Link to the Facebook event (might not work).
Now I gotta figure out what suit/vest/tie combination to wear.
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Let's Giles!
Tomorrow night at the Creek, I'll be playing Rupert Giles in Buffyprov tomorrow at 10 at the Creek. I'm pretty honored!
Link to the Facebook event (might not work).
Now I gotta figure out what suit/vest/tie combination to wear.
Link to the Facebook event (might not work).
Now I gotta figure out what suit/vest/tie combination to wear.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Let's Birthday!
Yesterday was my birthday, but since I'm working crazy hours this week, I don't have the time to go into all the crazy antics just yet.
But I WILL say this: watch tonight's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (specifically when the band is playing) to witness the best birthday surprise ever... and it's not just a Cookie Puss (although I got one of those, too).
But I WILL say this: watch tonight's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (specifically when the band is playing) to witness the best birthday surprise ever... and it's not just a Cookie Puss (although I got one of those, too).
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Let's (Totally) Hell's Kitchen!
I take back what I said in May - I am TOTALLY watching this season of Hell's Kitchen.
The two-hour premiere was this week, and holy crap is it insane!
The clips on the site don't do the show justice, but see this guy above? At the end of the second episode, this former Marine just flipped out and was about to attack Gordon Ramsay. What a cliffhanger!
I was so shocked by the bizarro of it all (not to mention the near fight between Van the Texan Chef and Jean-Phillippe the Maitre'd, whom I always thought was a fictional character) that I had to ask my friend, a producer of the show, how much of this was fake and how much was real.
Her response: it's all real. Regarding the Marine's outburst, she said, "It was like everyone was shocked and silent in the control room because we had no idea what was happening. It was a crazy day."
I can only imagine.
HOLY CRAP, I AM HOOKED.
The two-hour premiere was this week, and holy crap is it insane!
The clips on the site don't do the show justice, but see this guy above? At the end of the second episode, this former Marine just flipped out and was about to attack Gordon Ramsay. What a cliffhanger!
I was so shocked by the bizarro of it all (not to mention the near fight between Van the Texan Chef and Jean-Phillippe the Maitre'd, whom I always thought was a fictional character) that I had to ask my friend, a producer of the show, how much of this was fake and how much was real.
Her response: it's all real. Regarding the Marine's outburst, she said, "It was like everyone was shocked and silent in the control room because we had no idea what was happening. It was a crazy day."
I can only imagine.
HOLY CRAP, I AM HOOKED.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Let's Spaced!
As part of my never-ending quest to watch good TV, I just finished Spaced, that British TV show with Simon Pegg (of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, a movie so good I saw it in the movie theater... twice!).
For obvious reasons, I always thought this show was set in outer space (I had it confused with Hyperdrive, which stars Nick Frost), so it was a little weird getting adjusted to a sitcom about two roommates.
Anyway, what a nice show! As Daisy says toward the end of the series, "They say the family of the 21st century is made up of friends, not relatives. Then again, maybe that's bollocks." Well, I don't think it's bollocks. These characters were a surprisingly sweet little family of friends, and during the 14 episodes of the series, I really grew attached to them.
One thing I'll say about the British, though, they do like to make a short series. And sometimes that's for the best. I'd rather end it short and sweet and go away with a happy memory of Tim and Daisy, go out on a high note, rather than see it played out past its welcome.
Also, it looks like they had a fun time creating this, and that's something I always find inspiring. There's nothing better than making stuff with people that make you laugh, you know, and if I can one day do something like this, then my time here on your planet will not have been in vain.
So now I'm looking for something else to occasionally watch, especially since summer turns network TV into a dead zone. I'm thinking of re-doing The Singing Detective, since I think about it all the time, or maybe exposing Sarah to Red Dwarf, since that's such a near and dear part of my youth (up through Series V. After that, it lost a little bit of its luster.).
In other news, my brother is getting married this weekend.
For obvious reasons, I always thought this show was set in outer space (I had it confused with Hyperdrive, which stars Nick Frost), so it was a little weird getting adjusted to a sitcom about two roommates.
Anyway, what a nice show! As Daisy says toward the end of the series, "They say the family of the 21st century is made up of friends, not relatives. Then again, maybe that's bollocks." Well, I don't think it's bollocks. These characters were a surprisingly sweet little family of friends, and during the 14 episodes of the series, I really grew attached to them.
One thing I'll say about the British, though, they do like to make a short series. And sometimes that's for the best. I'd rather end it short and sweet and go away with a happy memory of Tim and Daisy, go out on a high note, rather than see it played out past its welcome.
Also, it looks like they had a fun time creating this, and that's something I always find inspiring. There's nothing better than making stuff with people that make you laugh, you know, and if I can one day do something like this, then my time here on your planet will not have been in vain.
So now I'm looking for something else to occasionally watch, especially since summer turns network TV into a dead zone. I'm thinking of re-doing The Singing Detective, since I think about it all the time, or maybe exposing Sarah to Red Dwarf, since that's such a near and dear part of my youth (up through Series V. After that, it lost a little bit of its luster.).
In other news, my brother is getting married this weekend.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Let's Potato Chips!
This is pretty old, but the blog got a tip o' the hat on a recent episode of Dollhouse, as shown in this screencap. (And thanks to Eliza for letting me know about this!)
I now have several bags of Let's Potato Chips.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Let's Lost (Season Six)!
