Okay, so it's only every so often that one gets to experience a totally new type of pain. Okay, i know that sounds weird, but it is kind of startling when you are feeling bad in a way you've never really felt bad before. For the last few days, I've been hobbling around with this sharp pain in my back, side, and abdomen, thinking it was a pulled muscle or something. But as the pain intensified to the point where just walking around was difficult, I knew this was a problem. So it didn't really occur to me to think that it was a kidney-related problem, as come on, what do I know about kidneys. But there it was, it fit. I went to a walk-in clinic yesterday evening and they basically all but said it was a kidney infection, and gave me a prescription for some antibiotics. But I still have to go to a real doctor and figure this all out.
And man, talk about a process. Finding a doctor out here is way to difficult. I mean apparently everyone under 35 in LA is a paragon of immaculate health, who have never used a doctor ever. Okay, not that I know that many people who live nearby me who would know about these things, but geez, can anybody refer me to a freakin' doctor? Apparently not. Because I mean who wants to put your health in the hands of a doctor that is randomly found online? Sure they may be good but how do you know. And it's also slightly disturbing that, well, EVERYONE has a website these days. I have a website, every business you can think of has a website, and yet when it comes to doctors barely anyone has a website. Of all the people who SHOULD have a website, it SHOULD be doctors who should be dominating the internet, doling out every strand of info available about them for us info-needy potential patients. Dammit, will the medical community please enter the year 2006 already!
So yeah, kidneys. If you had told me two weeks ago that I'd be worrying about my kidney right now I'd be both shocked and amazed. I mean what causes this? Why now? Why me? Ugh. And then, the doctor from the walk-in clinic was scaring the crap out of me, off-handedly mentioning all these potential ailments I could have. "Oh yeah," he nonchalantly mentioned, "you may have diabetes."
Awesome! Well, I don't THINK I have diabetes. Seeing as how I've been tested for lipid levels for years now, and apparently my last test had the levels almost normalized, I don't see how diabetes could suddenly materialize. Must be all that Special K With Red Berries I've been eating, or something. So yeah I don't think I have diabetes, but seriously, screw any walk-in clinic doctor who would simply throw that out there without elaboration. I mean, who ARE these people?
Anyways, this is kind of a weird way to open up a blog entry, I know. Especially when I have so much other stuff to discuss. But yeah, for the last few days I've just been kind of hobbled and in pain because of this, and now I've been struggling to find a doctor and get to the bottom of what's wrong with me. So it sucks, but hopefully it's not that bad, and like my kidneys will heal up stronger than ever and I'll be able to take a punch to the gut like nobody's business.
But yeah, going to that clinic last night and waiting FOREVER in their lobby, and then waiting forever in line at the pharmacy to pick up my Cipro, forced me to miss the first half-hour of Prisonbreak, which was a major downer as I was AMPED for the big season finale. But whatever, I'll review it anyway, because das how I roll, yo.
TV STUFF:
PRISONBREAK Season Finale:
Well, I DID miss the first half, but nonetheless I will give this episode a hearty cry of:
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!
Because this episode, as has every installment of late of the pulp serialized adventure series, kept me on the edge of my seat. Sure, it took me a little while to catch up on what was going on, but all of my brief confusion was forgotten as I witnessed gang-banger Abruze CHOP OFF T-BAG'S HAND WITH A GIANT AXE! Yes, that ruled! A hand-less T-Bag then running to catch up with his partners in crime was pretty amusing too. But I will say, the last few eps of this show have been so riveting that by comparison, the finale was a little bit of a letdown. I mean, I was expecting some huge plot twist to lead into Season 2, but all we got was the prisonbreakers missing their plane to freedom, and then RUNNING THROUGH A FIELD as police helicopters swirl overhead. So a cool image, I guess, but come on - how could they possibly get away when there's search lights shining right on them, and dozens of cars hot on their tail?
Sure, there were some good twists though. The good doctor offing herself was pretty shocking, even though it did seem a bit out of nowhere ... I don't think there were really many hints that she had it in her to O.D. like that. And the lawyer finding the former Vice President alive was kind of cool, but they didn't really indicate where they were planning on going with that plot thread, so it kind of just left us hanging.
Still, I was on the edge of my seat, I can't wait to see what happens in Season 2, and man, did I mention T-Bag's hand got chopped off? This was a very good finale to the best new show of this season - Prisonbreak. My grade: A -
24! 24! 24!
Hmm, i don't know if I can muster my usual unbridled enthusiasm for last night's ep. It did kind of seem to be stretching the plot a little thin, and pretty much serving as a placeholder until next week's mega-sized finale that is sure to rule all. But as for this ep, yes, it had its moments of gravitas-infused awesomeness, but it also seemed to be reachign a bit to present just one mo' huge horrible disaster that only Jack Bauer can avert.
- The MVP of this ep had to be AARON F'N PIERCE, who ruled it in his scenes with President Logan, I mean, "Charles." If anyone brought the gravitas this week, it was this man - a true patriot and hero in the world of 24.
- Also, who doesn't love to see Henderson, aka ROBOCOP himself, on-screen acting badass like only he can? My problem lies in the Jack-and-Henderson-form-an-unlikely-team scenario, which was a little cliched and not handled as well as it could have been, as was Jack interrupting Henderson's brilliant but seemingly dangerous plan.
- And we are also back to CTU operating like the A-Team, with seemingly only five people now working there, two of whom are fired and thought to be detained, and one of whom, Jack, who is legally dead.
- And Bierko nerve-gassing a nuclear sub and commanderring its missles? Wow, that was quick. I mean, okay I realize they have to up the ante for the finale but this was pretty crazy and sudden. And can you even do that to a sub? And wouldn't a nuclear sub be on ultra-high alert on a day when multiple terrorist attacks have hit the country? I guess part of the problem is that the focus has been totally shifted away from Bierko to Logan, Henderson, and the Bluetooth gang as of late, so at this point yet another terrorist plot by Bierko comes off as kind of "meh," even if it does involve commandeering a nuclear sub.
- BTW I noticed that Kim Raver, aka Audrey Raines, in scheduled to appear in a new ABC Pilot called The Nine in the fall. What does this mean for her role on 24, and might she bite it in next week's finale? Hmmm, interesting.
- Damn that Miles. What a smug bastard, he had better get his ass whupped Bauer-style next week.
- Speaking of next week, man, it DOES looks pretty awesome. Can't wait. 24 is seriously one of the most purely entertaining shows of all time, and its 2-hour season finale should be epic. EPIC. But yeah, this ep, while thrilling, wasn't quite up to 24-at-its-best standards of gravitas.
My Grade: B+
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT QUICK REVIEWS:
- KING OF THE HILL Season Finale: This one was all about the Tom Petty-voiced Lucky, and watching, I felt lucky that this would not in fact be the SERIES finale as was once thought. FOX in its not-so-infinite wisdom did something right, and renewed this show after it had already been cancelled. Old shows won't die lately, as seen by the ressurection of 7th Heaven (um, why?), but this is one show that deserves to stick around. Because judging from the continued quality, its creators still have lots of stories left to tell. This was a funny ep that played up many of the show's classic dilemmas - Hank is confused, Peggy is spiteful, and Luanne is seemingly in over her head. Not earth-shattering stuff, but this is one of the most reliably funny and entertaining shows around. My grade: A -
- THE SIMPSONS: Decent ep - it tried for a lofty theme by doing a Simpsons-meets-Inherit The Wind evolution trial satire. And if this ep had been done ten years ago, with the creme of the crop writers and the late great Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz, well, it could have been spectacular. But it was merely okay, which is too bad because its been a while since the show even attempted this level of social commentary. My grade: C+
- FAMILY GUY: Wha' happened? Last week we finally got a quality ep, and this week it was back to complete sucktitude. Not only did this show's format totally rip off The Simpsons, but I mean come on, even The Simpsons has rarely, if EVER, produced a good anthology ep outside of the annual Treehouse of Horror. So what made Family Guy think it could out-do the Simpsons at somethign that the Simpsons has never really even done well in the first place? Okay, that last sentance I realize makes no sense logically, but you get the picture. in any case, this ep was just poorly done and not funny. And so I guess Family Guy's return to greatness won't be happennning this season ... although hey, next week FOX airs the near-complete Stewie DVD movie, which I have yet to see. Cool. But this ep = the suck. My grade: D
Goodbye to MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE: Last Ever Episode!!!
Malcolm in the Middle has to be one of my favorite television comedies of all time. I've always loved its stylized, bitingly glass-half-empty view of growing up, and its painfully funny depiction of the relationship between brothers and parents and their kids. Having grown up with two strict parents and a younger brother, I instantly related to this show and its central themes - how family life was brutal, painful, and often torturous (literally!), but in the end it was your family and you were pretty much stuck with 'em, that is, until you finally found a way to get out -- and even then, they'd be there. This show has produced so many classic episodes ... some favorite moments that come to mind: Christopher Lloyd guest-starring as Hal's crazy dad, the amazing pilot, Hal trying to procure a rare comic book for Malcolm, anything with Francis at the dude ranch, Comandeer Spangler, Dewey and his class of special kids, Stevie's overprotective parents, Reese's cullinary hijinx, Bea Arthur as Dewey's babysitter, the red balloon, the alternate universe Malcolm and co who were great ppl due to lack of Lois ... and the list goes on ...
I have two hopes for this show's legacy. One is that its cast will get the recognition they deserve, as it really was an outstanding cast, with Bryan Cranston as Malcolm's dad Hal criminally unacknowledeged with Emmys and whatnot. And say what you want about Frankie Muniz, but he really did a great job as Malcolm, and in particular, his on-screen relationship with his TV mom Lois was always great - full of all the angst, anger, confusion, and rawness of most relationships between teenaged boys and their middle-aged mothers. One of the best episodes of the show was when Lois took up smoking again, and Malcolm's whole relationship with his newly-exposed-as-a-hypocrite mom was turned upside down. Oh yeah, my second hope is just that they release more seasons of this on DVD -- I mean, come on already.
As for this ep in particular, well, it was a pretty damn good finale for this show, and one that really cut to the core of what it's all about. And that's what kind of made this show great amongst comedies -- it really was ABOUT something. Here, all the themes kind of came full circle, and I really appreciated that. Dewey's simultaneous hate / love relationship with his brothers, and his sudden sadness that he was left all alone with his parents and his baby brother. Francis' never-ending battle of ideals with his mother, and his refusal to ever admit that she has won. Reese's black sheep status and his total state of arrested development. And Malcolm's constant struggle to be normal, conflicting with his undeniable knowledge that he is doomed to struggle and be different. Hal and Lois' plan for Malcolm - to be nothing less than the president of the united states, was great - kind of ever parent's dream for their kid, but the great part about this was that Malcolm is doomed to struggle his way to the top. I often kind of feel the same way, so I love Malcom's resignation to the fact that for him the easy way is never truly an option.
It was great to see all of the classic supporting players come back for the final ep. Cloris Leachman as Lois's mom has long been hilarious on this show, and it is always great to see her in this role. Craig is easily one of the funniest characters on the show, and prob had the best line of the ep (to Reese, his new roommate-to-be: "I do have a private life."). Stevie of course has had many great moments in the show's history, from the fight with the bully in the pilot to as recently as a few epsiodes ago where he patiently waited for a reluctant Malcolm to visit him in the hospital. And Stevie's overprotective, nervous dad has always been a hilarious character.
All in all, a fitting finale for the show. But one caveat -- what is up with FOX's total lack of respect? While 70's gets an hour finale AND a retrospective, and tons of ads, Malcolm gets absolutely nada. What gives? And they didn't even play the themesong / intro for the last ever episode? Dayum.
But yeah, a great final episode to one of the great comedies of my generation, and one that has personally entertained me since I was in high school. As an aspiring comedy writer, it's been one of my biggest influences, and yep, it really was one of the greats.
My Grade: A
JLU:
Yet another sad TV goodbye - this time to an entire animated universe that was brought to life under the watchful eye of Paul Dini and his artistic collaberator Bruce Timm. Since 1992, these guys have done an outstanding job of bringing DC Comics to life. At first, it was via Batman: The Animated Series - a historic, superlative series that stands as one of the greatest works of animation ever - a truly amazing depiction of the Dark Knight that to this day stands as the greatest ever on-screen realization of the Batman. While Dini and Timm would never quite reach those same heights of artistry, they continued to expand their animated universe in the years to come. Batman: The Animated Series spun out into Superman and Batman Beyond, and finally into Justice League. But it wasn't until Justice League became JLU that the show truly found itself, and became a superhero epic for the ages. But let's talk about this final episode ...
Wow - all I can say is, I really hope that Bryan Singer and co were watching this. Because this. was. Superman. This is the Superman I want in a movie. Fighting to his last breath, inspiring his comrades in arms, never backing down, and knocking the living crap out of a pissed-off Darkseid. Great stuff, and as big as a nerd as I know this makes me, this episode gave me chills. Just the sweeping music as all those heroes do heroic things ... just awesome. Batman vs. Darkseid, the Batman-Luthor team, and that old-school Batman: Animated themesong playing at just the right moment ...
And let me talk about Kevin Conroy. Since day one in 1992, this man IS Batman. Forget Michael Keaton or even Christian Bale - when I think the VOICE of BATMAN, I think Kevin Conroy's brilliant delivery, carried out with such pure gravitas in Batman: the Animated Series, the best Batman movie ever - Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman Beyond, and now JLU. And it was only fitting that the final shot of the final episode was a close-up on the Bat - because that is where it all began all those years ago.
Yes - THIS has been the best, coolest, and most faithful adaptation of Batman ever. THIS is how Superman should be done. THIS is how Lex Luthor should be - thirsting for power - cold, calculating, and dangerous as hell. Awesome job by Clancy Brown at voicing Lex throughout the years. And yet, Cartoon Network axes this show? Gives it the shaft? Treats it like a red-headed stepchild in the midst of a neverending onslaught of incomprehensible anime shows? WTF? But hey, at least the Dini-verse, the meticulously-crafted, interconnected and rife with continuity, DC animated universe, went out in style.
So many great moments in this ep. The preparation for battle, the cameos, the dialogue ("Five minutes? You've gotten soft, Bruce."), all spine-tingling. With this final ep, the Dini-verse that had been almost fifteen years in the making went out with a bang, and in doing so, set the standard for how Superman, Batman, and the rest of the DC pantheon should be portrayed on screen. Which, if you think about it, is saying a hell of a lot.
My grade: A
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Yes! VERONICA MARS IS RENEWED for the CW! It's apparently 13 episodes with a full 22 being contingent on the ratings, but hey, it's something.
- Whoops, my bad. That WASN'T the last ever 70's Show - that is this coming Thursday. No wonder it seemed underwhelming as a series finale ...
UPFRONTS:
- Well I did get a chance to watch NBC's upfront presentations on Monday, and i will say that my company did a great job of hyping up their new fall lineup. Whoever cut the promotional trailers deserves a raise, and the stars were out in full force, with nearly every big NBC celeb, news personality, and even Madden, Costas, and the NFL crew there for the precedings. I think our new schedule is pretty solid for the fall, though of course it was hard to fully evaluate before knowing what the other networks were planning. As we saw today, with ABC moving Grey's Anatomy to Thursdays to go head to head with our great white hope, Studio 60, success ain't gonna come easy. I am legitimately excited about Studio 60 though - I have seen the pilot and it is an amazing piece of TV. I think people are really going to be into it, though of course it is certainly not a guaranteed ratings-grabber. I think Heroes has the potential to be the next "big" show a la Lost. It's going to be tricky to keep its momentum across a whole season, like Lost, but I am am excited by what I have seen so far. And finally, 20 good Years with John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor has all the makings of a classic sitcom. Two of the funniest actors out there who ahve a great chemistry on-screen, it should be great. I think it's going to be rough going for all the networks next season as they try to navigate a changing TV landscape, but I do think that NBC is poised to have big improvements across the board as compared to this year, where we did undoubtedly struggle.
- I am disappointed that ABC didn't pick up 60-minute Man, one of the coolest scripts I read for shows in development. This could have been an awesome sci-fi adventure show.
OTHER STUFF:
- Well, this weekend I guess I kinda got in my last bits of fun before the kidney stuff kicked in and I reached my current debilitated state. Saw ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL on Friday -- very funny and interesting movie which I'll review soon, but I will say that if you're a fan of the previous Terry Zwigoff / Daniel clowes collaberation, Ghost World, you should definitely check out Art School. Sure, there's no Scarlet Johanson or Thora Birch, but it's still a worthy movie. Saturday, I went to celebrate Abby's big bday, at which I sampled her excellent homemade red velvet cake. It was a good time, even though by the end of the night the pain was really starting to kick in. And oh yeah, the exit going to Abby's place was of course closed off, leading to some annoying lost-in-LA moments which I am never too thrilled about. But yeah, always good to celebrate a friend's birthday, and I also finally met Abby's friends who worked as writer's assistants on Malcolm in the Middle, which was cool. Oh yeah, did I mention that I got totally disoriented and couldn't find my car for awhile when going home? Yeah, but still, good times!
And now I am basically waiting on two doctor's appointments that I have scheduled for tommorow and Thursday, which will hopefully expedite me feeling better from this Kidney stuff, because, man, today I could barely make the walk from my office to the commisary at Universal.
Well, I guess its a new experience, and what better thing for a writer than to have a new experience. Um, right?
Anyways, take it easy, thanks for reading, congrats to all those who graduated from college (esp BU!) this past weekend, and, as always, stay tuned.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
We're All Alright, We're All Alright
Alright, I'm back with one more blog before the weekend hits. What's new with me, you ask. Well, same old, for the most part. I really wish I had more interesting stuff to report but things are pretty much just in a holding pattern right now - also known as the real world. This week I was having some problems with the car but luckily it seems it was just a dead battery, which was replaced fairly quickly and easily by the good folks at AAA, all things considered. I'm looking forward to a few potential visits from some of my college friends that may occur in the next few weeks. And since I know she is a loyal blog reader, I of course have to say a happy birthday to Abby W - aka the future VP of Entertainment at NBC - who I am pretty sure is my first LA friend who I can now say I will have celebrated two consecutive birthdays with, which is pretty cool though also pretty scary in a way.
I mean, wow - has it really been a year since those golden days of the NBC page program - the Summer of 2005? It's pretty amazing and unbelievable to realize how much time has passed in what seems like the blink of an eye. Then again, since last summer I've finished the page program, gotten a new job, visited home in CT twice, and met a decent amount of new people also. But I think that I will definitely look back on the period from May 2005 to around January or so as a great time when I met a ton of great people and really finally began to feel like I was making the most of my new situation in sunny California. It's funny, this coming Monday are the NBC Upfronts, and I still fondly remember last year's upfronts, which I know is odd as for most entertianment-industry people the upfronts are just a crazy time and one of the busiest and most stressful of the year. But for us NBC pages wh owere chosen to work the screenings at Universal Studios - we had a great day of TV sneak previews, catered lunches, and then an afternoon running around in our uniforms at the theme park. Yep, I think in my blog entry at the time I even called it the best day at work ever ...
http://dannybaram.blogspot.com/2005/05/they-killed-castle-plus-best-monday-at.html
Since then, I haven't had many workdays that would really qualify as the best work day ever. I mean, not that they've been bad, just, you know, in an office and not at a theme park. It's funny though, on weeks like this one where the weather has been great it feels very summer-y, and yet I'm cramped in a flourescently lighted office, I kind of just wish I was in CT working at Camp Shalom, spending my days running around, playing sports, swimming, and teaching a bunch of kids what's what. Ah, Camp Shalom, you may not have bene the greatest summer camp, but we had some good times together.
Speaking of which, my back is killing me. I have no idea what happened but it kept getting worse throughout the day yesterday and now my lower right side and for some reason that same side of my stomach is really sore. i must have pulled a muscle or something, but i don't know how - I guess I slept weird or something.
Anyways, I'm sure nobody really cared about any of that stuff, so let's move on to some TV Reviews, which are, let's face it, what pulls in the crowds. One other thing first though - another happy b-day goes out to Tina Lin, a fellow diehard 24 fan, a rising star at NBC, and also a frequent commentator on the blog.
TV REVIEWS:
LOST:
And yet more of the same ... This episode had some cool stuff, I mean what Lost fan wasn't salivating as the latest Hanso Foundation orientation video began to play? But it also had lots of the usual pointless banter between the characters that tries to sound mysterious but really makes no sense. I mean it's like:
LOCKE: I believe I've lost my faith.
EKO: You must still have faith to master the island.
LOCKE: But the video ... it said we're all part of some experiment.
EKO: The video changes nothing.
LOCKE: How so?
EKO: Because I believe.
LOCKE: I can't say the same.
EKO: Then you have lost your way.
LOCKE: Maybe you have.
EKO: No, you have.
LOCKE: What the hell are we arguing about again?
EKO: I don't know.
And so on ... I mean, why would Eko believe that everything he's seen is due to fate, when the video made it pretty clear that nothing was coincidental on the island and that the Hanso Foundation was all about manipulation? It just makes no sense, and I hate that they have made Eko into this lame, backwards character who apparently has no desire to apply logic to any situation. And I was practically lulled to sleep by his flashbacks this week, which aside from establishing a few interesting potential plotpoints (ie that Claire's psychic was more manipulator than legit seer), they once again served pretty much no purpose, and again constantly interrupted the flow of the main story on the island. I don't get why the format has to be the same for every episode ... as of late these flashbacks are completely detracting from many of the main storylines.
Once again, there few moments of coolness (also gotta love the fake Dharma ad placed during the show's commercials), but also lots of circular logic and frustrating characterizations. There was some decent drama over whether Libby would spill the beans on what Michael did, but mostly our time was wasted with yet another "let's go get the thing we need from Sawyer's stash" side-plot, and not enough time on the character most affected by things, Hurley. I don't know, this whole ep just felt meandering and had yet another two steps forward, three steps back kind of vibe. Plus, the lameness of Eko's character here just didn't sit well with me.
