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NEWS 302 - 41 Comments
From: Jackzilla Entered on: September 13, 2005 9:04 AM
Tell it, Fatty! Entourage is great! It's very tempting to watch a couple episodes without Fatty and LEENDA, but it's so fun watching together, Ang and I are being patient til they're over again to watch anymore.     My favorite characters are "Drama" (Kevin Dillon, Matt's younger brother) and Ari (Jeremy Pivon, from the movie PCU, who I've always referred to as "that funny guy that looks like Dave Matthews."). Drama always has this air of being uncomfortable that reminds me of George Michael from Arrested Development. He's sweet to watch. Ari is just a fast-talking dynamo, always machine-gunnin' the funniest lines and put downs.     Thumbs!
From: Ross Entered on: September 13, 2005 9:54 AM
I saw it once in a hotel, and I loved it. It was recommended to me by others as well so I really can't wait. Hope it lives up to the his-ype!
From: Jackzilla Entered on: September 26, 2005 9:54 PM
Well, we have two episodes left of Entourage to watch. What a great ass funny show. Have you started watching it yet, Bert? Swerb?     At least Arrested Development has started back up.     Anyone watching any of the new shows? Prison Break? Rome? Supernatural/Invasion/Whatnot? I don't wanna miss anything good!
From: Swerb Entered on: September 27, 2005 7:42 PM
Haven't watched Entourage yet. It's football season, so my TV time is monopolized by such things... I'll get to it eventually. AD is funny as fuck so far... watched the first new ep twice, even! I kinda liked the first episode of My Name is Earl - not great, but it has potential, and I like Jason Lee.     On the movie front, I just saw Serenity, and it's pretty fucking sweet! Totally took me by surprise. Good sci-fi, good action, good story, good characters... I haven't seen any of the TV series Firefly (of which it's a continuation), but I'm compelled to check it out now. It's very well-written and -directed.
From: Ross Entered on: September 28, 2005 7:12 AM
Roche and I were both huge fans of Firefly and I'm awaiting Serenity with bated breath.     What about A History of Violence? That seems like it could be good too.
From: Swerb Entered on: September 29, 2005 8:10 AM
Well, I'd suggest you run out and watch Serenity this weekend, then. You'll like it even more than I did. It's like a melange of old westerns, Asian cinema and Star Wars.     A History of Violence is quite good. It's not as wacked out as David Cronenberg's other movies... it's really subtle. Ed Harris and William Hurt are fucking sweet in small roles. I loved it.     As for other stuff... Broken Flowers is terrific, the Aristocrats is worth seeing, and believe it or not, I haven't seen Corpse Bride yet. I'm seeing Wallace and Gromit (yay!) and Elizabethtown next week, and Domino (which looks intriguing) the week after. I think I'll end up seeing Doom as well, although it looks like a complete turd...
From: Ross Entered on: October 2, 2005 7:39 AM
Saw Serenity last night. LOVED IT. It was better than the TV show, but still didn't make it look bad. I was even impressed by the fight scenes, which looked lackluster in the commercials. They were much better onscreen. THUMBS!
From: Swerb Entered on: October 2, 2005 10:26 PM
The trailers for Serenity made it look rather lame, and I had low expectations for it... but I was aware that Joss Whedon is no shlub (I liked Buffy a lot its first couple seasons). He just has a knack for funny dialogue and, I dunno, I think he has all the right influences... Star Wars, Star Trek, maybe a bit of Tarantino, some nods to kung-fu flicks, old Clint or John Wayne westerns... were the TV episodes that well-written? I understand the characters (specifically the crew of the Serenity) were more fleshed out on the show. And I really like Chiwetel Ojiofor, who played The Operative (he was terrific in indie flick Dirty Pretty Things, which is worth a rental, and pretty good in Four Brothers, too).     What was funnier was the audience at the sneak preview of Serenity - I don't think I've seen so many geeks in one room outside of Wizard World.
From: Ross Entered on: October 3, 2005 8:15 AM
Speaking of movie trailers, this one had me nearly rolling on the floor:     http://www.ps260.com.nyud.net:8090/molly/SHINING%20 FINAL.mov
From: Swerb Entered on: October 3, 2005 6:20 PM
That is priceless!
From: Swerb Entered on: October 4, 2005 1:28 PM
BTW, has anybody been watching Arrested Development? Last night's episode made my shit my pants with laughter. Bob Loblaw is the best lawyer name EVER... it works on so many levels... and Tobias has worked as an analrapist... christ, that's funny...
