Last week, I heard a few radio ads for TNT: We Know Drama. The ads were virtually identical except they switched the order of the shows they were hyping.
First up: New series "Trust Me," starring Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanaugh as ad guys. " In introducing us to these gents, the announcer makes assertions about the characters which they then disprove with their own dialogue snippets. Oh, so ironic and funny, right? And in case we miss the point that this is funny, TNT helps us by playing "Feelin' Alright" in the background throughout, the universal musical shorthand for "off-kilter and irreverent" reinforcing the wackiness in store for us.
Then it's the hit show "The Closer." We're told that Kyra Sedgwick's Bobbie Jean Sugarbush (or whatever her name is) can chase down criminals...but can she walk down that aisle? Apparently there's a wedding in The Closer's future. Or is there? Again, in case we miss the comic overtones, there's another clue: a clip of The Closer playfully asking someone something like, "Are y'all ready for a little confession?"
TNT: They know drama?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Thank you, NFL!
We all get the Super Bowl match-up we wanted to see: Pittsburgh vs. Arizona. The nightmare scenario of a Philadelphia-Baltimore game did not materialize, and now I can comfortably enjoy both my mother-in-law's traditional big game buffet AND the game itself. Go Steelers!
(I wanted to thank God for keeping the Eagles out of the Super Bowl yesterday, but after a few minutes, I came to my senses and realized what a stupid and blasphemous act that would be. After all, any Higher Power that cared about football surely wouldn't have let Philadelphia get that close in the first place.)
(I wanted to thank God for keeping the Eagles out of the Super Bowl yesterday, but after a few minutes, I came to my senses and realized what a stupid and blasphemous act that would be. After all, any Higher Power that cared about football surely wouldn't have let Philadelphia get that close in the first place.)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
This Week in DVD
Last week I yearned for a more exciting week full o' DVD. Will I get it?
Doesn't look like it, but there is one clear winner of DVD of the Week. Dear readers, I present to you an early candidate for DVD of the Year:
Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach.
No, I haven't seen this yet, but the title alone should be sufficient proof of its greatness. But if ye need more, shall I mention the cast includes Randy Quaid, Seann William Scott. And on the cover, it looks like Scott has two giant tennis balls for testicles. Huh huh huh.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Why should I buy this now when I'll only be tempted to get the inevitable Criterion Collection edition in a few years?" That's a legitimate question, and I can only respond that a film so great DEMANDS not just multiple viewings, but multiple purchases.
I should probably link to an online retailer and set up some kind of some revenue sharing deal where I can reap the benefits from spotlighting this title, but, dear friends, just knowing I am exposing you to this gem is reward enough.
Anticlimactic though it is, let's look at some other DVDs out this week:
Appaloosa: I must admit that when I hear the words "thoughtful" and "meditative" in conjunction with a modern oater, part of me fears they are euphemisms for "boring." In this case, I'll bet Ed Harris' underseen Western got a bit of a raw deal on its theatrical release, and I'd like to check it out eventually.
Shut Up and Shoot: Speaking of great casts, this week there was a great banner ad somewhere, I believe DVD Talk, touting the roster of stars in this movie: Roddy Piper, Joe Estevez, niel Baldwin, Gary Busey, and others (not necessarily in that order). I have no idea what this movie is about, but does it really matter?
Breakfast at Tiffany's Paramount Centennial Collection: I'm not sure if that means it's celebrating 100 years of Paramount or if it's the 100th time this movie has been packaged on DVD. Maybe both.
Swing Vote: I'm kind of embarrassed to say I wouldn't mind seeing this Kevin Costner dud. Not as much as if I were to say I wouldn't mind certain other Kevin Costner duds, mind you, but I do feel a twinge of shame.
Doesn't look like it, but there is one clear winner of DVD of the Week. Dear readers, I present to you an early candidate for DVD of the Year:
Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach.
No, I haven't seen this yet, but the title alone should be sufficient proof of its greatness. But if ye need more, shall I mention the cast includes Randy Quaid, Seann William Scott. And on the cover, it looks like Scott has two giant tennis balls for testicles. Huh huh huh.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Why should I buy this now when I'll only be tempted to get the inevitable Criterion Collection edition in a few years?" That's a legitimate question, and I can only respond that a film so great DEMANDS not just multiple viewings, but multiple purchases.
I should probably link to an online retailer and set up some kind of some revenue sharing deal where I can reap the benefits from spotlighting this title, but, dear friends, just knowing I am exposing you to this gem is reward enough.
Anticlimactic though it is, let's look at some other DVDs out this week:
Appaloosa: I must admit that when I hear the words "thoughtful" and "meditative" in conjunction with a modern oater, part of me fears they are euphemisms for "boring." In this case, I'll bet Ed Harris' underseen Western got a bit of a raw deal on its theatrical release, and I'd like to check it out eventually.