Last night I dreamed about LOST. Specifically, stuff that's gonna happen in the final season. There are a shit-ton of spoilers in this, so read carefully, but also be aware that everything in here is a dream, so you should take it with a grain of salt. However, I believe that these are dreams visited through the gate of truth as opposed to the gate of lies, so don't be surprised if next year I point to this and go, "I told you so! I win! I have psychic powers!"
It starts in Europe, maybe the Ukraine or Poland. Someplace cold and snowy. I'm on a fact-finding mission regarding LOST. I pass by this restaurant that has these delicious-looking pancakes, or their Eastern European equivalent.
So I go in and who do I meet but JJ Abrams. He's talking about LOST with some people, and since there are so few folks around who can speak English, I horn in on the conversation. We talk about John Locke, and I have choice things to say about him which I won't repeat here because I don't want to spoil the season finale, in case you haven't seen it yet. John Locke is a mystery, both in the dream and in the real world.
And there's something else... I witness a radio transmission between two places, it seems like Korea and the Ukraine, maybe it's Penny's weather station. The words are garbled, and it's subtitled, but the words go by super-fast. Fortunately, I use my mad skillz to read the subtitles, and I can interpret their language barrier.
This was supposed to be a teaser for people, the sort of thing that can only be seen once so there are no screen-grabs or anything. But I'm brilliant and I comprehend much more of the message than they intended. Like, they wanted us to focus on some words and not the others, like a magician's misdirection, but I got to the secret. And this was dangerous information.
The message, which I doubt will appear in Season Six, was about, like, an earthquake or weather control or natural disaster (that might have been caused by man) or something. It ties in to the Season Two finale and what happened at the end of Season Five. There IS a connection (you should have realized this if you are observant and have mad skillz like me).
The dream changes. I'm in a comfy bus or a limo with Damon Lindelof. We're talking and he's letting me watch the entire season premiere of Season Six. It begins in New York City, a POV shot of a certain street. I notice what others would miss - this is the real NYC, and it's someone watching from a certain area, a specific street corner, off of 55th or 57th Street. If I can find the location from which it was filmed, I'll discover a secret.
Then I know. I know this street. It ties in to an episode of Mission Hill that I love, and I chant over and over, "It's Weirdo Beardo! Weirdo Beardo, Weirdo Beardo, Weirdo Beardo!" Weirdo Beardo being a very minor character/place on that short-lived animated series, basically a video store that specializes in obscure and weird films [and yes, I know Mission Hill doesn't take place in NYC].
Damon laughs and is psyched that I figured it out so easily. He says that Weirdo Beardo (the name of the store and also the name of the weird, bearded guy who runs it) is a tip o' the hat to why there are so many obscure movie references throughout LOST. His example, which Sarah says is not true, is the Easter egg of Soylent Green in Season One (in a life raft? A boat?).
I'm not sure about the Weirdo Beardo connection, but I suspect it's something like the Manhattan Restaurant of the Mind (a bookstore) in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. But it's some sort of nexus between the real world and the fantasy world of LOST, or the real LOST and the dream LOST. It links into knowing there's a man named John Locke out there, and also an actor named Terry O'Quinn who plays John Locke.
Damon takes a liking to me, since I figured out one of his puzzles but I don't know the full answer. So he asks me, "What do you know about JJ Abrams?" I think about it, and have to admit, "Nothing, really." And he advises me to do some research on JJ, he's a "very interesting guy."
Talking this over with Sarah the next morning, she asks me to describe the JJ Abrams from my dream, and I finally realize what Damon was trying to tell me.
This is the real JJ Abrams. And this is not the man I met in the Ukraine. That man was bald, slightly older, and an impostor. [Note: In my dream, Damon Lindelof was the real Damon Lindelof.]
So WTF? This is what Damon wants me to research. Who was this faker? Why was he sent to throw me off? What misinformation did he feed me? What about the transmission? Does the real JJ Abrams have anything to do with anything (highly doubtful, since he's busy with other projects)? Was the whole John Locke thing a red herring? Or a trap? And should I still pursue it with the knowledge that it's a trap? And what REALLY stands on 55th or 57th Street?
Destiny calls.
It starts in Europe, maybe the Ukraine or Poland. Someplace cold and snowy. I'm on a fact-finding mission regarding LOST. I pass by this restaurant that has these delicious-looking pancakes, or their Eastern European equivalent.
So I go in and who do I meet but JJ Abrams. He's talking about LOST with some people, and since there are so few folks around who can speak English, I horn in on the conversation. We talk about John Locke, and I have choice things to say about him which I won't repeat here because I don't want to spoil the season finale, in case you haven't seen it yet. John Locke is a mystery, both in the dream and in the real world.
And there's something else... I witness a radio transmission between two places, it seems like Korea and the Ukraine, maybe it's Penny's weather station. The words are garbled, and it's subtitled, but the words go by super-fast. Fortunately, I use my mad skillz to read the subtitles, and I can interpret their language barrier.
This was supposed to be a teaser for people, the sort of thing that can only be seen once so there are no screen-grabs or anything. But I'm brilliant and I comprehend much more of the message than they intended. Like, they wanted us to focus on some words and not the others, like a magician's misdirection, but I got to the secret. And this was dangerous information.
