When I heard the latest gimmick CBS was pulling for this season's Survivor I have to admit that I was surprised. I knew immediately that every equal rights and equality group in the country would go crazy. I couldn't believe that CBS would make such a risky play and take the chance on offending so many people. For those of you who don't know, this season the show will feature 4 tribes divided by race; black, white, hispanic, and asian.
It took about three hours before I saw the first article pop up on CNN and another ten minutes before I saw a news report on another station. The battle had begun.
I spent all of ten seconds weighing the social implications before I decided that a mass-overreaction was about to take place. These activists and protesters were playing right into the hands of CBS. Suddenly the whole country is talking about Survivor again. A show that has fought against sagging ratings for the last three years is about to be the water cooler topic again.
Good for CBS for taking a chance. Shame on others for taking it so seriously. Survivor has always been a show about community, team work, and social experiments. They have divided the tribes be sex and age in the past so race was the next logical step. I personally am interested to see how it plays out. I don't think anyone is going to take such a small group of people (16-18 tribe members) and assume that they represent their entire race. This idea will not support stereotypes it will break them down. CBS is smart enough to make sure of that.
And let us not forget that in just 3 or 4 weeks the tribes will merge into two completely different mixed race groups and then a few weeks after that an amazing thing will happen and people of all races will join together as one tribe, one unit, and ultimately one family. See the happy ending? CBS does and it is filled with lots of money!
OUT
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Goodnight Sweetheart. Now Rock Star Gets Real
Now that the lightweights have all been booted it's time for this thing to get serious. Any of the remaining contestants have a legit shot at winning the title of Rock Star and the lead gig for SuperNova.
I have to be honest, I didn't care for the second 'Nova song nearly as much as the first. I don't know if that is because of Toby or because of the song itself. Either way I wasn't overly impressed.
Dilana's big mouth brought some harsh words her way for the first time. Honestly, I like the fact that she was balls out and willing to say what was onher mind. However, in a competition like this it probably was the wrong move. She has to keep in mind that the only criticism she has received was about that and never about her singing. She is still safe and that is why she is still at the top of this week's power rankings.
ROCK STAR POWER RANKINGS
1. Dilana- She needs to keep her mouth shut unless she is singing. If she remembers that rule then she is good to go. I am still waiting to see her change it up one time. She has played the "wicked witch" stage persona the whole season. I would like to see some variety.
2. Lukas- He continues to be the ideal lead singer for this band. He has the look, the gravel voice, and the cocky attitude. His short coming is in his thin skin. He doesn't seem to be able to let things roll off his back. If he ever gets the boot look for him to be the one person with a piss poor attitude about it.
3. Ryan- I can't believe that he has climbed all of the way to three, but week after week he has improved and his original song showed that he is the most pure and natural talent left in the competition. If I were SuperNova I would choose him to lead my band, but I'm not so that is why he is 3 and not 1.
4. Storm- Sizzlin' in the looks department, but faultering in the performance area. She hasn't opened up and rocked out since the 3rd week. She needs to give the band something new and a little more of those sexy eyes if she wants to avoid the bottom three this week.
5. Toby- I struggled over this choice here. Toby was in the bottom three this week, but he didn't deserve to be. And then he killed Plush on ejection night. It was amazing. I can't see him going home next, but I do think it will be between him and Magni.
6. Magni- I still think the guy has an amazing voice, but I can't stand his stage show. It is so tight and dry. He is your classic rocker: guitar and mic stand... and that is not what this band wants.
I have to be honest, I didn't care for the second 'Nova song nearly as much as the first. I don't know if that is because of Toby or because of the song itself. Either way I wasn't overly impressed.
Dilana's big mouth brought some harsh words her way for the first time. Honestly, I like the fact that she was balls out and willing to say what was onher mind. However, in a competition like this it probably was the wrong move. She has to keep in mind that the only criticism she has received was about that and never about her singing. She is still safe and that is why she is still at the top of this week's power rankings.
ROCK STAR POWER RANKINGS
1. Dilana- She needs to keep her mouth shut unless she is singing. If she remembers that rule then she is good to go. I am still waiting to see her change it up one time. She has played the "wicked witch" stage persona the whole season. I would like to see some variety.
2. Lukas- He continues to be the ideal lead singer for this band. He has the look, the gravel voice, and the cocky attitude. His short coming is in his thin skin. He doesn't seem to be able to let things roll off his back. If he ever gets the boot look for him to be the one person with a piss poor attitude about it.
3. Ryan- I can't believe that he has climbed all of the way to three, but week after week he has improved and his original song showed that he is the most pure and natural talent left in the competition. If I were SuperNova I would choose him to lead my band, but I'm not so that is why he is 3 and not 1.
4. Storm- Sizzlin' in the looks department, but faultering in the performance area. She hasn't opened up and rocked out since the 3rd week. She needs to give the band something new and a little more of those sexy eyes if she wants to avoid the bottom three this week.
5. Toby- I struggled over this choice here. Toby was in the bottom three this week, but he didn't deserve to be. And then he killed Plush on ejection night. It was amazing. I can't see him going home next, but I do think it will be between him and Magni.
6. Magni- I still think the guy has an amazing voice, but I can't stand his stage show. It is so tight and dry. He is your classic rocker: guitar and mic stand... and that is not what this band wants.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
PB and V
A quick review of the two season premieres last night:
Prison Break: The show picked up right where it left off as promised. The show has the same break neck pace, witty dialogue, and road-block-a-minute twists. It is a fun show, no more and no less. Michael always seems to be a step ahead of the cops, but a new FBI Agent, played by the brilliant William Fitchner, is hot on his trail and figuring out more about the escape by the minute. The show will not win any awards for its acting or its writing, but it certainly deserves kudos for consistently putting viewers on the edge of their seats and for constantly keeping us guessing. The cheap thrills did grow old by the end of last season, but after a summer break the show is back into its rhythm. Episode Grade: B-
Vanished: This show is flashy and the visuals are stylish. Vanished kicked off with the same intensity as 24 and is certainly going to be patterned after its 200 mile per hour pace. I hope that the story lines remain believeable and keeps us moving forward at all times. I also hope viewers tune in.
I love a good mystery and this is shaping up to be one hell of a whodunit. Gale Harold from Queer As Folk fame plays the lead FBI investigator and seems to hold his own against the likes of Ming Na (ER) , John Allen Nelson (24), and Rebecca Gayheart (Nip/Tuck). He is a likeable guy with a gory past and a huge chip on his shoulder.
I hate to invest too much time and effort into the show until I see how many people are tuning in, but a head start on the competition and a lead in like Prison Break should help.
Episode Grade: B+
Prison Break: The show picked up right where it left off as promised. The show has the same break neck pace, witty dialogue, and road-block-a-minute twists. It is a fun show, no more and no less. Michael always seems to be a step ahead of the cops, but a new FBI Agent, played by the brilliant William Fitchner, is hot on his trail and figuring out more about the escape by the minute. The show will not win any awards for its acting or its writing, but it certainly deserves kudos for consistently putting viewers on the edge of their seats and for constantly keeping us guessing. The cheap thrills did grow old by the end of last season, but after a summer break the show is back into its rhythm. Episode Grade: B-
Vanished: This show is flashy and the visuals are stylish. Vanished kicked off with the same intensity as 24 and is certainly going to be patterned after its 200 mile per hour pace. I hope that the story lines remain believeable and keeps us moving forward at all times. I also hope viewers tune in.
I love a good mystery and this is shaping up to be one hell of a whodunit. Gale Harold from Queer As Folk fame plays the lead FBI investigator and seems to hold his own against the likes of Ming Na (ER) , John Allen Nelson (24), and Rebecca Gayheart (Nip/Tuck). He is a likeable guy with a gory past and a huge chip on his shoulder.
I hate to invest too much time and effort into the show until I see how many people are tuning in, but a head start on the competition and a lead in like Prison Break should help.
Episode Grade: B+
Monday, August 21, 2006
Fall TV Season Gets Crawling
FOX is the first network offering a slight scratch for that itch all of us tv junkies have been feeling since May. Tonight is the kick off for season 2 of Prison Break followed by the premiere of the show Vanished. We can thank baseball for the early starts as the network wanted to get the audience into the swing of things before the playoffs begin. I will take what I can get.
Unfortunately this is just a small taste of what's to come. No other fall tv shows premiere in August and some will not premiere until as late as the new year (24, Scrubs, Medium)
Prison Break picks up right where it left off; the gang is on the run, they are being chased by Billick, and they all have their own agendas. Each escapee has his own place he prefers to be, but there is the case of 5 million dollars in hidden treasure and they certainly won't completely be able to seperate from one another until the money is found.
Vanished is a FOX drama that centers on the search for Sara Collins. She's the wife of Senator Jeffrey Collins. Sara vanishes and the FBI lead by Agent Graham Kelton is on the job, but before they can find her they need to find out who she really is. The mystery surrounding the disappearance is seen through the eyes of the FBI, members of the family and a reporter trying to get the story of her career. The search for Sara will expose many secrets. Nothing is as it seems.
The story sounds pretty compelling, but if the audience isn't there I expect it to be pulled quickly. Vanished is one of two kidnapping shows this season, the other being the creatively named Kidnapped. I guess kidnapping and disappearance is this years alien show.
I will make sure to post a mini-review tonight after the shows go off the air. I know most of my friends tend to come in on shows pretty late and this will be a nice way to let you guys know whether a show is worth watching. And as you know I haven't steered you wrong before. (Lost, HELLO!)
Also in the coming weeks I will post my MUST WATCH GUIDE to fall TV. I will hold it until a little closer to the hard launch of the season.
OUT
Unfortunately this is just a small taste of what's to come. No other fall tv shows premiere in August and some will not premiere until as late as the new year (24, Scrubs, Medium)
Prison Break picks up right where it left off; the gang is on the run, they are being chased by Billick, and they all have their own agendas. Each escapee has his own place he prefers to be, but there is the case of 5 million dollars in hidden treasure and they certainly won't completely be able to seperate from one another until the money is found.
Vanished is a FOX drama that centers on the search for Sara Collins. She's the wife of Senator Jeffrey Collins. Sara vanishes and the FBI lead by Agent Graham Kelton is on the job, but before they can find her they need to find out who she really is. The mystery surrounding the disappearance is seen through the eyes of the FBI, members of the family and a reporter trying to get the story of her career. The search for Sara will expose many secrets. Nothing is as it seems.
The story sounds pretty compelling, but if the audience isn't there I expect it to be pulled quickly. Vanished is one of two kidnapping shows this season, the other being the creatively named Kidnapped. I guess kidnapping and disappearance is this years alien show.
I will make sure to post a mini-review tonight after the shows go off the air. I know most of my friends tend to come in on shows pretty late and this will be a nice way to let you guys know whether a show is worth watching. And as you know I haven't steered you wrong before. (Lost, HELLO!)
Also in the coming weeks I will post my MUST WATCH GUIDE to fall TV. I will hold it until a little closer to the hard launch of the season.
OUT
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Snake Bitten
Industry experts were expecting Snakes on a Plane to drop in about 25 million over the weekend. It didn't reach that mark, infact after all of the hype and buzz the movie is a bit of a disappointment. But let's not count Snakes out yet.
SoaP managed to teach us a few things about marketing movies and will likely be a benchmark for the way movies are advertised to audiences in the future. In a computer heavy world Snakes hit moviegoers where it counts...on their blogs, on their myspace accounts, and all over the web in general.
Look for movies in the future to try many similar tactics in the coming years...and expect it to work. Granted, the idea didn't work so well for this movie, but lest we forget this was a horror movie featuring snakes. When a good movie can build a 'net buzz like this then it will likely catapult it to another level.
So despite the cheese and the B level production Snakes is a winner for New Line Studios and for movie companys in general.
OUT
SoaP managed to teach us a few things about marketing movies and will likely be a benchmark for the way movies are advertised to audiences in the future. In a computer heavy world Snakes hit moviegoers where it counts...on their blogs, on their myspace accounts, and all over the web in general.
Look for movies in the future to try many similar tactics in the coming years...and expect it to work. Granted, the idea didn't work so well for this movie, but lest we forget this was a horror movie featuring snakes. When a good movie can build a 'net buzz like this then it will likely catapult it to another level.
So despite the cheese and the B level production Snakes is a winner for New Line Studios and for movie companys in general.
OUT
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Rock Star Power Rankings
1. Dilana: Is there any doubt she can front this band now? Her performance with SuperNova was great although she lost a little punch towards the end. Right now she is the odds on favorite to win.
2. Lukas: I moved Lukas up this week thanks to Storm's bad performance and the fact that Lukas is just that good. His version of Hero was really better than the original.
3. Storm: Don't think one bad performance is going to keep her down. She will be back next week, I have no doubt. She seemed like the best singing with SuperNova although they didn't agree.
4. Magni: How did he land in the bottom 3. His voice is amazing, he looks strong in front of the band, and he is clearly an entertainer. Come on guys throw this guys a vote.
5. Ryan: Ryan makes a leap up this week. He continues to improve and impress. 2 encores the last three weeks says it all.
6. Toby: I think Toby is great, but I am tired of his game plan. Change it up a little bit man.
7. Patrice: If Patrice goes home this week then my original prediciton for the final 6 will still be in tact. Bye Patrice!
2. Lukas: I moved Lukas up this week thanks to Storm's bad performance and the fact that Lukas is just that good. His version of Hero was really better than the original.
3. Storm: Don't think one bad performance is going to keep her down. She will be back next week, I have no doubt. She seemed like the best singing with SuperNova although they didn't agree.
4. Magni: How did he land in the bottom 3. His voice is amazing, he looks strong in front of the band, and he is clearly an entertainer. Come on guys throw this guys a vote.
5. Ryan: Ryan makes a leap up this week. He continues to improve and impress. 2 encores the last three weeks says it all.
6. Toby: I think Toby is great, but I am tired of his game plan. Change it up a little bit man.
7. Patrice: If Patrice goes home this week then my original prediciton for the final 6 will still be in tact. Bye Patrice!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Headlines
Here are my top 5 headlines from this week.
1. Andy Dick was at the Comedy Central Roast this week and went a little k-9. He began licking several participants on the arms, legs, and face, he bit a journalist, and offered cocaine to another. Sounds to me like Andy is out-of-control. Later that night I heard he tried to lick Matthew McConaughey's butt, but Owen Wilson had already laid claim to it.
2. James Woods has dumped his 20 year old girlfriend. Apparently they attended a funeral together and she was insensitive. I feel bad for the girl. The youngster obviously thought that it was just a practice run for Wood's impending death.
3. The preacher killer woman was released from prison this week. It seems that murdering your husband, running across the stateline to hide, and admitting to it all is not enough to keep the bitch in jail. She was released on a large bond. I said RUNNING TO ANOTHER STATE...guess that isn't enough to be considered a flight risk.
4. NFL wide reciever Koren Robinson was arrested for DWI and felony fleeing the scene today. The guy had been in rehab last summer. He liked it so much that he voluntarily went back last month to refreshen his committment. Apparently no one mentioned that they were serving gin and juice at the meetings.
