The new blog drops ... right now, and my typing game is kicking, ya' feel?
So last night I finally attended one of those young Hollywood gatherings. No, not a celeb-filled soiree populated by the latest teen stars (I wish), but an assembly of people much like myself who are starting out in the biz and looking to network, get advice, etc. Now, some of these events can be kind of awkward social gatherings where people are really just there to be seen, but this was actually a highly worthwhile even that featured four big-time, top-notch TV showrunners speaking in a panel discussion on various interesting topics. The panelists were Tim Kring of Heroes, Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy, Ron Moore of Battlestar Galactica, and Alfred Gough and Miles Millar of Smallville fame. So yeah, for one thing, this was a pretty sweet lineup of people, all of whom I really respect and admire. I'm a longtime fan of Smallville, starting to get more into Heroes, and there's the NBC-U connection as Heroes and Battlestar are two of our biggest selling shows on iTunes, so it was especially cool to see guys who, very indirectly I guess, I have a working relationship with (kind of).
Anyways, the panel was extremely interesting, and guys like Kring, Millar and Gough were surprisingly candid and really held nothing back. They all gave great advice and Ron Moore in particular had one of those far-out but inspiring tales of how he broke into the biz that made you wonder if such a thing could happen to you. I also loved it when each of the panelists gave one sentance-worth of advice for aspiring showrunners, and Moore's story, in which he recalled the advice that legendary writer Harlan Ellison once gave him, was particularly hilarious, as he recounted how Ellison once answered that same question by telling a room full of people: "Don't be a whore!" Awesome, and good words to live by from the man who wrote "City On the Edge of Forever."
Plus, there was the coolness factor of this event taking place in the Beverly Hilton. Sure, it's not really a big deal, but I did have that little moment of recognition walking through the posh lobby, thinking "hells yeah, small-town kid from CT is at a junior Hollywood event in the Beverly Hilton, baby!"
Also, the event really, really gave me a mental kick in the pants to get going on some writing. I'm planning to get a new laptop very soon which I think will really help boost my output - I just can't get myself to sit at my desk in my apt lately after sitting at a desk typing at a computer all day at work, so I am really looking forward to the advantages of a laptop. Up until now I've really been a desktop man, but, yeah, this should be a good change.
Anyways ...
TV STUFF:
I'm really pretty behind on TV right now ... have two weeks' worth of Veronica Mars to catch up on, this week's Heroes, Gilmore, and more. But, it is kind of a relief that Lost is on hiatus and that Day Break looks pretty crappy - that means Wednesdays are a TV-free zone for now, which means ... more time for DVD's and videogames! Haha, seriously, as much as I enjoy keeping up on all these shows, it is also kind of a big burden on my time sometimes, as you can probably tell from the blog ...
- I did however see Monday's PRISON BREAK, to which I say: DAAAAAAAAAAAMN~! While some of the plot elements I found to be slightly confusing (ie Lincoln's on-again, off-again suspicions of his dad), I quickly forgot about that and got caught up in the sheer awesomeness and intensity on display. Scofield's desert showdown with a gang of pissed off drug dealers was classic, and Sara's interrogation at the hands of evil FBI guy was great -- disturbing, but highly entertaining - that guy has really established himself as one evil SOB - great villain. William Fichtner was frikkin' awesome as usual, and his character is seriously becoming one of the best and most well-rounded (and most f'd up) in the land of TV drama. Shaaaaaaaaaales! Oh yeah, T-Bag is one freakish man and I cannot believe that FOX let them get away with that one line of dialog in the hotel room ... So yeah, Prison Break is seriously ruling it as it heads into its season finale. I don't think I've given this show enough credit lately - along with Lost it's easily been my fav show of the last few months.
My Grade: A
- I also really liked last week's Gilmore Girls (I know, a real 180 from Prison Break) -- even though like everyone else in the world (okay, everyone who isn't insane ...), I am counting the minutes until Lorelai and Rory finally come to their senses and ditch their respective issue-laden boyfriends. But on the other hand, I loved Luke's attempt at dating other women last week, so that kind of tempered my impatience with the Lorelai-Chris stuff which is clearly going too far (marriage? come on!). I also am really liking all of the Luke-April interaction. Now stop making Rory so bitchy all the time and make Lorelai a little more likable (why so rude to her parents all the time for no good reason?). Anyways, I'm still really enjoying the show but am curious as to where this is all headed and hoping that these characters' are heading down such dark paths so that they can eventually find some long-in-coming redemption.
- Holy Lord, what is with that OJ special that FOX is airing? If you haven't heard, it's an interview-based special with OJ Simpson, tentatively titled "OJ. Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened," in which OJ will explain how he hypothetically COULD have committed murder, even though he's not saying he DID. Simply unbelievable. Are you kidding me? Wow. This just is one of the weirdest things I've EVER heard in my life, and for that very reason, this one will be a ratings monster. Yikes.
MUST-WATCH OF THE WEEK FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES TO LAUGH:
- I have to point out to any and all fans of BORAT -- you must, MUST go to nbc.com (sounds like a plug, but really it isn't, don't worry), and check out the free streaming clips of Borat's recent in-character appearances on Conan and Leno. The Conan one, first of all, is HILARIOUS. Conan's deadpan reactions to Borat make the whole thing fall-over-in-chair funny, and there's one part in particular, where Borat asks Conan if the curtains match the shades so to speak, that combined with Conan's kill-me-now reaction is, honestly, one of the funniest things I have ever heard in my life. Then, the Borat segment on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is AMAZING, mostly because of Borat's interaction with an unexpectedly game Martha Stewart. Borat, in this segment alone, comes out with about 5 new quotes that are instant classics. Just please, do yourself a favor and watch ASAP. Whatever slight loss of excitement I had for the genius of Borat and Sascha Baron Cohen after the movie is now COMPLETELY RESTORED. This man is a comedic deity. I like!
- Okay, I am out ....
I leave you with the words of Cowboy Troy:
Putting out more game than a Sony Playstation
Spreading good will as I tour the nation
You’re calling up your friends
“Hey man, you shoulda seen this"
Lyrics so cold making snow out in Phoenix
I Got a song so strong they call me hick-u-les
Cuz I’m knocking down mountains and I’m chopping down trees
Lyrical black belt, now you know
Some call it Tongue Fu, I call it TAE KWON FLO
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Here I Go ... On the Road Again: Weekend Report, Simpsons, Console Wars Redux, and MORE
So this weekend I did something a little different ...
I drove to San Diego.
Yep, up until now I had never driven that far myself, so I was a little reluctant to hop into my car and head down to la casa del Aksel on somewhat short notice. But, I didn't have much else going on, I had been considering doing something different over the weekend, and I figured I might as well ...
So Saturday evening I hopped into the Alero, popped in Tenacious D's self-titled album, looked over a comically thick stack of Mapquest-ed directions, and set off into the great unknown. First stop: Newport Beach - The "OC" as the kids call it - to meet up with Colonel B-rad for some dinner and catchin' up. After checking out Bradd's place and having some quality eats, it was time to head out again and continue the seeminly endless trek to San Diego, or more precisely Chula Vista, where the one and only Aksel calls home once again after a few years in Boston following our time at BU. Though tired from the long road, Aksel and I hit up SD's famous Gaslamp District for a bit and took in the scene. The next day, we did a mini-tour and took in the Hotel Coronado and Balboa Park, then headed back to the Axe-man's house for a hearty home-cooked meal that was also an early birthday celebration for my old college roommate. Finally, I headed out, filled up on gas, and began the long journey home to LA, through traffic that alternated between brisk and total stop-and-go. Suffice to say, it was a good three hour or so drive back to Burbank. While driving that far isn't so bad with a few people, doing so alone on the dar, black void that is the southern California freeway system is a pretty draining experience. With little to see on either side of the road, and endless starts and stops in the traffic flow, you start to feel like you're a rat caught in a neverending maze. But, aside from the long drive both ways, it was an excellent trip, and it was great to get away and do something a bit different, and see some sights in and around San Diego - which is a city that is truly pretty amazing to see and experience, definitely one of the more picturesque places I've been in da good ol' U-S-and A. The gaslamp district is one of the msot hopping places I've seen, and the parks and coastlines are pretty amazing - walking around the grounds of the Coronado, I felt like I was on the set of some 1970's TV show or something, as everything had a very un-modern, Nixon-era feel to it, but the whole thing was pretty cool and fun to see. And may I say thanks to Aksel and his parents for some great hospitality and food. Good times! Plus I even got in a quick visit to the OC to see Bradd, so, bonus.
Okay ... so, anyways ...
- Due to my weekend excursion, I didn't get a chance to see my anticipated movie of the week - Stranger Than Fiction. But I'll have to catch up on that because this coming weekend brings two long-anticipated film debuts - For Your Consideration and Casino Royale.
For my money, I don't get why more people aren't buzzing about For Your Consideration. Christopher Guest's mockumentaries are some of the funniest movies of the last 10 years -- Best in Show, Waiting For Guffman, and my personal fave, A Mighty Wind, are so, so good, and with the same main cast back, PLUS Ricky Gervais, this is about as good of a sure-thing as you'll get. I fear a box office bomb though, as the ad campaign seems to be nonexistant, and what trailers I have seen haven't done much of a job of making the movie look funny. I am 95% confident though that the trailers are not indicative of much, and that this movie will rule. I mean the movie within a movie of For Your Consideration is called "Home For Purim." Now THAT is hilarious in and of itself.
As for Bond, to be honest I never really had a problem with the Brosnan bond movies ... to me the 007 franchise is kind of a lightweight excuse for some good, fun, campy, over the top spy movies. But now they want us to take Bond seriously again, ala Batman Begins ... and so, alright, I'm willing to bite, this new Bond does seem pretty kickass. But, on the other hand, what makes it Bond? If he doesn't have the gadgets and snappy one-liners then what distinguished him from Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne? I guess his sheer British-ness will be what makes this Bond stand out ...? My one problem with the Bond franchise though is the lack of continuity. I mean take this latest flick - we have a new Bond, a new "origin" so to speak, yet Judy Dench is back in the same role as previous Bond films? This kind of continuity-based anachronism makes my head spin. That's what was so fulfilling about Batman Begins for us Schumacker-haters ... it blatantly wiped the filmic slate clean and rebooted the franchise, mining material from the comics and getting back to a darker version of the character. Casino Royale seems to be doing the same thing, but is there even a Bond continuity to reboot? I'd love if this new movie would start a trend of a more tightly-woven mythology - it's the only way to avoid having James Bond become a cartoon character - we have to know things about him that carry over from movie to movie - who is this guy and what makes him tick? Does he have one true love? One arch enemy? Without that sense of context, it's no wonder that the last round of Bond films became so over the top - there was no concrete character stuff to build upon. In any case, looking forward to the new movie and excited about the positive reviews thus far ...
TV STUFF:
THE SIMPSONS
- Last night had to be a somewhat sobering night for us true-blue SIMPSONS fans. I know for me, I eagerly watched my recorded Simpsons ep after getting home from San Diego last night, hopeful that the show would rebound from last week's mediocre Treehouse of Horror and start up some momentum for the movie, which was set to be previewed during the ep.
First of all, the ep itself started off okay, with a few funny jokes including a clever parody of army recruitment videos / commercials. Things went waaaay downhill from there though, and as soon as Homer joined the army there was nary a laugh to be had amidst more of last week's heavy-handed and unfunny political commentary and yet another "Homer-gets-a-random-new-job" storyline in the same mold as about 5 trillion previous episodes'. Not very encouraging at all ...
My Grade: C -
And then, the preview for the movie ... I mean, well, obviously its hard to gage anything about a movie set to be released next summer via a short 30 second teaser. But, that being said ... this preview was anything but buzz-worthy. After an odd parody of 3-D cartoons (that barely even looked 3-D), we got a somewhat crudely-animated piece of physical comedy involving Homer. Now, I don't want CGI Simpsons or anything, but is it too much to ask for the movie to at least look on par with Futurama-level animation? And finally, the preview really gave no sense of bigness or scale to the movie - give me something to be excited about here. I mean, man, I just so, so so don't want this to be a disappointment ... get Matt Groening doing script rewrites ASAP, and hire some decent animators!!!
And one final Simpsons thought: Despite being a wildly over the top cartoon, there's no question in my mind that the show, in its prime, was the most REAL show on TV. What made the Simpons GREAT was that no matter how absurd it got, it always managed to hit on real social and moral truths. I just hope that the movie remembers that fact.
And yes, The Simpsons, seasons 2 to 10 give or take, is the greatest TV comedy of all time, bar none.
As for last night's FAMILY GUY ...
Yet again I am forced to wonder - holy crap, what the hell happened to this show? For two years it was the funniest thing on TV, now you can practically hear the "this is worse than the time when ..." jokes coming a mile away. Last night's ep, as per usual lately, had one or two decent laughs but, mostly, kind of sucked. Kind of sad that after flashing to Peter at work, I had no clue where he worked or that he even had a job, since the show has strayed so far from coherant plots that we never see Peter at work, rarely see Chris in school, and Meg has pretty much just become a walking one-joke punchline. Wow, what a waste of Dru Barrymore as a one-note stupid blonde that Brian the dog embarrasingly dates. Yes, there were some good jokes, but more bad ones.
My Grade: C+
QUICK TV NOTES:
- Last week's SMALLVILLE was pretty good, liked the Venom-like subplot with Green Arrow (the entire ep was kind of a big Denny O'Neil tribute). My one thing is that Lana continues to be pretty annoying, and there's no way I can buy a Martha Kent-Lionel Luthor romance. Good stuff between Clark and Ollie though.
- I actually was a fan of last week's STUDIO 60. Despite still being way too preachy, I do get a kick out of the writing if only for its stylistic bite. Curious about this week's followup. I'm also happy to hear about the show's full season pickup-- I have this feeling like if Sorkin is allowed to just get out all of his pent up preachiness now, he can get back to just telling good character-based stories with sharp but not ham-fisted commentary on the state of TV.
- The Office is handling the whole merger storyline pretty well ... last week's ep was funny (STAM-FORD, CONNECT-I-CUT!), but not quite as laugh out loud hilarious as some of this week's earlier eps. Still pound for pound though the best comedy going right now, even if it is seemingly in a weekly struggle to balance out its comedic sensibilities with its burgeoning status as a wannabe comic-soap opera in the vein of more traditional sitcoms like Friends. I can only hope that the show stays strong and resists that pull ...
- Ahhh, still must catch up on last week's Veronica Mars ...
- What is FOX thinking with THE OC? First it's moved to Wednesdays, now it's back to Thursdays? All I know is, doing a last minute back to back airing of new episodes cannot be good for confused fans who want to know why they seem to be missing vital story info when they tune in this week. Oh, right, there's barely any of those fans left. Since the quality of the show seems to be on upswing, I blame FOX's typically shoddy marketing and scheduling depts for once again failing to drum up publicity for a key show on its primetime schedule. And yet, in the midst of all this, the OC has been pretty darn entertaining so far. Not great or anything, but much better than Season 3 quality, that's for sure. I'm still on board ...
OTHER STUFF:
- This week is friggin' HUGE in the world of videogames. The PS3 launches at an unprecedentedly high price point of $600 for the top-line model, and $500 for the midgrade console. These type of prices have not been seen in videogame land since the heyday of the NeoGeo, 3-DO, and CDI ... and we all know what happened to those overpriced oddities (though Neo Geo is kind of a whole different animal .... Of course, the Sony of 2006 is ten times more business saavy than the Phillips of 1994 or so, but still ... Man, this is going to be interesting ... It's funny, too, because I feel like Sony's rival Apple has inadvertantly helped out Sony, by creating the i-pod induced trend of forcing consumers to pay ridiculously high prices for the latest consumer electronic fad of the moment. I mean, pre iPod would you have paid $200 for walkman? Hells no. Now, Sony wants you to pay abusurd amounts of cash for a system that doesn't yet even have a killer app, while Microsoft is trotting out potential Game of the Year candidate Gears of War, Nintendo is readying its cheap and attractive box o' innovation, the Wii, with Mario and Zelda in tow, and hell, even Sony's own Playstation 2, that little old LAST-gen console, is rolling out one last round of big-guns, including Final Fantasy 12.
My prediction is that Sony will do modest holiday numbers, but due to limited available quantities of PS3's, the PERCEPTION will be created that it is a hot item. Make or break time will be in early-mid 2007. If Blu-Ray as a format fails, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony release a scaled-back PS3 sans Blu Ray drive and much cheaper to boot, though doing so would take a huge gulp of pride-swallowing on Sony's part. I think in the grand scheme of technological innovations, the whole blu-ray / hd-dvd thing is prob not going to be a mass market success anytime soon, and in the world of gaming there is just too much other stuff that will take priority - from fast online play to downloadable vintage libraries. So the real test will be in the next year, when Sony releases some killer app exclusives (cough*Metal Gear*cough) and really makes its true push ... I think Nintendo is doing a lot of things right with the Wii (aside from the dumb name) ... but yeah, launching with a new Mario and Zelda game does not hurt at all. The price is definitely right, so I think a lot of people may take the plunge and sample Nintendo's latest (where is the marketing though?). But, it remains to be seen if a generation of kids raised on Grand Theft Auto will succumb to the simple pleasures of guiding a cartoonish plumber through a whimsical land of anthropmorphic mushrooms. So yeah, is the Wii simply a nostalgia act for a Nintendo that has yet to really reclaim the third party support that gave Nintendo the edge in the 8 and 16 bit years?
As for me, I figure the latest Final Fantasy should keep me busy playin' the old PS2 for, oh, the next five years or so ... Seeing as how this is the first real FF game to come out in my post-collegiate life, I honestly have no idea how I'll ever find time to get through this. I still have unplayed Devil May Cry 3 SE and Okami sitting unplayed on my shelf, and a barely completed Psychonauts still begiing to be conquered. But here's a lesson for all the movie studios that can't even seem to make ONE decent sequel to a hit film ... since the late 1980's, Square Soft has churned out TWELVE Final Fantasy games, each one of them a classic and among the best games released that year (okay, I'll admit, 8 was slightly below par). But still, the artistry and magic that Square puts into each FF game is simply breathtaking, and cracking open part 12 and hearing that classic hemesong play over the stunning title credits was as much a moment for me as hearing the Superman theme ring out in Superman Returns or hearing the Bond theme play will be upon seeing Casino Royale. But man, the working life sucks! How am I supposed to stay up until 4 am playing videogames now? Laaame ...
- But yeah, where is the real rivalry? Three next-gen systems, and not a bit of the old 16 bit / 32 bit era mud-slinging in sight. Man, remember the classic ads of the early Nintendo-Sega wars and then of the Sony-Sega rivalry? Talk about intense, as a kid in middle school, proclaiming loyalty to Nintendo or Sega was like choosing sides in the freakin' Civil War.
-- Alright, enough nerd talk. I am out for now. Glad I managed to get in a fun-filled weekend and hoping that there's even bigger and better things around the corner.
I drove to San Diego.
Yep, up until now I had never driven that far myself, so I was a little reluctant to hop into my car and head down to la casa del Aksel on somewhat short notice. But, I didn't have much else going on, I had been considering doing something different over the weekend, and I figured I might as well ...
