EXTRAS (SERIES FINALE) (HBO)
Being that this is the exact same format the BBC OFFICE went (2 seasons and a wrap up,) this had a lot to live up to. TV GUIDE actually let some spoilers leak, so I went into this knowing a few things, which sucked. However, despite that, this was pretty bloody good. They took the Andy character about as far as they could take him as well as his platonic relationship with…(It can’t be a great sign that I don’t remember her name – although she was never my favorite part of the show.) I wish there had been more scenes of Andy and his agent, and the whole thing was a bit on the dark side, but that’s probably why I liked it so much. I wish there had been a bit more finesse to it, and a few of the jokes were a bit too self conscience (like the Kramer doll and the Direc TV bit) but mostly, this was pretty great. Who even knew we were getting a finale? Although – strangely enough, it kind of felt like a bigger rewrite of the last episode of the series (the ep with DeNiro.) While EXTRAS will never be in the same category as THE OFFICE BBC, it did have many many moments of greatness, particularly the second season. And to have this 90 minute finale was a great cap to a damn fine show. While I think they over stated their point a few times, and got a bit preachy here and there, this still worked exceedingly well and serves as a satisfying conclusion to the show.
Grade: A -
THERE WILL BE BLOOD (IN THEATERS)
Long. Tedious. And kind of brilliant. Daniel Day Lewis is so good. Paul Anderson Thomas, best known for the perfect BOOGIE NIGHTS, somehow changes who he is as a filmaker in this 3 hour epic based on the oil biz in the 20s. Lewis’ performance will haunt you for a long time to come.
Grade: A
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (IN THEATERS)
Clever concept. Piss poor execution. For proof that Ryan Gosling can star in a horrible movie, look no further. If you really want to see what a REAL GIRL (an expensive sex doll) looks like, go to www.realgirl.com - at least you won’t have to sit through this movie. Which is bad. Really really bad.
Grade: D
THE SAVAGES (IN THEATRES)
Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are touching and real in this great film I recently saw directed by Tamara Jenkins – who you might remember from the great SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS. This is a lot more bleak than that film – but the performances are so good there is simply never a dull moment. As good as Linney is, I think that Hoffman might be the best actor of his generation.
Grade: A
SPIDERMAN 3 (DVD)
A 2 hour and 20 minute fucking insult. Some of the best special effects in recent memory as well as some of the very worst dialog, acting, pacing, directing, lighting, scoring and mostly every other aspect of this sitcom-like extension of the franchise. To get the big picture, this is the last BATMAN film with George Clooney that everybody hated and killed the franchise. This is the worst of the 3 new STAR WARS films, all of which were truly drop dead awful. Sam Raimi is a GREAT director. He made the EVIL DEAD trilogy, which is insanely good. He also made a great drama called A SIMPLE PLAN that features the best Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton performances you’re ever likely to see. I even think he made a great actress out of Bridget Fonda in that movie. But this is dead on arrival. The bad sitcom like plotting in terms of the James Franco character and his….it’s too complicated. Anyway – very, very bad. With good intentions. Had they chopped this down to 90 minutes, it could’ve been okay – but probably not. It’s just bad. Really, really bad. Awful.
Gradeless.
Fuck you, Rami. Wasting my time with this bullshit.
PS: Why does the SPIDERMAN theme sound EXACTLY like the BATMAN theme? Did they think we wouldn’t notice? Even the music cues seem to be lifted directly from Batman. What’s up with that? I’m not kidding – it’s EXACTLY the same score only somehow not quite as good.
RUNNIN DOWN A DREAM: TOM PETTY DOCU (DVD)
Not a huge Petty fan but this 4 hour docu by Peter Bogdonavich almost made me one. This package comes with 2 dvds that cover the docu, another dvd of a unreleased great live show, and a 4th disc – a CD with live cuts and rarities. This is 25 bux at Best Buy. If you’re into Petty – this is an insane deal.
Highly recommended.
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN 3 (DVD)
I had this for a month. I just sat down to watch it. I got through about 4 minutes.
I think women really love Depp and Bloom, for I know no man who likes these movies.
I don’t get it.
Not even a little.
T2: JUDGEMENT DAY (DVD - XTREME EDITION)
By the way, this double disc, loaded to the gills with extras and Easter eggs, is TARGET right now for 5.95 - which means it's probably about to be re-released - but you'd do well to own this version. Since this is one of the best action films ever made, with and ending as good and sentimental as the rest of the film is action fill led. The "extended version" has a few unfortunate moments that probably should've remained on the cutting room floor (like Eddie Furlong teaching Arnold's Terminator how to "smile".) However, when we get the entire REESE flashback - it's hard to argue with the longer edition. The extras are so plentiful on this 2 discer that the 5.95 price at TARGET is a bit of a lovely joke. By the way, T3 pretty much sucked, and T4 is coming. Imagine how exciting it would be if Cameron were returning to the series? With Eddie Furlong? Nah, it'll be Christian Bale and an action director. (sigh.)
Grade: A +
GOODFELLAS (DVD)
Watched a bit of this just recently - the newer editions have a great commentary track with the actual wiseguy himself, Henry Hill. Still, the scenes with Maury are still the greatest of all time, and Joe Pesci's "You think I'm funny" is still frightengly fantastic.
