I compiled some sports-related "Shark Bytes"-ish comments into a single post. If you aren't into sports, though, feel free to turn right to the page with the horoscopes and the Jumble.
*I don't know why so many of us thought that Fox Sports 1 might provide a decent alternative to ESPN's Sportscenter, but we kind of did. My early thoughts are that the clutter is too much, the highlights are too little. and I can do without the panel segments. I haven't seen much of the personalities yet, but I just don't think there's anyone there besides Charissa Thompson who is compelling enough to keep me from changing the channel. That said, I like the idea of someone making an effort to give the Worldwide Leader some competition.
*I caught a little bit of ESPN2's new "Olbermann" the other night. This show stars former Sportscenter anchor...Larry Biel. No, it's Keith Olbermann, of course, and he is full-on Olbermann for better or worse. I thought what I saw was pretty good, but I was puzzled that he led off with a Johnny Manziel monologue, then had John McEnroe on to talk about Johnn Manziel. I love Johnny Mac, and it was a decent enough chat, but it was in the middle of the U.S. Open. Eventually Keith thanked McEnroe for leaving the tournament early to come to the studio, and I thought, "OK, next segment, they'll talk about tennis." But, nope, that was it! Maybe Tim Tebow will buy a racket and start taking lessons, and then the sport will be important enough to be spotlighted on ESPN's main shows.
*At some point it became acceptable for announcers and sports journalists to talk about "my" team, meaning the teams they root for. That was a terrible point in sports media history. I think hearing some guy talk about "my Patriots" or whoever in the middle of an analysis segment is even worse than hearing him talk about players being on his fantasy team.
*I have long hated the Philadelphia Eagles so much I don't even want to sit through their games long enough to root for their opponent, but with Chip Kelly putting in a fast-paced offense, the team might actually be fun to watch. That's good to know as we get ready for the weekly NFC East Game of the Week on Fox and NBC.
*I don't know if I can ever be more than a casual college football fan again. It's the combination of what happened at Penn State ("my" Penn State, that is) and the idiocy of the NCAA and all the off-field nonsense. Oh, well. I still check out the games when I can.
*Fascinating story by Don Van Natta for ESPN on the possibility of Bobby Riggs throwing the infamous Battle of the Sexes tennis match with Billie Jean King. I feel sorry for King, who has been proud of her victory for years and now has to confront the possibility that Riggs tanked to settle gambling debts. "Outside the Lines" had a good piece on this story. Hey, you know what would have improved it, though? Inviting John McEnroe to come on and give his take...on Johnny Manziel.
*This is a dumb thing to place as the seventh bullet point, but the one thing that annoys me about the advent of football season is how many people are willing to kick baseball to the curb.
*I've been waiting for the cheapskate special on MLB.TV. Last year, membership from September 1 to the end of the season was only $10. This year, the special is in effect now, and it's $20. I don't even think there's any discount there. It might just be a prorated amount based on the regular season price. Point being, it really isn't a cheapskate special at all. MLB, I guess you don't want my money, or at least the small amount of money I was willing to give you after not paying you all season for the regular version of your product. Well, fine, then!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
This Week in DVD and Instant Watching
Pain and Gain: Mark Wahlberg IS Frank Pain. The Rock IS Bob Gain. Together, they are...
You knw, Michael Bay has directed a lot of movies with a lot of explosions and a lot of fantastical visuals, but I don't think any of his films ever had a special effect more ridiculous than Rock's physique in "Pain and Gain."
The Great Gatsby: I know, I know, I loved the book, too. But let's look at the bigger picture: Leo DiCaprio doing this one meant one less movie in which Martin Scorcese could cast him.
To Be or Not to Be: Criterion Collection: I guess this will have to tie us over until the Criterion Collection edition of "The Horn Blows at Midnight" arrives. I love Jack Benny, and I love Carole Lombard, but I only liked this Lubitsch classic the first time I saw it. I'd like to revisit it at some point, but I don't see anything about this release that would make me ditch the previous Warner Brothers release. Still, this has been a pretty good year for Jack Benny fans.
Walking Dead Season 3: Well, I fell off watching this show, but I feel like it's a waste of time listing this DVD release since, if the ratings are accurate, 9 out of 10 of you have already ever seen every episode 5 times.
Grey's Anatomy Season 9: Season 9? I've run out of things to say...much like the series has, I presume.
Best of Warner Bros 25 Cartoon Collection: DC Comics: Hey, I hope this DVD has the one where Aquaman talks to the fish.
Sorry, I keep forgetting if it's hip to sincerely like Aquaman, to sincerely dislike Aquaman, to sincerely like him but pretend you dislike him, or to sincerely dislike him but pretend to like him.