5. Phonak, the team that biker Floyd Landis rode for has announced that they will shut down at the end of this year citing a lack of sponsorship for next season. What? Was Balco not available for solicitation?
OUT
1. Andy Dick was at the Comedy Central Roast this week and went a little k-9. He began licking several participants on the arms, legs, and face, he bit a journalist, and offered cocaine to another. Sounds to me like Andy is out-of-control. Later that night I heard he tried to lick Matthew McConaughey's butt, but Owen Wilson had already laid claim to it.
2. James Woods has dumped his 20 year old girlfriend. Apparently they attended a funeral together and she was insensitive. I feel bad for the girl. The youngster obviously thought that it was just a practice run for Wood's impending death.
3. The preacher killer woman was released from prison this week. It seems that murdering your husband, running across the stateline to hide, and admitting to it all is not enough to keep the bitch in jail. She was released on a large bond. I said RUNNING TO ANOTHER STATE...guess that isn't enough to be considered a flight risk.
4. NFL wide reciever Koren Robinson was arrested for DWI and felony fleeing the scene today. The guy had been in rehab last summer. He liked it so much that he voluntarily went back last month to refreshen his committment. Apparently no one mentioned that they were serving gin and juice at the meetings.
5. Phonak, the team that biker Floyd Landis rode for has announced that they will shut down at the end of this year citing a lack of sponsorship for next season. What? Was Balco not available for solicitation?
OUT
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Thursday, August 10, 2006
The Descent
I saw "The Descent" last night and I must say that it is the first horror movie since "Saw" that I left the theater trying to catch my breath.
I tend to like my scary movies with more human bad guys than monster bad guys. That is why Saw and Scream and Halloween are some of my favorites. (Let's not go into details about Michael Myers...He was a human before Halloween 4).
That being said I was a bit unsure about seeing The Descent. I knew that some chicks were going to go down in a cave and get trapped and be stalked by some kind of monster. I was expecting something kind of like the movie Pitch Black crossed with Jeepers Creepers. What I found was a pretty smart, mostly terrifying, gore-filled adventure. The Pitch Black theory was spot on. It had a lot of similarities, especially scenes in the dark. (What else, huh)
What was missing were the bad horror flick cliches. I half way expected to see a lesbian couple spending half the movie getting freaky and the other half getting sliced up. Didn't happen. I expected to hear bad dialogue and plenty of cheesy one liners that come with every horror movie. Didn't happen.
The movie is good where it counts. A couple of times the director reverted to cheap thrills and pop-up behind the actress scares, but for the most part he let his camera and the scenario do the talking and stalking for him.
GRADE: B +
On another note; I saw my first preview for Saw 3. It looks pretty good. I think they have taken it to a larger scale yet again. First it was a single room with two guys. Then a single house with several people. And now the stage is even bigger. I won't ruin it for you.
I also saw a trailer for "The Quiet" with Elisha Cuthbert. It looks pretty good. Kind of like a Swim Fan meets The Perfect Murder.
One movie I will not be seeing is the new Ben Stiller as a museum security guard Jimanji meets Bill and Ted flick coming out this Christmas.
My five most anticipated movies right now:
1. The Departed (Jack, Leo, Matt, and Mark...Directed by Martin)
2. The Black dahlia (Oscar written all over it. I love a true crime mystery)
3. Snakes on a Plane (Have you check out my Myspace Song?)
4. Spider-Man 3 (Too far away to be number one...it will be soon, I promise)
5. Little Miss Sunshine (Hearing too many good things for this one to be bad!)
OUT
I tend to like my scary movies with more human bad guys than monster bad guys. That is why Saw and Scream and Halloween are some of my favorites. (Let's not go into details about Michael Myers...He was a human before Halloween 4).
That being said I was a bit unsure about seeing The Descent. I knew that some chicks were going to go down in a cave and get trapped and be stalked by some kind of monster. I was expecting something kind of like the movie Pitch Black crossed with Jeepers Creepers. What I found was a pretty smart, mostly terrifying, gore-filled adventure. The Pitch Black theory was spot on. It had a lot of similarities, especially scenes in the dark. (What else, huh)
What was missing were the bad horror flick cliches. I half way expected to see a lesbian couple spending half the movie getting freaky and the other half getting sliced up. Didn't happen. I expected to hear bad dialogue and plenty of cheesy one liners that come with every horror movie. Didn't happen.
The movie is good where it counts. A couple of times the director reverted to cheap thrills and pop-up behind the actress scares, but for the most part he let his camera and the scenario do the talking and stalking for him.
GRADE: B +
On another note; I saw my first preview for Saw 3. It looks pretty good. I think they have taken it to a larger scale yet again. First it was a single room with two guys. Then a single house with several people. And now the stage is even bigger. I won't ruin it for you.
I also saw a trailer for "The Quiet" with Elisha Cuthbert. It looks pretty good. Kind of like a Swim Fan meets The Perfect Murder.
One movie I will not be seeing is the new Ben Stiller as a museum security guard Jimanji meets Bill and Ted flick coming out this Christmas.
My five most anticipated movies right now:
1. The Departed (Jack, Leo, Matt, and Mark...Directed by Martin)
2. The Black dahlia (Oscar written all over it. I love a true crime mystery)
3. Snakes on a Plane (Have you check out my Myspace Song?)
4. Spider-Man 3 (Too far away to be number one...it will be soon, I promise)
5. Little Miss Sunshine (Hearing too many good things for this one to be bad!)
OUT
2006 NFL Predictions
The season is upon us and it is time for my yearly predicitons. I managed to get 1/2 of my Superbowl prediction right, but I sure didn't see the Steelers running away with it like they did.
I reserve the right to adjust these and change these as often as needed until the start of the regular season.
NFC EAST: (Best Division in NFC)
Washington
Dallas
NY Giants
Philadelphia
NFC South:
Carolina
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
NFC North:
Minnesota
Chicago
Green Bay
Detroit
NFC West:
Seattle
Arizona
St. Louis
SF 49ers
AFC East:
New England
Miami
NY Jets
Buffalo
AFC South:
Colts
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Houston
AFC North: (Best Division in the AFC)
Baltimore
Cincinatti
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
AFC West:
Kansas City
Denver
San Diego
Oakland
NFC Wild Cards:
Dallas
Atlanta
AFC Wild Cards:
Miami
Denver
NFC Championship Game:
Carolina vs. Seattle
AFC Championship Game:
Indy vs. Baltimore
Superbowl:
Carolina vs. Baltimore
Superbowl Champion: Carolina Panthers
I reserve the right to adjust these and change these as often as needed until the start of the regular season.
NFC EAST: (Best Division in NFC)
Washington
Dallas
NY Giants
Philadelphia
NFC South:
Carolina
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
NFC North:
Minnesota
Chicago
Green Bay
Detroit
NFC West:
Seattle
Arizona
St. Louis
SF 49ers
AFC East:
New England
Miami
NY Jets
Buffalo
AFC South:
Colts
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Houston
AFC North: (Best Division in the AFC)
Baltimore
Cincinatti
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
AFC West:
Kansas City
Denver
San Diego
Oakland
NFC Wild Cards:
Dallas
Atlanta
AFC Wild Cards:
Miami
Denver
NFC Championship Game:
Carolina vs. Seattle
AFC Championship Game:
Indy vs. Baltimore
Superbowl:
Carolina vs. Baltimore
Superbowl Champion: Carolina Panthers
2006 Baseball Predicitons
Before the 2006 season started I jotted down who I thought would win the different divisional races in baseball. I was so right on a few, but so wrong on most. Here is a look at that I picked. The picks that are correct are in red.
AL EAST:
Yankees
Red Sox
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Baltimore
AL CENTRAL:
White Sox
Indians
Twins
Detroit (Oops)
KC
AL WEST:
LAA
Oakland
Texas
Seattle
NL EAST:
Atlanta
Philadelphia
Mets
Washington
Florida (You put Florida here too, admit it)
NL Central:
Cardinals
Astros
Cubs
Brewers
Pittsburgh
Reds
NL West:
Giants
Dodgers
Padres
Arizona
Colorado
Oh well, you live you learn. My 2006 NFL predictions will be posted in the next day or two.
OUT
AL EAST:
Yankees
Red Sox
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Baltimore
AL CENTRAL:
White Sox
Indians
Twins
Detroit (Oops)
KC
AL WEST:
LAA
Oakland
Texas
Seattle
NL EAST:
Atlanta
Philadelphia
Mets
Washington
Florida (You put Florida here too, admit it)
NL Central:
Cardinals
Astros
Cubs
Brewers
Pittsburgh
Reds
NL West:
Giants
Dodgers
Padres
Arizona
Colorado
Oh well, you live you learn. My 2006 NFL predictions will be posted in the next day or two.
OUT
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
A Few Notes
1. Janelle kicked my ass this week. I dropped her from the top spot for her stupid play and BAM she won the POV and took herself off the block. But Danielle is still my favorite because despite the pressure to throw Marci under the bus she took out a season 6er this week. Good for her.
2. Rock Star had its best show of the year last night. Besides a lame performance by Jill, a mediocre rock tune from Patrice, and another insane costume from Zayra everyone was awesome.
Lukas was amazing and his voice gave me chills. I didn't think he had it in him. Magni was incredible. Dilana continues to be at the top of her game. Storm is still hot. And I thought Toby had a great performance and Ryan took a ballsy approach and it paid off.
3. Lost went back into production this week. I can't wait for the new season to start. The new cast members are being announced and I am loving the choices so far. I hope they are Eko good and not Ana-Lucia bad!
4. David Morse has joined the cast of House as a cop and new nemisis for the witty doc. I like David Morse, but is he ever ever ever going to strecth out and try a role he hasn't played before? His most recent flick 16 Blocks in which he plays a corrupt cop was horrible.
5. Lastly, is anyone else tired of the new direction television is heading? The show 8 episodes, take a long break, show 8 more episodes approach is starting to annoy me. First it was The Sopranos, then it was Prison Break, and then The Shield, and then Lost, and now Entourage. I would rather wait an extra three months and get to see all 16-24 episodes in a row than have a long break in between. I don't like 24 anymore, but they do it the right way!
NFL Preseason gets into full swing starting tomorrow. It is finally back and I'm Lovin' it.
OUT
2. Rock Star had its best show of the year last night. Besides a lame performance by Jill, a mediocre rock tune from Patrice, and another insane costume from Zayra everyone was awesome.
Lukas was amazing and his voice gave me chills. I didn't think he had it in him. Magni was incredible. Dilana continues to be at the top of her game. Storm is still hot. And I thought Toby had a great performance and Ryan took a ballsy approach and it paid off.
3. Lost went back into production this week. I can't wait for the new season to start. The new cast members are being announced and I am loving the choices so far. I hope they are Eko good and not Ana-Lucia bad!
4. David Morse has joined the cast of House as a cop and new nemisis for the witty doc. I like David Morse, but is he ever ever ever going to strecth out and try a role he hasn't played before? His most recent flick 16 Blocks in which he plays a corrupt cop was horrible.
5. Lastly, is anyone else tired of the new direction television is heading? The show 8 episodes, take a long break, show 8 more episodes approach is starting to annoy me. First it was The Sopranos, then it was Prison Break, and then The Shield, and then Lost, and now Entourage. I would rather wait an extra three months and get to see all 16-24 episodes in a row than have a long break in between. I don't like 24 anymore, but they do it the right way!
NFL Preseason gets into full swing starting tomorrow. It is finally back and I'm Lovin' it.
OUT
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Rock Star Power Rankings
We are getting closer to having a singer for this Super group. The top of the rankings haven't changed much, but the bottom feeder keep falling off. Dana was the most recent to go. i knew when she announced that she was getting a tat that she would go home the next day. That's just how life works.
And now the rankings:
1. Dilana: No change there. And finally someone used the crowd in a non-annoying way!
2. Storm: She leap-frogged Lukas this week after he had an off night. Lukas will recover but Storm has proven to be worthy.
3. Lukas: I thought he totally lacked energy and enthusiasm this week. The boys were right to smack him down a notch. Look for a killer performance next time out.
4. Magni: Suddenly he is working his way up the charts. I still don't love his stage show, but his voice has all the range needed to front this band.
5. Toby: I really like Toby, but his song choice is always so safe. I am ready to see him take a chance.
6. Josh: There is no denying his voice and his ability. He was awesome this week, but I don't know how many "island" songs this band is going to play.
7. Ryan: Wow, he was by far the best this week and deserved the encore, but it doesn't move him up a lot on the rankings. One more knoci-out performance like that thought and I might start to believe.
8. Patrice: If the fans didn't like her with Tommy behind her then they will hate her with the whole band. I don't see how they can let her stay.
9. Zayra: She is my least favorite, but she always has fire and flair. She is doing it her own way and that deserves something.
10. Jill: Is anyone else tired and bored by her? Send her home already. Please.
And now the rankings:
1. Dilana: No change there. And finally someone used the crowd in a non-annoying way!
2. Storm: She leap-frogged Lukas this week after he had an off night. Lukas will recover but Storm has proven to be worthy.
3. Lukas: I thought he totally lacked energy and enthusiasm this week. The boys were right to smack him down a notch. Look for a killer performance next time out.
4. Magni: Suddenly he is working his way up the charts. I still don't love his stage show, but his voice has all the range needed to front this band.
5. Toby: I really like Toby, but his song choice is always so safe. I am ready to see him take a chance.
6. Josh: There is no denying his voice and his ability. He was awesome this week, but I don't know how many "island" songs this band is going to play.
7. Ryan: Wow, he was by far the best this week and deserved the encore, but it doesn't move him up a lot on the rankings. One more knoci-out performance like that thought and I might start to believe.
8. Patrice: If the fans didn't like her with Tommy behind her then they will hate her with the whole band. I don't see how they can let her stay.
9. Zayra: She is my least favorite, but she always has fire and flair. She is doing it her own way and that deserves something.
10. Jill: Is anyone else tired and bored by her? Send her home already. Please.
Big Brother Power Rankings
There is some major shifting in the BB Power Rankings this week. With Season 6 falling apart and a major player like Dani winning HoH some things are really happening.
1. Kaysar: He seems like a lion to some and a puppy to others. This ability to be all things to all people still makes him a major player.
2. Dr. Will: It is obvious to me now that he is controlling everything that happens in this house. But his inability to tell the truth to anyone still makes him a major target.
3. Danielle: My girl has climbed from the cellar to near the top. She is a smart player. And she will send a season 6 player home this week, but it might not be Janey.
4. Janelle: She still has a few tricks up her sleeve and with Howie and Kaysar to back her up she has a fighting chance. If she stays around this week then the house will be on full alert the rest of the season.
5. Erika: No one is nicer and no one is flying under the radar with as much stealth. The ultimate floater has yet to be really called out.
6. James: He is a great player, but the problem is that everyone knows it. Allowing himself to be so vulnerable this week may cost him.
7. Howie: He just doesn't have the brains to make it too much longer. I am waiting for him to pick another bust-o!
8. Mike Boogie: Will says jump, Boogie flies. His inability to think for himself will be his downfall. Players believe taking Boogie out will hurt Will more than actually evicting the doctor himself. Mike really has 2 targets on his back.
