For those waiting desperately for my Mid Season TV reviews, here they are.
Battlestar Galactica -- While the time between the end of the mini-series and the start of the first run of 13 episodes was interminable due to "cliffhanger" aspects (of which there weren't many), the time between the end of season one and season two's gonna be worse for similar reasons (thankfully new episodes start this summer). This show is everything an adult could want from well written sci-fi. While the 10 year old in me still has a fondness for the cheese of the original series, this reimagining blows that out of the water. There's some real tension this time out as the remains of the human race are actually on a desperate run for survival (where in the original they just kind of lazily wandered from strange planet to strange planet asking "Is this Earth?")
Life on a Stick -- This odd sitcom is pretty funny, but the premise is weird. A slacker lives at home with his remarried parents, his step-sister (mother's daughter), step-brother (the one child of both parents) and works at the mall at a hot dog stand with his dim-witted best friend and hot girlfriend. Plots revolve around odd situations like the episode where the step-sister winds up with the same Nazi-like German teacher her brother did. It's actually pretty funny. Or maybe the level of what makes me laugh has dropped several notches.
Eyes -- I've always liked Tim Daly's work as an actor. This show is no exception. Here he plays Harlan Judd of Judd Risk Management. These are the people you call when your CEO embezzels $100 million. A nice mix of witty repartee and dark espionage this series easily matches the quality of ABC's other new powerhouse dramas (Lost & Desperate Housewives). Can't wait for more episodes.
The Office -- I haven't really seen the BBC original, so I can't comment. This series started off funny, but after having seen 5 episodes it gets less funny and more repetative (we get the point) with each one.
Stacked -- Wow. Pamela Anderson can actually do comedy. This sitcom harkens back to what now seems a bit antiquated -- the one setting "situational" comedy. Set in a bookstore run by a high-minded failed writer (Elon Gold...late of another antiquated sitcom "The In-Laws"), Anderson stars as the new dimwitted employee who tries to give change when a customer uses a credit card. Not classic comedy, but it produces a few laughs. Worth wathing just for Christopher Lloyd's oddball Professor who seems to spend his time in the bookstore like Norm did at Cheers.
Carnival -- This wonderfully weird apocalyptic drama returned for a second season which is mostly sitting on my Tivo with the entire run of Karen Sisco waiting to be watched. Saw the first few episodes and couldn't bring myself to care anymore about the show. What was once interesting now seems boring. They should have gotten to the point sooner. A third season has yet to be ordered, but I'm guess HBO will figure out a way to wrap up any loose ends to appease fans.
Deadwood -- Unlike the above HBO show, this one is one cocksucking, motherfucking piece of shit Western (meaning all of that in the good sense...just trying to describe it the way it's lead characters would) that also has lost a bit of lustre in its second season. But, unlike Carnivale, it still seems to be headed somewhere.
Law & Order: Trial by Jury -- I like Bebe Newirth and I miss Jerry Orbach, but this show is just pushing this franchise ever so closer into "Law & Order: Meter Maids" direction. With four entries here and three "CSI" I don't think there's enough "news" to fake for these shows anymore and it shows on this one. Third time's the charm...fourth time...well...it's just a bit much.
South Park -- Returning for its ninth season and it's starting to also run out of steam. Every other episode is over the top funny (like the season opener "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina") or poking fun at very timely topics in the usual way ("Best Friends Forever" saw kenny dying again, but being kept on life support as Cartman lobbied congress to remove his feeding tube so he could inherit Kenny's new PSP). But the episodes in between are just wheel spinning (a baseball themed episode was like watching molasses fuck). I expect better from this show every time out.
Jake in Progress -- Having completed its 13 episode run, I feel a bit cheated because the show had the chance to end with some closure (playboy publicist Jake winds up in serious relationship with boss' new secretary) but instead opted for a last second (literally...after end credits rolled) cliffhanger (his ex-wife we've heard so much about returns just before she's supposed to remarry). The rest of the series was actually rather witty with a well crafted cast. Rick Hoffman's Patrick (a David Blaine clone/rival) was the highlight and is Emmy worthy. I'm gonna miss this show as I'm pretty sure it won't be back.