Turns out, this collection is a sampler of the 1980s on and doesn't include any of those old 1960s shorts (such as the Aquaman ones). It looks like a decent overview of the modern era, but just be aware that this doesn't go back any further than late-era Super Friends.
And in Instant Watching:
Several ABC season 2's arrive: Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Scandal. Hey, I've read several things lately that make me think I might like "Scandal."
OK, go ahead and watch Dredd now that it's probably too late to make much money for this cool, underappreciated comic book adaptation. Yeah, go ahead and see it, you freeloaders. Just remember the early adopters who actually paid money to go see it in the theater and support the thing (And, uh, people like me who paid a buck and change to get it from Redbox).
Lego movies and shows: I remain fascinated that these are a thing. I had my money on Shrinky Dinks being the multimedia breakout.
The Road: I think that's what we all need: Instant access to a bleak, depressing, unrelentingly grim couple hours of misery. You know, in case we don't happen to have any copies of Grey's Anatomy Season 9.
You knw, Michael Bay has directed a lot of movies with a lot of explosions and a lot of fantastical visuals, but I don't think any of his films ever had a special effect more ridiculous than Rock's physique in "Pain and Gain."
The Great Gatsby: I know, I know, I loved the book, too. But let's look at the bigger picture: Leo DiCaprio doing this one meant one less movie in which Martin Scorcese could cast him.
To Be or Not to Be: Criterion Collection: I guess this will have to tie us over until the Criterion Collection edition of "The Horn Blows at Midnight" arrives. I love Jack Benny, and I love Carole Lombard, but I only liked this Lubitsch classic the first time I saw it. I'd like to revisit it at some point, but I don't see anything about this release that would make me ditch the previous Warner Brothers release. Still, this has been a pretty good year for Jack Benny fans.
Walking Dead Season 3: Well, I fell off watching this show, but I feel like it's a waste of time listing this DVD release since, if the ratings are accurate, 9 out of 10 of you have already ever seen every episode 5 times.
Grey's Anatomy Season 9: Season 9? I've run out of things to say...much like the series has, I presume.
Best of Warner Bros 25 Cartoon Collection: DC Comics: Hey, I hope this DVD has the one where Aquaman talks to the fish.
Sorry, I keep forgetting if it's hip to sincerely like Aquaman, to sincerely dislike Aquaman, to sincerely like him but pretend you dislike him, or to sincerely dislike him but pretend to like him.
Turns out, this collection is a sampler of the 1980s on and doesn't include any of those old 1960s shorts (such as the Aquaman ones). It looks like a decent overview of the modern era, but just be aware that this doesn't go back any further than late-era Super Friends.
And in Instant Watching:
Several ABC season 2's arrive: Once Upon a Time, Revenge, and Scandal. Hey, I've read several things lately that make me think I might like "Scandal."
OK, go ahead and watch Dredd now that it's probably too late to make much money for this cool, underappreciated comic book adaptation. Yeah, go ahead and see it, you freeloaders. Just remember the early adopters who actually paid money to go see it in the theater and support the thing (And, uh, people like me who paid a buck and change to get it from Redbox).
Lego movies and shows: I remain fascinated that these are a thing. I had my money on Shrinky Dinks being the multimedia breakout.
The Road: I think that's what we all need: Instant access to a bleak, depressing, unrelentingly grim couple hours of misery. You know, in case we don't happen to have any copies of Grey's Anatomy Season 9.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Don't think of it as self-promotion...(ClassicFlix)
Think of it as a public service to you, because after you skim my latest piece, you can dig in and look at all the great columns and reviews available, not to mention the tons of DVDs available.
This is my way of telling you my latest ClassicFlix review, a look at a Soupy Sales collection,is now available on the site. Remember, tell 'em Cultureshark sent you...
http://www.classicflix.com/beta/Soupy-Sales-In-Living-Black-and-White-r-849.html
Soupy Sales - In Living Black and White
I'm not sure you can really "get" Soupy Sales if you didn't grow up watching him, but I think you can certainly appreciate him. The very notion of a local kids' TV show host, let alone one who runs a ship as loose as this, seems outlandish in today's era of homogenized children's programming. Sure, there are children's cartoons that aim to appeal to grown-ups with a sly reference here and there, but as cheap-looking as modern animation can be, nothing outside of public access is as ramshackle as The Soupy Sales Show. You know what, though? To me, that crude "What the hey?" kind of attitude is the whole charm of it.