9. Chicken George: I love George. He plays the game with total heart. I wish I could make him higher, but he has yet to prove he can hang with the big guns.
10. Marcellas: Is anyone less of a factor. The crying and bitching and moaning is not a strategy. But it is going to get him booted soon. He is the most two-faced player in the game. Ask Jase.
1. Kaysar: He seems like a lion to some and a puppy to others. This ability to be all things to all people still makes him a major player.
2. Dr. Will: It is obvious to me now that he is controlling everything that happens in this house. But his inability to tell the truth to anyone still makes him a major target.
3. Danielle: My girl has climbed from the cellar to near the top. She is a smart player. And she will send a season 6 player home this week, but it might not be Janey.
4. Janelle: She still has a few tricks up her sleeve and with Howie and Kaysar to back her up she has a fighting chance. If she stays around this week then the house will be on full alert the rest of the season.
5. Erika: No one is nicer and no one is flying under the radar with as much stealth. The ultimate floater has yet to be really called out.
6. James: He is a great player, but the problem is that everyone knows it. Allowing himself to be so vulnerable this week may cost him.
7. Howie: He just doesn't have the brains to make it too much longer. I am waiting for him to pick another bust-o!
8. Mike Boogie: Will says jump, Boogie flies. His inability to think for himself will be his downfall. Players believe taking Boogie out will hurt Will more than actually evicting the doctor himself. Mike really has 2 targets on his back.
9. Chicken George: I love George. He plays the game with total heart. I wish I could make him higher, but he has yet to prove he can hang with the big guns.
10. Marcellas: Is anyone less of a factor. The crying and bitching and moaning is not a strategy. But it is going to get him booted soon. He is the most two-faced player in the game. Ask Jase.
Friday, July 21, 2006
You must watch this!
I often ask outloud..."How in the hell did that get made into a movie?" I mean I asked it after I saw previews for Little Man, after I saw Boogey Man, and after I saw my third Ashley Judd movie. Does anyone in Hollywood actually read these scripts before they are made into movies. Well now I know how this happens. Below is a link to a clip that you must watch. Kevin Smith is doing a talk about film making and he is asked about his script for Superman. See, he was the screenwriter back in 96 or 97 when Tim Burton and Nick Cage were running the show and trying to get Kal-El off the ground again. This is a perfect example of why Hollywood is headed in the wrong direction. It is also quite possibly one of the funniest stories I have ever heard. Take the time to watch it, seriously.
Thanks for the link Paymon!
Thanks for the link Paymon!
The Sixth Sense
Since Lady in the Water is opening today I figured that it was a great day to comment on Haley Joel Osment who was made famous as the "I see dead people" boy in M. Night's directorial debut "Sixth Sense." It seems that Osment, now 18, was driving the other night, ran his car into a barrier, flipped it, and banged himself up pretty good. He broke a rib, his shoulder, and suffered some major cuts. My first thought was that he was high or drunk. Well tox reports have not come back yet, but then I heard something...he was driving a Saturn station wagon. Suddenly drug tests aren't needed. An 18 year old with the money that he has wouldn't be caught dead in a Saturn station wagon unless he was a total straight arrow.
Maybe he should hang out with Frankie Muniz. Frankie knows how to spend his money.
A Station Wagon, really!
Maybe he should hang out with Frankie Muniz. Frankie knows how to spend his money.
A Station Wagon, really!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Tommy "The Hatchet" Lee
The thing about music is that everyone has a different opinion of what sounds good. I think Josh has the best voice of all the guys on RockStar. It is strong, has incredible range, and he can cover ballads to rockers. Yet America firmly disagrees with me because he found himself in the bottom three below Ryan and Zayra.???.
I am not saying Josh should be one of the finalist. He doesn't have the whole package. He isn't the best performer, (Toby) or have the best style, (Lukas), or have a voice that fits the likely sound of the band (Magni). But he is better than Ryan and he is better than Zayra.
I was glad that Jenny and Dana finished in the bottom three, but they should have been joined by either Ryan or Zayra. Of the bottom three last night Josh was by far the best. Why didn't he just do Heart Shaped Box on Tuesday night and he wouldn't have found himself in that spot. Dana sang her heart out, but she sounded more Christina or Kelly than Alanis or Pat. Jenny...well she tried. And she was the worst of the three last night and there is no doubt that she needed to go home. I actually had to fast forward her performance. (Dana's too)
We are still in the weeding out process and there are a lot of performances to go. I hope that the rock keeps getting better. And I hope that my top three continue to impress. (Lukas, Dilana, and Storm)
OUT!
I am not saying Josh should be one of the finalist. He doesn't have the whole package. He isn't the best performer, (Toby) or have the best style, (Lukas), or have a voice that fits the likely sound of the band (Magni). But he is better than Ryan and he is better than Zayra.
I was glad that Jenny and Dana finished in the bottom three, but they should have been joined by either Ryan or Zayra. Of the bottom three last night Josh was by far the best. Why didn't he just do Heart Shaped Box on Tuesday night and he wouldn't have found himself in that spot. Dana sang her heart out, but she sounded more Christina or Kelly than Alanis or Pat. Jenny...well she tried. And she was the worst of the three last night and there is no doubt that she needed to go home. I actually had to fast forward her performance. (Dana's too)
We are still in the weeding out process and there are a lot of performances to go. I hope that the rock keeps getting better. And I hope that my top three continue to impress. (Lukas, Dilana, and Storm)
OUT!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Big Brother Power Rankings (Week 2)
1. Janelle: She is still the queen of this hive.
2. James: No one trusts him. But no one is about to cross him.
3. Kaysar: HOH moves him up this week. He helped himself by not putting up Mike and Will, but he lost points with his alliance. They won't turn on him though.
4. Howie: Howie is more annoying than charming this season. He will wear thin on the S-6ers eventually.
5. Mike Boogie: He is higher than Will because he is a lesser of the two evils. He will probably align with Diane or Nakomis if Will goes out soon.
6. Jase: Players trust Jase as much as they trust James, not at all...but he doesn't have a Season 6 alliance to fall back on.
7. Dr. Will: The evil doctor Will is up to his old ways; daring for people to vote him out, but they just won't do it.
8. Erika: The nicest player in the house in my opinion. I almost moved her ahead of Will and Jase because her little relationship with Kaysar is the smartest move in the house so far.
9. Marcellas: He is too emotional to win. He sways with the Californina breeze.
10. Nakomis: I like her chances better than Diane's mainly because people often confuse good looks with being a threat.
11. Diane: She is perceived as a threat by many players, but the truth is without Drew's coat tails to ride she isn't going to win this thing.
12. Danielle: Look for Danielle to move way up next week if she can just keep her mouth closed for 7 more days. She is still low right now because she is still one of those dreaded "floaters."
13. Chicken George: Did anyone tell George that the game has started? I long for Cowboy, because if the two of them were in this house together we would never stop laughing.
How the votes will go on Thursday night.
To Evict Diane:
Marcellas, Jase, Erika, Danielle, and Chicken George
To Evict Nakomis:
Janelle, Howie, James, Will, Boogie,
Tie Breaker to Kaysar:
Kaysar votes to evict Nakomis
We will see. Rarely does the house split so evenly early in the season so they might all agree to gang up on just one of the two nominees. Either way, no one will shed a tear when Nakomis or Diane leave, except Nakomis or Diane.
OUT!
2. James: No one trusts him. But no one is about to cross him.
3. Kaysar: HOH moves him up this week. He helped himself by not putting up Mike and Will, but he lost points with his alliance. They won't turn on him though.
4. Howie: Howie is more annoying than charming this season. He will wear thin on the S-6ers eventually.
5. Mike Boogie: He is higher than Will because he is a lesser of the two evils. He will probably align with Diane or Nakomis if Will goes out soon.
6. Jase: Players trust Jase as much as they trust James, not at all...but he doesn't have a Season 6 alliance to fall back on.
7. Dr. Will: The evil doctor Will is up to his old ways; daring for people to vote him out, but they just won't do it.
8. Erika: The nicest player in the house in my opinion. I almost moved her ahead of Will and Jase because her little relationship with Kaysar is the smartest move in the house so far.
9. Marcellas: He is too emotional to win. He sways with the Californina breeze.
10. Nakomis: I like her chances better than Diane's mainly because people often confuse good looks with being a threat.
11. Diane: She is perceived as a threat by many players, but the truth is without Drew's coat tails to ride she isn't going to win this thing.
12. Danielle: Look for Danielle to move way up next week if she can just keep her mouth closed for 7 more days. She is still low right now because she is still one of those dreaded "floaters."
13. Chicken George: Did anyone tell George that the game has started? I long for Cowboy, because if the two of them were in this house together we would never stop laughing.
How the votes will go on Thursday night.
To Evict Diane:
Marcellas, Jase, Erika, Danielle, and Chicken George
To Evict Nakomis:
Janelle, Howie, James, Will, Boogie,
Tie Breaker to Kaysar:
Kaysar votes to evict Nakomis
We will see. Rarely does the house split so evenly early in the season so they might all agree to gang up on just one of the two nominees. Either way, no one will shed a tear when Nakomis or Diane leave, except Nakomis or Diane.
OUT!
Rock Star Power Rankings (Week 3)
First, my notes on last night's performances; each singer was graded on a scale of 1-10.
Patrice- Helter Skelter...8
Good voice, good vibe, not quite enough energy in her stage presence, but it was obvious why she fought for the song.
Josh- Come As You Are...7
His voice remains one of the strongest, but he seemed a little nonchalant.
Storm- Just What I Needed...7
Incredibly sexy, but the song wasn't quite right. I haven't taken her adviceto Tommy yet and googled her, but rest assured, I will.
Lukas- Let Spend The Night Together...8
Still the best style on the show, he is rockin it. Brings it every time. (See Power Rankings Below)
Jill- All Right Now by Free...5
Super voice, but she still just doesnt fit the band... although they liked her tonight better than ever.
Ryan- Fortuante Son...6
Looked better, sounded better, but the attitude is just not there. He is the only person who hasn't grown from the experience.
Phil- White Rabbit...8
He really did this song well. He looked better on stage. Much more intensity. I bet he gets the encore.
Dana- Its My Life...4
American Idol, American Idol, American idol...no excitement. She tried too hard.
Toby- Runaway Train...5
Wow, is this the same guy who got the encore last week? Right song, just the wrong performance for this song. When they announced what song he was doing I was excited, when he was finished I was disappointed.
Magni- Plush...5
The Dolce glassess made him look blind, not hard core. Voice was ok. The band liked him way better than I did.
Zayra- Everybody Hurts...4
They compared Dana to Celine, but it was Zayra that looked like the Canadian. Tommy called it Yummy, but I will be honest...I'm full.
Jenny- Drive...6
She should be making music right now, just not with these guys. (lilith fair, not ozzfest)
Dilana- Zombie... 7
She is kinda looks like a wicked witch on stage...how perfect for SuperNova?
So with that being said I have one additional observation: Does Tommy sit around each week thinking of one-liners to use with the singer's names? Dilana, I wanna...Magni-ficiant
Power Rankings:
1. Dilana
2. Lukas
3. Storm +1
4. Toby -1
5. Patrice
6. Josh
7. Phil
8. Magni
9. Jenny
10. Jill +2
11. Ryan
12. Zayra +1
13. Dana -3
Patrice- Helter Skelter...8
Good voice, good vibe, not quite enough energy in her stage presence, but it was obvious why she fought for the song.
Josh- Come As You Are...7
His voice remains one of the strongest, but he seemed a little nonchalant.
Storm- Just What I Needed...7
Incredibly sexy, but the song wasn't quite right. I haven't taken her adviceto Tommy yet and googled her, but rest assured, I will.
Lukas- Let Spend The Night Together...8
Still the best style on the show, he is rockin it. Brings it every time. (See Power Rankings Below)
Jill- All Right Now by Free...5
Super voice, but she still just doesnt fit the band... although they liked her tonight better than ever.
Ryan- Fortuante Son...6
Looked better, sounded better, but the attitude is just not there. He is the only person who hasn't grown from the experience.
Phil- White Rabbit...8
He really did this song well. He looked better on stage. Much more intensity. I bet he gets the encore.
Dana- Its My Life...4
American Idol, American Idol, American idol...no excitement. She tried too hard.
Toby- Runaway Train...5
Wow, is this the same guy who got the encore last week? Right song, just the wrong performance for this song. When they announced what song he was doing I was excited, when he was finished I was disappointed.
Magni- Plush...5
The Dolce glassess made him look blind, not hard core. Voice was ok. The band liked him way better than I did.
Zayra- Everybody Hurts...4
They compared Dana to Celine, but it was Zayra that looked like the Canadian. Tommy called it Yummy, but I will be honest...I'm full.
Jenny- Drive...6
She should be making music right now, just not with these guys. (lilith fair, not ozzfest)
Dilana- Zombie... 7
She is kinda looks like a wicked witch on stage...how perfect for SuperNova?
So with that being said I have one additional observation: Does Tommy sit around each week thinking of one-liners to use with the singer's names? Dilana, I wanna...Magni-ficiant
Power Rankings:
1. Dilana
2. Lukas
3. Storm +1
4. Toby -1
5. Patrice
6. Josh
7. Phil
8. Magni
9. Jenny
10. Jill +2
11. Ryan
12. Zayra +1
13. Dana -3
Monday, July 17, 2006
The Tech Support People Win Again
So, I wake up this morning and my Directv is not working. My tv simply says "searching for signal." The other tvs in the house are working fine, but mine is on the blink.
I check all of the cables, I unplug everything. I grab another reciever from another room and try to plug it in. Nothing works. Something is seriously jacked up.
So I call Directv almost assuring myself that they are going to have to send someone out to the house this week and I will spend hours waiting on them to get here.
Well, I sit on hold for 20 minutes and then get some old lady on the phone who probably has never watched a minute of directv in her life.
She follows her little set list of things to read to me.
Try this, try this, try this.
After every suggestion she reads, I politely tell her that "I've already tried that."
So finally we complete her check list and she tells me that it is not looking good. She says, "I know you already checked the cables, but let's try them one more time."
I shit you not, the second I touched the cable the whole thing springs to life and starts working again!
I swear I think they have a button at Directv that they can push after you have sat through their entire agonizing list of obvious trouble-shooting tips. I sure was sitting there all cocky thinking "fix this, bitch," and she hits her little red button and bam, I have to get off the phone feeling stanky because it took the magic of some little old lady in California to help get my tv back up and running.
It could be worse. I could be stuck sitting here all day waiting for a repair guy. But at least then I would have a little man-pride left.
OUT
I check all of the cables, I unplug everything. I grab another reciever from another room and try to plug it in. Nothing works. Something is seriously jacked up.
So I call Directv almost assuring myself that they are going to have to send someone out to the house this week and I will spend hours waiting on them to get here.
Well, I sit on hold for 20 minutes and then get some old lady on the phone who probably has never watched a minute of directv in her life.
She follows her little set list of things to read to me.
Try this, try this, try this.
After every suggestion she reads, I politely tell her that "I've already tried that."
So finally we complete her check list and she tells me that it is not looking good. She says, "I know you already checked the cables, but let's try them one more time."