The message, which I doubt will appear in Season Six, was about, like, an earthquake or weather control or natural disaster (that might have been caused by man) or something. It ties in to the Season Two finale and what happened at the end of Season Five. There IS a connection (you should have realized this if you are observant and have mad skillz like me).
The dream changes. I'm in a comfy bus or a limo with Damon Lindelof. We're talking and he's letting me watch the entire season premiere of Season Six. It begins in New York City, a POV shot of a certain street. I notice what others would miss - this is the real NYC, and it's someone watching from a certain area, a specific street corner, off of 55th or 57th Street. If I can find the location from which it was filmed, I'll discover a secret.
Then I know. I know this street. It ties in to an episode of Mission Hill that I love, and I chant over and over, "It's Weirdo Beardo! Weirdo Beardo, Weirdo Beardo, Weirdo Beardo!" Weirdo Beardo being a very minor character/place on that short-lived animated series, basically a video store that specializes in obscure and weird films [and yes, I know Mission Hill doesn't take place in NYC].
Damon laughs and is psyched that I figured it out so easily. He says that Weirdo Beardo (the name of the store and also the name of the weird, bearded guy who runs it) is a tip o' the hat to why there are so many obscure movie references throughout LOST. His example, which Sarah says is not true, is the Easter egg of Soylent Green in Season One (in a life raft? A boat?).
I'm not sure about the Weirdo Beardo connection, but I suspect it's something like the Manhattan Restaurant of the Mind (a bookstore) in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. But it's some sort of nexus between the real world and the fantasy world of LOST, or the real LOST and the dream LOST. It links into knowing there's a man named John Locke out there, and also an actor named Terry O'Quinn who plays John Locke.
Damon takes a liking to me, since I figured out one of his puzzles but I don't know the full answer. So he asks me, "What do you know about JJ Abrams?" I think about it, and have to admit, "Nothing, really." And he advises me to do some research on JJ, he's a "very interesting guy."
Talking this over with Sarah the next morning, she asks me to describe the JJ Abrams from my dream, and I finally realize what Damon was trying to tell me.
This is the real JJ Abrams. And this is not the man I met in the Ukraine. That man was bald, slightly older, and an impostor. [Note: In my dream, Damon Lindelof was the real Damon Lindelof.]
So WTF? This is what Damon wants me to research. Who was this faker? Why was he sent to throw me off? What misinformation did he feed me? What about the transmission? Does the real JJ Abrams have anything to do with anything (highly doubtful, since he's busy with other projects)? Was the whole John Locke thing a red herring? Or a trap? And should I still pursue it with the knowledge that it's a trap? And what REALLY stands on 55th or 57th Street?
Destiny calls.
Friday, March 20, 2009
So Say We All!
Terry: Interested in a Saturday morning/afternoon Battlestar Galactica Brunch? I could make a waffle sandwich.
Kirk: I would be VERY interested, even if you are not serious about the waffle sandwich.
Finally, a Year of Yes moment that I can really sink my teeth into. Gagagooey! (I also like to use that phrase for anything involving dentists or taffy or vampires... see next post.)
Kirk: I would be VERY interested, even if you are not serious about the waffle sandwich.
Finally, a Year of Yes moment that I can really sink my teeth into. Gagagooey! (I also like to use that phrase for anything involving dentists or taffy or vampires... see next post.)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Last Post About TV For a While...
So while walking home from the post office today, I passed an FYE store that's going out of business and had everything at 50% off. And, being an eternal bargain hunter, I decided to see if there was anything worth picking up.
Obviously, there wasn't much left (there never is!). A lot of Playboy DVDs, oddly, some random seasons of M*A*S*H, and most curiously of all, the first season of Dave's World, which I don't think anyone remembers but Harry Anderson, Dave Barry, and myself.
To cut to the chase, after much browsing, I found the next TV show I'm gonna watch: Ultraman! I don't know crap about this show, so why would I want to watch it? Because it's got stuff like this in every single episode:
Already, it's so much better than Mad Men.
Obviously, there wasn't much left (there never is!). A lot of Playboy DVDs, oddly, some random seasons of M*A*S*H, and most curiously of all, the first season of Dave's World, which I don't think anyone remembers but Harry Anderson, Dave Barry, and myself.
To cut to the chase, after much browsing, I found the next TV show I'm gonna watch: Ultraman! I don't know crap about this show, so why would I want to watch it? Because it's got stuff like this in every single episode:
Already, it's so much better than Mad Men.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
TV Pastabilities
Here are some suggestions for the next TV show I should say YES to in 2009.
- The 4400
- Cupid (the original series with Jeremy Piven)
- Spaced
- Torchwood
- Dexter (I never saw season one!)
- Wonderfalls
- Entourage (Sarah: Assholes think it's funny.)
- Dead Like Me (I really enjoyed this series, but never finished it.)
- Six Feet Under
- Deadwood
- Carnivale
- Twin Peaks
- Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
- The Venture Bros.
- The Sopranos
- Red Dwarf (more for Sarah's enjoyment than mine, as I've seen these so many times I practically have them memorized, but she hasn't.)
- The Wire
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
- The Singing Detective (I should just buy this. Out of everything I've ever watched on Netflix, this is what I think about the most. It haunts me.)
- I, Claudius
- Rome (Seen it! But I'd watch it again.)
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (and Smiley's People, if it's good)
- Freaks & Geeks
- My So-Called Life
- Square Pegs
(Friends of Kirk will enjoy guessing which other friends suggested which titles.)
