Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Small World Wide Web
The internet is truly a wonderful thing. A recent example: I was bored a few weeks ago so I started messing around on MySpace, just doing searches for friends of mine that I lost touch with over the years (you can see my page at myspace.com/strutter71). Lo and behold, I actually found not one but two friends that I used to work with...both of them from England, no less! It's really remarkable when you think about it. Just a few short years ago those friends would have been lost forever. In addition, one of them remembered what a fondness I have for really warped British humor and recommended a show called "The Mighty Boosh." After some research, I discovered that although "Boosh" has aired over here on BBC America, the DVDs are not available on this side of the world. But once again, the mighty internet came through; I was able to download the entire series (never you mind how) and have thus far enjoyed it immensely. Really really funny stuff.
So let's hear it for the World Wide Web, and a big shout out to my mates Dal and Pitcher across the pond. Cheers!
So let's hear it for the World Wide Web, and a big shout out to my mates Dal and Pitcher across the pond. Cheers!
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
What's On?
Since I spent the past few months talking movies, I thought I'd switch it up today and go to my other great love, television. Here's a rundown of what I've been watching and enjoying so far this year:
SUNDAYS- "The Simpsons"
A slow TV night, but "The Simpsons" is always a must. You'll get arguments from people who say it is way below the standards it was at in the mid-90s...and they may not be far off. But a mediocre "Simpsons" is still light years ahead of the best of some other shows.
MONDAYS-"How I Met Your Mother," "24," "Monday Night War"
"Mother" is a really funny show that everyone should check out. The basic premise is a guy in the future is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother (hence the title, for my slower readers). That really only takes up the first 10 seconds of each episode, though, as we then go back to the present day where the story takes place. Neil Patrick Harris as the best friend is an absolute riot; folks who only remember him from "Doogie Howser" will be surprised. Bonus points for casting people from two of my favorite shows of all time, Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy") and Jason Segel ("Freaks and Geeks").
If you haven't checked out "24" yet, don't bother now as you've missed too much. The most intense hour of television every week is better than ever this year, and Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer just may be the biggest badass ever. Go check out the previous seasons on DVD.
As for "Monday Night War," well, either you like wrestling or not. I am not ashamed to admit that I do. Nothing more to discuss here.
TUESDAYS- "Sons & Daughters," "The Amazing Race," "American Idol"
"Sons & Daughters" actually just debuted last week, and it's really good. Partly improvised and produced by Lorne Michaels, this show has delivered some decent bully laughs in the first couple of episodes. A large cast consisting of nobody you've ever heard of before (except maybe Dee Wallace and Max Gail as the mother and father), "S & D" in a nutshell is about the relationships between the members of a large dysfunctional family. Funny stuff that's worth a look.
After a lackluster family edition in the fall, "The Amazing Race" has returned to form with its latest trek around the globe. The cream of the reality crop.
As far as "Idol" goes....well, I must admit I never watched it before this season, and hadn't planned to this year. But I have a 12 year old daughter, and there you go. The fuckers pulled me in.
WEDNESDAYS- "Lost"
The greatest show around right now. Just like "24," though, if you haven't watched before now, don't bother. No pun intended, but you would be completely lost. Go watch the DVD of season one, then get the current season in a few months, so you'll be ready in the fall for season 3.
THURSDAYS-"My Name Is Earl," "The Office"
"Earl" is an absolute riot. Jason Lee headlines a stellar cast and delivers big-time laughs each and every week. Jamie Pressley as Earl's ex-wife Joy is a revelation and steals the show week after week. Nothing she has ever done before indicating she had a comedic talent like this.
As for "The Office," I must retract a post I made last year. When it first debuted late last season, I didn't care for it and told you all in this space to steer clear. I was a huge fan of the original British version, and didn't think this stacked up. When this season began, NBC put it on after "Earl" so I gave it a second shot. I went in with a more open mind than I did the first time and stopped comparing it to the brilliant originator...and every week I enjoy it more and more. "The Office" has developed a style all its own, and now stands comfortably apart from its predecessor.
FRIDAYS-"Friday Night Smackdown"
More wrestling.
SATURDAYS-"TNA Impact," "Saturday Night Live"
TNA is the #2 wrestling promotion. If you're a wrestling fan and haven't checked it out yet, you really should. It's moving to Thursdays in primetime in a few weeks.
"SNL" seems to get savaged in the press every single year by doom-sayers who say the show isn't funny anymore. It is.
So that's it in a nutshell. What are you all watching?