Grade: A+
COOL AS ICE (SHOWTIME)
I recently watched for the first time - this Vanilla Ice movie from the late 80s - and WOW, this is some bad shit. And not in the bad/good way - this is just BAD. Yet, it's so bad it's borderline brilliant. It's shot in the worst style I've ever seen, Vanilla Ice's wardrobe and hairstyle are ones for hte ages, his "friends" from the hood - trust me - this fucking thing just has to be seen to be believed. How Michael Gross got sucked into this is anybodies guess - but check out the first time we see the "normal" family and how the director wanted them to play out in a sort of "RAP"....this is impossible to explain - you have to see this stinking bad flick.
Grade: F / A (for camp value)
For some reason I reviewed this twice - I always find it interesting to compare what I was thinking on what day - the next review I must've wrote after just watching it - let's compare:
COOL AS ICE (HBO)I started watching this VANILLA ICE movie the other night on cable - I don't know who the girl is but she was gorgeous. The father of the girl who likes Vanilla Ice is played by Michael Gross. Now let me see if I can explain the plotline of this "film" - as I understand it. Vanilla Ice is cool. Cool as Ice. In fact, at the beginning of the movie, he's breakdancing in dry ice, so we KNOW he's cool. Also - his 3 best friends, his little motorcycle gang - is black. And one of them is a CHICK! So yeah - we know he's cool. After Ice and the girl meet cute around her horse (I'm not kidding) she sort of punches him in the chest to which Ice replies "You hit pretty good - for a girl." She smartly snaps back with "Well, coming from a big dangerous biker like you, I'll take that as a compliment." They almost smile at each other - but not quite. FUCK! This movie is COOL!!!!!!! They then show her family, lead by Michael Gross of FAMILY TIES as the dad, and for soem inexplicable reason, the family scene is initially shot in a bad hip-hop style that doesn't seem to make sense - u sort of have to see it to believe it. And then, even more inexpliciably, Ice and his friends take their bikes to be repaired by an old "funny" couple that live next door to this girl! (Like I said - it has to be seen to be believed.) Anyway - Ice and the girl get close, dad reveals that he's under the witness protection program due to some tomfoolery in his police career - you know what - just see the film - some movies are so bad they're just bad - this movie is so bad it's fucking GOLD, Jerry, GOLD.Grade: A
MEATLOAF: 3 BATS LIVE (DVD)
This is personally hard for me because I LOVE Meatloaf. He’s been a part of my musical reference since I was a kid. But there is some unfortunate things happening in this DVD. This is one of the best Meatloaf concerts ever put on dvd – and the man’s voice is not up to it. Meat is about 62, and his voice is slipping. This is a GREAT collection, and it works despite the vocal limitations, but still – what a shame. Also, OBJECTS and ANYTHING FOR LOVE are both strangely missing their middle verses (he did this in the show me and Steven G. saw in San Diego as well.) But – for the big fans – this is a must, and the videos are pretty cool, though for some reason at the last minute, a 2nd disc with a great docu on Meat is missing. (maybe they’ll release it later – but apparently this was a 90 minute docu that truly rocked.) Also, why does he choose to end this show with some horrible bad songs from NON BAT cds and then a horrifying cover of GIMME SHELTER? Still, a lot of this really does rock. And if his voice isn’t up to par, the band and his energy and even the blind enthusiasm of the new 20 year old singer that replaces Patti Russo, who’d been in the band for 20 years but has left in a cloud of mystery, giving way to this newer onstage singer, who resembles Meat’s granddaughter and makes watching then make out in PARADISE a bit creepy. It’s still a lot of great songs with Meatloaf at the helm. One only wonders what kind of encore they’d have if Meat were still in tip top voice and Jim Steinman was all the way involved in both Bat 3 and the following tour; as he was on BAT 2. Either way, if you ever loved BAT OUT OF HELL and you buy music dvds, this is definitely a must buy. The sound is superb. And some of the versions are really growing on me. Oh, fuck – don’t listen to me – I LOVE Meatloaf. Even when he’s not at his best. I just love the guy. Impossible for me to give him a bad grade when he’s out there killing himself singing his biggest hits.
Grade: B +
DRAWN TOGETHER (COM)
"Drawn Together Babies"This was a pretty funny, if completely inconsistent with the show's mythology, (which changes all the time anyway) but fun nonetheless to see the babies up for murder and mayhem even in diapers. Sometimes this show is SERIOUSLY funny – this was not one of those times.
Grade: B –
ER (NBC)Really seems to be chugging along. Most of the major players are gone, but there are enough new players and some revitilization of the older characters to make this season (reportedly the last) very satisfying.
THE SOPRANOS "WHOEVER DID THIS" (DVD)
I recently re watched this episode in which Joey Pants meets his maker. Brilliant. Tony lets Ralphie get away with killing a stripper but kills him over a horse. This show will be missed forever. Will there ever be characters like this again?
MY NIGHT AT THE GRAMMYS (CBS)
This could have been great – 2 hours of fantastic grammy moments. Unfortunately, it was ruined by placing celebrities in little boxes to comment on, and therefore ruin, every performance shown.
Grade:
Concept: A
Execution: D
BARRY MANILOW - SONGS OF THE 70s (PBS)
If you are a fan of Barry, and I admit, guilty - this was a masterful set of songs, both from the new cd and Barry’s own blistering 70s catalog. It’s not on dvd yet – but I hope it gets there, because it'd be a nice new collection and he puts delivers a stunning performance on I WRITE THE SONGS, which sounds like he just wrote it.
