(As an aside, I was just recalling some of the fiascos the writers have introduced for sweeps over the years, and the time that half the town got monkey virus doesn't seem so ridiculous now that we have problems like swine flu. But I digress.)

Friends, welcome to the Crimson gallery opening! Literally every major character will find a reason to attend.

James Franco takes a special interest in Crimson lackey -- and hot blond -- Maxie Jones. The two meet when Franco makes himself part of his own exhibit by playing the dead man in one of the installations. Maxie walks in and freaks out that someone's messing with the exhibit. Babble babble babble, yell yell yell and all of a sudden she's calling the artist a pompous twit. Little does she know that Franco and the artist are one and the same person. But Franco can't get enough: "Pompous twit at your service," he says. How long til Maxie breaks fiance Damien Spinelli's poor little heart with this guy? I give her about 5 minutes.

Anyway, our fave Port Charles royalty arrive for various reasons. Luke and Tracy. Dominic/Dante and his alibi... er, date... Lulu (Luke's daughter). Max and Milo (Sonny's thugs). Jason and his alibi Sam. Robin and Patrick. Sonny and his alibi Olivia. Jax. Spinelli.

Meanwhile, Franco turns up the charm on a very flustered Maxie. While trying to impress the fashionista, he also meets Luke -- clearly they get along. Franco's full of strange one-liners, like "art's like a mirror, it's pretty clear what you see" and" "I like it here in Port Charles, folks here are so friendly."

Maxie continues to freak out.

Franco also meets Sonny, who compliments the exhibit. Jason walks in, and Franco's head all but explodes. Franco wants to meet the object of his obsession, but Jason refuses to play ball.

Maxie? Still with the out-freaking.

An unhappy Franco decides to take off, luring Maxie with him. And soon she's blind folded. And at his creepy studio. And laying down in a chalk outline in a crime scene so the artist can take pictures of her (hasn't she heard of the internet? Those photos will be in the wrong hands in no time).

Maxie may be an idiot, but there's definitely an attraction between them, and it is absolutely dangerous. And tomorrow can't come soon enough, because things are sure to be steamy.

From reader "S": "New Moon" was fantastic. It was a hundred times better than Twilight in every way. Chris Weitz did a fantastic job bringing the book to life. Even my mother, who isnt exactly a twilight fan, admitted that the movie was pretty good. She was also impressed with all of the muscles that Taylor Lautner had put on

From reader "Lucian": "New Moon" was great, and it followed the novel pretty accurately also. I was super stoked to finally get to see it and I'm going to go see it again next week. And seriously, why would someone get on the Internet just to bash on stuff, I never understood that. These movies and books are going to be successful whether you like it or not, because they appeal to all people on a plane that is easy to relate to. I went to the four o' clock showing at my local movie theater on opening day and there were more adults than kids in line. So you also can't say it's just teenagers that are entranced by Taylor and Rob's hotness. And when I say adults, I mean thirty year olds and grandmas. "New Moon" gets a 15 out of 10 from me. You're a genius Chris [Weitz]... ["Twilight" director] Catherine Hardwicke laid the foundation and you Built a G_d damned mansion...Great work!!!

Reader "Brianna" says: I did my part, saw it 2 times this weekend, Friday and Saturday. I loved this movie, every inch of it. CHRIS W. did am amazing job. Unbelievable job. Hope he does "Breaking Dawn"!

Reader "Renee" said: Saw the movie twice. Loved loved LOVED it. Far, far better than the first movie. Everything has improved: the acting, direction, cinematography, screenplay, costumes, action, romance... I'm not at all surprised by the results. Although there are many who hate the "Twilight" saga, the fans are certainly not messing around! The midnight show here was sold out three weeks before release. I'm going to see it next week with my mother, who is also a "Twilight" fan (she is 62 and I am 37.. and I have a 17 yr old son named Edward.)

From reader Emily B., who was kind enough to send us her review in an e-mail. Thanks so much, Emily!

I am a complete 'Twilighter' so I had very high expectations for the film; I'd been counting down since the release date was announced. So my first opinion was that I was disappointed - It didn't do the book justice. I think this was just because I was expecting it to be too good; I set myself up for a fall. However, I loved all the acting and directing. I wish there had been less Edward; I love him but we didn't get chance to miss him in the film, whereas in the book it's torture! I am a big fan of the Wolf Pack, Alex Meraz (Paul) in particular so I was disappointed when he was barely in it. The same goes for Kellan Lutz. However, I think Taylor completely dazzled us all; he deserves all the love he gets for his breathtaking performance. I also think Mike Welch, Edi Gathegi and Billy Burke were very strong, however small their parts may have been.
Overall, I had mixed opinions. I loved the actors and directing, but was disappointed that some of it just seemed to drag...when there was lots more they could have added. I think the more I watch it, the more I will love it. I think it'll just have to grow on me. One last thing, at the moment I preferred the Twilight film; so I don't think we should forget Catherine Hardwicke who gave us a great film before Chris Weitz, although I think Chris did a very good job.
Oh, and Rachelle [Lefevre] will always be Victoria.