SUNDAYS- "The Simpsons"
A slow TV night, but "The Simpsons" is always a must. You'll get arguments from people who say it is way below the standards it was at in the mid-90s...and they may not be far off. But a mediocre "Simpsons" is still light years ahead of the best of some other shows.
MONDAYS-"How I Met Your Mother," "24," "Monday Night War"
"Mother" is a really funny show that everyone should check out. The basic premise is a guy in the future is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother (hence the title, for my slower readers). That really only takes up the first 10 seconds of each episode, though, as we then go back to the present day where the story takes place. Neil Patrick Harris as the best friend is an absolute riot; folks who only remember him from "Doogie Howser" will be surprised. Bonus points for casting people from two of my favorite shows of all time, Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy") and Jason Segel ("Freaks and Geeks").
If you haven't checked out "24" yet, don't bother now as you've missed too much. The most intense hour of television every week is better than ever this year, and Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer just may be the biggest badass ever. Go check out the previous seasons on DVD.
As for "Monday Night War," well, either you like wrestling or not. I am not ashamed to admit that I do. Nothing more to discuss here.
TUESDAYS- "Sons & Daughters," "The Amazing Race," "American Idol"
"Sons & Daughters" actually just debuted last week, and it's really good. Partly improvised and produced by Lorne Michaels, this show has delivered some decent bully laughs in the first couple of episodes. A large cast consisting of nobody you've ever heard of before (except maybe Dee Wallace and Max Gail as the mother and father), "S & D" in a nutshell is about the relationships between the members of a large dysfunctional family. Funny stuff that's worth a look.
After a lackluster family edition in the fall, "The Amazing Race" has returned to form with its latest trek around the globe. The cream of the reality crop.
As far as "Idol" goes....well, I must admit I never watched it before this season, and hadn't planned to this year. But I have a 12 year old daughter, and there you go. The fuckers pulled me in.
WEDNESDAYS- "Lost"
The greatest show around right now. Just like "24," though, if you haven't watched before now, don't bother. No pun intended, but you would be completely lost. Go watch the DVD of season one, then get the current season in a few months, so you'll be ready in the fall for season 3.
THURSDAYS-"My Name Is Earl," "The Office"
"Earl" is an absolute riot. Jason Lee headlines a stellar cast and delivers big-time laughs each and every week. Jamie Pressley as Earl's ex-wife Joy is a revelation and steals the show week after week. Nothing she has ever done before indicating she had a comedic talent like this.
As for "The Office," I must retract a post I made last year. When it first debuted late last season, I didn't care for it and told you all in this space to steer clear. I was a huge fan of the original British version, and didn't think this stacked up. When this season began, NBC put it on after "Earl" so I gave it a second shot. I went in with a more open mind than I did the first time and stopped comparing it to the brilliant originator...and every week I enjoy it more and more. "The Office" has developed a style all its own, and now stands comfortably apart from its predecessor.
FRIDAYS-"Friday Night Smackdown"
More wrestling.
SATURDAYS-"TNA Impact," "Saturday Night Live"
TNA is the #2 wrestling promotion. If you're a wrestling fan and haven't checked it out yet, you really should. It's moving to Thursdays in primetime in a few weeks.
"SNL" seems to get savaged in the press every single year by doom-sayers who say the show isn't funny anymore. It is.
So that's it in a nutshell. What are you all watching?
Friday, March 03, 2006
End of the Road
Since this year's edition of the Academy Awards are this Sunday, I'm going to plow all the way through from 1996 to last year. The closer we get to the present, the harder it is to determine whether or not a lot of these films will ultimately pass the test of time. As a result, I may not have a lot to say about most of these.
Best Picture 1996: "The English Patient." Also nominated: "Fargo," "Jerry Maguire," "Secrets and Lies," "Shine." I never saw "The English Patient" and never plan to. "Fargo" would have been my choice, although I enjoyed "Jerry Maguire" a great deal. In other showdowns, Geoffrey Rush ("Shine") took Best Actor. I would have gone with Billy Bob Thornton for "Sling Blade." This year also saw the release of "Trainspotting," which received one nomination (Best Adapted Screenplay, which it lost to "Sling Blade"). "Trainspotting" should have received more nominations; it was an absolutely mind-blowing film and was easily the best movie of the year.
Best Picture 1997: "Titanic." The less said about this, the better. This was an even bigger travesty than the "Forrest Gump"/"Pulp Fiction" fiasco from a few years before this. Repeat after me, class: "L.A. Confidential." "L.A. Confidential." "L.A. Confidential." The Academy should be embarrassed, not only for picking that overblown boat story, but also for COMPLETELY ignoring the performances of Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey. A black mark in the history books.
