So, Sunday August 12 was my wife's 32nd birthday and Tuesday August 14 was my 38th.
In honor of our birthdays we decided to get rabies vaccinations on August 17th.
What brought us to this decision? Funny you should ask? (though you probably didn't, you're gonna hear it anyway).
August 15th was a long day. Natasha was at a workshop from about 8am until 3pm and then we had to go into NYC for my grandfather's 94th birthday dinner. We got back from NYC around 9pm, dropped my parents at their house, took Malcolm home put him in bed and retired for the evening. Tash was exhausted and promptly fell asleep. I always take a while to unwind, but by 11:30 I was in bed.
At 5am I'm aroused by a sound. It's still dark outside. So I look at the clock and register the time. I listen and hear this fluttering sound. Upon looking up I see this small dark object circling over our heads. I promptly start turning on every light I can reach to confirm that we have a bat in our bedroom.
Tash, groggily wakes, registers my concerns and hides under the covers.
I go screaming like a girl across the room, ducking as low as I can, turning on even more lights. I quickly dart out of our room into the laundry room and yank the screen, open the window and turn on the lights. Of course, now every insect in America is starting to come in, but maybe the bat will leave. Luckily, Malcolm's door is closed and he's asleep.
The bat never leaves our room and eventually flies into our bathroom. I quickly shut the pocket door that separates our bathroom from our bedroom and then close up the laundry room. At least the bat is "trapped" and we can call animal control in the morning.
No one sleeps the rest of the "night". Well...that means mostly me as I'm on line researching what to do if there's a bat in the house.
Frightening stories go past my eyes as I read of what to do and what not to do. I don't think the bat bit either of us, but apparently there's a chance you may not know. Thankfully, Malcolm was nowhere near the bat. We call a place that handles bats at a "reasonable" hour (8am) and the guy says he or his partner will come between 11am and 1pm and his rates are $145 an hour to search. OK. We know where the bat was, so hopefully this will be $145 well spent.
The guy's partner arrives and we show him the location. He searches and finds nothing. He lets us know that a bat only needs a quarter inch opening to hide in, so he's not surprised he can't find him. He suggests we all go for rabies shots just in case, leaves a pamphlet and says to call if the bat returns (when I ask even at 3am, he's a bit hesitant).
That night I come home from a rehearsal around 11pm to find Tash and Malcolm waiting for me in the basement. He won't go to sleep. So we take him for a drive and discuss bringing him into our room when he does. We're out for about 45 minutes and he finally falls asleep...but instead of bringing him into our bed like we discussed, I put him in his bed and close his door as we normally do.
We put all the lights on in our bathroom/closet area and close the pocket door. Tash falls asleep, but I'm having problems. At 3am I go to the bathroom. While sitting there minding my own business, I hear a thump against the window screen. Bruce (my name for our visitor) has returned and he's staring right at me. I run out faster than I've ever run before and reshut the pocket door. I wake my wife informing her the bat is back/still here. We formulate a game plan.
We shut the door to our room. We pull open a window, yank our the screen and turn on all the lights. We then open the pocket door. Bruce comes flying out and proceeds to flap around us ignoring the open window escape route. Tash crawls over to the bed and grabs a blanket which I attempt to throw over the bat (no success, it drives him behind a window shade). We carefully escape from the room.
Downstairs we call the people who we had already called. There is no answer so we leave a message. I think yank open the phone book and start looking for ads under "Pest Control" that have the words "bat" "emergency" and 24 Hour" in them. We pick the first one and call, waking a woman and her husband. The husband says its $150 for an after hours call and that I should go shut the window cause if he's coming out there had better be a bat. I go and do so, but don't see the bat in the process.
The guy arrives and proceeds to go upstairs and start his search. He turns off every light in the room and spends the next hour looking in every crack and crevice (and there are a lot). He eventually gives up and tells us he can't find anything. Now it may have gone out the window, but it may not have. If the bat reappears, even if its right after he leaves, we are to call him on his cell phone and he'll come right back. He even says he's gonna come back over the weekend and check the outside of the house as well as the attic for any openings or other bats. And he's only charging us $75 instead of the quoted $150 (I pay that anyway as I was grateful he was so much more helpful than the earlier guy). On leaving, he suggested we call our doctors and set up appointments to get rabies shots just in case. He leaves us pamphlets from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) stating the same thing. All of the online stuff I've read has also said we should all get shots.
In the morning (which sounds like it was hours later, but it wasn't...Tash & I slept in the den, she on the couch, me on the floor), we decided that we'd all go to New Haven together since Tash had a paying gig on a film and was too tired to drive alone and I was too tired to watch Malcolm alone. So on the way we called doctors.
Malcolm's pediatrician asked many questions about Malcolm's proximity to the bat. As far as we could tell, there was no reason to think Malcolm had been exposed to the bat. Both times he was in his room with the door closed and the bat stayed in our room/bathroom (with a brief foray into the hall that first night). His doctor didn't think he should get the rabies shots since there was no reason to suspect exposure (had Malcolm been in the same room at any point she would have recommended putting a 2 year old through a series of shots...thankfully I had the sense to not bring him into our room that second night).
Now, our doctor basically said we'd know if we were bitten and there was no reason to get the shots and hung up (okay...I'm exaggerating, but that's what it felt like). Malcolm's pediatrician even suggested that Tash & I get the shots. We talked over our options (and even got advice from family members and friends we trust...let's face it, we were working on making important decisions with very little sleep), to get the shots or not get the shots. Since we didn't have the bat, we couldn't get it tested for rabies. So that wasn't an option to help. It was either not get the shots and hope for the best (with the worst case being one of us does have it and dies an agonizing horrible painful death and then the survivor sues our doctor for malpractise) or get the shots and have peace of mind. We decided we'd rather be safe than sorry and went down to the Emergency Room (we left Malcolm with a friend who has been staying in our basement also away from the bat).
When I was in the hospital five years ago for my aneurysm, I had lots of shots. And in spite of my father's antiquated warnings of 20 needles in the stomach, I knew this would be easier to take than death. Turns out the rabies vaccine is a series of shots. The first day you get two...well...sort of two. The first is a shot in the arm with one drug. The second is a series of shots in the lower back/upper ass of a second drug based on your size. Needless to say, I'm a big guy. I got six shots (two in each ass cheek and one in each thigh). Tash got 5 (all in the ass). We now have to go back on specific days (all counted after the first day of shots) to get subsequent injections of the first drug. So all we get now is a shot in the arm four more times (Day 3, Day 7, Day 14 and Day 28). Not a big deal when you're other option could be death.
Call me a hypocondriac on this one if you like...I feel better mentally...we even slept better last night...although we all slept at my mom's. Tonight, we're sleeping at home and we've got a game plan if Bruce reappears. Lock him in our room again and call the second guy right away no matter what time it is. He said he'd stay until he caught the bat.
So that's our birthday presents to each other this year. Peace of mind.
I'll let you know if we ever see Bruce the Bat again.
Be seeing you.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Damned If You Do...
Today we've got a few brief movie reviews...
But first a rant (which may be a repeat...so I apologize if I've bitched about this before)...
Releasing TV Shows on DVD is a tricky business for the studios. They put out a show's first season and then based on sales they decide to do (or not do) more seasons. We as consumers know this and we buy a show's first season in hopes we'll see more. When it works, we get screwed in the end anyway.
There have been too many instances of a studio actually getting an entire show out on DVD only to turn around and fuck the fans by then releasing a complete series box set with even more material. This has happened several times in the past (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, M*A*S*H, Homicide: Life on the Street), but seems to be more prevalent.
We can now add the upcoming Twin Peaks, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files and I Love Lucy to this list. Its even more obnoxious in the case of I Love Lucy because fans had been promised that what is now the "bonus" disc in the Complete Series set was going to be part of the last season set when it came out back in May. This wouldn't be too much of an issue if the studios released the bonus disc separately (like Fox kind of did with M*A*S*H in putting the bonus material into a set with the final episode...which was already part of the 11th Season set anyway...but at least a fan wouldn't be forced to buy the whole series over again).
Its one thing to put out an entire series, season by season, and then repackage the whole thing in some bizarre collector's box when they're all out. Its another thing to reward fans by fucking them in the ass by saying "We want you to buy this all over again just to get the special stuff." So a big raspberry to the studios for this marketing ploy (especially Fox & Paramount who seem to be the biggest offenders so far).
There ends the rant.
Saw Becoming Jane. It took a while to decide if I couldn't get into the film because the first 30 minutes were dull or because the three teenage twats behind us wouldn't shut the fuck up. Turned out the film was boring. I didn't know much about Jane Austin going in (aside from being my wife's favorite author) and now I don't think I know much more and don't care at all. Skip it.
The Bourne Ultimatum was an exciting action packed film. As far as plot goes, it feels like it was stitched together as they went along. Since I could barely remember what had happened in the other two films, I guess this didn't matter much. Is it just me or is Albert Finney starting to look and sound like Noah Cross (John Huston's character in Chinatown). If you know anything about movies and have never been to Tangier, you know that the best way to find someone is to run across rooftops while looking at the other buildings. Lastly, the most unbelievable thing in the film (aside from the return of the assassin at the end looking like he had time to take a shower between what looked like his "death" in a car accident and his next appearance) is an overhead shot of a NYC highway with three cars on it. Maybe at 3am, but not during mid-day.
Hot Fuzz is the second film from director Edgar Winters and writer/actor Simon Pegg after (following on Shaun of the Dead). What starts as a very funny sendup (which is the wrong word, because like Shaun this film is much more than that...a sendup exists solely to poke fun at something specific, these films are films in their own rights) turns into a hysterically funny film about a big city cop trying to fit into a small village. Easily one of the funniest films in quite some time with a nice dark twist to it. Look for Timothy Dalton to chew more scenery than he did in and Flash Gordon and The Rocketeer combined, but its all in good form for this film.
Marvel Comics' latest animated offering is Doctor Strange and its the best of the four direct to DVD releases so far. While not being the perfect adaptation of the Sorcerer Supreme's origin, it is a very good one. For anyone who doesn't know (and since he's a B level hero at Marvel, most of you don't), Stephen Strange was an arrogant surgeon whose life is ruined when he gets into a car accident and loses the use of his hands. He searches the world for fixes and eventually winds up in Tibet to discover who he really is and becomes the greatest sorcerer on Earth. The movie is relatively faithful but adds some modern twists and new elements all of which work well for the film.
Well...that's all I've got for today. I don't think I've left anything out. I'll be back over the weekend with a look at the savior of the universe.
Be seeing you.
But first a rant (which may be a repeat...so I apologize if I've bitched about this before)...
Releasing TV Shows on DVD is a tricky business for the studios. They put out a show's first season and then based on sales they decide to do (or not do) more seasons. We as consumers know this and we buy a show's first season in hopes we'll see more. When it works, we get screwed in the end anyway.
There have been too many instances of a studio actually getting an entire show out on DVD only to turn around and fuck the fans by then releasing a complete series box set with even more material. This has happened several times in the past (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, M*A*S*H, Homicide: Life on the Street), but seems to be more prevalent.
We can now add the upcoming Twin Peaks, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files and I Love Lucy to this list. Its even more obnoxious in the case of I Love Lucy because fans had been promised that what is now the "bonus" disc in the Complete Series set was going to be part of the last season set when it came out back in May. This wouldn't be too much of an issue if the studios released the bonus disc separately (like Fox kind of did with M*A*S*H in putting the bonus material into a set with the final episode...which was already part of the 11th Season set anyway...but at least a fan wouldn't be forced to buy the whole series over again).
Its one thing to put out an entire series, season by season, and then repackage the whole thing in some bizarre collector's box when they're all out. Its another thing to reward fans by fucking them in the ass by saying "We want you to buy this all over again just to get the special stuff." So a big raspberry to the studios for this marketing ploy (especially Fox & Paramount who seem to be the biggest offenders so far).
There ends the rant.
Saw Becoming Jane. It took a while to decide if I couldn't get into the film because the first 30 minutes were dull or because the three teenage twats behind us wouldn't shut the fuck up. Turned out the film was boring. I didn't know much about Jane Austin going in (aside from being my wife's favorite author) and now I don't think I know much more and don't care at all. Skip it.
The Bourne Ultimatum was an exciting action packed film. As far as plot goes, it feels like it was stitched together as they went along. Since I could barely remember what had happened in the other two films, I guess this didn't matter much. Is it just me or is Albert Finney starting to look and sound like Noah Cross (John Huston's character in Chinatown). If you know anything about movies and have never been to Tangier, you know that the best way to find someone is to run across rooftops while looking at the other buildings. Lastly, the most unbelievable thing in the film (aside from the return of the assassin at the end looking like he had time to take a shower between what looked like his "death" in a car accident and his next appearance) is an overhead shot of a NYC highway with three cars on it. Maybe at 3am, but not during mid-day.
Hot Fuzz is the second film from director Edgar Winters and writer/actor Simon Pegg after (following on Shaun of the Dead). What starts as a very funny sendup (which is the wrong word, because like Shaun this film is much more than that...a sendup exists solely to poke fun at something specific, these films are films in their own rights) turns into a hysterically funny film about a big city cop trying to fit into a small village. Easily one of the funniest films in quite some time with a nice dark twist to it. Look for Timothy Dalton to chew more scenery than he did in and Flash Gordon and The Rocketeer combined, but its all in good form for this film.
Marvel Comics' latest animated offering is Doctor Strange and its the best of the four direct to DVD releases so far. While not being the perfect adaptation of the Sorcerer Supreme's origin, it is a very good one. For anyone who doesn't know (and since he's a B level hero at Marvel, most of you don't), Stephen Strange was an arrogant surgeon whose life is ruined when he gets into a car accident and loses the use of his hands. He searches the world for fixes and eventually winds up in Tibet to discover who he really is and becomes the greatest sorcerer on Earth. The movie is relatively faithful but adds some modern twists and new elements all of which work well for the film.
Well...that's all I've got for today. I don't think I've left anything out. I'll be back over the weekend with a look at the savior of the universe.
Be seeing you.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
And So It Begins...Again....Sorta...Maybe?
Most of you know I'm a big fan of Babylon 5. It was a cutting edge TV series whose formula of storytelling is now being aped by pretty much everyone. The show ran its course and served its purpose. But it was a shaky road in getting to the end (all of which series creator J. Michael Straczynski chronicles in a book series entitled The Babylon 5 Scripts of J. Michael Straczynski).
But with the main story told we leave behind a rich legacy of characters and worlds that would be great places to visit from time to time. Since the show left the air in 1998 we've had a few attempts at a resurrection. A companion series Crusade was misunderstood by the network that ordered it and cancelled before it could even air (though the 13 episodes produced did eventually air and are now on DVD). A TV Movie Legend of the Rangers was interesting, but didn't have enough of the characters and stories we loved most.
Now we get a very noble attempt at changing the distribution formula. A direct to DVD production entitled Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. Designed to continue the stories of the characters we have come to know, this new release is good when it could have been great.
Essentially a "longer" episode of the series (clocking in at 72 minutes), we get two stories that are barely linked. Interstellar Alliance President Sheridan (Bruce Boxlitner) is returning to Babylon 5 for the 10th Anniversary of the creation of the IA. In preparation, Colonel Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) has to deal with a crew member who may be possessed by a demon. Meanwhile, Sheridan is visited by Galen the Technomage (Peter Woodward) who wants him to kill the Centauri Regent Prince who is travelling with him.
While the connection is Sheridan's return to the station, the stories don't really intertwine and can be watched separately. The Lochley story is rather thin and is representative of a rather pedestrian episode of the series. The Sheridan/Galen story is much more interesting. The production looks magnificent when it comes to most of the CGI. In fact, the CGI looks much better than it did on the series. Of course, the trade off here is that since the production was done on the "cheap" as a "test" (if its successful there will be more), the one thing that doesn't look as good as it did is the inside of the station itself. During the series Babylon 5 was a bustling and busy station. Here, it seems empty. A shell of its former self. We get to see mostly empty corridors and small rooms since all the money was spent on a new CGI docking bay. A bit of a shame.
Luckily, Straczynski's writing remains sharp and we get mentions of everyone from the series, including a touching reference to Doctor Franklin and G'Kar (both Richard Biggs and Andreas Katsulas have passed away). And maybe that's part of the larger issue. While it may be nice to see these "lost tales", knowing that two of the characters can never actually return to the screen (even thought they are still alive in the B5 universe) makes watching something like this even more heartbreaking.
For such a short program, the DVD is rounded out by some nice extras including a tribute to each of the late actors, a look at the making of the show and a few other interviews with the actors on display here and the show's creator.
While I hope this does well enough for at least one more (Straczynski stated he originally had three stories for the first one, but the Garibaldi story got too large for the budget of this release), I also hope there's more money and a bit more ambition behind the next one.
I'll be back over the weekend with the savior of the universe.
Be seeing you.
But with the main story told we leave behind a rich legacy of characters and worlds that would be great places to visit from time to time. Since the show left the air in 1998 we've had a few attempts at a resurrection. A companion series Crusade was misunderstood by the network that ordered it and cancelled before it could even air (though the 13 episodes produced did eventually air and are now on DVD). A TV Movie Legend of the Rangers was interesting, but didn't have enough of the characters and stories we loved most.
Now we get a very noble attempt at changing the distribution formula. A direct to DVD production entitled Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. Designed to continue the stories of the characters we have come to know, this new release is good when it could have been great.
Essentially a "longer" episode of the series (clocking in at 72 minutes), we get two stories that are barely linked. Interstellar Alliance President Sheridan (Bruce Boxlitner) is returning to Babylon 5 for the 10th Anniversary of the creation of the IA. In preparation, Colonel Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) has to deal with a crew member who may be possessed by a demon. Meanwhile, Sheridan is visited by Galen the Technomage (Peter Woodward) who wants him to kill the Centauri Regent Prince who is travelling with him.