I'm very interested in seeing Deadwood (because cursing cowboys are good), but I might want to start with a shorter series (so Wonderfalls or Freaks & Geeks might get picked first).
Spaced is also a good choice, because the episodes are just 30 minutes long. Plus, funny. It's a comedy, right? I think it's a comedy. But the Adult Swim stuff is only 15 minutes long. That's twice the savings!
I want something that I can finish relatively quickly (so epics like The Sopranos or The Wire will have to wait), because I also have to watch all these Disney animated films for research.
Last night I saw Bambi (it was boring and stupid!), tomorrow I'm probably going to watch The Sword in the Stone again, even though I've read the T.H. White book literally a dozen times.
Life is hard when you're me.
- The 4400
- Cupid (the original series with Jeremy Piven)
- Spaced
- Torchwood
- Dexter (I never saw season one!)
- Wonderfalls
- Entourage (Sarah: Assholes think it's funny.)
- Dead Like Me (I really enjoyed this series, but never finished it.)
- Six Feet Under
- Deadwood
- Carnivale
- Twin Peaks
- Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
- The Venture Bros.
- The Sopranos
- Red Dwarf (more for Sarah's enjoyment than mine, as I've seen these so many times I practically have them memorized, but she hasn't.)
- The Wire
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
- The Singing Detective (I should just buy this. Out of everything I've ever watched on Netflix, this is what I think about the most. It haunts me.)
- I, Claudius
- Rome (Seen it! But I'd watch it again.)
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (and Smiley's People, if it's good)
- Freaks & Geeks
- My So-Called Life
- Square Pegs
(Friends of Kirk will enjoy guessing which other friends suggested which titles.)
I'm very interested in seeing Deadwood (because cursing cowboys are good), but I might want to start with a shorter series (so Wonderfalls or Freaks & Geeks might get picked first).
Spaced is also a good choice, because the episodes are just 30 minutes long. Plus, funny. It's a comedy, right? I think it's a comedy. But the Adult Swim stuff is only 15 minutes long. That's twice the savings!
I want something that I can finish relatively quickly (so epics like The Sopranos or The Wire will have to wait), because I also have to watch all these Disney animated films for research.
Last night I saw Bambi (it was boring and stupid!), tomorrow I'm probably going to watch The Sword in the Stone again, even though I've read the T.H. White book literally a dozen times.
Life is hard when you're me.
(Tell Me Why) I Don't Like Mad Men
(This entry title is a play on the lyrics to "I Don't Like Mondays," an awesome song by the Boomtown Rats. I often think of doing a Cakey animatic to this song that further explores the painful suicide of Duncan's mother, but that's another story. Anyway, if you want to avoid any spoilers about the first season of Mad Men, skip the entry and enjoy this video, instead.
Also, I need a new DVD series to watch, so I'm open to any suggestions. Ally McBeal? Is that good? Square Pegs, maybe?)
OK, I finished season one, and I just don't get it. I just don't. Thank God they knocked off a lot of the "Whoa, it's 1960 so we're saying and doing crap that's ironic from today's vantage point, gagagooey!" but what's the appeal? Seriously. People love Mad Men, and I can't understand why.
It seems so pretentious, like it's very subtle and slow and takes forever to get anywhere (and even then, it's so mild and understated, except when Betty shot at the birds, and thank God that never had any repercussions, I say sarcastically). And barely anything happens.
And yet, even though it's subtle and everyone speaks in code all the effing time, it also seems so goddamned obvious. Like, in his very first line in the first episode, I knew Salvatore was in the closet. So was it supposed to come as a surprise a million episodes in when he makes subtle references to his homosexuality? Am I just intuitive, or am I one of the many horrible fans who pat themselves on the back for being far too young and clever?
I hate that there's no music in most of the early episodes. This had to be a conscious choice by the thousands of directors this show has, right, but it makes the pacing go over like a lead corpse. Maybe this gets changed in season two, because latter episodes, thank God, had a sprinkling of music. I seriously thought my DVDs were messed up and they were missing a track or a whole speaker's worth of sound, the absence is that obvious.
And I live in a frakkin' world of silence. I don't talk or play music for nine hours a day, and I live in quiet Astoria, and the background of my solitary world is nine million times louder and more lively than the world of Don Draper. WTF?
Speaking of the man, I absolutely do not understand him. I figured early on (again, is it supposed to be obvious?) that he's suffering from some post-war trauma, and obviously he either changed his name or stole an identity (after meeting that old army buddy on the train and not giving his own business card), but is his life that bad? Is it falling apart, as depicted in the credits? Why are you married to your wife, then, if you can't talk to her? Why not divorce her and get with the Jewish lady? Why'd you marry Peggy in the first place? Are you a sociopath? Gagagooey? Why make your leading man so effing unlikeable (and even then, eff that, Dexter is a psychotic killer and I enjoy his antics)?
Is it because EVERYONE in 1960 is unlikeable (except for eccentric Mr. Cooper, oh, what a wacky character, I say with only a touch of sarcasm)? Do you want to make a show with only unlikeable people? I guess so, because people love it! Again, I continue to ask myself, WTF?