So Saturday evening I hopped into the Alero, popped in Tenacious D's self-titled album, looked over a comically thick stack of Mapquest-ed directions, and set off into the great unknown. First stop: Newport Beach - The "OC" as the kids call it - to meet up with Colonel B-rad for some dinner and catchin' up. After checking out Bradd's place and having some quality eats, it was time to head out again and continue the seeminly endless trek to San Diego, or more precisely Chula Vista, where the one and only Aksel calls home once again after a few years in Boston following our time at BU. Though tired from the long road, Aksel and I hit up SD's famous Gaslamp District for a bit and took in the scene. The next day, we did a mini-tour and took in the Hotel Coronado and Balboa Park, then headed back to the Axe-man's house for a hearty home-cooked meal that was also an early birthday celebration for my old college roommate. Finally, I headed out, filled up on gas, and began the long journey home to LA, through traffic that alternated between brisk and total stop-and-go. Suffice to say, it was a good three hour or so drive back to Burbank. While driving that far isn't so bad with a few people, doing so alone on the dar, black void that is the southern California freeway system is a pretty draining experience. With little to see on either side of the road, and endless starts and stops in the traffic flow, you start to feel like you're a rat caught in a neverending maze. But, aside from the long drive both ways, it was an excellent trip, and it was great to get away and do something a bit different, and see some sights in and around San Diego - which is a city that is truly pretty amazing to see and experience, definitely one of the more picturesque places I've been in da good ol' U-S-and A. The gaslamp district is one of the msot hopping places I've seen, and the parks and coastlines are pretty amazing - walking around the grounds of the Coronado, I felt like I was on the set of some 1970's TV show or something, as everything had a very un-modern, Nixon-era feel to it, but the whole thing was pretty cool and fun to see. And may I say thanks to Aksel and his parents for some great hospitality and food. Good times! Plus I even got in a quick visit to the OC to see Bradd, so, bonus.
Okay ... so, anyways ...
- Due to my weekend excursion, I didn't get a chance to see my anticipated movie of the week - Stranger Than Fiction. But I'll have to catch up on that because this coming weekend brings two long-anticipated film debuts - For Your Consideration and Casino Royale.
For my money, I don't get why more people aren't buzzing about For Your Consideration. Christopher Guest's mockumentaries are some of the funniest movies of the last 10 years -- Best in Show, Waiting For Guffman, and my personal fave, A Mighty Wind, are so, so good, and with the same main cast back, PLUS Ricky Gervais, this is about as good of a sure-thing as you'll get. I fear a box office bomb though, as the ad campaign seems to be nonexistant, and what trailers I have seen haven't done much of a job of making the movie look funny. I am 95% confident though that the trailers are not indicative of much, and that this movie will rule. I mean the movie within a movie of For Your Consideration is called "Home For Purim." Now THAT is hilarious in and of itself.
As for Bond, to be honest I never really had a problem with the Brosnan bond movies ... to me the 007 franchise is kind of a lightweight excuse for some good, fun, campy, over the top spy movies. But now they want us to take Bond seriously again, ala Batman Begins ... and so, alright, I'm willing to bite, this new Bond does seem pretty kickass. But, on the other hand, what makes it Bond? If he doesn't have the gadgets and snappy one-liners then what distinguished him from Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne? I guess his sheer British-ness will be what makes this Bond stand out ...? My one problem with the Bond franchise though is the lack of continuity. I mean take this latest flick - we have a new Bond, a new "origin" so to speak, yet Judy Dench is back in the same role as previous Bond films? This kind of continuity-based anachronism makes my head spin. That's what was so fulfilling about Batman Begins for us Schumacker-haters ... it blatantly wiped the filmic slate clean and rebooted the franchise, mining material from the comics and getting back to a darker version of the character. Casino Royale seems to be doing the same thing, but is there even a Bond continuity to reboot? I'd love if this new movie would start a trend of a more tightly-woven mythology - it's the only way to avoid having James Bond become a cartoon character - we have to know things about him that carry over from movie to movie - who is this guy and what makes him tick? Does he have one true love? One arch enemy? Without that sense of context, it's no wonder that the last round of Bond films became so over the top - there was no concrete character stuff to build upon. In any case, looking forward to the new movie and excited about the positive reviews thus far ...
TV STUFF:
THE SIMPSONS
- Last night had to be a somewhat sobering night for us true-blue SIMPSONS fans. I know for me, I eagerly watched my recorded Simpsons ep after getting home from San Diego last night, hopeful that the show would rebound from last week's mediocre Treehouse of Horror and start up some momentum for the movie, which was set to be previewed during the ep.
First of all, the ep itself started off okay, with a few funny jokes including a clever parody of army recruitment videos / commercials. Things went waaaay downhill from there though, and as soon as Homer joined the army there was nary a laugh to be had amidst more of last week's heavy-handed and unfunny political commentary and yet another "Homer-gets-a-random-new-job" storyline in the same mold as about 5 trillion previous episodes'. Not very encouraging at all ...
My Grade: C -
And then, the preview for the movie ... I mean, well, obviously its hard to gage anything about a movie set to be released next summer via a short 30 second teaser. But, that being said ... this preview was anything but buzz-worthy. After an odd parody of 3-D cartoons (that barely even looked 3-D), we got a somewhat crudely-animated piece of physical comedy involving Homer. Now, I don't want CGI Simpsons or anything, but is it too much to ask for the movie to at least look on par with Futurama-level animation? And finally, the preview really gave no sense of bigness or scale to the movie - give me something to be excited about here. I mean, man, I just so, so so don't want this to be a disappointment ... get Matt Groening doing script rewrites ASAP, and hire some decent animators!!!
And one final Simpsons thought: Despite being a wildly over the top cartoon, there's no question in my mind that the show, in its prime, was the most REAL show on TV. What made the Simpons GREAT was that no matter how absurd it got, it always managed to hit on real social and moral truths. I just hope that the movie remembers that fact.
And yes, The Simpsons, seasons 2 to 10 give or take, is the greatest TV comedy of all time, bar none.
As for last night's FAMILY GUY ...
Yet again I am forced to wonder - holy crap, what the hell happened to this show? For two years it was the funniest thing on TV, now you can practically hear the "this is worse than the time when ..." jokes coming a mile away. Last night's ep, as per usual lately, had one or two decent laughs but, mostly, kind of sucked. Kind of sad that after flashing to Peter at work, I had no clue where he worked or that he even had a job, since the show has strayed so far from coherant plots that we never see Peter at work, rarely see Chris in school, and Meg has pretty much just become a walking one-joke punchline. Wow, what a waste of Dru Barrymore as a one-note stupid blonde that Brian the dog embarrasingly dates. Yes, there were some good jokes, but more bad ones.
My Grade: C+
QUICK TV NOTES:
- Last week's SMALLVILLE was pretty good, liked the Venom-like subplot with Green Arrow (the entire ep was kind of a big Denny O'Neil tribute). My one thing is that Lana continues to be pretty annoying, and there's no way I can buy a Martha Kent-Lionel Luthor romance. Good stuff between Clark and Ollie though.
- I actually was a fan of last week's STUDIO 60. Despite still being way too preachy, I do get a kick out of the writing if only for its stylistic bite. Curious about this week's followup. I'm also happy to hear about the show's full season pickup-- I have this feeling like if Sorkin is allowed to just get out all of his pent up preachiness now, he can get back to just telling good character-based stories with sharp but not ham-fisted commentary on the state of TV.
- The Office is handling the whole merger storyline pretty well ... last week's ep was funny (STAM-FORD, CONNECT-I-CUT!), but not quite as laugh out loud hilarious as some of this week's earlier eps. Still pound for pound though the best comedy going right now, even if it is seemingly in a weekly struggle to balance out its comedic sensibilities with its burgeoning status as a wannabe comic-soap opera in the vein of more traditional sitcoms like Friends. I can only hope that the show stays strong and resists that pull ...
- Ahhh, still must catch up on last week's Veronica Mars ...
- What is FOX thinking with THE OC? First it's moved to Wednesdays, now it's back to Thursdays? All I know is, doing a last minute back to back airing of new episodes cannot be good for confused fans who want to know why they seem to be missing vital story info when they tune in this week. Oh, right, there's barely any of those fans left. Since the quality of the show seems to be on upswing, I blame FOX's typically shoddy marketing and scheduling depts for once again failing to drum up publicity for a key show on its primetime schedule. And yet, in the midst of all this, the OC has been pretty darn entertaining so far. Not great or anything, but much better than Season 3 quality, that's for sure. I'm still on board ...
OTHER STUFF:
- This week is friggin' HUGE in the world of videogames. The PS3 launches at an unprecedentedly high price point of $600 for the top-line model, and $500 for the midgrade console. These type of prices have not been seen in videogame land since the heyday of the NeoGeo, 3-DO, and CDI ... and we all know what happened to those overpriced oddities (though Neo Geo is kind of a whole different animal .... Of course, the Sony of 2006 is ten times more business saavy than the Phillips of 1994 or so, but still ... Man, this is going to be interesting ... It's funny, too, because I feel like Sony's rival Apple has inadvertantly helped out Sony, by creating the i-pod induced trend of forcing consumers to pay ridiculously high prices for the latest consumer electronic fad of the moment. I mean, pre iPod would you have paid $200 for walkman? Hells no. Now, Sony wants you to pay abusurd amounts of cash for a system that doesn't yet even have a killer app, while Microsoft is trotting out potential Game of the Year candidate Gears of War, Nintendo is readying its cheap and attractive box o' innovation, the Wii, with Mario and Zelda in tow, and hell, even Sony's own Playstation 2, that little old LAST-gen console, is rolling out one last round of big-guns, including Final Fantasy 12.
My prediction is that Sony will do modest holiday numbers, but due to limited available quantities of PS3's, the PERCEPTION will be created that it is a hot item. Make or break time will be in early-mid 2007. If Blu-Ray as a format fails, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony release a scaled-back PS3 sans Blu Ray drive and much cheaper to boot, though doing so would take a huge gulp of pride-swallowing on Sony's part. I think in the grand scheme of technological innovations, the whole blu-ray / hd-dvd thing is prob not going to be a mass market success anytime soon, and in the world of gaming there is just too much other stuff that will take priority - from fast online play to downloadable vintage libraries. So the real test will be in the next year, when Sony releases some killer app exclusives (cough*Metal Gear*cough) and really makes its true push ... I think Nintendo is doing a lot of things right with the Wii (aside from the dumb name) ... but yeah, launching with a new Mario and Zelda game does not hurt at all. The price is definitely right, so I think a lot of people may take the plunge and sample Nintendo's latest (where is the marketing though?). But, it remains to be seen if a generation of kids raised on Grand Theft Auto will succumb to the simple pleasures of guiding a cartoonish plumber through a whimsical land of anthropmorphic mushrooms. So yeah, is the Wii simply a nostalgia act for a Nintendo that has yet to really reclaim the third party support that gave Nintendo the edge in the 8 and 16 bit years?
As for me, I figure the latest Final Fantasy should keep me busy playin' the old PS2 for, oh, the next five years or so ... Seeing as how this is the first real FF game to come out in my post-collegiate life, I honestly have no idea how I'll ever find time to get through this. I still have unplayed Devil May Cry 3 SE and Okami sitting unplayed on my shelf, and a barely completed Psychonauts still begiing to be conquered. But here's a lesson for all the movie studios that can't even seem to make ONE decent sequel to a hit film ... since the late 1980's, Square Soft has churned out TWELVE Final Fantasy games, each one of them a classic and among the best games released that year (okay, I'll admit, 8 was slightly below par). But still, the artistry and magic that Square puts into each FF game is simply breathtaking, and cracking open part 12 and hearing that classic hemesong play over the stunning title credits was as much a moment for me as hearing the Superman theme ring out in Superman Returns or hearing the Bond theme play will be upon seeing Casino Royale. But man, the working life sucks! How am I supposed to stay up until 4 am playing videogames now? Laaame ...
- But yeah, where is the real rivalry? Three next-gen systems, and not a bit of the old 16 bit / 32 bit era mud-slinging in sight. Man, remember the classic ads of the early Nintendo-Sega wars and then of the Sony-Sega rivalry? Talk about intense, as a kid in middle school, proclaiming loyalty to Nintendo or Sega was like choosing sides in the freakin' Civil War.
-- Alright, enough nerd talk. I am out for now. Glad I managed to get in a fun-filled weekend and hoping that there's even bigger and better things around the corner.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Live From a Hatch on a Deserted Island Brimming With Strange Electromagnetic Properties: LOST, Heroes, and MORE
- So about last night's LOST "fall season finale" ...
Man, I just feel like few others I've talked to are on the same wavelength with me on LOST. Let me summarize: to me, much of Lost's first season was spectacular - the best season of scifi / fantasy drama since the heyday of The X-Files - just totally captivating, fun, and thought-provoking. But the Season 1 finale, where anticipation and intensity was built up to unbearable levels, just killed it for me - with the now infamous "inside the hatch is ... a ladder!" cliffhanger ending, all the momentum the show had built up just burst like an untied balloon. This sense of frustration with the show carried over into much of Season 2. While the second season definitely had its moments, I never took to most of the Tailie characters, and felt that the show was just totaly getting off track and off-focus. Even as pretty much all of Season 1's mysteries were left hanging, an entirely new set of riddles were introduced, and as a weary fan I was becoming less and less invested in the show's mythology, especially since the only really interesting stuff going on had to do with the characters' interactions, not with the overarching plot. That being said, Season 2 had a pretty interesting finale, and I welcomed the character house-cleaning that removed the extremely annoying and one-note Anna-Lucia character from the cast. So that brings us to Season 3, where going in I was really, really on the bubble ... to be honest I wasn't even all that excited about the show, which for me got completely eclipsed last season by the quality of 24, Veronica Mars, and other shows that last year were to me better written and better-plotted than Lost, by far. And going into the first few eps of Season 3, I still felt that sense of frustration ... the flashbacks seemed tacked on and extraneous, the myth-arc seemed to be an unfixable mess of random plot points and unresolved mysteries, and characters like Locke seemed to lose much of their bite and interest-level from the superlative Season 1 episodes. When I read that TV Guide review that declared the Season 3 premiere to be the best ep since the pilot, I was excited, but was in disbelief after having watched it - not only was it not that great of an ep, but this season's premiere was, in many ways, a disappointment - the resolution of the exploding-hatch plotline was terrible, the Others' motives still frustratingly murky, and most of the formerly main characters had all but been rendered irrelevant.
But that was then, this is now. To me, the last three episodes of Lost have been pretty great. And yet, I seem to be the only one who feels this way. Whenever I talk to someone, they are either in the "I've always loved Lost, loved Season 2, and love love love Season 3" camp, or in the "liked Season 1, disliked Season 2, and dislike Season 3 even more, and will probably stop watching any minute" camp. Am I the only one whose dwindling faith in the show has been almost fully restored thanks to the quality of the last few episodes? That's not to say that, in the bigger picture, this show doesn't still have some major, major hurdles to overcome to get back on track. I am really, really hoping that the end of this six-episode arc doesn't mean a return to Season 2 style unevenness. But man, this sort-of self-contained storyarc really allowed the writers to focus on the immediate drama at hand, and create a Jack/Sawyer/Kate-centric story that has been filled with tension, drama, and excitement.
Last night's ep, to me, completed a trifecta of amazing episodes of LOST. While the bigger-picture questions still loom, the last few eps have masterfully tightened the focus from the larger mystery of the island to the interpersonal drama between our three principle characters and the Others, who despite still-enigmatic origins, have become the most hate-able villains in quite some time. This ep was just intense, from start to finish. Even the Kate / Sawyer caged-heat sexytime scene was set up really, really well ... and yeah, let's just say that if Sawyer had to go, he picked the right way to go ... you know? The final operating-table scene was just pure drama, and the final sequence had to have your heart racing and wondering "what happens now?"
In the bigger picture, while there have been some great myth-arc related moments in these last few eps (the smoke monster vs. Eko, the emergence of Eye-Patch Guy, etc.), what makes these eps really notable is the great dramatic buildup that occurred between all of the main characters as they were held captive by the Others and desperate for a way out.
It's yet to be seen if LOST has what it takes to really weave a compelling and fulfilling overarching sci/fi fantasy plotline - the rest of the season will be make or break in that regard. But, no question, this show knows how to deliver top-notch character drama, and this quasi-finale was proof that Lost can still be the best in the biz at delivering a compelling and nail-biting hour of televised drama, a level of acting, character, dramatic pacing, and intensity that is second to none. Anyone else with me?
My Grade: A
- Also, finally watched Monday's HEROES. I have to say, the show has done a great job recently of giving some of its initially less-interesting characters a much better level of depth and coolness. Ali Larter, for one, has helped make her character better by leaps and bounds over the last one or two eps. I've been down on her acting until now, where she's done a pretty impressive job of playing at Rose & Thorn-esque dual personalities. But the heart of the show is still Hiro, who just makes everything else so much more fun through his presence. Just his expression as he showed the kid the comic that he stars in was priceless. Also, I definitely respect the fact that things are moving forward on this show at full steam. I mean, why not? Why should a show about superheroes be relegated to a Lost-style methodical episode-to-episode pacing? So yeah, I definitely feel that with each episode, HEROES has become increasingly more watchable. But still, it's just lacking that extra something to make it special, to really make it stand out. Even this ep's revelation that that kid can somehow "fix" machines through his mind ... what should have been a huge shocker was just kind of "meh." It just felt arbitrary and again, like an idea that I've seen before, notably in Brian K. Vaughn's Ex Machina. And it's funny, I was reading the EW article about Heroes where Jeph Loeb was joking about how naive Tim Kring was about superhero mythology, to the point where he suggested a hero with magnetic powers, not realizing the character he envisioned was basically the X-Men's Magneto. Kring even admits that he didn't read JMS's Rising Stars series, because he realized how similar it was to Heroes. I mean, okay, so the guy is just "stumbling" on all these pre-used concepts, but even if they're new to him, it just gives Heroes this semi-generic feel to it. I feel that to really get to that next level, Heroes needs to do two things: 1.) get a few really gravitas-filled actors - the equivalent of a Terry O'Quinn on Lost or William B. Davis on the X-Files or Dennis Haysbert, formerly of 24, to help give the show a bit more dramatic cred. The show needs more of that, of the kind of actor who makes you cheer whenever they come on screen, who can deliver even an over the top line with intensity and gusto. 2.) Blow open the main superhero/conspiracy theory main plotline with a storyline that is not only mind-blowing but original - something that even a big scifi fan can look at and say "huh, I've never seen that done before." Obviously there will be SOME aspects that seem familiar, but the show just needs that boost of freshness and originality. As for this ep, like I said, pretty good, and a definite improvement over the earlier eps. But not quite on that level of "great" just yet.
My Grade: B
- Alright, that's it for now --- until we meet again.
Man, I just feel like few others I've talked to are on the same wavelength with me on LOST. Let me summarize: to me, much of Lost's first season was spectacular - the best season of scifi / fantasy drama since the heyday of The X-Files - just totally captivating, fun, and thought-provoking. But the Season 1 finale, where anticipation and intensity was built up to unbearable levels, just killed it for me - with the now infamous "inside the hatch is ... a ladder!" cliffhanger ending, all the momentum the show had built up just burst like an untied balloon. This sense of frustration with the show carried over into much of Season 2. While the second season definitely had its moments, I never took to most of the Tailie characters, and felt that the show was just totaly getting off track and off-focus. Even as pretty much all of Season 1's mysteries were left hanging, an entirely new set of riddles were introduced, and as a weary fan I was becoming less and less invested in the show's mythology, especially since the only really interesting stuff going on had to do with the characters' interactions, not with the overarching plot. That being said, Season 2 had a pretty interesting finale, and I welcomed the character house-cleaning that removed the extremely annoying and one-note Anna-Lucia character from the cast. So that brings us to Season 3, where going in I was really, really on the bubble ... to be honest I wasn't even all that excited about the show, which for me got completely eclipsed last season by the quality of 24, Veronica Mars, and other shows that last year were to me better written and better-plotted than Lost, by far. And going into the first few eps of Season 3, I still felt that sense of frustration ... the flashbacks seemed tacked on and extraneous, the myth-arc seemed to be an unfixable mess of random plot points and unresolved mysteries, and characters like Locke seemed to lose much of their bite and interest-level from the superlative Season 1 episodes. When I read that TV Guide review that declared the Season 3 premiere to be the best ep since the pilot, I was excited, but was in disbelief after having watched it - not only was it not that great of an ep, but this season's premiere was, in many ways, a disappointment - the resolution of the exploding-hatch plotline was terrible, the Others' motives still frustratingly murky, and most of the formerly main characters had all but been rendered irrelevant.