Grade: A +
FRANK TV (TBS)
Frank is a talented guy and a gifted mimic.
I’ve heard him on Stern and found him to be funny, affable and simply lovely.
His show, however, is totally unwatchable.
Grade: F
HOUSE (FOX)
I recently caught up and watched the 4 episodes before the break. Dazzling, smart, brilliantly acted - what sounded like a weird concept of House choosing his new team became a fantastic storytelling device and got House involved with lots of different personalities. Favorite moment: when House hired the chick from the government – then dispatched her when he realized she was an idiot.
Grade: A
SOUTH PARK (COMEDY CENTRAL) - "Imaginationland - parts 1,2 & 3"
This was so good it could’ve been their next feature. The sight of Cartman walking around grousing about Kyle not sucking his balls – maybe you had to be there – but in it’s – whatever number season – the creators have made this funnier, smarter, and more relevant with every episode.
Grade: B +
INTO THE WILD (DVD)
The best film Sean Penn ever made, the best acting by Emille Hirsch ever put on film, and a great retelling of a true story that I remember very well in the early 90s. This kid had graduated high school and decided to forgo his parents money (of which there was a lot of) and decided to go on this half-assed journey to Alaska. Lyrical, trenchant, but never overly romantic about this kid’s plight, this film is going to be talked about for a long time. I thought Eddie Vedder’s songs for the film were all fairly pointless and just took a few points away. (and now - a week and a half after writing this, I'm starting to come around to the soundtrack a little.)
Grade: A -
If you haven’t heard Artie “coming out” to George Takai on STERN – you haven’t lived.
I AM AN ANIMAL: (HBO)
Unforgettaqble images make the case here for going vegan. I haven’t finished watching because some of the images are so disturbing – but based on the first half, which I plan on finishing shortly, it’s a tough look at THE toughest subject.
Grade based on first half: A +
DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
I watched the last 7 episodes in the last couple of weeks. It’s the best. I was a little worried about the first batch of eps because it felt like a certain laziness had set in, but the next run of eps were uniformly exciting and the finale was pitch perfect and in some ways sort of horrifying. Dexter season 2 has a much more satsisfying conclusion than season one. Despite loads of bad acting (the sister actually got worse this year,) DEXTER is one hell of a show. Last year, they put on a great show. This year, they dazzled.
Grade: A +
AMERICAN DAD (FOX)
I still love this show, but there were a lot of misses this season.
Grade: B
DAVE ATTEL: CAPTAIN MISERABLE (HBO)
I really like this guy and think he’s really funny. That said, I didn’t get this standup set at all. I thought it intimated comedy but didn’t really deliver any comedy. Which is not to say it doesn’t have its moments. It’s just few and far between.
Grade: D +
Because it’s not aggressively bad.
AN OPEN LETTER TO GEORGE LOPEZ
I saw you on some TV show the other day, talking about the Amy Winehouse nominations. You said something like "I guess if doing drugs, cutting yourself up gets you the nominations...etc.) - You went on to some very bad punchline that didn't even make the reporter laugh. Now here is the deal, Mister Lopez. How your show is still on the air, is truly a testament to good fucking luck and power of your own personal prayer. The reason she got the nominations is because no matter how fucked up her personal life is, Amy Winehouse is the best female singer to come along in about a decade. And I know late at night, when you think about how talented she is, you probably say to yourself "If I only had that talent, I would never do those fucked up things." Unfortunately, that's something you'll never know about, because as marginally talented as you are, and while you are certainly a success by anyone's measure, you will never know what it's like to be as uniquely talented as someone like Winehouse, so please continue to do your rotten sitcom and remember to thank God the next time you are nominated for anything. And as far as doing fucked up things, you did them all! So what the fuck are you talking about? Really, when it comes to Winehouse, keep your mouth shut, hack.
What's the deal with CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR? Tom Hanks in a movie with Julia Roberts?
JULIA ROBERTS as an old southern belle? Jesus fucking Christ. Does nobody remember "I kissed Sidney Pottier" at the Oscars???? Julia being in a movie in which she could potentially be nominated or even win, or even do a round of talk shows is a BAD BAD THING AND MUST BE STOPPED.
Ryan Seacrest is the only bad thing in KNOCKED UP. His promos on IN DEMAND where he spoofs his role, are so bad my cat recently learned how to change the channel.
GOOD OL' CHARLES SHULZ (PBS)
I am and always will be a huge fan of PEANUTS. It’s been a huge part of my life and it’s the classiest, funniest thing I’d ever read as a kid and kept reading for a long time after. This docu, which has a lot of testimonials from people close to the creator of Peanuts, Charles M. Schultz, and lots of footage of Schultz himself being interviewed. I would’ve liked to have seen the last hour, but TIME/WARNER fucked my shit up and erased everything on my DVR, and it was on PBS, so who knows when it’s be on again – but based on what I saw, and how interesting it managed to be and how Schulz is really a compelling subject….
Grade: A +
HOSTEL 2 (DVD)
Get the unrated version – I think I reviewed this last time, but ended up seeing it again with a friend, and I now think it’s even better than I initially gave it credit for. It’s creepy and funny and about the best they could do for an encore, to the first, better film. But this is pretty fun. The scene in which the various guys around the world are bidding is an instant classic.