While the connection is Sheridan's return to the station, the stories don't really intertwine and can be watched separately. The Lochley story is rather thin and is representative of a rather pedestrian episode of the series. The Sheridan/Galen story is much more interesting. The production looks magnificent when it comes to most of the CGI. In fact, the CGI looks much better than it did on the series. Of course, the trade off here is that since the production was done on the "cheap" as a "test" (if its successful there will be more), the one thing that doesn't look as good as it did is the inside of the station itself. During the series Babylon 5 was a bustling and busy station. Here, it seems empty. A shell of its former self. We get to see mostly empty corridors and small rooms since all the money was spent on a new CGI docking bay. A bit of a shame.
Luckily, Straczynski's writing remains sharp and we get mentions of everyone from the series, including a touching reference to Doctor Franklin and G'Kar (both Richard Biggs and Andreas Katsulas have passed away). And maybe that's part of the larger issue. While it may be nice to see these "lost tales", knowing that two of the characters can never actually return to the screen (even thought they are still alive in the B5 universe) makes watching something like this even more heartbreaking.
For such a short program, the DVD is rounded out by some nice extras including a tribute to each of the late actors, a look at the making of the show and a few other interviews with the actors on display here and the show's creator.
While I hope this does well enough for at least one more (Straczynski stated he originally had three stories for the first one, but the Garibaldi story got too large for the budget of this release), I also hope there's more money and a bit more ambition behind the next one.
I'll be back over the weekend with the savior of the universe.
Be seeing you.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Twenty Years In The Making
Inevitably, the question that will be asked about The Simpsons Movie isn't necessarily "Is it good?", but more likely "Why? Why now?"
But The Simpsons is more than just an animated TV series. It has become an American institution (why else would there be long lines outside all the 7-11s that became Kwik-E-Marts in one of the most fun promotional gimmicks ever). The family has been with us since April of 1987 (when they first appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show) and have lasted through over 400 episodes not because of the jokes (which even when they're not funny are still funnier than most other "jokes" on TV today), not because of the supporting cast (which has grown HUGE over the years), but because of the archetypical family members that can appeal to all of us.
It is the family dynamic that has been the engine that runs this show. For all his stupidity, for all his loveable faults, Homer Simpson exemplifies the selfish part of all of us that we do our best to surpress at times...yet at the end of the day, he always realizes his faults, does his best to grow from them (until the next episode of course) and remains a faithful husband and loving father. And the rest of the family play their parts as well (Marge is the anchor, Lisa the idealist, Bart the anarchist and Maggie the voice of reality -- and I know the last one sounds funny since she rarely speaks, but think about her reactions to the antics of the others).
It is this dynamic that some may have forgotten about over the course of 18 seasons which have had "terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and creamy middles" (to quote Homer). When the show is good, it is the best show on TV. You don't last this long if you're not. When the show is bad, its still good...just off the mark. The last eight seasons have had more moments than the previous ten combined. But the episodes that work best focus on the family. And they are what is at the heart and soul of The Simpsons Movie. Everything else is just garnish (of course, lovable garnish).
There is little new to the film and this may be where the "why" comes into play. Why make the movie if there is nothing new in the film? Why not? The creators have used the bigger screen to paint a bigger canvas. Do they use it to the same advantage that South Park did when it went "wide"? No...of course not. That's comparing apples and oranges. South Park has always been about getting across a message through crass jokes. The Simpsons is always about exploring family dynamics (sometimes we just have to extend the definition of "family").
There are a few boundary pushes in this PG-13 film. Homer gives the town the finger, Bart dangles his doodle for all to see, Marge actually says "G-d damn" (which threw my wife because Marge has never said that before). All of the major supporting players get at least some screen time (with the exceptions of Sideshow Bob and aliens Kang & Kodos -- whom I suspect will wind up on a special edition DVD in a cut credits sequence I've read about). The film never feels long and never outstays its welcome. It feels just right.
The film starts with a great poke at the audience (and should be seen in theaters because here's a film where the communal experience greatly enhances things...we had a wonderful audience of kids and adults at the matinee we saw and they were all into it). From there its a non-stop riot from start to finish (and by finish I mean stay to the very end of the credits otherwise you'll miss a few more jokes). The story centers around Homer basically turning Springfield into the most toxic city in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency encases the town in a dome. The town turns on Homer. The family escapes to Alaska. There they discover that the government is actually going to destroy Springfield. The family then has to go back and save everyone from death, but not before leaving Homer behind to have an epiphany on why he should bother.
As I said, there's little new here. Homer's screwed up the town before. The family's been driven from town before. The government has been shown to be evil or incompetent before (though not on this scale...well at least in the show...real life is a different matter). How many times has Homer brought home a new pet only to have bad things happen because of it? How many times has Lisa fallen in love with another like-minded person? How many times has Bart turned to Flanders as the model father he believes he wants? How may times has Marge left Homer because of his selfishness?
In twenty years all of this has happened at least once before. But even in its repetition, the movie doesn't feel stale or old. Its as funny as many of the best episodes of the show in its prime.
Like any good movie that comes from a different medium with a built-in fan base, if you like The Simpsons, then you'll like The Simpsons Movie. If you don't, then you won't. Its that simple.
I'll be back in a days.
Be seeing you.
But The Simpsons is more than just an animated TV series. It has become an American institution (why else would there be long lines outside all the 7-11s that became Kwik-E-Marts in one of the most fun promotional gimmicks ever). The family has been with us since April of 1987 (when they first appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show) and have lasted through over 400 episodes not because of the jokes (which even when they're not funny are still funnier than most other "jokes" on TV today), not because of the supporting cast (which has grown HUGE over the years), but because of the archetypical family members that can appeal to all of us.
It is the family dynamic that has been the engine that runs this show. For all his stupidity, for all his loveable faults, Homer Simpson exemplifies the selfish part of all of us that we do our best to surpress at times...yet at the end of the day, he always realizes his faults, does his best to grow from them (until the next episode of course) and remains a faithful husband and loving father. And the rest of the family play their parts as well (Marge is the anchor, Lisa the idealist, Bart the anarchist and Maggie the voice of reality -- and I know the last one sounds funny since she rarely speaks, but think about her reactions to the antics of the others).
It is this dynamic that some may have forgotten about over the course of 18 seasons which have had "terrifying lows, dizzying highs, and creamy middles" (to quote Homer). When the show is good, it is the best show on TV. You don't last this long if you're not. When the show is bad, its still good...just off the mark. The last eight seasons have had more moments than the previous ten combined. But the episodes that work best focus on the family. And they are what is at the heart and soul of The Simpsons Movie. Everything else is just garnish (of course, lovable garnish).
There is little new to the film and this may be where the "why" comes into play. Why make the movie if there is nothing new in the film? Why not? The creators have used the bigger screen to paint a bigger canvas. Do they use it to the same advantage that South Park did when it went "wide"? No...of course not. That's comparing apples and oranges. South Park has always been about getting across a message through crass jokes. The Simpsons is always about exploring family dynamics (sometimes we just have to extend the definition of "family").
There are a few boundary pushes in this PG-13 film. Homer gives the town the finger, Bart dangles his doodle for all to see, Marge actually says "G-d damn" (which threw my wife because Marge has never said that before). All of the major supporting players get at least some screen time (with the exceptions of Sideshow Bob and aliens Kang & Kodos -- whom I suspect will wind up on a special edition DVD in a cut credits sequence I've read about). The film never feels long and never outstays its welcome. It feels just right.
The film starts with a great poke at the audience (and should be seen in theaters because here's a film where the communal experience greatly enhances things...we had a wonderful audience of kids and adults at the matinee we saw and they were all into it). From there its a non-stop riot from start to finish (and by finish I mean stay to the very end of the credits otherwise you'll miss a few more jokes). The story centers around Homer basically turning Springfield into the most toxic city in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency encases the town in a dome. The town turns on Homer. The family escapes to Alaska. There they discover that the government is actually going to destroy Springfield. The family then has to go back and save everyone from death, but not before leaving Homer behind to have an epiphany on why he should bother.
As I said, there's little new here. Homer's screwed up the town before. The family's been driven from town before. The government has been shown to be evil or incompetent before (though not on this scale...well at least in the show...real life is a different matter). How many times has Homer brought home a new pet only to have bad things happen because of it? How many times has Lisa fallen in love with another like-minded person? How many times has Bart turned to Flanders as the model father he believes he wants? How may times has Marge left Homer because of his selfishness?
In twenty years all of this has happened at least once before. But even in its repetition, the movie doesn't feel stale or old. Its as funny as many of the best episodes of the show in its prime.
Like any good movie that comes from a different medium with a built-in fan base, if you like The Simpsons, then you'll like The Simpsons Movie. If you don't, then you won't. Its that simple.
I'll be back in a days.
Be seeing you.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Hair Products & More Music To Watch The Simpsons By
You can check out my August 14, 2003 entry (newly added to the blog after a search of computer files) to find out what I had to say about the Broadway version of Hairspray. My views have changed a little bit...especially in light of the release of the movie version...
Which makes this yet another movie musical based on a stage musical based on a movie...if only we could unearth a book the movie was based on and a tablet the book was based on...
Anyway...the stage version of this story was a fun show that made you want to get off you ass and dance around...especially by the end of the show. The movie kind of puts something of a damper on that feeling. Its still a whole lot of fun, but it could have been even more so.
First, the casting.
There's just something off about John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad. Maybe its the weird latex face, maybe its that the role really needs a Divine or Harvey Fierstein in the role (both men were already bigger than life) or maybe its that Travolta seems to be barely tapping his talents (think I'm wrong, listen to the CD of the movie...once you divorce the look from the sound you are left with Travolta's voice...and it sounds like a barely breathy Travolta when it should sound a bit more feminine...even Harvey got that down in spots and he's got a very distinctive voice).
Christopher Walken is a good song and dance man and he handles himself well in his one big number, but at this point its more like watching Walken doing an impression of Jay Mohr doing Christopher Walken. Queen Latifah holds her own nicely in a part that's a bit more under-written than the stage version. Only Michelle Pfeiffer comes off better than her stage counterpart. This Velma von Tussle has much more bite to her (well...mostly...even though she's had a few things taken away, she's had a few things added...two new songs and better orchestrations). The kids fare much better, except Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, who is too cute and not awkward enough.
The musical numbers have been changed around somewhat. Four songs have had their order switched (I Can Hear The Bells and It Takes Two have been flipped as have I Know Where I've Been and Without Love), six songs have been cut (Mama I'm A Big Girl Now, Velma's Revenge, The Big Dollhouse, Good Morning Baltimore Reprise, You're Timeless To Me Reprise and Cooties), four songs added (Ladies Choice, The New Girl In Town, Big Blonde And Beautiful Reprise and Come So Far Got So Far To Go -- which just plays over the end credits) and a few have had lyrical changes that don't make sense to me (the worst being the deletion of Velma's verse of the big ending showstopper You Can't Stop The Beat).
The new songs actually feel like they were always part of the show and don't feel shoehorned in (particularly the Big, Blonde and Bueatiful Reprise since the subplot of Velma trying to seduce Wilbur is new and works rather well). The cut songs are missed (especially the jail cell number The Big Dollhouse), but two of them have been repurposed for the end credits (Cooties -- which is given a modern spin much to its detriment -- and Mama I'm A Big Girl Now -- which has been changed from a song that bounces back and forth between the mother/daughter teams of the Turnblads, the Pingletons and the Von Tussles to a song featuring the three women who have played Tracey -- Ricki Lake from the original film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast and Nikki Blonsky from this film, in addition to a short cameo by Harvey Firestein for a lyric or two).
A few plot points have been moved around (the protest on the TV station is now towards the end of the story) and some have been deleted entirely (the arrest after the protest). At the end of the day, the movie is still a lot of fun, but with what's missing or changed, its not as fun as it could have been.
Meanwhile, this Friday is the day I feel like I've been waiting for forever...but since I've got a wife and kid, I'm exaggerating (a bit).
The Simpsons Movie opens this week and I'm in full Simpson mode. So, having picked up the movie soundtrack...and not knowing much about the film (a first...I know...this coming from a guy who knew the end of the new Harry Potter book two days before it was published and still hasn't read it), here's a peak at what's in store (symphonically at least) this Friday (and you can bet your ass there'll be a full review between seeing the film Friday afternoon and the opening of A Raisin In The Sun which I'm producing for The Darien Players later that night -- 655-5414 for tickets, it runs until August 11 on weekends).
The fifteen tracks on this disc were all "baked by Hans Zimmer" (as it says on the cover). Inside, you discover he composed them all except "The Simpsons Theme" which was composed by Danny Elfman, but is given an amazing orchestral rendition. Most of the disc has tracks with funny titles that actually sound like what they're describing (even though I have no real idea what they are describing, but I can make assumptions about a track entitled "Release The Hounds" and the music fits the description). The "funniest" track on the CD has got to be "Spider Pig". If you've seen recent commercials for the film, you'll know what this might be, but it actually turns out to be something even bigger and better and funnier (at least musically).
Listening to the CD Soundtrack yesterday did what watching Sunday's block of episodes did, get me even more excited for a film I can't wait to see.
Friday can't get here fast enough.
Be seeing you.
Which makes this yet another movie musical based on a stage musical based on a movie...if only we could unearth a book the movie was based on and a tablet the book was based on...
Anyway...the stage version of this story was a fun show that made you want to get off you ass and dance around...especially by the end of the show. The movie kind of puts something of a damper on that feeling. Its still a whole lot of fun, but it could have been even more so.
First, the casting.
There's just something off about John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad. Maybe its the weird latex face, maybe its that the role really needs a Divine or Harvey Fierstein in the role (both men were already bigger than life) or maybe its that Travolta seems to be barely tapping his talents (think I'm wrong, listen to the CD of the movie...once you divorce the look from the sound you are left with Travolta's voice...and it sounds like a barely breathy Travolta when it should sound a bit more feminine...even Harvey got that down in spots and he's got a very distinctive voice).
Christopher Walken is a good song and dance man and he handles himself well in his one big number, but at this point its more like watching Walken doing an impression of Jay Mohr doing Christopher Walken. Queen Latifah holds her own nicely in a part that's a bit more under-written than the stage version. Only Michelle Pfeiffer comes off better than her stage counterpart. This Velma von Tussle has much more bite to her (well...mostly...even though she's had a few things taken away, she's had a few things added...two new songs and better orchestrations). The kids fare much better, except Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, who is too cute and not awkward enough.
The musical numbers have been changed around somewhat. Four songs have had their order switched (I Can Hear The Bells and It Takes Two have been flipped as have I Know Where I've Been and Without Love), six songs have been cut (Mama I'm A Big Girl Now, Velma's Revenge, The Big Dollhouse, Good Morning Baltimore Reprise, You're Timeless To Me Reprise and Cooties), four songs added (Ladies Choice, The New Girl In Town, Big Blonde And Beautiful Reprise and Come So Far Got So Far To Go -- which just plays over the end credits) and a few have had lyrical changes that don't make sense to me (the worst being the deletion of Velma's verse of the big ending showstopper You Can't Stop The Beat).
The new songs actually feel like they were always part of the show and don't feel shoehorned in (particularly the Big, Blonde and Bueatiful Reprise since the subplot of Velma trying to seduce Wilbur is new and works rather well). The cut songs are missed (especially the jail cell number The Big Dollhouse), but two of them have been repurposed for the end credits (Cooties -- which is given a modern spin much to its detriment -- and Mama I'm A Big Girl Now -- which has been changed from a song that bounces back and forth between the mother/daughter teams of the Turnblads, the Pingletons and the Von Tussles to a song featuring the three women who have played Tracey -- Ricki Lake from the original film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast and Nikki Blonsky from this film, in addition to a short cameo by Harvey Firestein for a lyric or two).
A few plot points have been moved around (the protest on the TV station is now towards the end of the story) and some have been deleted entirely (the arrest after the protest). At the end of the day, the movie is still a lot of fun, but with what's missing or changed, its not as fun as it could have been.
Meanwhile, this Friday is the day I feel like I've been waiting for forever...but since I've got a wife and kid, I'm exaggerating (a bit).
The Simpsons Movie opens this week and I'm in full Simpson mode. So, having picked up the movie soundtrack...and not knowing much about the film (a first...I know...this coming from a guy who knew the end of the new Harry Potter book two days before it was published and still hasn't read it), here's a peak at what's in store (symphonically at least) this Friday (and you can bet your ass there'll be a full review between seeing the film Friday afternoon and the opening of A Raisin In The Sun which I'm producing for The Darien Players later that night -- 655-5414 for tickets, it runs until August 11 on weekends).
The fifteen tracks on this disc were all "baked by Hans Zimmer" (as it says on the cover). Inside, you discover he composed them all except "The Simpsons Theme" which was composed by Danny Elfman, but is given an amazing orchestral rendition. Most of the disc has tracks with funny titles that actually sound like what they're describing (even though I have no real idea what they are describing, but I can make assumptions about a track entitled "Release The Hounds" and the music fits the description). The "funniest" track on the CD has got to be "Spider Pig". If you've seen recent commercials for the film, you'll know what this might be, but it actually turns out to be something even bigger and better and funnier (at least musically).
Listening to the CD Soundtrack yesterday did what watching Sunday's block of episodes did, get me even more excited for a film I can't wait to see.
Friday can't get here fast enough.
Be seeing you.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Mini Complaints, Rants, Raves & Reviews
Hey folks,
Got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week (or as I've been referring to it Harry Potter and the 10,000 Shards of Broken Glass since that's pretty much the main character of the big climactic battles). Anyway...I honestly don't have much to say about it. It was Harry Potter. Sure, they took the longest book and made it the shortest movie, but they either went too far or didn't go far enough with the cuts. I read an interview (I believe with either the screenwriter or the director) where they stated that Rowling suggested they reinstate a character they had cut because they'd run into problems later in the series. So I sat there watching, trying to guess who it was.
Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) was a good choice. She makes an appearance (check off that box) but doesn't really serve any purpose (unless you know the books very well as my wife had to remind me of an important point...but then even she admitted it may have come from Book 6 and not Book 5...and I have yet to read Book 6...and Trelawney was still a pointless addition if you're not gonna specify why she's there).
Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) makes her debut, but for all the backstory you get in the book that was cut or shortened, she may as well have played "Unnamed Follower of Voldemort #6".
There was no reason for this film to be the shortest and it could have easily benefited from an extra 20 minutes or so without any real problems.
Anyway...so...Diamond Select Toys actually has a MiniMate exclsuive they're realsing at San Diego's Comic Con this year. It's a two pack of more Marvel heroes as Zombies to go along with the box set of 5 that comes out soon (all from an interesting "What If" kind of story that was popular recently). The problem with this box set as well as another one that comes out later is that DST is putting out Zombie versions of characters before we get "actual" versions. Giant Man, The Wasp and Black Panther all deserve to have regular versions done and having Zombie versions before a regular version is just kind of insulting.
Meanwhile, DC Direct is apparently putting DST/Marvel to shame. Just looking at their latest announcement for Wave 7 of their MiniMates line tells us that with DC anything goes. We're getting a MiniMate of Ambush Bug for crying out loud!!! A minor character who had a cult following in the mid 1980s is getting a MiniMate...before a number of important Marvel characters...heck, before a number of important DC characters (Sinestro anyone? Black Manta?). Can't wait to see if DC displays anything beyond Wave 7 at Comic Con...but I'm sure they've got some more cool stuff up their sleeves.
Well...that's all I've got for today. It's been a bit crazy around here of late. Family was visiting. Malcolm turned 2 (I can't believe he's 2, but he certainly acts like it). I'm jumping into auditions tonight for a show I'm directing at Curtain Call: Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Hope we get a good turnout over the next two nights because I'd rather not have callbacks...but we'll see.
Anyway...I'll keep you posted on things as time permits.
Be seeing you.
Got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last week (or as I've been referring to it Harry Potter and the 10,000 Shards of Broken Glass since that's pretty much the main character of the big climactic battles). Anyway...I honestly don't have much to say about it. It was Harry Potter. Sure, they took the longest book and made it the shortest movie, but they either went too far or didn't go far enough with the cuts. I read an interview (I believe with either the screenwriter or the director) where they stated that Rowling suggested they reinstate a character they had cut because they'd run into problems later in the series. So I sat there watching, trying to guess who it was.
Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) was a good choice. She makes an appearance (check off that box) but doesn't really serve any purpose (unless you know the books very well as my wife had to remind me of an important point...but then even she admitted it may have come from Book 6 and not Book 5...and I have yet to read Book 6...and Trelawney was still a pointless addition if you're not gonna specify why she's there).
Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) makes her debut, but for all the backstory you get in the book that was cut or shortened, she may as well have played "Unnamed Follower of Voldemort #6".
There was no reason for this film to be the shortest and it could have easily benefited from an extra 20 minutes or so without any real problems.
Anyway...so...Diamond Select Toys actually has a MiniMate exclsuive they're realsing at San Diego's Comic Con this year. It's a two pack of more Marvel heroes as Zombies to go along with the box set of 5 that comes out soon (all from an interesting "What If" kind of story that was popular recently). The problem with this box set as well as another one that comes out later is that DST is putting out Zombie versions of characters before we get "actual" versions. Giant Man, The Wasp and Black Panther all deserve to have regular versions done and having Zombie versions before a regular version is just kind of insulting.
Meanwhile, DC Direct is apparently putting DST/Marvel to shame. Just looking at their latest announcement for Wave 7 of their MiniMates line tells us that with DC anything goes. We're getting a MiniMate of Ambush Bug for crying out loud!!! A minor character who had a cult following in the mid 1980s is getting a MiniMate...before a number of important Marvel characters...heck, before a number of important DC characters (Sinestro anyone? Black Manta?). Can't wait to see if DC displays anything beyond Wave 7 at Comic Con...but I'm sure they've got some more cool stuff up their sleeves.
Well...that's all I've got for today. It's been a bit crazy around here of late. Family was visiting. Malcolm turned 2 (I can't believe he's 2, but he certainly acts like it). I'm jumping into auditions tonight for a show I'm directing at Curtain Call: Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Hope we get a good turnout over the next two nights because I'd rather not have callbacks...but we'll see.
Anyway...I'll keep you posted on things as time permits.
Be seeing you.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Blake Edwards Should Have Used The Title
Sometimes we "geeks" (or is it nerds...I can never remember) can be really annoying to each other.
Take for instance, the internet uproar upon finding out that Galactus, the planet eating being made famous in Fantastic Four comic books, was being depicted in the new movie as a giant cloud of debris and energy as opposed to a 28 foot 9 inch human in purple armor. He's where you need someone like William Shatner yelling "get a life" (and they should be angrier about the fact that Stan Lee is not playing Willy Lumpkin, the mail carrier to the Fantastic Four, but is now playing himself...it makes sense that Willy would try and get into the wedding of Reed & Sue, it makes no sense for Stan Lee to try).
Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer is a lot like the first film made two years ago. Little more than a fun popcorn film to keep the masses entertained, both films get in, keep moving and get out before you can be bogged down with brooding, pathos and depth. Sure, the comics had a bit more rounding to them, but if you want a "serious" comic book movie, go see Spider-Man 3.
The plot, as such, involves the Silver Surfer arriving on Earth to prep the planet for destruction by Galactus. The Fantastic Four team up with a revived Doctor Doom (who of course has his own agenda) to save the planet. There's a couple of subplots involving a wedding postponed several times and the old "switching powers among team members" routine (thus giving an excuse for Michale Chiklis to spend at least a few minutes of screen out of full body makeup as The Thing...I think we've seen The Thing turn back into Ben Grimm more times in two movies than we have in 60 years of comic books...but I digress).
Is either film perfect? No. But they're both fun. Nothing more. Try and analyze things and they don't make much sense (for example, the only reason Doctor Doom is "awakened" from his death-like state is because the Silver Surfer passes by...yeah...that's a convenient way to work him in). If you liked the first film, you'll like this one as well. If you hated the first one, move along...there's nothing for you here either.
That said...if there is a third Fantastic Four I'd like to see the potential that's there for a GREAT movie be used. We've done the fun shtick that this super hero group represents. Now let's see them really kick some ass.
Meanwhile, in the "real world" of comic books...we need to make the passing of yet another super hero.
DC Comics has killed off Bart Allen...also known as The Flash (the fourth person to use that name)...previously known as Kid Flash (the second person to use that name)...formerly known as Impulse (the only one to use that name).
This is the latest in what has become a three year long killing spree in the DC Universe (Ted Kord aka Blue Beetle II, Vic Sage aka The Question I, Ralph Dibney aka The Elongated Man, Sue Dibney, Superboy Connor Kent, Jade daughter of Alan Scott the original Green Lantern, the Golden Age Vigilante...I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting but we're almost at the point where it'd be easier to list living characters).
It's a bit sad and odd to have Bart gone. Bart started his life as the grandson of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash. Bart was born in our future and raised in an artificial environment (kind of like The Matrix). His grandmother, Iris Allen, brought him to the 20th Century to have her nephew Wally West (the 3rd Flash) help Bart become more responsible. Wally passed that job onto another speedster named Max Mercury and Bart as Impulse (named so by Batman since he tended to leap before he looked) had a good comic book run of his own for around 80 issues.
Two years ago, Bart joined the Teen Titans and took over Wally's old name and costume to become Kid Flash since he had grown up and matured a bit. At the end of Infinite Crisis, Bart, Wally, Max and Barry all pushed the Superboy of Earth Prime into the Speed Force (don't ask) and they all disappeared, leaving Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash) as the only speedster on Earth. A de-powered and aged Bart returned from wherever they all went to and he took over as The Flash...only to be killed off after 13 issues of his own book as The Flash.
Bart worked best as Impulse in my opinion. Its a great series that was a lot of fun to read (and re-read as it holds up well). Bart as Kid Flash wasn't bad, but why move him in that direction only to quickly move him up the ladder again to become The Flash?
Oh well...he'll be missed. of course, this being comics I'm sure he'll be back at some point. Look at his grandfather who's been dead since 1986 and yet he keeps making appearances.
The Flash is dead. Long live The Flash.
Be seeing you.
Take for instance, the internet uproar upon finding out that Galactus, the planet eating being made famous in Fantastic Four comic books, was being depicted in the new movie as a giant cloud of debris and energy as opposed to a 28 foot 9 inch human in purple armor. He's where you need someone like William Shatner yelling "get a life" (and they should be angrier about the fact that Stan Lee is not playing Willy Lumpkin, the mail carrier to the Fantastic Four, but is now playing himself...it makes sense that Willy would try and get into the wedding of Reed & Sue, it makes no sense for Stan Lee to try).
Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer is a lot like the first film made two years ago. Little more than a fun popcorn film to keep the masses entertained, both films get in, keep moving and get out before you can be bogged down with brooding, pathos and depth. Sure, the comics had a bit more rounding to them, but if you want a "serious" comic book movie, go see Spider-Man 3.
The plot, as such, involves the Silver Surfer arriving on Earth to prep the planet for destruction by Galactus. The Fantastic Four team up with a revived Doctor Doom (who of course has his own agenda) to save the planet. There's a couple of subplots involving a wedding postponed several times and the old "switching powers among team members" routine (thus giving an excuse for Michale Chiklis to spend at least a few minutes of screen out of full body makeup as The Thing...I think we've seen The Thing turn back into Ben Grimm more times in two movies than we have in 60 years of comic books...but I digress).
Is either film perfect? No. But they're both fun. Nothing more. Try and analyze things and they don't make much sense (for example, the only reason Doctor Doom is "awakened" from his death-like state is because the Silver Surfer passes by...yeah...that's a convenient way to work him in). If you liked the first film, you'll like this one as well. If you hated the first one, move along...there's nothing for you here either.
That said...if there is a third Fantastic Four I'd like to see the potential that's there for a GREAT movie be used. We've done the fun shtick that this super hero group represents. Now let's see them really kick some ass.
Meanwhile, in the "real world" of comic books...we need to make the passing of yet another super hero.
DC Comics has killed off Bart Allen...also known as The Flash (the fourth person to use that name)...previously known as Kid Flash (the second person to use that name)...formerly known as Impulse (the only one to use that name).
This is the latest in what has become a three year long killing spree in the DC Universe (Ted Kord aka Blue Beetle II, Vic Sage aka The Question I, Ralph Dibney aka The Elongated Man, Sue Dibney, Superboy Connor Kent, Jade daughter of Alan Scott the original Green Lantern, the Golden Age Vigilante...I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting but we're almost at the point where it'd be easier to list living characters).
It's a bit sad and odd to have Bart gone. Bart started his life as the grandson of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash. Bart was born in our future and raised in an artificial environment (kind of like The Matrix). His grandmother, Iris Allen, brought him to the 20th Century to have her nephew Wally West (the 3rd Flash) help Bart become more responsible. Wally passed that job onto another speedster named Max Mercury and Bart as Impulse (named so by Batman since he tended to leap before he looked) had a good comic book run of his own for around 80 issues.
Two years ago, Bart joined the Teen Titans and took over Wally's old name and costume to become Kid Flash since he had grown up and matured a bit. At the end of Infinite Crisis, Bart, Wally, Max and Barry all pushed the Superboy of Earth Prime into the Speed Force (don't ask) and they all disappeared, leaving Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash) as the only speedster on Earth. A de-powered and aged Bart returned from wherever they all went to and he took over as The Flash...only to be killed off after 13 issues of his own book as The Flash.
Bart worked best as Impulse in my opinion. Its a great series that was a lot of fun to read (and re-read as it holds up well). Bart as Kid Flash wasn't bad, but why move him in that direction only to quickly move him up the ladder again to become The Flash?
Oh well...he'll be missed. of course, this being comics I'm sure he'll be back at some point. Look at his grandfather who's been dead since 1986 and yet he keeps making appearances.
The Flash is dead. Long live The Flash.
Be seeing you.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
That Takes Balls!!!
So The Sopranos ended and my wife turned to me and said "Did the cable go out?"
This will probably go down in history as the most talked about ending to a TV series EVER.
I'll decide tomorrow if it was fucking brilliant or a big fuck you to the fans (leaning toward brilliant).
Won't spoil it for anyone who didn't see it yet.
If the creators of Lost even think about trying something like this, I will burn the DVDs of all prior seasons. That show needs a real ending.
The Sopranos not so much.
"It goes on and on and on and on."
Had to comment on it "in the moment."
Be seeing you.
This will probably go down in history as the most talked about ending to a TV series EVER.
I'll decide tomorrow if it was fucking brilliant or a big fuck you to the fans (leaning toward brilliant).
Won't spoil it for anyone who didn't see it yet.
If the creators of Lost even think about trying something like this, I will burn the DVDs of all prior seasons. That show needs a real ending.
The Sopranos not so much.
"It goes on and on and on and on."
Had to comment on it "in the moment."
Be seeing you.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
They Always Come In Three...
So...I've been trying to catch up on some movie watching and get a bit current...its gonna take an awfully long time, but little by little I'm getting there...
So...today we've got reviews of three "comedies" (I use quotes because that term can be somewhat subjective).
Tash & I had a chance to drop Malcolm off with his grandparents for an afternoon and take in a new movie in the theaters. We chose to see Knocked Up because we like to be entertained more than anything these days and this film has gotten great reviews. I think the reviews are a bit off. The film is very funny, but more sweet than funny at times. Its also a bit long (over two hours), which for a comedy can be a bit deadly. But luckily, this film is very entertaining and charming...as escapist entertainment, I guess parts hit a bit too close to home since we do have a kid (I swear the conversation between the two leads during sex while pregnant came from a bug in our bedroom).
If you don't know, the film is about a young professional woman who hooks up with a stoner/slacker at a bar. One things leads to another and she winds up pregnant. The rest of the film deals with these two very different people trying to come to terms with what it means to bring a child into the world. The film is worth seeing, but I'm not sure if you need to rush to theaters to see it. It'll be perfectly acceptable on DVD.
Trying to catch up on the DVDs from Netflix we've been sitting on for way too long put us in front of Man Of The Year. This bizarre political satire stars Robin Williams as a John Stewart clone (fake news man) who winds up running for president. That plot could have been an interesting film along the lines of Dave, but the creators of this piece have added a bizarre subplot about rigged electronic voting machines that doesn't make sense and throws the film into other directions. The film also makes a feeble attempt at straddling the political lines. Its not a bad film, but its not a great film. While we probably need someone in our real elections like Robin Williams' character to shake things up in 2008, it ain't gonna happen. So all this film really did was tease.
Lastly, for today's reviews...I watched Epic Movie. Now I use the term "watched" very loosely. I started watching it and left it playing while I was checking on a pork shoulder that I'm smoking on our new grill (more about that some other time). And then I checked e-mail, cleaned the kitchen and did a few other things while this film continued playing in the background. Why I even bothered I don't know. I'm sure this type of film (the bastard step-child of the Airplane school of comedy which needs to be drowned) appeals to someone...but that someone is probably someone who doesn't know what comedy really is, is around twelve and has the attention span of a hummingbird on crack. Last year, I decreed Date Movie (from the same creators) was not only the worst movie of 2006, but probably the worst movie ever made. This film has it beat by a long shot. The worst part is there's some actual talent on screen. I'm gonna give Fred Willard, Darryl Hammond, Jennifer Coolidge and Kai Penn a pass on this one. They probably needed rent money. Crispin Glover has just proved his career died years ago and he's just scraping whatever he can get. Miss this at all costs.
I hope to be back later this week with that wrap-up of the network upfronts. I was holding off until I finished up a few shows for the season. Just about done with that.
Be seeing you.
So...today we've got reviews of three "comedies" (I use quotes because that term can be somewhat subjective).
Tash & I had a chance to drop Malcolm off with his grandparents for an afternoon and take in a new movie in the theaters. We chose to see Knocked Up because we like to be entertained more than anything these days and this film has gotten great reviews. I think the reviews are a bit off. The film is very funny, but more sweet than funny at times. Its also a bit long (over two hours), which for a comedy can be a bit deadly. But luckily, this film is very entertaining and charming...as escapist entertainment, I guess parts hit a bit too close to home since we do have a kid (I swear the conversation between the two leads during sex while pregnant came from a bug in our bedroom).
If you don't know, the film is about a young professional woman who hooks up with a stoner/slacker at a bar. One things leads to another and she winds up pregnant. The rest of the film deals with these two very different people trying to come to terms with what it means to bring a child into the world. The film is worth seeing, but I'm not sure if you need to rush to theaters to see it. It'll be perfectly acceptable on DVD.
Trying to catch up on the DVDs from Netflix we've been sitting on for way too long put us in front of Man Of The Year. This bizarre political satire stars Robin Williams as a John Stewart clone (fake news man) who winds up running for president. That plot could have been an interesting film along the lines of Dave, but the creators of this piece have added a bizarre subplot about rigged electronic voting machines that doesn't make sense and throws the film into other directions. The film also makes a feeble attempt at straddling the political lines. Its not a bad film, but its not a great film. While we probably need someone in our real elections like Robin Williams' character to shake things up in 2008, it ain't gonna happen. So all this film really did was tease.
Lastly, for today's reviews...I watched Epic Movie. Now I use the term "watched" very loosely. I started watching it and left it playing while I was checking on a pork shoulder that I'm smoking on our new grill (more about that some other time). And then I checked e-mail, cleaned the kitchen and did a few other things while this film continued playing in the background. Why I even bothered I don't know. I'm sure this type of film (the bastard step-child of the Airplane school of comedy which needs to be drowned) appeals to someone...but that someone is probably someone who doesn't know what comedy really is, is around twelve and has the attention span of a hummingbird on crack. Last year, I decreed Date Movie (from the same creators) was not only the worst movie of 2006, but probably the worst movie ever made. This film has it beat by a long shot. The worst part is there's some actual talent on screen. I'm gonna give Fred Willard, Darryl Hammond, Jennifer Coolidge and Kai Penn a pass on this one. They probably needed rent money. Crispin Glover has just proved his career died years ago and he's just scraping whatever he can get. Miss this at all costs.