My Grade: C+
SMALLVILLE Season Finale:
Well it's been a roller coaster ride for Smallville this season. Things started out with a bang, and suddenly, this show was BACK, firing on all cylinders. Then, a series of lame episodes followed the somewhat needless death of Jonathan Kent, and it looked for a moment like things had really reached rock bottom. But in the last few weeks the show has picked up, refocused on the Lex-Milton Fine drama, and seemed poised to deliver a pretty epic season finale.
Overall I've gotta say it was a pretty darn good season-ender, though it did have its share of goofiness that kind of stepped on the toes of some of the high drama they were going for. First, the good: Well damn, this was a pretty epic story. An alien invasion by rogue Kryptonians, the coming of Zod, worldwide panic, and Clark Kent faced with his biggest threat yet. Lex vs. Clark was great - the battle we've been waiting for. Lionel as always was awesome, I though he was goon abit it at the hands of his son. Nice little moment between Clark and Chloe, and James Marsters as Milton Fine also pretty much ruled it. For the most part, the show looked great, with lots of epic scenes of chaos, sweet stuff in the fortress, Clark using his powers in cooler looking ways than anything out of Superman Returns we've seen so far, and man, that shot of Lex in all black standing on the rooftop looking down on Metropolis -- very cool. And hey, look, Tom Welling may not be the next Olivier or anything, but the guy has the look of Superman, and I appreciate that after seeing Brandon Routh looking like Super-Zoolander in those commercials.
The not so good? Well Martha and Lois Lane were just kind of there, and after 24 and Veronica Mars I was just kinda weary of dangerous plane-related situations. What the hell happened at the end there? Clark skewers Braniac with the crystal, unleashes Zod, and ends up in the phantom zone? Haha wow, that's some true comic book logic for ya. And so the world is ending, Chloe is practically getting RAPED on the street by angry rioters, and Lana decides its time to talk with super-powered and more-evil-than-ever Lex about their relationship?!?! Witness as Lana continues to become the most annoying character ever ... Also, that stock footage of riots in NYC and LA was pretty damn cheesy, and disappinting on a show that is usually so good visually.
But yeah, I'm inclined to give this show the benefit of the doubt, just because in the end it can be one of the most fun shows on TV, and this episode really was a lot of fun to watch. I mean what other show delivers this kind of superhero action? Yes, it's cheesy, and no, this wasn't Smallville at its best, but it was Smallville sticking to what it's best at - fun action, adventure, heroics, and random craziness. So nice cliffhanger with Clark trapped in the Phantom Zone, hurtling through space. I guess this was part one of two? Look, up in the sky - is it a bird? A plane? No, it's to be continued, next season, on the CW, hopefully as the lead in to an all new season of Veronica Mars!
My grade: B+
MY NAME IS EARL:
In this "super-sized" season finale, we get a look at what happens when Earl is pushed to the limits, is stripped of all his money, and by all accounts should be pushed back into a life of crime. This was definitely an enjoyable ep, as the show really hit its stride here. Great performances as usual from all the lead characters, and a nice plotline that had the feel of a good episode of King of the Hill or Malcolm in the Middle. Unfortuantely, Earl is still not quite as cleverly or subtlely written as those shows, and still lacks the poilsh to go from being good to being great. The performances though are waht make this show, and kudos to Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jamie Pressley, and the rest for making this show pop. My Grade: B+
THE OFFICE:
Okay, I know, I know. Everybody loves Pam and Jim. The nation collectively held its breath as Jim professed his love for Pam, and *gasp* kissed her. People can't wait to tune in to the premiere next season to find out what is going to happen between Pam and Jim.
But wait, when the hell did this show become a soap opera? Last I checked it was a comedy. And I laughed maybe twice during the entire 40 minutes of last night's episode. I don't mean to sound like a comedy snob, but it's just a shame to see a show that was once a dark, realistic mockumentary-satire degnerate into a typically cheesy American sitcom. During the first two-thirsd of this season, The Office was just getting really good. Each episode was filled with hilarious bits of dialogue, memorable comedic moments, and the dynamic between the characters was really starting to gel. Now, the moments that have people talking are all soap-opera centered, with each new development seemingly processed through audience surveys for maximum mainstream appeal. And that's just too bad, when you look at what this show COULD be and HAS been on occasion - the best comedy on TV.
I mean let's look at Steve Carell as Michael Scott. In the early part of this season, Michael Scott, like David Brent from the UK version, was the boss from hell. His obnoxious, self-centered demeanor covered the fact that he was a giant loser. Couldn't get women, had no friends, etc. But wait - audiences don't want to see a show featuring a giant loser! That's too depressing! Let's make Michael Scott more sympathetic. He had a rough childhood. Women DO actually like him. He's just one of the guys. I call LAME. In the UK version, David Brent's evolution from being hated to loved by audiences was totally organic. Here, it's like every time Michael becomes too much of an asshole they pull back and show that he's not all that bad so as not to scare people away. I mean, Jan should NEVER have wanted to sleep with Michael. Doing so for her should mean hitting the absolute rock bottom. And yet in this finale Michael has two women who wouldn't mind his attentions. Just seems totally antithetical to the character in my opinion.
I don't know, as I was telling some friends earlier, the British Office was so great at pulling off emotional moments because it was usually so dark and bleak for the characters that you never really expected any happy endings. So when Tim and Dawn finally did have their moment, it was just huge - you wanted to stand up and applaud. When David Brent finally did find a woman who like him, you couldn't help but smile because you really believed that it could never happen. Here, everythign just has an air of inevitabilty. Duh, of course Jim and Pam are going to get together in the season finale, it's an American sitcom, what did you expect to happen? I just think that the show has tossed aside much of its uncoventionaliy in favor of the all-too-familiar beats of just another plain old sitcom, and that is too bad.
I will say though, that Dwight's astonishment at Jim's purported telekinesis had me rolling in laughter. So it's not like I'm trying to say it's all bad.
My Grade: B -
THAT 70'S SHOW - Series Finale
Yes, I watched the last ever 70's last night. Because I used to be a big fan of the show and I have a lot of respect for it, as it is one of the few traditional sitcoms in the last few years that always made me laugh for much of its long run. You have to give credit to the writers of the show for establishing an amazing rythm between the characters that really worked for years. Sure, they milked this show for all it was worth, and bringing it back this year sans Topher Grace or Ashton Kutcher was kind of pointless. But this is one of those shows that will live on forever in syndication, because you can always tune in to a random episode and get a chuckle or two from the antics of Eric, Kelso, Hyde, Fez, and the rest. The show really did have a great cast, and had great additions like Tommy Chong who of course fit right in to the show's 70's-stoner vibe. So sure, after eight years, Fez's foreign-guy schtick, Red's threats to kick someone's ass, and all the other jokes that had gone on forever had gotten pretty old. But as far as formulas go, That 70's Show really did stumble upon a sitcom formula that worked, which is certainly a rare commodity. As far as this particular ep goes, well, it was pretty underwhelming as a series finale. I mean, when the main stories going into your final episodes ever are whether Kitty and Red will retire to Florida, and if Jackie and Fez will hook up or not ... haha oh man well those aren't exactly killer plot threads. This ep only gets a C+ from me, but as a series I gotta recognize that this was a great sitcom in its time.
- And hey, I have to remind people that this Sunday is the last ever ep of one of the best sitcoms EVER - Malcolm in the Middle. If you haven't watched in a while, I don't blame you as FOX has consistently screwed with the show's timeslot, but the fact is that Malcolm has, remarkably, been consistently fresh, funny, smart, innovative, and entertaining throughout its entire run. I mean, this is the ORIGINAL single-camera, no laugh-track sitcom. Its creator Linwood Boomer gave this show one of the most unique voices ever in a sitcom, and every member of the cast is great. Some of the episodes of this show are some of my favorite ever of any comedy, and I have faith that the finale will be one more great one. So watch - this Sunday!
Alright, on that note it's almost time for the weekend. Have a good one.
I mean, wow - has it really been a year since those golden days of the NBC page program - the Summer of 2005? It's pretty amazing and unbelievable to realize how much time has passed in what seems like the blink of an eye. Then again, since last summer I've finished the page program, gotten a new job, visited home in CT twice, and met a decent amount of new people also. But I think that I will definitely look back on the period from May 2005 to around January or so as a great time when I met a ton of great people and really finally began to feel like I was making the most of my new situation in sunny California. It's funny, this coming Monday are the NBC Upfronts, and I still fondly remember last year's upfronts, which I know is odd as for most entertianment-industry people the upfronts are just a crazy time and one of the busiest and most stressful of the year. But for us NBC pages wh owere chosen to work the screenings at Universal Studios - we had a great day of TV sneak previews, catered lunches, and then an afternoon running around in our uniforms at the theme park. Yep, I think in my blog entry at the time I even called it the best day at work ever ...
http://dannybaram.blogspot.com/2005/05/they-killed-castle-plus-best-monday-at.html
Since then, I haven't had many workdays that would really qualify as the best work day ever. I mean, not that they've been bad, just, you know, in an office and not at a theme park. It's funny though, on weeks like this one where the weather has been great it feels very summer-y, and yet I'm cramped in a flourescently lighted office, I kind of just wish I was in CT working at Camp Shalom, spending my days running around, playing sports, swimming, and teaching a bunch of kids what's what. Ah, Camp Shalom, you may not have bene the greatest summer camp, but we had some good times together.
Speaking of which, my back is killing me. I have no idea what happened but it kept getting worse throughout the day yesterday and now my lower right side and for some reason that same side of my stomach is really sore. i must have pulled a muscle or something, but i don't know how - I guess I slept weird or something.
Anyways, I'm sure nobody really cared about any of that stuff, so let's move on to some TV Reviews, which are, let's face it, what pulls in the crowds. One other thing first though - another happy b-day goes out to Tina Lin, a fellow diehard 24 fan, a rising star at NBC, and also a frequent commentator on the blog.
TV REVIEWS:
LOST:
And yet more of the same ... This episode had some cool stuff, I mean what Lost fan wasn't salivating as the latest Hanso Foundation orientation video began to play? But it also had lots of the usual pointless banter between the characters that tries to sound mysterious but really makes no sense. I mean it's like:
LOCKE: I believe I've lost my faith.
EKO: You must still have faith to master the island.
LOCKE: But the video ... it said we're all part of some experiment.
EKO: The video changes nothing.
LOCKE: How so?
EKO: Because I believe.
LOCKE: I can't say the same.
EKO: Then you have lost your way.
LOCKE: Maybe you have.
EKO: No, you have.
LOCKE: What the hell are we arguing about again?
EKO: I don't know.
And so on ... I mean, why would Eko believe that everything he's seen is due to fate, when the video made it pretty clear that nothing was coincidental on the island and that the Hanso Foundation was all about manipulation? It just makes no sense, and I hate that they have made Eko into this lame, backwards character who apparently has no desire to apply logic to any situation. And I was practically lulled to sleep by his flashbacks this week, which aside from establishing a few interesting potential plotpoints (ie that Claire's psychic was more manipulator than legit seer), they once again served pretty much no purpose, and again constantly interrupted the flow of the main story on the island. I don't get why the format has to be the same for every episode ... as of late these flashbacks are completely detracting from many of the main storylines.
Once again, there few moments of coolness (also gotta love the fake Dharma ad placed during the show's commercials), but also lots of circular logic and frustrating characterizations. There was some decent drama over whether Libby would spill the beans on what Michael did, but mostly our time was wasted with yet another "let's go get the thing we need from Sawyer's stash" side-plot, and not enough time on the character most affected by things, Hurley. I don't know, this whole ep just felt meandering and had yet another two steps forward, three steps back kind of vibe. Plus, the lameness of Eko's character here just didn't sit well with me.
My Grade: C+
SMALLVILLE Season Finale:
Well it's been a roller coaster ride for Smallville this season. Things started out with a bang, and suddenly, this show was BACK, firing on all cylinders. Then, a series of lame episodes followed the somewhat needless death of Jonathan Kent, and it looked for a moment like things had really reached rock bottom. But in the last few weeks the show has picked up, refocused on the Lex-Milton Fine drama, and seemed poised to deliver a pretty epic season finale.
Overall I've gotta say it was a pretty darn good season-ender, though it did have its share of goofiness that kind of stepped on the toes of some of the high drama they were going for. First, the good: Well damn, this was a pretty epic story. An alien invasion by rogue Kryptonians, the coming of Zod, worldwide panic, and Clark Kent faced with his biggest threat yet. Lex vs. Clark was great - the battle we've been waiting for. Lionel as always was awesome, I though he was goon abit it at the hands of his son. Nice little moment between Clark and Chloe, and James Marsters as Milton Fine also pretty much ruled it. For the most part, the show looked great, with lots of epic scenes of chaos, sweet stuff in the fortress, Clark using his powers in cooler looking ways than anything out of Superman Returns we've seen so far, and man, that shot of Lex in all black standing on the rooftop looking down on Metropolis -- very cool. And hey, look, Tom Welling may not be the next Olivier or anything, but the guy has the look of Superman, and I appreciate that after seeing Brandon Routh looking like Super-Zoolander in those commercials.
The not so good? Well Martha and Lois Lane were just kind of there, and after 24 and Veronica Mars I was just kinda weary of dangerous plane-related situations. What the hell happened at the end there? Clark skewers Braniac with the crystal, unleashes Zod, and ends up in the phantom zone? Haha wow, that's some true comic book logic for ya. And so the world is ending, Chloe is practically getting RAPED on the street by angry rioters, and Lana decides its time to talk with super-powered and more-evil-than-ever Lex about their relationship?!?! Witness as Lana continues to become the most annoying character ever ... Also, that stock footage of riots in NYC and LA was pretty damn cheesy, and disappinting on a show that is usually so good visually.
But yeah, I'm inclined to give this show the benefit of the doubt, just because in the end it can be one of the most fun shows on TV, and this episode really was a lot of fun to watch. I mean what other show delivers this kind of superhero action? Yes, it's cheesy, and no, this wasn't Smallville at its best, but it was Smallville sticking to what it's best at - fun action, adventure, heroics, and random craziness. So nice cliffhanger with Clark trapped in the Phantom Zone, hurtling through space. I guess this was part one of two? Look, up in the sky - is it a bird? A plane? No, it's to be continued, next season, on the CW, hopefully as the lead in to an all new season of Veronica Mars!
My grade: B+
MY NAME IS EARL:
In this "super-sized" season finale, we get a look at what happens when Earl is pushed to the limits, is stripped of all his money, and by all accounts should be pushed back into a life of crime. This was definitely an enjoyable ep, as the show really hit its stride here. Great performances as usual from all the lead characters, and a nice plotline that had the feel of a good episode of King of the Hill or Malcolm in the Middle. Unfortuantely, Earl is still not quite as cleverly or subtlely written as those shows, and still lacks the poilsh to go from being good to being great. The performances though are waht make this show, and kudos to Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jamie Pressley, and the rest for making this show pop. My Grade: B+
THE OFFICE:
Okay, I know, I know. Everybody loves Pam and Jim. The nation collectively held its breath as Jim professed his love for Pam, and *gasp* kissed her. People can't wait to tune in to the premiere next season to find out what is going to happen between Pam and Jim.
But wait, when the hell did this show become a soap opera? Last I checked it was a comedy. And I laughed maybe twice during the entire 40 minutes of last night's episode. I don't mean to sound like a comedy snob, but it's just a shame to see a show that was once a dark, realistic mockumentary-satire degnerate into a typically cheesy American sitcom. During the first two-thirsd of this season, The Office was just getting really good. Each episode was filled with hilarious bits of dialogue, memorable comedic moments, and the dynamic between the characters was really starting to gel. Now, the moments that have people talking are all soap-opera centered, with each new development seemingly processed through audience surveys for maximum mainstream appeal. And that's just too bad, when you look at what this show COULD be and HAS been on occasion - the best comedy on TV.
I mean let's look at Steve Carell as Michael Scott. In the early part of this season, Michael Scott, like David Brent from the UK version, was the boss from hell. His obnoxious, self-centered demeanor covered the fact that he was a giant loser. Couldn't get women, had no friends, etc. But wait - audiences don't want to see a show featuring a giant loser! That's too depressing! Let's make Michael Scott more sympathetic. He had a rough childhood. Women DO actually like him. He's just one of the guys. I call LAME. In the UK version, David Brent's evolution from being hated to loved by audiences was totally organic. Here, it's like every time Michael becomes too much of an asshole they pull back and show that he's not all that bad so as not to scare people away. I mean, Jan should NEVER have wanted to sleep with Michael. Doing so for her should mean hitting the absolute rock bottom. And yet in this finale Michael has two women who wouldn't mind his attentions. Just seems totally antithetical to the character in my opinion.
I don't know, as I was telling some friends earlier, the British Office was so great at pulling off emotional moments because it was usually so dark and bleak for the characters that you never really expected any happy endings. So when Tim and Dawn finally did have their moment, it was just huge - you wanted to stand up and applaud. When David Brent finally did find a woman who like him, you couldn't help but smile because you really believed that it could never happen. Here, everythign just has an air of inevitabilty. Duh, of course Jim and Pam are going to get together in the season finale, it's an American sitcom, what did you expect to happen? I just think that the show has tossed aside much of its uncoventionaliy in favor of the all-too-familiar beats of just another plain old sitcom, and that is too bad.
I will say though, that Dwight's astonishment at Jim's purported telekinesis had me rolling in laughter. So it's not like I'm trying to say it's all bad.
My Grade: B -
THAT 70'S SHOW - Series Finale
Yes, I watched the last ever 70's last night. Because I used to be a big fan of the show and I have a lot of respect for it, as it is one of the few traditional sitcoms in the last few years that always made me laugh for much of its long run. You have to give credit to the writers of the show for establishing an amazing rythm between the characters that really worked for years. Sure, they milked this show for all it was worth, and bringing it back this year sans Topher Grace or Ashton Kutcher was kind of pointless. But this is one of those shows that will live on forever in syndication, because you can always tune in to a random episode and get a chuckle or two from the antics of Eric, Kelso, Hyde, Fez, and the rest. The show really did have a great cast, and had great additions like Tommy Chong who of course fit right in to the show's 70's-stoner vibe. So sure, after eight years, Fez's foreign-guy schtick, Red's threats to kick someone's ass, and all the other jokes that had gone on forever had gotten pretty old. But as far as formulas go, That 70's Show really did stumble upon a sitcom formula that worked, which is certainly a rare commodity. As far as this particular ep goes, well, it was pretty underwhelming as a series finale. I mean, when the main stories going into your final episodes ever are whether Kitty and Red will retire to Florida, and if Jackie and Fez will hook up or not ... haha oh man well those aren't exactly killer plot threads. This ep only gets a C+ from me, but as a series I gotta recognize that this was a great sitcom in its time.
- And hey, I have to remind people that this Sunday is the last ever ep of one of the best sitcoms EVER - Malcolm in the Middle. If you haven't watched in a while, I don't blame you as FOX has consistently screwed with the show's timeslot, but the fact is that Malcolm has, remarkably, been consistently fresh, funny, smart, innovative, and entertaining throughout its entire run. I mean, this is the ORIGINAL single-camera, no laugh-track sitcom. Its creator Linwood Boomer gave this show one of the most unique voices ever in a sitcom, and every member of the cast is great. Some of the episodes of this show are some of my favorite ever of any comedy, and I have faith that the finale will be one more great one. So watch - this Sunday!
Alright, on that note it's almost time for the weekend. Have a good one.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Life and Death on Mars: VM and GG finale thoughts
Okay, some quick thoughts tonight as I sit here, still reeling from an INSANE Veronica Mars finale. A quick note that for whatever reason, I've been a writing machine lately, so make sure to catch up on all my previous posts from the last few days before reading here, if you haven't already. Scroll down for in-depth reviews of MI:3 andUnited 93, early pre-E3 thoughts, NBA playoff commentary, my usual post-24 rants, and a whole host of other goodness. But now, I've got some more writing to do, and you've got some more reading, so read on ...
VERONICA MARS Season Finale:
Wow, just wow. A standing ovation is deserved, because this is an example of a truly rare breed - 5-star TV. They just don't make 'em like this very often. For the second straight year, Veronica Mars delivered one hell of a season finale. And really, this finale was just a triumph of good storytelling. Because on paper, it looked like the only way to wrap up all the labrythine plotlines of the show's season-spanning mysteris was to all but draw a roadmap. But despite it all, this finale was less about unraveling mysteries for the sake of the big reveal, and more about what is really most important - character, character, character. Oh, don't get me wrong, the big reveals were there --
SPOILERS
-- I mean, sure, I and others figured out that Cassidey "Beaver" Casablancas had a bigger part in everythign than meets the eye. We surmised he was on the little league team coached by Neptune's fugitive mayor, and that he'd had some unpleasant encounters with his dishonorable Woody goodman. We even deduced that he had been the one who raped Veronica. But wow - turns out he was the one behind the bus crash as well. Damn. Wow. Holy crap. And that rooftop scene - sonofa, I really thought Keith Mars was dead as a doornail. Unlike 24, they actually did it, they actually BLEW UP THE FRIGGIN' PLANE.
And it's a credit to how amazing the characters are on this show that I got chills at the thought of Keith Mars having been killed. That I cheered when Logan made it up to the roof on time. That I practically applauded when I found out that Mr. Mars was in fact alive and well.
Just amazing plotting overall. All the characters, all the storylines, had their moment to shine. Aaron Echols' chilling encounter with Veronica - talk about trapped in an elevator. Wallace's desperation to go after his girlfriend. The heartbreaking scene of Weevil being arrested mere seconds before he was set to graduate. Kendall Casablanca's cliffhanger proposition to Kieth - what was in the briefcase - what did she want from him, and why did he accept the offer? (Please let their be a third season so we find out). And how about the cameo by Duncan Kane, ordering the murder of the man who killed his sister, as Aaron Echols finally got his just desserts. And how about that little in-joke as Duncan checked in on the situation -- "All set, CW?" "Yeah." You had to feel for Mac as Veronica finds her shivering in the hotel room -- "he took everything from me" - wow, just chilling. Gotta love Vinnie Van Lowe bartering with Kieth from his jail cell - The State lives on! And who made Steve Gutenberg a star? This show did - consider a career reinvigorated.