From: Ross Entered on: October 4, 2005 5:53 PM
I loved that as well. I was even laughing last week when they previewed him.     If you watch Smallville (or even if you don't), you'll find this amusing, though:     http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=11 80037
From: Swerb Entered on: October 5, 2005 7:29 AM
Yeah, I saw that yesterday, and found it to be the pinnacle of nerdiness. Although Kal-el is a great name... for a cat. That kid is going to be teased mercilessly in school. Why do parents have such contempt for their children? And this from the guy who did the classic "Aswipe" sketch on SNL...
From: Jackzilla Entered on: October 5, 2005 10:00 PM
Regarding the latest Arrested Development: In the beginning of the episode, right after Bob Loblaw's commercial, they review the angry Brit threatening Michael. We laughed so hard at the "double take" the Brit does (looking at Michael angrily) that we had to re-watch it half a dozen times.     In fact, I want to watch it again right now.     That show has us laughing so hard that we miss stuff and have to back up.     "Bob Loblaw. Yo hablo espanol."       P.s. Lost is driving me crazy it's so sweetly frustrating...
From: Ross Entered on: October 6, 2005 9:05 AM
"We're not here to talk nonsense to Bob Loblaw" - classic
From: Swerb Entered on: October 17, 2005 9:07 AM
I haven't indulged myself lately by posting my movie reviews here, but I was particularly happy with my 2-star review of Domino, which irritated my buttocks:     ?Domino? is directed like an ice cream headache. The camera is hyperactive and jittery, like a six-year-old on four bowls of chocolate cereal. The movie has more quick cuts than Barry Sanders, scooting and skittering back and forth as if dodging tacklers, often eluding our basic comprehension.   All we can do to contend with this stylistic overkill from the Oliver Stone School of Indulgence is squint and rub our temples as we try to keep track of something as simple as a conversation between two people, filmed from multiple angles in black and white, washed-out color, soft-focus, etc. This technique is usually utilized to mask action and fight sequences, to give the illusion of Bruce Lee speed to actors with Marlon Brando sluggishness, but here, it only serves to muddy an already overcomplicated plot that would benefit from a less caffienated presentation.   Director Tony Scott has become increasingly harried and hurried from a stylistic standpoint, having helmed ?Top Gun? all the way through ?True Romance,? ?Enemy of the State? and last year?s jumpy but palatable revenge picture ?Man on Fire.? Apparently bored with convention and misinterpreting hysteria for art, Scott has gone over the edge with ?Domino,? the story of real-life model-turned-bounty hunter Domino Harvey.   Keira Knightley, in the title role, admirably and adequately stretches to fit the role of the shotgun-toting baaad broad in a bustier and tight jeans. She heads up an inspired assemblage of actors, including Mickey Rourke, Edgar Ramirez, Christopher Walken, Lucy Liu, Delroy Lindo and Mo?Nique, but their characters are hastily sketched, their motivations unclear, their interaction all but consumed by the gnashing jaws of Scott?s masturbatory machinations.   As the film launches, a subtitle reads, ?Based on a true story... sort of.? Domino, battered and bloody, sits in a police interrogation room across from a shark-eyed investigator (Liu), recounting the events leading to her arrest. The narrative twitches like back spasms as it details Harvey?s personal history ? including her decision to forego her cushy Beverly Hills life for something more thrilling and dangerous ? and eventual partnership with two iron-skinned bounty hunters, the grizzled Ed (Rourke) and muy loco Choco (Ramirez). Numerous tangents are tossed in to further fog the glass.   To prove herself on her first gig, Domino gives a gangbanger a lap dance for information on the bail-jumper. It?s a new, sexy wrinkle to Ed and Choco?s jobs, and the trio agrees to ride its newfound infamy to above-ground fame via a reality TV show called ?Bounty Squad.? As the program?s producer, Walken is typically eccentric, but even his intriguing oddness is overwhelmed by the film?s unfocused energy.   With a pimped-out Winnebago and a camera crew on their tails, Domino and crew get involved with an armored-car heist set up by their bail bondsman (Lindo), who schemes to extract a chunk of cash from the deal so his girlfriend can pay for her granddaughter?s life-saving operation. The caper unwittingly tangles itself in mafia and FBI webs, and eventually barrels to a messy, bloody, explosive conclusion.   ?Domino? ultimately keeps our emotions at bay, its snatches of humanity lost amidst its chaotic structure. There are bits of satire (Brian Austin Green plays himself playing the reality-show host, and is a good sport, lampooning his own celebrity), some razor-edged humor and a loopy cameo by gravel-voiced singer Tom Waits, but none of it can save a film that?s a bundle of nerves in search of a cohesive purpose. Feel free to slug down a few high-sugar energy drinks and twitch along with it, but your efforts will be as fruitless as chasing chipmunks in your backyard.