Grade: B +
SUPERBAD (DVD – UNRATED EDITION)
This rocked. Maybe not as much as KNOCKED UP, but it's not a really fair comparison. They are two completely different, and hilarious, movies. As far as SUPERBAD goes, not quite everything works. The more outlandish and high-concept some of the bits get, the less fun they play out since this is mostly grounded in reality. But for straight out belly laughs, look no further. And as good as Michael Cera is, Jonah Hill, seen in 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN trying to buy boots at Kathy Keener's Ebay store - and in KNOCKED UP as Seth's fould mouthed friend - becomes a star in this movies. I think this guy could do anything - and he's one of the funniest guys to come around in a while.
Grade: A -
JANICE DICKENSON MODELING AGENCY (OXYGEN)
Janice is insanely unlikable and unpleasant, yet I really like this show, somehow a little better in it’s 3rd season than it was in its second.
BAD GIRLS CLUB (Season 2 – OXYGEN)
The new bad girls appear to be a pretty insane lot, but I don’t think anything will ever compare to the first season girls. They seemed to have personalities beyond the fighting. These girls are just truly insane on every level. And highly entertaining.
Grade: B -
DAVID GILMOUR: REMEMBER THAT NITE (DVD)
One of the best sounding dvds out there, and Gilmour, who has lost a LOT of credit to Roger Waters, IS the voice of Pink Floyd, plays some of the best guitar in the business, and has a lot of new great songs, particularly, SMILE. Plus the entire Pink Floyd cannon. Here, he performs COMFORTABLY NUMB with David Bowie and an acoustic version of SHINE ON with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Astonishing.
Grade: A
IN POT WE TRUST (SHOWTIME)
Very fine Showtime docu on people who really need medical marijuana. Don't we all?
Grade: B
REBA (SYND)
I recently took in a few eps of this while I was cleaning my apt. I think the success of this show is pretty good proof that the yahoos are winning.
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (FOX)
Da bomb. Bring this one back. I will never look at any restaurant the same way again, and Gordon Ramsey is a TV natural. Great subjects, great episodes.
Grade: B +
A SHOT AT LOVE W/ TILA TEQUILA (MTV)
I’m going to try and imitate Tila’s sing-song voice to try and convey how annoying she sounds. (She does this a lot when she’s trying to sound important.) Okay, so – this is Tila talking, and when she raises her voice, I’ll use caps. Tila Tequila: “Okay, so like, I brought them to my STUDIO. Where I’m a RECORDING ARTIST. And like, my producer has worked with PARIS HILTON and LINDSEY LOHAN, and now, most importantly, TILA TEQUILA.” I’m not kidding – I wish I could record a sample of what I mean and post it – I’m sure I could find a perfect you tube clip, but I’m too lazy to add these links that would make this a better blog. Tila looks kind of strange. Not that she’s ugly, she’s just…kind of weird. So – this was a dating show with a twist – Tila supposedly wanted to figure out if she wanted to end up with a guy or a girl. Tila: “I’m coming out now and it’s really IMPORTANT to me. And I don’t know if I want a GUY or a GIRL or what…” Now, the show was great, had great characters, truly some real fucking maniacs, and the conclusion was interesting enough. But I think it’s all bullshit. I’ve heard from a lot of people that Tila has a boyfriend, and is totally hetero (the scenes of her kissing other women didn’t really came off as authentic.) So I guess this was to promote her music career. Her what? I’ve heard some of it, and I prefer to listen to the SPIDERMAN THREE album. Oh my GOD, I’m talking like TILA now…I wonder if because she has a sing-song voice she thought she could sing?
Grade: C
How annoying do the new ads for PS I LOVE YOU with Hilary Swank look? How annoying is Hilary Swank? Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeech.
Remember when NIP/TUCK used to be smart, sexy, and daring? Now it’s one shitbag story after the other. And isn’t it funny how after they exploited living in Los Angeles for a few episodes, now the show could take place back in Miami for all of it’s CALIFORNIA vibe it wants to have? Honestly – the time has come. Maybe Ryan Murphy can come up with a great batch of episodes to finish this out – but this is the worst show on television. Let’s let all these talented people go on to something new and fresh and not this grim reminder of a once vibrant tv show that actually was cutting edge for its first few seasons.
I saw a few minutes of the HD BLADE RUNNER FINAL CUT at BEST BUY – it looked amazing I want to update every single component I own. It looks truly insane in HD. I’m ready to buy into this technology. I think the way to go is the hybrid HD/BLU RAY machine that plays both. And whoever reads this blog, if you wanted to get me a 70” HD PANASONIC, I would definitely not mind, nor accuse you of trying to buy my friendship.
IDEAS FOR XMAS/CHANUKA (Under 30 bux)
(Sorry – I should’ve had this blog posted 2 weeks ago, but I’ve been busy. So here it is, anyway – still a good way to spend 30 bux.)
1 - Meatloaf - 3 Bats Live
Meat's voice doesn't sound the same, and replacing Patti Russo with a 20 year old was a blunder, but this dvd still kind of rocks.
2 - Tom Petty - Runnin' Down A Dream (dvd at Best Buy only)
I think this is 8 hours long - for serious Petty fans only (I'm not one)
3 - Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden (Walmart Only - but you can find it on Amazon)
This rocks.
4 - Led Zep - Mothership CD/DVD
Not a huge fan, but supposedly this is fantastic if you are.
5 - Knocked up DVD
Best comedy of the year.
6 - Superbad DVD
Based on the first 10 minutes of which I’ve seen, this is awesome.