Awesome dream sequence to open the ep - re-emphasizing the show's central theme of high school as a kind of purgatory not all that different from the bleak, inescapable cityscapes of the old film noirs, with Veronica as a fallen angel of sorts, who ironically is a much better person for her hardships. "A long time ago, we used to be friends" indeed.
And man, Kristen Bell just elevated her game for this ep. Give her an Emmy - she has made Veronica Mars one of the single best characters on TV, maybe ever.
Like I said, this is a rare breed of TV show. Smart, funny (how about the Saved By The Bell reference as Veronica accepted her diploma - "stay cool, Mr. C"), clever. Dark, stylish, well-acted, brilliantly-written, tightly-plotted, rewarding, and in no way pandering to the audience. No wonder nobody watches.
If this is the end, Veronica Mars joins the ranks of the brilliant but cancelled - the Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life's et al - but really, in two seasons, this is plainly and simply one of the best shows to ever air. Hopefully it lives on at the CW, and gets a good timeslot and great marketing and builds a bigger audience. But man, what a run it's had already, and what an episode this was.
My Grade: A+
One more quick review before I'm out ...
GILMORE GIRLS Season Finale:
Well, like Veronica Mars, this episode, likely the last to be made with the involvement of show creator Amy Sherman Paladino and her husband Dan, was well-written, well-acted, and full of emotion. But did I LIKE it? No, I didn't. It was hard to stomach. It was depressing and sad and almost difficult to watch, because while, as always I loved the style, the wit, the humor, the sharpness of the show, I HATED where this episode left us. I hated that Lorelia ended up sleeping with Chris, and how bitchy and overly emotional she acted throughout the entire episode. I hated how Logan left for London with Rory pining for him as if he was her one true love. As I said in my last Gilmore-related installment, any fan of this show knows where the characters are SUPPOSED to end up. But this episode just threw a huge dagger in that master plan, with no assurances that they will be steered in the right direction next season without the guidance and singular vision of the show's creator.
Can't really grade this, because I can't take away from the sheer talent evident in the making of this show. Because I realize that when I write these reviews it sounds, to the unitiated, like I'm talking about the biggest chick show ever, just another lame soap. But thanks to the creative people behind Gilmore, the show is much more - it's a nuanced character study, a hilarious comedy of absurdity, and a virtual crash course in intelligent, loaded, and brilliantly-written dialogue.
It's just too bad it had to end an era with such depressing and kind of revolting twists in the lives of the main characters. I mean, when both main characters are left crying and in tears and miserable with themselves and their lives as we cut to commercial and fade out into an uncertain future for the show - well, come on, that is just depressing and terrible.
- Anyways, funny how both of these shows are poised to join each other on the CW next season. One that is kind of being extended past its ideal lifespan, and another that fans are praying for it to return because it seems like it's only just getting started.
- And I'm out - PEACE.
VERONICA MARS Season Finale:
Wow, just wow. A standing ovation is deserved, because this is an example of a truly rare breed - 5-star TV. They just don't make 'em like this very often. For the second straight year, Veronica Mars delivered one hell of a season finale. And really, this finale was just a triumph of good storytelling. Because on paper, it looked like the only way to wrap up all the labrythine plotlines of the show's season-spanning mysteris was to all but draw a roadmap. But despite it all, this finale was less about unraveling mysteries for the sake of the big reveal, and more about what is really most important - character, character, character. Oh, don't get me wrong, the big reveals were there --
SPOILERS
-- I mean, sure, I and others figured out that Cassidey "Beaver" Casablancas had a bigger part in everythign than meets the eye. We surmised he was on the little league team coached by Neptune's fugitive mayor, and that he'd had some unpleasant encounters with his dishonorable Woody goodman. We even deduced that he had been the one who raped Veronica. But wow - turns out he was the one behind the bus crash as well. Damn. Wow. Holy crap. And that rooftop scene - sonofa, I really thought Keith Mars was dead as a doornail. Unlike 24, they actually did it, they actually BLEW UP THE FRIGGIN' PLANE.
And it's a credit to how amazing the characters are on this show that I got chills at the thought of Keith Mars having been killed. That I cheered when Logan made it up to the roof on time. That I practically applauded when I found out that Mr. Mars was in fact alive and well.
Just amazing plotting overall. All the characters, all the storylines, had their moment to shine. Aaron Echols' chilling encounter with Veronica - talk about trapped in an elevator. Wallace's desperation to go after his girlfriend. The heartbreaking scene of Weevil being arrested mere seconds before he was set to graduate. Kendall Casablanca's cliffhanger proposition to Kieth - what was in the briefcase - what did she want from him, and why did he accept the offer? (Please let their be a third season so we find out). And how about the cameo by Duncan Kane, ordering the murder of the man who killed his sister, as Aaron Echols finally got his just desserts. And how about that little in-joke as Duncan checked in on the situation -- "All set, CW?" "Yeah." You had to feel for Mac as Veronica finds her shivering in the hotel room -- "he took everything from me" - wow, just chilling. Gotta love Vinnie Van Lowe bartering with Kieth from his jail cell - The State lives on! And who made Steve Gutenberg a star? This show did - consider a career reinvigorated.
Awesome dream sequence to open the ep - re-emphasizing the show's central theme of high school as a kind of purgatory not all that different from the bleak, inescapable cityscapes of the old film noirs, with Veronica as a fallen angel of sorts, who ironically is a much better person for her hardships. "A long time ago, we used to be friends" indeed.
And man, Kristen Bell just elevated her game for this ep. Give her an Emmy - she has made Veronica Mars one of the single best characters on TV, maybe ever.
Like I said, this is a rare breed of TV show. Smart, funny (how about the Saved By The Bell reference as Veronica accepted her diploma - "stay cool, Mr. C"), clever. Dark, stylish, well-acted, brilliantly-written, tightly-plotted, rewarding, and in no way pandering to the audience. No wonder nobody watches.
If this is the end, Veronica Mars joins the ranks of the brilliant but cancelled - the Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life's et al - but really, in two seasons, this is plainly and simply one of the best shows to ever air. Hopefully it lives on at the CW, and gets a good timeslot and great marketing and builds a bigger audience. But man, what a run it's had already, and what an episode this was.
My Grade: A+
One more quick review before I'm out ...
GILMORE GIRLS Season Finale:
Well, like Veronica Mars, this episode, likely the last to be made with the involvement of show creator Amy Sherman Paladino and her husband Dan, was well-written, well-acted, and full of emotion. But did I LIKE it? No, I didn't. It was hard to stomach. It was depressing and sad and almost difficult to watch, because while, as always I loved the style, the wit, the humor, the sharpness of the show, I HATED where this episode left us. I hated that Lorelia ended up sleeping with Chris, and how bitchy and overly emotional she acted throughout the entire episode. I hated how Logan left for London with Rory pining for him as if he was her one true love. As I said in my last Gilmore-related installment, any fan of this show knows where the characters are SUPPOSED to end up. But this episode just threw a huge dagger in that master plan, with no assurances that they will be steered in the right direction next season without the guidance and singular vision of the show's creator.
Can't really grade this, because I can't take away from the sheer talent evident in the making of this show. Because I realize that when I write these reviews it sounds, to the unitiated, like I'm talking about the biggest chick show ever, just another lame soap. But thanks to the creative people behind Gilmore, the show is much more - it's a nuanced character study, a hilarious comedy of absurdity, and a virtual crash course in intelligent, loaded, and brilliantly-written dialogue.
It's just too bad it had to end an era with such depressing and kind of revolting twists in the lives of the main characters. I mean, when both main characters are left crying and in tears and miserable with themselves and their lives as we cut to commercial and fade out into an uncertain future for the show - well, come on, that is just depressing and terrible.
- Anyways, funny how both of these shows are poised to join each other on the CW next season. One that is kind of being extended past its ideal lifespan, and another that fans are praying for it to return because it seems like it's only just getting started.
- And I'm out - PEACE.
Wiiiiiiiiiii Have A Situation! - 24, Prisonbreak, E3, and More!
Oh man, intensity overload. Last night, between Prisonbreak, 24, and a tight game between the Suns and Clippers, I was totally on the edge on my seat. I camped out with a bag of chips, a bottle of soda, and an extra dose of gravitas as I strapped in for a night of pure televised intensity, and I wasn't disappointed. So let's get to it ...
24:
And so the endgame begins. Last night's 24 was kind of two episodes in one. We had the blockbuster movie opening half, with Jack doing his best to land his hijacked plane before Prez Logan could SHOOT IT DOWN. Then we had the more psychologically-bent second half, which focused on Logan's continuing descent into the abyss, only to be pulled up at the absolute last second by a snake in the grass. Great stuff overall, and the whole plane-landing-on-the-freeway scene had me on the edge of my seat, and Logan's desire to shoot down the plane vs. his lack of pretext to do so as Jack brought it into a landing formation ... awesome stuff.
- Heller lives! The man is impervious to DEATH ITSELF. And he doesn't even need to appear in the episode to PERMEATE THE SCREEN WITH GRAVITAS.
- Okay, I thout we had reached the maximum allowance for CTU moles in one season of 24, but now we get some rent-a-cop driver who is in league with Bierko? Come on, that was kind of pushing it. While it was nice to see them address the whole situation, the setup for Bierko's impending mole-enabled escape from custody was a bit much.
- Friggin' awesome stuff from Logan in this episode though. Gregory Itzin who plays Logan is just so good - he just makes you squirm along with him as he wrings his hands and scrunches his face and confronts his own mortality. Emmy nom, anyone?
- And how about Mike Novick? Give this guy some credit, he's been persistently advising and "strongly imploring" the president with unwavering waveringliness for five years now.
- Curtis Manning is clearly next in line to Jack Bauer in the realm of sheer omnipotence. I mean the guy can traverse Los Angeles County in mere minutes, defying all laws of space-time. Stephen Hawking would be proud. Or just very, very perplexed.
- Okay, I might be wrong on this, or just being naively optimistic, but I just gotta believe that TONY ALMEDA yet lives. Anyone else getting this vibe?
- And yeah, I wonder if the Bluetooth Brotherhood of Evil is going to be just the behind-the-scenes cabal of this season ala that bearded guy in season 2 ... or does their presence hint at a larger storyline for next season or even for ... THE MOVIE?!?! In any case, they sure do drink a lot of, um, what is that stuff anyways, Diet Coke? Would be appropriate if it was, I guess. And as for their true identity ... isn't it obvious from their mild-mannered facades that conceal a ruthless hidden agenda? I mean, clearly, they are NETWORK TV EXECS!!! Can't you see the resemblance between the main guy, Graham I believe his name is, and a certain chrome-domed peacock-net head? Coincidence, or something more ...?
- And about Miles, the sniveling ass-kisser who unsurprisingly rats out CTU to the Prez ... who didn't see this coming? On one hand, the scene of Logan finding an ally in Miles just as he is about to be, to quote Shinedown, "starin' down the barrel of a .45" - well, that was an awesome scene, insanely good acting from Itzin. On the other hand, come on, Karen was actually going to trust Miles after it was obvious he was only out for number one? On the OTHER hand, Miles being so friggin' annoying of a character is going to make it all the more satisfying when someone, preferably an incensed Jack, gives him the ass-whupping his momma should have given him a long time ago.
- Yeah, weird note to end things on with Chloe's confusion at having her data swiped. And PLEASE tell me they made copies. And how many times in 24 history has Chloe been removed from her CTU post and brought back?!?!
- Overall this was another great ep, but my problem wasn't so much with the ep itself but where it left things -- it just feels like there is a lack of momentum going into the final three hours, and that things have kind of been artificially extended. But I hope I'm wrong, and I am looking forward to seeing what twists this show can throw out there before the season wraps up. And hey, the previews at least hint at one more Jack vs. Robocop showdown for good measure. Daaaaaaaaaamn.
My Grade: A -
PRISONBREAK:
Now this one deserves a "daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!"
Just an all around off the hook episode. Great, if long-inevitable character moments (ie DB Cooper not being able to make it - we all knew it was coming but it was still cool). This show is just so over-the-top crazy, I love it. Gotta love Wade Williams as prison captain Bellick howling for help while tied up beneath the prison. And Stacey Keach as the Warden brings the infusion of gravitas each week. This show is just filled with classic genre actors who really make their characters larger than life. I mean, T-Bag waving his tongue around like a snake upon hearing the dying DB Cooper mention his buried trasure ... just pure evil hamminess at its best. Oh man, they HAD to know that the fat guy was never going ot make it across that pole. And I have my doubts that the old man could have done it either, even if he had been healthy. But wow, I was definitely on the edge of my seat throughout this entire episode. And did the lawyer guy really tell his would-be murderer to "suck it" right before getting capped? Kind of an annoying character, but hey at least he had a great death scene. Great stuff, this show is just a lot of fun - it's like watching a serialized John Carpenter movie every week. Can't wait for the season finale, and curious if and how they set up Season 2.
My grade: A
TONIGHT ON TV: Last ever Palladino-written Gilmore! AND, Season finale of the best show on TV not called 24, VERONICA MARS, in what is sure to be one for the ages.
E3 THOUGHTS:
So this week is E3, basically the biggest event of the year in the world of videogames, where all the new companies trot out their new hardware, peripherals, and of course, games. But this year in particular is pretty bigtime, because Sony and Nintendo are both debuting their respective and long-awaited entries into the next-next-gen console market that will compete with Microsoft's still-fresh X-Box 360 - the Playstation 3 and the, wait for it ... the Nintendo Wii.
Yep, Nintendo's new system is called the Wii. As in We. As in "Wheeeeeeee!"
So yeah, what were they smoking? Look, I realize that they want to be like Google or Yahoo or whatever and have a name that is innovative and momorable and easily understood worldwide. But come on, Wii? It just ain't right, too many negative connotations.
But anyways, the name is different, and the console is different too - foregoing the usual quantum leap in graphics that comes with each console generation, instead focusing on an inexpensive pricepoint and a new motion-sensitive remote controller that you can swing around like a sword or a baseball bat or a golf club, or point like a gun or what have you. But we've known all that for awhile. What about the new info revealed at today's varius press conferences? The rundown:
SONY / PS3:
- Okay, first off - $500 for a PS3? Okay, kids, better start saving yesterday for this thing. I mean, that price point is unprecedented save for the NEO GEO and the 3DO, both of which FAILED as home consoles, in part due to being affordable to no one not named Bill Gates. Sure, the PS3 is tricked out with a nifty state of the art blue-ray disc player (will make your DVDs look like Betamax), but still. I mean, BluRay and HD-DVD do NOT look poised to make the same impact DVD's have anytime soon, it's just too soon post-DVD, the market is not ready and there is no real perceived need for higher movie quality save from hardcore movie fanatics. So yeah, the Blu-Ray is cool, but this is still a gaming console and $500 is VERY steep. I don't know, this price point MAY = Sony just shot itself in the foot.
- But, on the other hand, the games look SWEET so far. All this talk about nintendo being about the games and not Sony is crap. Compare the amount of 5-star games on the PS2 to those on Gamecube and that right there says it all. Metal Gear Solid 4, of course, looks amazing. And oh. damn. Final Fantasy 13. Check out the trailer. I must have it. Also, the new game, still untitled, from the creators of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, Naughty Dog, looks RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME. The new SONIC looks friggin sweet. Sony has GOT to lower that pricepoint so people will be able to afford all this. The games ARE there, but the price is going to kill 'em if they don't reevaluate.
- PS - why get upset over them keeping the Dualshock controller design? Personally I approve - it's the best, most comfortable design ever for a console and much better than the boomerang prototype.
NINTENDO / WIIIIIIIIIIIIII:
- Great design on the system and controller. Very I-Podish. Very sleek. Pricepoint still unknown but suposedly it's cheap, which is good. But on the other hand ...
- Graphics look basically equivalent to a Gamecube, PS2, or PSP. While I'm sure Mario Galaxies will be amazing, it LOOKS like Mario 64 with its simple geometrics and blurry textures. And the fact that they are porting the new Zelda from Gamecube says that the two systems are not much different in terms of horsepower.
- But, damn, that controller DOES have some potentially super-fun uses. Sword fighting, light-saber wielding, tennis, etc. But is it just a gimmick? Kind of, is what I am thinking. I mean do you always want to be waving your arms around like an idiot and jumping around every time you sit down to play with your Wii? (LOL). Still though - Mario, Zelda, Metroid. Those are the big guns, and they will likely rule it. But what else is there? Are other companies even supporting this thing? Well, if the price is right ... anything can happen.
MICROSOFT / 360:
- And look who is suddenly looking better and better. Good pricepoint sure to drop at any moment, already-established online presence, and some big games on the way like Gears of War and Halo 3. Personally I hate first person shooters though so I could care less, and that's why there's nothing that makes me desire a 360 right now or in the pipeline. A total lack of Japan-developed games and zero platformers, RPGs, fighters, or adventure games makes me unenthused. But again, this could change. It's all in the games.
Alright, enough nerd talk. I've been working on this blog entry all day on and off since the morning so it's time to post it already.
Back later with more. For now, it's game over.
24:
And so the endgame begins. Last night's 24 was kind of two episodes in one. We had the blockbuster movie opening half, with Jack doing his best to land his hijacked plane before Prez Logan could SHOOT IT DOWN. Then we had the more psychologically-bent second half, which focused on Logan's continuing descent into the abyss, only to be pulled up at the absolute last second by a snake in the grass. Great stuff overall, and the whole plane-landing-on-the-freeway scene had me on the edge of my seat, and Logan's desire to shoot down the plane vs. his lack of pretext to do so as Jack brought it into a landing formation ... awesome stuff.
- Heller lives! The man is impervious to DEATH ITSELF. And he doesn't even need to appear in the episode to PERMEATE THE SCREEN WITH GRAVITAS.
- Okay, I thout we had reached the maximum allowance for CTU moles in one season of 24, but now we get some rent-a-cop driver who is in league with Bierko? Come on, that was kind of pushing it. While it was nice to see them address the whole situation, the setup for Bierko's impending mole-enabled escape from custody was a bit much.
- Friggin' awesome stuff from Logan in this episode though. Gregory Itzin who plays Logan is just so good - he just makes you squirm along with him as he wrings his hands and scrunches his face and confronts his own mortality. Emmy nom, anyone?
- And how about Mike Novick? Give this guy some credit, he's been persistently advising and "strongly imploring" the president with unwavering waveringliness for five years now.
- Curtis Manning is clearly next in line to Jack Bauer in the realm of sheer omnipotence. I mean the guy can traverse Los Angeles County in mere minutes, defying all laws of space-time. Stephen Hawking would be proud. Or just very, very perplexed.
- Okay, I might be wrong on this, or just being naively optimistic, but I just gotta believe that TONY ALMEDA yet lives. Anyone else getting this vibe?
- And yeah, I wonder if the Bluetooth Brotherhood of Evil is going to be just the behind-the-scenes cabal of this season ala that bearded guy in season 2 ... or does their presence hint at a larger storyline for next season or even for ... THE MOVIE?!?! In any case, they sure do drink a lot of, um, what is that stuff anyways, Diet Coke? Would be appropriate if it was, I guess. And as for their true identity ... isn't it obvious from their mild-mannered facades that conceal a ruthless hidden agenda? I mean, clearly, they are NETWORK TV EXECS!!! Can't you see the resemblance between the main guy, Graham I believe his name is, and a certain chrome-domed peacock-net head? Coincidence, or something more ...?
- And about Miles, the sniveling ass-kisser who unsurprisingly rats out CTU to the Prez ... who didn't see this coming? On one hand, the scene of Logan finding an ally in Miles just as he is about to be, to quote Shinedown, "starin' down the barrel of a .45" - well, that was an awesome scene, insanely good acting from Itzin. On the other hand, come on, Karen was actually going to trust Miles after it was obvious he was only out for number one? On the OTHER hand, Miles being so friggin' annoying of a character is going to make it all the more satisfying when someone, preferably an incensed Jack, gives him the ass-whupping his momma should have given him a long time ago.
- Yeah, weird note to end things on with Chloe's confusion at having her data swiped. And PLEASE tell me they made copies. And how many times in 24 history has Chloe been removed from her CTU post and brought back?!?!
- Overall this was another great ep, but my problem wasn't so much with the ep itself but where it left things -- it just feels like there is a lack of momentum going into the final three hours, and that things have kind of been artificially extended. But I hope I'm wrong, and I am looking forward to seeing what twists this show can throw out there before the season wraps up. And hey, the previews at least hint at one more Jack vs. Robocop showdown for good measure. Daaaaaaaaaamn.
My Grade: A -
PRISONBREAK:
Now this one deserves a "daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!"
Just an all around off the hook episode. Great, if long-inevitable character moments (ie DB Cooper not being able to make it - we all knew it was coming but it was still cool). This show is just so over-the-top crazy, I love it. Gotta love Wade Williams as prison captain Bellick howling for help while tied up beneath the prison. And Stacey Keach as the Warden brings the infusion of gravitas each week. This show is just filled with classic genre actors who really make their characters larger than life. I mean, T-Bag waving his tongue around like a snake upon hearing the dying DB Cooper mention his buried trasure ... just pure evil hamminess at its best. Oh man, they HAD to know that the fat guy was never going ot make it across that pole. And I have my doubts that the old man could have done it either, even if he had been healthy. But wow, I was definitely on the edge of my seat throughout this entire episode. And did the lawyer guy really tell his would-be murderer to "suck it" right before getting capped? Kind of an annoying character, but hey at least he had a great death scene. Great stuff, this show is just a lot of fun - it's like watching a serialized John Carpenter movie every week. Can't wait for the season finale, and curious if and how they set up Season 2.