From: Ross Entered on: October 18, 2005 8:21 AM
I had no desire to see this, from the get-go. At first, I thought it was Winona Ryder doing a bad british accent, doing an even worse impression of a bounty hunter.     I agree with your assessment of the directorial style being akin to Oliver Stone - Scott was headed this way with Man on Fire but it was obvious even from the previews that he's flipped over into the deep end - he's now firmly in the Oliver Stone camp for me - "will not watch."
From: Swerb Entered on: October 19, 2005 10:54 PM
Yeah, I posted this review just so you could read the Oliver Stone line, Bert. I just remember going to see U-Turn and Any Given Sunday with you, and how much you ranted afterwards... both were pretty irritating movies.     By the way, is anybody watching My Name is Earl? That show is really quite funny. The first 2-3 eps were meh, but the last few had me busting a gut. Not as funny as Arrested Development (for British eyes only!!!!), but still pretty good.     Also, Stephen Colbert from The Daily Show has his own gig now called The Colbert Report (both "t"s silent - heh) on after Daily Show, and it's pretty damn good. Well worth checking out. Sometimes, I like him better than Jon Stewart. I just hope this doesn't mean Colbert's "This Week in God" segment is forever gone...
From: Jackzilla Entered on: October 20, 2005 6:56 AM
We watched the first 2 episodes of My Name Is Earl but I found it just above average (Angie liked it more). I'll catch up and get the rest though if it's better.     I'm enjoying Everyone Hates Chris!     Anyone else think Desperate Housewives is slipping? We loved it last year, but this year it's a bit more annoying. (particularly Terri Hatcher's character).     On a customer recommendation, we tried to watch Threshold. I grabbed the first 4 episodes, but we could only get thru 1 and 1/2. What crap! I was laughing at some of the "scientific explanations" (it's about an alien invasion of some sort). Bert, have you seen it? I could imagine you screaming at the TV with this one... :)     Is Supernatural or Invasion any good? Anyone here watching those?     I most look forward to Lost and Smallville myself.
From: Swerb Entered on: October 20, 2005 9:30 PM
Yeah, Zilla, I recommend you keep up with Earl. I laugh out loud at it almost as much as I do to Arrested Development. Stacy watches Supernatural and likes it... same with Smallville, and although I don't watch it, I'm intrigued with how, exactly, they're going to incorporate Aquaman into the show.     My fave shows? In this order: Arrested Development, Gilmore Girls, My Name is Earl and Family Guy. Yeah, Gilmore Girls. Fuck you, it's a great show! Can't believe I'm listing Family Guy before Simpsons, but that's the way it is nowadays. Plus, I plan on adding HBO back to my satellite service as soon as Deadwood or The Sopranos comes back... Deadwood eclipses every show on this list, but I didn' t include it because it's between seasons right now.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: October 21, 2005 6:42 AM
Oops, add Arrested Development to my fav show list (with Lost and Smallville... though I'm starting to wonder about Lost). I can't wait for Sopranos and Deadwood to start back up too!     Gilmore Girls? You sure you don't want to add Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to that list, Swerb? HA HA HA *ack!*
From: Swerb Entered on: October 21, 2005 4:54 PM
Sure, go ahead, laugh. I used to laugh, too. But there are two reasons to watch Gilmore Girls: 1) It easily has the best, most clever dialogue on television, and B) Lauren Graham is smokin' hot, in that kinda wholesome-but-capable-of-being-naughty way.
From: Ross Entered on: October 21, 2005 8:21 PM
At one time I would have argued that the West Wing has the most clever dialogue on TV, but it has slipped in recent times. Still a good show, used to be a great one. Best shows on TV, in order are:     Deadwood   Lost   Smallville   Family Guy   Arrested Development     Deadwood is not in season but is so much better than anything else it still makes the list.     Battlestar Galactica was somewhere around "Lost" status but its season is now over.
From: Swerb Entered on: October 22, 2005 8:28 AM
Yeah, West Wing and Gilmore both have that rapid-fire, totally unrealistic, but totally fascinating dialogue. Haven't seen much West Wing, but Gilmore is really witty and filled with pop culture references. Good stuff.
From: The Bone Entered on: October 30, 2005 9:39 PM
First of all, I'm back and I have internet powers. I'm stealing it from Michelle's neighbors via wi fi.     Entourage is sweet as farm, however I'm hooked like a crack addict on Nip/Tuck. I watched the first 2 season over three days at the expense of my Naval career.     By the way, I have a lot of shit to catch up on and a lot of stories to tell but right now I have a lot of fucking to do so the updates will come soon.
