"We Can Dress Real Neat From Our Hats To Our Feet ..."

The Blog is back. And yes, the name is different. What do you think?

Yes, it's the New Adventures of Danny Baram. Deal with it. Will it stick? Only time will tell.

And what a day it's been. Got back a few hours ago from an interview to PA at G-4-TV's cult favorite program Attack of the Show. In many ways, this would be a job I was born to have. The show covers things like games, comics, pop-culture, movies, and has ample helpings of sketch comedy. Check, check, check, check, and ... check. Now, there are some downsides if I were to be hired for this job, but too early to really think about that yet. Of course, it'd be nice to have options, but these job searches never really work out like that, do they? Dammit, just hire me as a writer's assistant on Veronica Mars already! Gosh!

Speaking of shich, holy crap, huge news day today for the world of entertainment. I feel like both of today's major events will ultimately prove pretty beneficial for the public and for the companies involved. Let's look, shall we?

Disney Buys Pixar:

This could be GREAT for Disney, and for all people who fondly remember a time before Disney was the company that abandoned its animated division, made crappy direct to video sequels ad nauseum of all its movies, and basically lost its smile. Now you've got a visionary in Steve Jobs as majority shareholder, and suddenly the sky seems to be the limit. Sure, this goes way beyond just movies, potentially, but ... the first thing that comes to mind is: could this shift help usher in a new golden age of Disney feature films? Also, one get the feeling that with Job's knack for technology and innovation, and Disney's dormant rep for imagination / innovation (um, imagineering, right?), it definitely seems to be a match made in heaven. Still though, Cars looks pretty lame.

The WB and UPN Combine to Form CW:

Okay, this one seemed pretty out of left field. But it makes sense, kind of, I think. I mean, really, are the WB and UPN THAT different? Both cater towards the youth market, and both are struggling to compete with the Big Four. So combining them makes sense, and a network that has a stable of near-breakout hits like Smallville, Gilmore Girls, Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, and Veronica Mars could be a force. Or it could just be like someone mashed up UPN and the WB and got some weird Frankenstein thing where Girlfriends follows Gilmore Girls and people go insane when they turn on the TV and can't figure out if that brainy blonde teen detective on their TV is Chloe Sullivan from Smallville or Veronica Mars ... It could happen, folks! Seriously though, I think it's an interesting move that will help jack up ratings and give some under the radar shows like Everybody Hates Chris and Veronica Mars a wider audience, and for once these shows will actually have decent lead-ins! Pair Veronica Mars with Smallville, or Everybody Hates Chris with Beauty and the Geek, or WWE Smackdown with Everwood! Okay, scrap that last one, but you get the picture. Now, this deal sucks for anyone who is losing their jobs because of it, and as one currently embroiled in the showbiz jobsearch, anything that leads to less opportunity is not good, from one perspective. But in terms of creating a true, strong, fifth network to compete with the big boys, this seems to be a great step in the right direction.

- Dammit, no new Gilmore tonight! WTF? It just came back from hiatus last week! Could this be some crazy residual effect of the CW announcement?!?! I must see the further adventures of Luke and his illegitimate daughter, dammit all. I think I need professional help ...

- 24: Niiiiiiiiiiiiice. While the plotlines spiral at an alarming rate into the swirling vortex of CRAZY IMPLAUSIBILITY, I hardly find myself caring because this show keeps me entertained. This ep had a nice slow build and then, BAM, it hit you over the head with NETWORK-SANCTIONED ULTRAVIOLENCE, as Jack plunged a pair of surgical scissors into a would-be assassin's jugular, and I jumped up and down as my inner 13 year old boy screamed "Cool!" To counteract all this coolness though, we had another mole, ridiculous lack of security or personell screening at CTU, and a whacked out government where the President gets all his advice from one guy who happens to be EVIL~! Oy ... Still, ya gotta love it! Oh yeah, some of the side characters are beginning to really kick some ass ... I'm looking at you, Buchanan and guy played by Sean Astin! My grade: A -