But that was then, this is now. To me, the last three episodes of Lost have been pretty great. And yet, I seem to be the only one who feels this way. Whenever I talk to someone, they are either in the "I've always loved Lost, loved Season 2, and love love love Season 3" camp, or in the "liked Season 1, disliked Season 2, and dislike Season 3 even more, and will probably stop watching any minute" camp. Am I the only one whose dwindling faith in the show has been almost fully restored thanks to the quality of the last few episodes? That's not to say that, in the bigger picture, this show doesn't still have some major, major hurdles to overcome to get back on track. I am really, really hoping that the end of this six-episode arc doesn't mean a return to Season 2 style unevenness. But man, this sort-of self-contained storyarc really allowed the writers to focus on the immediate drama at hand, and create a Jack/Sawyer/Kate-centric story that has been filled with tension, drama, and excitement.
Last night's ep, to me, completed a trifecta of amazing episodes of LOST. While the bigger-picture questions still loom, the last few eps have masterfully tightened the focus from the larger mystery of the island to the interpersonal drama between our three principle characters and the Others, who despite still-enigmatic origins, have become the most hate-able villains in quite some time. This ep was just intense, from start to finish. Even the Kate / Sawyer caged-heat sexytime scene was set up really, really well ... and yeah, let's just say that if Sawyer had to go, he picked the right way to go ... you know? The final operating-table scene was just pure drama, and the final sequence had to have your heart racing and wondering "what happens now?"
In the bigger picture, while there have been some great myth-arc related moments in these last few eps (the smoke monster vs. Eko, the emergence of Eye-Patch Guy, etc.), what makes these eps really notable is the great dramatic buildup that occurred between all of the main characters as they were held captive by the Others and desperate for a way out.
It's yet to be seen if LOST has what it takes to really weave a compelling and fulfilling overarching sci/fi fantasy plotline - the rest of the season will be make or break in that regard. But, no question, this show knows how to deliver top-notch character drama, and this quasi-finale was proof that Lost can still be the best in the biz at delivering a compelling and nail-biting hour of televised drama, a level of acting, character, dramatic pacing, and intensity that is second to none. Anyone else with me?
My Grade: A
- Also, finally watched Monday's HEROES. I have to say, the show has done a great job recently of giving some of its initially less-interesting characters a much better level of depth and coolness. Ali Larter, for one, has helped make her character better by leaps and bounds over the last one or two eps. I've been down on her acting until now, where she's done a pretty impressive job of playing at Rose & Thorn-esque dual personalities. But the heart of the show is still Hiro, who just makes everything else so much more fun through his presence. Just his expression as he showed the kid the comic that he stars in was priceless. Also, I definitely respect the fact that things are moving forward on this show at full steam. I mean, why not? Why should a show about superheroes be relegated to a Lost-style methodical episode-to-episode pacing? So yeah, I definitely feel that with each episode, HEROES has become increasingly more watchable. But still, it's just lacking that extra something to make it special, to really make it stand out. Even this ep's revelation that that kid can somehow "fix" machines through his mind ... what should have been a huge shocker was just kind of "meh." It just felt arbitrary and again, like an idea that I've seen before, notably in Brian K. Vaughn's Ex Machina. And it's funny, I was reading the EW article about Heroes where Jeph Loeb was joking about how naive Tim Kring was about superhero mythology, to the point where he suggested a hero with magnetic powers, not realizing the character he envisioned was basically the X-Men's Magneto. Kring even admits that he didn't read JMS's Rising Stars series, because he realized how similar it was to Heroes. I mean, okay, so the guy is just "stumbling" on all these pre-used concepts, but even if they're new to him, it just gives Heroes this semi-generic feel to it. I feel that to really get to that next level, Heroes needs to do two things: 1.) get a few really gravitas-filled actors - the equivalent of a Terry O'Quinn on Lost or William B. Davis on the X-Files or Dennis Haysbert, formerly of 24, to help give the show a bit more dramatic cred. The show needs more of that, of the kind of actor who makes you cheer whenever they come on screen, who can deliver even an over the top line with intensity and gusto. 2.) Blow open the main superhero/conspiracy theory main plotline with a storyline that is not only mind-blowing but original - something that even a big scifi fan can look at and say "huh, I've never seen that done before." Obviously there will be SOME aspects that seem familiar, but the show just needs that boost of freshness and originality. As for this ep, like I said, pretty good, and a definite improvement over the earlier eps. But not quite on that level of "great" just yet.
My Grade: B
- Alright, that's it for now --- until we meet again.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
WALK. THIS. WAY. Aerosmith Concert Wrap-Up and MORE
Concert Review below, but first of all, a word on politics.
To Donald Rumsfeld: I hate to be crass, but: "Nah-nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey heyyy, GOODBYE!"
I realize that Rumsfeld's ousting from the Bush administration may not necessarily mean much, but still, it's nice to see Bush actually thinking like a savvy businessman for once and realizing that the man's job performance and results were subpar, and it was high time for him to get the boot. Rumsfeld is simply, in my view, a hardliner from an older era when ideological wars were fought at any price, be it in dollars or American lives. This isn't a period where a good ol' fashioned war is going to solve our problem with terrorism, and old-boy leaders aren't going to solve today's problems with their outdated worldviews. The last I checked, being tough on terrorism means FIGHTING THE TERRORISTS, and for all of Rumsfeld's talk about being tough when it comes to foreign policy, his war on terror, against the axis of evil, against Iraq, whatever ... has yielded few tangible victories in the aftermath of 9/11, unless you count the fact that for years Rumsfeld had much of America believing that Saddam Hussein and the Iraqis were somehow equivalent to the ones who attacked us on September 11th.
As for yesterday's elections ... congrats to the American people on helping to give the Dems back control of the House and Senate! Lieberman winning in CT was expected, and I guess I'm happy for him, but I still don't like the precedent he set by switching parties post-primaries simply to ensure a victory in the general election. Here in CA, Schwarzenegger got an easy win, and even though I voted Democrat I have to say that the opposition to the Governator made a pretty weak case for themselves, and made it easy for Ah-nuld to steamroll his competition. Nice to see a Dem finally take the governor's chair in MA though ... If anything, the next few years leading up to the 2008 Presidential election will be pretty interesting ones politically ...
But moving on to the real meat of my post ... last night's AEROSMITH CONCERT~!
- This hasn't been the best year for America's Greatest Rock N' Roll Band ... Bassist Tom Hamilton was diagnosed with cancer, and Steven Tyler has been battling various ailments, including throat surgery, as well. Since their 90's comeback - rejuvenated and drug-free, the Bad Boys from Boston have been nigh indestructable, defying age and shifting musical tastes and enjoying a second career as one of the top acts in rock music. But as the Route of All Evil tour with Motley Crue began, the question lingered -- could Tyler still scream his lyricswith his famous raspy yell? Could Perry still own the guitar like old times? Could the band maintain their sound without Hamilton? Had age, youthful craziness, and fatigue finally caught up to Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and the gang?
Could Aerosmith still go ...?
Well, last night, a few things were immediately clear from the moment that Aerosmith roared onto the stage at the Hollywood Bowl. First, it was clear that a crucial piece of the puzzle was missing -- Tom Hamilton was at home resting, and was not in attendance to contribute on a select few songs as he had been some previous dates of the tour. But, the second thing that soon became clear was this: Aerosmith may have been bruised, but they sure as hell weren't beaten. Maybe the band's various problems of late lit a fire under Tyler and Perry - I don't know - but what I do know is that last night I witnessed two icons of rock n' roll - one of the greatest frontmen of all time in Tyler, and one of the most virtuoso guitar players to ever rock in Perry - perform a blistering set full of so much energy, emotion, and sheer awesomeness that the two were not just musicians, not just rock stars, but primal forces of nature.
Before I get into Aerosmith though, I'll start with the opening act, Motley Crue. Having never seen them live, I wasn't sure what to expect. My verdict is that they were decent. From up close, their stage show was probably pretty impressive - it featured leather-clad strippers, midgets, and oversized Harleys. But the stage was so obscured with smoke and strobe lights that from our vantage point higher up in the Bowl, it was pretty tough to make out what was going on on stage. The set list was a mix of hits and lesser known earlier stuff, but I couldn't help but wish that the Crue be relegated to a shorter stage time so that Aerosmith could have more time to do their thing. The set seemed to drag for much of the middle, until things picked up with the hits like Home Sweet Home, Girls Girls Girls, and the pretty rocking closer - Kickstart My Heart. Part of the problem is prob with the Bowl itself - my idealized vision of a Motley Crue concert is in some dank concert hall that's packed to the brim and surging with craziness. he more sedate fans at the Bowl don't quite bring the insanity that you'd get at a smaller venue or even at a bigger arena that caters less to the casual scenesters. Also, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee were pretty random - mixing up their set list with little musical interludes - a guitar solo here, a riff of Jimmy Hendrix's Voodoo Chile there, that were occasionally cool but often just felt like time-wasters. And Tommy Lee kept addressing the crowd as "F&%$'ers" and starting weird chants. So yeah, the Crue was okay ... but they really should have been relegated to Opening Act and not been a co-headliner ... Unlike KISS, who practically stole the show when I saw them co-headline with Aerosmith in CT, the Crue rocked, sure, but were strictly midcard material that prepped the crowd for the main event ...
Because holy crap, like I alluded to up top, Aerosmith was simply on fire. Busting out of the gates with Toys in the Attic, it was nonstop insanity for the next 80 minutes or so. Yep, waaaaay too short of a time for the 'Smith - unlike the Crue's set which felt overly long, Aerosmith's stage-time FLEW by, and I was in total disbelief when they took their curtain calls and called it a night. Surely, there had to be one, two, three more songs before the night was over? But what we did get was pretty much kickass from start to finish, with typically amazing production values the whole way through (great light / video fx that took full advantage of the Bowl's layout, and even a really cool animated short that played during the short intermission). After the opener of Toys, we got a song I had actually never even heard called Walk the Dog ... but then, DAMN, a familiar drumbeat started and my wish was granted -- for the first time I was seeing EAT THE RICH performed live, baby! Feeling particularly appropriate on this Republican-ousting election day, I was totally giddy with excitement as the song that rocked me like no other in my middle-school years began to play - the song that seemed to be the ultimate expression of in-your-face rock n' roll at that time still rocked me like it was 1995. Awesome! From there, the hits continued to flow with reckless abandon: Cryin', Sweet Emotion, Dream On, ... and oh yeah, FINALLY, Love in an Elevator, baby! Livin' it up when I'm gooooiiin' down! There was a fantastic, ear-piercing version of Draw the Line, and a chill-inducing rendition of Seasons of Wither, with Tyler and Perry kneeling in the audience and serenading the front row, as snow fell from the rafters. We got one of the better songs from Honkin' on Bobo - Baby, Please Don't Go, and one Joe Perry song as well as one new song, which wasn't bad - presumably it's the one included on the newest Greatest Hits album. An encore of Walk This Way left me pumped up and ready for more. Man, I would have killed for a live version of Angel, Deuces are Wild, Pink, or What it Takes. But on the other hand, I've gotta say, what we got, while woefully quick, was pretty damn intense.
Watching Tyler and Perry on stage was simply amazing - the two put more emotion into each song than I've yet seen live, and if age is catching up to these two legends, you'd never know it. At the two previous Aerosmith shows I've seen, I definitely had moments where I was aware I was watching a slightly aging rock band ... but not last night, no freakin' way. Tyler was twirling and kicking and prancing on stage like a man possessed, with all of his trademark rockstar showmanship more than intact. Perry was not only a pure machine on guitar, as usual (proving again that he is up their with the all-time greats), but seemed more intense than usual, at one point throwing down his guitar and whipping it with his shirt like a man who was truly one with the gods of Rock. Watching the two of them share the mic and dance around the stage, in total command of every soul-searing song, was truly to be in the presence of rock greatness, of legends still possessed of an inhuman amount of energy and flair - watching these guys go, it might as well have been 1978. Once again, I was reminded of why, to me, Aerosmith is the very definition of Hard Rock.
So even though it left me wanting more, even though it was a too-short show that should have spotlighted Aerosmith rather than give them equal billing with Motley Crue, this was still one for the ages. Rock n' by-god Roll at its absolute best.
- Alright, rock n' rollers - I'm out, but back with more soon. KICK IT.
"Dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream come true"
To Donald Rumsfeld: I hate to be crass, but: "Nah-nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey heyyy, GOODBYE!"
I realize that Rumsfeld's ousting from the Bush administration may not necessarily mean much, but still, it's nice to see Bush actually thinking like a savvy businessman for once and realizing that the man's job performance and results were subpar, and it was high time for him to get the boot. Rumsfeld is simply, in my view, a hardliner from an older era when ideological wars were fought at any price, be it in dollars or American lives. This isn't a period where a good ol' fashioned war is going to solve our problem with terrorism, and old-boy leaders aren't going to solve today's problems with their outdated worldviews. The last I checked, being tough on terrorism means FIGHTING THE TERRORISTS, and for all of Rumsfeld's talk about being tough when it comes to foreign policy, his war on terror, against the axis of evil, against Iraq, whatever ... has yielded few tangible victories in the aftermath of 9/11, unless you count the fact that for years Rumsfeld had much of America believing that Saddam Hussein and the Iraqis were somehow equivalent to the ones who attacked us on September 11th.
As for yesterday's elections ... congrats to the American people on helping to give the Dems back control of the House and Senate! Lieberman winning in CT was expected, and I guess I'm happy for him, but I still don't like the precedent he set by switching parties post-primaries simply to ensure a victory in the general election. Here in CA, Schwarzenegger got an easy win, and even though I voted Democrat I have to say that the opposition to the Governator made a pretty weak case for themselves, and made it easy for Ah-nuld to steamroll his competition. Nice to see a Dem finally take the governor's chair in MA though ... If anything, the next few years leading up to the 2008 Presidential election will be pretty interesting ones politically ...
But moving on to the real meat of my post ... last night's AEROSMITH CONCERT~!
- This hasn't been the best year for America's Greatest Rock N' Roll Band ... Bassist Tom Hamilton was diagnosed with cancer, and Steven Tyler has been battling various ailments, including throat surgery, as well. Since their 90's comeback - rejuvenated and drug-free, the Bad Boys from Boston have been nigh indestructable, defying age and shifting musical tastes and enjoying a second career as one of the top acts in rock music. But as the Route of All Evil tour with Motley Crue began, the question lingered -- could Tyler still scream his lyricswith his famous raspy yell? Could Perry still own the guitar like old times? Could the band maintain their sound without Hamilton? Had age, youthful craziness, and fatigue finally caught up to Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and the gang?
Could Aerosmith still go ...?
Well, last night, a few things were immediately clear from the moment that Aerosmith roared onto the stage at the Hollywood Bowl. First, it was clear that a crucial piece of the puzzle was missing -- Tom Hamilton was at home resting, and was not in attendance to contribute on a select few songs as he had been some previous dates of the tour. But, the second thing that soon became clear was this: Aerosmith may have been bruised, but they sure as hell weren't beaten. Maybe the band's various problems of late lit a fire under Tyler and Perry - I don't know - but what I do know is that last night I witnessed two icons of rock n' roll - one of the greatest frontmen of all time in Tyler, and one of the most virtuoso guitar players to ever rock in Perry - perform a blistering set full of so much energy, emotion, and sheer awesomeness that the two were not just musicians, not just rock stars, but primal forces of nature.
Before I get into Aerosmith though, I'll start with the opening act, Motley Crue. Having never seen them live, I wasn't sure what to expect. My verdict is that they were decent. From up close, their stage show was probably pretty impressive - it featured leather-clad strippers, midgets, and oversized Harleys. But the stage was so obscured with smoke and strobe lights that from our vantage point higher up in the Bowl, it was pretty tough to make out what was going on on stage. The set list was a mix of hits and lesser known earlier stuff, but I couldn't help but wish that the Crue be relegated to a shorter stage time so that Aerosmith could have more time to do their thing. The set seemed to drag for much of the middle, until things picked up with the hits like Home Sweet Home, Girls Girls Girls, and the pretty rocking closer - Kickstart My Heart. Part of the problem is prob with the Bowl itself - my idealized vision of a Motley Crue concert is in some dank concert hall that's packed to the brim and surging with craziness. he more sedate fans at the Bowl don't quite bring the insanity that you'd get at a smaller venue or even at a bigger arena that caters less to the casual scenesters. Also, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee were pretty random - mixing up their set list with little musical interludes - a guitar solo here, a riff of Jimmy Hendrix's Voodoo Chile there, that were occasionally cool but often just felt like time-wasters. And Tommy Lee kept addressing the crowd as "F&%$'ers" and starting weird chants. So yeah, the Crue was okay ... but they really should have been relegated to Opening Act and not been a co-headliner ... Unlike KISS, who practically stole the show when I saw them co-headline with Aerosmith in CT, the Crue rocked, sure, but were strictly midcard material that prepped the crowd for the main event ...
Because holy crap, like I alluded to up top, Aerosmith was simply on fire. Busting out of the gates with Toys in the Attic, it was nonstop insanity for the next 80 minutes or so. Yep, waaaaay too short of a time for the 'Smith - unlike the Crue's set which felt overly long, Aerosmith's stage-time FLEW by, and I was in total disbelief when they took their curtain calls and called it a night. Surely, there had to be one, two, three more songs before the night was over? But what we did get was pretty much kickass from start to finish, with typically amazing production values the whole way through (great light / video fx that took full advantage of the Bowl's layout, and even a really cool animated short that played during the short intermission). After the opener of Toys, we got a song I had actually never even heard called Walk the Dog ... but then, DAMN, a familiar drumbeat started and my wish was granted -- for the first time I was seeing EAT THE RICH performed live, baby! Feeling particularly appropriate on this Republican-ousting election day, I was totally giddy with excitement as the song that rocked me like no other in my middle-school years began to play - the song that seemed to be the ultimate expression of in-your-face rock n' roll at that time still rocked me like it was 1995. Awesome! From there, the hits continued to flow with reckless abandon: Cryin', Sweet Emotion, Dream On, ... and oh yeah, FINALLY, Love in an Elevator, baby! Livin' it up when I'm gooooiiin' down! There was a fantastic, ear-piercing version of Draw the Line, and a chill-inducing rendition of Seasons of Wither, with Tyler and Perry kneeling in the audience and serenading the front row, as snow fell from the rafters. We got one of the better songs from Honkin' on Bobo - Baby, Please Don't Go, and one Joe Perry song as well as one new song, which wasn't bad - presumably it's the one included on the newest Greatest Hits album. An encore of Walk This Way left me pumped up and ready for more. Man, I would have killed for a live version of Angel, Deuces are Wild, Pink, or What it Takes. But on the other hand, I've gotta say, what we got, while woefully quick, was pretty damn intense.
Watching Tyler and Perry on stage was simply amazing - the two put more emotion into each song than I've yet seen live, and if age is catching up to these two legends, you'd never know it. At the two previous Aerosmith shows I've seen, I definitely had moments where I was aware I was watching a slightly aging rock band ... but not last night, no freakin' way. Tyler was twirling and kicking and prancing on stage like a man possessed, with all of his trademark rockstar showmanship more than intact. Perry was not only a pure machine on guitar, as usual (proving again that he is up their with the all-time greats), but seemed more intense than usual, at one point throwing down his guitar and whipping it with his shirt like a man who was truly one with the gods of Rock. Watching the two of them share the mic and dance around the stage, in total command of every soul-searing song, was truly to be in the presence of rock greatness, of legends still possessed of an inhuman amount of energy and flair - watching these guys go, it might as well have been 1978. Once again, I was reminded of why, to me, Aerosmith is the very definition of Hard Rock.
So even though it left me wanting more, even though it was a too-short show that should have spotlighted Aerosmith rather than give them equal billing with Motley Crue, this was still one for the ages. Rock n' by-god Roll at its absolute best.
- Alright, rock n' rollers - I'm out, but back with more soon. KICK IT.
"Dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream come true"
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
PAGING DR. FEELGOOD - Rockin' the Vote and just plain ROCKIN'
My name is Danny Baram, and IIIIIIII haaaaaaave a plaaaaaaaaan.