Best Picture 1998: "Shakespeare In Love." Take everything I said above, but change the words "L.A. Confidential" to "Saving Private Ryan." Absolutely unforgivable.
Best Picture 1999: "American Beauty." Ah, I feel much better now. It also took home statues for Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Director (Sam Mendes), and Screenplay (Alan Ball). Great movie, great choice.
Best Picture 2000: "Gladiator." And Russell Crowe was finally awarded for his performance in the same. Another good year.
Best Picture 2001: "A Beautiful Mind." Dull. Predictable. I'm sorry, but I just didn't like this movie. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" should have won, but we all know that everybody was waiting for the third film to arrive to award the series. This was also the first year of the Best Animated Feature category, which went to "Shrek." I have mixed feelings on this category. On the one hand, I am happy that the Academy is finally giving this genre the respect that it is due. On the other, the problem is that BECAUSE of this category, animated films will never again be nominated for any big awards. Pretty much EVERY movie Pixar has ever done ("Toy Story," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug's Life," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," and the film that lost to "Shrek," "Monsters, Inc.") has been deserving of higher recognition. Most of them belong in the Best Picture category, and they should ALL should have been up for Best Screenplay.
Best Picture 2002: "Chicago." I actually liked it, but "Gangs of New York" was much better. Of course, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" was better than them both, but that's okay because...
Best Picture 2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Yes, I am a geek, and yes, I am still thrilled with every aspect of this entire trilogy. The only complaint is that the Academy never gave any of the acting awards to anybody in these films.
Best Picture 2004: "Million Dollar Baby." I never saw any of the films nominated last year, so I have no comment. I heard "Sideways" was really good.
So there we have it. Now that I'm done with this whole experiment, I have no idea what I'm going to write about next time.
Best Picture 1996: "The English Patient." Also nominated: "Fargo," "Jerry Maguire," "Secrets and Lies," "Shine." I never saw "The English Patient" and never plan to. "Fargo" would have been my choice, although I enjoyed "Jerry Maguire" a great deal. In other showdowns, Geoffrey Rush ("Shine") took Best Actor. I would have gone with Billy Bob Thornton for "Sling Blade." This year also saw the release of "Trainspotting," which received one nomination (Best Adapted Screenplay, which it lost to "Sling Blade"). "Trainspotting" should have received more nominations; it was an absolutely mind-blowing film and was easily the best movie of the year.
Best Picture 1997: "Titanic." The less said about this, the better. This was an even bigger travesty than the "Forrest Gump"/"Pulp Fiction" fiasco from a few years before this. Repeat after me, class: "L.A. Confidential." "L.A. Confidential." "L.A. Confidential." The Academy should be embarrassed, not only for picking that overblown boat story, but also for COMPLETELY ignoring the performances of Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey. A black mark in the history books.
Best Picture 1998: "Shakespeare In Love." Take everything I said above, but change the words "L.A. Confidential" to "Saving Private Ryan." Absolutely unforgivable.
Best Picture 1999: "American Beauty." Ah, I feel much better now. It also took home statues for Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Director (Sam Mendes), and Screenplay (Alan Ball). Great movie, great choice.
Best Picture 2000: "Gladiator." And Russell Crowe was finally awarded for his performance in the same. Another good year.
Best Picture 2001: "A Beautiful Mind." Dull. Predictable. I'm sorry, but I just didn't like this movie. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" should have won, but we all know that everybody was waiting for the third film to arrive to award the series. This was also the first year of the Best Animated Feature category, which went to "Shrek." I have mixed feelings on this category. On the one hand, I am happy that the Academy is finally giving this genre the respect that it is due. On the other, the problem is that BECAUSE of this category, animated films will never again be nominated for any big awards. Pretty much EVERY movie Pixar has ever done ("Toy Story," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug's Life," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," and the film that lost to "Shrek," "Monsters, Inc.") has been deserving of higher recognition. Most of them belong in the Best Picture category, and they should ALL should have been up for Best Screenplay.
Best Picture 2002: "Chicago." I actually liked it, but "Gangs of New York" was much better. Of course, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" was better than them both, but that's okay because...
Best Picture 2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Yes, I am a geek, and yes, I am still thrilled with every aspect of this entire trilogy. The only complaint is that the Academy never gave any of the acting awards to anybody in these films.
Best Picture 2004: "Million Dollar Baby." I never saw any of the films nominated last year, so I have no comment. I heard "Sideways" was really good.
So there we have it. Now that I'm done with this whole experiment, I have no idea what I'm going to write about next time.