ON TWITTER:

@majin_melmo: New Moon is my favorite book in the series--all I hoped for was a movie that wasn't screwed up. It wasn't. It was glorious.

@stefanieRibarra: New Moon Couldnt have been more faithful to the book I loved it I felt like I was reading the Book Literally which is amazing

@ophelieCo: +faithful2 the book,deep,intense,+adult,dark,bewitching&EdwardOMG!His relationship with Bella!their kisses're more sex!

@VictoriaResende: ok here is what i thought: Loved it! I laughed, cried, and couldnt believe how good Taylor was, everything was smushed close

@gemmacurriee: amazing! 100 times better than twilight!

@beckylovesjonas: it was amazing! Team Jacob! it was way more amazing that twilight was too!

@xlivingthedream: NEW MOON TOTALLY ROCKED!

Writer: Eoghan Mahony

Tagline: "Sometimes, accepting help is harder than offering it."

The Story: The ongoing Geonosis campaign continues this week, the third episode in which the Grand Republic Army takes back the world where the Clone Wars kicked off. Fresh off the success of destroying a newly constructed Separatist droid factory, the Jedi and their troops press forward to bring Geonosian ruler Poggle the Lesser to justice. Master Luminara Unduli leads the charge, braving a sandstorm alone as she tracks the big bug to a network of catacombs populated by undead warriors working in service to the Geonosian queen.

Thank The Maker: It's episodes like "Legacy of Terror" -- really, arcs like this Geonosian campaign -- that validate "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" as a truly exceptional series. Just last week, I was bemoaning the series for not declaring itself strongly enough within the canon, my example being the apparent dropping of Poggle the Lesser's capture as a goal of the conflict. Turns out, they were saving it for this week. Is he dead? No, of course not. But he's captured, and we've gotten a more detailed glimpse of Geonosian culture in the process. Plus, a terrifying new enemy.

Off With Their Heads: The Geonosian queen and her undead minions introduce some creepy elements into the episode. The lurching, dead-eyed bugs with their mind-controlling snake-thing darting in and out of open orifices may not be dripping in blood and gore, but they attack from the shadows without warning and keep coming even after they're apparently cut down. Sounds like zombies to me. The queen herself is eminently unsettling, a slight Geonosian form hanging off of a massive larvae-producing body. Her cracked, screeching voice is one part silly, one part fear-inspiring. She'll make a great villain to return to in the future. Unless you think she actually dies at the end. In which case, you're crazy enough to fly into an asteroid field.

These Clone Wars Continue: There was some major plot advancement this week, and it looks like the Geonosian campaign continues next week. More from the queen in fact, and her mind-controlling worms. Let's see if those wily Jedi can hold onto their new captive while fighting off a zombie-like incursion from within.

The director — the esteemed Werner Herzog, stupefyingly enough — claims never to have seen Abel Ferrara's original 1992 "Bad Lieutenant," and I think we can take him at his word. The Ferrara movie, which I'd recommend seeing before — or better yet instead of — this one, concerns a viciously bent New York City cop; and Harvey Keitel, in the title role, is the embodiment of rank, skeezy corruption. In Herzog's take on the story, the action has been relocated, for no reason at all, to New Orleans, "in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."

Continue reading 'Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans': Drug Bust, By Kurt Loder

It's a silly picture, of course: Given the series' source material — Stephenie Meyer's blathery teen novels — what else could it be? But thanks to Lautner and newly-recruited director Chris Weitz, "New Moon" is a notable improvement over "Twilight."

Continue reading 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon': Eclipse, By Kurt Loder

Written By: Diego Gutierrez & Christine Roum

Synopsis: Certain Visitors — including apparent leader and spokesperson Anna (Morena Baccarin) — are allowed access to United States soil, thanks in large to positive publicity on the part of newsman Chad Decker (Scott Wolf). But a potential assassination plot requires FBI agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) to protect the Visitors on their first visit, despite knowing their true intentions. To make matters worse, Erica's son Tyler (Logan Huffman) is getting closer to the Visitor known as Lisa (Laura Vandervoort), who winds up having surprising secrets of her own. Elsewhere, renegade alien Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut) attempts to reassemble a group of like-minded Visitors known as the Fifth Column.