Okay, so honestly I am sick of all these holier-than-thou MySpace and email bulletins from my peers urging me to vote, as if the thought had never occurred to me in my life before I read their oh so informative message. Then again, seeing as how so many people around Hollywood tend to live in a bit of a bubble, shall we say, I do understand the need to get the word out. Because, seriously, this is a crucial election, with a lot at stake. It's a chance for the Democrats to win back control of the national government and to gain ground at the local level as well. I hope it's clear to most people that, forgetting party lines for a minute, it is most definitely time to NOT "stay the course." Even Bush says so ... But, seriously, it should be obvious that the Republican, right-wing majority is all about manipulation. Not to say that the Democrats are angels, but I think that no matter what your political agenda, its time to face facts and see the Republican platform for the self-serving SHAM that it is. To them, each interest group is merely a demo to win over, not a legitimate cause to support. Do you think these power players honestly care about social values? Did Mark Foley care about them? No, politics have usurped practicality to the point of ridiculousness - stem cell research, gay rights, abortion - are all nothing more than political bargaining chips for a Republican party that knows it can't stand by its botched war anymore, and must therefore call attention to social issues which its OWN MEMBERS can't seem to stand by in their personal lives. Is it too much to ask for a politician to practice what they preach?
And in all other areas, politics have usurped practicality to a ridiculous degree. Even noted conservative writer George Will blasted Bush and Cheney in his latest Newsweek column, noting the absurdity in the administrations total inability to concede any problems with the neverending war in Iraq. I think people are sick of all this roundabout political stubborness and ready for someone who talks straight. And no, that does not include John Kerry, who continues to make a total fool of himself with his politics-as-usual buffoonery. Man, Barak Obama's entry into the presidential spotlight cannot come soon enough ....
So in summation, I will become one of those annoying "please vote" people and urge you to go out and help change the country for the better. Us Gen Y-ers had an embarrasingly low turnout in the 2004 election - a factor which undoubtedly helped reelect George Bush. Does that make you proud? If not, then go out and vote, because today is hopefully step one in the ushering in of a new era for American politics.
But man, all these propositions in California are seriously confusing as hell. Why are so many issues on the ballot? And can't they at least have a name so I can sort out what Prop 87 is as compared to Prop 576? And also, as a relatively new CA resident, I only found out where I was supposed to be voting through an extensive Google search. Why is it made so difficult to figure out?
ANYWAYS:
Forget about voting for a second ... tonight is the night to ROCK~!
Tonight - me and 3 friend ... the Hollywood Bowl ... live ... The Route of All Evil Tour ... Motley Crue ... and ... AEROSMITH !!!!!
This is going to be awesome - two forces of ROCK collide to unleash one furiously awesome concert. I can't wait to see the sheer craziness that will be the 80's hair-metal stylings of the Crue, but, mainly, it's one more time to see my all-time rock heroes - Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and the rest of the Bad Boys from Boston --- AEROSMITH.
Like I said previously, I am hoping for a bit of a harder-edged playlist from them tonight, but in any case, Aerosmith is Aerosmith is Aerosmith, ya know? Seriously, listening to their songs the last few days, there is no other hard rock band with the sheer number of kickass tunes as the 'Smith in my view. From the classic 70's stuff to the funkier 80's songs to the 90's comeback material, you just can't go wrong with any of Aerosmith's dozens and dozens of classic tunes. Sweet Emotion. Dream On. Walk This Way. Love in an Elevator. Janie's Got a Gun. Cryin'. Amazing. Living on the Edge. And the list goes on and on ...
This will be my third time seeing the band live ... first was in CT with my brother, where they co-headlined with KISS. Second was last year in LA, at the Staples Center, where Lenny Kravitz opened. Now it's the Hollywood Bowl, with Motley Crue ... a band I've been a fan of but have yet to see live ... and that alone should be awesome - the drum cage, the pyrotechnics, the craziness -- awesome. But you can count on the fact that once the Crue has done their thing, Aerosmith will take the stage and plain and simple rock the house - nothing too fancy needed - just one of the best bands ever entertaining the crowd.
- Alright ... I'm out - first to ROCK the vote, then to just plain ROCK.
There's something right with the world today
And everybody knows its wrong
But we can tell em no
Or we could let it go
But I would rather be a hangin' on.
YEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Okay, so honestly I am sick of all these holier-than-thou MySpace and email bulletins from my peers urging me to vote, as if the thought had never occurred to me in my life before I read their oh so informative message. Then again, seeing as how so many people around Hollywood tend to live in a bit of a bubble, shall we say, I do understand the need to get the word out. Because, seriously, this is a crucial election, with a lot at stake. It's a chance for the Democrats to win back control of the national government and to gain ground at the local level as well. I hope it's clear to most people that, forgetting party lines for a minute, it is most definitely time to NOT "stay the course." Even Bush says so ... But, seriously, it should be obvious that the Republican, right-wing majority is all about manipulation. Not to say that the Democrats are angels, but I think that no matter what your political agenda, its time to face facts and see the Republican platform for the self-serving SHAM that it is. To them, each interest group is merely a demo to win over, not a legitimate cause to support. Do you think these power players honestly care about social values? Did Mark Foley care about them? No, politics have usurped practicality to the point of ridiculousness - stem cell research, gay rights, abortion - are all nothing more than political bargaining chips for a Republican party that knows it can't stand by its botched war anymore, and must therefore call attention to social issues which its OWN MEMBERS can't seem to stand by in their personal lives. Is it too much to ask for a politician to practice what they preach?
And in all other areas, politics have usurped practicality to a ridiculous degree. Even noted conservative writer George Will blasted Bush and Cheney in his latest Newsweek column, noting the absurdity in the administrations total inability to concede any problems with the neverending war in Iraq. I think people are sick of all this roundabout political stubborness and ready for someone who talks straight. And no, that does not include John Kerry, who continues to make a total fool of himself with his politics-as-usual buffoonery. Man, Barak Obama's entry into the presidential spotlight cannot come soon enough ....
So in summation, I will become one of those annoying "please vote" people and urge you to go out and help change the country for the better. Us Gen Y-ers had an embarrasingly low turnout in the 2004 election - a factor which undoubtedly helped reelect George Bush. Does that make you proud? If not, then go out and vote, because today is hopefully step one in the ushering in of a new era for American politics.
But man, all these propositions in California are seriously confusing as hell. Why are so many issues on the ballot? And can't they at least have a name so I can sort out what Prop 87 is as compared to Prop 576? And also, as a relatively new CA resident, I only found out where I was supposed to be voting through an extensive Google search. Why is it made so difficult to figure out?
ANYWAYS:
Forget about voting for a second ... tonight is the night to ROCK~!
Tonight - me and 3 friend ... the Hollywood Bowl ... live ... The Route of All Evil Tour ... Motley Crue ... and ... AEROSMITH !!!!!
This is going to be awesome - two forces of ROCK collide to unleash one furiously awesome concert. I can't wait to see the sheer craziness that will be the 80's hair-metal stylings of the Crue, but, mainly, it's one more time to see my all-time rock heroes - Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and the rest of the Bad Boys from Boston --- AEROSMITH.
Like I said previously, I am hoping for a bit of a harder-edged playlist from them tonight, but in any case, Aerosmith is Aerosmith is Aerosmith, ya know? Seriously, listening to their songs the last few days, there is no other hard rock band with the sheer number of kickass tunes as the 'Smith in my view. From the classic 70's stuff to the funkier 80's songs to the 90's comeback material, you just can't go wrong with any of Aerosmith's dozens and dozens of classic tunes. Sweet Emotion. Dream On. Walk This Way. Love in an Elevator. Janie's Got a Gun. Cryin'. Amazing. Living on the Edge. And the list goes on and on ...
This will be my third time seeing the band live ... first was in CT with my brother, where they co-headlined with KISS. Second was last year in LA, at the Staples Center, where Lenny Kravitz opened. Now it's the Hollywood Bowl, with Motley Crue ... a band I've been a fan of but have yet to see live ... and that alone should be awesome - the drum cage, the pyrotechnics, the craziness -- awesome. But you can count on the fact that once the Crue has done their thing, Aerosmith will take the stage and plain and simple rock the house - nothing too fancy needed - just one of the best bands ever entertaining the crowd.
- Alright ... I'm out - first to ROCK the vote, then to just plain ROCK.
There's something right with the world today
And everybody knows its wrong
But we can tell em no
Or we could let it go
But I would rather be a hangin' on.
YEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Monday, November 06, 2006
HIGH FIVE! BORAT Review, Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, and MORE
CHECK IT.
Well it's back to the grind for one more week ... a good weekend was had with Friday's viewing of Borat and Saturday's birthday / belated Halloween / Pageoween II bash in Pasadena at la casa del Carlos. I thought my K-Fed getup was pretty sweet, but lo and behold I was like one of five K-Feds in da hizouse. Still, I was the only one with a kickass homemade T-shirt sporting the classic catchphrase of "Popo Zao." Beat that. Well, my friend Erica can beat that, as she actually ATTENDED a K-Fed concert last week. Yes, you heard right. I'm just waiting for Mr. Federline's burgeoning career as a professional wrassler to really take off, so that we can enjoy the first ever Britney-on-a-pole match (within the confines of a 15 foot high steel cage, of course ...). Otherwise, the party was a fun time even if it was weird being the resident old-school former NBC page. I got to meet some of the newer crop of pages though, so at least I'm slightly in the loop as to who is currently donning the blue polyester and giving guided tours of NBC Studios. Funnily enough, I've seen two different people actually dress as NBC Pages for Halloween this year, presumably thanks to the hilarity of the page character on NBC's 30 Rock. Who would have thunk it?
As for Borat ...
BORAT Review
Okay, well, let's see ... how to describe my reaction to BORAT? Well, first of all - yes, this movie is pretty freaking hilarious, no doubt about it. Sascha Baron Cohen is in absolute top form as Borat, and in Borat he has created one of the most inherently hilarious characters we've seen in years.
BUT ...
Going into this movie, based on my love of Da Ali G Show, well, I was honestly expecting a movie that was not only hilarious, but one that would instantly rank as one of the all-time great comedies - a movie that without hesitation I could call one of the funniest things I had ever seen.
The problem with this movie is that, while it is excellent, it isn't as good or as original or as ... pure, I guess ... as the original Borat sketches from Da Ali G Show. Those pieces are pure comedy magic thanks to the combo of Cohen as Borat and his interaction with real, unsuspecting subjects. In the movie, that comedic purity gets watered down by an underwhelming attempt to connect everything via a typical Hollywood narrative, with Borat on a quest to find his object of obssessive affection, Pamela Anderson. On one hand, the narrative sections of the movie do provide some undoubtedly hilarious moments (the opening and closing scenes in Kazhakstan are both great, and that one scene, you know - the man-on-man naked wrestling one - is admittedly gut-bustingly, side-splittingly funny). On the other hand, most of the Borat as man-on-the-street sections of the film feel overly cropped and squished together to accomodate the "Story" of the film. Did we really need a subplot where Borat falls in love with an overweight prostitute, for example? To me, Borat and Cohen are at their best when they are doing their Andy Kauffman-esque, reallife-meets-fiction take on reality TV, interacting with unsuspecting rubes, having Borat interact with regular people to hilarious effect. I wish there was more of that in this movie, as opposed to the scripted portions that were, at times, funny, but ultimately getting away from the real point of the character and of Cohen's act.
The other problem is simply that there's not enough new material in the movie. Many of the gags are recycled from Da Ali G Show, for example - from Borat showing off an increasingly dirty series of family photos, to an awkward attempt at the national anthem, to his attempts at being polite at a southern dinner party -- fans of Borat have seen much of this before. Even many of the new jokes and one-liners from the movie have been repeated ad-nauseum in various in-character interviews and TV appearances. As funny as Borat's schtick is, I wish I hadn't already seen so much of it beforehand.
So those are my grievances ... which basically amount to this movie being very, very funny and comedically daring, just not the ultimate, instant-classic movie comedy that I was hoping it would be. In general, I think Sascha Baron Cohen's Ali G characters represent some of the absolute best comedy of the last several years - even with only a handful of episodes available in the US, I place the show up there with The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, The Office UK, and a few others as my favorite comedic TV shows of all time. I think that Cohen's ability to stay in character, to live, breath and play the part so well that everyone from store owners to southern gentlemen to esteemed politicians all buy into his act, is simply amazing. It's totally fearless comedy that is, also, some of the absolute best social satire around. I think a lot of people probably like Borat for his funny look and accent, but I hope that people are smart enough to realize just how deeply the character is satirizing America. I think they are, but in the back of my mind I am kind of worried that people will start to think it's cool / funny to actually mock Jews a la Borat, when of course, he's actually mocking the ignorance inehrent in antisemitism - to great satiric and comedic effect (nothing in the movie beats his shockingly funny "Throw The Jew Down the Well" bit from Da Ali G Show). So again, Borat the movie is, as expected, ridiculously funny, but it also loses a bit of its bite by getting too many laughs from the Borat character and not enough from the social satire that elevated Ali G from the level of merely "funny" to that of "great."
So please, go see Borat. I can't tell you how happy I am that this movie was #1 at the box office, though again, I do somewhat worry that some people might take Borat at face value, just like the people he interviews in his movie. But more than that, I hope that Cohen's real point will be taken to heart here - that we Americans, as enlightened and sophisticated as we like to believe we are, are not as far removed from a goofily naive and backwards eastern-European dolt as we'd like to think.
To sum up - not QUITE the comedic masterpiece I had envisioned, but as expected to those in the know, it's typically crazy, brave, and hilarious. I like!
My Grade: A -
TV STUFF:
THE SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR - This whole Simpsons schpiel is getting a little old, but for the uninitiated, I'll repeat: Once, the Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror was the most beloved of Halloween TV traditions - a yearly showcase for some of the funniest writers in comedy to brilliantly blend the hilarity of The Simpsons with spot-on tributes to classic horror and sci-fi. For several consecutive years, each new Treehouse of Horror was an annual television highlight. Now, of course, like the show in general, we've seen several years in a row where the once-superlative episode has not lived up to its past greatness. After so many years of subpar Simpsons though, many longtime fans have come to accept that the show is no longer at its creative peak, and gone into each new season with considerably lowered expectations. But still, I know for me, the sheer potential in these annual Simpsons horrorthons is to much to pass up. So I tuned in Sunday with scaled back hopes, and what I got was an episode that was ... predictably average, but, not quite as bad as I'd feared, with a few decent laughs to be found even if none of the segments proved particularly memorable. Despite most of the stories not really going anywhere, there was something inherently funny to me about a golem voiced by Richard Lewis, and there were a few very funny lines scattered throughout the ep ("SKINNER! I wish I had gotten to know you better."). But this was far removed from the old-school Simpsons' spot-on parodies of Dracula, The Twilight Zone, etc ... instead the last few minutes were a ham-fisted critique of the war in Iraq, following an odd mix of War of the Worlds and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Keep it simple, guys! By no means classic, and probably not even good per se, but not totally bad either - and much better than the bar-lowering talking dolphin ep from a few years back, that's for sure.
My Grade: C+
FAMILY GUY:
- A somewhat funny ep, that once again was pretty hit or miss humor-wise. Sometimes this show just finds the right subject to parody that I just find inherently funny - I mean, finally, a good Choose Your Own Adventure joke! The Brian and Stewie in the army stuff was just okay, but there were nough good jokes to make this an episode worth watching, even if, as a whole, this show is still really struggling to capture it's past level of wit and humor.
My Grade: B -
Alright ... I'm out ...
HIGH FIVE.
Well it's back to the grind for one more week ... a good weekend was had with Friday's viewing of Borat and Saturday's birthday / belated Halloween / Pageoween II bash in Pasadena at la casa del Carlos. I thought my K-Fed getup was pretty sweet, but lo and behold I was like one of five K-Feds in da hizouse. Still, I was the only one with a kickass homemade T-shirt sporting the classic catchphrase of "Popo Zao." Beat that. Well, my friend Erica can beat that, as she actually ATTENDED a K-Fed concert last week. Yes, you heard right. I'm just waiting for Mr. Federline's burgeoning career as a professional wrassler to really take off, so that we can enjoy the first ever Britney-on-a-pole match (within the confines of a 15 foot high steel cage, of course ...). Otherwise, the party was a fun time even if it was weird being the resident old-school former NBC page. I got to meet some of the newer crop of pages though, so at least I'm slightly in the loop as to who is currently donning the blue polyester and giving guided tours of NBC Studios. Funnily enough, I've seen two different people actually dress as NBC Pages for Halloween this year, presumably thanks to the hilarity of the page character on NBC's 30 Rock. Who would have thunk it?
As for Borat ...
BORAT Review
Okay, well, let's see ... how to describe my reaction to BORAT? Well, first of all - yes, this movie is pretty freaking hilarious, no doubt about it. Sascha Baron Cohen is in absolute top form as Borat, and in Borat he has created one of the most inherently hilarious characters we've seen in years.
BUT ...
Going into this movie, based on my love of Da Ali G Show, well, I was honestly expecting a movie that was not only hilarious, but one that would instantly rank as one of the all-time great comedies - a movie that without hesitation I could call one of the funniest things I had ever seen.
The problem with this movie is that, while it is excellent, it isn't as good or as original or as ... pure, I guess ... as the original Borat sketches from Da Ali G Show. Those pieces are pure comedy magic thanks to the combo of Cohen as Borat and his interaction with real, unsuspecting subjects. In the movie, that comedic purity gets watered down by an underwhelming attempt to connect everything via a typical Hollywood narrative, with Borat on a quest to find his object of obssessive affection, Pamela Anderson. On one hand, the narrative sections of the movie do provide some undoubtedly hilarious moments (the opening and closing scenes in Kazhakstan are both great, and that one scene, you know - the man-on-man naked wrestling one - is admittedly gut-bustingly, side-splittingly funny). On the other hand, most of the Borat as man-on-the-street sections of the film feel overly cropped and squished together to accomodate the "Story" of the film. Did we really need a subplot where Borat falls in love with an overweight prostitute, for example? To me, Borat and Cohen are at their best when they are doing their Andy Kauffman-esque, reallife-meets-fiction take on reality TV, interacting with unsuspecting rubes, having Borat interact with regular people to hilarious effect. I wish there was more of that in this movie, as opposed to the scripted portions that were, at times, funny, but ultimately getting away from the real point of the character and of Cohen's act.
The other problem is simply that there's not enough new material in the movie. Many of the gags are recycled from Da Ali G Show, for example - from Borat showing off an increasingly dirty series of family photos, to an awkward attempt at the national anthem, to his attempts at being polite at a southern dinner party -- fans of Borat have seen much of this before. Even many of the new jokes and one-liners from the movie have been repeated ad-nauseum in various in-character interviews and TV appearances. As funny as Borat's schtick is, I wish I hadn't already seen so much of it beforehand.
So those are my grievances ... which basically amount to this movie being very, very funny and comedically daring, just not the ultimate, instant-classic movie comedy that I was hoping it would be. In general, I think Sascha Baron Cohen's Ali G characters represent some of the absolute best comedy of the last several years - even with only a handful of episodes available in the US, I place the show up there with The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, The Office UK, and a few others as my favorite comedic TV shows of all time. I think that Cohen's ability to stay in character, to live, breath and play the part so well that everyone from store owners to southern gentlemen to esteemed politicians all buy into his act, is simply amazing. It's totally fearless comedy that is, also, some of the absolute best social satire around. I think a lot of people probably like Borat for his funny look and accent, but I hope that people are smart enough to realize just how deeply the character is satirizing America. I think they are, but in the back of my mind I am kind of worried that people will start to think it's cool / funny to actually mock Jews a la Borat, when of course, he's actually mocking the ignorance inehrent in antisemitism - to great satiric and comedic effect (nothing in the movie beats his shockingly funny "Throw The Jew Down the Well" bit from Da Ali G Show). So again, Borat the movie is, as expected, ridiculously funny, but it also loses a bit of its bite by getting too many laughs from the Borat character and not enough from the social satire that elevated Ali G from the level of merely "funny" to that of "great."