My grade: A
TONIGHT ON TV: Last ever Palladino-written Gilmore! AND, Season finale of the best show on TV not called 24, VERONICA MARS, in what is sure to be one for the ages.
E3 THOUGHTS:
So this week is E3, basically the biggest event of the year in the world of videogames, where all the new companies trot out their new hardware, peripherals, and of course, games. But this year in particular is pretty bigtime, because Sony and Nintendo are both debuting their respective and long-awaited entries into the next-next-gen console market that will compete with Microsoft's still-fresh X-Box 360 - the Playstation 3 and the, wait for it ... the Nintendo Wii.
Yep, Nintendo's new system is called the Wii. As in We. As in "Wheeeeeeee!"
So yeah, what were they smoking? Look, I realize that they want to be like Google or Yahoo or whatever and have a name that is innovative and momorable and easily understood worldwide. But come on, Wii? It just ain't right, too many negative connotations.
But anyways, the name is different, and the console is different too - foregoing the usual quantum leap in graphics that comes with each console generation, instead focusing on an inexpensive pricepoint and a new motion-sensitive remote controller that you can swing around like a sword or a baseball bat or a golf club, or point like a gun or what have you. But we've known all that for awhile. What about the new info revealed at today's varius press conferences? The rundown:
SONY / PS3:
- Okay, first off - $500 for a PS3? Okay, kids, better start saving yesterday for this thing. I mean, that price point is unprecedented save for the NEO GEO and the 3DO, both of which FAILED as home consoles, in part due to being affordable to no one not named Bill Gates. Sure, the PS3 is tricked out with a nifty state of the art blue-ray disc player (will make your DVDs look like Betamax), but still. I mean, BluRay and HD-DVD do NOT look poised to make the same impact DVD's have anytime soon, it's just too soon post-DVD, the market is not ready and there is no real perceived need for higher movie quality save from hardcore movie fanatics. So yeah, the Blu-Ray is cool, but this is still a gaming console and $500 is VERY steep. I don't know, this price point MAY = Sony just shot itself in the foot.
- But, on the other hand, the games look SWEET so far. All this talk about nintendo being about the games and not Sony is crap. Compare the amount of 5-star games on the PS2 to those on Gamecube and that right there says it all. Metal Gear Solid 4, of course, looks amazing. And oh. damn. Final Fantasy 13. Check out the trailer. I must have it. Also, the new game, still untitled, from the creators of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, Naughty Dog, looks RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME. The new SONIC looks friggin sweet. Sony has GOT to lower that pricepoint so people will be able to afford all this. The games ARE there, but the price is going to kill 'em if they don't reevaluate.
- PS - why get upset over them keeping the Dualshock controller design? Personally I approve - it's the best, most comfortable design ever for a console and much better than the boomerang prototype.
NINTENDO / WIIIIIIIIIIIIII:
- Great design on the system and controller. Very I-Podish. Very sleek. Pricepoint still unknown but suposedly it's cheap, which is good. But on the other hand ...
- Graphics look basically equivalent to a Gamecube, PS2, or PSP. While I'm sure Mario Galaxies will be amazing, it LOOKS like Mario 64 with its simple geometrics and blurry textures. And the fact that they are porting the new Zelda from Gamecube says that the two systems are not much different in terms of horsepower.
- But, damn, that controller DOES have some potentially super-fun uses. Sword fighting, light-saber wielding, tennis, etc. But is it just a gimmick? Kind of, is what I am thinking. I mean do you always want to be waving your arms around like an idiot and jumping around every time you sit down to play with your Wii? (LOL). Still though - Mario, Zelda, Metroid. Those are the big guns, and they will likely rule it. But what else is there? Are other companies even supporting this thing? Well, if the price is right ... anything can happen.
MICROSOFT / 360:
- And look who is suddenly looking better and better. Good pricepoint sure to drop at any moment, already-established online presence, and some big games on the way like Gears of War and Halo 3. Personally I hate first person shooters though so I could care less, and that's why there's nothing that makes me desire a 360 right now or in the pipeline. A total lack of Japan-developed games and zero platformers, RPGs, fighters, or adventure games makes me unenthused. But again, this could change. It's all in the games.
Alright, enough nerd talk. I've been working on this blog entry all day on and off since the morning so it's time to post it already.
Back later with more. For now, it's game over.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Milhouse Doesn't Do Clingy: MI:3 Review, NBA, Family Guy and More
Well, I must say that that was a good weekend. Friday me, Scott, and Brian hit up Old Town in Pasadena and had a great time. Why have I not gone there before in all this time? It's close and is a lot of fun. We kicked off our Cinco De Mayo celebration at Moose McGillicuttys, which really hit the spot with some quality food and a very festive atmosphere. We then pretty much just walked around and explored the scene, and we even ran into, totally randomly, our NBC friend Akhila, who was also out enjoying the Old Town scene. Saturday the same crew from the night before as well as some friends from BU headed out to see Mission Impossible 3, which I'll talk more about later but was pretty damn enjoyable. And of course it was great to see the BU peeps, as it had been waaay too long since I've gotten together with any of my fellow Boston U grads who have also made the life-changing leap from East Coast to West. And Sunday, well I FINALLY got out and played some basketball with Dan K, which I had been itching to do because a.) watching the NBA playoffs has really given me a "basketball jonez" and b.) it was about time that i got some legit excercise. So, even if I lost out to Dan and his "Kaiser role" in 2 out of 3 games (all 3 were hotly-contested though), it was very fulfilling to get back on the courts and play some B-Ball. And hey, even Family Guy was pretty funny for once, so I have gotta call it a weekend well-spent.
MI:3 Review:
So yeah I don't think there's much of a need to really drag this one out - this of course is not exactly United 93. But what Mission Impossible 3 WAS was a damn good action movie, containing pretty much everything you'd want out of a mostly-mindless summer blockbuster.
First let's talk Tom Cruise. Sure, the man may be pretty nutty in real life, but let's face it - he's an excellent action-movie leading man and his big-budget film performances rarely disappoint. I mean do we have to run down the list? The guy has been above-average to great in everything from Top Gun to Risky Business to Last Samurai to War of the Worlds. And the thing is, if you start dismissing movies or TV shows because their stars are loopy in real life? Well, that severely limits your entertainment options. Guess you won't be watching any more movies with Kevin Costner - he is apparently a sketchball if recent reports are true. And John Travolta, Beck, the girl from That 70's Show - all card-carrying Scientologists. No more My Name is Earl - Jason Lee is also one of "them" as well, the few, the proud, the crazy - Scientologists. Sad, I know, but what can we do? Charlie Sheen seems like a pretty sleazy guy as well. We all know about Hugh Grant. Hell, even the almighty Kiefer Sutherland is far from a model citizen.
The sad truth is that most of these Hollywood people are nuts. Trust me. In an ideal world, our movie stars would be as great in person as the heroes they play on screen. But it just is not that way. So Tom Cruise, as an actor, is excellent here. It's not worth it to me to focus on his real-life antics with regards to this particular movie, and the weird Scientology stuff was definitely not going to prevent me from seeing the first big action movie extravaganza of the summer season.
But yeah, Cruise is very good as always as Ethan Hunt. But what about Philip Seymour Hoffman? Damn, he plays a great cold-hearted, bad-ass villain here. I only wish he had a little more screen-time. Former Felicity girl Keri Russel shows her secret-agent side in a nifty turn. Vhing Rames, Jonathan Rhys-Myers, and Michelle Q all do a great job of filling out Ethan Hunt's Team Impossible - and the team aspect of the movie is really fun and adds a cool new element to the franchise. Laurence Fishbourne is pretty much playing Badass Authority Figure #1 here, but who better to play such a role? And Michelle Monoghan as Ethan's newlywed wife is good as well, even if her main job is either to nod and smile or squirm in horror after she becomes the defacto damsel in distress.
And congrats to JJ Abrams - the Lost and Alias creator busts out some kickass action scenes. Helicopter chases, kung-fu fights, death-defying leaps from tall buildings - he delivers everything but the kitchen sink. His decision to play around with time a bit and open with a great scene that occurs towards the movie's END really pays off and sets up a lot of tension for the rest of the film, as we all wonder how Tom Cruise is going to get INTO, and OUT OF the deadly predicament we see him in as the movie opens. JJ also makes sure to throw in plenty of cool gadgets, intricate disguises (yes! after all those NBC Studio Tours where I talked about the "Mission Impossible effect" off ripping off a latex mask, I finally see it in action on the big screen ...), and exotic locales (cool, the Vatican! Shanghai! Sweeet.).
As far as the plot, it's a pretty standard Search-For-the-McGuffin-and-Beware-of-Traitors-in-the-Ranks a to b to c deal, but hey, it works. And the emphasis on the characters rather than the details of some overly complicated destroy-the-world plot is a nice change of pace.
Overall, this is your basic action movie fare. But it's done really well, has a great cast, and never lets up for a minute in the action department. So while I may not remember all the details of the movie in a few week's time, I can say that seeing this movie in the theater on the big screen was one of the most purely enjoyable, "oh-damn-did you see what just happened" experiences I've had watching a movie in a while. This was definitely a great way to kick off the Summer movie season.
My grade: B+
MOVIE-TRAILER TALK:
- So before MI:3 we saw a number of hyped-up trailers - here's my take:
- Nacho Libre: Looks hilarious, I can't wait. I think like Napoleon Dynamite it's going to be hard to appreciate the humor out of context in trailer form, but I am very enthusiastic, and Jack Balck in a lucha libre costume, sporting a bad mustache and Mexican accent is just instantly hilarious. Outlook: Excellent
- X-Men 3: Seen this trailer a bunch of times now, but I have to give credit and say it's a damn good trailer, even if other footage (ie from Leno) looks crappy and script reviews are not good. Stewart and McKellan kickass in the trailer, and that bridge scene looks pretty epic, but will the movie suck or not? Hard to say at this point, but lowered expectations may make for a pleasent surprise: Outlook: Probably mediocre with a few cool scenes, but hoping to be surprised.
Superman Returns: You know, it shows you the pure power of the Superman character that people will applaud the moment they realize that they're watching a trailer for a new Superman movie. But man, that enthusiasm begins to fade as we see some fairly bland action scenes, Spacey doing his used-car-salesman Lex Luthor, and Super Man-boy flying around in what looks to be the highest-budgeted CHICK FLICK of all time. Yikes. Outlook: Making me super-nervous that it will suck, hoping it somehow won't.
- The Breakup: Hmm, this DID actually seem kinda funny. May have to reevaluate prediction that it will be terrible. Outlook: More optimistic than before ...
- Over the Hedge: As much as this movie may or may not be good, how many freaking CGI-animated talking-animal movies can they make? Seems like a good voice-cast and nice animation, but still ... Outlook: Maybe .. but c'mon - enough already!
- Horror Movie Starring Kristen Bell: Cool, a horror movie starring Kristen Bell, aka Veronica Mars. Will probably suck though. Outlook: No thanks, but please let this somehow help Veronica Mars stay on the air!
OBLIGATORY SUPERMAN RETURNS MINI-RANT:
- Reading some interviews this weekend, it became clear that one major factor contributing the apparent suckiness of the new Superman flick is that Bryan Singer and his writers seem to have no appreciation whatsoever for the source material - aka the comics. With X-Men, Singer was forced to look at the comics and draw from them, even if he did end up morphing the colorfully-clad mutants into a bunch of generic-looking vigilantes in black leather. But apparently, NO comics were used as a reference for the writers and director of Superman Returns - the main source of inspiration was the first two Donner movies. Hence the fact that Returns looks and feels like a tired retread of the same themes as those films. But those movies were made in the late 70's and early 80's, and they DON'T hold up all that well with age, save for the remarkable performances of Christopher Reeves as Superman / Clark Kent. With Batman Begins, despite its faults, it was clear that David Goyer and christopher Nolan were combing through Batman's history and picking out some of the best stuff - Ra's Al Ghul, Batman: Year One, etc. AND, they were clearly going for a NEW direction for the big-screen franchise. Goyer was a legit comic book guy, so at least you knew you were getting a certain authenticity there in the writing - it was a flawed script, yes, but it got the essence of the hero right. We don't have those same reassurances with Superman. Were Singer and co legitimately fans of the character and his history, or just of the Donner movies? Did he look at the works of John Bryne and Dan Jurgens and Jeph Loeb and Mark Waid and Joe Kelly and Alan Moore? Apparently not, and what we are left with is a watered down adaptation of an adaptation. And in that filtering process, much is lost. Kinda sad, and that's my Superman rant of the day.
Anyways ... now let's veer into the wonderful world of television, with my Monday staple, the ...
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT QUICK REVIEWS:
- No MALCOLM this week, and next week is the LAST ONE EVER! Very sad, very sad.
KING OF THE HILL: Pretty good ep, but probably one of the weaker episodes of the last few weeks. The main Hank-as-Mr. Wilson plot was kind of amusing, but that new kid was so annoying that he got on my nerves as a viewer. And the Peggy-Dale taxidermy subplot was just ,well, weird. My grade: B -
THE SIMPSONS: As per usual lately, a decent ep that was kind of funny by recent standards but pretty amateurish compared to the classics. A few good laughs were had in the Marge-has-amnesia subplot, but rather than try something different with it the writers made this "a rift forms between Homer and Marge But Then They Finally Realize How Much They Love Each Other Part 1,903,852. " And of course that seems to be the basic plot of the show now every other week. Still, like I said, it had some good laughs and was decent overall. Oh yeah, funny chalkboard in the opening: "I will not leak the plot of the movie." Bwahaha. My grade: B -
FAMILY GUY: What? Is Family Guy back on its A-game? Not quite yet, but this ep was definitely a step in the right direction, reminding me of some of the crazy plots of the early years with much fresher humor, for the most part, than the show has had of late. While Meg's ass as otherworldly entry point was retarded, many of the other big gags were hilarious. The LOTR Gandalf falling down the abyss parody was hilarious, as was Peter randomly turning into Hank Hill. All the gags revolving around the Indian skull were pretty funny, and even the prerequisite random pop culture gags seemed to work better than usual this week - ie Dick Cheney's hunting trip and Statler and Waldorff from the Muppets (what can i say I have a soft spot for those guys). Still not at the level of Seasons 1 and 2, but a HUGE improvement from the last few weeks of awfulness, and that's nice to see. My grade: B+
OTHER TV STUFF:
- 24 tonight! What more needs to be said other than I am chomping at theb it to see Jack Bauer unleash his weekly dose of gravitas on President Logan and his cronies.
- And man, this is a big week for us TV nerds. 24 counts down to its season finale, as does Prisonbreak which should freakin' rock tonight as, finally, the prison break actually happens~! Daaaamn. Tommorow it's the season finale of Gilmore Girls, aka the last "real" episode of the show before the Paladinos call it quits. And then right after it's my most anticipated episode of anything in a while - Veronica Mars' sure-to-be-amazing S2 finale (and please lord not the last ever episode!). Wednesday, Lost has some BIG questions to answer from last week's crazy final seconds, and Thursday, That 70's Show ends its never-ending run forever as Fez and co say their final goodbyes. The Office sees a Steve Carell-penned season finale, and on Smallville's season-closer, Clark Kent must prevent the coming of ZOD~! Yep, my VCR shall be workin' overtime in the next few days.
- Still haven't watched The OC from Thursday - gotta get on that.
NBA PLAYOFFS:
- Go Suns and so long Lakers! I knew the Suns were the better team, but the Lakers have shattered my favorite teams' playoff dreams too many times by now for me to not have pangs of doubt about whether the Suns could do it. But wow, the Suns just decimated L.A., and while it was nice in a way to see Kobe and his crew utterly annihilated, I was kinda hoping for an exciting game. Oh well, nice to see The Suns live to fight another day, and I think Steve Nash validated his 2nd consecutive MVP trophy with the outcome of that series - by elevating his ENTIRE TEAM, not just his own game, with his amazing play.
- Ouch, that had to hurt for LeBron and the Cavs. Detroit is looking nigh unstoppable right now.
- I'd love to see Dallas topple to Spurs but I don't know if it can happen. Dallas has always been pretty soft in the playoffs and the Spurs tough as nails.
- Interested to see New Jersey-Miami tonight though, could be a good one.
- BTW, yet another example of Bill Walton's hilarity -- in the pregame show before Spurs-Mavs, when everyone is going through the keys to the game, Bill Walton immediately chimes in with "For the Spurs, it's all about Robert Horry" or something along those lines. Oh man, Walton always has a select few players who he champions as the best thing since sliced bread, and he has always been obsessed with Robert Horry for some reason. Yes, the man is a great clutch player, but the key to the Spurs' victory? Shyeah ...
OTHER STUFF:
- In the morning when I get up I usually blast songs from my computer set to random. So why do the WEIRDEST songs always come up? For some reason, it feels like every morning I get a song from Rent or Les Mis, a rap song from Nelly or Sisqo or something similarly terrible, and a random TV theme song. What gives?
- Stamps = an underrated commodity.
- Can't say I'm a fan of double-rims when playing basketball.
- And that's it. Prisonbreak and 24 tonight, and Foley-Edge II. Gravitas, intensity, and steel chairs. Bang bang.
MI:3 Review:
So yeah I don't think there's much of a need to really drag this one out - this of course is not exactly United 93. But what Mission Impossible 3 WAS was a damn good action movie, containing pretty much everything you'd want out of a mostly-mindless summer blockbuster.
First let's talk Tom Cruise. Sure, the man may be pretty nutty in real life, but let's face it - he's an excellent action-movie leading man and his big-budget film performances rarely disappoint. I mean do we have to run down the list? The guy has been above-average to great in everything from Top Gun to Risky Business to Last Samurai to War of the Worlds. And the thing is, if you start dismissing movies or TV shows because their stars are loopy in real life? Well, that severely limits your entertainment options. Guess you won't be watching any more movies with Kevin Costner - he is apparently a sketchball if recent reports are true. And John Travolta, Beck, the girl from That 70's Show - all card-carrying Scientologists. No more My Name is Earl - Jason Lee is also one of "them" as well, the few, the proud, the crazy - Scientologists. Sad, I know, but what can we do? Charlie Sheen seems like a pretty sleazy guy as well. We all know about Hugh Grant. Hell, even the almighty Kiefer Sutherland is far from a model citizen.
The sad truth is that most of these Hollywood people are nuts. Trust me. In an ideal world, our movie stars would be as great in person as the heroes they play on screen. But it just is not that way. So Tom Cruise, as an actor, is excellent here. It's not worth it to me to focus on his real-life antics with regards to this particular movie, and the weird Scientology stuff was definitely not going to prevent me from seeing the first big action movie extravaganza of the summer season.
But yeah, Cruise is very good as always as Ethan Hunt. But what about Philip Seymour Hoffman? Damn, he plays a great cold-hearted, bad-ass villain here. I only wish he had a little more screen-time. Former Felicity girl Keri Russel shows her secret-agent side in a nifty turn. Vhing Rames, Jonathan Rhys-Myers, and Michelle Q all do a great job of filling out Ethan Hunt's Team Impossible - and the team aspect of the movie is really fun and adds a cool new element to the franchise. Laurence Fishbourne is pretty much playing Badass Authority Figure #1 here, but who better to play such a role? And Michelle Monoghan as Ethan's newlywed wife is good as well, even if her main job is either to nod and smile or squirm in horror after she becomes the defacto damsel in distress.
And congrats to JJ Abrams - the Lost and Alias creator busts out some kickass action scenes. Helicopter chases, kung-fu fights, death-defying leaps from tall buildings - he delivers everything but the kitchen sink. His decision to play around with time a bit and open with a great scene that occurs towards the movie's END really pays off and sets up a lot of tension for the rest of the film, as we all wonder how Tom Cruise is going to get INTO, and OUT OF the deadly predicament we see him in as the movie opens. JJ also makes sure to throw in plenty of cool gadgets, intricate disguises (yes! after all those NBC Studio Tours where I talked about the "Mission Impossible effect" off ripping off a latex mask, I finally see it in action on the big screen ...), and exotic locales (cool, the Vatican! Shanghai! Sweeet.).
As far as the plot, it's a pretty standard Search-For-the-McGuffin-and-Beware-of-Traitors-in-the-Ranks a to b to c deal, but hey, it works. And the emphasis on the characters rather than the details of some overly complicated destroy-the-world plot is a nice change of pace.
Overall, this is your basic action movie fare. But it's done really well, has a great cast, and never lets up for a minute in the action department. So while I may not remember all the details of the movie in a few week's time, I can say that seeing this movie in the theater on the big screen was one of the most purely enjoyable, "oh-damn-did you see what just happened" experiences I've had watching a movie in a while. This was definitely a great way to kick off the Summer movie season.
My grade: B+
MOVIE-TRAILER TALK:
- So before MI:3 we saw a number of hyped-up trailers - here's my take:
- Nacho Libre: Looks hilarious, I can't wait. I think like Napoleon Dynamite it's going to be hard to appreciate the humor out of context in trailer form, but I am very enthusiastic, and Jack Balck in a lucha libre costume, sporting a bad mustache and Mexican accent is just instantly hilarious. Outlook: Excellent
- X-Men 3: Seen this trailer a bunch of times now, but I have to give credit and say it's a damn good trailer, even if other footage (ie from Leno) looks crappy and script reviews are not good. Stewart and McKellan kickass in the trailer, and that bridge scene looks pretty epic, but will the movie suck or not? Hard to say at this point, but lowered expectations may make for a pleasent surprise: Outlook: Probably mediocre with a few cool scenes, but hoping to be surprised.