I shit you not, the second I touched the cable the whole thing springs to life and starts working again!
I swear I think they have a button at Directv that they can push after you have sat through their entire agonizing list of obvious trouble-shooting tips. I sure was sitting there all cocky thinking "fix this, bitch," and she hits her little red button and bam, I have to get off the phone feeling stanky because it took the magic of some little old lady in California to help get my tv back up and running.
It could be worse. I could be stuck sitting here all day waiting for a repair guy. But at least then I would have a little man-pride left.
OUT
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Broken
The last couple of weeks have been a very big struggle for me. It seems like I have been hit with one bit of bad news after another. First I had to drop 1500 bucks to get a tree cut in my backyard because part of it fell on the neighbors house. That, plus the couple thousand bucks my insurance paid out for the woman next door to get her junk fixed.
Then I hurt my back playing softball and I had to drop some cash to get an injection, which hasn't helped by the way. Also because of my back I wasn't able to take a trip to Houston this weekend. It sucks.
I keep finding myself deep in thought about how to climb out of this funk. My personal life isn't in complete shambles or anything, but it feels like I can't put a positive spin on anything. I am just in the dumps.
I have some plans today and I honestly would rather just sit here in bed or lay on the couch than to see anyone. I am not going to cancel my plans, but I know that I am going to have to make a serious effort to not come off as anti-social or an asshole.
I guess I am no different than most people. I think everyone goes through these phases. I will snap out of it. I know one thing that could really help me. It would awesome if I could get some interest brewing over my house. It has been on the market for almost two weeks and there has been no noise at all. It was on the market six months last year and didn't sale so my expectations are low...but any action at all would make me feel better. And I am aware that this is the worst time of the year to sale a house. March-May is the time when people really like to buy.
Well anyway, I will stop bitching and hopefully find something to be happy about.
OUT!
Then I hurt my back playing softball and I had to drop some cash to get an injection, which hasn't helped by the way. Also because of my back I wasn't able to take a trip to Houston this weekend. It sucks.
I keep finding myself deep in thought about how to climb out of this funk. My personal life isn't in complete shambles or anything, but it feels like I can't put a positive spin on anything. I am just in the dumps.
I have some plans today and I honestly would rather just sit here in bed or lay on the couch than to see anyone. I am not going to cancel my plans, but I know that I am going to have to make a serious effort to not come off as anti-social or an asshole.
I guess I am no different than most people. I think everyone goes through these phases. I will snap out of it. I know one thing that could really help me. It would awesome if I could get some interest brewing over my house. It has been on the market for almost two weeks and there has been no noise at all. It was on the market six months last year and didn't sale so my expectations are low...but any action at all would make me feel better. And I am aware that this is the worst time of the year to sale a house. March-May is the time when people really like to buy.
Well anyway, I will stop bitching and hopefully find something to be happy about.
OUT!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Rock Star Redux
Is it just me or was Rock Star really annoying last night. The show was still entertaining, even though I was in complete shock by the way several things went down.
Shock Number 1: Jill. Where has this Jill been the whole time. Better hair, better make-up, better wardrobe, better attitude. She rocked in my opinion. She sounded clean and bold. I was diggin' the performance.
Shock Number 2: Why would Zayra sing the same song 2 nights in a row? It obviously isn't the style that the band is looking for... or maybe it is, because they didn't kick her whiny ass off the show.
Shock Number 3: Chris sang a song that was done the night before...and he did a better job with it than Phil. There was no way Chris was going to be sticking around much longer, but if this was a competition to vote out the worst of the night, he certainly didn't deserve to go.
With Chris' exit Zayra is at the bottom of the totem pole. If Supernova is consistent then she shoudl be booted next week because I don't see any way she won't find herself back at the bottom of the pack.
Toby once again rocked. He Dilana and Lukas are the three front runners so far.
OUT!
Shock Number 1: Jill. Where has this Jill been the whole time. Better hair, better make-up, better wardrobe, better attitude. She rocked in my opinion. She sounded clean and bold. I was diggin' the performance.
Shock Number 2: Why would Zayra sing the same song 2 nights in a row? It obviously isn't the style that the band is looking for... or maybe it is, because they didn't kick her whiny ass off the show.
Shock Number 3: Chris sang a song that was done the night before...and he did a better job with it than Phil. There was no way Chris was going to be sticking around much longer, but if this was a competition to vote out the worst of the night, he certainly didn't deserve to go.
With Chris' exit Zayra is at the bottom of the totem pole. If Supernova is consistent then she shoudl be booted next week because I don't see any way she won't find herself back at the bottom of the pack.
Toby once again rocked. He Dilana and Lukas are the three front runners so far.
OUT!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Rock Star: Supernova The Power Rankings
I didn't catch RockStar last year, but so far I am kicking myself for missing it. I love this show. With that being said I am going to go ahead with with my Rock Star Power Rankings. I will have more to say in the coming weeks.
1. Dilana- Nirvana to Cash she is the best by a mile so far. I wish she could do another encore for the eliminations tonight!
2. Lukas- Cold Play was a weird choice, but he has the style, the stage presence, and the voice!
3. Toby- He killed The Killers song, in a good way. He knows his way around the stage and has the voice to back it!
4. Storm- Storm is my favorite on the show so far. Could those guys handle a sexy chic like her on the road?
5. Patrice- She works the guitar, she pulled off Nirvana, but made it her own. I like her, but she might not be the right fit.
6. Josh- By far has the best voice of all the guys, but he needs to lay off the Joss Stone and add a little fire to his rock.
7. Phil- He found himself in the bottom three last week. The is no denying his vocal ability, but he doesn't connect witht he crowd and he definitely needs to PLANT HIS FEET AND CRUSH IT!
8. Magni- Much better this week. But is this band going to be Rock N Roll or Vertical Horizon.
9. Jenny- She lacks the stage presence right now, but I think she is growing on the boys.
10. Dana- Maybe she shoudl come to Memphis in September for American Idol try-outs. She's a shoo-in for Hollywood. What a voice!
11. Ryan- can he showboat enough to be in this band? Well, Show Me Some Boat Bitch!
12. Chris- Better than last week, but he has no chance. I hope he is in the bottom three again.
13. Jill- She lied to Dave. She lied to Tommy. She lied to America. And she did Courtney Love a favor. I hate her!
14. Zayra- If she is not in the bootom three then the show is rigged. If she is, then she is gone. Nice to know ya, good-bye.
1. Dilana- Nirvana to Cash she is the best by a mile so far. I wish she could do another encore for the eliminations tonight!
2. Lukas- Cold Play was a weird choice, but he has the style, the stage presence, and the voice!
3. Toby- He killed The Killers song, in a good way. He knows his way around the stage and has the voice to back it!
4. Storm- Storm is my favorite on the show so far. Could those guys handle a sexy chic like her on the road?
5. Patrice- She works the guitar, she pulled off Nirvana, but made it her own. I like her, but she might not be the right fit.
6. Josh- By far has the best voice of all the guys, but he needs to lay off the Joss Stone and add a little fire to his rock.
7. Phil- He found himself in the bottom three last week. The is no denying his vocal ability, but he doesn't connect witht he crowd and he definitely needs to PLANT HIS FEET AND CRUSH IT!
8. Magni- Much better this week. But is this band going to be Rock N Roll or Vertical Horizon.
9. Jenny- She lacks the stage presence right now, but I think she is growing on the boys.
10. Dana- Maybe she shoudl come to Memphis in September for American Idol try-outs. She's a shoo-in for Hollywood. What a voice!
11. Ryan- can he showboat enough to be in this band? Well, Show Me Some Boat Bitch!
12. Chris- Better than last week, but he has no chance. I hope he is in the bottom three again.
13. Jill- She lied to Dave. She lied to Tommy. She lied to America. And she did Courtney Love a favor. I hate her!
14. Zayra- If she is not in the bootom three then the show is rigged. If she is, then she is gone. Nice to know ya, good-bye.
Big Brother: AllStars The Power Rankings
In a perfect world Danielle would have kept her mouth shut, Alison would have kept running hers, and the two headed household monster known as Janelle and Jase would be seding the blonde bitch out the door this week. But it seems like Danielle has put too big of a target on her chest to make this thing easy. The house guests are divided over whom to send home. Take Marcellas for example; He wants Danielle gone so badly he can taste it on his tongue, but he soooo wants to make it past week two or three or four that he will do anything that Janelle and the Season Sixers ask.
Is there any question who the most powerful person in the house is? HOH, VETO, what's next? I do think Janelle's early run of success will put her under the heat lamp eventually. Howie, James, and Kaysar aren't exactly the best group of guys to protect you. Then again it could be a lot worse. She could be aligned with Will.
Here is my Week One Power Ranking!
1. Janelle: HoH, Veto, Season 6 alliance
2. James: He has the season 6 alliance, but he has options out b/c everyone wants to align with a threat like him
3. Howie: Also a season 6er. Do we se a trend. But Howie is already falling under the spell of the evil doctor.
4. Mike Boogie: This is my frist shocker. Higher than Will...yep, Will will go before Boogie if the house guests know whats good for them. An unlikely alliance with Nakomis is also smart.
5. Kaysar: Lets round out the sixers here. He is the most loyal and most honest, but he is in the cross heirs of Will and Boogie
6. Jase: Aligning with the S6 team will take him only so far. He has to make a back-up plan
7. Nakomis: Under the radar for the time being. Her originality has been helpful so far this season. Everyone likes her
8. Dr. Will: He is the greatest mind in the game. If only James and Will could combine their gifts. What a deadly team. He's a past winner and that means a big target
9. Erika: She is also under the radar so far, but she is less edgy than Diane so she will last longer
10. Diane: Diane's a bitch. She just hasn't shown it yet. When she does her stock will plummet.
11. Marcellas: If Danielle doesn't get booted she will be gunning for two people. Janelle and Marcellas
12. Danielle: She's on the block, but with Allison in the other chair I like her chances.
13. Chicken George: Do I need to write anything here, really?
14. Allison: I didn't think she would like, cheat, and back-stab....so early in the game.
The reason some folks like Erika, Diane, and Geoerge are so low is because if they keep doing 2 heads of household these folks will be in trouble. They aren't aligned with anyone and they make easy targets when there are two people in two different alliances serving as HOH in the same week.
Remember, this is the power ranking...not the who's gonna win ranking. This list is all about who has the power in the house..."But Jase is HOH too, how is he number 6 and not number 2?" Good question....look at the nominees. These two girls immediately targeted Janelle and everyone lined right up behind Janelle and took out her biggest enemies immediately. As a really clever person once called it, it's Janellousy!
OUT!
Is there any question who the most powerful person in the house is? HOH, VETO, what's next? I do think Janelle's early run of success will put her under the heat lamp eventually. Howie, James, and Kaysar aren't exactly the best group of guys to protect you. Then again it could be a lot worse. She could be aligned with Will.
Here is my Week One Power Ranking!
1. Janelle: HoH, Veto, Season 6 alliance
2. James: He has the season 6 alliance, but he has options out b/c everyone wants to align with a threat like him
3. Howie: Also a season 6er. Do we se a trend. But Howie is already falling under the spell of the evil doctor.
4. Mike Boogie: This is my frist shocker. Higher than Will...yep, Will will go before Boogie if the house guests know whats good for them. An unlikely alliance with Nakomis is also smart.
5. Kaysar: Lets round out the sixers here. He is the most loyal and most honest, but he is in the cross heirs of Will and Boogie
6. Jase: Aligning with the S6 team will take him only so far. He has to make a back-up plan
7. Nakomis: Under the radar for the time being. Her originality has been helpful so far this season. Everyone likes her
8. Dr. Will: He is the greatest mind in the game. If only James and Will could combine their gifts. What a deadly team. He's a past winner and that means a big target
9. Erika: She is also under the radar so far, but she is less edgy than Diane so she will last longer
10. Diane: Diane's a bitch. She just hasn't shown it yet. When she does her stock will plummet.
11. Marcellas: If Danielle doesn't get booted she will be gunning for two people. Janelle and Marcellas
12. Danielle: She's on the block, but with Allison in the other chair I like her chances.
13. Chicken George: Do I need to write anything here, really?
14. Allison: I didn't think she would like, cheat, and back-stab....so early in the game.
The reason some folks like Erika, Diane, and Geoerge are so low is because if they keep doing 2 heads of household these folks will be in trouble. They aren't aligned with anyone and they make easy targets when there are two people in two different alliances serving as HOH in the same week.
Remember, this is the power ranking...not the who's gonna win ranking. This list is all about who has the power in the house..."But Jase is HOH too, how is he number 6 and not number 2?" Good question....look at the nominees. These two girls immediately targeted Janelle and everyone lined right up behind Janelle and took out her biggest enemies immediately. As a really clever person once called it, it's Janellousy!
OUT!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Superman Vs. Pirates
Sorry it has been so long. But I am going to stop apologizing. I doubt anyone is really reading this thing anyway.
Since the last time I blogged Superman took back the big screen only to get killed the next week by Johnny Depp playing Keith Richards playing a pirate. First, The Man Of Steel. Personally I thought that the movie was great. It had the same feel and passion as the original Christopher Reeve flicks. I thought that they really paid tribute to those movies.
I loved that Bryan Singer and company added their own mythology to the story with Lois' son. I also thought that Kevin Spacey held his own as Lex.
Brandon Routh nailed the part of Superman, he was obviously born to play the role. It took a while to get used to him as Clark, but once you realize that this is 2006 and not 1978 then you settle in. The second time I saw the movie I was able to appreciate the job Brandon did even more because I could take in all of his facial expressions and body language and see what a great job he was doing.
The action was spot on and the dialogue was campy without being corny. And lastly, Parker Posey was perfectly cast as Kitty. She was awesome.
If there were any negatives then they would be because I felt Jason was featured a little too much and the movie tended to slow down too much over the last 15 minutes.
Now lets talk Pirates. I haven't seen it yet, but even without donating my 8 bucks I see that it has crushed the box office record for opening weekends. It will go on to make nearly 1 billion worldwide, no doubt. But why?
The first one was funny and mildly entertaining, but by no means did it deserve any Academy Award nominations. (Much less wins!!!)
But I can't think of a single reason why Pirates is sweeping the floor with Superman's cape and Spider-man's tights. My only guess is that Pirates appeals to children and adults. While adults will take kids to see Spider-Man, they won't take them two or three times. But with Pirates I think that dad, son, mom, and daughter (thanks to Johnny and Orlando) all head out to see the film and they all are willing to see it again.
I am by no means taking anything away from POTC, but it is not deserving of the all-time weekend box office record.
Now, Big Brother is back. After the first veto competition I will post by weekly power rankings. I did this last year and I got a lot of reaction from it. So we will see. I am also going to be posting about Rock Star: Supernova.
So far my top vote getters for Supernova are the girl who did the Nirvana song, the girl who did The Who song, The guy who did the black Crowes song, and Lukas who did the Billy Idol song. By next week I will know their names, I swear. I did think Chris was the worst and deserved to go home, but so did the Jared Leto wannabe who did get booted. I am glad Phil stuck around. Am I the only one in Amercia who thinks he is good?