So please, go see Borat. I can't tell you how happy I am that this movie was #1 at the box office, though again, I do somewhat worry that some people might take Borat at face value, just like the people he interviews in his movie. But more than that, I hope that Cohen's real point will be taken to heart here - that we Americans, as enlightened and sophisticated as we like to believe we are, are not as far removed from a goofily naive and backwards eastern-European dolt as we'd like to think.
To sum up - not QUITE the comedic masterpiece I had envisioned, but as expected to those in the know, it's typically crazy, brave, and hilarious. I like!
My Grade: A -
TV STUFF:
THE SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR - This whole Simpsons schpiel is getting a little old, but for the uninitiated, I'll repeat: Once, the Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror was the most beloved of Halloween TV traditions - a yearly showcase for some of the funniest writers in comedy to brilliantly blend the hilarity of The Simpsons with spot-on tributes to classic horror and sci-fi. For several consecutive years, each new Treehouse of Horror was an annual television highlight. Now, of course, like the show in general, we've seen several years in a row where the once-superlative episode has not lived up to its past greatness. After so many years of subpar Simpsons though, many longtime fans have come to accept that the show is no longer at its creative peak, and gone into each new season with considerably lowered expectations. But still, I know for me, the sheer potential in these annual Simpsons horrorthons is to much to pass up. So I tuned in Sunday with scaled back hopes, and what I got was an episode that was ... predictably average, but, not quite as bad as I'd feared, with a few decent laughs to be found even if none of the segments proved particularly memorable. Despite most of the stories not really going anywhere, there was something inherently funny to me about a golem voiced by Richard Lewis, and there were a few very funny lines scattered throughout the ep ("SKINNER! I wish I had gotten to know you better."). But this was far removed from the old-school Simpsons' spot-on parodies of Dracula, The Twilight Zone, etc ... instead the last few minutes were a ham-fisted critique of the war in Iraq, following an odd mix of War of the Worlds and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Keep it simple, guys! By no means classic, and probably not even good per se, but not totally bad either - and much better than the bar-lowering talking dolphin ep from a few years back, that's for sure.
My Grade: C+
FAMILY GUY:
- A somewhat funny ep, that once again was pretty hit or miss humor-wise. Sometimes this show just finds the right subject to parody that I just find inherently funny - I mean, finally, a good Choose Your Own Adventure joke! The Brian and Stewie in the army stuff was just okay, but there were nough good jokes to make this an episode worth watching, even if, as a whole, this show is still really struggling to capture it's past level of wit and humor.
My Grade: B -
Alright ... I'm out ...
HIGH FIVE.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Jagshemesh! I like you, do you like me?
What up everyone? Can you feel it? The weekend is upon us, baby.
I'll reserve comment about Borat until after I see it, but man, you just know it's going to kick ass. Just this afternoon, my brother frantically called me from Boston where he had just seen the movie, and ranted nearly incomprehensibly about how funny the movie was. Ehen I first tried to expose Matt to the greatness of Ali G, he didn't see the humor in it, and only after my usual intense pushing of it on him and forcing him to watch every Borat sketch against his will did he finally come around. So of course, Matt is now a full-blown Borat convert, despite his early resistance. My point, I think, is that I AM A TRENDSETTER, baby.
TV STUFF:
- Apparently, I am the only one in America who tuned in to last night's season premiere of THE OC. I kind of see why, as last season was mostly subpar, but the positive reviews for the new eps got me curious, and who was I to shun the return of America's formerly favorite disfunctional Jewish family? And you know what? This was a pretty darn good episode. Melodramatic, cheesy, overly-angsty ... but dammit all isn't that why we loved the OC in the first place. All the characters were in top form - Seth Cohen seemed both endearing and not too cartoonish, Sandy Cohen was great as always, Julie Cooper was amusingly all over the place, Summer seemed more likable and intelligent than she's been in years, and Ryan was ... well, CAGE-FIGHTING. Yes, Ryan Atwood went all Wolverine in X-Men 1 on us, and while ridiculous, it was pretty amusing to watch. But, overall, the writing just seemd sharper than it has of late in this ep, and the plotlines seemed focused and universally entertaining. And as a geek-friendly bonus, this ep included numerous comic book references, and, to top it off ... a Buckaroo Banzai quote! Now, okay, some of the scenes here were tres cheesy, and the ending was a bit too convenient, but not bad, not bad at all ...
My Grade: B+
- Last night's OFFICE was pretty funny, though I had some issues with the plot, which hinged on Michael's awkward proposal. While the storyline was funny, we really haven't had any sense of the relationship between Michael and his girlfriend to this point, so even though we can kind of assume what their relationship is like just based on Michael's personality, it still felt like we didn't quite have enough info to judge Michael's hasty proposal. My point is, it's too bad we didn't see more of Michael and Carol's relationship up until now. But anyways, this was a fun episode that didn't have the belly laughs of the last few weeks but had some great character moments, and a lot of fun bits. Still my favorite comedy on TV.
My Grade: B+
-EARL I found pretty funny as well ... I loved Rosanne Barr's guest spot and overall found the ep pretty amusing.
My Grade: B+
Yes, that's 3 B+'s in a row ...
- Last night's SMALLVILLE was pretty decent, but really dragged towards the middle of the ep. I did love the interation between Lex and Jimmy Olsen though, and I also got a kick out of the ending scene with Clark holding the "S" insignia in his hand. Otherwise, the Phantom Zone plot was a little boring, and Mariah in my view was a pretty uninteresting character, and the whole "Clark meets another person like him and doesn't feel alone anymore" storyarc has been done to death by this point.
My Grade: B -
-- Alright ... have a great weekend everyone. If you don't, I will crush you!
I'll reserve comment about Borat until after I see it, but man, you just know it's going to kick ass. Just this afternoon, my brother frantically called me from Boston where he had just seen the movie, and ranted nearly incomprehensibly about how funny the movie was. Ehen I first tried to expose Matt to the greatness of Ali G, he didn't see the humor in it, and only after my usual intense pushing of it on him and forcing him to watch every Borat sketch against his will did he finally come around. So of course, Matt is now a full-blown Borat convert, despite his early resistance. My point, I think, is that I AM A TRENDSETTER, baby.
TV STUFF:
- Apparently, I am the only one in America who tuned in to last night's season premiere of THE OC. I kind of see why, as last season was mostly subpar, but the positive reviews for the new eps got me curious, and who was I to shun the return of America's formerly favorite disfunctional Jewish family? And you know what? This was a pretty darn good episode. Melodramatic, cheesy, overly-angsty ... but dammit all isn't that why we loved the OC in the first place. All the characters were in top form - Seth Cohen seemed both endearing and not too cartoonish, Sandy Cohen was great as always, Julie Cooper was amusingly all over the place, Summer seemed more likable and intelligent than she's been in years, and Ryan was ... well, CAGE-FIGHTING. Yes, Ryan Atwood went all Wolverine in X-Men 1 on us, and while ridiculous, it was pretty amusing to watch. But, overall, the writing just seemd sharper than it has of late in this ep, and the plotlines seemed focused and universally entertaining. And as a geek-friendly bonus, this ep included numerous comic book references, and, to top it off ... a Buckaroo Banzai quote! Now, okay, some of the scenes here were tres cheesy, and the ending was a bit too convenient, but not bad, not bad at all ...
My Grade: B+
- Last night's OFFICE was pretty funny, though I had some issues with the plot, which hinged on Michael's awkward proposal. While the storyline was funny, we really haven't had any sense of the relationship between Michael and his girlfriend to this point, so even though we can kind of assume what their relationship is like just based on Michael's personality, it still felt like we didn't quite have enough info to judge Michael's hasty proposal. My point is, it's too bad we didn't see more of Michael and Carol's relationship up until now. But anyways, this was a fun episode that didn't have the belly laughs of the last few weeks but had some great character moments, and a lot of fun bits. Still my favorite comedy on TV.
My Grade: B+
-EARL I found pretty funny as well ... I loved Rosanne Barr's guest spot and overall found the ep pretty amusing.
My Grade: B+
Yes, that's 3 B+'s in a row ...
- Last night's SMALLVILLE was pretty decent, but really dragged towards the middle of the ep. I did love the interation between Lex and Jimmy Olsen though, and I also got a kick out of the ending scene with Clark holding the "S" insignia in his hand. Otherwise, the Phantom Zone plot was a little boring, and Mariah in my view was a pretty uninteresting character, and the whole "Clark meets another person like him and doesn't feel alone anymore" storyarc has been done to death by this point.
My Grade: B -
-- Alright ... have a great weekend everyone. If you don't, I will crush you!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Throwin' It Down! Lakers, Mars, and the Best LOST of the Season!
Alright, back again with the latest.
First off, the Lakers-Suns game Tuesday night was awesome. Despite some horrendous traffic getting to the Staples Center, my friends and I made it in time for tip-off and were treated to an intense game that kicked off the NBA season with a bang. While not seeing Kobe play was a slight letdown, the Lakers hardly looked like they needed him, as Lamar Odom had a Halloween-appropriate MONSTER of a game, and 19 year old Andrew Bynum put up some intense numbers as well. I mean, sure, my hatred for the Lakers is pretty much unwavering, but, dammit all, after that game I was a Bynumaniac. Byn-o-mite! Anyways, just seeing reigning league MVP Steve Nash play in person was pretty awesome - to see his court vision and passing skill up close really is a sight to behold. And even though Amare Stoudamire was largely ineffectual after his return from a season-long injury, he did provide one vintage slam that had me crying in Bill Walton-esque glee: "Throw it down, Big Man - throw it down!" So yeah, despite the first half being all Suns, the Lakers owned the second half and dominated the boards, coming back to win the game by a decent margin. I was disappointed that the Suns couldn't pull it out, but, hey, whatever. I was watching the game from center court, only a dozen or so rows up from the floor, in the Staples Center's VIP seating area, complete with upscale concession stands and optional straight-to-your-seat food service. Niiiice. Not a bad way to spend Halloween, and a pretty exciting matchup for my first ever Lakers game.
Now, the Halloween season is finally over and it's time to shift gears to November and the holiday season. Looking back, it was a fun if somewhat exhausting October, but I managed to fit in a pretty large assortment of Halloween activities. My second annual trip to Knott's Scary Farm was a great time, and was a perfect way to kick off the Halloween season. Friday, October 13th saw another successful Horror Movie Marathon, with a good group of eager film fans. The week after that I headed to Hollywood for the El Capitan's premiere of the Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D, which was great, and then Halloween weekend itself came and all kinds of craziness occurred when I headed down to Manhattan Beach to celebrate. And even though it's November, the fun isn't quite over yet. This weekend is a belated Halloween party in Pasadena, which should hopefully get a huge turnout and be lots of fun.
But aside from that ...
Man, it should be an exciting few days.
- This Friday, my most anticipated movie of the last few months finally drops into theaters -- Borat, baby! By this point, the movie's been overhyped and overexposed to an off-putting degree, but who cares? The bottom line is that I am pretty confident that Borat will be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I like! I've been a fan since I first saw Borat on Da Ali G Show a few years back, and I mean, wow, I can't believe that that they even made a Borat movie, let alone that Borat has of late been one of the most hyped films in years, even gracing the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Who wouldda thunk it? Whatever the case, Borat's Ali G Show skits are some of the best, smartest, most bitingly satirical, and just plain funniest stuff I've ever seen. Cannot wait to see this comedy classic in the making.
- Then, this Tuesday (man, I can't believe this date is already here) ... it's one more trip to the Hollywood Bowl, this time to see, for round number 3, my all-time favorite band: AEROSMITH. This is going to friggin' ROCK. Not only is it Aerosmith, but, they will be joined by, of all people, Motley Crue! Yes, I will be seeing Aerosmith AND the Crue in one concert, as part of their joint Root of All Evil Tour. Hells yes - I can only hope that the pairing with Crue will sway Aerosmith to stick to some of their harder-edged stuff, and skip songs like "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing." I want to hear some hard rock, baby. Eat the Rich and other, grittier 90's stuff would be awesome to hear live from Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and co. And man, the Crue, live? That is going to be insane. I don't know much of their stuff beyond the stalwarts like "Girls, girls, girls" and "Dr. Feelgood," but, well, is it too much to ask for a rotating, suspended drumcage? Yikes! Or should I say: YEEEEAAAAOOOOWWW!
So ... I am hoping that these two events will help live things up a little over the next week. Because, man, otherwise I am just dragging lately, not feeling very motivated or enthusiastic about things in general. But yeah, no better cure for the blues than a little bit of good, ol' fashioned, ROCK N' ROLL.
TV STUFF:
- Let me get right to it: last night's LOST was just a great, great episode of television. Last week, I really enjoyed the ep but still felt frustrated by how the show's bigger picture was shaping up after the somewhat anticlimactic reveal of the second island. This week, not only did we get an absolutely gripping self-contained tale, but, man, the bigger picture stuff really came into focus this week. But even beyond that, let me really give credit where it's due here: as much as I've complained about the larger-scale continuity issues of the show, Lost has done a masterful job at putting together a kickass 6-episode opening storyarc to kick off Season 3. This arc reminds me in many ways of the standard 6 issue comic book storyarc, where a self-contained tale is told even as it fits into a larger and more complex ongoing series and universe. But yeah, my point is that even if the series as a whole has had some major issues at times with plotting and pacing - these last five episodes have really nailed it, so that the anticipation and dramatic intensity heading into next week's concluding chapter is now, quite simply, off the charts. As far as this particular episode, there were so many scenes that I loved. I loved Juliette's secret video message to Jack - it was surprising, intense, a great setup for next week, and yet still left you wondering who to trust. I loved that glimpse of the eye-patch guy on the TV monitor in the hatch - that is just classic, creepy, and a really fun little tease of things to come. I loved almost everything with Eko in this ep, and that's saying a lot as I have NOT really liked his character up to now. I feel like Eko's been a character with a cool look and premise behind him, but, has mostly represented all the worst aspects of the show. He talks in riddles, spews lame mantras about faith and religion, never communicates what he knows or thinks to the other castaways, and usually came off, to me, as more cheesy than cool. In this ep, finally, Eko was cool. The flashbacks were very effective, his fight with the smoke monster was visually great and very satisfying, and his (SPOILERS), death was done well. Even though some are up in arms about killing him off, I think Eko's death added a lot to the plot and his dying warning of "You're next" was one of the most satisfying plot twists to date on the show, simply because it capped off an episode where everything, for once, felt like it was moving forward at full steam. Yes, there were a few rough patches (the newbie characters, I agree, are slightly lame and definitely shoehorned into the plot), but, at this point, next week's ep is my most anticipated episode of Lost in a long, long time. Business has just picked up.
My Grade: A
- Now, I am happy to say that this week's VERONICA MARS was a great return to form for the show after a few weeks of slightly under-par episodes. Remember last week when I said that this season was missing that feeling of Veronica being in over her head, of maybe biting off a little more than she can chew? This week, we got that back - that feeling that Veronica, for all her wit and brains, might be a little out of her league. Once again, there wa a real sense of danger about things, particularly when Veronica had a gun held against her head. The look on her face as the assailant snatched her necklace was priceless, as the usually cool and quick-witted Veronica could only manage to growl "you're going to regret this." Pretty much everything clicked in this ep, from Keith Mars' case with Ed Begley Jr, great as usual as the college dean, to the back and forth with Weevil, to the return of the love-to-hate-him Sherriff Lamb, to the hilarious meeting between Veronica and her geeky admirer, who pretty much personafied the majority of this show's male viewers, I'd hazard to guess. Although my faith in the power of Mars wavered only slightly in the last few weeks, I can once again say with confidence that this is up there with the absolute best shows on TV.
My Grade: A
- I also felt like 30 Rock had another strong episode, with some more hilarious scenes between Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, and the scene-stealing NBC Page. The show has not quite gelled yet to the point where the storylines and characters are as strong as the jokes, but, hey, I get a few huge laughs out of each ep and the cast is firing on all cylinders. I think the show needs a more grounded male lead to help even out the fact that almost every non-Tina Fey character on the show is insane, ala Jason Bateman on Arrested Development. Right now, Tina Fey is the show's only real tie to normalcy, and a little more balance is needed, I think. But yeah, bring on the move to Thursdays.
My Grade: B+
- Still have to watch Monday's Heroes, but also looking forward to tonight's Office and Smallville.
Alright ... well, only about 4 more hours to go here ... leave me some comments, I need a distraction.
ROCK.
First off, the Lakers-Suns game Tuesday night was awesome. Despite some horrendous traffic getting to the Staples Center, my friends and I made it in time for tip-off and were treated to an intense game that kicked off the NBA season with a bang. While not seeing Kobe play was a slight letdown, the Lakers hardly looked like they needed him, as Lamar Odom had a Halloween-appropriate MONSTER of a game, and 19 year old Andrew Bynum put up some intense numbers as well. I mean, sure, my hatred for the Lakers is pretty much unwavering, but, dammit all, after that game I was a Bynumaniac. Byn-o-mite! Anyways, just seeing reigning league MVP Steve Nash play in person was pretty awesome - to see his court vision and passing skill up close really is a sight to behold. And even though Amare Stoudamire was largely ineffectual after his return from a season-long injury, he did provide one vintage slam that had me crying in Bill Walton-esque glee: "Throw it down, Big Man - throw it down!" So yeah, despite the first half being all Suns, the Lakers owned the second half and dominated the boards, coming back to win the game by a decent margin. I was disappointed that the Suns couldn't pull it out, but, hey, whatever. I was watching the game from center court, only a dozen or so rows up from the floor, in the Staples Center's VIP seating area, complete with upscale concession stands and optional straight-to-your-seat food service. Niiiice. Not a bad way to spend Halloween, and a pretty exciting matchup for my first ever Lakers game.
Now, the Halloween season is finally over and it's time to shift gears to November and the holiday season. Looking back, it was a fun if somewhat exhausting October, but I managed to fit in a pretty large assortment of Halloween activities. My second annual trip to Knott's Scary Farm was a great time, and was a perfect way to kick off the Halloween season. Friday, October 13th saw another successful Horror Movie Marathon, with a good group of eager film fans. The week after that I headed to Hollywood for the El Capitan's premiere of the Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D, which was great, and then Halloween weekend itself came and all kinds of craziness occurred when I headed down to Manhattan Beach to celebrate. And even though it's November, the fun isn't quite over yet. This weekend is a belated Halloween party in Pasadena, which should hopefully get a huge turnout and be lots of fun.
But aside from that ...
Man, it should be an exciting few days.
- This Friday, my most anticipated movie of the last few months finally drops into theaters -- Borat, baby! By this point, the movie's been overhyped and overexposed to an off-putting degree, but who cares? The bottom line is that I am pretty confident that Borat will be one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I like! I've been a fan since I first saw Borat on Da Ali G Show a few years back, and I mean, wow, I can't believe that that they even made a Borat movie, let alone that Borat has of late been one of the most hyped films in years, even gracing the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Who wouldda thunk it? Whatever the case, Borat's Ali G Show skits are some of the best, smartest, most bitingly satirical, and just plain funniest stuff I've ever seen. Cannot wait to see this comedy classic in the making.
- Then, this Tuesday (man, I can't believe this date is already here) ... it's one more trip to the Hollywood Bowl, this time to see, for round number 3, my all-time favorite band: AEROSMITH. This is going to friggin' ROCK. Not only is it Aerosmith, but, they will be joined by, of all people, Motley Crue! Yes, I will be seeing Aerosmith AND the Crue in one concert, as part of their joint Root of All Evil Tour. Hells yes - I can only hope that the pairing with Crue will sway Aerosmith to stick to some of their harder-edged stuff, and skip songs like "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing." I want to hear some hard rock, baby. Eat the Rich and other, grittier 90's stuff would be awesome to hear live from Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and co. And man, the Crue, live? That is going to be insane. I don't know much of their stuff beyond the stalwarts like "Girls, girls, girls" and "Dr. Feelgood," but, well, is it too much to ask for a rotating, suspended drumcage? Yikes! Or should I say: YEEEEAAAAOOOOWWW!