7 - WINDY CITY HEAD DVD (always a great stocking stuffer)
Funniest. Movie. Ever.
8 - BLADE RUNNER - THE FINAL CUT (DVD - 2 dvd set)
Apparantly this is THE DIRECTOR'S CUT with some cleaning up of the film and some choice commentary and documentaries - but if you don't have it yet, it's a must have.
9 - CALIGULA Ultimate Edition (2 DVD SET)
Need I say more?
10 - FREAKS & GEEKS - THE ENTIRE SERIES (okay, this one might cost you more then 30, but well worth it)
This show was the bomb. NBC cancelled it, but these guys now seem unstoppable.
11 - THE OFFICE (BBC) - THE ENTIRE SERIES (my highest reccomendation)The best sitcom ever, on a shelf with Seinfeld and The Honeymooners.
LASTLY....
If you don't get the STERN RADIO SHOW on SIRIUS yet, you are only cheating yourself from the hands down funniest dialog you are ever likely to hear in your lifetime.
That’s a wrap for the year.
Don’t drink & drive.
2007/12/30
2007/11/25
NIP/TUCK, WEEDS, DEXTER, INTO THE WILD and HOSTEL II!
Okay, so, the last blog was a bit ambitious with all those fucking links. However, I did have lots of pictures that I was going to put in this post - but for some reason I can't seem to work it that well - so - here is the "unplugged" version if you will - enjoy.
By the way, why does CBS keep hyping the Heather Locklear appearance on RULES OF ENGAGEMENT as if it were the second coming?
NIP/TUCK (FX) (5th season)
Well - they said that the move to LA would be really good for the show and revitalize the whole franchise. And it did! For one full episode! By episode two, the by now expected dramatic retardation had began and by eps 3, 4 & 5, they're already bringing back Julia in a new SHOCKING lesbian relationship!!! They've given Julia a softer haircut, but she still remains....kind of a blank. She's definitely not the sort of dynamo that Portia DiRossi would fall for - at least you'd think. In fact, their whole lesbian love affair is about the phoniest thing in this show about plastic surgery. They don't even resemble a real couple and Julia is as cold a fish as she was in season 1. And their "taboo" relationship?" In this day and age???? Give me a break - this is 2007 and they're treating this lesbian relationship like it was the very first one on tv. And it all revolves around DiRossi's daughter! But between all the Julia stuff, her girlfriend's scheming daughter (we've see a version of this character in every single season.) - the juvenile bullshit between the two leads as to who's really running the best game in town...it's just all so...wretchedly bad. Sean is dating an actress who shit the jacuzzi on ex-lax. I'm sure that was funny in the writer's room - on screen it was worth a chuckle I guess - but really, is this portrayal of a neurotic female tv star so engaging and new? And then more trouble with Matt and Kimber? This is starting to feel like outtakes from last year. But you gotta hand it to them, last year, they refurbished the show and it took about 7 episodes before it slid into bad camp. This year it only took them 4 to completely jump the shark, the rails, and the grand canyon. And Rosie O'Donnel and Oliver Platt? Is this really what passes as "innovative" these days? My God, Rosie is so bad on this show, with the "comical" New Yawk accent - what is this world coming to where people think that this is somehow funny? After the thrilling first episode, it seems like they have gone to every single cliche' ever built about Los Angeles, then dumbed it down by about 100. I think it's time for an intervention here - someone needs to have the strength to simply put the bullet into the head of this show that it's been begging for ever since THE CARVER storyline wrapped up. Stop the madness! This is truly becoming the most brain-dead hour on television.
Grade: D -(saved from an F for the occasional outrageous scene.)
DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
What happened, Dex? Season 1 was about the coolest thing on TV. The murders were horrifying, Dexter was unique, scary, dynamic - season 1 was so very good it made you forget it sported some of the worst acting on tv (the sister, the captain, the captain's captain, Dokes, etc.) - Season 2, which should have been superb, based on the fact that they really came up with a fantastic storyline where they find all of Dexter's bodies - but instead of a pulse pounding energy, we get this very lazily played chess game with Dexter slowly going through the motions as if this was the 8Th season. The sister's acting is worse then ever, and this bullshit about Dexter being on Heroin is really kind of dumb. I hope this show gets better, but for season 2, this is not very impressive. Season 2 is supposed to deepen the pool, not make it more shallow. Still, the tone is still right on the money and it is more interesting then other dramas currently on the air, so I'm hanging in there.
Grade: B -
WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Finally, a show that goes into different territory for their third season. WEEDS seems to reinvent itself on some level every year, and this season was no different, with the actions and consequences of what these characters are up to finally coming to a very nasty head. Mary Louise Parker is frighteningly good and real in this role, and truly makes this whole thing work. Kevin Nealon is funnier then ever this year, they found a great way to bring Celia into the action, U-Turn was great this year, the romance between Nancy and Conrad is one I've always found compelling, and despite Nancy's low standards this year in choosing who to sleep with, I've always thought she should end up with Conrad. Hunter Parish as Nancy's son Silas has really developed as a character as well - though, I'm sad to report, the addition of Mary Kate Olsen in the role of the Church-loving weed slinging new girlfriend of Silas is more a step in the right direction for Mary Kate's career rather then a good direction for this show. When I heard about it, I thought it was interesting casting and I would love to see if Mary Kate, after all those tabloid years, can really act - and the answer is - she can - but not very compellingly and she didn't really offer much in this series. She reminds me of a beginning actor who just got her first job but wasn't really able to do much with it - even though it was a great role and I can only imagine what a better actress would've done with it. But I'm quibbling, this was a great, funny and very scary season and as usual - they had a scorched earth ending that doesn't leave the show much room to go - yet something tells me that WEEDS will find a way - it always does. Like real weeds themselves, this show always seems to get into areas you never thought you'd find it - and a special thanks for treating us to some Lexington Steele this year!
