talk of the Avengers sequel is no surprise:

• Avengers brought in $207 million its opening weekend in the United States alone
• It set a new record, surpassing the $169 million from Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's opening weekend
• It is officially the fastest movie to reach the $200 million mark domestically
• Opening day (May 4th) brought in $80.5 million, making it the second-highest single day at the box office
• The following day (May 5th) marked the highest Saturday take of all time with $69.7 million
• The second weekend brought in over $100 million
• Its world-wide total reaches over $1 billion

I'm anxious to hear more about the sequel, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the moment and be happy with this Avengers movie - as well as the knowledge of Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man on their way! I just can't get enough of these superheroes... Who's with me?!

I recently started re-watching Lost on Netflix. When the series ended I was extremely disappointed, but I still think it was an amazing show despite that fact.

There are two things that I find incredible about watching the series for a second time: how much of it I had forgotten and how much of it I "missed" the first time around. My college roommate actually got me into the show after the first season had aired. She had video-taped the entire first season and monopolized our little 13-inch TV/VCR combo for about a month before the second season began, so I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. But then I fell in love with it and was hooked for the remaining five seasons so it worked out.

I remember around season five or six when I hit a point of frustration with the show and tried to quit it, but there is no quitting Lost. I got sucked back in and finished out the series. Now re-watching it, I think I'm about at that point again. Of course I'll see it through... it's a lot less frustrating now that I already know the ending. 

Who else is super excited for Les Mis to finally come to the big screen in musical form? Anyone? Anyone?

I first learned the amazing story from my aunt and uncle, both musicians and Julliard graduates, on a very long car ride to their house in New Hampshire. My sister, and I were visiting them for the week of our February break. We were young and needed something to pass the time, so they turned on some music.

I think they started it mid-way through, and we were thoroughly confused by the lyrics. My uncle finally reached his threshold of questions and decided to pause the tape (yes, "tape") to tell us the story. It was then, at 10 years old, that I fell in love with Les Misérables.

They both had read the novel by Victor Hugo and told us the very long story to the best of their recollection. They started from the beginning, playing the tracks in order and stopping in between songs to get us up to speed on the upcoming one. The car ride from Long Island to where they live in New Hampshire is about six hours. I don't remember how far into the trip they began telling the story (I believe it was fairly early on), but I do remember they were not quite finished as we pulled up their driveway... just to give you an idea of how long the story actually is.

To this day, I love listening to the powerful music; they just don't make plays like that anymore. While others like Avenue Q, Rent and Wicked are up there on my list of Broadway shows, nothing will ever compare to Les Mis; it's in a class all its own. 

It was my first Broadway play. My grandma took me to see it for my 12th birthday and bought me a promotional t-shirt that I still have today. I've seen it twice on my own since then. For a while I knew every single word of it and even memorized the instrumental parts. Now I'd probably need a quick refresher, but I bet I could sing along to most songs (not well, of course). 

I've seen two film versions including the most recent from 1998. Neither of the films I saw were musicals, and neither captured the whole story. To be fair, the play doesn't tell the entire story either, but at least the music helps paint the picture. I was really disappointed in the movies, so when I heard that a new version would be coming out AND that it would be a musical I was (needless to say) super excited.

We still have almost a year to wait, but I can tell it's going to be amazing! Just looking at the cast, I think it's already on the right track, but we won't know for sure until December 14th... Expect a full review :)

After several weeks of watching House reruns because nothing else was on my DVR, I was super excited to see some of my shows had returned from the holiday break. Don't get me wrong, House reruns are great, especially since I didn't watch the show from the beginning so I have lots of catching up to do; it's just refreshing to see some new options available. I also like having half-hour shows that I can watch before going to sleep. They give me just enough time to unwind without pushing too far past my preferred bedtime. Anyway, back to the topic...

With Suburgatory, Modern Family and The Middle staring at me, I chose The Middle last night. It was, not to my surprise, a very cute episode about New Year's resolutions. Instead of making traditional resolutions, the family decided to pick resolutions for each other. The deal: if they all stuck to their resolutions for one week, they would go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant for dinner. Sold.

And they did it! I know I've said time and time again how much I enjoy the realistic image this show portrays, but I'll say it once more: no one sticks to resolutions for a whole year (well, I'm sure some people do but the vast majority of us give it a valiant effort for a period of time and then either little-by-little or abruptly give up), so I like that they chose one week.

I always like hearing what people choose for a New Year's resolution. I also think it's really interesting that people choose to change things starting January 1st. Because it's a new year? Does that mean you can't do it any other time? Eh, maybe I'm cynical, but I think it takes something more drastic than a change in the date to make any kind of significant change in your life. Anyone have New Year's resolutions they've stuck to?

Excited about the newest Mission Impossible movie?? So was I!!!

I braved the unexpected crowd on Christmas Day to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and was surprised to see lines wrapping around the movie theater and talk of sold-out shows. In fact, we were lucky to have gotten seats at all! This was my first time at the United Artist Westbury Stadium 12, which has now become my new favorite theater. It's owned by Regal, so I was able to use my rewards card and got a free small popcorn, which I upgraded to a bucket for $1. (The popcorn is really the best part of going to the movies.) This theater also had stadium seating. I'm sold. Apparently, it's a favorite for a lot of other people too. It was packed - Christmas Day and packed - I couldn't believe it! Matt and I scramble to find any two seats together. Luckily we were there early enough so we didn't miss any previews. Finally we found seats a little closer than I would have liked, but hey like I said, we were lucky to have gotten seats at all so we took them. Sat through the stupid commercials, through the awesome previews and onto the main event. And I've got to say.... Skip it.