So ... I am hoping that these two events will help live things up a little over the next week. Because, man, otherwise I am just dragging lately, not feeling very motivated or enthusiastic about things in general. But yeah, no better cure for the blues than a little bit of good, ol' fashioned, ROCK N' ROLL.
TV STUFF:
- Let me get right to it: last night's LOST was just a great, great episode of television. Last week, I really enjoyed the ep but still felt frustrated by how the show's bigger picture was shaping up after the somewhat anticlimactic reveal of the second island. This week, not only did we get an absolutely gripping self-contained tale, but, man, the bigger picture stuff really came into focus this week. But even beyond that, let me really give credit where it's due here: as much as I've complained about the larger-scale continuity issues of the show, Lost has done a masterful job at putting together a kickass 6-episode opening storyarc to kick off Season 3. This arc reminds me in many ways of the standard 6 issue comic book storyarc, where a self-contained tale is told even as it fits into a larger and more complex ongoing series and universe. But yeah, my point is that even if the series as a whole has had some major issues at times with plotting and pacing - these last five episodes have really nailed it, so that the anticipation and dramatic intensity heading into next week's concluding chapter is now, quite simply, off the charts. As far as this particular episode, there were so many scenes that I loved. I loved Juliette's secret video message to Jack - it was surprising, intense, a great setup for next week, and yet still left you wondering who to trust. I loved that glimpse of the eye-patch guy on the TV monitor in the hatch - that is just classic, creepy, and a really fun little tease of things to come. I loved almost everything with Eko in this ep, and that's saying a lot as I have NOT really liked his character up to now. I feel like Eko's been a character with a cool look and premise behind him, but, has mostly represented all the worst aspects of the show. He talks in riddles, spews lame mantras about faith and religion, never communicates what he knows or thinks to the other castaways, and usually came off, to me, as more cheesy than cool. In this ep, finally, Eko was cool. The flashbacks were very effective, his fight with the smoke monster was visually great and very satisfying, and his (SPOILERS), death was done well. Even though some are up in arms about killing him off, I think Eko's death added a lot to the plot and his dying warning of "You're next" was one of the most satisfying plot twists to date on the show, simply because it capped off an episode where everything, for once, felt like it was moving forward at full steam. Yes, there were a few rough patches (the newbie characters, I agree, are slightly lame and definitely shoehorned into the plot), but, at this point, next week's ep is my most anticipated episode of Lost in a long, long time. Business has just picked up.
My Grade: A
- Now, I am happy to say that this week's VERONICA MARS was a great return to form for the show after a few weeks of slightly under-par episodes. Remember last week when I said that this season was missing that feeling of Veronica being in over her head, of maybe biting off a little more than she can chew? This week, we got that back - that feeling that Veronica, for all her wit and brains, might be a little out of her league. Once again, there wa a real sense of danger about things, particularly when Veronica had a gun held against her head. The look on her face as the assailant snatched her necklace was priceless, as the usually cool and quick-witted Veronica could only manage to growl "you're going to regret this." Pretty much everything clicked in this ep, from Keith Mars' case with Ed Begley Jr, great as usual as the college dean, to the back and forth with Weevil, to the return of the love-to-hate-him Sherriff Lamb, to the hilarious meeting between Veronica and her geeky admirer, who pretty much personafied the majority of this show's male viewers, I'd hazard to guess. Although my faith in the power of Mars wavered only slightly in the last few weeks, I can once again say with confidence that this is up there with the absolute best shows on TV.
My Grade: A
- I also felt like 30 Rock had another strong episode, with some more hilarious scenes between Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, and the scene-stealing NBC Page. The show has not quite gelled yet to the point where the storylines and characters are as strong as the jokes, but, hey, I get a few huge laughs out of each ep and the cast is firing on all cylinders. I think the show needs a more grounded male lead to help even out the fact that almost every non-Tina Fey character on the show is insane, ala Jason Bateman on Arrested Development. Right now, Tina Fey is the show's only real tie to normalcy, and a little more balance is needed, I think. But yeah, bring on the move to Thursdays.
My Grade: B+
- Still have to watch Monday's Heroes, but also looking forward to tonight's Office and Smallville.
Alright ... well, only about 4 more hours to go here ... leave me some comments, I need a distraction.
ROCK.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
SHOCKING! SCARY! JUST PLAIN WRONG! This. Is. HALLOWEEN!
Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween
I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
I am the one hiding under yours stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Greetings, o' ghostly guests. May your day be filled with fearsome frights, strange scares, spine-tingling thrills ... and may you have a hauntingly, horrifyingly Happy Halloween!
Yep, I'm now a long way removed from the days of donning a lame costume, five layers of sweatshirts on my parents' behest, and walking around the streets of Bloomfield in search of candy. But even if I now have to buy my own candy, and even if I'm in 75 degree California weather, it's still Halloween, baby.
But like I said yesterday, tonight I trade the dark gloom and eerie glow of Halloween for the bright lights of the big city - because I'm bringin' the SHOWTIME back to Los Angeles, as me and a veritable wolfpack of blodthirsty b-ballaz head to the hallowed ground of the Staples Center to witness NBA Opening Night - Lakers vs. Suns - THIRD ROW, so we can be LIVE and UP-CLOSE as STEVE NASH does the MONSTER MASH and drives a stake on the hardwood through the dastardly Lakers, as a full moon rises in the night sky of Hollyweird. So good ... it's most definitely SCARY.
So look for us on TNT - tonight, 10:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm PT - if things get crazy I may just have to step onto the court myself and show these "pros" how we things get things done, IBA-style.
- As yet another way to get myself in the Halloween spirit ... I've finally started reading the WALKING DEAD series - a critically acclaimed post-apocalytic Zombie epic by writer Robert Kirkman. So far I've finished Volume 1, and can attest that the series lives up to the hype. While the dialogue can be a bit over the top at times, the genius of Kirkman's work is that he puts character first and horror second, so that when the scares do begin, it's all the more terrifying because the characters are so vividly realized. Anyone looking for a bit of graphic fiction that is a little different should definitely, ahem, sink their teeth into The Walking Dead
- Over on IGN they have a pretty sweet article ranking the all-time top 25 Simpsons Treehouse of Horror segments. A good read but, um, where is 3-D Homer on there? Has anyone seen that movie Tron? No, no, no, no, yes - I mean - no. Check it out: http://tv.ign.com/articles/742/742680p1.html
Mmmm .... forbidden donut
- When it comes to scary TV, I've always had a soft-spot for classic horror-coms like The Munsters and The Addams Family. There's just something about horror and comedy that goes together like peanut butter and chocolate, says I. Mmmm ... Reeses Pieces .... But, um, anyways ... as is well-known to anyone who reads the blog, I am a huge fan of Chris Carter's X-Files and Millenium, and I am also a huge scifi anthology fan, particularly when it comes to in my view, perhaps the greatest TV show of all time, The Twilight Zone. And who can forget kids' classics like It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, all those classic Looney Tunes Halloween shorts ... And, dammit all, who doesn't love the classic Family Matters episode where Steve Urkel dressed up as Superman, but he and Laura got caught as hostages in a bank robbery, and Carl Winslow had to save the day, and Steve felt bad because he wasn't a real hero like Carl ...? Oh man, now THAT is good TV.
Now, since I do consider myself somewhat of a Twilight Zone afficianado (I wrote a 30 page paper on the show as a reflection of post-war America in college), and since the Twilight Zone isn't always known for horror, but more so straight sci-fi, I present to you:
The 5 SCARIEST ever TWILIGHT ZONE episodes:
(and no, I can't list Nightmare at 20,000 Feet - the William Shatner-meets-Gremlin classic, just doesn't do it for me like these other eps)
5. "Twenty Two" - When a woman is hospitilized for fatigue, she has a recurring dream in which she visits the hospital morgue, and a creepy nurse greets her with the chilling invitation - "Room for one more ...". The dream eventually proves to foreshadow a real-life plane crash. Man, that woman saying "Room for one more" gets me every time. This ep is one of the grandfathers of all "dream becomes reality" type horror
4. "To Serve Man" - If you don't know the secret of this classic episode, let's just say that those 7 ft tall aliens are not exactly as friendly as they seem ... While this ep has a somewhat silly conceit behind its big twist ending, you can't deny how classic that final revelation is. I love it
3. "Night Call" - An elderly woman keeps receiving strange, ghostly phone calls, seemingly from her dead husband. You know, most attempts at making technology seem scary come off as hokey in my book -- but this look at otherworldly phone calls is genuinely creepy. To add to its eerie factor, it was preempted from its original airdate by of all things, the Kennedy assasination
2. "The Invaders" - With this classic bit of opening Rod Serling narration, this truly trippy episode begins:
"This is one of the out-of-the-way places, the unvisited places, bleak, wasted, dying. This is a farmhouse, handmade, crude, a house without electricity or gas, a house untouched by progress. This is the woman who lives in the house, a woman who's been alone for many years, a strong, simple woman whose only problem up until this moment has been that of acquiring enough food to eat, a woman about to face terror which is even now coming at her from the Twilight Zone
This almost wordless, creepy tale has a classic Twilight Zone twist ending, but the real meat of it is how it so elegantly plays on our fears of the small, the insect, the alien, the intruder ... just awesome.
1. "The Howling Man" - I love this episode, and it still creeps me out to this day. A stranded traveler finds his way into a strange monastary, where a group of creepy-looking monks provide him shelter and rest, with one stipulation -- no matter what the man hears, no matter what happens, do NOT free the man who is being kept prisoner by the monks. As the nights go on, the howls and cries of the prisoner haunt the guest, and when the two talk, the prisoner is utterly convincing in his conviction that he has been wrongly imprisoned. Of course, he finally convinces the man that he should be freed, but little does the man know what evil he will unleash -- because, kept in that cell, by those monks in their remote castle, was the Devil himself! Great, great, great stuff
QUICK TV STUFF:
- Last night's PRISON BREAK, again, did a pretty good job of kicking ass. While over the top as usual, the intensity in many of the scenes was great, and the interaction between Scofield and W. Fichtner's character was awesome, even if Michael did look pretty goofy the entire ep in those horn-rimmed glasses. The one weak link here were the Burrows father and son fugitive team, as, man, there was some clunk dialogue between the two of them that was very unintentionally funny. "How long have you known about girls?" Haha, come on, that was just cringe-worthy. Otherwise, good stuff
My Grade: B+
- Didn't watch HEROES yet, and to be honest, even though I liked last week's ep, I still am not really into the show. It's going to have to REALLY kick things into overdrive if it wants to stay on my radar once 24 comes back in a few months
- Will be taping GILMORE and VERONICA MARS tonight - look forward to checking out the Halloween-themed ep of VM
AND FINALLY ...
Well, it looks like we've reached the end of the road. Only eat wrapped candy. Don't cavort with transdimensional transsexual vampires. Walk softly and carry a big stake. Load up your squirt gun with holy water or else face the wrath of an undead Kiefer Sutherland. Beware of werewolves, therewolves, and overly large ladies of the night dressed as nauseatingly naughty nurses. Watch out for ghouls, ghosts, and Mark Foley (if you happen to be a 16 year old congressional page). Sayonara, so long, and I bid you .. . farewell
Happy Halloween!
- When it comes to scary TV, I've always had a soft-spot for classic horror-coms like The Munsters and The Addams Family. There's just something about horror and comedy that goes together like peanut butter and chocolate, says I. Mmmm ... Reeses Pieces .... But, um, anyways ... as is well-known to anyone who reads the blog, I am a huge fan of Chris Carter's X-Files and Millenium, and I am also a huge scifi anthology fan, particularly when it comes to in my view, perhaps the greatest TV show of all time, The Twilight Zone. And who can forget kids' classics like It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, all those classic Looney Tunes Halloween shorts ... And, dammit all, who doesn't love the classic Family Matters episode where Steve Urkel dressed up as Superman, but he and Laura got caught as hostages in a bank robbery, and Carl Winslow had to save the day, and Steve felt bad because he wasn't a real hero like Carl ...? Oh man, now THAT is good TV.
Now, since I do consider myself somewhat of a Twilight Zone afficianado (I wrote a 30 page paper on the show as a reflection of post-war America in college), and since the Twilight Zone isn't always known for horror, but more so straight sci-fi, I present to you:
The 5 SCARIEST ever TWILIGHT ZONE episodes:
(and no, I can't list Nightmare at 20,000 Feet - the William Shatner-meets-Gremlin classic, just doesn't do it for me like these other eps)
5. "Twenty Two" - When a woman is hospitilized for fatigue, she has a recurring dream in which she visits the hospital morgue, and a creepy nurse greets her with the chilling invitation - "Room for one more ...". The dream eventually proves to foreshadow a real-life plane crash. Man, that woman saying "Room for one more" gets me every time. This ep is one of the grandfathers of all "dream becomes reality" type horror
4. "To Serve Man" - If you don't know the secret of this classic episode, let's just say that those 7 ft tall aliens are not exactly as friendly as they seem ... While this ep has a somewhat silly conceit behind its big twist ending, you can't deny how classic that final revelation is. I love it
3. "Night Call" - An elderly woman keeps receiving strange, ghostly phone calls, seemingly from her dead husband. You know, most attempts at making technology seem scary come off as hokey in my book -- but this look at otherworldly phone calls is genuinely creepy. To add to its eerie factor, it was preempted from its original airdate by of all things, the Kennedy assasination
2. "The Invaders" - With this classic bit of opening Rod Serling narration, this truly trippy episode begins:
"This is one of the out-of-the-way places, the unvisited places, bleak, wasted, dying. This is a farmhouse, handmade, crude, a house without electricity or gas, a house untouched by progress. This is the woman who lives in the house, a woman who's been alone for many years, a strong, simple woman whose only problem up until this moment has been that of acquiring enough food to eat, a woman about to face terror which is even now coming at her from the Twilight Zone
This almost wordless, creepy tale has a classic Twilight Zone twist ending, but the real meat of it is how it so elegantly plays on our fears of the small, the insect, the alien, the intruder ... just awesome.
1. "The Howling Man" - I love this episode, and it still creeps me out to this day. A stranded traveler finds his way into a strange monastary, where a group of creepy-looking monks provide him shelter and rest, with one stipulation -- no matter what the man hears, no matter what happens, do NOT free the man who is being kept prisoner by the monks. As the nights go on, the howls and cries of the prisoner haunt the guest, and when the two talk, the prisoner is utterly convincing in his conviction that he has been wrongly imprisoned. Of course, he finally convinces the man that he should be freed, but little does the man know what evil he will unleash -- because, kept in that cell, by those monks in their remote castle, was the Devil himself! Great, great, great stuff
QUICK TV STUFF:
- Last night's PRISON BREAK, again, did a pretty good job of kicking ass. While over the top as usual, the intensity in many of the scenes was great, and the interaction between Scofield and W. Fichtner's character was awesome, even if Michael did look pretty goofy the entire ep in those horn-rimmed glasses. The one weak link here were the Burrows father and son fugitive team, as, man, there was some clunk dialogue between the two of them that was very unintentionally funny. "How long have you known about girls?" Haha, come on, that was just cringe-worthy. Otherwise, good stuff
My Grade: B+
- Didn't watch HEROES yet, and to be honest, even though I liked last week's ep, I still am not really into the show. It's going to have to REALLY kick things into overdrive if it wants to stay on my radar once 24 comes back in a few months
- Will be taping GILMORE and VERONICA MARS tonight - look forward to checking out the Halloween-themed ep of VM
AND FINALLY ...
Well, it looks like we've reached the end of the road. Only eat wrapped candy. Don't cavort with transdimensional transsexual vampires. Walk softly and carry a big stake. Load up your squirt gun with holy water or else face the wrath of an undead Kiefer Sutherland. Beware of werewolves, therewolves, and overly large ladies of the night dressed as nauseatingly naughty nurses. Watch out for ghouls, ghosts, and Mark Foley (if you happen to be a 16 year old congressional page). Sayonara, so long, and I bid you .. . farewell
Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Zombies Ate My Blog - NBA hype, Good Comedy vs. Bad Comedy, and MORE
- Word to your moms, I came to drop bombs. What up? Back from a fun pre-Halloween weekend and ready for some craziness in the week ahead. Tommorow, me and three big-time ballaz head to Staples for THIRD ROW seats for NBA opening night - Lakers / Suns, baby. G-Money, Kaiser Roll, and Coach Carter will become honorary members of Danny Basketball's Blue Team, IBA-style, as we cruise VIP into the Lakeshow and singlehandedly bring tha' Showtime back to Los Angeles. Watch out, Jack, there's a new Hollywood b-ball fan in town, and this town may not be big enough for the both of us. Kobe. Nash. Amare. Live on TNT, 10:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm West Coast - look for the four of us front and center - tommorow night.
- Halloween weekend was a good time ... Friday some friends and I ordered some pizza and revisited the Tarantino-penned horrorfest known as From Dusk Till Dawn. Saturday I headed down to Manhattan beach to join in with Mr. S Green's Halloween festivities, live from his beachside apartment. At Sean's and in various other local locales, we saw all kinds of crazy costumes, from superheroes to mustachioed Kazhak reporters to all manner of she-devils, cat-women, gold-diggers, and other creatures of the night. Sunday I mostly took it easy, but did get back into the Halloween spirit with a viewing of Sam Rami's classic Evil Dead. Unfortunately I didn't come up with much of a costume, other than re-donning my Clark Kent getup from last Halloween (which, actually, was quite the popular outfit around Manhattan Beach this weekend ...), but hopefully I'll be able to assemble something more original for next week's Pasadena quasi-Page O Ween bash.
- Speaking of Borat, while I can't find fault in anyone choosing to dress as everyone's favorite Eastern-European iconoclast for Halloween, I am getting a liiiiittle bit fatigued with all of the Borat-bandwagoners who are popping out of the woodwork of late. That includes Universal, who recently paid Sascha Baron Cohen something to the tune of $42 million for the rights to make a Bruno movie. I have to wonder if this could be a collossal mistake ... I mean, I think the ADL may have been right to an extent in its criticism of Borat -- the average person just laughs at his accent and funny look - do most people even GET the real satire behind the character? When people look at Borat, they see a lovably goofy eccentric foreigner. When people look at Bruno, they will see ... a flamingly gay Austrian, which may not equal box office gold. But, I guess I shouldn't complain, as a Bruno movie could be pretty hilarious, though I'd rather just see a REAL Ali G movie in the same fiction-meets-reality style of Borat.
In any case, I will be first in line this weekend for the Borat movie, baby. Yes, I long ago drank the Borat Kool-Aid, and ... I like!
- In other movie news, it's official - Bryan Singer is back for a Superman Returns sequal. Man, I just don't see how this is a positive. Yes, X-2 was pretty damn good, but a lot of that came from the screenwriting - so let's hope that Warners brings in some fresh writers to add fun, excitement, and action to Singer's Superman universe. PLEASE do a comic villain that has not been seen before in the movies, and, man, I have no idea what to do about that kid ...
- Oh, one more item about basketball. Let me join in the choruses of fans who have paid tribute to the late great Red Aurbach. Red was a true original, and surely one of the great characters in the history of professional sports. The image of Red sitting courtside, chomping on his trademark cigar, never at a loss for a word of wisdom or two, is one that NBA fan will recall with fondness and a smile. His long and illustrious association with the Celtics was one filled not just with championships, but with dynasties. I don't know if any other man has ever been a part of so many winning teams within the framework of a single sports franchise. Without Red, a true part of sports history is missing, and the embodiment of Celtic Pride is no longer with us. One of the all-time greats - that much cannot be denied.