I hope to be back later this week with that wrap-up of the network upfronts. I was holding off until I finished up a few shows for the season. Just about done with that.
Be seeing you.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Reality + Movies = Funny In A Drinking Game Kind Of Way
So...the wife and I have been watching the new FOX "reality" show On The Lot. I actually thought about entering this (you gotta be in it to win it), but decided to wait and see what the show is really like (especially after having entered something in two of the three Project: Greenlight runs).
Attempting to apply an American Idol concept to a filmmaking competition where the "winner" gets a million dollar deal at Dreamworks is kind of like applying it to the casting of a Broadway show (and I didn't even see that show...will two unknowns really have the draw to keep a show running on Broadway for long). The funny part is that the people "behind the scenes" in this "contest" have probably never made films they way these contestants are being forced to (anyone think Garry Marshall has ever been told go make a one minute comedy short in a week).
But the folks "playing the game" are up to the task even if it seems like most of them don't quite have the talent.
The first two episodes aired last week actually showed some promise as the top 50 filmmakers were whittled down to 36 after a pitch session (always tough...anyone think Spielberg still makes his own pitches...or Garry Marshall). Those 36 were then put in teams of 3 to create a short film in 24 hours. Each team member got to direct one scene in each short. There was some good drama and tension involved here and at the end of this round we were down to 24 people.
The next challenge was each of these people were given an hour to direct a page of dialog from a script using a full film crew. There would be 6 people eliminated from this leaving us with 18. But we never got to see any of this as the third episode of the show opened with 18 contestants who each had to make a one minute comedy short. So FOX spent 2 hours on Monday night introducing us to each filmmaker, showing their shorts and having the judges comment on them.
Of the 18 shorts there were 4 really good ones, a whole bunch of ones that were either cute or competent and little more, one head scratcher (meaning what was the filmmaker thinking...the character in the film came off more retarded than "nerdy" just as the judges said) and two films that were so off the mark you knew who was going home the next night.
But let it never be said that American voters are predictable. Only one of the truly "bad" filmmakers went home. The other miraculously stayed. The other two who were voted off were foreigners (so much for the international contingent). And the headscratcher of a film wound up in the top 3???
While the show is an interesting attempt at finding new talent to make Hollywood films, I'm not sure this is the best way to do it. But it is kind of fun to watch...if only to make a drinking game out of the flubs, hand gestures and general stupidity of host Adrianna Costa (who did she fuck to get this job...she's easily the worst host in the entire history of the concept of hosting). If you toss in every time Garry Marshall references how we need more women directors like his sister Penny, you'll be drunk off your ass within ten minutes.
I told my wife that if there's a second run of this show next year to push my ass into at least submitting a film. I'm betting FOX will only stick with the entire first run if they're contractually obligated to. It seems Univision has been getting better ratings.
Be seeing you
Attempting to apply an American Idol concept to a filmmaking competition where the "winner" gets a million dollar deal at Dreamworks is kind of like applying it to the casting of a Broadway show (and I didn't even see that show...will two unknowns really have the draw to keep a show running on Broadway for long). The funny part is that the people "behind the scenes" in this "contest" have probably never made films they way these contestants are being forced to (anyone think Garry Marshall has ever been told go make a one minute comedy short in a week).
But the folks "playing the game" are up to the task even if it seems like most of them don't quite have the talent.
The first two episodes aired last week actually showed some promise as the top 50 filmmakers were whittled down to 36 after a pitch session (always tough...anyone think Spielberg still makes his own pitches...or Garry Marshall). Those 36 were then put in teams of 3 to create a short film in 24 hours. Each team member got to direct one scene in each short. There was some good drama and tension involved here and at the end of this round we were down to 24 people.
The next challenge was each of these people were given an hour to direct a page of dialog from a script using a full film crew. There would be 6 people eliminated from this leaving us with 18. But we never got to see any of this as the third episode of the show opened with 18 contestants who each had to make a one minute comedy short. So FOX spent 2 hours on Monday night introducing us to each filmmaker, showing their shorts and having the judges comment on them.
Of the 18 shorts there were 4 really good ones, a whole bunch of ones that were either cute or competent and little more, one head scratcher (meaning what was the filmmaker thinking...the character in the film came off more retarded than "nerdy" just as the judges said) and two films that were so off the mark you knew who was going home the next night.
But let it never be said that American voters are predictable. Only one of the truly "bad" filmmakers went home. The other miraculously stayed. The other two who were voted off were foreigners (so much for the international contingent). And the headscratcher of a film wound up in the top 3???
While the show is an interesting attempt at finding new talent to make Hollywood films, I'm not sure this is the best way to do it. But it is kind of fun to watch...if only to make a drinking game out of the flubs, hand gestures and general stupidity of host Adrianna Costa (who did she fuck to get this job...she's easily the worst host in the entire history of the concept of hosting). If you toss in every time Garry Marshall references how we need more women directors like his sister Penny, you'll be drunk off your ass within ten minutes.
I told my wife that if there's a second run of this show next year to push my ass into at least submitting a film. I'm betting FOX will only stick with the entire first run if they're contractually obligated to. It seems Univision has been getting better ratings.
Be seeing you
Friday, May 25, 2007
It Was 30 Years Ago Today...
So, Star Wars is 30 years old. Was I really only 8 when I first saw it? Did I really see it 4 times in the theaters? Did my mom really stand up in the middle of the movie when Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi were duelling and shout "Go get him Ben!" (or something to that effect)? Did she later have a fight in a toy store over a Princess Leia action figure?
You bet your asses.
Its kind of scary that this "little" film not only changed how people saw movies, but also how Hollywood made movies.
This amazing juggernaut of a film pretty much birthed the modern summer blockbuster as we know it (and one could argue that the first of the "Prequel" Trilogy killed it in certain respects, but that's another argument for another time).
For me, it was a way of life for a long time. I LOVED Star Wars. I was able to procure (with the help of a crazy mom) every action figure made. It was the starting point of my crazy obsessions that I still try to rid myself of to this day (lets just say that as soon as I get over the daunting task of cleaning off all those old toys, they're gonna go on eBay...my love for them has been replaced by other things -- a wife, a son, a sixth scale Jabba the Hutt).
But I couldn't just let today pass without making mention (not that I'm unique on this respect, there's a whole weekend long convention to mark the damn celebration)...
Partially because I was admonished by a friend for not screening the original trilogy this weekend...but the projector's broken (the latest in a long line of electronic problems we've had at the house since February) and there are other things going on.
I was going to make more than a mention and really wax philosophic about the film (and its sequels)...but I'm honestly all tapped out on this subject right now. I don't have the desire or energy beyond saying what I've barely said.
Be seeing you.
You bet your asses.
Its kind of scary that this "little" film not only changed how people saw movies, but also how Hollywood made movies.
This amazing juggernaut of a film pretty much birthed the modern summer blockbuster as we know it (and one could argue that the first of the "Prequel" Trilogy killed it in certain respects, but that's another argument for another time).
For me, it was a way of life for a long time. I LOVED Star Wars. I was able to procure (with the help of a crazy mom) every action figure made. It was the starting point of my crazy obsessions that I still try to rid myself of to this day (lets just say that as soon as I get over the daunting task of cleaning off all those old toys, they're gonna go on eBay...my love for them has been replaced by other things -- a wife, a son, a sixth scale Jabba the Hutt).
But I couldn't just let today pass without making mention (not that I'm unique on this respect, there's a whole weekend long convention to mark the damn celebration)...
Partially because I was admonished by a friend for not screening the original trilogy this weekend...but the projector's broken (the latest in a long line of electronic problems we've had at the house since February) and there are other things going on.
I was going to make more than a mention and really wax philosophic about the film (and its sequels)...but I'm honestly all tapped out on this subject right now. I don't have the desire or energy beyond saying what I've barely said.
Be seeing you.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
FOX 2006-2007 Review/2007-2008 Preview
And lastly, FOX gives us their new fall lineup (and then some)...
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Drive -- 1 Season/6 Episodes/2 Unaired (but scheduled for July 4) -- This was a sad story of a fun show that FOX pulled way too quickly. This serious version of The Cannonball Run had enough action, suspense, drama and humor to keep it going for a full season. I'm not even sure why FOX canned it...I didn't think the ratings were that bad. At least we'll get to see the last two episodes (which I'm sure don't wrap up anything, but at least we can see where things were headed).
Happy Hour -- 1 Season/6 Episodes/2 Unaired -- Anyone other than me remember this? I barely remember this. That's a good thing.
Justice -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/1 Unaired -- Why do networks air all but one episode of a show? Can't they at least give the handful of fans the last drops of joy? Okay...this show wasn't great, but it was good...heck...anything with Victor Garber is good.
The O.C. -- 4 Seasons/92 Episodes -- I know this was popular, but I never even bothered. If they were 8 episodes shy of the magic 100 for syndication there's gotta be something wrong here.
The Rich List -- 1 Season/4 Episodes/3 Unaired -- I blinked and missed it. What was this about?
Vanished -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired (but streamed online) -- This wasn't a bad show, but the concept was kind of all over the place (Kidnapped meets The DaVinci Code by way of The Bourne Identity). Apparently there was enough time after the cancellation announcement to wrap up the plot involving the kidnapped Senator's wife...sort of...It was a fun mess to watch, but a mess never-the-less as the wife escaped and went back to her old boyfriend, but the cabal of evil people running the country is still there (aren't they always).
The Wedding Bells -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/2 Unaired -- Didn't watch it.
Nanny 911 -- 2 Seasons/24 Episodes -- So we've fixed all the bratty kids in the country? Didn't think so.
Trading Spouses -- 3 Seasons/60 Episodes -- Apparently everyone's swapped at this point...at least those who wanted to...I should have been able to come up with something funnier, but it's been a long month.
The War At Home -- 2 Seasons/44 Episodes -- There is a G-d!
The Winner -- 1 Season/6 Episodes -- This weirdly funny show deserved a better chance. Heck, I found the opening of the pilot to be very unfunny and then the show slowly got much funnier...in a creepy kind of way. I'm sure Rob Cordry will get more work...somehow.
The Loop -- 2 Seasons -- I'm unsure of how many total episodes there will be of this show. The second season doesn't start until June, but since Bret Harrison has a new show next season, I don't expect there to be a third season. The first season of 7 episodes is available on DVD and its a pretty funny show. Hopefully, season 2 will be just as funny (and warrant a DVD release as well).
Standoff -- 1 Season/19 Episodes/8 Unaired -- The rest of this show will be burned off this summer. It was a feeble attempt to redo the success of Bones with hostage negotiators. It didn't work.
Like last year, FOX has given us three different schedules, so some days have multiple listings as the shows rotate through the season.
MONDAYS (September to January)
8pm Prison Break -- Back for a third season of logic defying suspense, at least the show can live up to its title again as Michael, former guard Bellick, former FBI Agent Mahoney and psycho T-Bag are now in a Panama prison instead of running all over the country (actually continent...well...hemisphere). Should be fun, but I don't know how much life the premise has in it.
9pm K-Ville -- A cop show set in post-Katrina New Orleans starring Anthony Anderson? Its a good thing there are other hour long shows ready to go and be moved into this slot (I predict The Sarah Connor Chronicles will air much earlier than expected).
MONDAYS (January to March)
8pm K-Ville
9pm 24 -- Back for a seventh season. I think its time to call shennanigans on this show. This current season about to end started with Jack arriving on a plane from China after 18 months of being tortured in a Chinese prison and having to stop more nukes from going off on American soil within two hours of landing. I know when I get off a plane after a six hour flight from visiting family in California, I'm pretty sure the last thing I want to be doing is running around after nuclear terrorists...I usually just want to take a nice long dump in a clean quiet bathroom. I think Jack Bauer needs to do the same.
MONDAYS (March to May)
8pm Prison Break
9pm 24
TUESDAYS (September to January)
8pm New Amsterdam -- FOX gets an award for sheer balls on even airing this show starring a cast of unknowns and created by a foreign art film director. Lasse Hallstrom (My Life As A Dog) brings us a tale of a cop who is immortal. You bet your ass I'm gonna check this one out.
9pm House M.D. -- The cranky doctor returns for a 4th season of cantankerous fun.
TUESDAYS (January to May)
8pm American Idol -- The juggernaut that is dumbing down music even more than Brittany Spears returns for a 7th round. It amazes me that more people vote for the winner of this show than do in our Presidential elections. Maybe next season should pit Rudy, Hillary, Barack and the gang against each other?
9pm House M.D.
WEDNESDAYS (September to January)
8pm Back To You -- Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton star as an on air news team with little off air chemistry. Toss in Fred Willard and how can you go wrong? I hope they don't, but one would have said the same thing about a show starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambour.
8:30 Til Death -- While I'm a bit shocked this show starring Brad Garrett as a hen pecked husband got a second season, I think its nice that FOX has let it grow a bit over the first season. I may try again in the fall. It wasn't bad, just typical.
9pm Bones -- The grossest show on TV returns for a third season. Its still fun to watch the chemistry between the leads.
WEDNESDAYS (January to March)
8pm Back To You
8:30 Til Death
9pm American Idol
WEDNESDAYS (March to May)
8pm Back To You
8:30 The Return Of Jezebel James -- Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as sisters. Could be worth a viewing based on the talent...luckily, we've got some time to think it over.
9pm American Idol (Results Show)
9:30 Til Death
THURSDAYS (September to January)
8pm Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? -- If you made it through the public education system past the 5th grade and are watching this show, probably not.
9pm Kitchen Nightmares -- The chef of Hell's Kitchen takes his show on the road as he goes to restaurants in trouble and offers them his brand of help. Whatever.
THURSDAYS (January to May)
8pm Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9pm Canterbury's Law -- Executive producers Dennis Leary and Jim Serpico tackle the courtroom drama with Juliana Margulies as a lawyer who is missing justice in her own life as her young son disappeared a few years ago. Do we need another courtroom drama?
FRIDAYS (September to January)
8pm The Search For The Next Great American Band -- Not being content with finding one new singer, the creators of American Idol are now looking to put together a whole group of musicians to work together. Good luck.
9pm Nashville -- The creators of Laguna Beach are apparently going south...in more ways than one. Ugh.
FRIDAYS (January to May)
8pm Bones
9pm New Amsterdam
SATURDAYS
8pm Cops -- Starts a 20th Season in the fall.
9pm America's Most Wanted -- Starts a 22nd Season of righting wrongs and bringing criminals to justice.
SUNDAYS
7pm The OT -- Finally! FOX just went ahead and officially gave the whole fucking hour to the NFL instead of teasing us who don't care with "episodes already in progress" of our favorite animated families. Let's just hope they don't go over the hour.
8pm The Simpsons -- Going out of its 18th Season into a Feature Film and into its 19th Season is an amazing feat. Doing it with style, grace and barely a loss of wit and humor is something else all together. Here's to more features and 19 more seasons. D'oh!
8:30 King Of The Hill -- This show will be starting its 12th season in the fall. Its like Coach only animated. You're amazed its still on, but its barely changed and still entertains a few people on occassion.
9pm Family Guy -- The TV show that refused to die returns for a 6th rip-roaring, pop-culture reference filled season. Woo Hoo!
9:30 American Dad -- What started off a bit shaky has gotten better, but still has a ways to go. Maybe the third season will get even better.
SUNDAYS (January to May)
7pm King Of The Hill
7:30 American Dad
8pm The Simpsons
8:30 Family Guy
9pm The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- Ever curious what happened between Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines? Didn't think so. But here's where you'll find out. Could be good...we'll see.
MIDSEASON
The Rules For Starting Over -- The Farrelly Brothers bring us this sitcom about a group of late 30 somethings who find themselves single again and starting life over. Meh.
Anchorwoman -- This unscripted "reality" series is about a news director who brings in a WWE hottie to be his new anchorwoman...much to the dismay of his current one. I have no idea what to think of this monstrosity beyond staying far far far away.
Well...that's all for the five major TV networks. I'll be back tomorrow with a round up of everything and a look at how we'll be scheduling our Tivo & two cable DVRs in the fall.
Be seeing you.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Drive -- 1 Season/6 Episodes/2 Unaired (but scheduled for July 4) -- This was a sad story of a fun show that FOX pulled way too quickly. This serious version of The Cannonball Run had enough action, suspense, drama and humor to keep it going for a full season. I'm not even sure why FOX canned it...I didn't think the ratings were that bad. At least we'll get to see the last two episodes (which I'm sure don't wrap up anything, but at least we can see where things were headed).
Happy Hour -- 1 Season/6 Episodes/2 Unaired -- Anyone other than me remember this? I barely remember this. That's a good thing.
Justice -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/1 Unaired -- Why do networks air all but one episode of a show? Can't they at least give the handful of fans the last drops of joy? Okay...this show wasn't great, but it was good...heck...anything with Victor Garber is good.
The O.C. -- 4 Seasons/92 Episodes -- I know this was popular, but I never even bothered. If they were 8 episodes shy of the magic 100 for syndication there's gotta be something wrong here.
The Rich List -- 1 Season/4 Episodes/3 Unaired -- I blinked and missed it. What was this about?
Vanished -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired (but streamed online) -- This wasn't a bad show, but the concept was kind of all over the place (Kidnapped meets The DaVinci Code by way of The Bourne Identity). Apparently there was enough time after the cancellation announcement to wrap up the plot involving the kidnapped Senator's wife...sort of...It was a fun mess to watch, but a mess never-the-less as the wife escaped and went back to her old boyfriend, but the cabal of evil people running the country is still there (aren't they always).
The Wedding Bells -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/2 Unaired -- Didn't watch it.
Nanny 911 -- 2 Seasons/24 Episodes -- So we've fixed all the bratty kids in the country? Didn't think so.
Trading Spouses -- 3 Seasons/60 Episodes -- Apparently everyone's swapped at this point...at least those who wanted to...I should have been able to come up with something funnier, but it's been a long month.