Grade: A
MR. BROOKS (DVD)
This was really good, though there appeared to be two simultaneous movies going on at the same time. Mr. Brooks, Kevin Costner, is the MAN OF THE YEAR (in a very tired, exhausted movie cliche at the beginning when he accepts his award - these "MAN OF THE YEAR" ceremonies are almost now a dead give a way that something is horribly wrong with the person receiving the award. Nonetheless, Costner is excellent at the man "addicted to murder" - no spoilers, this happens in the first 3 minutes of the film. Dane Cook, the world's very worst and most pathetic comic maybe ever, turns up as an overactor (Yup, he stink in comedy and he's pretty awful in drama) - yet, Cook does his very best ever here in this role, which, is not saying much. Still, he is not distracting enough to kill the movie. William Hurt plays Costner's devil on his shoulder, talking to him about the killings in imaginary conversations. And the newly minted mouth of Demi Moore (Have you seen her refurbished choppers? They're ready to take a bite out of a Sycamore tree) - stars here as a LIFETIME style of TV COP slowly trying to uncover the murder - and once again, even though she kind of sucks, the story is so intriguing that you get pulled in regardless. It also gets confusing when Mr. Brooks starts crossing his storyline with Demi Moore's weirdo divorce storyline. I'm not going to reveal specific plot points, but as much as this film has going against it, what it has going for it is a terrific perf. from Costner and Hurt, and a truly interesting screenplay. Recommended.
Grade: B -
INTO THE WILD (In Theatres - Rated R)
Written and directed by Sean Penn, in what is probably the best film he's ever made, this follows the true life story of a privileged young man (Emille Hirsh - almost always great) who decides to give his college fund away and go live in the wild. While we get bits of info on how his home life was riddled with hypocrisy and minor violence - both emotional and physical- we never really get exactly why this young man has decided to embark upon a journey to Alaska to live among the wild. I remember hearing about this kid when I was younger and there was - at the time - a big deal made out of the fact that he spent 9 weeks in an abandoned bus in Alaska and the fact that he kept a journal that represented the lunacy he was entering into. I remember at the time his biggest regret is that he killed a moose, and even though it's not portrayed in the film, this moose was his friend in the wilderness, he finally killed it for food, then completely botched eating it as maggots and creatures got ahold of the moose before he could eat it - and he truly regretted killing his friend and it haunted him for the rest of the days. While that sequence isn't given that kind of weight in the film, it's here, along with a host of other great characters he runs into on his journey into the wild. I guess my biggest problem with the film - which is truly shot in luminous and 70s style widescreen - it's a GREAT looking film, although i didn't really get the Eddie Vedder soundtrack, frankly - was that we never truly got into the kid's head. It ultimately seemed that he just wanted to be a guy on this romantic journey of being alone in the woods - but it felt....a little weak. I think a bit more into his psychic pain might have made this journey a bit more meaningful - still, pretty good stuff.
Grade: B
I LOVE NY 2 (VH1)
I just saw the ep where the Taylor-Made basically fought with everyone - fantastic.I watched a few more, including watching NEW YORK take that moron with her to the NIP/TUCK set, get farted on by her suitor (hilarious) and then get fawned over by NIP/TUCK creator RYAN MURPHY - and the scenes they filmed with Tiffany look like further evidence that I LOVE NY is probably more realistic then NIP/TUCK at this point. Maybe Ryan should not have looked so supremely satisfied with himself.
Grade: B -
SCARLETT DIVA (DVD)
This was made and directed by Asia Argento - the Italian sexpot who is the daughter of DARIO ARGENTO - a horror film maven from Italy who handled editing the Italian release/version of DAWN OF THE DEAD. In fact, Asia has a major role in the DAWN remake. All that aside - I had heard this film had tons of nudity and graphic sex - untrue. It's just a trippy little film about the plight of an actress who sleeps with almost everyone in her path, and it's not particularly compelling.
Grade: C -
EAGLES NEW CD AGAIN (WALMART)
I know I've already reviewed this, but really - WAITING IN THE WEEDS and LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN are already instant EAGLES classics - download them at once.
REM "LIVE" (Double CD and DVD)
I'm a big fan of REM - but they haven't made a relevant CD in years and years. This double live set resurrects some of the high points of the last 2 decades, but comes too late and with too many half-baked late 90s songs. I haven't seen the dvd of this show yet, but it's all just sort of expertly recorded REM mediocrity.
Grade: C -
DAMAGES (FX)
I recently watched all 13 eps of this in the span of a week. Completely addicting - Danson and Close are revelations - particularly Danson. Close is doing sort of a variation of her FATAL ATTRACTION bitch with more finesse. I can't stand the actress who plays the new young attorney, nor can I remember her name, but thought she went from "innocent" to "hardened" in a unrealistic amount of time and the actor herself was quite unconvincing in her more "dangerous" personal. With the exception of a terrible final 5 minutes of the finale', this twisty legal thriller was a great example of off-network television at its very wicked best. I just heard they were renewed for 2 more seasons - this is a good thing.