- On the TV Front, just a few quick things to cover:
- So I made sure to record SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE this weekend, as, a.) I had heard that there would be a Borat appearance, and b.) I am a sucker for SNL's annual round of Halloween-themed comedy (I still love the John Travolta-as-gay-vampire bit from way back). So I record SNL, and then on Sunday morning I'm reading a bunch of internet reviews that claim this ep to be one of the best SNL's in a while. Cool, I'm psyched ... until I actually watch the thing. Even if the Borat opener was mostly recycled material, it still made me laugh, so, okay, off to a better-than-usual start. Then, man, alllll down hill from there, until Robert Smigel stopped the bleeding with a hilarious Bush-centric TV Funhouse bit. So, an hour in, and the ONLY remotely funny bits have been provided by people putside of the regular SNL writing staff ... NOT a good sign. The one other saving grace for this lame excuse for comedy was the Will Forte Senator bit on Weekend Update, which I admit was pretty hilarious. So we had funny stuff from Borat and Smigel, one good Will Forte bit on Weekend Update, and ... every actual SKETCH was the suck, despite host Hugh Laurie doing his best to liven things up (though his well-intentioned protest song bit ultimately fell flat). Man, not good, not good at all. The SNL powers-that-be should be thanking the comedy gods that Smigel yet again saved this trainwreck with his reliably awesome brand of subversive humor.
My Grade: C
- But I didn't have to look far to appease my hankering for good comedy. I also had last week's Comedy Central special, Night of Too Many Stars, geared up to watch after being put on the backburner due to lack of time to sit back and take in this benefit comedy show. But man, what a difference the right talent makes. Not only did this special have Borat, in a much fresher bit than he had on SNL, but it had about 20 other comedians showing why they are the best in the biz. I'm talkin' Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais, Steve Carrell, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Martin Short, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Will Ferell, Jack Black, Will Arnett, Triumph, and many more. Damn! It was great to see rarely-seen performers like Myers and Seinfeld tear it up. I mean, Seinfeld started in about cell-phones, and I kind of cringed at the thought of so-five-years-ago cell phone humor, as did, I think, the live audience. But within minutes, Seinfeld began firing on all cylinders to the point where it was hard to imagine anything being funnier than the quirks of cell phone usage. Son of a bitch - amazing. Between the vintage Seinfeld stuff, Borat doing his thing, Mike Myers as an eccentric billionaire, Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet, Gervais making a crack about Carell, Carell meowing like a cat for 5 straight minutes, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog singing a side-splitting ode to washed up celebrity punchlines, and Stewart doing a great job as MC, this was the definition of "bringing the funny." Any comedy fan should catch a replay of this special or download it on I-Tunes or whatever. Awesome stuff.
My Grade: A
- Okay, I'll be back very soon to turn some more Halloween tricks. Until next time ...
- Halloween weekend was a good time ... Friday some friends and I ordered some pizza and revisited the Tarantino-penned horrorfest known as From Dusk Till Dawn. Saturday I headed down to Manhattan beach to join in with Mr. S Green's Halloween festivities, live from his beachside apartment. At Sean's and in various other local locales, we saw all kinds of crazy costumes, from superheroes to mustachioed Kazhak reporters to all manner of she-devils, cat-women, gold-diggers, and other creatures of the night. Sunday I mostly took it easy, but did get back into the Halloween spirit with a viewing of Sam Rami's classic Evil Dead. Unfortunately I didn't come up with much of a costume, other than re-donning my Clark Kent getup from last Halloween (which, actually, was quite the popular outfit around Manhattan Beach this weekend ...), but hopefully I'll be able to assemble something more original for next week's Pasadena quasi-Page O Ween bash.
- Speaking of Borat, while I can't find fault in anyone choosing to dress as everyone's favorite Eastern-European iconoclast for Halloween, I am getting a liiiiittle bit fatigued with all of the Borat-bandwagoners who are popping out of the woodwork of late. That includes Universal, who recently paid Sascha Baron Cohen something to the tune of $42 million for the rights to make a Bruno movie. I have to wonder if this could be a collossal mistake ... I mean, I think the ADL may have been right to an extent in its criticism of Borat -- the average person just laughs at his accent and funny look - do most people even GET the real satire behind the character? When people look at Borat, they see a lovably goofy eccentric foreigner. When people look at Bruno, they will see ... a flamingly gay Austrian, which may not equal box office gold. But, I guess I shouldn't complain, as a Bruno movie could be pretty hilarious, though I'd rather just see a REAL Ali G movie in the same fiction-meets-reality style of Borat.
In any case, I will be first in line this weekend for the Borat movie, baby. Yes, I long ago drank the Borat Kool-Aid, and ... I like!
- In other movie news, it's official - Bryan Singer is back for a Superman Returns sequal. Man, I just don't see how this is a positive. Yes, X-2 was pretty damn good, but a lot of that came from the screenwriting - so let's hope that Warners brings in some fresh writers to add fun, excitement, and action to Singer's Superman universe. PLEASE do a comic villain that has not been seen before in the movies, and, man, I have no idea what to do about that kid ...
- Oh, one more item about basketball. Let me join in the choruses of fans who have paid tribute to the late great Red Aurbach. Red was a true original, and surely one of the great characters in the history of professional sports. The image of Red sitting courtside, chomping on his trademark cigar, never at a loss for a word of wisdom or two, is one that NBA fan will recall with fondness and a smile. His long and illustrious association with the Celtics was one filled not just with championships, but with dynasties. I don't know if any other man has ever been a part of so many winning teams within the framework of a single sports franchise. Without Red, a true part of sports history is missing, and the embodiment of Celtic Pride is no longer with us. One of the all-time greats - that much cannot be denied.
- On the TV Front, just a few quick things to cover:
- So I made sure to record SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE this weekend, as, a.) I had heard that there would be a Borat appearance, and b.) I am a sucker for SNL's annual round of Halloween-themed comedy (I still love the John Travolta-as-gay-vampire bit from way back). So I record SNL, and then on Sunday morning I'm reading a bunch of internet reviews that claim this ep to be one of the best SNL's in a while. Cool, I'm psyched ... until I actually watch the thing. Even if the Borat opener was mostly recycled material, it still made me laugh, so, okay, off to a better-than-usual start. Then, man, alllll down hill from there, until Robert Smigel stopped the bleeding with a hilarious Bush-centric TV Funhouse bit. So, an hour in, and the ONLY remotely funny bits have been provided by people putside of the regular SNL writing staff ... NOT a good sign. The one other saving grace for this lame excuse for comedy was the Will Forte Senator bit on Weekend Update, which I admit was pretty hilarious. So we had funny stuff from Borat and Smigel, one good Will Forte bit on Weekend Update, and ... every actual SKETCH was the suck, despite host Hugh Laurie doing his best to liven things up (though his well-intentioned protest song bit ultimately fell flat). Man, not good, not good at all. The SNL powers-that-be should be thanking the comedy gods that Smigel yet again saved this trainwreck with his reliably awesome brand of subversive humor.
My Grade: C
- But I didn't have to look far to appease my hankering for good comedy. I also had last week's Comedy Central special, Night of Too Many Stars, geared up to watch after being put on the backburner due to lack of time to sit back and take in this benefit comedy show. But man, what a difference the right talent makes. Not only did this special have Borat, in a much fresher bit than he had on SNL, but it had about 20 other comedians showing why they are the best in the biz. I'm talkin' Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais, Steve Carrell, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Martin Short, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Will Ferell, Jack Black, Will Arnett, Triumph, and many more. Damn! It was great to see rarely-seen performers like Myers and Seinfeld tear it up. I mean, Seinfeld started in about cell-phones, and I kind of cringed at the thought of so-five-years-ago cell phone humor, as did, I think, the live audience. But within minutes, Seinfeld began firing on all cylinders to the point where it was hard to imagine anything being funnier than the quirks of cell phone usage. Son of a bitch - amazing. Between the vintage Seinfeld stuff, Borat doing his thing, Mike Myers as an eccentric billionaire, Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet, Gervais making a crack about Carell, Carell meowing like a cat for 5 straight minutes, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog singing a side-splitting ode to washed up celebrity punchlines, and Stewart doing a great job as MC, this was the definition of "bringing the funny." Any comedy fan should catch a replay of this special or download it on I-Tunes or whatever. Awesome stuff.
My Grade: A
- Okay, I'll be back very soon to turn some more Halloween tricks. Until next time ...
Friday, October 27, 2006
Bride of FrankenBlog ...
What up?
Well, things are looking a bit up from yesterday. Soon after I posted yesterday's blog, I had a kinf of revelatory lunch at Universal Citywalk. As the day at work was pretty slow and uneventful, I gave myself a little longer for lunch than usual, and drove over to Citywalk just for the heck of it. I walked into the entranceway and for some reason, The good ol' Back to the Future theme just pumped me up. I was like "yeah! I work in entertainment!" And since that point, I've felt much calmer somehow. Didn't hurt that today, via a generous gift at work, I received four FREE third-row seats to Lakers-Suns on NBA opening night, this coming Tuesday! Wow! I mean, not exactly how I was anticipating on spending Halloween, but there's no way I would pass up a chance to go to a game of this magnitude, with seats that should put me somewhere between Jack Nicholson and Charlie Sheen. Plus, I've been a Suns fan since '93 when I became a diehard fan during the Barkley era, so while I will probably tone down my fandom for fear of getting shot or p'wned by Jack, I will have to work my contain my years of Laker hatred and Suns fandom. This is gonna be awesome. This weekend is still kind of up in the air, but that is much easier to swallow now that I have this to look forward to on Tuesday.
Up until now, I've been to one Knicks exhibition game in Hartford, and a handful of Celtics games while at BU - the highlight of which was definitely a first-round Celtics-Pacers playoff game in which I got to see one of my heroes, Reggie Miller, perform up close and personal. But, the Celtics have been so crappy these last few years (okay, more like last 10 years ...), that the building formerly known as the Fleet Center lacked much excitement or buzz when the Celtics came to play. Going into Staples for a Laker game is like walking into enemy territory, but the buzz should be huge for opening night, especially if Kobe (hate him), is able to play.
I've hated the Lakers for years now. I was actually a fan growing up of the latter days of the showtime era, and always was a big Magic fan, and really rooted for him during his mid-90's comeback years. But then things quickly turned sour when the Kobe-Shaq era began. The Lakers time and again helped dash my hopes that Charles Barkley would make it to the finals, with the '99 playoffs being especially bitter - as Shaq, Kobe, and Glen Rice prevented Barkley and the Rockets from advancing to the Finals. Since then, my hatred for the Lakers has just multiplied as they became a dynasty - all the while being a totally unlikable bunch of whiners and egomaniacs, Kove worst of all. I've always hated Kobe and his Jordan-wannabe antics, and he doesn't impress me at all as a human being. The only thrill I've gotten from the Lakers' championship runs was that somehow, vets like Mitch Ritchmond managed to grab a championship ring through those Laker title wins.
But yeah, going to Staples, being there in the bigtime in the front row under the spotlights, on NBA opening night, Suns vs. Lakers ... well, it should be awesome.
Damn, I've got to get around to playing some basketball.
What else?
- I thought last night's SMALLVILLE was the best ep of the season to date. A cool, multi-layered story brought the spotlight on a young Lex Luthor, and I really enjoyed the flashbacks to his and Ollie Queen's time at "Excelsior" prep school (obviously a blend of Exeter and a nod to the Marvelous competition ... don't they know this is a DC show?). This was an especially geek-friendly episode, with nods to Gotham City, much talk about the Phantom Zone, a true team-up between Clark Kent and Oliver Queen, a bucnh of funny Lois-and-Clark moments, and even a character named Duncan Erlenmyer, which I can't confirm, but suspect is a little X-Files tribute on the part of the writing staff ... hmmm, I wonder? Anyways, Rosenbaum and Glover once again tore it up as the Luthors, and I just really enjoyed almost everything about this ep, with the exception of the somewhat underwhelming cliffhanger, which at first seemed to be about to reveal the presence of some bigtime supervillain, but ultimately just hinted at a return of the premiere's antagonist, Mariah, who I thought was pretty lame the first time around. Overall though, I had a blast with this latest ep.
My Grade: A -
QUICK COMICS THOUGHTS:
- Well, this week saw the much-anticipated release of film director Richard Donner's run s writer of the monthly SUPERMAN comic, along with DC uber-scribe Geoff Johns, and second-generation artist Andy Kubert. So, what did I think? Well, overall, I am intrigued. I thought Johns and Donner nailed the Clark-Lois dynamic, and the brief scenes with Lex Luthor seemed spot-on as well - luckily, this seemed to be the kickass Lex we're used to from the comics and not the much lamer Lex from the movies - but the jury is still out on that one ... However, it was very jarring to see Superman in a crystal fortress talking to a holographic Jor-El as in the films - to this point no such thing has been scene in the mainstream comics, so it makes me wonder how much normal DC continuity will be tossed aside in favor of the movie versions of characters. But, for those of you who don't know ... the main crux of this story is that a young boy crashes to earth in a ship, from Kypton, and Superman adopts the boy and raises him as the Kents did him. Definitely enjoying the intro to this plotline so far, and undoubtedly the comic felt suitably cinematic thanks to the widescreen pencils of Kubert, who was solid, but whose style, overall, felt a bit scratchy and rough for this type of story. A good start that leaves many questions yet to be answered - very curious for the next issue.
My Grade: B+
- Also got my hands on the long, long, loooong-anticipated SEVEN SOLDIERS #1, the concluding chapter to writer Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers mega-event that began waaaay back in March 2005! Back then, I was sure that the opening chapter, Seven Soldiers #0, was one of the best standalone comics I'd read in years - it was moving, exciting, thought-provoking, smart, suitably crazy, and filled with amazing artwork courtesy of JH Williams III. As the months went on, I really enjoyed most of the follow-up Seven Soldiers miniseries, which had their ups and downs, but together wove a complex and intricate tale that promised to build to one hell of a finale. And now, after several months of delays, here it is - a giant-sized epic finale to one of the best and most ambitious comics events ever attempted. But how did this much-anticipated ish turn out? Hmmm ... hard to say -- One thing is clear, Morrison is in full-on CRAZY mode here - there's a ton going on, and you'll be alternatively saying "huh?" and "wow!" as you read -- this is one overloaded, psychedelic, mind-tripping piece of graphic fiction. But wow, JH Williams was on fire here - he employs several art styles, one for each of the 7 soldiers, and his work is simply mind-blowing - some of the work here is just off the charts, and it's amazing how Williams mimics the art from each of the 7 miniseries that preceded the book, yet makes each chapter his own as well. As for the story, like I said, it's craziness and a bit incoherant at times. Enjoyable, but in that unique - hm, that was interesting, but I'm not sure what the hell happened - kind of way. I would have liked a more straightforward conclusion, but still, this is one that simply has to be read to be believed, even if it is perhaps an example of Morrison loosening his grip on reality just a bit too much.
My Grade: B+
Alright, I'm out. Happy Halloween weekend! CYA.
Well, things are looking a bit up from yesterday. Soon after I posted yesterday's blog, I had a kinf of revelatory lunch at Universal Citywalk. As the day at work was pretty slow and uneventful, I gave myself a little longer for lunch than usual, and drove over to Citywalk just for the heck of it. I walked into the entranceway and for some reason, The good ol' Back to the Future theme just pumped me up. I was like "yeah! I work in entertainment!" And since that point, I've felt much calmer somehow. Didn't hurt that today, via a generous gift at work, I received four FREE third-row seats to Lakers-Suns on NBA opening night, this coming Tuesday! Wow! I mean, not exactly how I was anticipating on spending Halloween, but there's no way I would pass up a chance to go to a game of this magnitude, with seats that should put me somewhere between Jack Nicholson and Charlie Sheen. Plus, I've been a Suns fan since '93 when I became a diehard fan during the Barkley era, so while I will probably tone down my fandom for fear of getting shot or p'wned by Jack, I will have to work my contain my years of Laker hatred and Suns fandom. This is gonna be awesome. This weekend is still kind of up in the air, but that is much easier to swallow now that I have this to look forward to on Tuesday.
Up until now, I've been to one Knicks exhibition game in Hartford, and a handful of Celtics games while at BU - the highlight of which was definitely a first-round Celtics-Pacers playoff game in which I got to see one of my heroes, Reggie Miller, perform up close and personal. But, the Celtics have been so crappy these last few years (okay, more like last 10 years ...), that the building formerly known as the Fleet Center lacked much excitement or buzz when the Celtics came to play. Going into Staples for a Laker game is like walking into enemy territory, but the buzz should be huge for opening night, especially if Kobe (hate him), is able to play.
I've hated the Lakers for years now. I was actually a fan growing up of the latter days of the showtime era, and always was a big Magic fan, and really rooted for him during his mid-90's comeback years. But then things quickly turned sour when the Kobe-Shaq era began. The Lakers time and again helped dash my hopes that Charles Barkley would make it to the finals, with the '99 playoffs being especially bitter - as Shaq, Kobe, and Glen Rice prevented Barkley and the Rockets from advancing to the Finals. Since then, my hatred for the Lakers has just multiplied as they became a dynasty - all the while being a totally unlikable bunch of whiners and egomaniacs, Kove worst of all. I've always hated Kobe and his Jordan-wannabe antics, and he doesn't impress me at all as a human being. The only thrill I've gotten from the Lakers' championship runs was that somehow, vets like Mitch Ritchmond managed to grab a championship ring through those Laker title wins.
But yeah, going to Staples, being there in the bigtime in the front row under the spotlights, on NBA opening night, Suns vs. Lakers ... well, it should be awesome.
Damn, I've got to get around to playing some basketball.
What else?
- I thought last night's SMALLVILLE was the best ep of the season to date. A cool, multi-layered story brought the spotlight on a young Lex Luthor, and I really enjoyed the flashbacks to his and Ollie Queen's time at "Excelsior" prep school (obviously a blend of Exeter and a nod to the Marvelous competition ... don't they know this is a DC show?). This was an especially geek-friendly episode, with nods to Gotham City, much talk about the Phantom Zone, a true team-up between Clark Kent and Oliver Queen, a bucnh of funny Lois-and-Clark moments, and even a character named Duncan Erlenmyer, which I can't confirm, but suspect is a little X-Files tribute on the part of the writing staff ... hmmm, I wonder? Anyways, Rosenbaum and Glover once again tore it up as the Luthors, and I just really enjoyed almost everything about this ep, with the exception of the somewhat underwhelming cliffhanger, which at first seemed to be about to reveal the presence of some bigtime supervillain, but ultimately just hinted at a return of the premiere's antagonist, Mariah, who I thought was pretty lame the first time around. Overall though, I had a blast with this latest ep.
My Grade: A -
QUICK COMICS THOUGHTS:
- Well, this week saw the much-anticipated release of film director Richard Donner's run s writer of the monthly SUPERMAN comic, along with DC uber-scribe Geoff Johns, and second-generation artist Andy Kubert. So, what did I think? Well, overall, I am intrigued. I thought Johns and Donner nailed the Clark-Lois dynamic, and the brief scenes with Lex Luthor seemed spot-on as well - luckily, this seemed to be the kickass Lex we're used to from the comics and not the much lamer Lex from the movies - but the jury is still out on that one ... However, it was very jarring to see Superman in a crystal fortress talking to a holographic Jor-El as in the films - to this point no such thing has been scene in the mainstream comics, so it makes me wonder how much normal DC continuity will be tossed aside in favor of the movie versions of characters. But, for those of you who don't know ... the main crux of this story is that a young boy crashes to earth in a ship, from Kypton, and Superman adopts the boy and raises him as the Kents did him. Definitely enjoying the intro to this plotline so far, and undoubtedly the comic felt suitably cinematic thanks to the widescreen pencils of Kubert, who was solid, but whose style, overall, felt a bit scratchy and rough for this type of story. A good start that leaves many questions yet to be answered - very curious for the next issue.