The War At Home -- 2 Seasons/44 Episodes -- There is a G-d!
The Winner -- 1 Season/6 Episodes -- This weirdly funny show deserved a better chance. Heck, I found the opening of the pilot to be very unfunny and then the show slowly got much funnier...in a creepy kind of way. I'm sure Rob Cordry will get more work...somehow.
The Loop -- 2 Seasons -- I'm unsure of how many total episodes there will be of this show. The second season doesn't start until June, but since Bret Harrison has a new show next season, I don't expect there to be a third season. The first season of 7 episodes is available on DVD and its a pretty funny show. Hopefully, season 2 will be just as funny (and warrant a DVD release as well).
Standoff -- 1 Season/19 Episodes/8 Unaired -- The rest of this show will be burned off this summer. It was a feeble attempt to redo the success of Bones with hostage negotiators. It didn't work.
Like last year, FOX has given us three different schedules, so some days have multiple listings as the shows rotate through the season.
MONDAYS (September to January)
8pm Prison Break -- Back for a third season of logic defying suspense, at least the show can live up to its title again as Michael, former guard Bellick, former FBI Agent Mahoney and psycho T-Bag are now in a Panama prison instead of running all over the country (actually continent...well...hemisphere). Should be fun, but I don't know how much life the premise has in it.
9pm K-Ville -- A cop show set in post-Katrina New Orleans starring Anthony Anderson? Its a good thing there are other hour long shows ready to go and be moved into this slot (I predict The Sarah Connor Chronicles will air much earlier than expected).
MONDAYS (January to March)
8pm K-Ville
9pm 24 -- Back for a seventh season. I think its time to call shennanigans on this show. This current season about to end started with Jack arriving on a plane from China after 18 months of being tortured in a Chinese prison and having to stop more nukes from going off on American soil within two hours of landing. I know when I get off a plane after a six hour flight from visiting family in California, I'm pretty sure the last thing I want to be doing is running around after nuclear terrorists...I usually just want to take a nice long dump in a clean quiet bathroom. I think Jack Bauer needs to do the same.
MONDAYS (March to May)
8pm Prison Break
9pm 24
TUESDAYS (September to January)
8pm New Amsterdam -- FOX gets an award for sheer balls on even airing this show starring a cast of unknowns and created by a foreign art film director. Lasse Hallstrom (My Life As A Dog) brings us a tale of a cop who is immortal. You bet your ass I'm gonna check this one out.
9pm House M.D. -- The cranky doctor returns for a 4th season of cantankerous fun.
TUESDAYS (January to May)
8pm American Idol -- The juggernaut that is dumbing down music even more than Brittany Spears returns for a 7th round. It amazes me that more people vote for the winner of this show than do in our Presidential elections. Maybe next season should pit Rudy, Hillary, Barack and the gang against each other?
9pm House M.D.
WEDNESDAYS (September to January)
8pm Back To You -- Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton star as an on air news team with little off air chemistry. Toss in Fred Willard and how can you go wrong? I hope they don't, but one would have said the same thing about a show starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambour.
8:30 Til Death -- While I'm a bit shocked this show starring Brad Garrett as a hen pecked husband got a second season, I think its nice that FOX has let it grow a bit over the first season. I may try again in the fall. It wasn't bad, just typical.
9pm Bones -- The grossest show on TV returns for a third season. Its still fun to watch the chemistry between the leads.
WEDNESDAYS (January to March)
8pm Back To You
8:30 Til Death
9pm American Idol
WEDNESDAYS (March to May)
8pm Back To You
8:30 The Return Of Jezebel James -- Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as sisters. Could be worth a viewing based on the talent...luckily, we've got some time to think it over.
9pm American Idol (Results Show)
9:30 Til Death
THURSDAYS (September to January)
8pm Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? -- If you made it through the public education system past the 5th grade and are watching this show, probably not.
9pm Kitchen Nightmares -- The chef of Hell's Kitchen takes his show on the road as he goes to restaurants in trouble and offers them his brand of help. Whatever.
THURSDAYS (January to May)
8pm Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9pm Canterbury's Law -- Executive producers Dennis Leary and Jim Serpico tackle the courtroom drama with Juliana Margulies as a lawyer who is missing justice in her own life as her young son disappeared a few years ago. Do we need another courtroom drama?
FRIDAYS (September to January)
8pm The Search For The Next Great American Band -- Not being content with finding one new singer, the creators of American Idol are now looking to put together a whole group of musicians to work together. Good luck.
9pm Nashville -- The creators of Laguna Beach are apparently going south...in more ways than one. Ugh.
FRIDAYS (January to May)
8pm Bones
9pm New Amsterdam
SATURDAYS
8pm Cops -- Starts a 20th Season in the fall.
9pm America's Most Wanted -- Starts a 22nd Season of righting wrongs and bringing criminals to justice.
SUNDAYS
7pm The OT -- Finally! FOX just went ahead and officially gave the whole fucking hour to the NFL instead of teasing us who don't care with "episodes already in progress" of our favorite animated families. Let's just hope they don't go over the hour.
8pm The Simpsons -- Going out of its 18th Season into a Feature Film and into its 19th Season is an amazing feat. Doing it with style, grace and barely a loss of wit and humor is something else all together. Here's to more features and 19 more seasons. D'oh!
8:30 King Of The Hill -- This show will be starting its 12th season in the fall. Its like Coach only animated. You're amazed its still on, but its barely changed and still entertains a few people on occassion.
9pm Family Guy -- The TV show that refused to die returns for a 6th rip-roaring, pop-culture reference filled season. Woo Hoo!
9:30 American Dad -- What started off a bit shaky has gotten better, but still has a ways to go. Maybe the third season will get even better.
SUNDAYS (January to May)
7pm King Of The Hill
7:30 American Dad
8pm The Simpsons
8:30 Family Guy
9pm The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- Ever curious what happened between Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines? Didn't think so. But here's where you'll find out. Could be good...we'll see.
MIDSEASON
The Rules For Starting Over -- The Farrelly Brothers bring us this sitcom about a group of late 30 somethings who find themselves single again and starting life over. Meh.
Anchorwoman -- This unscripted "reality" series is about a news director who brings in a WWE hottie to be his new anchorwoman...much to the dismay of his current one. I have no idea what to think of this monstrosity beyond staying far far far away.
Well...that's all for the five major TV networks. I'll be back tomorrow with a round up of everything and a look at how we'll be scheduling our Tivo & two cable DVRs in the fall.
Be seeing you.
The CW 2006-2007 Review/2007-2008 Preview
Today you get two Fugues for the price of one...first up is The CW with their new fall lineup.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Gilmore Girls -- After 7 Seasons and 153 Episodes, this popular show decided to end its run. Never really caught it.
Reba -- Six Seasons and 125 Episodes later, this guilty pleasure ends while its still a good show, which is smart. Leave 'em wanting more...or having had just enough.
Runaway -- 1 Season/8 Episodes/5 Unaired -- I blinked and missed it...apparently so did everyone else.
Seventh Heaven -- 11 Seasons/243 Episodes -- I'm glad its gone...it should have been gone when it had its "Series Finale" at the end of the 10th Season, but The CW decided to entice their most popular show back for at least one more run to launch their "First" Season (after UPN and The WB merged). I'm still angry that this decision was what caused the wonderfully quirky, yet heart-warming Everwood to be cancelled. So I rejoice that this show is gone. Hooray!
All Of Us -- 4 Seasons/88 Episodes -- What was this show about? Never saw it.
Veronica Mars -- 3 Seasons/64 Episodes -- OK...so it's not "officially" gone yet. Its not on the schedule for next season, but the contracts aren't up until June 15, so the network is taking a bit longer to decide what to do with the show. IF it does come back, expect BIG changes (like its four years later and Veronica's now an FBI agent changes). This was a great show and while I'd love to see it continue, its ok if it goes out in style.
Hidden Palms -- 1 Season/8 Episodes -- OK...the show hasn't aired yet (it premieres at the end of May), but don't expect this teen soap to go anywhere beyond the episodes shot so far. If The CW had real faith in it, they would have premiered it earlier like originally planned. Of course, stranger things have happened in network TV.
MONDAYS
8pm Everybody Hates Chris -- This funny show that I rarely watch returns for a 3rd season.
8:30 Aliens In America -- A sitcom about a family that takes in a foreign exchange student expecting a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Northern European and wind up with a Pakistani Muslim. Hilarity ensues as the geeky daughter and her new friend navigate the perils of high school together.
9pm Girlfriends -- A show I've never watched returns for an 8th season.
9:30 The Game -- And another show I've never watched returns for a 2nd season.
TUESDAYS
8pm Beauty And The Geek -- This funny "reality" series returns for a 4th season.
9pm Reaper -- Brett Harrison (of The Loop and Grounded For Life) stars as Sam a guy who discovers that his parents sold his soul to Satan and now that he's turned 21, Satan (played by Ray Wise of Twin Peaks fame) gives Sam a new job...as a bounty hunter tracking down evil souls who have escaped from hell. With Kevin Smith as an executive producer and the talented cast and wacky idea, I'm looking forward to this show. It'll definitely get three episodes.
WEDNESDAYS
8pm America's Next Top Model -- Returns for a 9th "Season" of wacky Tyra Banks fun.
9pm Gossip Girl -- This show about a mysterious "blogger" and the reactions some prep school teens have to her "news" forms the basis for an ongoing mystery and melodrama.
THURSDAYS
8pm Smallville -- Returning for a 7th season, this show has been all over the place of late. But I'll keep watching if only because I've already invested so much time in it and to see where everyone is headed. I can't imagine there being a season beyond the next one (and if there is, it will be Lex Luthor-less because Michael Rosenbaum will not return), but I'm still along for the ride.
9pm Supernatural -- The show returns for a 3rd season and I still won't watch it as I'm not a big fan of the lead actor (he pretty much ruined all of Smallville's 4th Season).
FRIDAYS
8pm WWE Smackdown -- Returns for a 9th Season of homo-erotic fun (or is it a second season since this is The CW's second season...the previous 7 seasons were technically on UPN...although when did WWF become WWE? Maybe its really only the 4th season of WWE Smackdown as the first 5 seasons may have been WWF Smackdown? Does anyone really care?)
SATURDAYS
No Programming -- Thank G-d!!!!
SUNDAYS
7pm Online Nation -- Ugh...it's what you get if Bratz made Access Hollywood. More news about Paris Hilton and Britany Spears than you can shake a stick at (and stick shaking is much more fun than watching this crap).
7:30 CW Now -- Imagine if YouTube had its own TV series. Ouch...my brain hurts!
8pm Life Is Wild -- Did you ever wonder what Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman would have been like if she were a modern day male vet living in South Africa? No...well...you can find out anyway by watching this new show. Blah.
9pm America's Next Top Model (Repeats) -- Yay! Even more of Tyra! Ya know...in case you missed it the first time.
MIDSEASON
Crowned: The Mother Of All Pageants -- Mother-Daughter teams compete for pageant crowns. Don't they do this in pageants anyway? Why do we need to shit up our airwaves with this?
Farmer Wants A Wife -- Imagine if The Bachelor was for white trash. What do you mean it already is? No...I meant the contestants, not the viewers.
One Tree Hill -- Returns for a 5th Season?? How did that happen??
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll -- Returns for a second season but even G-d doesn't know why.
OK...back later today with FOX's new lineup...and then a wrap-up/review of next season tomorrow.
Be seeing you (shortly).
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Gilmore Girls -- After 7 Seasons and 153 Episodes, this popular show decided to end its run. Never really caught it.
Reba -- Six Seasons and 125 Episodes later, this guilty pleasure ends while its still a good show, which is smart. Leave 'em wanting more...or having had just enough.
Runaway -- 1 Season/8 Episodes/5 Unaired -- I blinked and missed it...apparently so did everyone else.
Seventh Heaven -- 11 Seasons/243 Episodes -- I'm glad its gone...it should have been gone when it had its "Series Finale" at the end of the 10th Season, but The CW decided to entice their most popular show back for at least one more run to launch their "First" Season (after UPN and The WB merged). I'm still angry that this decision was what caused the wonderfully quirky, yet heart-warming Everwood to be cancelled. So I rejoice that this show is gone. Hooray!
All Of Us -- 4 Seasons/88 Episodes -- What was this show about? Never saw it.
Veronica Mars -- 3 Seasons/64 Episodes -- OK...so it's not "officially" gone yet. Its not on the schedule for next season, but the contracts aren't up until June 15, so the network is taking a bit longer to decide what to do with the show. IF it does come back, expect BIG changes (like its four years later and Veronica's now an FBI agent changes). This was a great show and while I'd love to see it continue, its ok if it goes out in style.
Hidden Palms -- 1 Season/8 Episodes -- OK...the show hasn't aired yet (it premieres at the end of May), but don't expect this teen soap to go anywhere beyond the episodes shot so far. If The CW had real faith in it, they would have premiered it earlier like originally planned. Of course, stranger things have happened in network TV.
MONDAYS
8pm Everybody Hates Chris -- This funny show that I rarely watch returns for a 3rd season.
8:30 Aliens In America -- A sitcom about a family that takes in a foreign exchange student expecting a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Northern European and wind up with a Pakistani Muslim. Hilarity ensues as the geeky daughter and her new friend navigate the perils of high school together.
9pm Girlfriends -- A show I've never watched returns for an 8th season.
9:30 The Game -- And another show I've never watched returns for a 2nd season.
TUESDAYS
8pm Beauty And The Geek -- This funny "reality" series returns for a 4th season.
9pm Reaper -- Brett Harrison (of The Loop and Grounded For Life) stars as Sam a guy who discovers that his parents sold his soul to Satan and now that he's turned 21, Satan (played by Ray Wise of Twin Peaks fame) gives Sam a new job...as a bounty hunter tracking down evil souls who have escaped from hell. With Kevin Smith as an executive producer and the talented cast and wacky idea, I'm looking forward to this show. It'll definitely get three episodes.
WEDNESDAYS
8pm America's Next Top Model -- Returns for a 9th "Season" of wacky Tyra Banks fun.
9pm Gossip Girl -- This show about a mysterious "blogger" and the reactions some prep school teens have to her "news" forms the basis for an ongoing mystery and melodrama.
THURSDAYS
8pm Smallville -- Returning for a 7th season, this show has been all over the place of late. But I'll keep watching if only because I've already invested so much time in it and to see where everyone is headed. I can't imagine there being a season beyond the next one (and if there is, it will be Lex Luthor-less because Michael Rosenbaum will not return), but I'm still along for the ride.
9pm Supernatural -- The show returns for a 3rd season and I still won't watch it as I'm not a big fan of the lead actor (he pretty much ruined all of Smallville's 4th Season).
FRIDAYS
8pm WWE Smackdown -- Returns for a 9th Season of homo-erotic fun (or is it a second season since this is The CW's second season...the previous 7 seasons were technically on UPN...although when did WWF become WWE? Maybe its really only the 4th season of WWE Smackdown as the first 5 seasons may have been WWF Smackdown? Does anyone really care?)
SATURDAYS
No Programming -- Thank G-d!!!!
SUNDAYS
7pm Online Nation -- Ugh...it's what you get if Bratz made Access Hollywood. More news about Paris Hilton and Britany Spears than you can shake a stick at (and stick shaking is much more fun than watching this crap).
7:30 CW Now -- Imagine if YouTube had its own TV series. Ouch...my brain hurts!
8pm Life Is Wild -- Did you ever wonder what Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman would have been like if she were a modern day male vet living in South Africa? No...well...you can find out anyway by watching this new show. Blah.
9pm America's Next Top Model (Repeats) -- Yay! Even more of Tyra! Ya know...in case you missed it the first time.
MIDSEASON
Crowned: The Mother Of All Pageants -- Mother-Daughter teams compete for pageant crowns. Don't they do this in pageants anyway? Why do we need to shit up our airwaves with this?
Farmer Wants A Wife -- Imagine if The Bachelor was for white trash. What do you mean it already is? No...I meant the contestants, not the viewers.
One Tree Hill -- Returns for a 5th Season?? How did that happen??
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll -- Returns for a second season but even G-d doesn't know why.
OK...back later today with FOX's new lineup...and then a wrap-up/review of next season tomorrow.
Be seeing you (shortly).
CBS 2006-2007 Review/2007-2008 Preview
Today we get CBS' new fall lineup...so let's take a look back first...
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
3 Lbs. -- 1 Season/8 Episodes/5 Unaired -- I like Stanley Tucci, but I honestly had zero interest in this House clone.
The King of Queens -- 9 Seasons/207 Episodes -- I first saw this show before it aired as part of a focus group. It was entertaining, but nothing special. I did watch the show during its first season, but once my boycott of CBS took effect, the show was off my radar. When I finally came back to watch CBS (last season), I never bothered to jump back in to this show. The reruns were fluff to watch when there was nothing else on. I did catch the final episode. The show went out the way it came in...quietly and in the shadow of greater shows.
Smith -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/4 Unaired -- CBS pulled this show quickly and luckily ran the unaired episodes online. They also posted a document detailing where the show would have gone after those episodes made. Its too bad this show barely got off the ground. Both my wife and I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe a DVD release will come out of this at some point.
Waterfront -- This show never even got to air. Five episodes were shot of this Joe Pantoliano detective show. We'll never know what it was really like (let's face it, do TV executives really know what makes a good show...)
Armed & Famous -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/3 Unaired -- People who got rejected from The Surreal Life are given a badge and a gun? I don't think so.
The Class -- 1 Season/19 Episodes -- Never saw it. Got nothing to say about it.
Close To Home -- 2 Seasons/44 Episodes -- Never saw it, but now maybe the talented Jennifer Finnegan can become a regular on The Dead Zone because her two appearances so far have been fun.
Jericho -- 1 Season/22 Episodes -- This is the biggest shame of the season. What started off as a hit show quickly became an example of how not to air a serialized show. The break between November and February killed the momentum (which is why FOX made 24 a mid-season show and ABC is doing the same with Lost next season). Its too bad. This was a good strong show right to its very end...which will never be resolved...let's hope the upcoming DVD release contains some sort of resolution.