Superman Returns: You know, it shows you the pure power of the Superman character that people will applaud the moment they realize that they're watching a trailer for a new Superman movie. But man, that enthusiasm begins to fade as we see some fairly bland action scenes, Spacey doing his used-car-salesman Lex Luthor, and Super Man-boy flying around in what looks to be the highest-budgeted CHICK FLICK of all time. Yikes. Outlook: Making me super-nervous that it will suck, hoping it somehow won't.
- The Breakup: Hmm, this DID actually seem kinda funny. May have to reevaluate prediction that it will be terrible. Outlook: More optimistic than before ...
- Over the Hedge: As much as this movie may or may not be good, how many freaking CGI-animated talking-animal movies can they make? Seems like a good voice-cast and nice animation, but still ... Outlook: Maybe .. but c'mon - enough already!
- Horror Movie Starring Kristen Bell: Cool, a horror movie starring Kristen Bell, aka Veronica Mars. Will probably suck though. Outlook: No thanks, but please let this somehow help Veronica Mars stay on the air!
OBLIGATORY SUPERMAN RETURNS MINI-RANT:
- Reading some interviews this weekend, it became clear that one major factor contributing the apparent suckiness of the new Superman flick is that Bryan Singer and his writers seem to have no appreciation whatsoever for the source material - aka the comics. With X-Men, Singer was forced to look at the comics and draw from them, even if he did end up morphing the colorfully-clad mutants into a bunch of generic-looking vigilantes in black leather. But apparently, NO comics were used as a reference for the writers and director of Superman Returns - the main source of inspiration was the first two Donner movies. Hence the fact that Returns looks and feels like a tired retread of the same themes as those films. But those movies were made in the late 70's and early 80's, and they DON'T hold up all that well with age, save for the remarkable performances of Christopher Reeves as Superman / Clark Kent. With Batman Begins, despite its faults, it was clear that David Goyer and christopher Nolan were combing through Batman's history and picking out some of the best stuff - Ra's Al Ghul, Batman: Year One, etc. AND, they were clearly going for a NEW direction for the big-screen franchise. Goyer was a legit comic book guy, so at least you knew you were getting a certain authenticity there in the writing - it was a flawed script, yes, but it got the essence of the hero right. We don't have those same reassurances with Superman. Were Singer and co legitimately fans of the character and his history, or just of the Donner movies? Did he look at the works of John Bryne and Dan Jurgens and Jeph Loeb and Mark Waid and Joe Kelly and Alan Moore? Apparently not, and what we are left with is a watered down adaptation of an adaptation. And in that filtering process, much is lost. Kinda sad, and that's my Superman rant of the day.
Anyways ... now let's veer into the wonderful world of television, with my Monday staple, the ...
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT QUICK REVIEWS:
- No MALCOLM this week, and next week is the LAST ONE EVER! Very sad, very sad.
KING OF THE HILL: Pretty good ep, but probably one of the weaker episodes of the last few weeks. The main Hank-as-Mr. Wilson plot was kind of amusing, but that new kid was so annoying that he got on my nerves as a viewer. And the Peggy-Dale taxidermy subplot was just ,well, weird. My grade: B -
THE SIMPSONS: As per usual lately, a decent ep that was kind of funny by recent standards but pretty amateurish compared to the classics. A few good laughs were had in the Marge-has-amnesia subplot, but rather than try something different with it the writers made this "a rift forms between Homer and Marge But Then They Finally Realize How Much They Love Each Other Part 1,903,852. " And of course that seems to be the basic plot of the show now every other week. Still, like I said, it had some good laughs and was decent overall. Oh yeah, funny chalkboard in the opening: "I will not leak the plot of the movie." Bwahaha. My grade: B -
FAMILY GUY: What? Is Family Guy back on its A-game? Not quite yet, but this ep was definitely a step in the right direction, reminding me of some of the crazy plots of the early years with much fresher humor, for the most part, than the show has had of late. While Meg's ass as otherworldly entry point was retarded, many of the other big gags were hilarious. The LOTR Gandalf falling down the abyss parody was hilarious, as was Peter randomly turning into Hank Hill. All the gags revolving around the Indian skull were pretty funny, and even the prerequisite random pop culture gags seemed to work better than usual this week - ie Dick Cheney's hunting trip and Statler and Waldorff from the Muppets (what can i say I have a soft spot for those guys). Still not at the level of Seasons 1 and 2, but a HUGE improvement from the last few weeks of awfulness, and that's nice to see. My grade: B+
OTHER TV STUFF:
- 24 tonight! What more needs to be said other than I am chomping at theb it to see Jack Bauer unleash his weekly dose of gravitas on President Logan and his cronies.
- And man, this is a big week for us TV nerds. 24 counts down to its season finale, as does Prisonbreak which should freakin' rock tonight as, finally, the prison break actually happens~! Daaaamn. Tommorow it's the season finale of Gilmore Girls, aka the last "real" episode of the show before the Paladinos call it quits. And then right after it's my most anticipated episode of anything in a while - Veronica Mars' sure-to-be-amazing S2 finale (and please lord not the last ever episode!). Wednesday, Lost has some BIG questions to answer from last week's crazy final seconds, and Thursday, That 70's Show ends its never-ending run forever as Fez and co say their final goodbyes. The Office sees a Steve Carell-penned season finale, and on Smallville's season-closer, Clark Kent must prevent the coming of ZOD~! Yep, my VCR shall be workin' overtime in the next few days.
- Still haven't watched The OC from Thursday - gotta get on that.
NBA PLAYOFFS:
- Go Suns and so long Lakers! I knew the Suns were the better team, but the Lakers have shattered my favorite teams' playoff dreams too many times by now for me to not have pangs of doubt about whether the Suns could do it. But wow, the Suns just decimated L.A., and while it was nice in a way to see Kobe and his crew utterly annihilated, I was kinda hoping for an exciting game. Oh well, nice to see The Suns live to fight another day, and I think Steve Nash validated his 2nd consecutive MVP trophy with the outcome of that series - by elevating his ENTIRE TEAM, not just his own game, with his amazing play.
- Ouch, that had to hurt for LeBron and the Cavs. Detroit is looking nigh unstoppable right now.
- I'd love to see Dallas topple to Spurs but I don't know if it can happen. Dallas has always been pretty soft in the playoffs and the Spurs tough as nails.
- Interested to see New Jersey-Miami tonight though, could be a good one.
- BTW, yet another example of Bill Walton's hilarity -- in the pregame show before Spurs-Mavs, when everyone is going through the keys to the game, Bill Walton immediately chimes in with "For the Spurs, it's all about Robert Horry" or something along those lines. Oh man, Walton always has a select few players who he champions as the best thing since sliced bread, and he has always been obsessed with Robert Horry for some reason. Yes, the man is a great clutch player, but the key to the Spurs' victory? Shyeah ...
OTHER STUFF:
- In the morning when I get up I usually blast songs from my computer set to random. So why do the WEIRDEST songs always come up? For some reason, it feels like every morning I get a song from Rent or Les Mis, a rap song from Nelly or Sisqo or something similarly terrible, and a random TV theme song. What gives?
- Stamps = an underrated commodity.
- Can't say I'm a fan of double-rims when playing basketball.
- And that's it. Prisonbreak and 24 tonight, and Foley-Edge II. Gravitas, intensity, and steel chairs. Bang bang.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Don't Mess With the "S"
So the summer season is beginning to set in, and once again that means little to me as its business as usual in the working world. Dammit, what happened to the glorious days of summer vacation? Oh well, as I wrote in one of my Daily Free Press columns in college, the Spirit of Summertime must live on. Read about it HERE.
But yeah, I am definitely looking at this summer as a time to finally make some time for the things I've been putting off in the fall and winter. It's going to be a time to get some real writing done. A time to get some decent excercise. A time to try to get together with some friends I haven't seen in a while. So viva summer - I may still be going to work every day like usual, but it's still going to be fun, dammit all.
SMALLVILLE / SUPERMAN RETURNS rant:
Wow, last night's ep of Smallville was perhaps one of the all-around best ever installments of this show. And as a hardcore Superman fan, it was just a HUGE relief to sit for an hour and watch a tale of heroism, villainy, adventure, danger, romance, and excitement. A fun superhero story. Characters you were rooting for. A twisting plot. Great build-up to the next installment. Because as I hear more and more about Superman Returns, it honestly feels like its going to be more of EVERYTHING that Superman fans have wanted to see go away over the last few years. Anyone who's read many Superman comics over the last few years began to notice a trend of a seemingly neverending parade of stories about a mopey, self-doubting, emo version of Superman. A Superman that totally was NOT gelling with the zeitgeist, NOT befitting a time when we yearn for a hero who will kick ass and take names, who will boldly face down his enemies and stand as a moral compass that inspires and awes us. IF you are a comic fan, you probably know of Batman's line to superman in Infinite Crisis #1: "The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead." Ouch. But it had a ring of truth.
So WHY does someone like Bryan Singer think that NOW is the time to reintroduce the Superman franchise to the big screen with this same mopey, conflicted, self-doubting Superman that so many have wanted to see go away for YEARS now? I want a Superman who is going to save us from the terrorists, who isn't going to take crap from no one, no how.I want a Superman who stands against impossible odds, the most horrible of super-villains, but who never wavers, never doubts. And if there is a doubt, is a hesistation, it is quickly overcome by the strength of his convictions - you know, Truth and Justice.
But once again, Superman Returns seems to be poised to present to us, a nation in need of a Hero, a Superman whose primary conflict is that his wife has left him and that the world doesn't accept him after a long absence. Of course they accept him, he's Superman!
So with all the hype and speculation about Superman Returns, who would have thought that the most relevent, fun, and action-packed Superman tales outside of the comics can now be found on SMALLVILLE?
Yes, the season, and the show in general, has had its ups and downs - it's had eps that made me nearly give up on the show altogether for being so freaking cheesy and wrong - but last night's ep delivered bigtime.
The cast really came through, and of course the shining stars as always were Jonathan Glover as Lionel Luthor and Michael Rosenbaum as Lex. James Marsden as Milton Fine / Braniac makes a great villain, and it was nice to see Jon Schneider back as Jonathan Kent, even if it wasn't REALLY him. Anyways, I am pumped for the season finale, and kudos to the show for coming through at a time when I really wanted to be reminded what a good Superman story was all about. My grade for Smallvile: A
THE OFFICE:
Something just didn't click with me during last night's episode. I was trying to figure out what was off, and I think the problem was actually pretty simple -- it just wasn't funny. Now I know there are those who are somehow as much into the newly-emphasized soap-opera elements of the show as they are the comedy. But I'm not. I don't like the lack of subtlety in the Jim-Pam relationship, or the predictability of it. I don't like Jim's character as a whole. While in the British version Tim and Garreth had a kind of grudging friendship despite how much they antagonized each other, here, Jim is just plain abusive towards Dwight, who despite his eccentricity is probably the most likable character on the show. Whereas Gareth was often the instigator in his relationship with Tim, Dwight is just kind of a hapless guy who never really means to offend anyone. I don't know, I just found this episode to be short on laughs and in this kind of weir, dark area that made me feel detached from the characters. Dark is good when it comes to this show, but something just felt off here, and the emphasis of the plot seems indicative of this show's lack of direction. My grade: C+
NBA:
- Suns! Great game by Phoenix last night - I really had a sinking feeling they were going to lose, but it was great to see players like Tim Thomas step up and make huge contributions in the clutch. I will grudgingly say that Kobe last night was freaking off the hook. The shots he was making were just of the type that only a select few can pull off - those clutch buckets that inevitably go in simply because the player has that intangible, I-Will-Not-Be-Denied killer instinct. But one man a team does not make, and Nash played an amazing game and brought out the best in his supporting cast, which can't necessarily be said of Kobe. Game 7 is gonna be crazy.
- So long Chicago Bulls and my once-favorite-team the Pacers. My heart was just not behind Indiana this year, as the Reggie Miller-less team just did not inspire me to root for them like I used to. Jermaine O'Neal has just not shown me that he is a winning player, and too often he disappears in the clutch. Nets vs. Heat should be interesting though, and I hope that we get some spectacular showdowns between Vince Carter and Dwayne Wade. If Shaq can play like he did last night though, then, well, it's not going to be easy for the Nets.
FINALLY:
- Well that's about it for now. Have a good weekend everyone. Good luck with finals for those in school, and thanks for reading.
But yeah, I am definitely looking at this summer as a time to finally make some time for the things I've been putting off in the fall and winter. It's going to be a time to get some real writing done. A time to get some decent excercise. A time to try to get together with some friends I haven't seen in a while. So viva summer - I may still be going to work every day like usual, but it's still going to be fun, dammit all.
SMALLVILLE / SUPERMAN RETURNS rant:
Wow, last night's ep of Smallville was perhaps one of the all-around best ever installments of this show. And as a hardcore Superman fan, it was just a HUGE relief to sit for an hour and watch a tale of heroism, villainy, adventure, danger, romance, and excitement. A fun superhero story. Characters you were rooting for. A twisting plot. Great build-up to the next installment. Because as I hear more and more about Superman Returns, it honestly feels like its going to be more of EVERYTHING that Superman fans have wanted to see go away over the last few years. Anyone who's read many Superman comics over the last few years began to notice a trend of a seemingly neverending parade of stories about a mopey, self-doubting, emo version of Superman. A Superman that totally was NOT gelling with the zeitgeist, NOT befitting a time when we yearn for a hero who will kick ass and take names, who will boldly face down his enemies and stand as a moral compass that inspires and awes us. IF you are a comic fan, you probably know of Batman's line to superman in Infinite Crisis #1: "The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead." Ouch. But it had a ring of truth.
So WHY does someone like Bryan Singer think that NOW is the time to reintroduce the Superman franchise to the big screen with this same mopey, conflicted, self-doubting Superman that so many have wanted to see go away for YEARS now? I want a Superman who is going to save us from the terrorists, who isn't going to take crap from no one, no how.I want a Superman who stands against impossible odds, the most horrible of super-villains, but who never wavers, never doubts. And if there is a doubt, is a hesistation, it is quickly overcome by the strength of his convictions - you know, Truth and Justice.
But once again, Superman Returns seems to be poised to present to us, a nation in need of a Hero, a Superman whose primary conflict is that his wife has left him and that the world doesn't accept him after a long absence. Of course they accept him, he's Superman!
So with all the hype and speculation about Superman Returns, who would have thought that the most relevent, fun, and action-packed Superman tales outside of the comics can now be found on SMALLVILLE?
Yes, the season, and the show in general, has had its ups and downs - it's had eps that made me nearly give up on the show altogether for being so freaking cheesy and wrong - but last night's ep delivered bigtime.
The cast really came through, and of course the shining stars as always were Jonathan Glover as Lionel Luthor and Michael Rosenbaum as Lex. James Marsden as Milton Fine / Braniac makes a great villain, and it was nice to see Jon Schneider back as Jonathan Kent, even if it wasn't REALLY him. Anyways, I am pumped for the season finale, and kudos to the show for coming through at a time when I really wanted to be reminded what a good Superman story was all about. My grade for Smallvile: A
THE OFFICE:
Something just didn't click with me during last night's episode. I was trying to figure out what was off, and I think the problem was actually pretty simple -- it just wasn't funny. Now I know there are those who are somehow as much into the newly-emphasized soap-opera elements of the show as they are the comedy. But I'm not. I don't like the lack of subtlety in the Jim-Pam relationship, or the predictability of it. I don't like Jim's character as a whole. While in the British version Tim and Garreth had a kind of grudging friendship despite how much they antagonized each other, here, Jim is just plain abusive towards Dwight, who despite his eccentricity is probably the most likable character on the show. Whereas Gareth was often the instigator in his relationship with Tim, Dwight is just kind of a hapless guy who never really means to offend anyone. I don't know, I just found this episode to be short on laughs and in this kind of weir, dark area that made me feel detached from the characters. Dark is good when it comes to this show, but something just felt off here, and the emphasis of the plot seems indicative of this show's lack of direction. My grade: C+
NBA:
- Suns! Great game by Phoenix last night - I really had a sinking feeling they were going to lose, but it was great to see players like Tim Thomas step up and make huge contributions in the clutch. I will grudgingly say that Kobe last night was freaking off the hook. The shots he was making were just of the type that only a select few can pull off - those clutch buckets that inevitably go in simply because the player has that intangible, I-Will-Not-Be-Denied killer instinct. But one man a team does not make, and Nash played an amazing game and brought out the best in his supporting cast, which can't necessarily be said of Kobe. Game 7 is gonna be crazy.
- So long Chicago Bulls and my once-favorite-team the Pacers. My heart was just not behind Indiana this year, as the Reggie Miller-less team just did not inspire me to root for them like I used to. Jermaine O'Neal has just not shown me that he is a winning player, and too often he disappears in the clutch. Nets vs. Heat should be interesting though, and I hope that we get some spectacular showdowns between Vince Carter and Dwayne Wade. If Shaq can play like he did last night though, then, well, it's not going to be easy for the Nets.
FINALLY:
- Well that's about it for now. Have a good weekend everyone. Good luck with finals for those in school, and thanks for reading.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Normal People Read No Further - All-Fanboy-Rant Edition (Almost): LOST, Infinite Crisis, and MORE
Alright alright, no point in delaying it, let's talk about last night's shocking episode of LOST:
LOST:
Okay, I was as shocked and as surprised as anyone when I saw the closing 30 seconds or so of last night's Lost. And I think you pretty much HAD to be shocked, as ...
SPOILERS
... Michael killing Ana-Lucia and Libby in cold blood was totally random and out-of-nowhere. Certainly, it was not something that was built up in any way shape or form. And sure, I knew somewhere deep in the back of my mind that Michelle Rodriguez, with her various legal problems and apparent issues on the set had basically forced the producers' hands and put her character on the chopping block. And I also had heard that Cynthia Waitrose had some similar issues and had already signed up to be in an upcoming fall TV pilot. But nothing in this episode led me to believe that THIS is where they'd bite it, and of course nothing really foreshadowed HOW it would go down.
Now, the question is whether the writers will provide a satisfactory motive for Michael to have gone postal, or will the explanation be as random and confusing as the mursers seemed last night? It appears that Michael shot HIMSELF in the shoulder at the episode's end, and the likely inference is that he is going to frame Henry Gale for the murders and claim he was also attacked. But to what end? The obvious answer is that Michael's hand is being forced, and that he is somehow doing what is necessary to save his son. But still, why kill Ana? Okay, so maybe she was considered a danger to the Others since she had killed one already. And then, was the shooting of Libby an accident? Must have been. But then why frame Henry rather than free him or something? Well, I guess he is kind of the sacrificial lamb at this point to the others, no point in keeping him alive when he's already said too much, right? See, this show just writes itself.
Anyways ... aside from the CRAZY ending, I was pretty bored with this episode. Sure, the bried Ana Lucia - Sawyer, finally-giving-in-to-animalistic-lust-hookup piqued my interest for a minute, but man, those flashbacks were just so useless, other than to continue the seemingly pointless "look, see, they're ALL CONNECTED" theme that has permeated many of the flashbacks as of late. The other subplots or whatever just kind of dragged, with the exception of the always-interesting Locke and his interaction with Henry Gale, which seemed to actually shed some light on some of the show's mythology, with Locke being called "one of the good ones." Could this be code for "one of the ones with some kind of crazy, semi-latent meta-ability?" If so, my theory I presented a while back was so money - check it out:
http://dannybaram.blogspot.com/2006/04/lost-okay-now-im-kinda-lost-myself.html
Yes, I am the man. But I digress ... So yeah, decent if not totally decompressed and slowly-paced episode, with a few interesting tidbits of new info, somewhat saved by what is, admittedly, one of the most shocking, if not totally random, cliffhangers in a while. Sure, those of us who are fans of 24 and Veronica Mars are accustomed to awesome cliffhangers, but hey, I guess the Lost fanboy deserve a cool ending every so often as well. Okay, okay, it was a friggin' cool ending, one of the craziest I've seen - I give credit where it's due. Now next week, well, it had better be DAMN good.
My grade: B+
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Saw a bunch of new NBC Pilots yesterday. Won't go into detailed reviews, but instead I'll throw out a few bits of tantalizing info that focuses on the good of what I saw:
1.) Aaron Sorkin fans saddened by the departure of West Wing, don't get too upset, you have A LOT to look forward to.
2.) Arrested Development fans still in mourning - Jeffrey Tambor is back, paired up with another comedic veteran, and while their new show is traditional, it's also pretty hilarious.
- So long Commander in Chief. Didn't watch it, but I must root for Geena Davis, one of my favorite BU alums.
- Speaking of ABC, awesome how you can now watch the newest eps of shows like Lost on their website, for free no less. Hope that NBC follows suit.
NBA PLAYOFFS:
- Great game last night between the Wiz and the Cavs. LeBron and Gilbert each had spectacular offensive games, but in the end the Wizards total lack of D killed 'em in OT. You let Lebron beat you with a baseline LAYUP at the buzzer, after waiting to get a shot off with 3 seconds left to play? What? Bad strategic decisions and loose defense killed the Wizards last night. Looking forward to Game 6 though.
- Speaking of which, it's gonna be a slobberknocker tonight between the Lakers and Suns - can't wait. Go Suns!
- RIP Michael Redd and the Bucks - put up a decent fight but no real match for the Pistons, who are firing on all cylinders and are going to be tough to beat.
COMICS:
- So yeterday, the biggest comic book event in years reached its conclusion. I'm talking ...
INFINITE CRISIS -- final wrap-up review:
- I can liken Infinite Crisis, especially in its last few issues, and MOST especially in its final issue, #7, to a kid getting the keys to the toystore and pretty much having no idea what to do with himself. All he knows is that he wants to play with every toy at his disposal. That is pretty much my thought on this final issue in the seven-part series. It's like "oh look, there's Bane breaking someone's back!" (but didn't he forsake villainy and retire to the Himalayas?). "Oh, check it out, there's Nightwing getting nearly-killed by Alex Luthor!" (But he's healed up and fine a few pages later ...). "Hey, let's have TWO different Supermen fight Doomsday! Wouldn't that be sweet?" (I guess, except they utterly decimate him in one page - and wasn't he controlled by the conspicuously absent Dr. Psycho in Villains United, which leads directly into this issue?).