Security Breach: There were so many double-crosses and back-stabbings in this episode that it's hard to keep track — from the would-be assassin secretly working for the Visitors to the shady Cyrus nearly handing Ryan over to the V's — but the best of these twists was the duplicitous Joshua, a Visitor that helped Dale Maddox (Alan Tudyk) repair his lost memories before cold-bloodedly murdering him and declaring his loyalty for the Fifth Column. It seems that Joshua and his organization have a keen interest in Erica, but will our heroine reciprocate their interest?

The Fifth Column Says Hello: As for the Fifth Column itself, we still don't know too much. Ryan explained that the group consists of renegade Visitors such as himself seeking to thwart the dominant V's led by Anna and her cronies. Clearly, this group is fairly far-reaching — not only are they supplanted in sleeper cells around the planet, they're also in the deepest portions of the Visitors' empire.

John May Lives: We also apparently have a name for the group's leader: John May, a fabled figure that we're sure to meet before too long — if May isn't Ryan himself, that is. I'm not certain that the two are mutually exclusive. Either way, May's very name seemed to strike fear into the heart of Marcus, a commanding Visitor. It looks like May is something of an urban legend for the Visitors, which is a pretty cool concept.

Just Visitors: It kind of irks me that Ryan keeps referring to the Visitors as... well, Visitors. Try as he might, he is one of them, and it feels a little surprising that he'd refer to his own species with that name. Humans don't call themselves residents, after all, they call themselves humans. I want an official name for this alien race — in addition to a whole slew of other cultural and historical specifics about the Visitors — but with only one more episode to go before a massive hiatus, it's unlikely we'll have that answer anytime soon.

Mama's Girl: Last week, I speculated that Erica has some serious significance when it comes to the Visitors's overarching plans. Why else would they have Dale partner up with her at the FBI? Why else would Lisa have such an interest in young Tyler? As it turns out, it might be Tyler that's the important one to the Visitors' plan, and that revelation yields yet another revelation — Lisa is actually the daughter of Anna. Am I the only one smelling a confrontation between the two mother-offspring pairings?

V Is For Verdict: "A Bright New Day" was better than last week's installment, but still not as strong as the pilot episode. Some interesting mythological pieces are moving into place — the Anna-Lisa connection, the idea of the Fifth Column, the mystery of John May — but don't expect resolution anytime soon, as next week's fourth outing is the last until 2010.

Further Invasions: The final episode of the before the break brings Erica into conflict with Ryan, the secret Visitor that has aligned himself with the human resistance. Meanwhile, Fifth Column supporter Joshua is tasked with uncovering the identity of Dale's murderer — who, as we know, is none other than himself.

What did you think of tonight's episode? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

Writer: Brian Larsen

Tagline: "No gift is more precious than trust."

The Story: Last week, Republic forces brought the fight back to Geonosis -- where the Clone Wars started, in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" -- to destroy a massive new droid factory and put an end to Separatist bigwig Poggle the Lesser's contribution to the conflict. With the way now cleared, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, are joined by Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee. The plan involves having the two more experienced Force-users create a distraction while Ahsoka abd Barriss sneak inside to sabotage the facility. Skywalker has his doubts however... or perhaps it's just his predilection towards attachment -- his eventual downfall -- getting in the way of the mission.

War, What Is It Good For: Absolutely everything. It's good to see "The Clone Wars" back into the grand-scale action, fitting for a show named after an intra-galactic conflict. There's more downtime this week than lst, which was a flat-out throwdown across the Geonosian front lines, but the Padawan sabotage mission added a nice sly Jedi counterpoint to the guns-blazing approach employed by Anakin and Luminara in their attempt to distract Poggle's forces.

Not Going For The Jugular: For all of the hot Jedi action seen in the last two weeks, there's a sense that the good stuff is being held back. You certainly can't kill major characters or have big narrative changes in every episode, but now that this two-episode Geonosis arc has wrapped up, it feels a bit... tame in hindsight. Sure, Ahsoka wasn't going to be killed off -- despite a very-nearly-effective attempt to get us to believe just that -- but why is there no resolution on Poggle the Lesser? That wily Geonosian is all over this latest episode... until the third act. Since we saw him neither escape nor perish in the destruction of the droid factory, it's a safe bet that he's all right. You would think the Jedi would be more relentless in cutting off the head to let the body wither. It's an indirect part of what those fancy lightsabers are symbolic of, isn't it?

Another Step Into A Larger World: It's always cool for a rabid fan to see a character like Barriss Offee pop up. She's one of those background characters that "Star Wars" is so famous for; only the barest glimpse of her in the movies, but she's got a fully developed presence in the franchise's Expanded Universe. In the case of Barriss, she's a prominent figure in the "MedStar" books, a duology set during the Clone Wars.

Embrace The Dark Side: Moving forward, I'd really like to see the story getting back to our Sith friends Dooku and Asajj Ventress. Lightsaber-on-lightsaber action is good for the soul.