Rock Star -- 2 Seasons/54 Episodes -- They couldn't get Ringo and Paul to put together a band for a third season??
MONDAYS
8pm How I Met Your Mother -- Returns for a 3rd Season. I don't watch.
8:30 The Big Bang Theory -- Two physics geeks meet a hottie. Sure, I'm simplifying the premise, but its a sitcom...who wants more than that. I'll be passing.
9pm Two And A Half Men -- Returns for a 5th Season. Meh.
9:30 Rules Of Engagement -- Returns for a 2nd Season. The evil that is David Spade is stronger than the good that is Patrick Warburton...so I don't watch.
10pm CSI: Miami -- Returns for a 6th Season. I was watching this on DVD for a while, but got bored.
TUESDAYS
8pm NCIS -- This is returning for a 5th Season? Yikes.
9pm The Unit -- Returning for a 3rd Season and there's no real good reason I'm not watching. I love the cast and the creators...but just couldn't find the time or energy.
10pm Cane -- Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo and Nestor Carbonal star in a new Latino soap. Good cast, blah premise. But what does this mean for Carbonal's character on Lost? With two episodes to go this season and him on a new show next season I smell another corpse.
WEDNESDAYS
8pm Kid Nation -- Easily one of the most bizarre reality shows ever. Forty kids ages 8 thru 15 are sent to a ghost town to build their own society with no adults involved. Can they prove to everyone they can do better than their elders or is this just a real life Lord Of The Flies? The potential for the latter will make this one to watch.
9pm Criminal Minds -- Its still kind of pedestrian, but the cast keeps me enthralled (when I remember to catch up on it...I've been a bit lax this past season and with the Tivo and the cable DVR both needing repairs during sweeps periods it became tough to keep track of everything). This will be the shows 3rd Season.
10pm CSI: NY -- Returning for a 4th Season, this should be the one in the franchise I watch since I do like the cast a lot...but I don't anymore...only so many TV watching hours in a day.
THURSDAYS
8pm Survivor -- 15 "Seasons" and still going strong. Blah.
9pm CSI -- The grand daddy of the franchise. Coming up on Season 8.
10pm Without A Trace -- Coming up on a 6th Season, this is another show I should like but don't watch (it started during my boycott years). Oh well.
FRIDAYS
8pm Ghost Whisperer -- I picked Medium and I'm not even sticking with that one as it airs anymore. Going into a 3rd Season.
9pm Moonlight -- A vampire private eye. Meh. Maybe a one episode try...maybe...
10pm Numbers -- Going into a 4th Season and I don't watch.
SATURDAYS
8pm Crimetime Saturday -- Its reruns of all the crime shows. Blah
10pm 48 Hours Mystery
SUNDAYS
7pm 60 Minutes -- More liberal clap trap to keep Fox News on their toes and give us the real news.
8pm Viva Laughlin -- Hugh Jackman produces and has a recurring role in this mystery-drama-musical about a businessman running a casino and juggling family life. Sounds very interesting.
9pm Cold Case -- I have no idea what this show is even about but it's been on for 4 seasons. Holy crap.
10pm Shark -- Tried it, didn't care. Gets a 2nd season in spite of my not watching.
MIDSEASON
Swingtown -- Sounds like a TV series version of The Ice Storm set in Chicago. Meh.
The Amazing Race -- Returns for a 12th "Season". Now that's amazing!
Power of 10 -- A game show hosted by Drew Carey? What? No improv clubs want him anymore?
The New Adventures Of Old Christine -- Returning for a 3rd Season, but I still don't care for the lead.
Well...that's all for today...
Tomorrow FOX and The CW. Two Fugues in one day!
Be seeing you.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
3 Lbs. -- 1 Season/8 Episodes/5 Unaired -- I like Stanley Tucci, but I honestly had zero interest in this House clone.
The King of Queens -- 9 Seasons/207 Episodes -- I first saw this show before it aired as part of a focus group. It was entertaining, but nothing special. I did watch the show during its first season, but once my boycott of CBS took effect, the show was off my radar. When I finally came back to watch CBS (last season), I never bothered to jump back in to this show. The reruns were fluff to watch when there was nothing else on. I did catch the final episode. The show went out the way it came in...quietly and in the shadow of greater shows.
Smith -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/4 Unaired -- CBS pulled this show quickly and luckily ran the unaired episodes online. They also posted a document detailing where the show would have gone after those episodes made. Its too bad this show barely got off the ground. Both my wife and I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe a DVD release will come out of this at some point.
Waterfront -- This show never even got to air. Five episodes were shot of this Joe Pantoliano detective show. We'll never know what it was really like (let's face it, do TV executives really know what makes a good show...)
Armed & Famous -- 1 Season/7 Episodes/3 Unaired -- People who got rejected from The Surreal Life are given a badge and a gun? I don't think so.
The Class -- 1 Season/19 Episodes -- Never saw it. Got nothing to say about it.
Close To Home -- 2 Seasons/44 Episodes -- Never saw it, but now maybe the talented Jennifer Finnegan can become a regular on The Dead Zone because her two appearances so far have been fun.
Jericho -- 1 Season/22 Episodes -- This is the biggest shame of the season. What started off as a hit show quickly became an example of how not to air a serialized show. The break between November and February killed the momentum (which is why FOX made 24 a mid-season show and ABC is doing the same with Lost next season). Its too bad. This was a good strong show right to its very end...which will never be resolved...let's hope the upcoming DVD release contains some sort of resolution.
Rock Star -- 2 Seasons/54 Episodes -- They couldn't get Ringo and Paul to put together a band for a third season??
MONDAYS
8pm How I Met Your Mother -- Returns for a 3rd Season. I don't watch.
8:30 The Big Bang Theory -- Two physics geeks meet a hottie. Sure, I'm simplifying the premise, but its a sitcom...who wants more than that. I'll be passing.
9pm Two And A Half Men -- Returns for a 5th Season. Meh.
9:30 Rules Of Engagement -- Returns for a 2nd Season. The evil that is David Spade is stronger than the good that is Patrick Warburton...so I don't watch.
10pm CSI: Miami -- Returns for a 6th Season. I was watching this on DVD for a while, but got bored.
TUESDAYS
8pm NCIS -- This is returning for a 5th Season? Yikes.
9pm The Unit -- Returning for a 3rd Season and there's no real good reason I'm not watching. I love the cast and the creators...but just couldn't find the time or energy.
10pm Cane -- Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo and Nestor Carbonal star in a new Latino soap. Good cast, blah premise. But what does this mean for Carbonal's character on Lost? With two episodes to go this season and him on a new show next season I smell another corpse.
WEDNESDAYS
8pm Kid Nation -- Easily one of the most bizarre reality shows ever. Forty kids ages 8 thru 15 are sent to a ghost town to build their own society with no adults involved. Can they prove to everyone they can do better than their elders or is this just a real life Lord Of The Flies? The potential for the latter will make this one to watch.
9pm Criminal Minds -- Its still kind of pedestrian, but the cast keeps me enthralled (when I remember to catch up on it...I've been a bit lax this past season and with the Tivo and the cable DVR both needing repairs during sweeps periods it became tough to keep track of everything). This will be the shows 3rd Season.
10pm CSI: NY -- Returning for a 4th Season, this should be the one in the franchise I watch since I do like the cast a lot...but I don't anymore...only so many TV watching hours in a day.
THURSDAYS
8pm Survivor -- 15 "Seasons" and still going strong. Blah.
9pm CSI -- The grand daddy of the franchise. Coming up on Season 8.
10pm Without A Trace -- Coming up on a 6th Season, this is another show I should like but don't watch (it started during my boycott years). Oh well.
FRIDAYS
8pm Ghost Whisperer -- I picked Medium and I'm not even sticking with that one as it airs anymore. Going into a 3rd Season.
9pm Moonlight -- A vampire private eye. Meh. Maybe a one episode try...maybe...
10pm Numbers -- Going into a 4th Season and I don't watch.
SATURDAYS
8pm Crimetime Saturday -- Its reruns of all the crime shows. Blah
10pm 48 Hours Mystery
SUNDAYS
7pm 60 Minutes -- More liberal clap trap to keep Fox News on their toes and give us the real news.
8pm Viva Laughlin -- Hugh Jackman produces and has a recurring role in this mystery-drama-musical about a businessman running a casino and juggling family life. Sounds very interesting.
9pm Cold Case -- I have no idea what this show is even about but it's been on for 4 seasons. Holy crap.
10pm Shark -- Tried it, didn't care. Gets a 2nd season in spite of my not watching.
MIDSEASON
Swingtown -- Sounds like a TV series version of The Ice Storm set in Chicago. Meh.
The Amazing Race -- Returns for a 12th "Season". Now that's amazing!
Power of 10 -- A game show hosted by Drew Carey? What? No improv clubs want him anymore?
The New Adventures Of Old Christine -- Returning for a 3rd Season, but I still don't care for the lead.
Well...that's all for today...
Tomorrow FOX and The CW. Two Fugues in one day!
Be seeing you.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
ABC 2006-2007 Review/2007-2008 Preview
Today is ABC's day to unveil their new fall slate. And they truly run the gamut between a show I'm really excited to see and a show that I believe epitomizes EVERYTHING that is wrong with Network TV, media empires and life in general (to the point where I briefly considered removing ABC from my viewing habits entirely...but there are too many shows on that I enjoy watching and would miss). That being said...here we go...
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Daybreak -- 1 Season/13 Episodes (7 Unaired) -- The show seemed too familiar for its own good and was better when Eliza Dushku played the part in Tru Calling.
The Great American Dream Vote -- 1 Season/5 Episodes (3 Unaired) -- Missed this one. Apparently so did everyone else.
In Case Of Emergency -- 1 Season/13 Episodes (1 Unaired) -- I saw a good chunk of this show. It was harmless fun. Why they never aired the last episode is beyond me (its like dropping out of college just before you're ready to graduate when you're short one class). My DVR 's hard drive went this spring and took the remaining episodes I hadn't seen with it. Oh well.
Six Degrees -- 1 Season/11 Episodes (5 Unaired) -- Never saw it, never will.
According To Jim -- 6 Seasons/145 Episodes -- We hardly knew ya.
Big Day -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/2 Unaired -- This sitcom was actually pretty funny. Centering around the hours leading up to a wedding, the cast of quirky characters is what made this work so well. ABC ended the show with two episodes unaired, but where they ended it seemed to give the show a sense of closure anyway. Maybe a DVD release will happen? And maybe monkey's will fly outta my butt.
The George Lopez Show -- 6 Seasons/120 Episodes -- Was this show really on that long??
Help Me Help You -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired -- Another quirky sitcom that failed to find an audience. Add it to the pile.
The Knights of Prosperity -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired -- This show deserved better. Quirky, hip and a lot of fun. Let's hope for a DVD release.
The Nine -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/6 Unaired -- Wanted to watch this. Still haven't. I have all the episodes aired on my laptop (got them off my Tivo before it self destructed back in February). Maybe someday I'll sit down and go through them.
What About Brian -- 2 Seasons/24 Episodes -- Never saw it.
Supernanny -- 3 Seasons/42 Episodes -- Between this and Nanny 911 I guess they fixed all the bratty kids in the world.
Traveller -- 1 Season/8 Episodes -- OK...the show has barely aired, but I don't expect the next 7 episodes to be such a ratings winner that ABC changes their mind. If they believed in this show it would have premiered back in September like originally intended. Interesting premise...I'll give a full review when the show's run is over.
MONDAYS
8pm Dancing With The Stars -- Returns for a fifth season
9:30 Sam I Am -- Christina Applegate stars in what is essentially a sitcom version of the movie Regarding Henry. You remember that Harrison Ford film where he gets shot in the head, can't remember who he is and has to relearn everything only to find out he wasn't a nice guy...this'll be a winner.
10pm The Bachelor -- This returns for an 11th go?? Yikes!
TUESDAYS
8pm Cavemen -- A sitcom based on the Geico Insurance commercials? I will personally shoot anyone I know who even bothers to try watching this.
8:30 Carpoolers -- Its about people who carpool to work. Meh. Jerry O'Connell & Faith Ford is what gets this show a one episode review.
9pm Dancing With The Stars -- This is the results show.
10pm Boston Legal -- Returns for a 4th season of wacky lawyer & fourth wall breaking hijinks. I've got a song in my head knowing this show's coming back...anyone wanna hear it???
WEDNESDAYS
8pm Pushing Daisies -- From Bryan Fuller (Heroes) and Barry Sonnenfeld (Men In Black) comes this new fantasy show about a guy who can reanimate dead matter -- even people. Stars Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenowith and is narrated by Jim Dale. Very much excited about this show.
9pm Private Practice -- The spin off from Gray's Anatomy. I don't watch that show, why would I watch this show? It's got an interesting cast...maybe a one episode try.
10pm Dirty Sexy Money -- Donald Sutherland and Peter Kraus star in this soap opera about a lawyer working for a rich family he finds evil. Blah.
THURSDAYS
8pm Ugly Betty -- Back for a second season of devil wearing prada fun.
9pm Gray's Anatomy -- Returns for a 4th Season.
10pm Big Shots -- Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott and Christopher Titus star in this drama about a group of successful men and their inter-relations. The cast gets me watching for an episode. The concept needs to be stronger to keep me watching.
FRIDAYS
8pm Men In Trees -- Returns for a 2nd Season.
9pm Women's Murder Club -- based on a series of James Patterson novels...what no nursery rhymes? Its every currently running crime show wrapped in one. Blah.
10pm 20/20 -- I got nothing. Its back for a 4000th season.
SATURDAYS
8pm Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAYS
7pm America's Funniest Home Videos -- back once again for more guys taking shots to the nads.
8pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9pm Desperate Housewives -- Season four had better bring this show back to what made it so entertaining. Although I still watch, I barely remember what that was now.
10pm Brothers & Sisters -- I hear its a good show, but I don't watch it. Back for a second season.
MONDAYS (Mid-Season)
8pm Wife Swap -- Why???
9:30 Sam I Am -- See the Mondays listing above
9:30 Notes From The Underbelly -- Back for a 2nd season. Haven't seen it.
10pm October Road -- Back for a 2nd Season. Haven't seen it.
TUESDAYS (Mid-Season)
8pm Cavemen
8:30 Carpoolers
9pm Cashmere Mafia -- Its Darren Starr's version of Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle, just substitute Lucy Liu for Brooke Shields and get rid of Bushnell.
10pm Boston Legal
MIDSEASON
Miss/Guided -- The funny Judy Greer stars as a high school guidance counselor who now works at her alma mater and discovers that not much has changed...even her old popular nemesis is still around. I may watch because I think Greer is talented, but the premise is a bit flimsy.
Eli Stone -- Johnny Lee Miller stars as a lawyer who has halucinations. Its his supporting cast of Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge and Loretta Devine that will get me to even sample the show.
Lost -- Returns for a shorter 4th season of 16 episodes (instead of 24). This season got off on such a wrong foot that I almost gave up on it. Luckily, it turned itself around even though it started getting a bit predicatble, at least it was moving forward again.
Oprah's Big Give -- Oprah gives away money. Where do I get mine?
Primetime -- The news magazine returns.
That's all for today. Tomorrow is CBS day.
Be seeing you.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Daybreak -- 1 Season/13 Episodes (7 Unaired) -- The show seemed too familiar for its own good and was better when Eliza Dushku played the part in Tru Calling.
The Great American Dream Vote -- 1 Season/5 Episodes (3 Unaired) -- Missed this one. Apparently so did everyone else.
In Case Of Emergency -- 1 Season/13 Episodes (1 Unaired) -- I saw a good chunk of this show. It was harmless fun. Why they never aired the last episode is beyond me (its like dropping out of college just before you're ready to graduate when you're short one class). My DVR 's hard drive went this spring and took the remaining episodes I hadn't seen with it. Oh well.
Six Degrees -- 1 Season/11 Episodes (5 Unaired) -- Never saw it, never will.
According To Jim -- 6 Seasons/145 Episodes -- We hardly knew ya.
Big Day -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/2 Unaired -- This sitcom was actually pretty funny. Centering around the hours leading up to a wedding, the cast of quirky characters is what made this work so well. ABC ended the show with two episodes unaired, but where they ended it seemed to give the show a sense of closure anyway. Maybe a DVD release will happen? And maybe monkey's will fly outta my butt.
The George Lopez Show -- 6 Seasons/120 Episodes -- Was this show really on that long??
Help Me Help You -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired -- Another quirky sitcom that failed to find an audience. Add it to the pile.
The Knights of Prosperity -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/4 Unaired -- This show deserved better. Quirky, hip and a lot of fun. Let's hope for a DVD release.
The Nine -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/6 Unaired -- Wanted to watch this. Still haven't. I have all the episodes aired on my laptop (got them off my Tivo before it self destructed back in February). Maybe someday I'll sit down and go through them.
What About Brian -- 2 Seasons/24 Episodes -- Never saw it.
Supernanny -- 3 Seasons/42 Episodes -- Between this and Nanny 911 I guess they fixed all the bratty kids in the world.
Traveller -- 1 Season/8 Episodes -- OK...the show has barely aired, but I don't expect the next 7 episodes to be such a ratings winner that ABC changes their mind. If they believed in this show it would have premiered back in September like originally intended. Interesting premise...I'll give a full review when the show's run is over.
MONDAYS
8pm Dancing With The Stars -- Returns for a fifth season
9:30 Sam I Am -- Christina Applegate stars in what is essentially a sitcom version of the movie Regarding Henry. You remember that Harrison Ford film where he gets shot in the head, can't remember who he is and has to relearn everything only to find out he wasn't a nice guy...this'll be a winner.
10pm The Bachelor -- This returns for an 11th go?? Yikes!
TUESDAYS
8pm Cavemen -- A sitcom based on the Geico Insurance commercials? I will personally shoot anyone I know who even bothers to try watching this.