Not a lot of vintage Soupy Sales material is (read more)
This is my way of telling you my latest ClassicFlix review, a look at a Soupy Sales collection,is now available on the site. Remember, tell 'em Cultureshark sent you...
http://www.classicflix.com/beta/Soupy-Sales-In-Living-Black-and-White-r-849.html
Featured Reviews
I'm not sure you can really "get" Soupy Sales if you didn't grow up watching him, but I think you can certainly appreciate him. The very notion of a local kids' TV show host, let alone one who runs a ship as loose as this, seems outlandish in today's era of homogenized children's programming. Sure, there are children's cartoons that aim to appeal to grown-ups with a sly reference here and there, but as cheap-looking as modern animation can be, nothing outside of public access is as ramshackle as The Soupy Sales Show. You know what, though? To me, that crude "What the hey?" kind of attitude is the whole charm of it.
Not a lot of vintage Soupy Sales material is (read more)
Awesome 80's Video EXTRA--check this out
I got a cool shout-out on Twitter the other day, and since I am still inept and inactive there, I am acknowledging it here. Plus I want to call your attention to it because I think if you are enjoying the Awesome 80's Video posts, you will love author Marc Tyler Nobleman's ongoing interview project, "The Girl in the Video":
In case the link doesn't work there--hey, I'm as inept at cutting and pasting as I am at Twitter--go here to read the set-up for these "original interviews with MTV icons." He has already tracked down some great familiar faces, and it seems we can expect an appearance from the lovely lady who appears in this video:
http://cultureshark.blogspot.com/2013/08/awesome-80s-video-2-i-cant-hold-back-by.html
I have enjoyed Marc's blog for some time now--I'm not just saying that because he Tweeted me--and unfortunately I lost track when Google Reader evaporated, and so I had missed this. What a fantastic idea! Go to the site now, check this out, and while you're there, look at the other cool stuff he has posted. Best of luck to you on this series, Marc!
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In case the link doesn't work there--hey, I'm as inept at cutting and pasting as I am at Twitter--go here to read the set-up for these "original interviews with MTV icons." He has already tracked down some great familiar faces, and it seems we can expect an appearance from the lovely lady who appears in this video:
http://cultureshark.blogspot.com/2013/08/awesome-80s-video-2-i-cant-hold-back-by.html
I have enjoyed Marc's blog for some time now--I'm not just saying that because he Tweeted me--and unfortunately I lost track when Google Reader evaporated, and so I had missed this. What a fantastic idea! Go to the site now, check this out, and while you're there, look at the other cool stuff he has posted. Best of luck to you on this series, Marc!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Launch of FXX proves we have too many cable channels
On Labor Day, Fox is turning Fox Soccer into FXX, a spinoff of FX designed to get more of those coveted 18-34-year-old whippersnappers' eyeballs that advertisers covet. While eventually we will likely see some new originals, the launch schedule is built around a bunch of recycled comedies. Apart from the anchor "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," there is very little appointment programming here. In fact, though there are some quality shows on display, the whole schedule indicates that Fox really doesn't need another channel. Well, perhaps it NEEDS to make all the money it can, but I mean we as viewers don't need it. I wish they would have just made FX better.
"Sunny" moves to FXX from FX this season, and it's aging but still a buzzworthy program, so I consider that a big deal. I'm not a fan of "The League," but it's another established series making the move, so from 10pm to 11pm on Wednesdays, FXX is relevant. But elsewhere in primetime, it's reruns and--yawn--a predictable assortment of edited-for-TV movies.
Let's go to the Sitcoms Online article for more info, shall we? As usual, Pavan writes a great post about a lame network. He mentions that the network debuts with a "Parks and Recreation" marathon. OK, again, I'm not a fan, but I know it has a following. But look what else the article says: "It will also be on WGN America this fall and the upcoming new network Esquire." Right away, FXX loses some of its cachet. This trend of multiple channels airing the same program is a good indicator that we have too many channels. Of course, they could try innovative and different programming ideas, but...nah, we know that's not gonna happen. Case in point: the rest of FXX's lineup.
"Spin City" airs from 7am to 9am 7 days a week. This show was previously seen on, as the article notes, FX! The next two hours are filled by "Mad About You," followed by an hour of "The Hughleys." "Mad" seems to pop up every two years or so, fail, and then go back to the sidelines. Maybe FXX will have good luck with it. "The Hughleys" is hardly an exciting acquisition, but at least it hasn't been played to death and wasn't just punted over from FX. Noon brings reruns of late night talk show "Totally Biased," and then at 12:30, it's..."The Hughleys" again? Aren't there more sitcoms to fill the half-hours?