From: Ross Entered on: October 31, 2005 8:14 AM
Haha, classic Bone post!
From: Swerb Entered on: November 1, 2005 7:34 AM
Great to see you back, Bone! Maybe you'll kick-start the discussions again, because this site has been in need of resuscitation. My excuse is, I've been working so much lately, I barely have time to fondle my own nuts, let alone log in and bitch about how that jagoff Bush is nominating Scalia Jr. to the Supreme Court... which means the Democrats will put up a flimsy, noodle-armed fight, and he'll get appointed anyway...
From: Swerb Entered on: November 2, 2005 1:36 PM
Completely off topic, but as usual, The Onion's TV listings are f'in hilarious:     http://www.theonion.com/content/node/42173     Take note of what they have listed on the Spike channel.
From: Ross Entered on: November 3, 2005 7:05 AM
Freakin' awesome, man. I love "Not Anywhere Near Late Enough With Adam Corrolla"
From: Jackzilla Entered on: November 4, 2005 6:59 AM
I can't stand Corrolla either. Yet I used to like The Man Show.     We've been watching FIREFLY (the series that preceeds the Serenity movie) and both Angie and I give it the full thumbs! Fun stuff! Too bad the series died before anyone watched it. Hopefully we can finish the series before the movie leaves the theaters.
From: Swerb Entered on: November 5, 2005 7:52 AM
Jack - I liked Serenity a lot, and I had never seen a Firefly episode before. I don't think you need to see the show in order to appreciate the movie.
From: Ross Entered on: November 5, 2005 5:30 PM
True, Swerb, but Roche and I were both fans of the show back when it was on, and it makes the movie even better (at least I think it does). It's definitely worth picking up the DVDs.
From: Swerb Entered on: November 6, 2005 7:47 PM
I saw a fucking sweet movie this weekend: Jarhead. I love war movies, and while it's not as good as Three Kings, it's a pretty pointed indictment of the first Gulf War. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard are really good, and it further confirms that Sam Mendes is a badass director. I give it the thumbs.
From: Ross Entered on: November 7, 2005 8:00 AM
Cool - I was on the fence about that one. So there's nothing as sweet as the "Iraqi Ass Map"?
From: Swerb Entered on: November 7, 2005 10:15 PM
No, nor is there anything as funny as Spike Jonze blasting stuffed animals with a shotgun. In fact, there are some uneasy laughs, and some bastard-drill sergeant scenes that sort of bring Full Metal Jacket to mind. But there's some amazing stuff going on visually.
From: Swerb Entered on: November 15, 2005 9:11 AM
Saw the new Harry Potter movie on Saturday... and guess what? It's really good! Much, much better than the first three, because SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS in this one. It's dark and kind of gritty, it has some funny moments and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes is sweet!) is one scary mofo. Still haven't read more than a few pages of a Potter book, so I'm still approaching this as an outsider... and I think one can easily draw parallels between Harry and Luke Skywalker.
From: Ross Entered on: November 15, 2005 11:53 AM
That's good news, Swerb. The previews look good and that remains my favorite HP book.     And you're right, there are tons of parallels between Potter and Skywalker... it's really the generic "hero" in the Joseph Campbell sense. However, I hesitate to use that because Campbell is a fuckwit, for reasons including making George Lucas think he himself was a hero as well as general overzealousness in pattern-seeking between epic stories - a trait common to many literary critics. I bring that up for your benefit, Swerb, as I know we've had this conversation to some extent before, but as good as Cochrane was at teaching us to write, he did us a disservice by encouraging uncritical approaches to finding parallels in literature. It's fun, sure, but it's not intellectual.
From: Swerb Entered on: November 16, 2005 6:06 PM
Funny, I had this argument today with my editor, who has read the books... she didn't see the parallel like I did, although I think it's obvious that both Luke and Harry (at least what I've deduced from the movies) have that subconscious shade of "evil" inside them. That's the biggest parallel I'd draw, really.
From: Swerb Entered on: December 14, 2005 1:36 PM
There's some hope for Arrested Development yet:     http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117934587?categor yid=1238&cs=1&s=h&p=0
From: Swerb Entered on: January 18, 2006 1:29 PM
Set your TiVos:     Ironically, the threatened show that's most likely to have a future is Arrested Development, which Fox is sending off with a four-episode blowout on Feb. 10 (opposite the Olympics opener on NBC; thanks a lot, Fox), but which is still in negotiation with ABC and Showtime for a possible pickup.
From: Ross Entered on: January 18, 2006 2:24 PM
Cripes, I hope it gets picked up someplace. ABC doesn't have a single decent sitcom anyway, do they?