GRADE: A -
PRISON BREAK (FOX)
Okay, I'm pissed - TIVO broke down and erased my whole PRISON BREAK block. JOE H. - I know you read this blog - please get me the dvds of the eps I missed (I only got to see the first 2 eps of the season.) I'm serious - this is one of my very favorite shows and I missed all but the first 2 eps - if someone has all these - including JOE H. - please contact me and get them to me?
HOGAN FAMILY (VH1)
"Brooke Breaks The Bank"
The most over-produced reality show of all time keeps getting more scripted. Soon they should ADD laugh track. Still, The Hulk is never less than compelling. Even when he is just following instructions from the producers.
Grade: C -
UPDATE: Just heard about the Hogan's upcoming divorce - I wonder if they'll continue to follow Hulk on his solo journey.
MAD MEN
The best show on tv. Period. If you're not watching it, you should be. If you are watching it, you should be ordering the soon to come 1st season dvd set. This is a ultra-cool show about advertising agents in the 60s, written and conceived by brilliant SOPRANOS scribe Mathew Weiner - this is a show that brings back subtlety, yet within these small moments, entire continents crash and burn. The most searing, original show since THE SOPRANOS. With maybe the best office boss, EVER.
Grade: A +
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
Started weak, then got strong (the freak book ep was priceless), then they got into this thing with Cheryl leaving Larry - which was interesting. Then he made a wretched creative decision about the "choosing" of marital sides - I don't know. I watch, but I don't always like.
Grade: B -
UPDATE:
I just watched the season finale and found it to be near perfect. I'm dying to know if they go in that direction for next year.
FINALE GRADE: A
TELL ME YOU LOVE ME (HBO)
I kind of like this show - though it was never as sexually explicit as it was in the pilot. The characters represent a sort of "generations" of sexual couplings - I really like some of the acting although the sex scenes always feel a little strange to me for some reason. There is a 70s like earnestness to this show - at least in the initial batch of eps - and the "young woman" on the show seems to be doing a realy bad Sarah Silverman impression. That said - there is much to recommend about this show - and the universal truth of it is that marriage truly can be an illusion, and this relationship show really needs to up the ante in their next 6 episodes if they want to create an illusion as well.
Still on the fence, but at the moment:
Grade: C +
KNOCKED UP (DVD - unrated version)
I'm sure you've all seen it - I recommend the unrated version just because it's a tad bit dirtier, but this is a great, hilarious, touching film that nobody should miss because it's one of the very best of the year. That said, the double-disc version has TONS of extras. Highly recommended.
Grade: A +
THE STREET (DVD - BBC)
A fantastic BBC show that I just started watching. It's about the entanglements and lives of the people who live on this particular street in London, and the acting is realistic and the storytelling stellar, though I've only seen the first 2 (I think out of 9.)
Grade: B
America's Next Top Model (The CW)
I actually took this season off my DVR. It was just that....generic.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
More of the same, but like last year, I liked it.
Grade: C +
LIFE (NBC)
Really cool, really quirky and really well executed. If you're looking for a real twist in the police procedural, look no further than this whip-smart procedural. And remember the girl who Tony Soprano partied with in Las Vegas this season - she's here as the lead detective (Sarah Sashi.) And Damion Lewis is perfection as the cop with the mysterious past. Seriously - this is different. Watch it.
Grade: A
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - MAGIC
Bruce's first E STREET CD in a few years, this is not the sprawling amost-epic that THE RISING was. That said, this is a fun, hard rockin' BORN IN THE USA style album. RADIO NOWHERE is one of Bruce's catchiest tunes in years. Many of the songs sound a bit like updates of classic Bruce tunes. YOU'LL BE COMING DOWN sounds like another Bruce song I can't put my finger on. LIVING IN THE FUTURE sounds like a cross between 10th AVE FREEZE OUT and GLORY DAYS. I prefer the originals. YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY sounds like a wall of sound that could've fit on BORN TO RUN - although the lyrics are somewhat trite. GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES arrives like a instant Springsteen classic, and succeeds wildly where WAITIN' ON A SUNNY DAY sort of failed. I'LL WORK FOR YOUR LOVE opens with some classic Springsteen piano - but ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. MAGIC is original, quiet and really cool. Maybe the best track on the CD. LAST TO DIE is war-themed song that work really well due to Bruce's impassioned vocals. LONG WALK HOME is cool, if forgettable. I liked DEVIL'S ARCADE a lot. TERRY'S SONG - Bruce's tribute to his fallen asst. Terry of 25 years is sort of beautiful - and there it is. The nice thing is that there is a great variety if no real theme here, the band sounds great, but the mix itself is unforgivably muddy. More often than not, the band sounds louder than Bruce. Still, going on 30 years, Bruce still kicks out these interesting records. I just wish it were as great as his ambition.
Grade: B -
Been really getting into PINK FLOYD lately - I've always loved THE WALL, DARK SIDE and THE FINAL CUT. Recently I started listening to ANIMALS and WISH YOU WERE HERE. ANIMALS is great, but WISH YOU WERE HERE is a masterpiece. As for live Floyd, you can't go wrong with the DVD of the Roger Waters' show IN THE FLESH. But you might be better off with the later incarnation of Floyd without Waters - the David Gilmour dvd of PULSE is fantastic. He does pretty much everything - and let's face it - Waters might be the mastermind behind Floyd, but it's Gilmour's guitar work and voice that has always been the signature sound of Floyd.
