NIP/TUCK (Season Premier) (FX)
It's funny - I thought I was kind of done with this show after the CARVER storyline finished, not because I didn't enjoy it, but because the show had gone so dementedly off track I didn't think it could recover. And here it is - and it has. A lovely season opener full of flesh, humor, drama - and focusing on the relationships (though MATT was MIA - probably to make room for all the guest stars.) The stars? Usually that spells trouble - but this was not the case - Larry Hagman was great, his wife fetching. Kathleen Turner was perfect - and BREE WALKER??!!?!?!? - Who knew she had a guest spot in her? A few comments - she looks amazing considering the fact that she MUST be at least 52 - AMAZING. Biggest question of the night - what the fuck did Bree do to her lips???? They were as plump as a watermelon? And for who - square headed Jim Lampley???? I think Bree needs to get a show of her own - in the meantime, I like that Nip/Tuck has undergone some very nice mending and thought this season has started completely promising.
Grade: A
THE OFFICE (NBC)
Watched a trio of eps last night - they're funny. Dwight's over the top, and the show itself tries just a bit too hard - but I can't say I'm not compelled.
B +
IN HER SHOES (HBO)
Couldn't get past 15 minutes - and Lord, I tried. Use as a sleep aid - it's better than Ambien.
WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Season 2 premiere - with ELVIS COSTELLO singing "Little Boxes!" I love Elvis - he's in my permanent top 5 (the list goes like this - Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Meatloaf, The Eels, Elliot Smith, McCartney, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mike Penn, Flaming Lips, Simon & Garfunkle, C,S,N & Y, Nirvana, wait - that's for another article.)
Anyway - the 2nd season got off to a great start and looks to get deeper into the characters skin. My girl doesn't like the idea of guest stars singing the theme as she adores the original - but I think it's kind of cool. I don't believe a word of what goes on this show - but I like it nonetheless.
Grade: B +
PRIMETIME LIVE: LAST DAYS ON EARTH (ABC)
A great special on the 7 big disasters that could kill life on earth as we know it. Some of these things could set us back 200 years - my favorite was the volcano eruptions - we'd have about a one minute warning we're about to be forever preserved in ash. The most likely disaster: global warming/climate change. After you're all dead, remember you read it here first.
MOTHER'S DAY (DVD)
Finished this 1980 classic - the girlfriend ended up getting really caught up in it and got scared quite a few times. Although I still kind of hate the nihilistic ending - although that was the trend back then.
Grade: A +
SNL: With JACK BLACK & Neil Young (NBC)
An above-average episode with a better then average laughs ration, this was the episode that intro'd LAZY SUNDAY - the last time Andy Samberg was ever funny. There was a Debbie Downer sketch, a great poke at the Sbarro's in NY, and Jack Black was funny with his KING KONG song. There was even a great XMAS TIME FOR THE JEWS sketch written for TV FUNHOUSE. I heard that the following people will be fired for the new season - first of all, Tina Fey and Rachel Dracht will be off the show, working on 30 ROCK - and as far as I'm concerned - those are two people the show sorely needs. Ironically, the word is that Seth Myers will take over as head writer - a man who hasn't been funny in his entire 8 year tenure on the show. The word is that the people getting walking papers are Finese (thank god - never funny EVER) - Horatio Sanz (I'm actually a fan - particularly of his CAROL sketch) - Will Parnell - one of my favorites (He was one half of the bloater brothers) and I'm not sure who the 4th to go is - but my vote is for Daryl Hammond - who seems to be there about 4 years too long. Anyway - this episode from last xmas was a major winner.
Grade: B +
THE BANG BANG CLUB: THE KILLING OF RICHARD (MAX)
This was a great 1/2 hour docu on this particular group of photogrophers in the "bang-bang club" - a group known for their brazen picture taking during the fall of Apartheid. At the center of this group was a photog who actually won a Pulitzer prize for his truly heartbreaking picture of a young toddler girl - maybe 4, starving to death in the dessert and being stalked by a vulture. After the pix were published, a lot of animosity fell towards the photog for not helping the girl - although there was an explanation that after the pic the vulture was chased away - but it sounded kind of made up. The reality of it is that when you're shooting during troubled times, more often then not you're surrounded by men with guns and it's not exactly like you can do that much. But the pictures are haunting, and the guy who shot them killed himself 2 weeks later.
Grade: A
TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY: CHARLES IN CHARGE (E!)
The title says it all - it's fun to look back on this 80s syndicated hit, a show which I really got into - but it mostly follows the story of the actors. There are worse ways to spend an hour.
Grade: C +
TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY: AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (E!)