The only scene I liked (let alone loved) the entire season was when Sterling threw up. Man, I must have watched that fifty times. And not just because I'm an idiot who's like, "WHOA, he puked, get the camera!" but I was fascinated that they did it digitally instead of with a special effects hose (which makes sense), but then he would throw up on the floor and the painted "puddle" wouldn't grow or change. It looked pretty amazing. Is that how people threw up in 1960?
I liked that episode, actually. A lot of code, a lot of nonsense, but at least Don Draper got his revenge, instead of one-upping someone with some witty line.
In "Nixon vs. Kennedy," which was much more of a season finale than the actual season finale (where, I'll admit, finding out that Peggy is pregnant was the one thing that surprised me, I figured they were doing a crappy job of making a thin actress play a chubby character), I was just hoping Don would murder Peter. "Just kill him!" I screamed, because it'd be something bold and decisive rather than pointed stares and awkward silences and passive-aggressive behavior.
Obviously, it didn't end in murder, which I admit would be ridiculous and stupid, and I was OK with the end, but I just wish Peter had to deal with the consequences of his behavior, at least once. Or Don. Or anyone except for poor Rich Sommer.
And the worst part is I'm hooked on the damn show.
So I'm addicted. Damn it.
I'm gonna watch season two just to continue trying to solve this puzzle. Because while I don't enjoy watching it, I DO enjoy hating it so much. My favorite part is adding sound effects after lines that I find particularly pretentious or cloying. The sound effect is usually something like "Doip!"
Also, I need a new DVD series to watch, so I'm open to any suggestions. Ally McBeal? Is that good? Square Pegs, maybe?)
OK, I finished season one, and I just don't get it. I just don't. Thank God they knocked off a lot of the "Whoa, it's 1960 so we're saying and doing crap that's ironic from today's vantage point, gagagooey!" but what's the appeal? Seriously. People love Mad Men, and I can't understand why.
It seems so pretentious, like it's very subtle and slow and takes forever to get anywhere (and even then, it's so mild and understated, except when Betty shot at the birds, and thank God that never had any repercussions, I say sarcastically). And barely anything happens.
And yet, even though it's subtle and everyone speaks in code all the effing time, it also seems so goddamned obvious. Like, in his very first line in the first episode, I knew Salvatore was in the closet. So was it supposed to come as a surprise a million episodes in when he makes subtle references to his homosexuality? Am I just intuitive, or am I one of the many horrible fans who pat themselves on the back for being far too young and clever?
I hate that there's no music in most of the early episodes. This had to be a conscious choice by the thousands of directors this show has, right, but it makes the pacing go over like a lead corpse. Maybe this gets changed in season two, because latter episodes, thank God, had a sprinkling of music. I seriously thought my DVDs were messed up and they were missing a track or a whole speaker's worth of sound, the absence is that obvious.
And I live in a frakkin' world of silence. I don't talk or play music for nine hours a day, and I live in quiet Astoria, and the background of my solitary world is nine million times louder and more lively than the world of Don Draper. WTF?
Speaking of the man, I absolutely do not understand him. I figured early on (again, is it supposed to be obvious?) that he's suffering from some post-war trauma, and obviously he either changed his name or stole an identity (after meeting that old army buddy on the train and not giving his own business card), but is his life that bad? Is it falling apart, as depicted in the credits? Why are you married to your wife, then, if you can't talk to her? Why not divorce her and get with the Jewish lady? Why'd you marry Peggy in the first place? Are you a sociopath? Gagagooey? Why make your leading man so effing unlikeable (and even then, eff that, Dexter is a psychotic killer and I enjoy his antics)?
Is it because EVERYONE in 1960 is unlikeable (except for eccentric Mr. Cooper, oh, what a wacky character, I say with only a touch of sarcasm)? Do you want to make a show with only unlikeable people? I guess so, because people love it! Again, I continue to ask myself, WTF?
The only scene I liked (let alone loved) the entire season was when Sterling threw up. Man, I must have watched that fifty times. And not just because I'm an idiot who's like, "WHOA, he puked, get the camera!" but I was fascinated that they did it digitally instead of with a special effects hose (which makes sense), but then he would throw up on the floor and the painted "puddle" wouldn't grow or change. It looked pretty amazing. Is that how people threw up in 1960?
I liked that episode, actually. A lot of code, a lot of nonsense, but at least Don Draper got his revenge, instead of one-upping someone with some witty line.
In "Nixon vs. Kennedy," which was much more of a season finale than the actual season finale (where, I'll admit, finding out that Peggy is pregnant was the one thing that surprised me, I figured they were doing a crappy job of making a thin actress play a chubby character), I was just hoping Don would murder Peter. "Just kill him!" I screamed, because it'd be something bold and decisive rather than pointed stares and awkward silences and passive-aggressive behavior.
Obviously, it didn't end in murder, which I admit would be ridiculous and stupid, and I was OK with the end, but I just wish Peter had to deal with the consequences of his behavior, at least once. Or Don. Or anyone except for poor Rich Sommer.
And the worst part is I'm hooked on the damn show.
So I'm addicted. Damn it.
I'm gonna watch season two just to continue trying to solve this puzzle. Because while I don't enjoy watching it, I DO enjoy hating it so much. My favorite part is adding sound effects after lines that I find particularly pretentious or cloying. The sound effect is usually something like "Doip!"
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Let's LOST!