8:30 Carpoolers -- Its about people who carpool to work. Meh. Jerry O'Connell & Faith Ford is what gets this show a one episode review.
9pm Dancing With The Stars -- This is the results show.
10pm Boston Legal -- Returns for a 4th season of wacky lawyer & fourth wall breaking hijinks. I've got a song in my head knowing this show's coming back...anyone wanna hear it???
WEDNESDAYS
8pm Pushing Daisies -- From Bryan Fuller (Heroes) and Barry Sonnenfeld (Men In Black) comes this new fantasy show about a guy who can reanimate dead matter -- even people. Stars Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenowith and is narrated by Jim Dale. Very much excited about this show.
9pm Private Practice -- The spin off from Gray's Anatomy. I don't watch that show, why would I watch this show? It's got an interesting cast...maybe a one episode try.
10pm Dirty Sexy Money -- Donald Sutherland and Peter Kraus star in this soap opera about a lawyer working for a rich family he finds evil. Blah.
THURSDAYS
8pm Ugly Betty -- Back for a second season of devil wearing prada fun.
9pm Gray's Anatomy -- Returns for a 4th Season.
10pm Big Shots -- Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott and Christopher Titus star in this drama about a group of successful men and their inter-relations. The cast gets me watching for an episode. The concept needs to be stronger to keep me watching.
FRIDAYS
8pm Men In Trees -- Returns for a 2nd Season.
9pm Women's Murder Club -- based on a series of James Patterson novels...what no nursery rhymes? Its every currently running crime show wrapped in one. Blah.
10pm 20/20 -- I got nothing. Its back for a 4000th season.
SATURDAYS
8pm Saturday Night College Football
SUNDAYS
7pm America's Funniest Home Videos -- back once again for more guys taking shots to the nads.
8pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9pm Desperate Housewives -- Season four had better bring this show back to what made it so entertaining. Although I still watch, I barely remember what that was now.
10pm Brothers & Sisters -- I hear its a good show, but I don't watch it. Back for a second season.
MONDAYS (Mid-Season)
8pm Wife Swap -- Why???
9:30 Sam I Am -- See the Mondays listing above
9:30 Notes From The Underbelly -- Back for a 2nd season. Haven't seen it.
10pm October Road -- Back for a 2nd Season. Haven't seen it.
TUESDAYS (Mid-Season)
8pm Cavemen
8:30 Carpoolers
9pm Cashmere Mafia -- Its Darren Starr's version of Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle, just substitute Lucy Liu for Brooke Shields and get rid of Bushnell.
10pm Boston Legal
MIDSEASON
Miss/Guided -- The funny Judy Greer stars as a high school guidance counselor who now works at her alma mater and discovers that not much has changed...even her old popular nemesis is still around. I may watch because I think Greer is talented, but the premise is a bit flimsy.
Eli Stone -- Johnny Lee Miller stars as a lawyer who has halucinations. Its his supporting cast of Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge and Loretta Devine that will get me to even sample the show.
Lost -- Returns for a shorter 4th season of 16 episodes (instead of 24). This season got off on such a wrong foot that I almost gave up on it. Luckily, it turned itself around even though it started getting a bit predicatble, at least it was moving forward again.
Oprah's Big Give -- Oprah gives away money. Where do I get mine?
Primetime -- The news magazine returns.
That's all for today. Tomorrow is CBS day.
Be seeing you.
Monday, May 14, 2007
NBC 2006-2007 Review/2007-2008 Preview
Well....its that time of year when the major TV Networks unveil their new shows for the fall season (something that seems to be more antiquated every passing year as consumers start "time shifting" shows with DVRs for later viewing and the Cable Networks roll shows out whenever they want)...so as per usual, I'll be looking back at this past season and ahead at next season on a network by network basis as each lineup is announced this week. Today is NBC Day.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (At Least By A Few)
Andy Barker, P.I. -- 1 Season/6 Episodes -- Someday there will be peace in the Middle East. Around the same time Andy Richter will finally get a successful hit TV series as he so richly deserves. Hell might also freeze over.
The Black Donnelleys -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/7 Unaired -- Didn't watch it, but you've got to assume there was a reason this show never got picked up the first time around 2 seasons ago. Just because a guy wins an Oscar doesn't make a bad pilot better.
Kidnapped -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/8 Unaired -- This series got a bit of a lucky break in that NBC gave the production enough warning to wrap everything up (well...almost everything as there's one dangling plot thread, but its not a big deal). And even though it got removed from the schedule twice, NBC was gracious enough to have the episodes online for viewing. The whole series just came out on DVD and its a shame that there is nothing in the extras "post cancellation notice" as it all comes from just as the show started airing. Worth a look if only for the powerhouse talent that includes Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Hutton, Dana Delaney and Ricky Jay among others.
20 Good Years -- 1 Season/10 Episodes/6 Unaired -- What a waste of talent. Hopefully, Lithgow and Tambor will learn from their mistakes.
Crossing Jordan -- 6 Seasons/117 Episodes -- I vaguely remember sampling this in its first season and not getting hooked. Apparently it became the Coach of dramas.
Grease: You're The One That I Want -- I'm sorry, but there's something wrong to me about letting America pick the next people to star in a Broadway remake. We can barely vote for President anymore.
Identity -- Penn Jilette has better things to do than host this silly "game show". Hopefully, he's back doing them.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent -- 6 Seasons/131 Episodes -- The best of the franchise (in my opinion) is gone from NBC, but not really gone. New episodes will be aired on USA starting this fall. NBC will air repeats two weeks later, I'm assuming on Saturday nights in their 2 hour block of repeats...this is a reverse of what had been going on for the last six years anyway...so this show is only on this list by a technicality.
Raines -- 1 Season/7 Episodes -- I've always liked Jeff Goldblum and this show was a nice showcase for the quirky actor. Not a great show, but very enjoyable (at least the episodes we've watched so far...the last couple are still on our Tivo). I'd love to see this get a DVD release.
The Real Wedding Crashers -- Ugh. 'Nuff said.
Thank G-d You're Here -- Didn't know what to think of this show, but caught an episode and found it rather amusing. Wish I had seen more, but what can you do. Oh well.
The Apprentice -- 6 Seasons/96 Episodes -- Let's hope Trump goes back to hiring and firing like a real businessman...off my TV set...I can't believe I actually watched the first FIVE Seasons of this show. What was I thinking?
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip -- 1 Season/18 Episodes/2 Unaired as of now (show supposedly returns May 24) -- I thought this was one of the better shows to premiere this season. A bit too "insidery", but well written and well acted. This show never got the chance it deserved. Oh well.
NEW FALL SCHEDULE
MONDAYS
8pm Deal Or No Deal -- No thank you.
9pm Heroes -- The BEST new show of last season returns for a second round. Taking the concept of a serialized show and actually keeping an audience interested is the important point that Lost lost. This show never misses the beat and keeps you wanting more (in my case, I'd love Heroes Mini-Mates). Can't wait to see how this season ends. We're also getting 30 episodes instead of 24 if you count Heroes: Origins, a "spin-off" that will be used to lessen breaks in the schedule. Cool.
10pm Journeyman -- A reporter who can travel through time? From the creators of The West Wing? It'll get a one episode test from me and we'll go from there.
TUESDAYS
8pm The Biggest Loser -- Returns for a 4th Season.
9pm Chuck -- This comedy spy thriller comes from McG (director of the Charlie's Angels movies) and Josh Schwartz (creator of The O.C.). Could be fun...but let's see what else is still in this time slot as competition (House definitely, Veronica Mars hopefully). It will get a three episode test.
10pm Law & Order: Special Victims Unit -- The one part of this franchise I could just never get into returns for a 9th Season.
WEDNESDAYS
8pm Deal Or No Deal -- Still No Deal.
9pm Bionic Woman -- Jamie Sommers gets an upgrade that she may not need, but I'm game for three episodes based on the people behind the scenes (creators of The X-Files, the new version of Battlestar: Galactica and Kidnapped).
10pm Life -- A new cop show about a policeman returning to the force after serving time for a crime he didn't commit. Meh. Will get a one episode test.
THURSDAYS
8pm My Name Is Earl -- Returns for a 3rd Season. Yay!!!
8:30 30 Rock -- This off-beat comedy started off a bit wonky, but by mid-season found its voice and became one of the funniest shows on TV (even my wife started watching it again). Thankfully, its back for a second season and hopefully Alec Baldwin will still be with it.
9pm The Office -- Sorry...I know its coming back for a 4th Season, but I just don't care for the show. The British original was better and I like Steve Carrell in just about everything else.
9:30 Scrubs -- Back for its 7th (and last season), this show has started to stumble a bit this past year...so hopefully this next season will be the last.
10pm ER -- 14 Seasons?? Wow. Still don't care.
FRIDAYS
8pm 1 VS 100/ The Singing Bee -- The mildly entertaining game show hosted by Bob Saget returns for 8 weeks to be followed by 6 weeks of a new series that combines the idea of a spelling bee with karaoke. That sounds like fun, but will people watch every week? They'll be forced to once the writer's strike hits.
9pm Las Vegas -- This show's been on for 4 seasons?? For the fifth season, Sonny Corleone gets replaced by Magnum P.I.
10pm Friday Night Lights -- Didn't see the movie, don't care that the TV series got renewed for a second season, but happy for the fans of the show (though I wouldn't count on a third season with this being the timeslot).
SATURDAYS
8pm Dateline -- Cause three 24 Hour news channels don't cover enough crap.
9pm Reruns -- I expect Law & Order: Criminal Intent to air here after first runs on USA...along with reruns of other shows that are doing well for NBC.
SUNDAYS (In January after Football ends)
7pm Dateline -- Whatever
8pm Law & Order -- Coming into Season 18 does anyone really care anymore? I used to watch the show religously, but now if I miss an episode I miss an episode. Like many 18 year olds, maybe its time to kick this kid out of the house and make it get a real job.
9pm Medium -- This has become a show I watch on DVD only. So I'm still in season 2...I expect that season 4 may be the last for this show based on some behind the scenes turmoil I've heard about, high expenses and a new timeslot that puts it in play against some heavy competition (assuming ABC & FOX keep their schedules the same as they did this season).
10pm Lipstick Jungle -- Brooke Shileds, Kim Raver and Lindsey Price star in this adaptation of a book by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell. Could be interesting...it'll get the three episode tryout from me for now (I reserve the right to make it a one episode tryout as we get closer to the actual series premiere).
MIDSEASON REPLACEMENTS
World Moves -- Its Ameircan Idol for hip hop dance teams. Blah.
The IT Crowd -- Based on a "Britcom", this show stars The Soup's Joel McHale as a tech guy for a large corporation. He's funny...so this gets a three episode tryout whenever it premieres.
Well...that's all for NBC. Tomorrow its ABC's turn.
Be seeing you.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (At Least By A Few)
Andy Barker, P.I. -- 1 Season/6 Episodes -- Someday there will be peace in the Middle East. Around the same time Andy Richter will finally get a successful hit TV series as he so richly deserves. Hell might also freeze over.
The Black Donnelleys -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/7 Unaired -- Didn't watch it, but you've got to assume there was a reason this show never got picked up the first time around 2 seasons ago. Just because a guy wins an Oscar doesn't make a bad pilot better.
Kidnapped -- 1 Season/13 Episodes/8 Unaired -- This series got a bit of a lucky break in that NBC gave the production enough warning to wrap everything up (well...almost everything as there's one dangling plot thread, but its not a big deal). And even though it got removed from the schedule twice, NBC was gracious enough to have the episodes online for viewing. The whole series just came out on DVD and its a shame that there is nothing in the extras "post cancellation notice" as it all comes from just as the show started airing. Worth a look if only for the powerhouse talent that includes Jeremy Sisto, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Hutton, Dana Delaney and Ricky Jay among others.
20 Good Years -- 1 Season/10 Episodes/6 Unaired -- What a waste of talent. Hopefully, Lithgow and Tambor will learn from their mistakes.
Crossing Jordan -- 6 Seasons/117 Episodes -- I vaguely remember sampling this in its first season and not getting hooked. Apparently it became the Coach of dramas.
Grease: You're The One That I Want -- I'm sorry, but there's something wrong to me about letting America pick the next people to star in a Broadway remake. We can barely vote for President anymore.
Identity -- Penn Jilette has better things to do than host this silly "game show". Hopefully, he's back doing them.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent -- 6 Seasons/131 Episodes -- The best of the franchise (in my opinion) is gone from NBC, but not really gone. New episodes will be aired on USA starting this fall. NBC will air repeats two weeks later, I'm assuming on Saturday nights in their 2 hour block of repeats...this is a reverse of what had been going on for the last six years anyway...so this show is only on this list by a technicality.
Raines -- 1 Season/7 Episodes -- I've always liked Jeff Goldblum and this show was a nice showcase for the quirky actor. Not a great show, but very enjoyable (at least the episodes we've watched so far...the last couple are still on our Tivo). I'd love to see this get a DVD release.
The Real Wedding Crashers -- Ugh. 'Nuff said.
Thank G-d You're Here -- Didn't know what to think of this show, but caught an episode and found it rather amusing. Wish I had seen more, but what can you do. Oh well.
The Apprentice -- 6 Seasons/96 Episodes -- Let's hope Trump goes back to hiring and firing like a real businessman...off my TV set...I can't believe I actually watched the first FIVE Seasons of this show. What was I thinking?
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip -- 1 Season/18 Episodes/2 Unaired as of now (show supposedly returns May 24) -- I thought this was one of the better shows to premiere this season. A bit too "insidery", but well written and well acted. This show never got the chance it deserved. Oh well.
NEW FALL SCHEDULE
MONDAYS
8pm Deal Or No Deal -- No thank you.
9pm Heroes -- The BEST new show of last season returns for a second round. Taking the concept of a serialized show and actually keeping an audience interested is the important point that Lost lost. This show never misses the beat and keeps you wanting more (in my case, I'd love Heroes Mini-Mates). Can't wait to see how this season ends. We're also getting 30 episodes instead of 24 if you count Heroes: Origins, a "spin-off" that will be used to lessen breaks in the schedule. Cool.
10pm Journeyman -- A reporter who can travel through time? From the creators of The West Wing? It'll get a one episode test from me and we'll go from there.
TUESDAYS
8pm The Biggest Loser -- Returns for a 4th Season.
9pm Chuck -- This comedy spy thriller comes from McG (director of the Charlie's Angels movies) and Josh Schwartz (creator of The O.C.). Could be fun...but let's see what else is still in this time slot as competition (House definitely, Veronica Mars hopefully). It will get a three episode test.
10pm Law & Order: Special Victims Unit -- The one part of this franchise I could just never get into returns for a 9th Season.
WEDNESDAYS
8pm Deal Or No Deal -- Still No Deal.
9pm Bionic Woman -- Jamie Sommers gets an upgrade that she may not need, but I'm game for three episodes based on the people behind the scenes (creators of The X-Files, the new version of Battlestar: Galactica and Kidnapped).
10pm Life -- A new cop show about a policeman returning to the force after serving time for a crime he didn't commit. Meh. Will get a one episode test.
THURSDAYS
8pm My Name Is Earl -- Returns for a 3rd Season. Yay!!!
8:30 30 Rock -- This off-beat comedy started off a bit wonky, but by mid-season found its voice and became one of the funniest shows on TV (even my wife started watching it again). Thankfully, its back for a second season and hopefully Alec Baldwin will still be with it.
9pm The Office -- Sorry...I know its coming back for a 4th Season, but I just don't care for the show. The British original was better and I like Steve Carrell in just about everything else.
9:30 Scrubs -- Back for its 7th (and last season), this show has started to stumble a bit this past year...so hopefully this next season will be the last.
10pm ER -- 14 Seasons?? Wow. Still don't care.
FRIDAYS
8pm 1 VS 100/ The Singing Bee -- The mildly entertaining game show hosted by Bob Saget returns for 8 weeks to be followed by 6 weeks of a new series that combines the idea of a spelling bee with karaoke. That sounds like fun, but will people watch every week? They'll be forced to once the writer's strike hits.
9pm Las Vegas -- This show's been on for 4 seasons?? For the fifth season, Sonny Corleone gets replaced by Magnum P.I.
10pm Friday Night Lights -- Didn't see the movie, don't care that the TV series got renewed for a second season, but happy for the fans of the show (though I wouldn't count on a third season with this being the timeslot).
SATURDAYS
8pm Dateline -- Cause three 24 Hour news channels don't cover enough crap.
9pm Reruns -- I expect Law & Order: Criminal Intent to air here after first runs on USA...along with reruns of other shows that are doing well for NBC.
SUNDAYS (In January after Football ends)
7pm Dateline -- Whatever
8pm Law & Order -- Coming into Season 18 does anyone really care anymore? I used to watch the show religously, but now if I miss an episode I miss an episode. Like many 18 year olds, maybe its time to kick this kid out of the house and make it get a real job.
9pm Medium -- This has become a show I watch on DVD only. So I'm still in season 2...I expect that season 4 may be the last for this show based on some behind the scenes turmoil I've heard about, high expenses and a new timeslot that puts it in play against some heavy competition (assuming ABC & FOX keep their schedules the same as they did this season).
10pm Lipstick Jungle -- Brooke Shileds, Kim Raver and Lindsey Price star in this adaptation of a book by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell. Could be interesting...it'll get the three episode tryout from me for now (I reserve the right to make it a one episode tryout as we get closer to the actual series premiere).
MIDSEASON REPLACEMENTS
World Moves -- Its Ameircan Idol for hip hop dance teams. Blah.
The IT Crowd -- Based on a "Britcom", this show stars The Soup's Joel McHale as a tech guy for a large corporation. He's funny...so this gets a three episode tryout whenever it premieres.
Well...that's all for NBC. Tomorrow its ABC's turn.
Be seeing you.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Swinging Back For The Lazy Days Of Summer
Hey folks,
I know it's been a while. And there are reasons (some good, some superfluous)...but I'll get to them a bit later...
I'm here to kick off the summer movie season with my review of Spider-Man 3.