My Grade: B+
- Also got my hands on the long, long, loooong-anticipated SEVEN SOLDIERS #1, the concluding chapter to writer Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers mega-event that began waaaay back in March 2005! Back then, I was sure that the opening chapter, Seven Soldiers #0, was one of the best standalone comics I'd read in years - it was moving, exciting, thought-provoking, smart, suitably crazy, and filled with amazing artwork courtesy of JH Williams III. As the months went on, I really enjoyed most of the follow-up Seven Soldiers miniseries, which had their ups and downs, but together wove a complex and intricate tale that promised to build to one hell of a finale. And now, after several months of delays, here it is - a giant-sized epic finale to one of the best and most ambitious comics events ever attempted. But how did this much-anticipated ish turn out? Hmmm ... hard to say -- One thing is clear, Morrison is in full-on CRAZY mode here - there's a ton going on, and you'll be alternatively saying "huh?" and "wow!" as you read -- this is one overloaded, psychedelic, mind-tripping piece of graphic fiction. But wow, JH Williams was on fire here - he employs several art styles, one for each of the 7 soldiers, and his work is simply mind-blowing - some of the work here is just off the charts, and it's amazing how Williams mimics the art from each of the 7 miniseries that preceded the book, yet makes each chapter his own as well. As for the story, like I said, it's craziness and a bit incoherant at times. Enjoyable, but in that unique - hm, that was interesting, but I'm not sure what the hell happened - kind of way. I would have liked a more straightforward conclusion, but still, this is one that simply has to be read to be believed, even if it is perhaps an example of Morrison loosening his grip on reality just a bit too much.
My Grade: B+
Alright, I'm out. Happy Halloween weekend! CYA.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Night of the Living Blog! A Monster Mash of Rants and Reviews.
As I've said before, the life of the working man isn't far too removed from that of an undead, brain-craving zombie. Know what I mean?
It's been an interesting week thus far. Work has been very busy, as a few very time-consuming projects kept me staring bleary-eyed at my computer screen for hours on end, typing 10-point letters into a 38,000 column Excel spreadsheet. Good times, huh? But, on the other end of the spectrum, yesterday was pretty interesting. I headed over to the Universal tower for a meeting between our department and a few key people at Apple. The interesting thing was that one of the Apple reps in particular, I had been dealing with on the phone since I began this job several months ago, but had never met in person. So, yeah, that kind of meeting is always interesting - to be able to put a face to the people you speak to on a daily basis.
Otherwise, I feel like I'm just kind of cruising along, doing okay but in need of a big breakthrough. I feel like 95% of the forces of the universe are conspiring to keep me going along on the same path I am now, mildly content workin' the 9 to 5. But the 5%, all of which is basically me and my goals, are screaming to hit the brakes and make a change before it's too late. Especially lately, where my job has become more about number-crunching than ever before. That's the grim reality of all this New Media hype - companies talk about sweeping change and digital revolutions and all that, but in the end it's simply all comes back to the almighty dollar.
So yeah, I still have a great interest in I-pods and new media and streaming video and all that. But as much as it interests me my main fascination is with the content itself - not how it's delivered. Good content is good content, whether its on a TV, computer screen, or cell-phone. And what I've wanted to do all along is to be the one creating this content - telling stories, creating characters, putting it all out there. The problem is that 95% of the forces out that don't want to see that happen. I'm talking about the needs for a steady income, a steady job, and health insurance. I'm talking about an industry that would rather keep you out than pull you in. I'm talking about the legions of aspiring writers and creators out there who are blessed with the freedom to live off their trust funds while penning the Great American Screenplay by the poolhouse while sipping a martini. And I'm talking about the general malaise that comes from working in a side of the industry where every TV show is an "intellectual property", where every studio is a "content stakeholder," where crap is routinely praised and the good stuff flies under the radar.
And that's my rant for the day ... thank you for bearing with me.
- Now, I've got a ton of stuff to catch up on, but don't worry I'll keep things to the point ...
TV REVIEWS:
- Okay, this week's LOST was a kickass hour of TV, no getting around it. The tension level was off the hook, the actors all turned in great performances, and once again I was on the edge of my seat. But, let's face it ... the cliffhanger of this episode was yet ONE MORE mystery that initially knocks you out of your seat, but ultimately, will we ever get any resolution? I mean, so there's two islands? Wow, cool ... but I have no real reason to care. This isn't one more piece of the puzzle - about 15 different puzzles have been thrown all over the floor and mixed up into some crazy puzzle salad. I pretty much just watch this show for the characters now, much as it pains me to say. But despite that nagging feeling of frustration, again, this was an awesome ep in nearly every way. Josh Halloway is quickly surpassing Terry O'Quinn as the breakout actor on the show. The Snake Plissken-esque injection of doom was a nice plot device, though I'm glad it was a fake-out, as ten episodes of Sawyer beeping every time he looked at Kate would have been kinda annoying. But there was so much to like here - Jack turning the tables on Juliette, planting in her the seeds of doubt, the Others' reluctant emplyment of Jack's medical skills -- all riveting stuff, and I am seriously excited for next week's episode. Is this all going anywhere though? Who knows, and at this point, is it even worth it to speculate?
My Grade: A -
- Speaking of speculation, I totally called NBC's decision to move Scrubs and 30 Rock to Thursdays, for the record. I think that the all-comedy block will really help NBC differentiate itself from the competition, and it just makes sense to pair up a show like 30 Rock with other comedies of similar sensibilities.
- Too bad though that 20 Good Years is likely done for ... not that the show was all that great, but Tambor and Lithgow are each deserving of a quality platform for their talents. I also hate that the execs will look at this and say "see, this proves that a show can't be about people over 35." No, all it proves is that a comedy must be funny.
- This past week's VERONICA MARS was another quality episode that still felt a bit lacking. I miss the first two season's noirish atmosphere, hyper-real setting, and surprisingly dark plotlines. The dialogue is as sharp as ever, but everything just seems toned down a bit. On the other hand, it was pretty crazy seeing Gilmore's Logan meet Veronica's Logan in this ep (okay, the guy from Gilmore wasn't playing Logan, but still), and my interest was definitely piqued by the Aaron Echols-centric storyline. I think that's part of what's missing from this season - that dual dynamic where by day, Veronica is out helping her friends and classmates with their various small-scale mysteries, but by night she's sleuthing on cases that are much bigger, more dangerous, where by all accounts she should be out of her league. Anyways, I enjoyed the ep, just hoping that this show has a chance to be as good on CW as it was on UPN.
My Grade: B
- Speaking of GILMORE, I really enjoyed this week's ep. I thought the entire dinner scene was not only well done but hilarious, with Emily of course thinking that Lorelai's moody silence was just her being unusually pleasant. I also loved Rory's dinner with Logan and his British friends - just great stuff all around and an episode that reaffirmed how good this show can be.
My Grade: A
- If anything, last week's SMALLVILLE was a lot of fun. However, the incosistency in the cast really hampers things, as on one hand we have Johnathan Glover and Michael Rosenbaum turning in typically great performances as the two Luthors, and on the other we have the blonde guy playing Oliver Queen with all the acting skill of the Eifell Tower. It's too bad, too, because Queen / Green Arrow is being written in a pretty fun / enjoyable way. But man, this show sure gets some good milage out of the John Williams Superman theme ...
My Grade: B
- But awwwwww dayum, how awesome was this week's PRISON BREAK? Very awesome, says me. This was a KICKASS return for the show, which delivered a nonstop thrillride from start to finish. From Fichtner's interrogation, to the drowning scenes, to Doctor Tancredi being in all kinds of deadly jeapordy ... this was some good TV watchin'.
My Grade: A
- And holy motha of GRAVITAS, have you SEEN the trailer for the new season of 24?!?! Check it out online if you haven't, I can't wait until the Bauer Hour of Power returns in January.
- Speaking of 9 pm on Mondays ... I thought this week's HEROES was the best overall episode yet, though I am still turned off by a few of the actors and characters. Anyone who knows their superheroes can see some of the twists and turns here coming a mile away, but, I really like how the show seems to be getting more and more fun each week. Dark is good, but in this genre you need moments of awe and wonder or you're just left with a bunch of talking heads. Please NBC, move this show AWAY from 24. Because pwers or not, Jack Bauer would whip all these guys' asses.
My Grade: B
- And how about NBC's other Monday night show? You know, STUDIO 60? Well, this show rides a fine line with me. With the pilot, I was seriously impressed. I think that Judd Hirsch's opening diatribe set a tone for the show that has not been followed through on. In that pilot, things were presented with a surreal, Network-like flair for the melodramatic. Since then, the show has devolved into a cross between a standard, character-based soap and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. And sometimes, it works, but many times, the show is just too preachy, too condescending, and too pretentious for a program that takes place at a sketch comedy show. Take this week's ep, where the writer leads his out-of-it parents around the Studio 60 stage. Every moment of those scenes was so heavy-handed and overdone that I could hear the sound of TV's truning off across America as I watched. As was the almost painful-to-watch sublplot of the old man who wanders into the studio and turns out to be not only a WWII vet, but a oldtime comedy as well. The sheer obnoxiousness of these scenes was hard to contain. In any other setting, some old guy who wandered away from his retirement home would be a non-story. But look! Even though these characters are big-shot TV producers, they can take a minute of their time to talk to an old man! Aren't we impressed! I think the problem is that this show seems to pride itself on representing the pulse of pop culture and politics - but it's written by a guy who clearly doesn't know which way is normal. I mean, look at Matthew Perry's character - Perry does a great job, by the way, I think. But last episode there was some genuine emotion as he pined for his old flame. This week, Bradley Whitford tries to introduce him to a bunch of 18 year old numbskulls as a genuine means of helping his love-sick friend. What? And all the while, we are supposed to mock the dumb girls, while in fact we are thinking "god, these two 40-something guys are kind of pathetic for even talking to them. How can we root for them when they're being so sleazy?" And the whole thing with them hiring the black comedian sight unseen ... what? He made three semi-intelligent, not-very-funny jokes (apparently semi-clever observations are the same as comedy to Sorkin), and he's this young blue-chipper who with a little discipline will be the next, what, the nex Sorkin? As Chandler might say, can the show BE any more heavyhanded? It's too bad, because somewhere buried in this show is a smart, funny, cool look at comedy in America. But it's hard to admire the snappiness of the dialogue when so much of the show is simply so off-putting.
My Grade: C+
- So I've been hearing good things about Season 4 of THE OC ... I am definitely curious to see if Josh Schwartz can recapture some of that first season magic, so I'll check out the premiere in a few weeks.
- What's with all these good reviews for The Nine? EW named it one of their 6 must-see new shows this week, but I just don't see it. I feel like critics often look at a show and see a serious, adult tone, sharp writing, and by default say - oh, we've got a keeper! I mean look, you can have a good cast and nice dialogue, but if the show is about a bunch of people standing around watching paint dry, then count me out. The Nine has a totally uninteresting premise and despite a good cast, gives no real reason to care about the characters. Why would anyone want to commit an hour every week to see the stories of a bunch of people traumatized by a mysterious hostage situation? Give me island castaways, superheroes, spunky private eyes, or troubled southern California teens any day over this depressing mess of a show.
- Alright, I'm sure I'll get in another word or two before Halloween. Until then, keep things scary.
It's been an interesting week thus far. Work has been very busy, as a few very time-consuming projects kept me staring bleary-eyed at my computer screen for hours on end, typing 10-point letters into a 38,000 column Excel spreadsheet. Good times, huh? But, on the other end of the spectrum, yesterday was pretty interesting. I headed over to the Universal tower for a meeting between our department and a few key people at Apple. The interesting thing was that one of the Apple reps in particular, I had been dealing with on the phone since I began this job several months ago, but had never met in person. So, yeah, that kind of meeting is always interesting - to be able to put a face to the people you speak to on a daily basis.
Otherwise, I feel like I'm just kind of cruising along, doing okay but in need of a big breakthrough. I feel like 95% of the forces of the universe are conspiring to keep me going along on the same path I am now, mildly content workin' the 9 to 5. But the 5%, all of which is basically me and my goals, are screaming to hit the brakes and make a change before it's too late. Especially lately, where my job has become more about number-crunching than ever before. That's the grim reality of all this New Media hype - companies talk about sweeping change and digital revolutions and all that, but in the end it's simply all comes back to the almighty dollar.
So yeah, I still have a great interest in I-pods and new media and streaming video and all that. But as much as it interests me my main fascination is with the content itself - not how it's delivered. Good content is good content, whether its on a TV, computer screen, or cell-phone. And what I've wanted to do all along is to be the one creating this content - telling stories, creating characters, putting it all out there. The problem is that 95% of the forces out that don't want to see that happen. I'm talking about the needs for a steady income, a steady job, and health insurance. I'm talking about an industry that would rather keep you out than pull you in. I'm talking about the legions of aspiring writers and creators out there who are blessed with the freedom to live off their trust funds while penning the Great American Screenplay by the poolhouse while sipping a martini. And I'm talking about the general malaise that comes from working in a side of the industry where every TV show is an "intellectual property", where every studio is a "content stakeholder," where crap is routinely praised and the good stuff flies under the radar.
And that's my rant for the day ... thank you for bearing with me.
- Now, I've got a ton of stuff to catch up on, but don't worry I'll keep things to the point ...
TV REVIEWS:
- Okay, this week's LOST was a kickass hour of TV, no getting around it. The tension level was off the hook, the actors all turned in great performances, and once again I was on the edge of my seat. But, let's face it ... the cliffhanger of this episode was yet ONE MORE mystery that initially knocks you out of your seat, but ultimately, will we ever get any resolution? I mean, so there's two islands? Wow, cool ... but I have no real reason to care. This isn't one more piece of the puzzle - about 15 different puzzles have been thrown all over the floor and mixed up into some crazy puzzle salad. I pretty much just watch this show for the characters now, much as it pains me to say. But despite that nagging feeling of frustration, again, this was an awesome ep in nearly every way. Josh Halloway is quickly surpassing Terry O'Quinn as the breakout actor on the show. The Snake Plissken-esque injection of doom was a nice plot device, though I'm glad it was a fake-out, as ten episodes of Sawyer beeping every time he looked at Kate would have been kinda annoying. But there was so much to like here - Jack turning the tables on Juliette, planting in her the seeds of doubt, the Others' reluctant emplyment of Jack's medical skills -- all riveting stuff, and I am seriously excited for next week's episode. Is this all going anywhere though? Who knows, and at this point, is it even worth it to speculate?
My Grade: A -
- Speaking of speculation, I totally called NBC's decision to move Scrubs and 30 Rock to Thursdays, for the record. I think that the all-comedy block will really help NBC differentiate itself from the competition, and it just makes sense to pair up a show like 30 Rock with other comedies of similar sensibilities.
- Too bad though that 20 Good Years is likely done for ... not that the show was all that great, but Tambor and Lithgow are each deserving of a quality platform for their talents. I also hate that the execs will look at this and say "see, this proves that a show can't be about people over 35." No, all it proves is that a comedy must be funny.
- This past week's VERONICA MARS was another quality episode that still felt a bit lacking. I miss the first two season's noirish atmosphere, hyper-real setting, and surprisingly dark plotlines. The dialogue is as sharp as ever, but everything just seems toned down a bit. On the other hand, it was pretty crazy seeing Gilmore's Logan meet Veronica's Logan in this ep (okay, the guy from Gilmore wasn't playing Logan, but still), and my interest was definitely piqued by the Aaron Echols-centric storyline. I think that's part of what's missing from this season - that dual dynamic where by day, Veronica is out helping her friends and classmates with their various small-scale mysteries, but by night she's sleuthing on cases that are much bigger, more dangerous, where by all accounts she should be out of her league. Anyways, I enjoyed the ep, just hoping that this show has a chance to be as good on CW as it was on UPN.
My Grade: B
- Speaking of GILMORE, I really enjoyed this week's ep. I thought the entire dinner scene was not only well done but hilarious, with Emily of course thinking that Lorelai's moody silence was just her being unusually pleasant. I also loved Rory's dinner with Logan and his British friends - just great stuff all around and an episode that reaffirmed how good this show can be.
My Grade: A
- If anything, last week's SMALLVILLE was a lot of fun. However, the incosistency in the cast really hampers things, as on one hand we have Johnathan Glover and Michael Rosenbaum turning in typically great performances as the two Luthors, and on the other we have the blonde guy playing Oliver Queen with all the acting skill of the Eifell Tower. It's too bad, too, because Queen / Green Arrow is being written in a pretty fun / enjoyable way. But man, this show sure gets some good milage out of the John Williams Superman theme ...
My Grade: B
- But awwwwww dayum, how awesome was this week's PRISON BREAK? Very awesome, says me. This was a KICKASS return for the show, which delivered a nonstop thrillride from start to finish. From Fichtner's interrogation, to the drowning scenes, to Doctor Tancredi being in all kinds of deadly jeapordy ... this was some good TV watchin'.
My Grade: A
- And holy motha of GRAVITAS, have you SEEN the trailer for the new season of 24?!?! Check it out online if you haven't, I can't wait until the Bauer Hour of Power returns in January.
- Speaking of 9 pm on Mondays ... I thought this week's HEROES was the best overall episode yet, though I am still turned off by a few of the actors and characters. Anyone who knows their superheroes can see some of the twists and turns here coming a mile away, but, I really like how the show seems to be getting more and more fun each week. Dark is good, but in this genre you need moments of awe and wonder or you're just left with a bunch of talking heads. Please NBC, move this show AWAY from 24. Because pwers or not, Jack Bauer would whip all these guys' asses.
My Grade: B
- And how about NBC's other Monday night show? You know, STUDIO 60? Well, this show rides a fine line with me. With the pilot, I was seriously impressed. I think that Judd Hirsch's opening diatribe set a tone for the show that has not been followed through on. In that pilot, things were presented with a surreal, Network-like flair for the melodramatic. Since then, the show has devolved into a cross between a standard, character-based soap and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. And sometimes, it works, but many times, the show is just too preachy, too condescending, and too pretentious for a program that takes place at a sketch comedy show. Take this week's ep, where the writer leads his out-of-it parents around the Studio 60 stage. Every moment of those scenes was so heavy-handed and overdone that I could hear the sound of TV's truning off across America as I watched. As was the almost painful-to-watch sublplot of the old man who wanders into the studio and turns out to be not only a WWII vet, but a oldtime comedy as well. The sheer obnoxiousness of these scenes was hard to contain. In any other setting, some old guy who wandered away from his retirement home would be a non-story. But look! Even though these characters are big-shot TV producers, they can take a minute of their time to talk to an old man! Aren't we impressed! I think the problem is that this show seems to pride itself on representing the pulse of pop culture and politics - but it's written by a guy who clearly doesn't know which way is normal. I mean, look at Matthew Perry's character - Perry does a great job, by the way, I think. But last episode there was some genuine emotion as he pined for his old flame. This week, Bradley Whitford tries to introduce him to a bunch of 18 year old numbskulls as a genuine means of helping his love-sick friend. What? And all the while, we are supposed to mock the dumb girls, while in fact we are thinking "god, these two 40-something guys are kind of pathetic for even talking to them. How can we root for them when they're being so sleazy?" And the whole thing with them hiring the black comedian sight unseen ... what? He made three semi-intelligent, not-very-funny jokes (apparently semi-clever observations are the same as comedy to Sorkin), and he's this young blue-chipper who with a little discipline will be the next, what, the nex Sorkin? As Chandler might say, can the show BE any more heavyhanded? It's too bad, because somewhere buried in this show is a smart, funny, cool look at comedy in America. But it's hard to admire the snappiness of the dialogue when so much of the show is simply so off-putting.
My Grade: C+
- So I've been hearing good things about Season 4 of THE OC ... I am definitely curious to see if Josh Schwartz can recapture some of that first season magic, so I'll check out the premiere in a few weeks.
- What's with all these good reviews for The Nine? EW named it one of their 6 must-see new shows this week, but I just don't see it. I feel like critics often look at a show and see a serious, adult tone, sharp writing, and by default say - oh, we've got a keeper! I mean look, you can have a good cast and nice dialogue, but if the show is about a bunch of people standing around watching paint dry, then count me out. The Nine has a totally uninteresting premise and despite a good cast, gives no real reason to care about the characters. Why would anyone want to commit an hour every week to see the stories of a bunch of people traumatized by a mysterious hostage situation? Give me island castaways, superheroes, spunky private eyes, or troubled southern California teens any day over this depressing mess of a show.
- Alright, I'm sure I'll get in another word or two before Halloween. Until then, keep things scary.
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