Cultureshark Recommends

Every now and then I like to add a big, heaping dose of positivity to this blog and use the space to promote some stuff I like.

*Assault in the Ring: This is an excellent HBO Sports documentary running now about a 1983 boxing match between veteran Luis Resto and rising contender Billy Collins. Resto's gloves were tampered with--much of the padding was removed--and Collins absorbed a brutal beating in the fight, a mauling which led to severe injury, the end of his career, and arguably his death in a reckless auto accident shortly afterwards.

The film explores the culpability for the tampering, focusing on Resto, a shell of a man since the incident, and his old trainer Panama Lewis, a real boxing character if ever there was one (In boxing, "character" often means "sleazeball." At first, you wonder how in the world they can get nearly 90 minutes out of this incident, but the movie takes you through a series of amazing turns as the filmmakers try to get to the truth. It's a sports movie that becomes increasingly personal and penetrating; a gripping, emotional work that appeals to boxing fans, lapsed boxing fans, and non-fans--my wife watched most of this with me and enjoyed it. Another fantastic addition to the roster of notable HBO Sports documentaries.

*Wednesday Comics: I have heard that DC Comics weekly tabloid-sized newspaper-insert-like comics assortment is not selling well, or at least is declining steadily. That's a shame because, whatever else DC is up to, the company really has something here. The sheer size of it makes this unique, and it's enjoyable to just lay out each week's issue and stare at the 16 regular features. The format and the white gutter space makes the art and the color stand out, and it's easy to be absorbed by the spectacle of it. Plus the stories are pretty cool, too. There is a great variety of "strips," each feature a page long each issue, with war heroes like Sgt. Rock in there alongside Kamandi (which plays like a throwback to classic adventure strips of yore) and standard superheroes like Superman and Batman. Check out the Flash/Iris West feature which pays homage to romance strips. Overall, "Wednesday Comics" is something many old-timers wish more comics were today: FUN.

*Michael and Michael Have Issues: I think Comedy Central ended its short run of this series last week, but I hope more is on the way. Unfortunately, it looks like this another funny but low-rated effort from "The State" vets Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. This time out, they're sketch show stars who feud with each other during the production of their series. The gimmick is that we see some of the sketch segments, but those are much less interesting than the "behind the scenes" material. It's solid if not spectacular show, with the two Michaels hilariously petty and selfish and mean to each other. I don't think this batch of episodes quite fulfilled the potential of the premise, but I'd like to see more.

*Carson's Comedy Classics: I have no idea why Reelz Channel (Motto: TV about Movies) is running the old syndicated half-hour package of comedy skits from "The Tonight Show," but I check it out from time to time. Some pieces are funny, some are awful, some are fun for the time capsule aspect or the guest stars...but I really love Carnac. Even though it's the same formula every time, I love watching it: The corniness of the punchlines, the mock irritation with which Carson as Carnac treats Ed McMahon, the insults he levies at the audience when it cheers the announcement of "the last envelope"--it works for me just about every time. If you get Reelz, look for this one to pop up several times each weekday.

*Aaron Barnhart's story on the late night talk show scene (Click here): One of many analyses of the late night situation now that Jay Leno is on the verge of launching his 10:00 P.M. show. I've read "K.C. Star" critic Barnhart before, and he's a savvy observer, but I give credit to Mark Evanier for tipping us off about this piece and for adding his own comments. Evanier doesn't often do the longer-form kind of stories such as Barnhart's, but he always has an interesting take on any given late-night TV development in his always-essential blog. I'll tell you one thing about all this: For about 10 years now, I've been way more interested in following the "late night wars" than in actually watching the shows.