Doctor Who -- This show has returned to the BBC after a very long hiatus (it's been off since 1987 I think) and has become a stellar hit over in the U.K. Unfortunately, who knows when those of us in the colonies will get to see it as it has no place to air yet (supposedly Sci-Fi Channel passed on it). The reviews are good and I can't wait...with any luck it'll at least get a Region 1 DVD release sometime around Christmas. Meanwhile, the day after the show premiered, it was announced that star Christopher Eccleston would no longer be playing the Doctor's Ninth incarnation. For the second season he will be replaced by David Tennant (now playing the 10th Doctor...at this rate, the new series will run out of regenerations for the Doctor faster than the old show got to number 7).
That's all for today. Hope to be back soon.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Saturday, April 02, 2005
The Broken Rule & Other Stuff
Just a brief bit for today (he says knowing he may get a bit long winded)...
So...up until March 17th, 2005 I had a rule that has essentially never been broken before. If I start wathcing a movie, I must finish it. And with the exception of The Cat in the Hat where the DVD refused to play past a certain part (and I do thank G-d every day for that miraculously defective DVD from Netflix), I have always finished the movie...no matter how bad, boring, crappy or miserable it may be.
I have now officially ditched that rule. And we can all thank The Whole Ten Yards for being the straw that broke this camel's back.
I'm not gonna bother reviewing the 30 minutes I bothered to watch beyond saying this is easily one of the ten most useless things ever put on film (and I'm guessing the recently released Miss Congeniality 2 easily falls on that chart as well). It had no story, no humor and no purpose. So because of that (and perhaps I'm getting pickier as I get older and don't want to waste my time with things I'm not going to care much about), I have tossed this rule out the window. If I start watching a film and can't get through the first 30 minutes without wanting to gouge my eyes out with a knife, I will turn it off (or erase it from the TiVo or send it back to Netflix or use my new invention that will collectively erase the offending images from the memory of the human race).
I was going to write something on some recent events in the news, but quite frankly this week's episode of South Park did better justice to my opinion on the topic than I ever could here. That's kind of a sad statement in a number of ways, but I'll live with it. May Terri Schiavo finally rest in peace.
Also wanted to give you folks a quick update on a few things...
Update on the house:
Our Kitchen is now about 97% complete. It needs some paint, a backsplash and a few minor electrical tweaks and cosmetic bumps smoothed out...but it should be done by week's end. I hope to have at least a few photos up on our website within the next week (it's been crazy as usual).
Our master bathroom is a nice room we're currently using for storage. The room's sheetrocked, but the tub needs to be stabilized, we need countertops and the whole place needs to be tiled where we're putting tile (all the tile is here at least). The tile guys have been coming tomorrow for about two weeks now, but I've been assured once they do arrive it'll take about a week to finish everything up.
Our contractor was nice enough to send a cleaning crew on a Saturday to dust the whole house after four days of sanding and staining hardwood floors though. So he gets a few good points (though they don't make up for all the bad points which I'll detail at some later date).
Info on various shows:
Tash is part of the chorus in a wonderful production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Sorcerer. It opened last night at New Canaan High School and was a lot of fun (except for the 25 minute "second intermission" due to a fire alarm). It has four more performances on April 2, 3, 8 & 9. Check out http://trouperslightopera.org for more info.
I'm also going to plug three shows featuring people we know either on stage or back stage...
The Pound Ridge Theater Company has Tale of the Allergist's Wife running now. Check out their website for more info.
Curtain Call in Stamford has The Wizard of Oz running through April. Here's their website for more info.
And lastly, Westport Community Theater has The Foreigner running for the next few weekends. Check out their website for more info.
And lastly lastly...don't forget I'm directing Book of Days which opens at the Darien Arts Center on May 6. More info will follow as we get closer.
Finally, lastly for today...sometime in the next week or two I will be reviewing the comic book adaptation of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Why am I doing this you may ask? Well...with everything that's going on (mostly due to Malcolm's arrival), I have no clue when I'll actually see the finished film...and quite frankly, I stopped caring a good long while ago. I have no faith in George Lucas' story telling abilities anymore and I'm convinced that the "prequels" have pretty much drained the energy from the "sequels" at this point (so one of the most complex villains to ever grace a story had his origins as a whiny spoiled brat?? at least we know where his son gets it from in Episode IV). So I'd rather read a comic book which is adapted by writers & artists other than Lucas, than see his version right now (which will probably change in a few years when he redoes them all in 3D and decides that it's really Jar Jar who should become Darth Vader).