A really good 90 minute docu on the various seasons and personalities of the show, with actual clips from the show and interviews with many of the girls and production team (but no Tyra.) If you're a fan of the show as I - this is a killer edition of THS.
B +
THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN (DVD- UNRATED)
My girl wanted to see this and I had forgotten how outragously funny this film is - the unedited version is even better and raunchier, and the disc has TONS of great extras that really add to experience. Best of all is the cast - From Steve Carrel to Paul Rudd and everyone in between - one of the best cast comedies in years. And raunchiest.
Grade: A +
WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Just finished the 1st season finale - the show continues to get better and better and the first season is a winner. I never truly feel for any of these characters - and that's what's keeping it from the A it might deserve in it's second season - which I'll start watching soon.
Grade: B +
THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL (DVD)
A great docu on the flocks of parrots in San Francisco and the man who took care of them for a number of years. It's a one-of-a-kind thing, with a great surprise ending and it's strange how caught up you get in this world of parrots, a truly regal and fascinating bird - but this is no NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - this is more of an everyman's journey and he turned to the birds. There is a great update on the flock in the extras, as well as some weird tributes to some of the birds featured in the film.
Grade: B
30 DAYS (FX - Morgan goes to jail)
A very grim, season ender as the star and creator of the show subjects himself to 30 days in a low security prison, yet still sees and reports enough to depress any thinking man and really make you wonder why we're not re-habbing some of these prisoners. The shocking thing is how bad these guys hate jail - yet continually come back because it's all they know and the prisons don't normally have support systems in place to help them for their eventual return to society. Very depressing and very good filmaking from (I think) one of our best modern voices to come along since Michael Moore.
A -
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ReplyDeleteYeah, what's up with Bree's lips? Talk about freakish!
ReplyDeleteShe was on Carnivale, too. I was surprised when she showed up there in a small role.
And the Kathleen Turner story is the one people have been making jokes about for years, as her voice got more and more manly. She's a trouper. I love when Howard goes off on her every once in a while. I gotta hand it to her for this particular role!
And Brooke Shields? Hope she's a regular.
I love this show. It's so over the top and takes so many chances. Glad it's back.
Sorry - I usually watch 30 Days, but tuned out the prison one in about 2 minutes. Nothing new there. Did you really learn anything by this waste of an hour? I'm less and less into this show in general, and Spurlock's growing ubiquity, as well. He even turned up on the Katie Couric news extravaganza.
Worst attempt at a major news show ever!
I watched the highly touted new show on Fox - Standoff - about the couple who are hostage negotiaters. How could anyone think this was going to be worth anybody's time - a hostage show every week? Not in my house. I didn't detect real sparks at all.
I think I've said this before, but the hostage formula show comes on every one of the dramas we've ever seen. Do we really need a series full of em? what a played-out device!
And I really liked that tear-jerker 'In Her Shoes'. It was worth watching. Not a perfect movie, and nothing really new, but I'm an old Shirley MacLaine fan from way back to Billy Wilder's 'The Apartment' with Jack Lemmon. This movie was pretty well done, if not a little long. Guess I'm a big enough Cameron Diaz fan to want to sit through this and watch her transformation, too.
Another show I couldn't watch 2 minutes of was that new one you love about the kidnapping or whatever. Made such an impression that I can't even recall the title. Just saved myself hours of wasted time, too. Obviously not for me. But I also can't stand '24' or 'Lost'.
And is it just me, or does anyone else think that the usually great season of 'Rescue Me' didn't end on a high note? It had its moments, but overall this season finale/cliffhanger took too many easy routes. Still, I think Leary's performance this season should earn him another Emmy nom next year, and hopefully a win. There were at leaset 3 shows this season that just killed, from Denis' performance point of view. (If that makes any sense at all.)
BTW - I highly recommend 'The Illusionist', a little film in theaters now.
You can all skip 'Hollywoodland', although Brody, Affleck and Diane Lane all give very good performances.
When it comes out, you can also skip 'Guide to Recognizing Your Saints', although there were excellent performances in that one by Chaz Palminteri, Diane Wiest and Rosario Dawson.
And you can skip 'Trust the Man', which is probably already gone from theaters. Great cast, lots of potential, a couple amusing scenes and laughs, but what a groaner!
And if it ever comes out, you can also skip 'The Science of Sleep' from Michel Gondry, who did 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' but blew it with this one starring Gael Garcia Bernal who usually makes better movies, too.
I'm all talked out and must go now. Bye to baby Suri, my future ex-wife. What a fuckin' hottie!!
;-)
goody
Bree's lips scared the hell out of me. She's trying to give Lisa Rinna run for her money.
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