Geoff Johns' superhero epic is just all over the place by this point, and any pretension of a coherant story is pretty much thrown out the window. This series was supposed to be about "the worst day in the history of the DCU." But instead of making us believe that it really was the worst day ever organically from the magnitude of the story, we are simply told, over and over, how bad things are. The story NEVER reached a point where there was an "aha" moment and everything came together in a logical way. Sure, we knew that Alex Luthor was the mastermind behind the Society, the Omacs, etc - but what his motivation was, who this character was and why he was no longer a benevelant hero but a would-be evil conquerer was never satisfactorilly explained in a clear manner. Neither was the conversion of Superboy Prime from an innocent hero in the original Crisis to an utterly deranged, all-powerful killing machine. And the Superman of Earth 2 - essentially THE hero, the prototype that all others would follow -- WHY would he ever have fallen in league with those two, it just wasn't justified well enough.
So there's one problem - characters' motivations never made clear or coherant. Here's another: the scattershot nature of the plot made each story beat get totally lost in the fray, for the most part. All the big moments - Superboy's death last issue, E-2 Superman's death here, the final fates of Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor - did not make the impact they should have. Why? Because there was not the proper build up for these events to make a real EMOTIONAL impact on the reader. I mean, in the Villains United special, writer Gail Simone did a great job of building up the battle in Metropolis as being pretty huge. A ragtag band of second-string heroes, regular cops, and other assorted B-listers, was going to have to face hundreds of the most vile villains ever, including all the big guns of the Society - Dr. Psycho, Sinestro, Deathstroke, and the beast that once killed Superman - Doomsday. And yet in IC 7, the battle is just a bunch of random punches and kicks. Where are the great moments of heroism, the brave sacrifices, the fighting by cops and D-listers against impossible odds? The whole fight takes mere pages to complete. The aforementioned Doomsday fight is limited to one page. Batman, Robin, and Nightwing taking on Deathstroke occurs OFF-PANEL. There is just too much packed into this issue, and it means that everything feels very rushed, and also that the plot never quite comes together into a clear, coherant, overarching story. To this end, many of the series' subplots just come off as being random and useless. What real purpose did Donna Troy and her space-faring team really serve to the story? What was the point of GL Kyle Rayner changing into Ion, again?
Because of all that is happening, the art also suffers. While DC has been pretty good up until now about having great artists do the necessary fill-in work for regular penciller Phil Jiminez, issue 7 definitely has the series' most jarring artistic transitions to date, with a number of key scenes sporting very noticable shifts in art. For the first time in the series, a numberof pages just looked sloppy, noticeably the last big splash page that served as a preview of the "new" DCU, which looked very rushed and not up to the usual standards of Jiminez, Ordway, Perez, Reiss, and co. Of course, the majority of the artwork was dynamite as usual. The pages the Jiminez DID actually pencil were simply beautiful as always, and Ordway and Perez's work, and the covers by Jim Lee and George Perez, were top-tier as usual.
I also have to question the random bits of changed continuity that are expositionally explained here in a pretty awkward manner. Alex Luthor explains that in this new earth, things are different. Superman was now Superboy again in his early career. Wonder Woman was now a founding member of the JLA. Batman knew who killed his parents ala Batman Begins. What?!?! Okay, the necessity of these changes is questionable, as they negate a number of excellent stories like John Bryne's Man of Steel and Mark Waid's JLA: Year One. But also, why shoehorn this exposition into the story like this? Ugh, just awkward storytelling there. One other big example of crowded exposition - the return of Bart Allen as The Flash. While a nice tribute to the original Crisis, with Kid Flash inheriting his mentor's mantle, this was SO random and confusing. Bart comes back, is aged ten years, tells Jay Garrick that the old-timer is now the fastest man alive, and that Wally, Linda, and their twins are in some other dimension? Whaaat?Oh yeah, Bart and Jay play no other part in the story, so their appearance serves no real purpose. I'm curious to see what's going on with the Flash's, but, this was just a bit much.
And speaking of awkward storytelling - I don't know, I mean the overarching theme of this series was supposed to be the nature of heroism - can heroes be flawed or is it preferable to go back to the infallible heroes of the Golden Age. But was this them ever really organically woven into the story, from issue to issue? To a degree, yes, and Issue 1, when the Big 3 had their summit and Batman delivered his insta-classic line to Superman ("The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead.") was a promising start to the exploration of this theme, kicked off by Wonder Woman's murder of Maxwell Lord in the Sacrifice storyline.
But where did it really go from there? Nowhere really - just a bunch of vague exclamations from Superboy Prime about how this world's heroes were corrupted and impure, with a bunch of events taken out of context to emphasize the fallibilty of the heroes onthe post-Crisis earth. And then there was the coda in Issue 7, which was just kind of out there. Batman, who of all heroes refuses to kill under any circumstance, holds a gun to the head of Alex Luthor? What?!?! The same Batman who refuses to kill The Joker time after time is going to murder, in cold blood, another in a long line of would-be world conquerers who he has thrown down with? No way. So then WW comes along, looking menacing, but smashes her sword in a symbolic way of saying that she ain't a killer no mo'. Not bad, but the Batman thing was pretty out of character - Alex was already beaten, why would Batman of all people consider killing him?
So yeah, a lot of cool moments this issue, but also a lot of stuff that felt rushed, random, or just off. Numerous continuity errors have popped up in this series as well, even discontinuity between this and other IC-tie in issues, which is pretty annoying. Also, people who SHOULD have been major players given the story and characters involved, ie Lex Luthor, were mostly absent. Sure, the Joker-Lex Luthor (they always seem to team-up at times of crisis ...) scene at the end of the issue was sweet, but also pretty random and a somewhat anti-climactic end for the big-bad Alex Luthor.
What DID I like in Issue 7? Lots of stuff. The aforementioned Joker-Luthor scene was fanboy goodness. Guy Gardner vs. Superboy. Robin's angst at seeing Nightwing then Batman getting beaten before his eyes. The final scene between the Big 3, especially the happier, old-school depiction of Bruce Wayne. Superboy Prime and his bloody S-shield. All the random characters popping out of nowhere - I mean, Wild Dog? The New Blood? Cool! The assembly of the Green Lantern Corps and the wall of sheer green willpower. Mogo, the planet GL, playing an unexpected role - and he socializes! Nice little character moments from Guy, Hal Jordan, Booster Gold, and others. The red sun idea was pretty cool. As always, Johns packed in the little "cool" moments, and the fanboy geek-out scenes were in no short supply.
But as a series, that was pretty much what Infinite Crisis turned out to be -- a 100 mph, bursting at the seams collection of cool moments. Those were plentiful, even when a coherant plot and impactful, emotional ressonance were not. And the excitement and promise of Issue 1 definitely lessened as the series failed to live up to its full potential to be a modern classic with each passing issue. And in the end, I can't say it was any better than less hyped event comics from throughout the last decade, like Final Night, for one. Was it a good read? Yes. Was it a page-turner? Definitely. Was it filled with great art, numerous geek-out moments, and big changes to the status quo? Yes, without question. But was this all it way hyped up to be, the comic book epic to end all comic book epics? Not really - it just never quite came together.
My Infinite Crisis Issue # 7 Grade: B -
My Infinite Crisis Series Grade: B
OTHER STUFF:
- It wouldn't be a geek edition of my blog without a comment on the announcment of the new Star Wars DVD sets that will finally feature the ORIGINAL, old-school theatrical versions of the oriinal trilogy, without the CGI enhancements or added scenes from the 1990's re-releases. Personally, I don't have that much sentimental attachment to the original versions as opposed to the newer ones, and I don't mind most of the enhancements. My biggest complaint with the new ones is that Greedo now shoots first, and we all know that Han shooting first is waaay cooler and more befitting of his character. So kudos to Lucas and co for finally releasing these unaltered versions, but finger of shame for not justp utting these on the original DVD release and making fans shell out a ton of extra $$$, just to get the original cuts. In any case, fanboys everywhere can now cease their complaining about not being able to buy these, and can focus on complaing about how Superman and X-Men 3 will suck.
- On that note, it's time for some lunch and I'm outta here. Until next time, may the Schwartz be with you.
LOST:
Okay, I was as shocked and as surprised as anyone when I saw the closing 30 seconds or so of last night's Lost. And I think you pretty much HAD to be shocked, as ...
SPOILERS
... Michael killing Ana-Lucia and Libby in cold blood was totally random and out-of-nowhere. Certainly, it was not something that was built up in any way shape or form. And sure, I knew somewhere deep in the back of my mind that Michelle Rodriguez, with her various legal problems and apparent issues on the set had basically forced the producers' hands and put her character on the chopping block. And I also had heard that Cynthia Waitrose had some similar issues and had already signed up to be in an upcoming fall TV pilot. But nothing in this episode led me to believe that THIS is where they'd bite it, and of course nothing really foreshadowed HOW it would go down.
Now, the question is whether the writers will provide a satisfactory motive for Michael to have gone postal, or will the explanation be as random and confusing as the mursers seemed last night? It appears that Michael shot HIMSELF in the shoulder at the episode's end, and the likely inference is that he is going to frame Henry Gale for the murders and claim he was also attacked. But to what end? The obvious answer is that Michael's hand is being forced, and that he is somehow doing what is necessary to save his son. But still, why kill Ana? Okay, so maybe she was considered a danger to the Others since she had killed one already. And then, was the shooting of Libby an accident? Must have been. But then why frame Henry rather than free him or something? Well, I guess he is kind of the sacrificial lamb at this point to the others, no point in keeping him alive when he's already said too much, right? See, this show just writes itself.
Anyways ... aside from the CRAZY ending, I was pretty bored with this episode. Sure, the bried Ana Lucia - Sawyer, finally-giving-in-to-animalistic-lust-hookup piqued my interest for a minute, but man, those flashbacks were just so useless, other than to continue the seemingly pointless "look, see, they're ALL CONNECTED" theme that has permeated many of the flashbacks as of late. The other subplots or whatever just kind of dragged, with the exception of the always-interesting Locke and his interaction with Henry Gale, which seemed to actually shed some light on some of the show's mythology, with Locke being called "one of the good ones." Could this be code for "one of the ones with some kind of crazy, semi-latent meta-ability?" If so, my theory I presented a while back was so money - check it out:
http://dannybaram.blogspot.com/2006/04/lost-okay-now-im-kinda-lost-myself.html
Yes, I am the man. But I digress ... So yeah, decent if not totally decompressed and slowly-paced episode, with a few interesting tidbits of new info, somewhat saved by what is, admittedly, one of the most shocking, if not totally random, cliffhangers in a while. Sure, those of us who are fans of 24 and Veronica Mars are accustomed to awesome cliffhangers, but hey, I guess the Lost fanboy deserve a cool ending every so often as well. Okay, okay, it was a friggin' cool ending, one of the craziest I've seen - I give credit where it's due. Now next week, well, it had better be DAMN good.
My grade: B+
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Saw a bunch of new NBC Pilots yesterday. Won't go into detailed reviews, but instead I'll throw out a few bits of tantalizing info that focuses on the good of what I saw:
1.) Aaron Sorkin fans saddened by the departure of West Wing, don't get too upset, you have A LOT to look forward to.
2.) Arrested Development fans still in mourning - Jeffrey Tambor is back, paired up with another comedic veteran, and while their new show is traditional, it's also pretty hilarious.
- So long Commander in Chief. Didn't watch it, but I must root for Geena Davis, one of my favorite BU alums.
- Speaking of ABC, awesome how you can now watch the newest eps of shows like Lost on their website, for free no less. Hope that NBC follows suit.
NBA PLAYOFFS:
- Great game last night between the Wiz and the Cavs. LeBron and Gilbert each had spectacular offensive games, but in the end the Wizards total lack of D killed 'em in OT. You let Lebron beat you with a baseline LAYUP at the buzzer, after waiting to get a shot off with 3 seconds left to play? What? Bad strategic decisions and loose defense killed the Wizards last night. Looking forward to Game 6 though.
- Speaking of which, it's gonna be a slobberknocker tonight between the Lakers and Suns - can't wait. Go Suns!
- RIP Michael Redd and the Bucks - put up a decent fight but no real match for the Pistons, who are firing on all cylinders and are going to be tough to beat.
COMICS:
- So yeterday, the biggest comic book event in years reached its conclusion. I'm talking ...
INFINITE CRISIS -- final wrap-up review:
- I can liken Infinite Crisis, especially in its last few issues, and MOST especially in its final issue, #7, to a kid getting the keys to the toystore and pretty much having no idea what to do with himself. All he knows is that he wants to play with every toy at his disposal. That is pretty much my thought on this final issue in the seven-part series. It's like "oh look, there's Bane breaking someone's back!" (but didn't he forsake villainy and retire to the Himalayas?). "Oh, check it out, there's Nightwing getting nearly-killed by Alex Luthor!" (But he's healed up and fine a few pages later ...). "Hey, let's have TWO different Supermen fight Doomsday! Wouldn't that be sweet?" (I guess, except they utterly decimate him in one page - and wasn't he controlled by the conspicuously absent Dr. Psycho in Villains United, which leads directly into this issue?).
Geoff Johns' superhero epic is just all over the place by this point, and any pretension of a coherant story is pretty much thrown out the window. This series was supposed to be about "the worst day in the history of the DCU." But instead of making us believe that it really was the worst day ever organically from the magnitude of the story, we are simply told, over and over, how bad things are. The story NEVER reached a point where there was an "aha" moment and everything came together in a logical way. Sure, we knew that Alex Luthor was the mastermind behind the Society, the Omacs, etc - but what his motivation was, who this character was and why he was no longer a benevelant hero but a would-be evil conquerer was never satisfactorilly explained in a clear manner. Neither was the conversion of Superboy Prime from an innocent hero in the original Crisis to an utterly deranged, all-powerful killing machine. And the Superman of Earth 2 - essentially THE hero, the prototype that all others would follow -- WHY would he ever have fallen in league with those two, it just wasn't justified well enough.
So there's one problem - characters' motivations never made clear or coherant. Here's another: the scattershot nature of the plot made each story beat get totally lost in the fray, for the most part. All the big moments - Superboy's death last issue, E-2 Superman's death here, the final fates of Superboy Prime and Alex Luthor - did not make the impact they should have. Why? Because there was not the proper build up for these events to make a real EMOTIONAL impact on the reader. I mean, in the Villains United special, writer Gail Simone did a great job of building up the battle in Metropolis as being pretty huge. A ragtag band of second-string heroes, regular cops, and other assorted B-listers, was going to have to face hundreds of the most vile villains ever, including all the big guns of the Society - Dr. Psycho, Sinestro, Deathstroke, and the beast that once killed Superman - Doomsday. And yet in IC 7, the battle is just a bunch of random punches and kicks. Where are the great moments of heroism, the brave sacrifices, the fighting by cops and D-listers against impossible odds? The whole fight takes mere pages to complete. The aforementioned Doomsday fight is limited to one page. Batman, Robin, and Nightwing taking on Deathstroke occurs OFF-PANEL. There is just too much packed into this issue, and it means that everything feels very rushed, and also that the plot never quite comes together into a clear, coherant, overarching story. To this end, many of the series' subplots just come off as being random and useless. What real purpose did Donna Troy and her space-faring team really serve to the story? What was the point of GL Kyle Rayner changing into Ion, again?
Because of all that is happening, the art also suffers. While DC has been pretty good up until now about having great artists do the necessary fill-in work for regular penciller Phil Jiminez, issue 7 definitely has the series' most jarring artistic transitions to date, with a number of key scenes sporting very noticable shifts in art. For the first time in the series, a numberof pages just looked sloppy, noticeably the last big splash page that served as a preview of the "new" DCU, which looked very rushed and not up to the usual standards of Jiminez, Ordway, Perez, Reiss, and co. Of course, the majority of the artwork was dynamite as usual. The pages the Jiminez DID actually pencil were simply beautiful as always, and Ordway and Perez's work, and the covers by Jim Lee and George Perez, were top-tier as usual.
I also have to question the random bits of changed continuity that are expositionally explained here in a pretty awkward manner. Alex Luthor explains that in this new earth, things are different. Superman was now Superboy again in his early career. Wonder Woman was now a founding member of the JLA. Batman knew who killed his parents ala Batman Begins. What?!?! Okay, the necessity of these changes is questionable, as they negate a number of excellent stories like John Bryne's Man of Steel and Mark Waid's JLA: Year One. But also, why shoehorn this exposition into the story like this? Ugh, just awkward storytelling there. One other big example of crowded exposition - the return of Bart Allen as The Flash. While a nice tribute to the original Crisis, with Kid Flash inheriting his mentor's mantle, this was SO random and confusing. Bart comes back, is aged ten years, tells Jay Garrick that the old-timer is now the fastest man alive, and that Wally, Linda, and their twins are in some other dimension? Whaaat?Oh yeah, Bart and Jay play no other part in the story, so their appearance serves no real purpose. I'm curious to see what's going on with the Flash's, but, this was just a bit much.
And speaking of awkward storytelling - I don't know, I mean the overarching theme of this series was supposed to be the nature of heroism - can heroes be flawed or is it preferable to go back to the infallible heroes of the Golden Age. But was this them ever really organically woven into the story, from issue to issue? To a degree, yes, and Issue 1, when the Big 3 had their summit and Batman delivered his insta-classic line to Superman ("The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead.") was a promising start to the exploration of this theme, kicked off by Wonder Woman's murder of Maxwell Lord in the Sacrifice storyline.
But where did it really go from there? Nowhere really - just a bunch of vague exclamations from Superboy Prime about how this world's heroes were corrupted and impure, with a bunch of events taken out of context to emphasize the fallibilty of the heroes onthe post-Crisis earth. And then there was the coda in Issue 7, which was just kind of out there. Batman, who of all heroes refuses to kill under any circumstance, holds a gun to the head of Alex Luthor? What?!?! The same Batman who refuses to kill The Joker time after time is going to murder, in cold blood, another in a long line of would-be world conquerers who he has thrown down with? No way. So then WW comes along, looking menacing, but smashes her sword in a symbolic way of saying that she ain't a killer no mo'. Not bad, but the Batman thing was pretty out of character - Alex was already beaten, why would Batman of all people consider killing him?
So yeah, a lot of cool moments this issue, but also a lot of stuff that felt rushed, random, or just off. Numerous continuity errors have popped up in this series as well, even discontinuity between this and other IC-tie in issues, which is pretty annoying. Also, people who SHOULD have been major players given the story and characters involved, ie Lex Luthor, were mostly absent. Sure, the Joker-Lex Luthor (they always seem to team-up at times of crisis ...) scene at the end of the issue was sweet, but also pretty random and a somewhat anti-climactic end for the big-bad Alex Luthor.
What DID I like in Issue 7? Lots of stuff. The aforementioned Joker-Luthor scene was fanboy goodness. Guy Gardner vs. Superboy. Robin's angst at seeing Nightwing then Batman getting beaten before his eyes. The final scene between the Big 3, especially the happier, old-school depiction of Bruce Wayne. Superboy Prime and his bloody S-shield. All the random characters popping out of nowhere - I mean, Wild Dog? The New Blood? Cool! The assembly of the Green Lantern Corps and the wall of sheer green willpower. Mogo, the planet GL, playing an unexpected role - and he socializes! Nice little character moments from Guy, Hal Jordan, Booster Gold, and others. The red sun idea was pretty cool. As always, Johns packed in the little "cool" moments, and the fanboy geek-out scenes were in no short supply.
But as a series, that was pretty much what Infinite Crisis turned out to be -- a 100 mph, bursting at the seams collection of cool moments. Those were plentiful, even when a coherant plot and impactful, emotional ressonance were not. And the excitement and promise of Issue 1 definitely lessened as the series failed to live up to its full potential to be a modern classic with each passing issue. And in the end, I can't say it was any better than less hyped event comics from throughout the last decade, like Final Night, for one. Was it a good read? Yes. Was it a page-turner? Definitely. Was it filled with great art, numerous geek-out moments, and big changes to the status quo? Yes, without question. But was this all it way hyped up to be, the comic book epic to end all comic book epics? Not really - it just never quite came together.
My Infinite Crisis Issue # 7 Grade: B -
My Infinite Crisis Series Grade: B
OTHER STUFF:
- It wouldn't be a geek edition of my blog without a comment on the announcment of the new Star Wars DVD sets that will finally feature the ORIGINAL, old-school theatrical versions of the oriinal trilogy, without the CGI enhancements or added scenes from the 1990's re-releases. Personally, I don't have that much sentimental attachment to the original versions as opposed to the newer ones, and I don't mind most of the enhancements. My biggest complaint with the new ones is that Greedo now shoots first, and we all know that Han shooting first is waaay cooler and more befitting of his character. So kudos to Lucas and co for finally releasing these unaltered versions, but finger of shame for not justp utting these on the original DVD release and making fans shell out a ton of extra $$$, just to get the original cuts. In any case, fanboys everywhere can now cease their complaining about not being able to buy these, and can focus on complaing about how Superman and X-Men 3 will suck.
- On that note, it's time for some lunch and I'm outta here. Until next time, may the Schwartz be with you.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Rocket to Mars: Veronica M, NBA, and 10,000 Hits!
Hey guys, just want to take a minute and say thanks for reading. As of this morning the blog has reached a milestone of 10,000 + hits, and sure it's not like I'm posting Google numbers or anything, but not bad for a humble blog about a regular Joe from Bloomfield, CT. Okay, so maybe it's obvious that people just can't get enough of my oh-so-insightful rants about TV, movies, politics, and everyday life. So that is why I will continue to strive to keep this thing updated and basically use it as a mechanism for convincing the world to appreciate the good stuff - basically, spreading my own personal gospel to an ever-growing legion of followers. So until everyone sees things my way, I will be compelled to keep writing and telling it like it is and fighting the good fight. Which means, well, I've got a lot of writing to do ...