(Again, be warned: this entry is gonna talk about the fifth season of LOST. And while I'm not gonna give any overt spoilers, if you want to go into the season premiere 100% blind, you might as well skip it. Hey, but to make this entry worth your while, here's a pic of a bunny that the nice waitress drew on my receipt at that ramen place in the East Village:)
Holy crap, this season's got me psyched!
The event at the Paley Center was pretty cool! We got to see "Walkabout" and the entire season three finale on the big screen, which is a really cool way to watch the show. And while I wasn't in love with the shitty panel or the trivia contest (I never had a chance at winning one of those t-shirts), the main event was the first 30 minutes of the season premiere.
WHOA.
OK, it starts GREAT, in a way I would never have expected (though they follow the pattern with Desmond's and Juliet's introduction from previous season premieres), and you're like "Whoa!" I won't say who it focuses on, but I think it's OK to say the song played on the record - it's Willie Nelson's "Shotgun Willie." Don't read into it too much.
And then, right at the end of the cold opening, you get another pretty good knock, which I think sets up the direction of this season.
Also, a bunch of questions get answered right away, and it's very satisfying yet opens a lot of pastabilities.
Someone told me that early reviews said the first half of the premiere were kind of "meh" but the second half was "WHOA," so I feel pretty good about this Wednesday.
Get psyched!
Destiny calls.
Holy crap, this season's got me psyched!
The event at the Paley Center was pretty cool! We got to see "Walkabout" and the entire season three finale on the big screen, which is a really cool way to watch the show. And while I wasn't in love with the shitty panel or the trivia contest (I never had a chance at winning one of those t-shirts), the main event was the first 30 minutes of the season premiere.
WHOA.
OK, it starts GREAT, in a way I would never have expected (though they follow the pattern with Desmond's and Juliet's introduction from previous season premieres), and you're like "Whoa!" I won't say who it focuses on, but I think it's OK to say the song played on the record - it's Willie Nelson's "Shotgun Willie." Don't read into it too much.
And then, right at the end of the cold opening, you get another pretty good knock, which I think sets up the direction of this season.
Also, a bunch of questions get answered right away, and it's very satisfying yet opens a lot of pastabilities.
Someone told me that early reviews said the first half of the premiere were kind of "meh" but the second half was "WHOA," so I feel pretty good about this Wednesday.
Get psyched!
Destiny calls.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
I Continue to Heart LOST
Quick note: This entry has some stuff (including a picture at the bottom of the entry) that'd be considered spoilers if you're like the Kirk of 2007 (meaning you've never seen the show, know nothing about it, but want to avoid any spoilers). If you're one of these people, you might as well skip this entry, though you will miss out on a rant about the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.
LOST starts up next week! Last night they re-aired the fourth season's finale, and it got me psyched. Like, heart beating fast, mind racing, a little scared of ghosts, legs all turned to putty, and shouting at the TV constantly.
As I said in the 2008 recap, getting into LOST was one of the best decisions I made all year. That sounds lame, but I mean it sincerely. What else has selflessly given me so many hours of entertainment? Nothing, that's what.
Wow, do I love this show, and here's one of the many reasons why: It's very much like a role-playing game in its complexity and depth. Each season, the world grows successfully (mysterious island to hatch to Others to holy crap, that wasn't a flashback, it's a flash forward, THEY'RE IN THE FUTURE), in exactly the same way that the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy failed (awesome ghost pirates to kind-of-crappy Davy Jones to, I don't know, somehow Jack Sparrow was killed but he came back and it just didn't make sense or was entertaining at all, it got too muddled and I hated it).
Like, with LOST, we always get more puzzle pieces... but the mystery still deepens. With Pirates, we didn't even see the Kraken get killed. And the main big enemy ended up being, like, the owner of the East Indian Tea Company? I get it, law and order vs. pirate chaos, but seriously? The top villain, after the awesome UNDEAD PIRATE and weird OCTOPUS PIRATE is A BUSINESSMAN? That's... not entertaining.
Anyway, this Saturday the Paley Center is having a LOST Event, and you better believe I'm going.
I'm psyched (aren't I always?) although the main attraction has me a little concerned: it consists of "a special 30-minute preview of the season five premiere, followed by discussion with a panel of LOST experts."
I'll have to ask the people in charge, but is it the first 30 minutes of the premiere, or a 30-minute preview? Because if it's the latter (and I think it is), I don't want to see that. That's too much of a spoiler. Like, seriously, I can wait less than a week to get the entire episode in all its glory, rather than ruining it with bits and pieces and "HOLY SHIT, DID YOU SEE THAT?" moments.
And though I like listening to panels, I'm deathly afraid of hearing information I shouldn't. The Doctor Who one at Dragon*Con was all right, because no one had any real information, it was all speculation and opinion. Here, though, ugh. I try to avoid any real-world news that could affect the show (example: if an actor doesn't renew his contact), so I might have to skip out on this, too.
Still, even if I have to leave the MAIN EVENT, it'll be pretty cool to watch two very awesome episodes in a room full of fans.
PS: I took this pic with my camera phone last night. Now it's my phone wallpaper! It also says "YOU BELONG" over Locke's head, but I don't know how to change that.
LOST starts up next week! Last night they re-aired the fourth season's finale, and it got me psyched. Like, heart beating fast, mind racing, a little scared of ghosts, legs all turned to putty, and shouting at the TV constantly.
