Danny Baram's Not-Quite-Final Repose

- First off, I'd like to take a minute to say farewell to a great actor who passed away today - Peter Boyle. Peter Boyle to me is a unique actor, because he was just one of those guys who was so obviously talented that even when, as more often than not was the case, his projects didn't hold much interest for me, I knew that they had at least some measure of respectability thanks merely to Peter Boyle's involvement. And I can say this even despite not having been exposed to the vast majority of Mr. Boyle's work. So what made me such a fan of his?


Four words: "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose." Simply put, Boyle's Emmy-winning turn on The X-Files, as a psychic insurance salesman who could forsee how people would die - including himself - is one of the single best and most moving performances I have ever seen. Not only did "Clyde Bruckman" cement my burgeoning love for The X-Files in its groundbreaking third season, it was one of those episodes of television that was so clever, so genuinely full of heart and emotion, and so well-acted that it made me think to myself, at the ripe age of fourteen or so: "hmm, I think I might want to write for television." Basically, it's easily in my list of all-time top television episodes. Boyle won an Emmy for that role, though he had great acclaim for film roles (of course - who doesn't love him in Young Frankenstein? And Taxi Driver, and the list goes on ...) and of course there is his latter-day sitcom longevity as lovable dad on Everybody Loves Raymond. But to me, I'll never stop admiring the brilliance that Boyle brought to the role of Clyde Bruckman - one of the great performances for the ages. I saw Boyle in person while working on Ellen last year, and I remember thinking to myself that he didn't look so great. But even the slightest hint of something wrong genuinely worried me at the time, because I was such a fan and admirer. I think I may pop in an X-Files DVD tonight and pay tribute to one of the greats.

- Also, RIP to Martin Nodell, creator of one of the most enduring characters in modern popular fiction - The Green Lantern. Who doesn't love the idea of slipping on a magical ring and suddenly having the ability to fly, have super-strength, and create any object one's heart desires (albeit said object is always green). Alan Scott, the original GL as created by Nodell, is one of the great heroes of The Golden Age of comics, who amazingly is still around and kicking after all these decades (a magical ring does wonders for keeping young). The mythology that Nodell helped create is one that endures to this day, and my guess is it's only a matter of time before we see GL dazzle us on the big screen. Apparently, Nodell was also one of the nicest guys you'll find - so it is again saddening to see a true legend go.




TV STUFF:

- iTunes plug: Our SciFi and Fantasy Page is now fully loaded and brimming with vintage goodness! As of tonight, you can hit up iTunes, click on the SciFi Channel Page, navigate over to SciFi and Fantasy Classics, and download episodes or seasons of the following:

Sliders, Tremors, Rod Serling's Night Gallery, Kolchak: The Nightstalker, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Incredible Hulk, and ... the ORIGINAL Battlestar Galactica.

So log on, hit up the page, and download an episode or two. Spread the word.

- Oh yeah, VERONICA MARS is now on iTunes. Hells yes. (not NBC related)

- So last night I tried to play catch-up with Sci-Fi's THE LOST ROOM miniseries, as I'd heard relatively positive things. Overall, I thought it was a somewhat guilty-pleasure show that has some great actors involved, but was hampered by a pretty thin premise and some loose writing. First of all, Peter Krause is a great lead. I'm a fan from his work on Six Feet Under, and he is a solid leading-man presence and definitely makes them ost of the material given to him here. Problem is, the material is pretty generic "single dad desperate to keep his daughter" stuff. Even worse, the characters are written as pretty grounded, regular people, yet the plot is so out-there and surreal that the combination doesn't quite click. It's like someone took the characters from Law and Order and threw them headfirst into a game of Myst. Regular Joe detective / cop characters just don't gel with surrealist, abstract science fiction concepts when the show can't seem to decide if it's reality-based science fiction or just Jose Louis-Borges-esque abstract, high-concept scifi. I mean, the writers basically apply a thin, videogame-y logic to the plot, which feels like the producers played one too many rounds of Zork as teenagers or something. Despite all that, I was compelled to watch all two hours of the opening chapter of The Lost Room, and overall, enjoyed myself. Once I realized to basically throw logic out the window and watch the show as if it was some wacky Choose Your Own Adventure I might have read in fifth grade, it was pretty cool. Curious to see how Part II attempts to build on the momentum.

My Grade: B

- Man, has anyone seen that stupid MTV show, Twenty-Four Seven? Basically it's like a reality show version of entourage, with a bunch of total dumbass losers being filmed as they attempt to "make it" in Hollywood. How these guys got their cushy jobs as club-promoters / professional slackers in the first place is a mystery, although I think one of them dates Hayley Duff so that probably explains it. Anyways, this show basically represents everything I hate about Hollywood - the idea that it's a place for spoiled rich kids too lazy for real jobs to go and try to hit it big while living off of their parents money, allowing these mostly talentless wastes of space to somehow infiltrate the worlds of movies, music, and TV simply because their uncle has a connection or something. Anyways, this show like so many recent MTV "reality" shows is probably about 70% staged, but still, I wanted to punch my TV while watching these guys sleaze their way into a business deal with some promoter by bringing two silicon-sporting girls to their business meeting to basically seduce him into taking business advice from two twenty-something morons. Yikes, if this is "reality," then I don't want any part of it.

OTHER STUFF:

- Have yet to make much mention of it here in the blog ... but, this Sunday, I am seeing GUNS N' ROSES, live, in concert! Awwwww yeah, baby, this is gonna rock my face off. Believe it or not, this will actually be my second time having seen GNR in their post-breakup formation, as I saw the Buckethead-led incarnation in Boston in 2004, and despite the naysayers, it was a ridiculously awesome concert. So suffice to say, while I'd kill to see the ORIGINAL GNR lineup in all their Slash-eriffic glory, I am optimistic that this show will nonetheless rule it. Not only will GNR hopefully be in top form, but the opener is none other than Sebastian Bach, he of SKID ROW (and Gilmore Girls!) fame. Can't wait to hear some vintage Skid Row stuff - Youth Gone Wild, 18 and Life, etc. And man, while they may not have the original lineup, is there any band with a catalog of songs that rivals GnR for sheer awesomeness? I think not, baby. Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, Sweet Child O' Mine, Rocket Queen, Mr. Brownstone, November Rain, Civil War, I Used to Love Her, You Could Be Mine ... etc., etc., etc. Also, back when I saw 'em in Beantown, the concert was pure vintage ROCK ... from the riotous crowd to the sheer atmosphere of debauchery and scandal, I felt like it was 1988 all over again and rock was king. So yeah ... this should be freaking awesome.

- Alright, that's about it for now ... stay tuned for some special BEST OF 2006 entries and a few other surprises.