VERONICA MARS:
Exhibit A in the fun of writing this blog -- spreading the word about underappreciated shows like this one, becaue: holy freaking crap, Veronica Mars last night was AMAZING. So much awesomeness from start to finish - this episode had me in the palm of its hand last night. I mean, how about that opening ten minutes? Wow! I think just about every VM fan was holding their breath, thinking that our boy Wallace was about to get blown away by the gun-toting crazy janitor with a vendetta with a capital V. I for sure was convinced for that moment that Wallace had just sacrificed himself and gone out like a hero, but luckily he survived. And you know, the character of Wallace really is one of the best on TV when you look at him and where he's come from. In a way, he really is the true hero of the show - a lone example of a guy who came from nothing (his introduction to Neptune High was being strung up on the flagpole by his boxers), and worked his way up the food chain (got into college, made it big on the basketball team, got the girl) on sheer will, talent, and smarts, and never compromised his morals or character to do so. The true heart and soul of the show. Anyways, man, this episode didn't let ANYONE off the hook. Well, except Aaron Echols. Man, I can't believe he was found not guilty. What an evil bastard. And whoah, who thought that Steve Guttenberg could be so menacing and creepy. Okay, I guess it's not THAT out of left field.
So yeah, we all pretty much figured that his character of Woody Goodman was a sketchball, but the question is - did he cause the bus crash? Seems to obvious to be the case at this point, and we know how much this show likes its twists. There's still a lot we don't know about Terence Cook - we know he fixed a game, but how does that tie into the bus crash, if at all? Okay, maybe his story is mostly resolved (looks like he's gonna be the mafia's bitch for a while ...), but what about everyone's favorite gold-digging femme fatale, Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas? We definitely have not gotten her full story yet either. It stands to reason that Beaver C (poor Alex!) suffered a little molestation at the hands of GoodWood, but I don't think he'd crash the bus, would he? No, but could he have been the one who actually raped Veronica way back when, as a way of somehow trying to get over his little league trauma? Could be - man that Beav has some baggage. As does his brother, Dick, who was absent in tonight's ep but seemes due for an appearance before all is said and done. Doesn't seem like he really had much involvement in the crash - but could THAT be the big twist? Then there's Gia Goodman, who has been portrayed as slightly loopy but not exactly a murderer. Still, she COULD be trying to protect her daddy's rep by offing one of his victims before the "outing of all outings" could take place. There's always the sleazy sheriff, but he's more of an antagonist to Keith Mars than a likely mastermind. Aaron Echols had to be involved SOMEHOW, but what his part was we don't really know, yet. Hey, did they ever find Lynn Echols' body? Man, I cannot wait for next week's inevitable revelations. Something tells me Gia Goodman is going to be involved in a huge twist, but I don't know. Predictions? Anyone?
Overall though, this episode had it all. They really piled on the tragedy, setting the stage for a truly epic finale next week. But there's so many loose ends, I can't see how they are going to wrap it up satisfactorilly next week in one episode. I haven't even mentioned Logan's ongoing saga, his relationship with Veronica, the issue of Veronica's mysterious sexual history, her collegiate prospects (I can't believe she blew off that test!), and so much more. And what about Weevil's tragic tale? Sure, he's a thuggish murderer and deserves to get caught and suffer, but who didn't want to see him ace that test and make his grandma proud?
Damn, this show is so freaking good. Everyone should check out the Season 1 and 2 DVD's this summer and if, please lord, it comes back for Season 3, you MUST get on this bandwagon. It's provided two of the best seasons of TV EVER thus far, and man, next week we are in for one hell of a finale.
My grade: A+
GILMORE GIRLS:
You know, after the superlative episode from a few weeks ago that featured Lane's wedding, this show just seems to be in a downward spiral as it prepares for the Palladinos' departure at season's end. I just am not a big fan of what is going on with the characters right now, and with a creative regime change next season, I don't really have faith that these issues are going to be resolved to the fans' satisfaction. I mean, okay - the show has, for a long time, been fated to go in a certain direction. That direction is Luke and Lorellai getting married and having a kid and starting a life together, and Rory dumping Logan, maybe finding a more down to earth guy, and going off on her own towards a promising career as a journalist. And yet, this season has been one giant bump in the road towards that ending, which is fine, to a degree. At this point, Luke and Lorellai have had their quarells, patched things up, and should be ready to face anything together. Now though they are on the rocks due to this stupid kid issue which is not convincing as a plot device that would drive such a wedge between them. And by all accounts, Rory should have dumped Logan a long time ago, in fact, she DID. And yet now she's back with him playing the role of doting nurse after he pulls yet another asshole move. So yeah, still love the voice of this show and the quirky characters and the humor, but when all the lead characters are being portrayed as so unlikable and unsympathetic, and as straying so far from the path they had been headed on for years, it really is kind of depressing to watch. Anxious for next week's finale, but the thought of the ep ending with Lorelai and Chris together is kind of nauseating. My grade: B -
Okay, now that I've totally made everyone question my masculinity, it's time for some NBA talk ...
NBA OUTSIDE STUFF:
- Rajah Bell lays the smack down on Kobe! Okay, so a small, small part of me was kind of smirking as Kobe got Bubba-bombed to the floor last night by Bell. But the less bitter and Kobe-hating side of me says: Rajah Bell, you seriously f'd up. Barkley put it best in his post-game commentary - all Rajah Bell did was help hand the Lakers the series. He's going to have them fired up for Game 6, which should be a thriller, and, he has likely taken himself out of the game as well, which is too bad as he's pretty much the only Sun who has proven that they can defend Kobe. So bad move, Bell, you should have kept your emotions in check, especially with the game long-since won.
But, come on, all you Lakers fanboys. Don't even try to pretend that Kobe is an innocent in this situation. He was elbowing and chipping away at Rajah all night, and his cocky attitudes when it comes to the refs, with EVERY call being met with complaints, is just grating.
Looking forward to Game 6, as is, of course, David Stern and his cronies. Hmm, how convenient that Rajah acted when he did, totally changing the outlook for the next game in the blink of an eye ... let the conspiracy theories continue ...
- Big win for Miami. Gotta admit I do kind of want to see the Heat take on the Cavs in Round 2 ... Wade vs. James = daaamn.
- And for those of you who put too much stock in Rajah Bell's Stone Cold-esque move last night, it's not that big a deal - what, have we all turned into a society of anti-hard foul wimps? Yes, it was bad, but nothing Bill Lambier wouldn't have approved of back in the day. And I can't think of a more deserving recipient of a little rough justice on the court.
Okay, maybe that was a tad bit harsh. But as Bill Walton might say: "Come on, this is the playoffs."
BLOCKBUSTER SUMMER MOVIE TRAILER THOUGHTS:
- Some great trailers made the rounds on the net yesterday, including an amazing visual tour de force for PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN 2. Wow, looks awesome. I love the visual creativity and the crazy CGI f/x. It looks like what was once an underdog, sleeper hit is now THE franchise to beat this summer. Can't wait.
- Of course, the other big, nay, supersized trailer was for SUPERMAN RETURNS. Finally, some footage to sink our teeth into - it's about time. Okay, so visuals looked great, the whole thing LOOKS like one giant Alex Ross painting brought to life, which is cool. But, I still don't like a lot of what I see. I hate Lois being married and having a kid. Routh still looks too young and effeminate to be Superman, let alone a Superman supposedly returning after a long absence. And Bosworth as Lois looks way too young as well. Now, I WAS really excited for Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, but here he seems to be doing his best Gene Hackman impersonation, which in my mind is really a bad sign. I was anxiously anticipating Spacey bringing the cold, calculating, badass Lex of the comics and animated series to life. Now it seems we get crazed loony Lex ala the original movies. Dammit. Ugh, this is just so depressing. I want a big superhero epic and it looks like we are getting a nice looking but dull Donner homage that is straying too far from the mythos and not providing the action-adventure extravaganza that I and others were hoping for.
- As for X-3, I HAD been pleasently surprised by the trailers, but damn if the new footage shown on Leno doesn't look like crap. Cheap looking Sentinel head - I can't believe they don't even show the whole body - what a cop out! And the whole fastball special scene, while a nice idea, just looks cheesy as hell, as does Collossus. Lame dialogue and questionable f/x = starting to re-lose my faith in this movie. Still, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are sure to bring the gravitas ...
On that note, I'm outta here - keep the hits coming. 10,000 and counting. Stay tuned - because how else are you going to know what's cool if not from this blog? Whooooooooo.
VERONICA MARS:
Exhibit A in the fun of writing this blog -- spreading the word about underappreciated shows like this one, becaue: holy freaking crap, Veronica Mars last night was AMAZING. So much awesomeness from start to finish - this episode had me in the palm of its hand last night. I mean, how about that opening ten minutes? Wow! I think just about every VM fan was holding their breath, thinking that our boy Wallace was about to get blown away by the gun-toting crazy janitor with a vendetta with a capital V. I for sure was convinced for that moment that Wallace had just sacrificed himself and gone out like a hero, but luckily he survived. And you know, the character of Wallace really is one of the best on TV when you look at him and where he's come from. In a way, he really is the true hero of the show - a lone example of a guy who came from nothing (his introduction to Neptune High was being strung up on the flagpole by his boxers), and worked his way up the food chain (got into college, made it big on the basketball team, got the girl) on sheer will, talent, and smarts, and never compromised his morals or character to do so. The true heart and soul of the show. Anyways, man, this episode didn't let ANYONE off the hook. Well, except Aaron Echols. Man, I can't believe he was found not guilty. What an evil bastard. And whoah, who thought that Steve Guttenberg could be so menacing and creepy. Okay, I guess it's not THAT out of left field.
So yeah, we all pretty much figured that his character of Woody Goodman was a sketchball, but the question is - did he cause the bus crash? Seems to obvious to be the case at this point, and we know how much this show likes its twists. There's still a lot we don't know about Terence Cook - we know he fixed a game, but how does that tie into the bus crash, if at all? Okay, maybe his story is mostly resolved (looks like he's gonna be the mafia's bitch for a while ...), but what about everyone's favorite gold-digging femme fatale, Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas? We definitely have not gotten her full story yet either. It stands to reason that Beaver C (poor Alex!) suffered a little molestation at the hands of GoodWood, but I don't think he'd crash the bus, would he? No, but could he have been the one who actually raped Veronica way back when, as a way of somehow trying to get over his little league trauma? Could be - man that Beav has some baggage. As does his brother, Dick, who was absent in tonight's ep but seemes due for an appearance before all is said and done. Doesn't seem like he really had much involvement in the crash - but could THAT be the big twist? Then there's Gia Goodman, who has been portrayed as slightly loopy but not exactly a murderer. Still, she COULD be trying to protect her daddy's rep by offing one of his victims before the "outing of all outings" could take place. There's always the sleazy sheriff, but he's more of an antagonist to Keith Mars than a likely mastermind. Aaron Echols had to be involved SOMEHOW, but what his part was we don't really know, yet. Hey, did they ever find Lynn Echols' body? Man, I cannot wait for next week's inevitable revelations. Something tells me Gia Goodman is going to be involved in a huge twist, but I don't know. Predictions? Anyone?
Overall though, this episode had it all. They really piled on the tragedy, setting the stage for a truly epic finale next week. But there's so many loose ends, I can't see how they are going to wrap it up satisfactorilly next week in one episode. I haven't even mentioned Logan's ongoing saga, his relationship with Veronica, the issue of Veronica's mysterious sexual history, her collegiate prospects (I can't believe she blew off that test!), and so much more. And what about Weevil's tragic tale? Sure, he's a thuggish murderer and deserves to get caught and suffer, but who didn't want to see him ace that test and make his grandma proud?
Damn, this show is so freaking good. Everyone should check out the Season 1 and 2 DVD's this summer and if, please lord, it comes back for Season 3, you MUST get on this bandwagon. It's provided two of the best seasons of TV EVER thus far, and man, next week we are in for one hell of a finale.
My grade: A+
GILMORE GIRLS:
You know, after the superlative episode from a few weeks ago that featured Lane's wedding, this show just seems to be in a downward spiral as it prepares for the Palladinos' departure at season's end. I just am not a big fan of what is going on with the characters right now, and with a creative regime change next season, I don't really have faith that these issues are going to be resolved to the fans' satisfaction. I mean, okay - the show has, for a long time, been fated to go in a certain direction. That direction is Luke and Lorellai getting married and having a kid and starting a life together, and Rory dumping Logan, maybe finding a more down to earth guy, and going off on her own towards a promising career as a journalist. And yet, this season has been one giant bump in the road towards that ending, which is fine, to a degree. At this point, Luke and Lorellai have had their quarells, patched things up, and should be ready to face anything together. Now though they are on the rocks due to this stupid kid issue which is not convincing as a plot device that would drive such a wedge between them. And by all accounts, Rory should have dumped Logan a long time ago, in fact, she DID. And yet now she's back with him playing the role of doting nurse after he pulls yet another asshole move. So yeah, still love the voice of this show and the quirky characters and the humor, but when all the lead characters are being portrayed as so unlikable and unsympathetic, and as straying so far from the path they had been headed on for years, it really is kind of depressing to watch. Anxious for next week's finale, but the thought of the ep ending with Lorelai and Chris together is kind of nauseating. My grade: B -
Okay, now that I've totally made everyone question my masculinity, it's time for some NBA talk ...
NBA OUTSIDE STUFF:
- Rajah Bell lays the smack down on Kobe! Okay, so a small, small part of me was kind of smirking as Kobe got Bubba-bombed to the floor last night by Bell. But the less bitter and Kobe-hating side of me says: Rajah Bell, you seriously f'd up. Barkley put it best in his post-game commentary - all Rajah Bell did was help hand the Lakers the series. He's going to have them fired up for Game 6, which should be a thriller, and, he has likely taken himself out of the game as well, which is too bad as he's pretty much the only Sun who has proven that they can defend Kobe. So bad move, Bell, you should have kept your emotions in check, especially with the game long-since won.
But, come on, all you Lakers fanboys. Don't even try to pretend that Kobe is an innocent in this situation. He was elbowing and chipping away at Rajah all night, and his cocky attitudes when it comes to the refs, with EVERY call being met with complaints, is just grating.
Looking forward to Game 6, as is, of course, David Stern and his cronies. Hmm, how convenient that Rajah acted when he did, totally changing the outlook for the next game in the blink of an eye ... let the conspiracy theories continue ...
- Big win for Miami. Gotta admit I do kind of want to see the Heat take on the Cavs in Round 2 ... Wade vs. James = daaamn.
- And for those of you who put too much stock in Rajah Bell's Stone Cold-esque move last night, it's not that big a deal - what, have we all turned into a society of anti-hard foul wimps? Yes, it was bad, but nothing Bill Lambier wouldn't have approved of back in the day. And I can't think of a more deserving recipient of a little rough justice on the court.
Okay, maybe that was a tad bit harsh. But as Bill Walton might say: "Come on, this is the playoffs."
BLOCKBUSTER SUMMER MOVIE TRAILER THOUGHTS:
- Some great trailers made the rounds on the net yesterday, including an amazing visual tour de force for PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN 2. Wow, looks awesome. I love the visual creativity and the crazy CGI f/x. It looks like what was once an underdog, sleeper hit is now THE franchise to beat this summer. Can't wait.
- Of course, the other big, nay, supersized trailer was for SUPERMAN RETURNS. Finally, some footage to sink our teeth into - it's about time. Okay, so visuals looked great, the whole thing LOOKS like one giant Alex Ross painting brought to life, which is cool. But, I still don't like a lot of what I see. I hate Lois being married and having a kid. Routh still looks too young and effeminate to be Superman, let alone a Superman supposedly returning after a long absence. And Bosworth as Lois looks way too young as well. Now, I WAS really excited for Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, but here he seems to be doing his best Gene Hackman impersonation, which in my mind is really a bad sign. I was anxiously anticipating Spacey bringing the cold, calculating, badass Lex of the comics and animated series to life. Now it seems we get crazed loony Lex ala the original movies. Dammit. Ugh, this is just so depressing. I want a big superhero epic and it looks like we are getting a nice looking but dull Donner homage that is straying too far from the mythos and not providing the action-adventure extravaganza that I and others were hoping for.
- As for X-3, I HAD been pleasently surprised by the trailers, but damn if the new footage shown on Leno doesn't look like crap. Cheap looking Sentinel head - I can't believe they don't even show the whole body - what a cop out! And the whole fastball special scene, while a nice idea, just looks cheesy as hell, as does Collossus. Lame dialogue and questionable f/x = starting to re-lose my faith in this movie. Still, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are sure to bring the gravitas ...
On that note, I'm outta here - keep the hits coming. 10,000 and counting. Stay tuned - because how else are you going to know what's cool if not from this blog? Whooooooooo.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Jack Bauer on a Plane: 24, Prisonbreak, and more!
24:
Well 24 was back once again this week with another edge of your seat installment. Let's get right down to it ...
- Awesome stuff with Jack on the plane, him going NINJA on the air marshall sitting next to him was an insta-classic nugget of Jack-attack.
- Chloe with the DOUBLE TAZER-SHOT OF DOOM in the hotel bar. What looked to be another groan-inducing 24 subplot was quickly turned into a brief but hilarious moment of comic relief.
- If anyone brought the GRAVITAS this week, it was Bill Buchanan, sporting the UNDERSHIRT.
- Don't those pilots know what happens when you piss off Jack? He SHAKES YOUR PLANE AROUND.
- You've gotta love the sheer political incorrectness of having Jack HIJACK A PLANE, ward off rebellious passengers, and force an emergency landing, oh yeah - AND prompt the President to order the plane to be SHOT DOWN in the interest of protecting his own agenda --all in the SAME WEEK that United 93 is released in theaters.
- When is Novick finally just going to up and give Prez. Logan the ol' what-for?
- Speaking of which, unintentially hilarious moment when Mrs. Logan asks Mike something like "Is there anything else ...?" and Mike kind of looks at her semi-lustfully, gulps, and says "Yes ...".
- No further insight into the SECRET CABAL OF BLUETOOTH-SPORTING PREPPIES this week ... hmm are they being set up as the Big Bads of Season 6?
- Overall, an excellent episode this week as we've come to expect from this always-intense show. Sorry, haters, but 24 at this point is more than just a TV show -- it's an experience. Nay, a way of life even.
My grade: A
PRISONBREAK:
Damn -- AWESOME EP this week! The sheer over-the-top intensity as the inmates prepared for their escape was mind-boggling, and every character got their moment to shine. But the character moments, and even the closing montage never seemed annoying or forced - instead everything reached its logical climactic moment of truth after months and months of build-up. Ya just gotta love Scofield entering the Warden's office in the closing minutes, trademark smirk intact, demanding for his aid in the impending prison break. Just awesome stuff here - I think I even enjoyed Prisonbreak more than 24 this week, it was that intense. My grade: A
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Finally caught last week's SMALLVILLE, and it was, in fact, one of the better episodes of the season. Clark, for once, was pitted against a rather cool villain, and got to play hero rather than chump. The Lex-Lana-Clark stuff was actually handled well, and Lois was great and Erica Durance has really, um, come to embody that character (in more way than one, fellas). Let's just say the ante is upped a bit for big-screen Lois, Kate Bosworth, come June. Good stuff here, glad to see this show on the rebound after a few weeks of disappointing installments. My grade: A -
- On last week's THE OFFICE. Finally, a new episode. I have to say though, this show, which was enjoying a creative peak earlier in the season, is now becoming a tale of two shows. We have the hilarious, random bits of oddball humor from Dwight and Michael, and we have the increasingly cheesy, out-of-place flirtations between Jim and Pam. Now of course, many of my female friends just love the doomed not-quite-tomance between the two office-mates, but that's almost the problem. The whole thing seems like its been played up to satisfy some market research or somethign rather than being a natural part of the show. Any fan of the superlative British Office knows that the poignancy of Tim and Dawn was ALL in the SUBTLE moments - the little glances, the awkward hellos, etc. Jim and Pam is anything but subtle lately, and it's really annoying in my book and is really throwing this show off its game. Still, as long as we get classic bits of dialogue each week from Dwight, and as long as we get Steve Carell bringing the funny, this is one of TV's only current must-see comedies. The whole drug-testing plotline this week was just side-splittingly hilarious. That's why I watch the show. So focus on the humor, and evolve the subplots subtlely and naturally. But yeah "My father's name was Dwright Schrute. His father's name was Dwight Schrute. HIS father's name was Dwighd Schrude. Amish." = hilarious. My grade: B+
- Huge props to STEPHEN COLBERT. I've always been a fan, but I have a newfound appreciation for the man after he delivered a biting keynote speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this past weekend (check out YouTube if you've not yet seen it!). With Bush sitting mere feet away, Colbert stuck to his cocky, far-right wing character, which is of course one giant satire of the whole conservative talk show host thing. So basically, Colbert proceeds to ruthlessly mock the president, the press, and everyone in between with all of them right there up close and personal. Sure, some of his jokes bomberd and he appeared to be, justifiably, a bit nervous, but Colbert stuck to his guns and showed a lot of balls in mocking prez not really known for his sense of self-deprecating humor, especially when it comes to his policies. Sure, those Correspondents' dinners are always basically a roast to the president, but this was a pretty unique meeting of pop culture's number one conservative satirist with or ocuntry's number one conservative figurehead. Pretty interesting, and once again, props to Colbert.
- JOEY STYLES! Best RAW promo in a long while delivered last night by the voice of ECW, as the geeky voice of the E-C-Dub purist told it like it was. Too bad it was the one bright spot in a consistently lackluster program of late. But still, hardcore, extreme, and worthy of one of Joey's trademark "OH MY GOD!'s."