As I said in the 2008 recap, getting into LOST was one of the best decisions I made all year. That sounds lame, but I mean it sincerely. What else has selflessly given me so many hours of entertainment? Nothing, that's what.
Wow, do I love this show, and here's one of the many reasons why: It's very much like a role-playing game in its complexity and depth. Each season, the world grows successfully (mysterious island to hatch to Others to holy crap, that wasn't a flashback, it's a flash forward, THEY'RE IN THE FUTURE), in exactly the same way that the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy failed (awesome ghost pirates to kind-of-crappy Davy Jones to, I don't know, somehow Jack Sparrow was killed but he came back and it just didn't make sense or was entertaining at all, it got too muddled and I hated it).
Like, with LOST, we always get more puzzle pieces... but the mystery still deepens. With Pirates, we didn't even see the Kraken get killed. And the main big enemy ended up being, like, the owner of the East Indian Tea Company? I get it, law and order vs. pirate chaos, but seriously? The top villain, after the awesome UNDEAD PIRATE and weird OCTOPUS PIRATE is A BUSINESSMAN? That's... not entertaining.
Anyway, this Saturday the Paley Center is having a LOST Event, and you better believe I'm going.
I'm psyched (aren't I always?) although the main attraction has me a little concerned: it consists of "a special 30-minute preview of the season five premiere, followed by discussion with a panel of LOST experts."
I'll have to ask the people in charge, but is it the first 30 minutes of the premiere, or a 30-minute preview? Because if it's the latter (and I think it is), I don't want to see that. That's too much of a spoiler. Like, seriously, I can wait less than a week to get the entire episode in all its glory, rather than ruining it with bits and pieces and "HOLY SHIT, DID YOU SEE THAT?" moments.
And though I like listening to panels, I'm deathly afraid of hearing information I shouldn't. The Doctor Who one at Dragon*Con was all right, because no one had any real information, it was all speculation and opinion. Here, though, ugh. I try to avoid any real-world news that could affect the show (example: if an actor doesn't renew his contact), so I might have to skip out on this, too.
Still, even if I have to leave the MAIN EVENT, it'll be pretty cool to watch two very awesome episodes in a room full of fans.
PS: I took this pic with my camera phone last night. Now it's my phone wallpaper! It also says "YOU BELONG" over Locke's head, but I don't know how to change that.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I Don't Heart Heroes
Of the many things I said Yes to this year, trying out new TV shows was one of them, even though I knew it'd be a super-slow process (for example, it's December, and I've only watched two shows).
Lost was a huge hit, and I'm super psyched for January 21st, when the new season starts, but the second show... well, as you can guess from the title of this post, I'm not that into it.
And as you can also guess from the title, I'm talking about Heroes. I finally finished the first season, and the fact that it took me so long to watch 23 episodes is a good indicator that it failed to get me sufficiently psyched.
Which is surprising, really, it's a show about super powers, I should be interested. I loved the premise, actually, but the terrible writing just totally turned me off. Especially Mohinder and his ridiculously pretentious monologues, I wish that guy would shut up. Or die.
(BTW, I guess I should mention there might be spoilers in this entry, so if you haven't watched the first season of Heroes but might want to one day, stop reading.)
Also, and this is another slam against the writers, there were a lot of holes in the plot and in the reality of the universe. I write and edit scripts and stories and role-playing games, and if someone handed me some of these episodes, I'd be like, "Are you out of your mind?"
For instance, in Episode 2F09 when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib twice in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is some sort of a magic xylophone or something? Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder.
The other thing, and this is the only one I can remember since I watched this over the course of about three months, is that the cop is telepathic. That's his power. Yet characters get the drop on him all the time. What's up? His powers don't always work? Did they explain that at some point and I forgot it? Or does he have to be concentrating to find someone? Because if someone is sneaking around trying to kill him, he'd probably use his telepathic powers to find them first (and don't tell me he can't use his powers to find someone - his first instance of telepathy happens when he finds Molly Walker). Or do they just fail when it's convenient for the plot?
I persevered through the season, because I was told by several sources that it ends well. BUT IT DOESN'T. Parkman gets shot several times, but I know he lives... So unless he's wearing a bulletproof vest, WTF?
Also, Skylar got away? Like, no one noticed that he disappeared? Everyone is like, "Wow, we killed him! But no need to look over at the body, even though it's in plain eyesight, let's all go home." Really?
And before you defend me by saying it's a time-honored tradition for the villain's body to disappear, I say humbug. It's a cliche. And if you're gonna rely on every single one of these characters to not notice, I don't feel you're writing them to the top of their intelligence or potential.
So I will not continue with Heroes, which is fine, I've heard horror stories about the second and third season, and even if there are a few good episodes, I can just read about them on Wikipedia or something.
The next show I'm going for is Mad Men.
Lost was a huge hit, and I'm super psyched for January 21st, when the new season starts, but the second show... well, as you can guess from the title of this post, I'm not that into it.
And as you can also guess from the title, I'm talking about Heroes. I finally finished the first season, and the fact that it took me so long to watch 23 episodes is a good indicator that it failed to get me sufficiently psyched.
Which is surprising, really, it's a show about super powers, I should be interested. I loved the premise, actually, but the terrible writing just totally turned me off. Especially Mohinder and his ridiculously pretentious monologues, I wish that guy would shut up. Or die.
(BTW, I guess I should mention there might be spoilers in this entry, so if you haven't watched the first season of Heroes but might want to one day, stop reading.)