I know that sounds kind of harsh, and I'm not saying the movie was bad, just disappointing: predictable and "safe." You expect a Mission Impossible movie that comes out five years after the last one to be amazing and daring and mind-blowing. Well, not so much. It was enjoyable, but with all the hype surrounding it and even the way I'd built it up in my head, it turned out to be a let-down. And of course, nothing beats the original Tom Cruise 1996 movie. It's definitely worth a see if you've got half-priced tickets or a matinee showing or when it comes out on DVD/Blu-ray. But for $12.50 a ticket? Not worth it. Save your money and see Sherlock Holmes or (dare I say?) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close... (ah, that's a post for another time...)

If you've ever listened to an all-Christmas-music radio station this time of year, I'm sure you've heard the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's rendition of Carol of the Bells. Last night I was lucky enough to go see them live at the Nassau Coliseum. They were AMAZING! Between the lights and stage effects, their impressive ability to play and dance/run around stage and the narrated story, there really was something for everyone... but my favorite part by far is the music. While they put on an incredible show, the sheer talent this group possesses is beyond words.

Worried that photography and videos would not be allowed, I left my camera at home so I had to snag some videos from others. Here are a few highlights :)

Unfortunately, I didn't pick up any promotional products at the concert as I was a little panic-struck from the crowd and rudeness of said crowd so I booked it out of there as quickly as possible. So no programs or t-shirts for me... yet... There's always next year!

Was it two years ago already that the first Sherlock Holmes movie came out at Christmas-time? It seems like it was just the other day I saw it in the theater. And now we're onto the second in the series that I hope will continue. Though I must admit I enjoyed the first slightly more, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is definitely worth seeing.

With inevitable twists and turns, the style remained consistent with the first without succumbing to the common problem of most sequels in presenting basically the same plot in a different situation. As always, I enjoyed the relationship between Holmes and Watson and their brotherly banter as well as the new characters that were introduced. I hope to see them all again in another year or two.

Christmas television episodes are already starting to roll in, but before we get into them I think we need to look back and reflect on how TV handled Thanksgiving this year. My weekly shows brought some surprisingly great Thanksgiving episodes in 2011. Between the New Girl's turkey in the dryer, The Middle's accurate depiction of a real family's Thanksgiving and Modern Family's heart-warming moments, I'd say this year was a

success.

All good, but if put to a vote I think The Middle would win by a landslide. The show started out with the Heck family gathering at Frankie's parents' house. Her sister, brother-in-law (who we never actually see) and niece are there as well for a few days. Grandma and Grandpa, however, only have one guest room so there are already little issues that are not a big deal at first. The girls chat in the morning about family gossip, and all seems well.

But when you have that many family members in close quarters, it never ends well. Things get a little hairy when Brick is accused of losing his cousin's favorite toy out in the snow and Frankie's sister implies that she should pay for a new one. The passive-aggressiveness and talking behind each others' backs grows until the sisters finally duke it out.

Of course, the fight eventually leads to tearful apologies and sisterly bonding. By the end of the trip, Frankie seems to have forgotten all about what drove her nuts all week long. I think what I love most about this episode is the way it speaks to a true family gathering. Coming over for dinner is one thing, but when you have family staying in the same small house for more than a day or two, it gets ugly. At least in my family it does.

Every year, we all flock from across the country to my grandmother's house in Nevada for a whole week - a house that also has only one guest room. You can't even walk in the living room because it is flooded with sleeping bags, pillows and blankets. The pull-out couch is open until someone yells at someone to close it, my little cousins are running around under foot all day long, my mom is yelling at my grandma to stop cleaning up after my aunt and uncle and their kids, my sister is sitting around doing nothing which aggravates my mother, and I'm cooking all week trying to stay out of the drama of it all. Watching the show, I had visions of my family's past Thanksgivings in all their glory and tears. Every year at least one family member swears she is not going next year, and every year we all return. Maybe we're all gluttons for punishment... Or maybe we're just a typical family. Either way, The Middle nailed my idea of Thanksgiving on the head!

I feel that I've given CBS's Person of Interest ample opportunity to impress, but I'm quickly beginning to lose interest in it. The flashbacks are fun and interesting, and I thoroughly enjoy Michael Emerson's performance as Harold Finch... but the main character, John Reese, just bugs me. Putting his whisper voice (which I really hate, by the way) aside, I find him boring. From his less-than-great acting to his "flawed" and tortured character, I yawn. I really can't tell if it's the writing or the actor himself that I don't like, but I do know that my interest in the show as a whole has significantly dwindled as of late.

I have about three episodes on my DVR, just waiting for a day when there is absolutely nothing left to watch either on television or on my recorded list. I'll continue to keep the show as back-up for a crisis of extreme boredom. The way my DVR fills up, however, I don't expect to be watching it anytime soon.

I finally made it to the movies this past weekend for the first time in months to see Real Steel. Great movie, but talk about excessive product placement! Don't get me wrong, coming from a promotional products company, I'm all for product placement - but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. The right way is done tastefully and is hardly noticed; the wrong way is done to the point that not a single review of the film fails to mention it.

I don't usually pay too much attention to the product placement in movies or television shows because it's inevitable. People use products, and one of those brands of products is going to win out. You know it's over-the-top product placement when even I think it's excessive.

From the X-Box 720 to the Bing arena, I found myself wondering just how much Microsoft paid to be so prominent in Real Steel. But Microsoft was not alone - Dr. Pepper, HP and EPN were also pretty obvious endorsements.

Extreme product placement aside, I really enjoyed Real Steel. It had a good story, chemistry, acting and action. I also liked the fact that though it was heartfelt, it was not overly mushy-gushy in either the love storyline or the father-son storyline. Subtle yet effective. And I never get tired of Hugh Jackman with an edge.