- Watch Veronica Mars tonight, dammit all!
OTHER STUFF:
- Congrats to the Clippers, moving to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in 30 years! Their team is looking pretty stacked lately, and if the hated Lakers DO manage to make it an LA-LA series, I will eagerly anticipate the Clips delivering a humility-inducing beat-down to the second best team in LA. But, until that series is confirmed: GO SUNS!
- Forgot to mention that this weekend, at the Improv, one of the openers was none other than former SINGLED-OUT host Chris Hardwick. So THAT's what he's been up to all this time ...
- Some new SUPERMAN footage is up on the net, part of an international soft drink ad. Oddly, this is the best footage from the movie I've yet seen ,with some sweet but brief footage of Supes flying around and saving a plane. Hmm, the jury's still out on this one ...
- They are making a new Red Sonjia movie? Hmm, the original kicks ass though!
- I understand why United 93 didn't tear up the box office, but losing to RV?!?! Wow that says something right there. What it say I'm not sure, but it can't be good. Seriously though, I think good word of mouth will give 93 some longevity at the box office - it's not exactly one where people are rushing out to see it opening weekend.
- Okay, may Jack be with you. And remember, if you ever need to disarm an air marshall on a small, crowded plane without being seen - a quick elbow-strike to the back of the head should do just fine. See, you learn something new from 24 every week. Amazing, innit?.
Well 24 was back once again this week with another edge of your seat installment. Let's get right down to it ...
- Awesome stuff with Jack on the plane, him going NINJA on the air marshall sitting next to him was an insta-classic nugget of Jack-attack.
- Chloe with the DOUBLE TAZER-SHOT OF DOOM in the hotel bar. What looked to be another groan-inducing 24 subplot was quickly turned into a brief but hilarious moment of comic relief.
- If anyone brought the GRAVITAS this week, it was Bill Buchanan, sporting the UNDERSHIRT.
- Don't those pilots know what happens when you piss off Jack? He SHAKES YOUR PLANE AROUND.
- You've gotta love the sheer political incorrectness of having Jack HIJACK A PLANE, ward off rebellious passengers, and force an emergency landing, oh yeah - AND prompt the President to order the plane to be SHOT DOWN in the interest of protecting his own agenda --all in the SAME WEEK that United 93 is released in theaters.
- When is Novick finally just going to up and give Prez. Logan the ol' what-for?
- Speaking of which, unintentially hilarious moment when Mrs. Logan asks Mike something like "Is there anything else ...?" and Mike kind of looks at her semi-lustfully, gulps, and says "Yes ...".
- No further insight into the SECRET CABAL OF BLUETOOTH-SPORTING PREPPIES this week ... hmm are they being set up as the Big Bads of Season 6?
- Overall, an excellent episode this week as we've come to expect from this always-intense show. Sorry, haters, but 24 at this point is more than just a TV show -- it's an experience. Nay, a way of life even.
My grade: A
PRISONBREAK:
Damn -- AWESOME EP this week! The sheer over-the-top intensity as the inmates prepared for their escape was mind-boggling, and every character got their moment to shine. But the character moments, and even the closing montage never seemed annoying or forced - instead everything reached its logical climactic moment of truth after months and months of build-up. Ya just gotta love Scofield entering the Warden's office in the closing minutes, trademark smirk intact, demanding for his aid in the impending prison break. Just awesome stuff here - I think I even enjoyed Prisonbreak more than 24 this week, it was that intense. My grade: A
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Finally caught last week's SMALLVILLE, and it was, in fact, one of the better episodes of the season. Clark, for once, was pitted against a rather cool villain, and got to play hero rather than chump. The Lex-Lana-Clark stuff was actually handled well, and Lois was great and Erica Durance has really, um, come to embody that character (in more way than one, fellas). Let's just say the ante is upped a bit for big-screen Lois, Kate Bosworth, come June. Good stuff here, glad to see this show on the rebound after a few weeks of disappointing installments. My grade: A -
- On last week's THE OFFICE. Finally, a new episode. I have to say though, this show, which was enjoying a creative peak earlier in the season, is now becoming a tale of two shows. We have the hilarious, random bits of oddball humor from Dwight and Michael, and we have the increasingly cheesy, out-of-place flirtations between Jim and Pam. Now of course, many of my female friends just love the doomed not-quite-tomance between the two office-mates, but that's almost the problem. The whole thing seems like its been played up to satisfy some market research or somethign rather than being a natural part of the show. Any fan of the superlative British Office knows that the poignancy of Tim and Dawn was ALL in the SUBTLE moments - the little glances, the awkward hellos, etc. Jim and Pam is anything but subtle lately, and it's really annoying in my book and is really throwing this show off its game. Still, as long as we get classic bits of dialogue each week from Dwight, and as long as we get Steve Carell bringing the funny, this is one of TV's only current must-see comedies. The whole drug-testing plotline this week was just side-splittingly hilarious. That's why I watch the show. So focus on the humor, and evolve the subplots subtlely and naturally. But yeah "My father's name was Dwright Schrute. His father's name was Dwight Schrute. HIS father's name was Dwighd Schrude. Amish." = hilarious. My grade: B+
- Huge props to STEPHEN COLBERT. I've always been a fan, but I have a newfound appreciation for the man after he delivered a biting keynote speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this past weekend (check out YouTube if you've not yet seen it!). With Bush sitting mere feet away, Colbert stuck to his cocky, far-right wing character, which is of course one giant satire of the whole conservative talk show host thing. So basically, Colbert proceeds to ruthlessly mock the president, the press, and everyone in between with all of them right there up close and personal. Sure, some of his jokes bomberd and he appeared to be, justifiably, a bit nervous, but Colbert stuck to his guns and showed a lot of balls in mocking prez not really known for his sense of self-deprecating humor, especially when it comes to his policies. Sure, those Correspondents' dinners are always basically a roast to the president, but this was a pretty unique meeting of pop culture's number one conservative satirist with or ocuntry's number one conservative figurehead. Pretty interesting, and once again, props to Colbert.
- JOEY STYLES! Best RAW promo in a long while delivered last night by the voice of ECW, as the geeky voice of the E-C-Dub purist told it like it was. Too bad it was the one bright spot in a consistently lackluster program of late. But still, hardcore, extreme, and worthy of one of Joey's trademark "OH MY GOD!'s."
- Watch Veronica Mars tonight, dammit all!
OTHER STUFF:
- Congrats to the Clippers, moving to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in 30 years! Their team is looking pretty stacked lately, and if the hated Lakers DO manage to make it an LA-LA series, I will eagerly anticipate the Clips delivering a humility-inducing beat-down to the second best team in LA. But, until that series is confirmed: GO SUNS!
- Forgot to mention that this weekend, at the Improv, one of the openers was none other than former SINGLED-OUT host Chris Hardwick. So THAT's what he's been up to all this time ...
- Some new SUPERMAN footage is up on the net, part of an international soft drink ad. Oddly, this is the best footage from the movie I've yet seen ,with some sweet but brief footage of Supes flying around and saving a plane. Hmm, the jury's still out on this one ...
- They are making a new Red Sonjia movie? Hmm, the original kicks ass though!
- I understand why United 93 didn't tear up the box office, but losing to RV?!?! Wow that says something right there. What it say I'm not sure, but it can't be good. Seriously though, I think good word of mouth will give 93 some longevity at the box office - it's not exactly one where people are rushing out to see it opening weekend.
- Okay, may Jack be with you. And remember, if you ever need to disarm an air marshall on a small, crowded plane without being seen - a quick elbow-strike to the back of the head should do just fine. See, you learn something new from 24 every week. Amazing, innit?.
Monday, May 01, 2006
From Behind The Three Point Line: The NBA Rant of Doom, and More!
Okay, so check out my previous posting about United 93 if you have not done so already. But after you've read that, come back here because I have some important stuff to talk about.
Namely, the NBA Playoffs.
Okay, now I know that LA fans are still spasming in glee over what transpired yesterday, on national TV, in the Lakers vs. Suns game. But I have to say, even though I am kind of over the whole thing, that game still left a very bitter taste in my mouth that has still not completely gone away. Why? Because I am a lifelong NBA fan, don't get me wrong - I love this game, indeed. But the NBA, more so than many other sports, has always been a marketing machine that takes great pains to protect its stars, because the NBA has never really been built around TEAMS, but around the promotion of its superstars. And whenever the NBA does become dominated by rather bland teams, like the Pistons and Spurs, overlord David Stern gets antsy, because ratings go down and interest dwindles. Sure, sure, it's "good for the game" to have teams big on fundamentals in the top spots, but is it good for the NBA? Where's all the kids walking around with Rip Hamilton or Manu Ginobli jerseys? Yeah, it doesn't happen. So okay, I'm not saying the NBA is RIGGED, I'm just saying the same thing that I and numerous other fans have been saying for YEARS: The NBA goes out of its way to "help" various stars take the spotlight. And lo and behold, this year we have top All-Star vote-grabbers Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant back in the playoffs, and hey look, there's old standby Phil Jackson magically back with the Lakers. We have Lebron making his post-season debut. We have a marquee matchup in the two top MVP candidates, Kobe and Steve Nash, going at it in the first round.
Yeah, David Stern was a happy man come playoff time.
So a familiar feeling of anger came over me yesterday, as I watched Steve Nash fouled and calling for T.O., and yet receiving a jump ball call from the refs, who were inconsistent the entire night. And I watched a lot of NBA coverage yesterday, and you know how many replays I saw of this botched call? Practically ZERO. And suddenly every analyst, even those who don't usually hesitate to criticize the refs, are simply saying that the Suns had some "unfortunate" calls.
WTF?
Look, all I'm saying is that the NBA protects its marquee stars and its marquee teams. The Suns without Amare are no longer a marquee team, but the underdog Lakers, heading into a possible Lakers / Clippers series, have now shot through the marquee roof. The NBA is frothing at the mouth over a Lakers / Clips series - everyone in LA will be watchign anf national curiosity will surely be piqued. Or, let me put it this way - Suns vs. Clippers = somewhat boring prelude to either team getting swept in the conference finals. Lakers vs. Clippers = bigtime mid-card feud. Now I personally have no desire to see these teams do battle, as it will be pretty much one big excuse for even more self-congratulation here in LA. No, this is not the Suns year, but I just want to see the better team win this series, without crazy finishes that have the air of being manufactured by the refs.
The fact is that the "steal" from Nash at the end of regulation had none of the grace of say the classic Larry Bird steal against the Pistons in the 80's. No, it was a bunch of guys swarming the ball and getting away with it. And that jump ball call? Same thing. All I know is it reminds me of various Jordan plays in the latter part of his career, when he was so protected in the playoffs that he could get away with practically any foul. It reminds me of Shaq when there was practically no consensus on when to call him for an offensive foul. It reminds me of the infamous Milwaukee-Philly series from a few years back when EVERY call went against the Bucks, and then-poster-boy Allen Iverson and his Sixers inexplicably ended up going to the Finals.
So Lakers fans, bask in your moment of glory. You are the Yankees of basketball, and your moments of glory come often - so to most of the NBA fanbase it's just another reason to despise the Lakers. As for me, I will be rooting for The Suns to take this series, to REALLY defy the odds, because lord knows every NBA suit is against them.
Otherwise, this has been a surprisingly sweet playoffs, with major upsets looming from the Bulls, Kings, and hey, even Milwaukee won one against Detroit. And don't get me wrong, I have no desire to see Spurs vs. Pistons Part 3, so I'm all for some new blood going all the way.
OTHER NBA THOUGHTS:
- Okay, who's idea of a joke is it to have former All-Star Jalen Rose doing these sideline reports for TNT? Nothing against the guy, but he has the most droning, monotone voice I've ever heard and listening to him justifies the invention of the Mute button.
- How funny is Bill Walton? "The crowd rises as one!" I credit the man with being one of the main influences in speaking-style, he is so freaking hilarious.
- I wonder what happened between Payton and Wade? Miami had better get their act together, or they are going to fall victim to da Bulls like it's 1998.
- What's funnier than Charles Barkley's head superimposed on some fat white guy's dancing body and singing "Peanut Butter Jelly Time?" Bwahahaha ...
TV STUFF:
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT QUICK REVIEWS:
KING OF THE HILL: Best Show of the Night. Very funny episode - I love Bobby and Joseph's oblivious conversations about being cool. This show always picks up on obscure but rising trends, and does a great job of satirizing them. This week the target was hippie panhandlers, and it really was a funny look at this weird subculture, which of course goes against everything Hank Hill stands for. "I hate those jeans more than life itself, but since you paid for them I can't say anything." LOL. My grade: A
THE SIMPSONS: Decent idea for an episode, and actually, this was probably the best-plotted ep in a while, though some of the humor did fall flat. Overall, this was a pretty decent ep and it was nice to see the focus on Bart and Lisa and their classmates for a change. Nice Milhouse humor, which is always appreciated. My grade: B
FAMILY GUY: Somewhat of an improvement over the last few weeks of awfulness, but still not that great. Mostly lame, unfunny cutaways this week, and the gay marriage plot was preachy and not very good satire - the whole thing had a played-out feel to it. As per usual, some funny moments, but stil la shadow of the Family Guy of old. My grade: C
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Just want to point out yet again how amazing VERONICA MARS is. Last week's ep was an A+ quality installment, with just so much amazing characterization that it makes me hurt to think about how great it was. Aside from the phenom that is 24, Mars has been head and shoulders the best show on TV this season, and it has only gotten better as it heads into the home stretch. The stuff between Logan and Veronica last week was just so well done, the mystery of the bus crash continues to grow more and more compelling as the layers of the tapestry unfold, and the writing and dialogue continues to be top notch. And seriously, Kristen Bell has really stood out lately as an actress - just showing a ton of range and just kind of reclaiming the show that for a while had come to be domianted by its supporting characters. Check out Veronica, I'm telling you.
- Haven't had a chance yet to watch last week's SMALLVILLE or OC. Stay tuned, as Smallville definitely seemed promising.
- Can't wait to check out a few of the upcoming NBC pilots which I should hopefully get to see in the next few weeks. It should be no surprise that my most anticipated offerings from my network are Heroes and Andy Barker, P.I. Let's hope they are good!
OTHER STUFF:
- Had a fun weekend. Aside from the mind-trip that was United 93, also paid my frist ever visit to the LA Improv, where I saw a bunch of cool comedians, the most prominent of which was Air America host Mark Merron, whose neurotic-Jewish-intellectual brand of humor was pretty hilarious.
- 24! Yes! Tonight, it's: JACK BAUER ON A PLANE! Daaaamn!
- Still plugging away at the job. Not much I will / can report though. Man, with sumemr coming around though I long for the days of summer vacation!
- On that note, it's back to work. Check out my previously posted United 93 review, and also take note of my first-ever use of pictures in the blog! I know, i know, it's a big step. Cya.
Namely, the NBA Playoffs.
Okay, now I know that LA fans are still spasming in glee over what transpired yesterday, on national TV, in the Lakers vs. Suns game. But I have to say, even though I am kind of over the whole thing, that game still left a very bitter taste in my mouth that has still not completely gone away. Why? Because I am a lifelong NBA fan, don't get me wrong - I love this game, indeed. But the NBA, more so than many other sports, has always been a marketing machine that takes great pains to protect its stars, because the NBA has never really been built around TEAMS, but around the promotion of its superstars. And whenever the NBA does become dominated by rather bland teams, like the Pistons and Spurs, overlord David Stern gets antsy, because ratings go down and interest dwindles. Sure, sure, it's "good for the game" to have teams big on fundamentals in the top spots, but is it good for the NBA? Where's all the kids walking around with Rip Hamilton or Manu Ginobli jerseys? Yeah, it doesn't happen. So okay, I'm not saying the NBA is RIGGED, I'm just saying the same thing that I and numerous other fans have been saying for YEARS: The NBA goes out of its way to "help" various stars take the spotlight. And lo and behold, this year we have top All-Star vote-grabbers Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant back in the playoffs, and hey look, there's old standby Phil Jackson magically back with the Lakers. We have Lebron making his post-season debut. We have a marquee matchup in the two top MVP candidates, Kobe and Steve Nash, going at it in the first round.
Yeah, David Stern was a happy man come playoff time.
So a familiar feeling of anger came over me yesterday, as I watched Steve Nash fouled and calling for T.O., and yet receiving a jump ball call from the refs, who were inconsistent the entire night. And I watched a lot of NBA coverage yesterday, and you know how many replays I saw of this botched call? Practically ZERO. And suddenly every analyst, even those who don't usually hesitate to criticize the refs, are simply saying that the Suns had some "unfortunate" calls.
WTF?
Look, all I'm saying is that the NBA protects its marquee stars and its marquee teams. The Suns without Amare are no longer a marquee team, but the underdog Lakers, heading into a possible Lakers / Clippers series, have now shot through the marquee roof. The NBA is frothing at the mouth over a Lakers / Clips series - everyone in LA will be watchign anf national curiosity will surely be piqued. Or, let me put it this way - Suns vs. Clippers = somewhat boring prelude to either team getting swept in the conference finals. Lakers vs. Clippers = bigtime mid-card feud. Now I personally have no desire to see these teams do battle, as it will be pretty much one big excuse for even more self-congratulation here in LA. No, this is not the Suns year, but I just want to see the better team win this series, without crazy finishes that have the air of being manufactured by the refs.
The fact is that the "steal" from Nash at the end of regulation had none of the grace of say the classic Larry Bird steal against the Pistons in the 80's. No, it was a bunch of guys swarming the ball and getting away with it. And that jump ball call? Same thing. All I know is it reminds me of various Jordan plays in the latter part of his career, when he was so protected in the playoffs that he could get away with practically any foul. It reminds me of Shaq when there was practically no consensus on when to call him for an offensive foul. It reminds me of the infamous Milwaukee-Philly series from a few years back when EVERY call went against the Bucks, and then-poster-boy Allen Iverson and his Sixers inexplicably ended up going to the Finals.
So Lakers fans, bask in your moment of glory. You are the Yankees of basketball, and your moments of glory come often - so to most of the NBA fanbase it's just another reason to despise the Lakers. As for me, I will be rooting for The Suns to take this series, to REALLY defy the odds, because lord knows every NBA suit is against them.
Otherwise, this has been a surprisingly sweet playoffs, with major upsets looming from the Bulls, Kings, and hey, even Milwaukee won one against Detroit. And don't get me wrong, I have no desire to see Spurs vs. Pistons Part 3, so I'm all for some new blood going all the way.
OTHER NBA THOUGHTS:
- Okay, who's idea of a joke is it to have former All-Star Jalen Rose doing these sideline reports for TNT? Nothing against the guy, but he has the most droning, monotone voice I've ever heard and listening to him justifies the invention of the Mute button.
- How funny is Bill Walton? "The crowd rises as one!" I credit the man with being one of the main influences in speaking-style, he is so freaking hilarious.
- I wonder what happened between Payton and Wade? Miami had better get their act together, or they are going to fall victim to da Bulls like it's 1998.
- What's funnier than Charles Barkley's head superimposed on some fat white guy's dancing body and singing "Peanut Butter Jelly Time?" Bwahahaha ...
TV STUFF:
FOX SUNDAY NIGHT QUICK REVIEWS:
KING OF THE HILL: Best Show of the Night. Very funny episode - I love Bobby and Joseph's oblivious conversations about being cool. This show always picks up on obscure but rising trends, and does a great job of satirizing them. This week the target was hippie panhandlers, and it really was a funny look at this weird subculture, which of course goes against everything Hank Hill stands for. "I hate those jeans more than life itself, but since you paid for them I can't say anything." LOL. My grade: A
THE SIMPSONS: Decent idea for an episode, and actually, this was probably the best-plotted ep in a while, though some of the humor did fall flat. Overall, this was a pretty decent ep and it was nice to see the focus on Bart and Lisa and their classmates for a change. Nice Milhouse humor, which is always appreciated. My grade: B
FAMILY GUY: Somewhat of an improvement over the last few weeks of awfulness, but still not that great. Mostly lame, unfunny cutaways this week, and the gay marriage plot was preachy and not very good satire - the whole thing had a played-out feel to it. As per usual, some funny moments, but stil la shadow of the Family Guy of old. My grade: C
OTHER TV STUFF:
- Just want to point out yet again how amazing VERONICA MARS is. Last week's ep was an A+ quality installment, with just so much amazing characterization that it makes me hurt to think about how great it was. Aside from the phenom that is 24, Mars has been head and shoulders the best show on TV this season, and it has only gotten better as it heads into the home stretch. The stuff between Logan and Veronica last week was just so well done, the mystery of the bus crash continues to grow more and more compelling as the layers of the tapestry unfold, and the writing and dialogue continues to be top notch. And seriously, Kristen Bell has really stood out lately as an actress - just showing a ton of range and just kind of reclaiming the show that for a while had come to be domianted by its supporting characters. Check out Veronica, I'm telling you.
- Haven't had a chance yet to watch last week's SMALLVILLE or OC. Stay tuned, as Smallville definitely seemed promising.
- Can't wait to check out a few of the upcoming NBC pilots which I should hopefully get to see in the next few weeks. It should be no surprise that my most anticipated offerings from my network are Heroes and Andy Barker, P.I. Let's hope they are good!
OTHER STUFF:
- Had a fun weekend. Aside from the mind-trip that was United 93, also paid my frist ever visit to the LA Improv, where I saw a bunch of cool comedians, the most prominent of which was Air America host Mark Merron, whose neurotic-Jewish-intellectual brand of humor was pretty hilarious.
- 24! Yes! Tonight, it's: JACK BAUER ON A PLANE! Daaaamn!
- Still plugging away at the job. Not much I will / can report though. Man, with sumemr coming around though I long for the days of summer vacation!
- On that note, it's back to work. Check out my previously posted United 93 review, and also take note of my first-ever use of pictures in the blog! I know, i know, it's a big step. Cya.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