Also, and this is another slam against the writers, there were a lot of holes in the plot and in the reality of the universe. I write and edit scripts and stories and role-playing games, and if someone handed me some of these episodes, I'd be like, "Are you out of your mind?"
For instance, in Episode 2F09 when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib twice in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is some sort of a magic xylophone or something? Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder.
The other thing, and this is the only one I can remember since I watched this over the course of about three months, is that the cop is telepathic. That's his power. Yet characters get the drop on him all the time. What's up? His powers don't always work? Did they explain that at some point and I forgot it? Or does he have to be concentrating to find someone? Because if someone is sneaking around trying to kill him, he'd probably use his telepathic powers to find them first (and don't tell me he can't use his powers to find someone - his first instance of telepathy happens when he finds Molly Walker). Or do they just fail when it's convenient for the plot?
I persevered through the season, because I was told by several sources that it ends well. BUT IT DOESN'T. Parkman gets shot several times, but I know he lives... So unless he's wearing a bulletproof vest, WTF?
Also, Skylar got away? Like, no one noticed that he disappeared? Everyone is like, "Wow, we killed him! But no need to look over at the body, even though it's in plain eyesight, let's all go home." Really?
And before you defend me by saying it's a time-honored tradition for the villain's body to disappear, I say humbug. It's a cliche. And if you're gonna rely on every single one of these characters to not notice, I don't feel you're writing them to the top of their intelligence or potential.
So I will not continue with Heroes, which is fine, I've heard horror stories about the second and third season, and even if there are a few good episodes, I can just read about them on Wikipedia or something.
The next show I'm going for is Mad Men.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Answer to the Ultimate Dilemma
I ended up going to Terry's. Year of Yes.
It didn't feel that hot outside, and the WHO episodes were awesome. Well done, Steven Moffat, you got me to make a face of shocked dismay that caused Terry to laugh.
Also, I ordered a portable air conditioner for my room, since the bars on my window prevent me from installing a regular one. Year of Yes!
It didn't feel that hot outside, and the WHO episodes were awesome. Well done, Steven Moffat, you got me to make a face of shocked dismay that caused Terry to laugh.
Also, I ordered a portable air conditioner for my room, since the bars on my window prevent me from installing a regular one. Year of Yes!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Ultimate Dilemma
It's 90 degrees outside, it's 12:30 p.m., and it's just gonna get worse.
There's something you ought to know about me - far greater than my hatred of rain is my hatred of the heat. It's part of the reason why I left Florida. I hate the heat so much, and can't stand to be sweaty unless it's for a worthwhile reason.
So right now I'm in my room with the window open, the blinds drawn, and my fan on medium, and it's pretty comfortable. I don't have an air conditioner and can't install one because there are bars over my window. I've been thinking of buying a portable AC, but the weather hasn't warranted it... yet.
Which brings me to this ultimate Year of Yes dilemma. Do I hide indoors all day, like I did yesterday, until the sun is mostly down? Or do I brave the blazing heat for a double-feature of Doctor Who at Terry's house?
A weekly group viewing is usually one of my favorite things, but we haven't met in a while. Most of this season's episodes have been solo viewings on YouTube instead of on Terry's enormous television with the WHO Crew. And I do miss everyone. TV is more fun when it's an experience, not when you're by yourself. Also, these two episodes are supposed to be terrific.
I love Doctor Who, quite frankly, but I hate the heat.
Which one will win?
There's something you ought to know about me - far greater than my hatred of rain is my hatred of the heat. It's part of the reason why I left Florida. I hate the heat so much, and can't stand to be sweaty unless it's for a worthwhile reason.
So right now I'm in my room with the window open, the blinds drawn, and my fan on medium, and it's pretty comfortable. I don't have an air conditioner and can't install one because there are bars over my window. I've been thinking of buying a portable AC, but the weather hasn't warranted it... yet.
Which brings me to this ultimate Year of Yes dilemma. Do I hide indoors all day, like I did yesterday, until the sun is mostly down? Or do I brave the blazing heat for a double-feature of Doctor Who at Terry's house?
A weekly group viewing is usually one of my favorite things, but we haven't met in a while. Most of this season's episodes have been solo viewings on YouTube instead of on Terry's enormous television with the WHO Crew. And I do miss everyone. TV is more fun when it's an experience, not when you're by yourself. Also, these two episodes are supposed to be terrific.
I love Doctor Who, quite frankly, but I hate the heat.
Which one will win?
Friday, April 25, 2008
I Heart LOST
Last night was the first episode of LOST I was able to see as it aired (meaning, not on DVD and not on abc.com).
I've finally caught up! I buckled down, did my best, and even though I didn't make it in time for the Season Four premiere, I'm still did it. And, as predicted back in January, I am addicted.
This is just like Harry Potter all over again.
But no spoilers, don't worry... except I can't resist leaving a comment that lists all my favorite characters from the first three seasons. So don't click on the Comments if you haven't seen this show yet.
I've finally caught up! I buckled down, did my best, and even though I didn't make it in time for the Season Four premiere, I'm still did it. And, as predicted back in January, I am addicted.
This is just like Harry Potter all over again.
But no spoilers, don't worry... except I can't resist leaving a comment that lists all my favorite characters from the first three seasons. So don't click on the Comments if you haven't seen this show yet.
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