Shut Up and Shoot: Speaking of great casts, this week there was a great banner ad somewhere, I believe DVD Talk, touting the roster of stars in this movie: Roddy Piper, Joe Estevez, niel Baldwin, Gary Busey, and others (not necessarily in that order). I have no idea what this movie is about, but does it really matter?
Breakfast at Tiffany's Paramount Centennial Collection: I'm not sure if that means it's celebrating 100 years of Paramount or if it's the 100th time this movie has been packaged on DVD. Maybe both.
Swing Vote: I'm kind of embarrassed to say I wouldn't mind seeing this Kevin Costner dud. Not as much as if I were to say I wouldn't mind certain other Kevin Costner duds, mind you, but I do feel a twinge of shame.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Panel Discussion: Comics were a bit faster then
Comic books sure were different in olden times. Check out the caption atop this panel from page 12 of "Amazing Spider-Man #5."
The glimpse of Spidey swinging around is cool enough, but I like that caption. Granted, this issue touted Spider-Man vs. Dr. Doom on the cover, and though we're 12 pages in, it hasn't happened yet, but I think it's hilarious that Smilin' Stan Lee feels obligated to apologize.
Look at it this way: We're only on page 12, but already:
*J. Jonah Jameson denounced the webslinger on TV.
*Doom recapped his last encounter with the Fantastic 4 and laid out his plan to recruit Spidey to battle them.
*Doom lured Webhead to his lair and had a conversation with him, followed by a brief skirmish before Spidey made a strategic retreat. Then Doom blew up the building and took off before Spider-Man went back in.
*Peter Parker sold his pictures of that building fire to Jameson and noticed Betty Brant sticking up for Spider-Man...and noticed "how pretty" she was.
*Flash Thompson and his friends set up an elaborate ruse to prank Parker, putting Flash in a Spider-Man costume.
*Doom mistakenly captured Flash.
*Doom seized the airwaves and broadcast a message that he was holding "Spider-Man" (really Flash) until the FF surrendered to him.
*Peter realized what happened and schemed to get out of the house despite the worrying, overprotective Aunt May's concerns.
Not bad for a prelude, I think.
The glimpse of Spidey swinging around is cool enough, but I like that caption. Granted, this issue touted Spider-Man vs. Dr. Doom on the cover, and though we're 12 pages in, it hasn't happened yet, but I think it's hilarious that Smilin' Stan Lee feels obligated to apologize.Look at it this way: We're only on page 12, but already:
*J. Jonah Jameson denounced the webslinger on TV.
*Doom recapped his last encounter with the Fantastic 4 and laid out his plan to recruit Spidey to battle them.
*Doom lured Webhead to his lair and had a conversation with him, followed by a brief skirmish before Spidey made a strategic retreat. Then Doom blew up the building and took off before Spider-Man went back in.
*Peter Parker sold his pictures of that building fire to Jameson and noticed Betty Brant sticking up for Spider-Man...and noticed "how pretty" she was.
*Flash Thompson and his friends set up an elaborate ruse to prank Parker, putting Flash in a Spider-Man costume.
*Doom mistakenly captured Flash.
*Doom seized the airwaves and broadcast a message that he was holding "Spider-Man" (really Flash) until the FF surrendered to him.
*Peter realized what happened and schemed to get out of the house despite the worrying, overprotective Aunt May's concerns.
Not bad for a prelude, I think.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
We're Not Married!
Sure, I love to write about The Wonderful World of TCM, but every now and then Fox Movie Channel shows an oldie and goodie as well. 1952's "We're Not Married" is an effective light comedy with a great cast, a fun premise, and a sharp script by Nunnally Johnson. FMC tends to be a bit liberal with the reruns, shall we say, so I recommend you check it out next time it's on.
The film consists of a series of vignettes spotlighting married couples who find out they're not married. You see, the bumbling judge (a perfect Victor Moore) who conducted their ceremonies a few year s ago did so before his appointment was official. So as the judge and his wife go down memory lane while preparing refunds for the couples they charged for the service, we see where each pair is and what happens when they (or one of them) gets the letter from the state telling them their marital status is not what they've assumed.
Opening and closing the film are the top-billed team of Fred and Ginger. That's right, it's the classic team of Ginger Rogers and Fred...Allen. You know the old saying--she gave him sex appeal, and he gave her sass. Though they're fun as ostensibly lovey-dovey radio co-hosts who bicker and sulk off air, I can't help but wish Allen were paired instead with Eve Arden, who is barely utilized in her vignette with Paul Douglas. I'd rather have seen her trade quips with Allen.
Check out these other names in the cast: Eddie Bracken, Louis Calhern, Jane Darwell, Zsa Zsa Gabor...oh, and some young dame named Marilyn Monroe might interest a few of the fellas out there.
It's no surprise that the movie, while poking fun at the institution of marriage and poking gentle fun at social mores that make (made?) it scandalous to, for example, birth a child out of wedlock, ultimately supports and approves the notion of matrimony. Indeed, this is one of those old-school films that would have to be drastically reworked were it made today, but not just because the prevailing morality is so different.