OUT
Since the last time I blogged Superman took back the big screen only to get killed the next week by Johnny Depp playing Keith Richards playing a pirate. First, The Man Of Steel. Personally I thought that the movie was great. It had the same feel and passion as the original Christopher Reeve flicks. I thought that they really paid tribute to those movies.
I loved that Bryan Singer and company added their own mythology to the story with Lois' son. I also thought that Kevin Spacey held his own as Lex.
Brandon Routh nailed the part of Superman, he was obviously born to play the role. It took a while to get used to him as Clark, but once you realize that this is 2006 and not 1978 then you settle in. The second time I saw the movie I was able to appreciate the job Brandon did even more because I could take in all of his facial expressions and body language and see what a great job he was doing.
The action was spot on and the dialogue was campy without being corny. And lastly, Parker Posey was perfectly cast as Kitty. She was awesome.
If there were any negatives then they would be because I felt Jason was featured a little too much and the movie tended to slow down too much over the last 15 minutes.
Now lets talk Pirates. I haven't seen it yet, but even without donating my 8 bucks I see that it has crushed the box office record for opening weekends. It will go on to make nearly 1 billion worldwide, no doubt. But why?
The first one was funny and mildly entertaining, but by no means did it deserve any Academy Award nominations. (Much less wins!!!)
But I can't think of a single reason why Pirates is sweeping the floor with Superman's cape and Spider-man's tights. My only guess is that Pirates appeals to children and adults. While adults will take kids to see Spider-Man, they won't take them two or three times. But with Pirates I think that dad, son, mom, and daughter (thanks to Johnny and Orlando) all head out to see the film and they all are willing to see it again.
I am by no means taking anything away from POTC, but it is not deserving of the all-time weekend box office record.
Now, Big Brother is back. After the first veto competition I will post by weekly power rankings. I did this last year and I got a lot of reaction from it. So we will see. I am also going to be posting about Rock Star: Supernova.
So far my top vote getters for Supernova are the girl who did the Nirvana song, the girl who did The Who song, The guy who did the black Crowes song, and Lukas who did the Billy Idol song. By next week I will know their names, I swear. I did think Chris was the worst and deserved to go home, but so did the Jared Leto wannabe who did get booted. I am glad Phil stuck around. Am I the only one in Amercia who thinks he is good?
OUT
Thursday, June 22, 2006
A Couple Of Movie Reviews
Superman countdown...5 days...8 hours...20 minutes...
I have been in a movie mood the last couple of days. I watched "The Squid and the Whale" on Monday night. It was an excellent movie, but it left you wanting so much more that the end. Laura Linney is absolutely amazing (as she is in everything) and Jeff Daniels was as cold in this movie as he was sill in "Dumb and Dumber." While Jesse Eisenberg proved he is a much better actor than we saw in the dud "Cursed" I found his younger sibling played by Owen Kline is a much more likely break-out kid star. He doesn't have the cuteness of a Dakota Fanning or the charisma of a Corey (You know THE Coreys).
On Tuesday I caught the movie "Everything Is Illuminated." I have been wanting to see it for a while and I am so sorry that it took this long. Humor mixed with real emotion made for a magical movie chemistry. Sometimes the pieces all fit and in Liev Schreiber's directorial debut he makes it happen. Elijah Wood is sometimes over looked as a great actor because of some of his roles as a child, but what he lacked in "Flipper" he more than makes up for in this one.
Wood's co-stars held their own with the seasoned veteran. Boris Leskin played a crabby old man reminiscent of Barnard Hughes as Grandpa in The Lost Boys. And Eugene Hutz who plays the other main character Alex brought charm and grace to a somewhat slapstick role.
On Wednesday night I caught "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," the new Shane Black flick. Black slipped off the map after writing the 4 Lethal Weapon movies. He makes a triumphant return with this well written and perfectly acted flick. Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer play the dynamic duo Harry and Gay Perry. Together they bungle ever twist, turn, and lead in this mystery before stumbling upon the shocking solution. Welcome back Shane Black, I missed you.
And finally "Underworld: Evolution." I honestly was looking forward to this sequel, but following the standard movie sequel rules the acting was worse, the effects were more unrealistic, the plot was too wide open, and the door was left open for a third film. I am not saying that I hated the movie, because I didn't, but Scott Speedman didn't help matters. The role would have been more believable if Dolph Lundgren had been playing the role.
The Squid and the Whale B+
Everything Is Illuminated A
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang B
Underworld: Evolution C-
OUT
I have been in a movie mood the last couple of days. I watched "The Squid and the Whale" on Monday night. It was an excellent movie, but it left you wanting so much more that the end. Laura Linney is absolutely amazing (as she is in everything) and Jeff Daniels was as cold in this movie as he was sill in "Dumb and Dumber." While Jesse Eisenberg proved he is a much better actor than we saw in the dud "Cursed" I found his younger sibling played by Owen Kline is a much more likely break-out kid star. He doesn't have the cuteness of a Dakota Fanning or the charisma of a Corey (You know THE Coreys).
On Tuesday I caught the movie "Everything Is Illuminated." I have been wanting to see it for a while and I am so sorry that it took this long. Humor mixed with real emotion made for a magical movie chemistry. Sometimes the pieces all fit and in Liev Schreiber's directorial debut he makes it happen. Elijah Wood is sometimes over looked as a great actor because of some of his roles as a child, but what he lacked in "Flipper" he more than makes up for in this one.
Wood's co-stars held their own with the seasoned veteran. Boris Leskin played a crabby old man reminiscent of Barnard Hughes as Grandpa in The Lost Boys. And Eugene Hutz who plays the other main character Alex brought charm and grace to a somewhat slapstick role.
On Wednesday night I caught "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," the new Shane Black flick. Black slipped off the map after writing the 4 Lethal Weapon movies. He makes a triumphant return with this well written and perfectly acted flick. Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer play the dynamic duo Harry and Gay Perry. Together they bungle ever twist, turn, and lead in this mystery before stumbling upon the shocking solution. Welcome back Shane Black, I missed you.
And finally "Underworld: Evolution." I honestly was looking forward to this sequel, but following the standard movie sequel rules the acting was worse, the effects were more unrealistic, the plot was too wide open, and the door was left open for a third film. I am not saying that I hated the movie, because I didn't, but Scott Speedman didn't help matters. The role would have been more believable if Dolph Lundgren had been playing the role.
The Squid and the Whale B+
Everything Is Illuminated A
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang B
Underworld: Evolution C-
OUT
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
ATL
I just got from Atlanta and I wanted to share a couple of pictures from the trip. I am going to post a couple and then give you a link to see more on my flickr site.
Here are Kim and Steph on the elevator and Manny at the plate!
Cree
Thursday, June 08, 2006
My World Cup Runneth Over
WOW, where to begin. I must first confess my ignorance when it comes to soccer, football, or whatever it is called. I do not apologize for said ignorance, but admitting it is the first step.
With the biggest sporting event in the world just a few hours away I figured I should take a bit of time to discover what it is that makes the world crazy for the game. (That and I figure I will be stuck watching some of it since it will be spilling over into my ESPN and ESPN2 coverage of real sports).
So I did some research. Did you know that rather than stopping the clock for injuries they actually just add time on to the end of the match? Weird huh? And did you know that offsides is the exact opposite for American football than for world football? Yeah in world football a player must be deeper into the attacking area than the player who recieves the ball. That would be like telling Torry Holt that he can't catch the football unless Isaac Bruce has run further down the field than him!
Stupid rules aside there are some things I like about soccer. These guys are the most well trained and durable athletes in the entire world. They run, and run, and then run some more. Seriously, it is like track and field with a ball instead of a baton. I admire that.
Baseball fans can relate to the sport too. If you like a pitcher's duel then a 1-0 soccer match must be a wet dream.
So, who do we root for? Well your home country of course. I mean unless you want to be a total dill-hole. It's the only sport that you can't really bandwagon on. If I were going for Brazil then I should be kicked in the arse. We all know that Brazil won the last World Cup, right? (I actually I just learned this about an hour ago) So me rooting for Brazil would be like all of these nuts out there rooting for the Steelers all of the sudden. It just isn't right.
So, go America. But going is something that they will likely not be doing. Apparently the good ol' USA is stuck in the toughest group. (No that wasn't rigged, really) We have Italy and The Czechs, and Ghana. At least Amercians can make Ghana-ria jokes to pass the time. Either way, America is expected to have a better team this time around, but not make it out of the 1st round. (We made the Quarters last time)
Germany, the host country, is also supposed to be really good. Seeing as they were the runners up last time and have a home pitch (another soccer term) advantage this time, I think they can be deemed favorites. I will not be rooting for Italy who has the most racist fans. Nor Iran who are the villians of the tournament.
And that brings me to the riots. And there will be riots. Detroit take notes. You riot well, but nothing like these fans.
And while 10 million people catch a game or two of the NBA finals this month over 2 billion people will watch The World Cup. (But can they charge 2 million dollars a second for a commercial spot like the Superbowl)
So, my bet is being placed. I am going all Germany all the way. First for Dirk who will win the NBA Championship and then his home country which will take home the World Cup and bragging rights for 4 years.
The Olympics used to be the world's best event to showcase national pride. It has long been replaced by guys who aren't allowed to used their hands. I don't know that I will ever like the sport. But rest assured if America pulls an upset and sneaks into the knock-out round I will be sporting the red, white, and blue.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Favorite Bands of all Time
I always get asked "what's your favorite band?" And often I would say Stone Temple Pilots or Bright Eyes because they seem to be my favorites. But I have never really examined why I felt that way towards these two bands. So, I made myself a little chart and wrote out a long list of my favorite bands. And I came up with 5 categories to grade each band/performer on. Those categories are: Lyrics, Voice, Overall Sound, Live Show, and Listenability at any Time(can I put this cd in at any time of the day and love it)
So, on a 50 point scale, 10 per category, I came up with the list of my favorite bands right now. This is obviosuly likely to change as weird things happen to me; like getting older! But I hope you enjoy checking it out.
1. Bright Eyes (48 Points)
2. Stone Temple Pilots 47 Points)
3. Weezer (45 Points)
4. Nirvana (43 Points)
5. U2 (43 Points)
5. Brand New (42 Points on a curve)
6. Green Day (41 Points)
7. Death Cab For Cutie (41 Points)
8. Lifehouse (40 Points)
9. Saves The Day (38 Points)
10. Eve 6 (37 Points)
I know on an all-time greatest list bands like brand new, saves the day, and eve 6 would not be anywhere near the top...but they mean a lot to me and well, this is my list, right?
If I were ranking the greatest bands of all time my list would look something like this:
1. U2
2. Elvis Presley
3. The Beatles
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Nirvana
6. The Rolling Stones
7. REM
8. Oasis (Yes, that Oasis. Have you seen the GBR numbers?)
9. Black Sabbath
10. Johnny Cash
Let the bickering and arguments begin!
OUT
So, on a 50 point scale, 10 per category, I came up with the list of my favorite bands right now. This is obviosuly likely to change as weird things happen to me; like getting older! But I hope you enjoy checking it out.
1. Bright Eyes (48 Points)
2. Stone Temple Pilots 47 Points)
3. Weezer (45 Points)
4. Nirvana (43 Points)
5. U2 (43 Points)
5. Brand New (42 Points on a curve)
6. Green Day (41 Points)
7. Death Cab For Cutie (41 Points)
8. Lifehouse (40 Points)
9. Saves The Day (38 Points)
10. Eve 6 (37 Points)
I know on an all-time greatest list bands like brand new, saves the day, and eve 6 would not be anywhere near the top...but they mean a lot to me and well, this is my list, right?
If I were ranking the greatest bands of all time my list would look something like this:
1. U2
2. Elvis Presley
3. The Beatles
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Nirvana
6. The Rolling Stones
7. REM
8. Oasis (Yes, that Oasis. Have you seen the GBR numbers?)
9. Black Sabbath
10. Johnny Cash
Let the bickering and arguments begin!
OUT
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Things I Hate
Today is a good day, but I figured that it is never a bad time for some negativity so I am doing a list of top 5 things I hate today!
5. The French Open. It is such an annoying tournament. The Americans suck on clay and they are all always booted by the quarters. And the fact that players can over rule the judge on a close call because of a ball mark is annoying. And I hate that it rains every five minutes during the tournament.
4. Buns and Milk. I am mad at both of them right now. Why is it that MY milk always spoils two days early and my bread always goes bad the night before I plan on eating it?
3. Deal Or No Deal. I hate this show...yet if it is on tv I can't take my eyes off of it. My real issue is how they hold things over from one day to the next. It is a very "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" move and it pisses me off. I would be more inclined to watch it if I knew we were going to get to see the conclusion of Bob's run for the money and his family's lucky dance.
2. Days when it half rains and half shines. Either rain or be sunny. When it does both it puts my life in limbo. Will there be a game or won't there? Should I wear a hat or not? Do I need my sunglasses today?
1. Myspace Top 8. I finally broke down and switched to a top 16 since so many people were getting their feelings hurt about not being in my top 8. I even did the unthinkable and bumped one of my friends out b/c I wasn't invited to her wedding. I am still upset about getting dissed, but passive aggressively knocking her from a myspace spot was low down. So now she is perched nicely on my Top 16 and I won't ever use it to "punish" someone again.
5. The French Open. It is such an annoying tournament. The Americans suck on clay and they are all always booted by the quarters. And the fact that players can over rule the judge on a close call because of a ball mark is annoying. And I hate that it rains every five minutes during the tournament.
4. Buns and Milk. I am mad at both of them right now. Why is it that MY milk always spoils two days early and my bread always goes bad the night before I plan on eating it?
3. Deal Or No Deal. I hate this show...yet if it is on tv I can't take my eyes off of it. My real issue is how they hold things over from one day to the next. It is a very "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" move and it pisses me off. I would be more inclined to watch it if I knew we were going to get to see the conclusion of Bob's run for the money and his family's lucky dance.
2. Days when it half rains and half shines. Either rain or be sunny. When it does both it puts my life in limbo. Will there be a game or won't there? Should I wear a hat or not? Do I need my sunglasses today?
1. Myspace Top 8. I finally broke down and switched to a top 16 since so many people were getting their feelings hurt about not being in my top 8. I even did the unthinkable and bumped one of my friends out b/c I wasn't invited to her wedding. I am still upset about getting dissed, but passive aggressively knocking her from a myspace spot was low down. So now she is perched nicely on my Top 16 and I won't ever use it to "punish" someone again.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Movies
So many people have given me their two cents on X-3. Some of them loved it, some of them hated it, and others were just kind of indifferent.
I guess I liked it more than most, but I also had much lower expectations that other folks. I read back in December that the script was horrible and that the story was weak. So going in I thought that I was going to hate it. Well, I didn't. But that doesn't mean that it was the best movie I have seen all year.
I thought that the script was pretty bad. The dialogue was weak and forced and there was none of that fun banter that made the first two films great. Yet the action sequences were great and the directing was a seamless transition from Singer to Ratner.
I thought that the story was a great idea, but it was left a bit underdeveloped.
Superman Returns was pushed up to June 28th...Which means that I will be able to see it on June 27th at midnight...wait...this just in...the movie will be opening at 10 Pm local time on the night of the 27th. So not only do I get to see it the night before the "hard opening" I get to have a full night's sleep after it!
