Sons of Anarchy Season 3

Biker stories have a bad reputation, thanks to a plethora of D movies from the 70s like The Glory Stompers, Satan’s Sadists and others. This exciting — and hugely entertaining — FX series about the MC Motorcycle Club will make you forget them all. The stories are edgy, the action is some of the best on television — ever — and the actors/characters are fantastic, the perfect antidote to the fashion weenies found in most TV series (and that means you, Mad Men). Season Three picks up with the MC’s recovering from the kidnapping that ended Season 2, and just roars from there to a season ending show involving a Russian gun deal that will blow you away. It’s absolutely addictive.

Thor

The movie stars Australian beefcake Chris Hemsworth as Thor, son of Odin and heir to the thrown of the Norse gods who live in a place called Asgard (a gaudy, gold palace that looks more like an enormous Vegas men’s room than a palace). Thor is also big brother of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the jealous God of Mischief who is about to hatch an elaborate plot to disgrace his brother so he can become king. Thor, not the sharpest knife in the Marvel Universe, falls for Loki’s plan and gets banished to earth where he meets and falls in love with Natalie Portman, which would  be enough for most men to say the hell with Askard and stay where they are. Thor is nothing if not thick-headed, though, and the bulk of movie is taken up with his fight to get back to the Norse heavens and get back what is rightfully his.

True Legend

After rescuing a prince from a bunch of bad guys, all General Su Can (Vincent Zhao) wants to do is go home to his family, despite being offered a job as governor by the thankful royalty. He recommends his brother-in-law Yuan (Andy On) for the job and rides off into the sunset thinking he’s done a good deed. If only he knew what a twisted jerk his wife’s husband really was, he might have killed him instead. The next time they meet, Yuan has mastered the deadly fighting style of the Five Venom Fists and is using it to get revenge on the man who killed his father, who happens to be Su Can’s father. The intrigue woven throughout this film, directed by Yuen Woo Ping (Iron Monkey), is well plotted, but it never gets in the way of what Ping does best — filling the screen with amazing martial arts battles.

Meek’s Cutoff

The pacing of director Kelly Reichardt’s bleak tale of a wagon train crossing the Oregon trail in 1845 is slower than molasses in winter, but give it a chance. It’s so worth it. The story follows the families as they follow a grizzled trail master whose reputation (and boasting) is a lot more impressive than his actual knowledge. It isn’t too long before the families realize they’re lost, almost out of food and about to die of thirst. They’re also in the middle of nowhere with no option except to plod on and hope there’s food or at least water over the horizon. Michelle Williams stars as the wife of one of the families in the wagon train, and her performance alone is worth buying the movie.

Paul Rodgers and Friend Live at Montreux

In a day when far too many rock concerts are calculated events where everything is perfect (including the computer-enhanced vocal  pitch), it’s great to watch a veteran rocker like Paul Rodgers hanging out with his friends on stage, playing music and not really caring if it’s played perfectly or not because they play with passion and seem to b e having a blast doing it. The set contains the obligatory hits from Rodgers career with Bad Company and Free, all delivered with muscle and commitment, but it’s the blues numbers and early rockers that let the band, and the singer, really shine.

Samurai Girls

Muneakira Yagyu is a samurai with a special gift: He can turn hot young girls into master samurai warriors just by kissing them. Naturally, the scantily clad ladies are soon lining up to lock lips with him, but they quickly learn there’s more to his gift than meets the eye. This 12-episode anime series is a nice blend of comedy and action, with more than a little gratuitous nudity thrown in for good measure. The story — which eventually evolves into a battle of good vs. evil for control of Japan — starts out strong but feels a bit rushed as the story progresses and the ultimate plot is revealed. The artwork, though, which combines beautiful water color illustrations with cutting edge animation, is beautiful enough to fill in any gaps in the plot.

Oz & James Big French Wine Adventure

They’re such an odd couple they make Oscar and Felix look like identical twins. Wine connoisseur Oz Clarke and car aficionado James May (Top Gear) seem to have absolutely nothing in common beyond a common dislike for each other, but somehow that makes them the perfect pair to drive around the French countryside looking for the best wine and the people who make it. The scenery is gorgeous and chances are you will even learn a thing or two about wine before the series ends, but even if you never go to France or drink a glass of wine again, you can celebrate good entertainment watching Oz and James bicker hilariously with each other.