In today's society, what would be the first thing everyone would do if they found out two years after the fact their marriages had never been official? That's right: Sue, sue, sue. The husbands and wives of "We're Not Married" find ways to fix their sudden circumstances or even take advantage of them. In 2009, they'd fire off telegrams to their attorney as fast as they could get to the local wireless operator. Or whatever form of communication the kids use these days.
The judge, the judge's wife, the governor, the state itself, the company that manufactured the book the judge read from--all would be targets of some hotshot lawyer. Happiness would be defined by the size of the settlements and the size of the separate mansions that would result for the not-groom and not-bride.
"We're Not Married" is a nice piece of entertainment. The individual segments are too brief to become anything substantial, but the movie ain't going for substantial.
The film consists of a series of vignettes spotlighting married couples who find out they're not married. You see, the bumbling judge (a perfect Victor Moore) who conducted their ceremonies a few year s ago did so before his appointment was official. So as the judge and his wife go down memory lane while preparing refunds for the couples they charged for the service, we see where each pair is and what happens when they (or one of them) gets the letter from the state telling them their marital status is not what they've assumed.
Opening and closing the film are the top-billed team of Fred and Ginger. That's right, it's the classic team of Ginger Rogers and Fred...Allen. You know the old saying--she gave him sex appeal, and he gave her sass. Though they're fun as ostensibly lovey-dovey radio co-hosts who bicker and sulk off air, I can't help but wish Allen were paired instead with Eve Arden, who is barely utilized in her vignette with Paul Douglas. I'd rather have seen her trade quips with Allen.
Check out these other names in the cast: Eddie Bracken, Louis Calhern, Jane Darwell, Zsa Zsa Gabor...oh, and some young dame named Marilyn Monroe might interest a few of the fellas out there.
It's no surprise that the movie, while poking fun at the institution of marriage and poking gentle fun at social mores that make (made?) it scandalous to, for example, birth a child out of wedlock, ultimately supports and approves the notion of matrimony. Indeed, this is one of those old-school films that would have to be drastically reworked were it made today, but not just because the prevailing morality is so different.
In today's society, what would be the first thing everyone would do if they found out two years after the fact their marriages had never been official? That's right: Sue, sue, sue. The husbands and wives of "We're Not Married" find ways to fix their sudden circumstances or even take advantage of them. In 2009, they'd fire off telegrams to their attorney as fast as they could get to the local wireless operator. Or whatever form of communication the kids use these days.
The judge, the judge's wife, the governor, the state itself, the company that manufactured the book the judge read from--all would be targets of some hotshot lawyer. Happiness would be defined by the size of the settlements and the size of the separate mansions that would result for the not-groom and not-bride.
"We're Not Married" is a nice piece of entertainment. The individual segments are too brief to become anything substantial, but the movie ain't going for substantial.
Monday, January 12, 2009
It's no mystery: Sleuth Channel stinks
Albert Einstein is often credited with saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. He surely would call me out for checking out the Sleuth Channel TV listings every month even though I'm always disappointed by how unimaginative this NBC-Universal network is.
Well, crazy ol' me looked at the Sleuth schedule again the other day. However, I actually feel a little less crazy this time because Sleuth's programming isn't the same old boring mix of overplayed 80s and 90s cop shows. No, it's actually WORSE. Apparently, Universal or NBC or whoever is running the show has just given up on this network--much like it has thrown in the towel with its other properties--and turned it into USA Network 2.
Look a few of the shows in heavy rotation on the New-Look Sleuth this month:
*Monk
*NCIS
*Jag
*The Dead Zone
I swear I saw "Walker Texas Ranger" on there a week ago, too. Other than "Da Vinci's Inquest" and "Cold Squad," there's nothing on there you wouldn't have seen on USA...last week!
Oh, how naive I was to think this channel was an opportunity for airing seldom-seen cop and detective shows. Now even the 80s are too old for Sleuth.
(Incidentally, do you think Al Einstein was a Dumont Network kind of guy? I bet he was.)
Well, crazy ol' me looked at the Sleuth schedule again the other day. However, I actually feel a little less crazy this time because Sleuth's programming isn't the same old boring mix of overplayed 80s and 90s cop shows. No, it's actually WORSE. Apparently, Universal or NBC or whoever is running the show has just given up on this network--much like it has thrown in the towel with its other properties--and turned it into USA Network 2.
Look a few of the shows in heavy rotation on the New-Look Sleuth this month:
*Monk
*NCIS
*Jag
*The Dead Zone
I swear I saw "Walker Texas Ranger" on there a week ago, too. Other than "Da Vinci's Inquest" and "Cold Squad," there's nothing on there you wouldn't have seen on USA...last week!
Oh, how naive I was to think this channel was an opportunity for airing seldom-seen cop and detective shows. Now even the 80s are too old for Sleuth.
(Incidentally, do you think Al Einstein was a Dumont Network kind of guy? I bet he was.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