I did have the opportunity to rewatch the first two films before trekking down to the theater for the latest one. They still hold up very well with the second film being just a smidge better than the first. Unfortunately, the new entry is not up to the same levels as the first two. Don't get me wrong, it's not X-Men 3 bad, but its not as good as the first two. You could put it on par with Fantastic Four in the sense that its a fun film to watch, but there are enough silly problems that could have been avoided to make it a GREAT film.
The "plot" is kind of all over the place as Peter Parker has decided to marry Mary Jane but several things get in his way. First, his best friend Harry Osbourne is trying to kill him (as revenge for killing his father), next an escaped criminal is terrorizing the city now that he has the power of manipulate sand, there's a new photographer trying to replace him at the Daily Bugle (with a girlfriend who Mary Jane's having issues with) and finally an alien from space bonds with Peter and brings out all the worst in him. Three villains, two girls and a split personality is a LOT to cram into two hours and twenty minutes (plus you've got to add Aunt May, the landlord and his daughter, the staff of the Daily Bugle, a new chief of police, a family to humanize the Sandman and the requisite Bruce Campbell cameo). Most of this is accomplised by a huge amount of coincidence.
The worst example comes towards the end when Sandman and Venom (the alien symbiote that eventually bonds with Peter's rival Eddie Brock...though nowhere is he called Venom in the film) decide to team up to destroy Spider-Man. It's a conversation that runs "You want to kill him, I want to kill him, together we're unstoppable". "Ok" and then we move on. It makes no sense from either character's standpoint (Sandman actually has a twinge of sympathy in his backstory). Add to that things like Gwen happens to be Peter's new lab partner, Eddie happens out of nowhere to a disaster scene to take pictures and walks right up to Chief Stacey who happens to be Gwen's father. And Gwen's the one in trouble at this disaster scene. Eddie happens to be in the same church where Peter finally rids himself of the alien. Flint Marko happens to fall into some scientific experiment when evading the police (which is what turns him into Sandman in the first place) and he also happens to be Uncle Ben's real killer (although this actually works by the end of the film). Harry gets injured in the opening battle and conveniently forgets a lot of things until he needs to remember it all later in the film?
That's a lot to have to swallow.
The action scenes are really well done. Whether its the first battle between Harry & Peter, the rescue of Gwen, the battles with the Sandman or the final four way battle between Harry, Peter, Sandman & Venom, all of the action scenes are edge-of-your-seat amazing.
As far as the acting goes, Kirsten Dunst seems a bit lost this time out. Tobey Maguire does a good job for the most part but has a couple of scenes (that are essentially musical numbers...don't ask) that ruin the film. James Franco does a great job advancing Harry this round and Thomas Haden Church does a great job humanizing Sandman. J.K. Simmons gets a few good scenes out of J. Jonah Jameson and Rosemary Harris does her best to keep Aunt May from becoming a Yoda clone that just appears to dispense advice.
Bryce Dallas Howard, Topher Grace and James Cromwell are all wasted as Gwen Stacey, Eddie Brock and Chief Stacey. Each has little to do and they all feel crammed in for no real reason.
Again, while the film is fun, it is flawed (and I'm really not sure how well the "musical" number plays...its very goofy and sticks out like a sore thumb). It could have been much better if they had concentrated on what worked best in regards to the villains (Harry and Sandman) and held anything else for a fourth film (Venom...BTW...did I mention I've never been a bit fan of this character).
Wait for the DVD to watch at home (even at a weekday afternoon matinee there were talking idiots and cell phone igniters...more on this subject soon).
I will be back sooner rather than later...
Be seeing you.
I know it's been a while. And there are reasons (some good, some superfluous)...but I'll get to them a bit later...
I'm here to kick off the summer movie season with my review of Spider-Man 3.
I did have the opportunity to rewatch the first two films before trekking down to the theater for the latest one. They still hold up very well with the second film being just a smidge better than the first. Unfortunately, the new entry is not up to the same levels as the first two. Don't get me wrong, it's not X-Men 3 bad, but its not as good as the first two. You could put it on par with Fantastic Four in the sense that its a fun film to watch, but there are enough silly problems that could have been avoided to make it a GREAT film.
The "plot" is kind of all over the place as Peter Parker has decided to marry Mary Jane but several things get in his way. First, his best friend Harry Osbourne is trying to kill him (as revenge for killing his father), next an escaped criminal is terrorizing the city now that he has the power of manipulate sand, there's a new photographer trying to replace him at the Daily Bugle (with a girlfriend who Mary Jane's having issues with) and finally an alien from space bonds with Peter and brings out all the worst in him. Three villains, two girls and a split personality is a LOT to cram into two hours and twenty minutes (plus you've got to add Aunt May, the landlord and his daughter, the staff of the Daily Bugle, a new chief of police, a family to humanize the Sandman and the requisite Bruce Campbell cameo). Most of this is accomplised by a huge amount of coincidence.
The worst example comes towards the end when Sandman and Venom (the alien symbiote that eventually bonds with Peter's rival Eddie Brock...though nowhere is he called Venom in the film) decide to team up to destroy Spider-Man. It's a conversation that runs "You want to kill him, I want to kill him, together we're unstoppable". "Ok" and then we move on. It makes no sense from either character's standpoint (Sandman actually has a twinge of sympathy in his backstory). Add to that things like Gwen happens to be Peter's new lab partner, Eddie happens out of nowhere to a disaster scene to take pictures and walks right up to Chief Stacey who happens to be Gwen's father. And Gwen's the one in trouble at this disaster scene. Eddie happens to be in the same church where Peter finally rids himself of the alien. Flint Marko happens to fall into some scientific experiment when evading the police (which is what turns him into Sandman in the first place) and he also happens to be Uncle Ben's real killer (although this actually works by the end of the film). Harry gets injured in the opening battle and conveniently forgets a lot of things until he needs to remember it all later in the film?
That's a lot to have to swallow.
The action scenes are really well done. Whether its the first battle between Harry & Peter, the rescue of Gwen, the battles with the Sandman or the final four way battle between Harry, Peter, Sandman & Venom, all of the action scenes are edge-of-your-seat amazing.
As far as the acting goes, Kirsten Dunst seems a bit lost this time out. Tobey Maguire does a good job for the most part but has a couple of scenes (that are essentially musical numbers...don't ask) that ruin the film. James Franco does a great job advancing Harry this round and Thomas Haden Church does a great job humanizing Sandman. J.K. Simmons gets a few good scenes out of J. Jonah Jameson and Rosemary Harris does her best to keep Aunt May from becoming a Yoda clone that just appears to dispense advice.
Bryce Dallas Howard, Topher Grace and James Cromwell are all wasted as Gwen Stacey, Eddie Brock and Chief Stacey. Each has little to do and they all feel crammed in for no real reason.
Again, while the film is fun, it is flawed (and I'm really not sure how well the "musical" number plays...its very goofy and sticks out like a sore thumb). It could have been much better if they had concentrated on what worked best in regards to the villains (Harry and Sandman) and held anything else for a fourth film (Venom...BTW...did I mention I've never been a bit fan of this character).
Wait for the DVD to watch at home (even at a weekday afternoon matinee there were talking idiots and cell phone igniters...more on this subject soon).
I will be back sooner rather than later...
Be seeing you.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Following Up: A Maxi Mini New Year!
So...the 2007 Toy Fair just ended (well....a while ago...since I've been battling some writers block the time between starting this article and finishing it was well over two months) and to follow up on an article I posted in January about the plastic "crack" known as MiniMates, here's an official list of what's coming (or what was shown as possibly coming because in the volatile industry known as the Toy Industry things can change very quickly):
In addition to the already released (and mentioned in the previous article) Cylons from both the classic and new Battlestar Galactica, 2007 brings:
a promo of Starbuck given out at Toy Fair (and now going for silly prices on eBay).
Wave One of DC Comics Mini Mates (Batman & OMAC, Superman & Battle Suit Luthor, Hal Jordan Green Lantern & Star Sapphire, Trenchcoat Joker & Harley).
Battlestar Galactica Wave One (Admiral Cain & Starbuck, Cylon & Six, Apollo & Dualla, Cylon & Shelley Godfrey)
Marvel Wave 14 (all from X-Men: The Last Stand, Storm & Colossus, Wolverine & Jean Grey, Beast & Juggernaut, Wolverine & Phoenix)
DC Wave 2 (Dr. Fate & Power Girl, Booser Gold & Blue Beetle, Penguin & Robin, Damaged Superman & Brainiac 13)
DC Wave 3 (Deathstroke & Green Arrow, Wonder Woman & Ares, Aquaman & Ocean Master, Damaged Batman & Killer Croc)
Rocky Set 1 (Workout Rocky, Adrian, Mickey, Boxing Rocky)
Marvel Wave 15 (all from the movie Ghost Rider, Ghost Rider & Blackheart, Roxanne & Caretaker, Mephistopholes & Stunt Johnny Blaze, Transforming Johnny Blaze & Mephistopholes)
Marvel Wave 16 (Thor & Loki, Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk & Wonderman, Bearded Thor & Loki)
DC Wave 4 (Barbara Gordon Batgirl & Bane, Steel & Cyborg Superman, Deadman & Spectre, Golden Age Flash & Wildcat)
Spider-Man Box Set (Torment Spider-Man, Power House Venom, Power House Sandman, Hydro Man, Melee Symbiote Spider-Man)
Star Trek Wave 1 (Captain Pike & Vina, Kirk & Spock, Scotty & McCoy, Scotty & Dress Uniform McCoy)
24 Set 1 (Jack Bauer, Nina Meyers, David Palmer, Kim Bauer -- Andre Drazin was originally shown as part of this set)
Rocky Set 2 (Paulie, Street Clothes Rocky, Beat Up Rocky, Apollo Creed)
DC Wave 5 (Captain Marvel & Mary Marvel, Ma Hunkle & Red Tornado, Hawkman & Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner & Kilowog)
Marvel Zombies Box Set (Hulk, Power Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America...all in decaying Zombie form)
Battlestar Galactica Wave 2 (Adama & Tigh, Baltar & Six, Boomer & Cylon, Gina & Baltar)
Back to the Future Set 1 (Marty, Doc Brown, Lorraine, Biff -- George McFly was originally shown as part of this set)
24 Set 2 (Michelle Dressler, Tony Almeda, George Mason, Jack Bauer)
Battlestar Galactica Wave 3 (Kara Thrace & Lee Adama, Sharon Valeri & Dianna Biers, Helo & Chief Tyrol, Helo & Chief Variant)
24 Exclusive Sets (Kim & Jack -- which may have changed now that Kim comes with the first box set, Prisoner Nina Meyers & Injured Jack Bauer)
Battlestar Galactica Exclusive Doctor Baltar
Speed Racer Wave 2 (Trixie, Captain Terror, Modern Racer X, Modern Speed Senior)
Star Trek Wave 2 (unknown, but expect a Kirk & Spock, aliens and more crew)
Star Trek Wave 3 (unknown but expect a Kirk & Spock, aliens & final crew members)
Rain Man (poster shown)
Platoon (poster shown)
For A Few Dollars More (poster shown)
Desperately Seeking Susan (poster shown)
The Silence of the Lambs (poster shown)
Kelloggs Cereal Mascots (Tony the Tiger, Snap, Crackle, Pop, Diggum, Toucan Sam)
DC Wave 6 (Blackhawk & Sgt. Rock, Stargirl & STRIPE, Battle Damaged Wonder Woman & Cheetah, Bizarro & Supergirl)
Spider-Man 3 (Red Spider-Man & Goblin, Black Spider-Man & Flint Marko, Peter Parker & Eddie Brock, Transformation Venom & Peter Parker, Transformation Spider-Man & Venom, Battle Damaged Spider-Man & Sandman, Unmasked Spider-Man & Mary Jane, Gwen & Unmasked Spider-Man)
Marvel Target Exclusives (Civil War Spider-Man & Transformation Venom, Unmasked Green Goblin & Web Armor Spider-Man)
Back to the Future Enchantment Under the Sea Set (Marty & Lorraine)
Back to the Future Exclusive (Marty & Biff -- this may have changed with Biff now part of the box set)
Battlestar Galactica (shown but not placed anywhere = Roslin & Zarek, Gaeta & Callie)
Excluding the movie posters that were shown but had no product, as well as waves we know are coming but don't know the contents of that's 203 different minimates (I'm coutning variations on characters). Wow! And that doesn't include any other potential waves for lines mentioned (more Marvel perhaps as a box set of the Defenders has been hinted at with artwork for a Doctor Strange mini-mate being revealed...I'm psyched about that one since he's one of my two favorite Marvel characters).
I think that's just cool.
My wife may divorce me once these guys take over the house (and they are well on their way).
I hope to have a review with pictures of some of these guys at some point. But it may be a while.
Be seeing you
In addition to the already released (and mentioned in the previous article) Cylons from both the classic and new Battlestar Galactica, 2007 brings:
a promo of Starbuck given out at Toy Fair (and now going for silly prices on eBay).
Wave One of DC Comics Mini Mates (Batman & OMAC, Superman & Battle Suit Luthor, Hal Jordan Green Lantern & Star Sapphire, Trenchcoat Joker & Harley).
Battlestar Galactica Wave One (Admiral Cain & Starbuck, Cylon & Six, Apollo & Dualla, Cylon & Shelley Godfrey)
Marvel Wave 14 (all from X-Men: The Last Stand, Storm & Colossus, Wolverine & Jean Grey, Beast & Juggernaut, Wolverine & Phoenix)
DC Wave 2 (Dr. Fate & Power Girl, Booser Gold & Blue Beetle, Penguin & Robin, Damaged Superman & Brainiac 13)
DC Wave 3 (Deathstroke & Green Arrow, Wonder Woman & Ares, Aquaman & Ocean Master, Damaged Batman & Killer Croc)
Rocky Set 1 (Workout Rocky, Adrian, Mickey, Boxing Rocky)
Marvel Wave 15 (all from the movie Ghost Rider, Ghost Rider & Blackheart, Roxanne & Caretaker, Mephistopholes & Stunt Johnny Blaze, Transforming Johnny Blaze & Mephistopholes)
Marvel Wave 16 (Thor & Loki, Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk & Wonderman, Bearded Thor & Loki)
DC Wave 4 (Barbara Gordon Batgirl & Bane, Steel & Cyborg Superman, Deadman & Spectre, Golden Age Flash & Wildcat)
Spider-Man Box Set (Torment Spider-Man, Power House Venom, Power House Sandman, Hydro Man, Melee Symbiote Spider-Man)
Star Trek Wave 1 (Captain Pike & Vina, Kirk & Spock, Scotty & McCoy, Scotty & Dress Uniform McCoy)
24 Set 1 (Jack Bauer, Nina Meyers, David Palmer, Kim Bauer -- Andre Drazin was originally shown as part of this set)
Rocky Set 2 (Paulie, Street Clothes Rocky, Beat Up Rocky, Apollo Creed)
DC Wave 5 (Captain Marvel & Mary Marvel, Ma Hunkle & Red Tornado, Hawkman & Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner & Kilowog)
Marvel Zombies Box Set (Hulk, Power Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America...all in decaying Zombie form)
Battlestar Galactica Wave 2 (Adama & Tigh, Baltar & Six, Boomer & Cylon, Gina & Baltar)
Back to the Future Set 1 (Marty, Doc Brown, Lorraine, Biff -- George McFly was originally shown as part of this set)
24 Set 2 (Michelle Dressler, Tony Almeda, George Mason, Jack Bauer)
Battlestar Galactica Wave 3 (Kara Thrace & Lee Adama, Sharon Valeri & Dianna Biers, Helo & Chief Tyrol, Helo & Chief Variant)
24 Exclusive Sets (Kim & Jack -- which may have changed now that Kim comes with the first box set, Prisoner Nina Meyers & Injured Jack Bauer)
Battlestar Galactica Exclusive Doctor Baltar
Speed Racer Wave 2 (Trixie, Captain Terror, Modern Racer X, Modern Speed Senior)
Star Trek Wave 2 (unknown, but expect a Kirk & Spock, aliens and more crew)
Star Trek Wave 3 (unknown but expect a Kirk & Spock, aliens & final crew members)
Rain Man (poster shown)
Platoon (poster shown)
For A Few Dollars More (poster shown)
Desperately Seeking Susan (poster shown)
The Silence of the Lambs (poster shown)
Kelloggs Cereal Mascots (Tony the Tiger, Snap, Crackle, Pop, Diggum, Toucan Sam)
DC Wave 6 (Blackhawk & Sgt. Rock, Stargirl & STRIPE, Battle Damaged Wonder Woman & Cheetah, Bizarro & Supergirl)
Spider-Man 3 (Red Spider-Man & Goblin, Black Spider-Man & Flint Marko, Peter Parker & Eddie Brock, Transformation Venom & Peter Parker, Transformation Spider-Man & Venom, Battle Damaged Spider-Man & Sandman, Unmasked Spider-Man & Mary Jane, Gwen & Unmasked Spider-Man)
Marvel Target Exclusives (Civil War Spider-Man & Transformation Venom, Unmasked Green Goblin & Web Armor Spider-Man)
Back to the Future Enchantment Under the Sea Set (Marty & Lorraine)
Back to the Future Exclusive (Marty & Biff -- this may have changed with Biff now part of the box set)
Battlestar Galactica (shown but not placed anywhere = Roslin & Zarek, Gaeta & Callie)
Excluding the movie posters that were shown but had no product, as well as waves we know are coming but don't know the contents of that's 203 different minimates (I'm coutning variations on characters). Wow! And that doesn't include any other potential waves for lines mentioned (more Marvel perhaps as a box set of the Defenders has been hinted at with artwork for a Doctor Strange mini-mate being revealed...I'm psyched about that one since he's one of my two favorite Marvel characters).
I think that's just cool.
My wife may divorce me once these guys take over the house (and they are well on their way).
I hope to have a review with pictures of some of these guys at some point. But it may be a while.
Be seeing you
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)