Pirates of The Caribbean looks pretty bad if you ask me. Now that the novelty of Johnny Depp playing Keith Richards The Pirate has worn off I think that the new movie will be flimsy and lame...but I will be there to see it, just to make sure.
Some folks got to see the Snakes On A Plane preview before X-3. I wasn't one of them and it pisses me off. I instead got to see the preview for Ghost Rider, a snoozefest starring Nick Cage, that doesn't even open until February. And we all know what kind of movies open in Febraury. The last big hero movie that rolled out in the Hallmark Month of Hearts was Dare Devil. ZZZZzzzzzz.
Quick, summer TV! My top 5 shows for the summer season...
1. Big Brother All-Stars
2. Saved
3. The 4400
4. Windfall
5. Lost (gonna watch it again)
Lost of peeps love Rescue Me. I tired to like it, but I just couldn't D.L. is awesome, but it was too much ghost story and too little rescue.
OUT
I guess I liked it more than most, but I also had much lower expectations that other folks. I read back in December that the script was horrible and that the story was weak. So going in I thought that I was going to hate it. Well, I didn't. But that doesn't mean that it was the best movie I have seen all year.
I thought that the script was pretty bad. The dialogue was weak and forced and there was none of that fun banter that made the first two films great. Yet the action sequences were great and the directing was a seamless transition from Singer to Ratner.
I thought that the story was a great idea, but it was left a bit underdeveloped.
Superman Returns was pushed up to June 28th...Which means that I will be able to see it on June 27th at midnight...wait...this just in...the movie will be opening at 10 Pm local time on the night of the 27th. So not only do I get to see it the night before the "hard opening" I get to have a full night's sleep after it!
Pirates of The Caribbean looks pretty bad if you ask me. Now that the novelty of Johnny Depp playing Keith Richards The Pirate has worn off I think that the new movie will be flimsy and lame...but I will be there to see it, just to make sure.
Some folks got to see the Snakes On A Plane preview before X-3. I wasn't one of them and it pisses me off. I instead got to see the preview for Ghost Rider, a snoozefest starring Nick Cage, that doesn't even open until February. And we all know what kind of movies open in Febraury. The last big hero movie that rolled out in the Hallmark Month of Hearts was Dare Devil. ZZZZzzzzzz.
Quick, summer TV! My top 5 shows for the summer season...
1. Big Brother All-Stars
2. Saved
3. The 4400
4. Windfall
5. Lost (gonna watch it again)
Lost of peeps love Rescue Me. I tired to like it, but I just couldn't D.L. is awesome, but it was too much ghost story and too little rescue.
OUT
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Thank You
Thanks to those of you who posted comments or called me about my "serious" blog entry. I am not one of those EMO bloggers who puts my heart and soul into every entry, but I needed to vent a bit and I was glad that most of you responded and did so in a positive way. I promise to not to get so serious again for a long time.
I was thinking...the one thing that Myspace blogging does that that is better than blogger.com is the place to put what music you are listening to. I love to tell people what I am currently listening to. I will try to be better about mentioning that.
Right now I am listening to Saves the Day. (Sound The Alarm)
I also never posted my review of The Da Vinci Code. I liked it better than most of the critics. I thought that Tom Hanks was horrible, but the film wasn't that bad. Ron Howard did a good job of getting most of the history (fictional and non-fiction) on the screen without making it feel forced.
The movie is long and can drag at times, but Paul Bettany as Silas was awesome and I thought that Ian Mckellen as Sir Teabing was a perfect cast!
Grade: B
The Lost finale is tomorrow....I can't wait!
OUT
I was thinking...the one thing that Myspace blogging does that that is better than blogger.com is the place to put what music you are listening to. I love to tell people what I am currently listening to. I will try to be better about mentioning that.
Right now I am listening to Saves the Day. (Sound The Alarm)
I also never posted my review of The Da Vinci Code. I liked it better than most of the critics. I thought that Tom Hanks was horrible, but the film wasn't that bad. Ron Howard did a good job of getting most of the history (fictional and non-fiction) on the screen without making it feel forced.
The movie is long and can drag at times, but Paul Bettany as Silas was awesome and I thought that Ian Mckellen as Sir Teabing was a perfect cast!
Grade: B
The Lost finale is tomorrow....I can't wait!
OUT
Season Finales
UPDATED
Grading the season finales is one of my favorite hobbies. So with another season coming to close tomorrow night with Lost I will give two grades for each show. One for the finale and one for the season as a whole.
SHOW (Finale) Season
CSI (B-) B
CSI: Miami (C- ) D
Medium (B+) A-
Invasion (B+) C
Without A Trace (C-) C+
The O.C. (C) B-
Battlestar Galactica (A) A+
The Shield (A+) A+
Nip/Tuck (B) D
Reba (C-) B
My Name Is Earl (A-) B
2 1/2 Men (B-) B+
How I Met Your Mother (B+) B+
The War At Home (B) C
New Adventures of Christine (B-) B
One Tree Hill (B-) C
Desperate Housewives (C) B+
Smallville (B) A
House (B) B
24 (D) B
Alias (B) B+
Grey's Anatomy (A) B+
The Sopranos (A) TBD
Veronica Mars (A) A+
Lost (A) A++
And with that comes the end of another TV season, tear tear. But never fear, Big Brother is around the corner to keep me excited all Summer long.
OUT
Grading the season finales is one of my favorite hobbies. So with another season coming to close tomorrow night with Lost I will give two grades for each show. One for the finale and one for the season as a whole.
SHOW (Finale) Season
CSI (B-) B
CSI: Miami (C- ) D
Medium (B+) A-
Invasion (B+) C
Without A Trace (C-) C+
The O.C. (C) B-
Battlestar Galactica (A) A+
The Shield (A+) A+
Nip/Tuck (B) D
Reba (C-) B
My Name Is Earl (A-) B
2 1/2 Men (B-) B+
How I Met Your Mother (B+) B+
The War At Home (B) C
New Adventures of Christine (B-) B
One Tree Hill (B-) C
Desperate Housewives (C) B+
Smallville (B) A
House (B) B
24 (D) B
Alias (B) B+
Grey's Anatomy (A) B+
The Sopranos (A) TBD
Veronica Mars (A) A+
Lost (A) A++
And with that comes the end of another TV season, tear tear. But never fear, Big Brother is around the corner to keep me excited all Summer long.
OUT
Monday, May 22, 2006
I will try not to get too serious
Most of you guys that have access to my blog know me pretty well. You know that for years I was very in to church and God and religion. I was very dedicated to my church and honestly believed that I knew what I was talking about. More importantly I believed that the other people in my faith knew what they were talking about.
It turns out that after being out church for a couple of years now I realize that I had placed my faith in faulty people with bad information.
I saw the Da Vinci Code last night and it got me to thinking (again). I know that the movie is fictional and that the story is pretty far-fetched and takes a few liberties with history and fact. But I think people who stop there are missing Dan Brown's point. He is not necessarily trying to make you believe the Jesus/Mary thing as much as he is trying to make you understand that there is a lot more history behind our Bible and our Beliefs than is being taught in our Sunday School classes.
My friends know that where I am today is a far cry from where I was on this issue a few short years ago. How did I come to this conclusion? Well for one, I was kind of forced into it. I made some mistakes in my past, as we all do, but unlike the promise I had been fed by God's people, I was not forgiven for it. Instead I felt like I had been abandoned. And that was the first time I began to search for other answers about the real God.
Here are a few observatiosn that I have made:
1. God's church is not the one that is being "played" right now on every other corner in Memphis.God's church does not hide in it's buildings and pat itself on the back for making a lot of money in the collection plate this week. God' church belongs in the mission field (home and abroad).
2. God demands our worship and our love. He is forgiving and I believe that he finds it repulsive when hypocritcal Christians cannot stop gossiping about someone else's hardships to forgive, forget, or lend a helping hand.
3. I believe that God loves all people, no matter what their past, present, or future. I don't think God cares if you have a drink, smoke a cigarette, get high, sleep with the same sex, or sleep around. I do think that he honors marriage and those who hold it as a sacred union. And I think he cares whether or not you have true and good intentions.
4. I believe in Jesus Christ as a saviour. But I believe that he was a man of God not an actual God. Otherwise it would defeat his entire purpose for dying on the cross.
5. I don't know what I believe about the death and resurrection, but I know that what is said in churches every single Sunday cannot be entirely true.
I believe that I am loved by God and I believe that one day we will understand his true nature and his true plans for mankind. Until then I think it is our job to seek answers and question everything that we are taught. And then we are to draw our own conclusions, just like I have above.
Lastly, I want my friends to know that I don't care what you believe as long as YOU believe it and not because someone else told you to believe it.
OUT
It turns out that after being out church for a couple of years now I realize that I had placed my faith in faulty people with bad information.
I saw the Da Vinci Code last night and it got me to thinking (again). I know that the movie is fictional and that the story is pretty far-fetched and takes a few liberties with history and fact. But I think people who stop there are missing Dan Brown's point. He is not necessarily trying to make you believe the Jesus/Mary thing as much as he is trying to make you understand that there is a lot more history behind our Bible and our Beliefs than is being taught in our Sunday School classes.
My friends know that where I am today is a far cry from where I was on this issue a few short years ago. How did I come to this conclusion? Well for one, I was kind of forced into it. I made some mistakes in my past, as we all do, but unlike the promise I had been fed by God's people, I was not forgiven for it. Instead I felt like I had been abandoned. And that was the first time I began to search for other answers about the real God.
Here are a few observatiosn that I have made:
1. God's church is not the one that is being "played" right now on every other corner in Memphis.God's church does not hide in it's buildings and pat itself on the back for making a lot of money in the collection plate this week. God' church belongs in the mission field (home and abroad).
2. God demands our worship and our love. He is forgiving and I believe that he finds it repulsive when hypocritcal Christians cannot stop gossiping about someone else's hardships to forgive, forget, or lend a helping hand.
3. I believe that God loves all people, no matter what their past, present, or future. I don't think God cares if you have a drink, smoke a cigarette, get high, sleep with the same sex, or sleep around. I do think that he honors marriage and those who hold it as a sacred union. And I think he cares whether or not you have true and good intentions.
4. I believe in Jesus Christ as a saviour. But I believe that he was a man of God not an actual God. Otherwise it would defeat his entire purpose for dying on the cross.
5. I don't know what I believe about the death and resurrection, but I know that what is said in churches every single Sunday cannot be entirely true.
I believe that I am loved by God and I believe that one day we will understand his true nature and his true plans for mankind. Until then I think it is our job to seek answers and question everything that we are taught. And then we are to draw our own conclusions, just like I have above.
Lastly, I want my friends to know that I don't care what you believe as long as YOU believe it and not because someone else told you to believe it.
OUT
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Must See TV
The fall upfronts are complete and the new schedules are out. Here are my top five buzz building shows.
“Six Degrees”
(one-hour, ABC Thursday, 10:00 p.m., ET) – Who will you touch? Who will touch you? They say that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person through a chain of six people, which means that no one is a stranger… for long. In this hour-long drama from the producers of “Lost” and “Alias,” six very different New Yorkers go about their lives without realizing the impact they're having on one another – yet. A mysterious web of coincidences will gradually draw these strangers closer, changing the course of their lives forever. Is it happenstance? Fate? Is there a greater force at work in our world, guiding us along and connecting our lives? This intriguing tale of intertwined destinies reminds us that romance, success, peace or forgiveness might be right around the corner, but they can also be lost in an instant. It’s a story that underlines just how small the world really is, and how someone just five people away might be shaping our future right now. Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights”), Erika Christensen (“Flightplan”), Bridget Moynahan (“Sex and the City”), Dorian Missick (“Lucky Number Slevin”), Hope Davis (“About Schmidt”) and Campbell Scott (“The Secret Lives of Dentists”) star.Cast:Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights”): CarlosBridget Moynahan (“I, Robot”): WhitneyHope Davis (“Proof”): LauraCampbell Scott (“Loverboy”): Steven CasemenDorian Missick (“Lucky Number Slevin”): DamianErika Christensen (“Traffic”): Mae AndersonCredits:EP: J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”)EP: Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Alias”)EP/Writer: Stu Zicherman (“Elektra”)EP/Writer: Raven Metzner (“Elektra”)Director: Rodrigo Garcia (“Six Feet Under”)Production Company: Touchstone Television
“Traveler”
(one-hour, ABC mid-season) – Jay, Tyler and Will are friends who have spent the last two years in grad school. They are about to depart on a summer trip when a simple prank to rollerblade through one of New York City's most famous museums makes Jay and Tyler prime suspects in a terrorist bombing that destroys the museum seconds later. Hopeful that Will can help clear up this misunderstanding, they learn he's been missing since the explosion and think he may be dead. They’re unable to turn to authorities when they realize they can't prove Will even exists. In every photo from the past two years, he has managed to block his face. Who will believe them? Friends, family, lovers? The boys are pawns in a conspiracy that will take years to unravel, and the government may not have their best interests at heart. Their friendship will be tested like never before as they try to uncover the truth, while avoiding detection of not only the FBI, but everyone in America who has seen their faces on TV as suspects in the bombing.Director David Nutter, who has defined many series including “The X-Files,” “Without a Trace” and “Supernatural,” along with the writer of “Eight Below” and the Oscar®-winning producers of “American Beauty” combine “The Fugitive” with “Enemy of the State” in a taut, tense thriller of innocents on the run. Flashing back to the prior two years to illustrate the formation of this friendship and Will's insidious behavior, this action-packed drama taps into our paranoia with pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment. Matthew Bomer (“Tru Calling”) and Logan Marshall-Green (“The O.C.”) star.Cast:Matthew Bomer (“Tru Calling”): Jay BurchellLogan Marshall-Green (“The O.C.”): Tyler FogAaron Stanford (“X-Men 2”): Will TravelerViola Davis (“Law & Order: SVU”): Agent Jan “Naj” MarlowSteven Culp (“Desperate Housewives”): Agent Fred ChambersCredits:EP: Dan Jinks (“American Beauty”)EP: Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”)Writer: David Digilio (“Eight Below”)Production Company: Warner Bros. Television, The Jinks/Cohen Company
"HEROES"
(one hour NBC— The epic drama "Heroes" chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. As a total eclipse casts it shadow across the globe, viewers follow a genetics professor (Sendhil Ramamurthy, "Blind Guy Driving") in India whose father's disappearance leads him to uncover a secret theory -- there are people with super powers living among us. A young dreamer (Milo Ventimiglia, "The Bedford Diaries") tries to convince his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar, "Judging Amy") that he can fly. A high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere, "Ice Princess") learns that she is totally indestructible. A Las Vegas stripper (Ali Larter, "Final Destination"), struggling to make ends meet to support her young son (Noah Gray-Cabey, "My Wife & Kids"), uncovers that her mirror image has a secret. A prison inmate (Leonard Roberts, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") mysteriously finds himself waking up outside of his cell. A gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera, "Empire"), whose drug addiction is destroying his life and the relationship with his girlfriend (Tawny Cypress, "Third Watch"), can paint the future. A down-on-his-luck beat cop (Greg Grunberg, "Alias") can hear people's thoughts, including the secrets of a captured terrorist. In Japan, a young man (Masi Oka, "Scrubs") develops a way to stop time through sheer will power. Their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world. "Heroes" is executive produced by creator/writer Tim Kring ("Crossing Jordan), Dennis Hammer ("Crossing Jordan") and David Semel ("House"), who also directed the pilot. The drama is from NBC Universal Television Studio.
"STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP"
( one hour, NBC)— Emmy Award-winning executive producer-writer Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winning executive producer-director Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") return to television with this crackling take on the drama behind the humor of producing a popular, late-night comedy sketch show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Sorkin lays bare the backstage politics, romances and delicate balance between creative talent, on-air personalities and network executives in an instant text-messaging world. Prominent are Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet, "Syriana"), a savvy new network entertainment chief who inherits a massive public relations disaster on the series — even before she starts her first day — and Matt Albie (Matthew Perry, "Friends") and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford, "The West Wing"), a brilliant creative team that she wants to resurrect the program. Also playing crucial roles are the sketch comedy series stars Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson, "Down with Love"), Simon Stiles (D.L. Hughley, "The Hughleys") and Tom Jeter (Nathan Corddry, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), their normally cool-headed director, Cal Shanley (Timothy Busfield, "thirtysomething") as well as supreme network honcho Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber, "Wings"). Evan Handler ("Sex and the City") and Carlos Jacott ("Being John Malkovich") also star. The series is a production of Warner Bros. Television.
‘TIL DEATH
(Thursdays, 8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT on FOX): ‘TIL DEATH is a comedy about middle-aged EDDIE (Brad Garrett, “Everybody Loves Raymond”) and JOY STAMM (Joely Fisher, “Desperate Housewives”), who are on day 8,743 of their marriage and have the battle scars to prove it. Their new next-door neighbors are young newlyweds STEPH (Kat Foster, “Law & Order”) and JEFF WOODCOCK (Eddie Kaye Thomas, “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”) – idealistic, passionate, adorable and married for all of 12 days. It’s a show about new marriage versus old marriage, about keeping the romance alive – or at least staying together so you have someone to drive you to the hospital for your operations. Eddie is a cynical realist who considers himself an expert on most topics. A high school history teacher, he’s learned well the lessons of history and applies the basic principles to his marriage: all fights are about power, land and resources – and women love to kill fun. A veteran of the marriage wars, Eddie freely gives his advice to the younger, idealistic Jeff, who’s the new Vice Principal at Eddie’s school. Of course, Eddie’s little secret all along is that he loves Joy more than anything. And however brash and sardonic Joy herself appears, she loves Eddie right back.
CAST: Brad Garrett as Eddie, Joely Fisher as Joy, Eddie Kaye Thomas as Jeff, Kat Foster as Steph
It sucks that Traveler will not be on until later in the season. A few other promising shows are "Kidnapped" on NBC which is part 24 and part Da Vinci Code.
"Friday Night Lights" which is from the football movie starring Billy Bob.
"Vanished" on fox about a missing Senator's son. Conspiracy follows.
“Six Degrees”
(one-hour, ABC Thursday, 10:00 p.m., ET) – Who will you touch? Who will touch you? They say that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person through a chain of six people, which means that no one is a stranger… for long. In this hour-long drama from the producers of “Lost” and “Alias,” six very different New Yorkers go about their lives without realizing the impact they're having on one another – yet. A mysterious web of coincidences will gradually draw these strangers closer, changing the course of their lives forever. Is it happenstance? Fate? Is there a greater force at work in our world, guiding us along and connecting our lives? This intriguing tale of intertwined destinies reminds us that romance, success, peace or forgiveness might be right around the corner, but they can also be lost in an instant. It’s a story that underlines just how small the world really is, and how someone just five people away might be shaping our future right now. Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights”), Erika Christensen (“Flightplan”), Bridget Moynahan (“Sex and the City”), Dorian Missick (“Lucky Number Slevin”), Hope Davis (“About Schmidt”) and Campbell Scott (“The Secret Lives of Dentists”) star.Cast:Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights”): CarlosBridget Moynahan (“I, Robot”): WhitneyHope Davis (“Proof”): LauraCampbell Scott (“Loverboy”): Steven CasemenDorian Missick (“Lucky Number Slevin”): DamianErika Christensen (“Traffic”): Mae AndersonCredits:EP: J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”)EP: Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Alias”)EP/Writer: Stu Zicherman (“Elektra”)EP/Writer: Raven Metzner (“Elektra”)Director: Rodrigo Garcia (“Six Feet Under”)Production Company: Touchstone Television
“Traveler”
(one-hour, ABC mid-season) – Jay, Tyler and Will are friends who have spent the last two years in grad school. They are about to depart on a summer trip when a simple prank to rollerblade through one of New York City's most famous museums makes Jay and Tyler prime suspects in a terrorist bombing that destroys the museum seconds later. Hopeful that Will can help clear up this misunderstanding, they learn he's been missing since the explosion and think he may be dead. They’re unable to turn to authorities when they realize they can't prove Will even exists. In every photo from the past two years, he has managed to block his face. Who will believe them? Friends, family, lovers? The boys are pawns in a conspiracy that will take years to unravel, and the government may not have their best interests at heart. Their friendship will be tested like never before as they try to uncover the truth, while avoiding detection of not only the FBI, but everyone in America who has seen their faces on TV as suspects in the bombing.Director David Nutter, who has defined many series including “The X-Files,” “Without a Trace” and “Supernatural,” along with the writer of “Eight Below” and the Oscar®-winning producers of “American Beauty” combine “The Fugitive” with “Enemy of the State” in a taut, tense thriller of innocents on the run. Flashing back to the prior two years to illustrate the formation of this friendship and Will's insidious behavior, this action-packed drama taps into our paranoia with pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment. Matthew Bomer (“Tru Calling”) and Logan Marshall-Green (“The O.C.”) star.Cast:Matthew Bomer (“Tru Calling”): Jay BurchellLogan Marshall-Green (“The O.C.”): Tyler FogAaron Stanford (“X-Men 2”): Will TravelerViola Davis (“Law & Order: SVU”): Agent Jan “Naj” MarlowSteven Culp (“Desperate Housewives”): Agent Fred ChambersCredits:EP: Dan Jinks (“American Beauty”)EP: Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”)Writer: David Digilio (“Eight Below”)Production Company: Warner Bros. Television, The Jinks/Cohen Company
"HEROES"
(one hour NBC— The epic drama "Heroes" chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. As a total eclipse casts it shadow across the globe, viewers follow a genetics professor (Sendhil Ramamurthy, "Blind Guy Driving") in India whose father's disappearance leads him to uncover a secret theory -- there are people with super powers living among us. A young dreamer (Milo Ventimiglia, "The Bedford Diaries") tries to convince his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar, "Judging Amy") that he can fly. A high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere, "Ice Princess") learns that she is totally indestructible. A Las Vegas stripper (Ali Larter, "Final Destination"), struggling to make ends meet to support her young son (Noah Gray-Cabey, "My Wife & Kids"), uncovers that her mirror image has a secret. A prison inmate (Leonard Roberts, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") mysteriously finds himself waking up outside of his cell. A gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera, "Empire"), whose drug addiction is destroying his life and the relationship with his girlfriend (Tawny Cypress, "Third Watch"), can paint the future. A down-on-his-luck beat cop (Greg Grunberg, "Alias") can hear people's thoughts, including the secrets of a captured terrorist. In Japan, a young man (Masi Oka, "Scrubs") develops a way to stop time through sheer will power. Their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world. "Heroes" is executive produced by creator/writer Tim Kring ("Crossing Jordan), Dennis Hammer ("Crossing Jordan") and David Semel ("House"), who also directed the pilot. The drama is from NBC Universal Television Studio.
"STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP"
( one hour, NBC)— Emmy Award-winning executive producer-writer Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winning executive producer-director Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") return to television with this crackling take on the drama behind the humor of producing a popular, late-night comedy sketch show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Sorkin lays bare the backstage politics, romances and delicate balance between creative talent, on-air personalities and network executives in an instant text-messaging world. Prominent are Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet, "Syriana"), a savvy new network entertainment chief who inherits a massive public relations disaster on the series — even before she starts her first day — and Matt Albie (Matthew Perry, "Friends") and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford, "The West Wing"), a brilliant creative team that she wants to resurrect the program. Also playing crucial roles are the sketch comedy series stars Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson, "Down with Love"), Simon Stiles (D.L. Hughley, "The Hughleys") and Tom Jeter (Nathan Corddry, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), their normally cool-headed director, Cal Shanley (Timothy Busfield, "thirtysomething") as well as supreme network honcho Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber, "Wings"). Evan Handler ("Sex and the City") and Carlos Jacott ("Being John Malkovich") also star. The series is a production of Warner Bros. Television.
‘TIL DEATH
(Thursdays, 8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT on FOX): ‘TIL DEATH is a comedy about middle-aged EDDIE (Brad Garrett, “Everybody Loves Raymond”) and JOY STAMM (Joely Fisher, “Desperate Housewives”), who are on day 8,743 of their marriage and have the battle scars to prove it. Their new next-door neighbors are young newlyweds STEPH (Kat Foster, “Law & Order”) and JEFF WOODCOCK (Eddie Kaye Thomas, “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”) – idealistic, passionate, adorable and married for all of 12 days. It’s a show about new marriage versus old marriage, about keeping the romance alive – or at least staying together so you have someone to drive you to the hospital for your operations. Eddie is a cynical realist who considers himself an expert on most topics. A high school history teacher, he’s learned well the lessons of history and applies the basic principles to his marriage: all fights are about power, land and resources – and women love to kill fun. A veteran of the marriage wars, Eddie freely gives his advice to the younger, idealistic Jeff, who’s the new Vice Principal at Eddie’s school. Of course, Eddie’s little secret all along is that he loves Joy more than anything. And however brash and sardonic Joy herself appears, she loves Eddie right back.
CAST: Brad Garrett as Eddie, Joely Fisher as Joy, Eddie Kaye Thomas as Jeff, Kat Foster as Steph
It sucks that Traveler will not be on until later in the season. A few other promising shows are "Kidnapped" on NBC which is part 24 and part Da Vinci Code.
"Friday Night Lights" which is from the football movie starring Billy Bob.
"Vanished" on fox about a missing Senator's son. Conspiracy follows.
Monday, May 15, 2006
My two favorite subjects: Music and TV
This question was posed on TVGUIDE.COM this week. I have given this topic a bit of thought and decided to answer it as if it were posed to me. I will then paste Matt Roush's response below my own.
Question: I have loved Grey's Anatomy since the first episode, and it continues to be the show to which I most look forward every week. However, over the past two episodes I have watched entire segments with the mute button on as I read the dialogue via CC. The reason? Though some of the montages can be very effective, the music is distractingly bad. The May 7 episode featured two full-length songs with vocalists whose "instruments" were akin to fingernails on a chalkboard. Grey's is one of the few shows that can fully absorb my attention, but it's disappointing when these songs take me out of my television nirvana. I'm just wondering if you had any thoughts on the subject. Thank you, and keep up the great column! — Abby
Chris: I have to say that I too have grown tired at times of shows using long musical pieces to cover a montage or indicate the passing of time. Grey's has never annoyed me the way some shows have in the past. I quit watching Cold Case because the montages at the end of each episode were more like a music video than a television show.
Some shows effectively use music to cover and move along a story line. Two shows that come to mind are One Tree Hill and The O.C.
I would never watch a show on mute as I am big fan of getting the director's entire vision, but I would like to see less music and more dialogue. I guess in short, it doesn't bother me when it is done effectively, but it is not a tool I would be sad to see go.
Matt Roush: There is no question that Grey's is a serious case study of overdoing the underscoring. This is a complaint I hear a lot, including from people in the industry who otherwise admire the show. The music often overwhelms the action and the dialogue, but this is such a pervasive trend (especially in final-act montages of so many dramas) that I guess I've grown mostly numb to it. Grey's also tends to overdo the cutesy incidental music to lighten the tone of the more romantic scenes. But none of this gets in the way of my enjoyment, or prompts me to mute the dialogue spoken by these wonderful actors. I beg you to reconsider.
Question: I have loved Grey's Anatomy since the first episode, and it continues to be the show to which I most look forward every week. However, over the past two episodes I have watched entire segments with the mute button on as I read the dialogue via CC. The reason? Though some of the montages can be very effective, the music is distractingly bad. The May 7 episode featured two full-length songs with vocalists whose "instruments" were akin to fingernails on a chalkboard. Grey's is one of the few shows that can fully absorb my attention, but it's disappointing when these songs take me out of my television nirvana. I'm just wondering if you had any thoughts on the subject. Thank you, and keep up the great column! — Abby
Chris: I have to say that I too have grown tired at times of shows using long musical pieces to cover a montage or indicate the passing of time. Grey's has never annoyed me the way some shows have in the past. I quit watching Cold Case because the montages at the end of each episode were more like a music video than a television show.
Some shows effectively use music to cover and move along a story line. Two shows that come to mind are One Tree Hill and The O.C.
I would never watch a show on mute as I am big fan of getting the director's entire vision, but I would like to see less music and more dialogue. I guess in short, it doesn't bother me when it is done effectively, but it is not a tool I would be sad to see go.
Matt Roush: There is no question that Grey's is a serious case study of overdoing the underscoring. This is a complaint I hear a lot, including from people in the industry who otherwise admire the show. The music often overwhelms the action and the dialogue, but this is such a pervasive trend (especially in final-act montages of so many dramas) that I guess I've grown mostly numb to it. Grey's also tends to overdo the cutesy incidental music to lighten the tone of the more romantic scenes. But none of this gets in the way of my enjoyment, or prompts me to mute the dialogue spoken by these wonderful actors. I beg you to reconsider.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
My Friday
new digital camera for me
mother's day gift for mom
from the bullseye
new wallet
new birthday gift from paymon
eat moe
eat moe what
eat moe moes
breaking in the glove
shaggin fly balls
the old field not the new ones
argue with kim
but just for fun
its a brother sister thing
play a game
see my real sister
no arguing at all
meat loaf
for free
thanks Jay-Long
screwed out of scene-it
the disparity is humorous...
to them
my music videos
my fish
my bed
mother's day gift for mom
from the bullseye
new wallet
new birthday gift from paymon
eat moe
eat moe what
eat moe moes
breaking in the glove
shaggin fly balls
the old field not the new ones
argue with kim
but just for fun
its a brother sister thing
play a game
see my real sister
no arguing at all
meat loaf
for free
thanks Jay-Long
screwed out of scene-it
the disparity is humorous...
to them
my music videos
my fish
my bed
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
TV Tuesday
I tried to post this last week, but for some reason blogspot was mad at me and wouldn't post it...so here goes another try.
There have been some great TV shows this season. I will be posting my top ten shows of the season coming up in just a few weeks as all of the finales finish airing. However, it's never too early to hand out the awards for most disappointing shows of the season. Here is my vote for 5 shows that should have shut down production a while back. But I am not one to complain about a problem and then not offer a solution. So, with each kick in the seat I give these shows I will also hand out free advice on how these shows could regain their glory.