Anyway...there'll be plenty of spoiler warnings as I go along...but it will most likely be the last I ever have to say on the subject of Star Wars until I start auctioning off my childhood on eBay this summer as I get rid of a lot of old toys that I don't want my son to even know about. They've been tainted for me...I'm not sure I want him playing with them. He can have all my old DC Heroes when he's older (assuming that by the end of this year DC hasn't raped and murdered every B list character they have...but that's a whole other ball of wax for another time).
Be seeing you.
So...up until March 17th, 2005 I had a rule that has essentially never been broken before. If I start wathcing a movie, I must finish it. And with the exception of The Cat in the Hat where the DVD refused to play past a certain part (and I do thank G-d every day for that miraculously defective DVD from Netflix), I have always finished the movie...no matter how bad, boring, crappy or miserable it may be.
I have now officially ditched that rule. And we can all thank The Whole Ten Yards for being the straw that broke this camel's back.
I'm not gonna bother reviewing the 30 minutes I bothered to watch beyond saying this is easily one of the ten most useless things ever put on film (and I'm guessing the recently released Miss Congeniality 2 easily falls on that chart as well). It had no story, no humor and no purpose. So because of that (and perhaps I'm getting pickier as I get older and don't want to waste my time with things I'm not going to care much about), I have tossed this rule out the window. If I start watching a film and can't get through the first 30 minutes without wanting to gouge my eyes out with a knife, I will turn it off (or erase it from the TiVo or send it back to Netflix or use my new invention that will collectively erase the offending images from the memory of the human race).
I was going to write something on some recent events in the news, but quite frankly this week's episode of South Park did better justice to my opinion on the topic than I ever could here. That's kind of a sad statement in a number of ways, but I'll live with it. May Terri Schiavo finally rest in peace.
Also wanted to give you folks a quick update on a few things...
Update on the house:
Our Kitchen is now about 97% complete. It needs some paint, a backsplash and a few minor electrical tweaks and cosmetic bumps smoothed out...but it should be done by week's end. I hope to have at least a few photos up on our website within the next week (it's been crazy as usual).
Our master bathroom is a nice room we're currently using for storage. The room's sheetrocked, but the tub needs to be stabilized, we need countertops and the whole place needs to be tiled where we're putting tile (all the tile is here at least). The tile guys have been coming tomorrow for about two weeks now, but I've been assured once they do arrive it'll take about a week to finish everything up.
Our contractor was nice enough to send a cleaning crew on a Saturday to dust the whole house after four days of sanding and staining hardwood floors though. So he gets a few good points (though they don't make up for all the bad points which I'll detail at some later date).
Info on various shows:
Tash is part of the chorus in a wonderful production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Sorcerer. It opened last night at New Canaan High School and was a lot of fun (except for the 25 minute "second intermission" due to a fire alarm). It has four more performances on April 2, 3, 8 & 9. Check out http://trouperslightopera.org for more info.
I'm also going to plug three shows featuring people we know either on stage or back stage...
The Pound Ridge Theater Company has Tale of the Allergist's Wife running now. Check out their website for more info.
Curtain Call in Stamford has The Wizard of Oz running through April. Here's their website for more info.
And lastly, Westport Community Theater has The Foreigner running for the next few weekends. Check out their website for more info.
And lastly lastly...don't forget I'm directing Book of Days which opens at the Darien Arts Center on May 6. More info will follow as we get closer.
Finally, lastly for today...sometime in the next week or two I will be reviewing the comic book adaptation of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Why am I doing this you may ask? Well...with everything that's going on (mostly due to Malcolm's arrival), I have no clue when I'll actually see the finished film...and quite frankly, I stopped caring a good long while ago. I have no faith in George Lucas' story telling abilities anymore and I'm convinced that the "prequels" have pretty much drained the energy from the "sequels" at this point (so one of the most complex villains to ever grace a story had his origins as a whiny spoiled brat?? at least we know where his son gets it from in Episode IV). So I'd rather read a comic book which is adapted by writers & artists other than Lucas, than see his version right now (which will probably change in a few years when he redoes them all in 3D and decides that it's really Jar Jar who should become Darth Vader).
Anyway...there'll be plenty of spoiler warnings as I go along...but it will most likely be the last I ever have to say on the subject of Star Wars until I start auctioning off my childhood on eBay this summer as I get rid of a lot of old toys that I don't want my son to even know about. They've been tainted for me...I'm not sure I want him playing with them. He can have all my old DC Heroes when he's older (assuming that by the end of this year DC hasn't raped and murdered every B list character they have...but that's a whole other ball of wax for another time).
Be seeing you.
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