Yes, there are, and we get them in hour blocks from 1pm to 5pm: "Sports Night," "Arrested Develoment," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Parks and Recreation." Then it's more "Totally Biased," and then it's "Anger Management" reruns and sometims MORE "Parks and Rec."
There isn't a single new and exciting program to anticipate here. The flagship offering was on FX, so it's not like fans will hail this new network for making its continued presence possible. If anything, this network's existence weakens FX. To me this is just another sign that, yes, we have too many cable channels.
"Sunny" moves to FXX from FX this season, and it's aging but still a buzzworthy program, so I consider that a big deal. I'm not a fan of "The League," but it's another established series making the move, so from 10pm to 11pm on Wednesdays, FXX is relevant. But elsewhere in primetime, it's reruns and--yawn--a predictable assortment of edited-for-TV movies.
Let's go to the Sitcoms Online article for more info, shall we? As usual, Pavan writes a great post about a lame network. He mentions that the network debuts with a "Parks and Recreation" marathon. OK, again, I'm not a fan, but I know it has a following. But look what else the article says: "It will also be on WGN America this fall and the upcoming new network Esquire." Right away, FXX loses some of its cachet. This trend of multiple channels airing the same program is a good indicator that we have too many channels. Of course, they could try innovative and different programming ideas, but...nah, we know that's not gonna happen. Case in point: the rest of FXX's lineup.
"Spin City" airs from 7am to 9am 7 days a week. This show was previously seen on, as the article notes, FX! The next two hours are filled by "Mad About You," followed by an hour of "The Hughleys." "Mad" seems to pop up every two years or so, fail, and then go back to the sidelines. Maybe FXX will have good luck with it. "The Hughleys" is hardly an exciting acquisition, but at least it hasn't been played to death and wasn't just punted over from FX. Noon brings reruns of late night talk show "Totally Biased," and then at 12:30, it's..."The Hughleys" again? Aren't there more sitcoms to fill the half-hours?
Yes, there are, and we get them in hour blocks from 1pm to 5pm: "Sports Night," "Arrested Develoment," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Parks and Recreation." Then it's more "Totally Biased," and then it's "Anger Management" reruns and sometims MORE "Parks and Rec."
There isn't a single new and exciting program to anticipate here. The flagship offering was on FX, so it's not like fans will hail this new network for making its continued presence possible. If anything, this network's existence weakens FX. To me this is just another sign that, yes, we have too many cable channels.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Warner Instant update
My recent overview of the new Warner Archive Instant streaming service is my most-viewed post of the summer, so I thought I'd add a few notes here:
*The flow of new titles continues to be consistent, with 12-15 movies added each week, and not many (that I know of) being dropped.
*Lately the concentration seems to be on the late 50s through 70s era, with a lot of interesting genre titles like "The Giant Behemoth" arriving in recent weeks. Personally I'd like to see more 1930s and 1940s efforts, and I think that time period's selection could definitely be beefed up.
*That said, I'd probably be happy if they just kept adding Monogram and Allied Artists titles.
*This isn't the first time nor the first streaming service on which this happened to me, but I saw an interesting new add last week and thought, "Oh, I'll have to watch that," only to realize after a few minutes that, "Wait, I already own that on DVD." Oops.
*The TV selection still gets only sporadic updates, but I buried what for me is the most exciting tidbit: In a recent chat with Reddit, Warner Archive head honcho George Feltenstein gave a scoop: Coming soon to Instant are "Bronk" with Jack Palance--not a big shock since that was listed as coming soon earlier--and the 1970s Danny Thomas sitcom "The Practice!" Whichever month that arrives, I will gladly fork over my 10 bucks just to see that one.
*The flow of new titles continues to be consistent, with 12-15 movies added each week, and not many (that I know of) being dropped.
*Lately the concentration seems to be on the late 50s through 70s era, with a lot of interesting genre titles like "The Giant Behemoth" arriving in recent weeks. Personally I'd like to see more 1930s and 1940s efforts, and I think that time period's selection could definitely be beefed up.
*That said, I'd probably be happy if they just kept adding Monogram and Allied Artists titles.
*This isn't the first time nor the first streaming service on which this happened to me, but I saw an interesting new add last week and thought, "Oh, I'll have to watch that," only to realize after a few minutes that, "Wait, I already own that on DVD." Oops.
*The TV selection still gets only sporadic updates, but I buried what for me is the most exciting tidbit: In a recent chat with Reddit, Warner Archive head honcho George Feltenstein gave a scoop: Coming soon to Instant are "Bronk" with Jack Palance--not a big shock since that was listed as coming soon earlier--and the 1970s Danny Thomas sitcom "The Practice!" Whichever month that arrives, I will gladly fork over my 10 bucks just to see that one.
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