5. CSI Miami
While big brother over in Vegas has turned in an excellent year with exciting new plot lines (Warrick getting married) and even better story telling inventions (like the episode from the view of the killer) CSI Miami has taken a steep fall. Horatio is still one of my favorite TV detectives, but the murders have gotten a bit stale. Sharks, night club murders, and lifestyles of the rich and famous can only be done so many times. It's time that this show goes to the next level by re-tooling the cast a bit and throwing in some fresh writers with new perspectives. I like the idea behind the CSI lab mole, however there hasn't been enough attention given to the story to warrant a frenzy around the finale.
4. Desperate Housewives
I fab four have been great. I love that Bree has fallen so far and that Gabby has shown a softer side. I think Tom and Lynette's marriage is one of the most realistic on television. And Susan is a shit-storm waiting to happen. But if they do nothing else next season, get rid of Betty Applewhite and her ridiculous family. Nothing has hurt the momentum of the show more. D.H. Was hit harder by the sophomore slump than any show on TV, but slowly it has regained it's groove and has become flashy and exciting all over again. I think the reintroduction of a season long story arc might be the best cure. What made season one tick has not been present this time around.
3. Nip/Tuck
This one is easy to figure out, never ever mention the carver(s) again and this show will be just fine. After a two year lay-off the show came back with a buzz and went out with a bust. The characters are so perfectly flawed that Ryan Murphy doesn't need to adjust anything except that horrible story line. I hear the new season in September will feature a new character who will be involved in a more business-like relationship with Christian and Sean. I can't wait.
2. The O.C.
They began by introducing the clones. (Johnny and Chilli) Then they made one of the clones, Johnny, the focal point of the show for half the season. And now Marissa is sleeping with the clone's worst enemy!?! This show is at its best when it features Seth, Summer, and Ryan. Although I still think Ryan could punch people a little less. Sandy is still a great character and it is great to see him as a real person this season with major ethical issues blowing up in his face. I think Marissa's story line has run it's course and if the rumors are true about Mischa not being a series regular next year then the show is well on its way to righting the ship. I hear we get more Taylor next season, whoo hoo. But we also have to deal with more of Marissa's sister, booo!
1. 24
There is probably nothing that this show could ever do that would make me watch it again. I have given up and thrown in the towel. I will see it through til the end of the season, but like a lame duck manager in college basketball I don't give a crap any more. If I were coming back with Jack for another year I would suggest that the show move locations. That they remove CTU from the equation all together. And that they quit writing the show from week to week and get back to writing it in 6-7 episode blocks like the first year. The show is called 24, not CTU. And until they realize this, the show is going to remain one of the most overrated and unlikeable shows on television.
OUT
There have been some great TV shows this season. I will be posting my top ten shows of the season coming up in just a few weeks as all of the finales finish airing. However, it's never too early to hand out the awards for most disappointing shows of the season. Here is my vote for 5 shows that should have shut down production a while back. But I am not one to complain about a problem and then not offer a solution. So, with each kick in the seat I give these shows I will also hand out free advice on how these shows could regain their glory.
5. CSI Miami
While big brother over in Vegas has turned in an excellent year with exciting new plot lines (Warrick getting married) and even better story telling inventions (like the episode from the view of the killer) CSI Miami has taken a steep fall. Horatio is still one of my favorite TV detectives, but the murders have gotten a bit stale. Sharks, night club murders, and lifestyles of the rich and famous can only be done so many times. It's time that this show goes to the next level by re-tooling the cast a bit and throwing in some fresh writers with new perspectives. I like the idea behind the CSI lab mole, however there hasn't been enough attention given to the story to warrant a frenzy around the finale.
4. Desperate Housewives
I fab four have been great. I love that Bree has fallen so far and that Gabby has shown a softer side. I think Tom and Lynette's marriage is one of the most realistic on television. And Susan is a shit-storm waiting to happen. But if they do nothing else next season, get rid of Betty Applewhite and her ridiculous family. Nothing has hurt the momentum of the show more. D.H. Was hit harder by the sophomore slump than any show on TV, but slowly it has regained it's groove and has become flashy and exciting all over again. I think the reintroduction of a season long story arc might be the best cure. What made season one tick has not been present this time around.
3. Nip/Tuck
This one is easy to figure out, never ever mention the carver(s) again and this show will be just fine. After a two year lay-off the show came back with a buzz and went out with a bust. The characters are so perfectly flawed that Ryan Murphy doesn't need to adjust anything except that horrible story line. I hear the new season in September will feature a new character who will be involved in a more business-like relationship with Christian and Sean. I can't wait.
2. The O.C.
They began by introducing the clones. (Johnny and Chilli) Then they made one of the clones, Johnny, the focal point of the show for half the season. And now Marissa is sleeping with the clone's worst enemy!?! This show is at its best when it features Seth, Summer, and Ryan. Although I still think Ryan could punch people a little less. Sandy is still a great character and it is great to see him as a real person this season with major ethical issues blowing up in his face. I think Marissa's story line has run it's course and if the rumors are true about Mischa not being a series regular next year then the show is well on its way to righting the ship. I hear we get more Taylor next season, whoo hoo. But we also have to deal with more of Marissa's sister, booo!
1. 24
There is probably nothing that this show could ever do that would make me watch it again. I have given up and thrown in the towel. I will see it through til the end of the season, but like a lame duck manager in college basketball I don't give a crap any more. If I were coming back with Jack for another year I would suggest that the show move locations. That they remove CTU from the equation all together. And that they quit writing the show from week to week and get back to writing it in 6-7 episode blocks like the first year. The show is called 24, not CTU. And until they realize this, the show is going to remain one of the most overrated and unlikeable shows on television.
OUT
Friday, May 05, 2006
Five For Friday
Occassionally I put my MP3 player on random when I am getting ready in the morning. I just like to see what songs it will play. It tells me if I am going to have a good day that day. It is like my own personal fortune cookie or tarot reading or something.
Here are the 5 songs it played for me this morning. Tell me what kind of day you think I am having.
1. Hydroponic by 311
2. No Sleep Til Brooklyn by Beastie Boys
3. Pranging by The Streets
4. Wasted and Ready by Ben Kweller
5. Gin and Juice by Snoop
I think something out there is telling me that I should just get high and forget today all together. Hydroponic is about smokin' the herb, Prang is a slang word for cocaine, Wasted and Ready and Gin and Juice are pretty self explanatory, and No Sleep Til Brooklyn describes my recent bouts of insomnia. Huh.
OUT
Here are the 5 songs it played for me this morning. Tell me what kind of day you think I am having.
1. Hydroponic by 311
2. No Sleep Til Brooklyn by Beastie Boys
3. Pranging by The Streets
4. Wasted and Ready by Ben Kweller
5. Gin and Juice by Snoop
I think something out there is telling me that I should just get high and forget today all together. Hydroponic is about smokin' the herb, Prang is a slang word for cocaine, Wasted and Ready and Gin and Juice are pretty self explanatory, and No Sleep Til Brooklyn describes my recent bouts of insomnia. Huh.
OUT
Friday is my Die Day
Bom Bom Bom
by The Living Things
by The Living Things
We're gonna wake this city tonight
Oh, watch it burn into the twilight
I said hey, hey, hey this is our birthright
To be bought and sold, shipped off ready to die. We're ready to fight.
We're going bom bom bom. Bom bom away bom.
Bom bom, bom bom.
We go bom bom, bom bom away bom. Bom bom, bom bom.
I can't drink or drive a tank at nineteen
So I set off to join the U.S. Army
The first time I left my country
I felt the desert sand marchin' under my feet. Come march with me.
We're going bom bom bom. Bom bom away bom.
Bom bom, bom bom.
We go bom bom, bom bom away bom. Bom bom, bom bom.
We're gonna take this city tonight
We're gonna shake this city 'til broad daylight
We're gonna take this city tonight
We're gonna shake this city 'til broad daylight
Shake it. Oh shake it.
I said: No NYC, Los Angeles
No Saint Louis, no New Orleans
No you and me, no you and me, no sympathy
Cause we're gonna bring them, bring them to their knees
We go bom bom bom, bom bom away bom. Bom bom, bom bom.
We go bom bom, bom bom away bom. Bom bom, bom bom.
We're gonna take this city tonight
We're gonna shake this city 'til broad daylight
We're gonna take this city tonight
We're gonna shake this city 'til broad daylight
Shake it. No brights lights, no more big city.
Shake it. No brights lights, no more big city.
Shake it. No brights lights, no more big city.
Shake it. No brights lights, no more big city.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
What about sanity is so great?
I have this unusual need to play it safe. Like for example, I know not to take a stroll down Summer Avenue near Tillman after dark. It's not safe for a nice boy like me! I know that there are inherent dangers looming behind the darkness and I don't want to be robbed, shot, kidnapped, or killed. My sanity allows me to make choices like staying home or waiting until morning to walk through those parts of town. It is an ability that I guess I take for granted...at the same time, is my sanity as much a curse as it is a treasure?
See, I find myself playing it safe way too often. This is an on-going struggle within myself and no matter which side wins, safety or risk, I know that it is only one small battle in a life long war taking place in my brain. If I chose to take a risk today, I will likely chose to play it safe the next ten times.
I am beginning to feel like I am making choices today that are shaping the rest of my life. I get the sensation that with every safe play I make I am digging up a shovel full of dirt. And another. And another. And eventually I am going to be standing in a hole so deep from playing it safe that I will never be able to get out of it.
Maybe this is not a new idea to most of you, I'm not sure. It is something that I have been struggling with for several years, but more so than ever in the past few months.
Monday I was talking with my dad and he told me that it looks like I might need to start saving for a new roof. Well, I am a long ways from having enough money saved up to buy a new roof on my house. So I told him that I was thinking about putting my house back on the market. He bounced back and forth with the pros and cons, but never really picked one side or the other. My grandmother who was there with us thought that selling the house was the best idea ever, but her input is not that highly valued as she rarely knows what we are talking about in the first place. All she could think about was how horrible it is that I now have "mexicans and ni**ers" living next to me.
When my dad and I were done talking I was more confused than ever. Should I sell my house or not? It's not like I am selling it to get out of Memphis as most of my job opportunities in other parts of the country seem to be fading away. But by selling it I am free to come and go as I please. As a renter I would also gain the freedom of knowing that if a new roof is needed, hey, I don't have to pay for it.
I digress...the point is, the house that I own is a great excuse for me to still be stuck in Memphis. As long as I have it, I can't really leave. At the same time the house is a bit of a burden and if I sold it in the near future it is unlikely that I would actually leave all of my friends and family behind anyway. (But with that logic isn't it smarter to just keep the house??? Geez, I am just confusing myself more.)
I think a lot of my worries are stemming from my need to drastically change my life every couple of years. I get into this mood every so often where I am tired of complacent living and I do something drastic to shake things up and then I am happy for a while longer.
Maybe I should simply count my blessings. I have a great roomie. I have a pretty decent job and I can still afford all of my bills. I have great friends and a supportive family. Could the fact that I have things so good and I am obviously trying to sabatoge myself be a sign that I am not quite as sane as I have given myself credit for? Hmmmm.
Out
See, I find myself playing it safe way too often. This is an on-going struggle within myself and no matter which side wins, safety or risk, I know that it is only one small battle in a life long war taking place in my brain. If I chose to take a risk today, I will likely chose to play it safe the next ten times.
I am beginning to feel like I am making choices today that are shaping the rest of my life. I get the sensation that with every safe play I make I am digging up a shovel full of dirt. And another. And another. And eventually I am going to be standing in a hole so deep from playing it safe that I will never be able to get out of it.
Maybe this is not a new idea to most of you, I'm not sure. It is something that I have been struggling with for several years, but more so than ever in the past few months.
Monday I was talking with my dad and he told me that it looks like I might need to start saving for a new roof. Well, I am a long ways from having enough money saved up to buy a new roof on my house. So I told him that I was thinking about putting my house back on the market. He bounced back and forth with the pros and cons, but never really picked one side or the other. My grandmother who was there with us thought that selling the house was the best idea ever, but her input is not that highly valued as she rarely knows what we are talking about in the first place. All she could think about was how horrible it is that I now have "mexicans and ni**ers" living next to me.
When my dad and I were done talking I was more confused than ever. Should I sell my house or not? It's not like I am selling it to get out of Memphis as most of my job opportunities in other parts of the country seem to be fading away. But by selling it I am free to come and go as I please. As a renter I would also gain the freedom of knowing that if a new roof is needed, hey, I don't have to pay for it.
I digress...the point is, the house that I own is a great excuse for me to still be stuck in Memphis. As long as I have it, I can't really leave. At the same time the house is a bit of a burden and if I sold it in the near future it is unlikely that I would actually leave all of my friends and family behind anyway. (But with that logic isn't it smarter to just keep the house??? Geez, I am just confusing myself more.)
I think a lot of my worries are stemming from my need to drastically change my life every couple of years. I get into this mood every so often where I am tired of complacent living and I do something drastic to shake things up and then I am happy for a while longer.
Maybe I should simply count my blessings. I have a great roomie. I have a pretty decent job and I can still afford all of my bills. I have great friends and a supportive family. Could the fact that I have things so good and I am obviously trying to sabatoge myself be a sign that I am not quite as sane as I have given myself credit for? Hmmmm.
Out
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Mission Impossible III
So, is there any chance of this movie not sucking? I'm not sure. I am not a big fan of action movies. I hated Armageddon, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and so forth and so on. I mean I used to love a good action flick, hell T-2 is one of the greatest action films of all time. But the latest Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg blockbuster, War of the Worlds, was less than stellar. And if those two can't get it right then who can?
I did kind of like The Island, but apparently me and a small group of my friends were the only ones.
I am heading out to see MI3 this weekend and I really hope that it is going to be good. I enjoyed the first two and I am hoping that the third will be up to par. I decided to make a positives and negatives list so that I will be in the right frame of mind to kick off Summer Blockbuster Season.
Why this movie will suck:
1. Tom Cruise-He's a freak and he has made it nearly impossible to watch him on the screen without remembering something insane that he's done lately. For example, did you guys read that he cooked and ate the placenta and umbilical cord following his wife's delivery!
2. Sequels-They never live up to the hype. The second Mission wasn't as good as the first and usually a third helping of a film is just re-heated leftovers.
3. History- Action movies have just been bad lately. I refuse to get my hopes up. Hollywood has yet to prove that it has broken the recent slump.
The reasons why it is going to be awesome:
1. JJ Abrams- Anyone who knows JJ knows that he is going to put the best product possible out there. The Lost creator is never going to let his cult following down.
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman- The guy is the greatest character actor of our time. If he accepted the role then you had better believe that the script was up to par.
3. Tom Cruise- Nevermind his cooky personal life, the guy cranks out hits. Let's forget Vanilla Sky for a few seconds and count his many triumphs. And that whole War of the Worlds thing, it wasn't his fault. He did a really great job and played out of character just a bit.
So, it looks like only time will tell. Mission Impossible III could be the great kick start to a box office resurgence or it could be the bell toll for a long Summer at the movies.
OUT
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