- Oh yeah, I must say that it's sad to hear confirmation of the inevitable - Malcolm and the Middle and That 70's Show are on the way out. For 70's, I think this really was one of the modern classic sitcoms. Sure, it was formulaic, but its formula was consistently funny for years, and it had a great cast that really carried the show. Why they extended it in the absence of Topher Grace I don't know, but still ... this is one of those shows that may never have achieved greatness, per se, but was always amusing and will live on in eminently rewatchable syndication for years. Malcolm, on the other hand, did achieve greatness, and was a revolutionary show that has somehow lost its luster in the eyes of critics and fans in recent years, even though it's always been funny year after year, and had spectacular comedic performances from its stars and guest stars, including the criminally underrated Bryan Cranston. Even though it's been great over the years, I will say that the first few years of the show were just insanely funny and well-made, and set a new standard for sitcoms that shows like Arrested Development, The Office, and My Name Is Earl all owe a debt to. In the meantime, I plan to enjoy the last episodes of Malcolm, now thankfully back on Sundays - and you should too if you're a fan of good comedy.

Nerd Stuff:

Infinite Crisis 4: So the crisis continues, and I'll give Geoff Johns this - he is crafting one hell of a ride, with more holy $#%@ moments per page than any recent story I can remember. The problem with this style of writing is that many of the sequences seem kinda rushed, and random as well, as Johns is cramming A TON of stuff into each issue, esp. with this one, so much so that artist Phil Jiminez, with his ultra-detailed, ultra-compressed style, is forced to get some help on the art chores this ish. Although, when your help is a legend like George Perez, who can really complain? So yeah, some of the cinematic moments just plain kick ass and had my jaw left a-hanging. Take Superboy Prime's violent rampage, where the Boy of Steel RIPS OFF RED STAR'S ARM, and DECAPITATES PANTHA! Damn! Johns nailed this whole sequence and Superboy vs. Superboy has to go down as a comic book smackdown for the ages. Other sequences that kicked ass: Gotham PD Crispus Allen inheriting the mantle of The Spectre from beyond the grave, Booster Gold and SKEETS hunting down the Blue Beetle's scarab, and Alex Luthor revealing his master plan. On the other hand, the Perez-pencilled sequence involving The Flash felt kinda, well, rushed, ironically, as there was no real dramatic buildup and no real resolution. Overall though, this is the current must-read even of 2006, and despite some minor problems I can't wait until issue 5. Plus, the art by Jiminez continues to be spectacular. My grade: A -

More quick comic picks from this week:

Planetary: finally, a new issue! I barely remember what the hell is going on at this point, but John Cassady's art is as stunning as ever and Warren Ellis as always writes the hell out of this comic, that is, when it actually comes out. My grade: A -

Batgirl: Holy shocking endings, Batman! Out of left field comes one of the craziest comic book cliffhangers I've seen in a while, as young Cassandra Cain, aka the mute master of martial arts known as Batgirl, meets a shocking fate. Wish the art could have been a bit better though. My grade: B+

Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy - The legendary Joe Jubert returns to one of his most famous characters, and what we get here is an amazing looking book that shows why even now, Joe Kubert is a true master of his craft. Story wise though, some good stuff but seems to be a bit stretched out, like there's not gonna be enough story to last a full 6 issues. Check it out for a gritty WWII war story with classic characters and awesome art by a legend. My grade: A-

Ex Machina: Damn, this comic is amazing. Brian K Vaughn, between this comic and the amazing Y: The Last Man, is one of my favorite writers right now - he writes with such an intelligence and understanding of character, plus you always learn something new from reading his stuff. The story of Mitchell Hundred, the mayor of New York City with a strange ability to communicate with machines, is an awesome mix of politics, adventure, and social commentary. And the artwork by Tony Harris is friggin' incredible. My grade: A



Alright, peeps. I'm out -- sooo tired from today, and not feeling ready to do it all again tommorow. As MC Hammer once said: " I got to pray (pray!) just to make it through the day!"

Let the adventures continue ...