Month: September 2008

Go Away With … Juliana Hatfield

Jae-Ha Kim

Juliana Hatfield had a knack for penning clever songs with her group the Blake Babies. She was an indie sensation. What her fans didn’t know was that Hatfield was battling an eating disorder and depression. With her telling memoir “When I Grow Up” (Wiley, $24.95), Hatfield describes her life as a rock star. She also writes about being filled with self-doubt. Hatfield, who also has a new CD out called “How to Walk Away,” is an avid traveler who got the bug to get up and go at a young age.

“CSI: New York” — Season Four

Jae-Ha Kim

Beginning with a spectacular murder at the Statue of Liberty and ending with an unusual plea from a bank robber, the fourth season of “CSI: NY” moves along at a quick, exciting pace that belies its almost 15-hour run time. Spread over six discs, all 21 episodes–which originally were televised during the 2007-2008 season–are included. Led by head CSI Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise), the core group of Stella Bonasera (Melina Kanakaredes), Lindsay Monroe (Anna Belknap), Danny Messer (Carmine Giovinazzo), Detective Don Flack (Eddie Cahill), and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper) returns to solve compelling and often ghastly crimes.

“Legacy”

Jae-Ha Kim

Lana (Haylie Duff, 7th Heaven) is the alpha female in her sorority. Renowned for having the hottest girls on campus, Omega Kappa screens out its pledges based primarily on their looks. Lana wants to admit sexy, lithe Emily (Laura Ashley Innes, Malcolm in the Middle), but there’s a catch. She can only join if there’re no legacies–daughters of previous sorority sisters–who want to join.

Go Away With … Rick Springfield

Jae-Ha Kim

Even Rick Springfield is surprised that his latest album — “Venus in Overdrive” — has charted higher than his 1982 breakthrough record “Working Class Dog.” The latter spawned the hit singles “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Love is Alright Tonite” and, of course, “Jessie’s Girl.” As well known for his singing as his tall, angular good looks, Springfield is back on the road to promote “Venus.”

“Family That Preys”

Jae-Ha Kim

Alfre Woodard is Alice Pratt, a modest woman who owns a small, homey diner. Kathy Bates is Charlotte Cartwright, the much-divorced board member of a top corporation founded by one of her husbands. Viewers are asked to suspend their beliefs in reality that this mismatched pair from different socioeconomic, moral, and ethnic backgrounds could have enough in common to put up with each other, much less be best friends. And yet in his homespun way, writer-director Perry–who also has a small role in the film–makes it work.

“Dirty Sexy Money”

Jae-Ha Kim

Filled with intriguing story lines and a smoking hot cast, Dirty Sexy Money focuses on a idealistic attorney wrestling with his father’s death and the family that may be responsible for it. Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) stars as Nick George, whose father was the legal counsel for the Darling family and good friends with patriarch Tripp (Donald Sutherland) and his wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh).

“Ugly Betty” — Season Two

Jae-Ha Kim

The second season of Ugly Betty finds the titular heroine juggling the affections of two men, embroiled in ongoing chaos at work, and dealing with some serious drama on the home front. And yes, this truly is a comedy. First there’s the aftermath of Santos’ death at the end of last season just as he and Betty’s sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz) were reconciling. Hilda deals with her grief by befriending a group of senior citizens, while her son (Mark Indelicato) turns from Broadway-loving good boy to leather-wearing bad boy almost overnight.

Go Away With … Grace Park

Jae-Ha Kim

Born in the United States to Korean parents and raised in Canada — where she calls Vancouver home — Grace Park got the travel bug early. Though concurrent roles on “The Cleaner” and “Battlestar Galactica” — as well as the Canadian series “The Border” — preclude her from taking as many vacations as she’d like, Park says visiting new countries is one of the joys in life she shares with her husband, Phil Kim. India and Brazil hold special places in Park’s heart, but her favorite destination thus far is Italy’s quaint Vernazza.