Coming Up: The slug for next week's episode -- "A hunt for the missing Luminara leads the Jedi to a lair full of undead warriors." -- suggests that we might be seeing some pre-history unfold on the recently released book, "Star Wars: Death Troopers."

Going in to Emmerich's "2012," I was prepared to set my brain on spin-cycle and just roll with it — who doesn't enjoy a good CGI soak now and then? And there is in fact some snazzy digitalia on display here: a monster tsunami crashing over the Himalayas; a spectacular White House takedown (yet again); and some monster-wave ship-twirling that's truly, uh, titanic. An L.A. freeway buckles and falls, Las Vegas craps out, and the coast of California rears up and slides right into the ocean. All that, plus lots of collapsing high-rise real estate, fireball storms and geysers of boiling black magma.

Continue reading '2012': The End Again, By Kurt Loder

"Precious" is one of those rare movies that come winging in from nowhere and knock you out. Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character (Claireece goes by the name "Precious"), is an untrained actress — a Bronx college student whose only performing background is in school stage plays. But she has great instincts, and watching her draw out flickers of hope through the mask of sullen indifference that Precious presents to the world is thrilling to watch.

Continue reading 'Precious': Hell Up In Harlem, By Kurt Loder

Written By: Scott Peters & Sam Egan

Synopsis: FBI Agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch) must decide whether or not to hide their knowledge of the Visitors' true intentions — a particularly difficult decision for Erica given the fact that she had to kill former partner Dale (Alan Tudyk), who was secretly a Visitor. Journalist Chad Decker (Scott Wolf) attempts to control the public perception of Visitor spokesperson Anna (Morena Baccarin), while secret Visitor Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut) tries to find a way to repair his damaged flesh.

Don't Trust Anyone: Tonight's episode reinforced the theme that everybody is suspect — after all, if you can't trust Alan Tudyk's face, then who can you trust? There are already some suspicious characters in my mind including Agent Malik (Rekha Sharma, one of the elite final five on "Battlestar Galactica") and Father Travis (Scott Hylands). If old man Travis is one of the Visitors, then that would seemingly indicate that the infiltration happened a long time ago, which is actually pretty cool. I'd also caution you to keep an eye out on Ryan's girlfriend Valerie (Lourdes Benedicto), as series regulars are rarely hired without a purpose. While Valerie might not be a Visitor, there's definitely something fishy going on with her.

Bad Excuse: Initially, I enjoyed the fact that the FBI was investigating Dale's disappearance. It introduced an awkward element for Erica, who is already dealing with her knowledge of what the Visitors are actually up to. But not only was this plot wrapped up fairly quickly, it was wrapped up ridiculously. Erica's explanation of her recorded phone call was haphazard and ludicrous — I certainly hope that a real law enforcement agency would lock her up immediately after such a discovery, rather than sending her back onto the field to prove herself as was the case in "V."

Dino Damage: Does secret Visitor Ryan really need to visit a black market medic whenever he gets injured? What if he gets a paper cut — it's not going to heal on its own? Are we supposed to assume that he hasn't been injured without having to visit this shady guy? I'm not gonna stretch this hole too widely because I dig the character and his potential, but this struck me as kind of bizarre.

The Lynchpin: The United States isn't the only lynchpin for Anna's plans — it's a lynchpin. Another essential ingredient is her partnership with media-savvy Chad Decker, who attempted to one-up the Visitors' leader in this episode with mixed results. Chad is no closer to a superior position than he was before, and I can very much see the day where he freely responds to Anna's every beck and call. I'm also wondering how he'll tie into Erica's story — when the two inevitably meet, will they be friends or foes? This media man's likely downward spiral is one of my favorite aspects of the series thus far.

Everybody Loves Erica: Elizabeth Mitchell has first billing in the cast, so it's no surprise that Erica has taken a front-and-center role thus far. But her importance seemingly extends beyond the show's narrative — she clearly has a role to play with the Visitors. They had Dale infiltrate the FBI as Erica's partner for several years and one of the Visitors is taking an extreme interest in her son. We're bound to find out more and more connections, but it strikes me that Erica is yet another lynchpin for the Visitors' plans.

V Is For Verdict: "There Is No Normal Anymore" was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, certain characters and stories were very compelling — the mythological implications of earlier Visitor invasions has me intrigued — but there is plenty of unbalance as well, particularly in the show's continually rushed pace. With only two more episodes to go before a lengthy hiatus, "V" is in serious danger of pushing itself too far without stopping for a much needed breath.

Further Invasions: Anna and other Visitors sojourn to the surface world, forcing Erica to unravel an assassination plot. Erica's son Tyler (Logan Huffman) and sexy alien Lisa (Laura Vandervoort) break some of their sexual tension, and Dale makes a comeback.

What did you think of tonight's episode? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!