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - A + *if you have a 5.1 system you MUST get the 5.1 mix dvd.
WISH YOU WERE HERE - A (Did we really need the SHINE ON reprise?)
ANIMALS - B (not as lofty as the above, but pretty great in it's own right.)
THE WALL - A + (Comfortably Numb might be there greatest moment, ever.)
THE FINAL CUT - B + (a most overlooked cd, the last waters/Gilmour collaboration and mostly sounding like a Waters solo work, but still pretty great.)
PINK FLOYD ON DVD
ROGER WATERS - IN THE FLESH? - A
PINK FLOYD - PULSE - A +
ALIENS IN AMERICAN (THE CW)
I've only seen the pilot, but can say this is easily the funniest show on the CW since MAYBE IT'S ME. The lead actor with his sad-sack voice over is truly hilarious, and the vibe of the show is off kilter enough that it draws you right in to the story of a high schooler who must take in a Pakistani foreign exchange student.
Grade: A
dirty sexy money (ABC)
WAY better than I had figured - this might be one of the best new shows of the season. Peter Krause is great as is just about everyone in this deliciously take on the rich, the righteous and the have-nots.
Grade: B
HOUSE, MD (FOX)
Thought the season premier was good but think that ep #2 where House starts to decide who to pick for his new diagnosis team was kind of great. I'm behind on this show by about 4 eps, so I'll do more in a future blog.
Grade: A
ROCK OF LOVE FINALE
I loved this whole show - I LOVED Rodeo, Brandy C. and Brandy M. (both can be seen in online porn as dirty as anything you've ever seen) and I thought Shannon was very pretty, very insane, and VERY entertaining. I loved Heather's 80s porno hair and her Bride Of Frankenstein makeup (made even funnier by the fact that every time Heather was scene sans makeup, she was kind of beautiful. But in the end, I think Mr. Michaels made exactly the right choice. But what is Heather going to do with that tatoo?
GRADE: B +
UPDATE:
I watched the reunion special. So the cool Jen chick he picked turned out to be there for publicity and somehow came off as the fakest one in the pack - amazing. And Heather, who has now ruined her appearance with a medley of completely unnessary bad plastic surgery (all she needed to do was wash away the bad 80s makeup and redesign the porno hairstyle - she was a beautiful girl) is poised to go out with Brett? But will he still want her now that she's had more surgery then Liza Minilli?
The Sad Case of PEREZ HILTON and BRITTNY SPEARS.
I personally think Perez is obsessed with Brit. When he shows Brittny just sitting in her car being surrounded by the flashbulbs of the paparazzi (ie, scumbags) which to me resemble a swarm of flies descending on this confused but human young woman, Perez, whose site I must admit I read daily - but when he sits there kissing the ass of Paris and Angela Jolie and he tells Britt that she must "Stay Home!" - I wonder who the fuck Hilton thinks he is. Not that he's not entertaining, I just think he's an asshole. And his tv show, as bloodless as his blog is blood thirsty. Just Perez kissing the ass of every celeb he could possibly find. I'm thinking TMZ tv does it a bit better - though not by much. But on my original point, Perez seems to be absolutely obsessed with Britt long after our obsession has died down. What's wrong with this guy? Clearly, he has a massive talent as far as cobbling these stories together, but this seems to be just a mean-spirited vendetta against a really wayward confused young lady. BY the way, is it even possible to drive with 2000 paparazzi surrounding your car and the bulbs going off and NOT running over their feet - I defy anyone out there to figure that one out. What about the harrassment of Britney by the Pap?
I still miss THE SOPRANOS and thought they were ROBBED at the Emmys in the acting awards, especially for Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Michael Imperiolli. That the moron who plays Janice got nominated - well - Ryan Seacrest was hosting (after a decent monolouge, his uselessness became really apparent.)
James Spader should've been ashamed to take that Emmy home, especially since BOSTON LEGAL stopped being a real show about 3 seasons ago.
UPDATE: BOSTON LEGAS is SLIGHTLY better this year - still ridiculous.
THE SARAH SILVERMAN SHOW (DEBUT)
The way Sarah lamented her abortions to Green Day's "GOOD RIDDANCE" must be seen to be believed. Watch it here:
http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/index.jhtml?c=vc&videoId=103794
HOWARD STERN SHOW
Has been great as ever, but the Dr. Keith Abalow session with Sal and Christine was the show at it's best. And Artie's impression of "emotional friend" is one for the ages.
UPDATE:
On the air, and then on HOWARD TV, I saw the trilogy of shows revolving around one of the shows most epic fights ever between Artie, Sal & Richard. I believe Howard could take two hours out of that conflict and release it as a movie. And it has the best ending ever.
BEST WEEK EVER is really, really funny.
FLIGHT OF THE CHONCORDS (HBO)
I saw the pilot, LOVED IT, for some reason never watched it again.
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (FOX)
Chef Gordon Ramsey is great tv, unfortunately, they already aired the first few explosive episodes (Gordon once found an infestation of bugs in an Indian resturaunt.) But now the places he's helping aren't that bad off. The worse the resturaunt, the better the show usually is.
Grade: B
THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (DVD)
Fascinating docu on the ratings board. Reccomended.
Grade: B
ZODIAC (DVD)
Really, really artfully done, well acting, and BORING. Sorry, but at 2 hours and forty five minutes (the director's cut) I never made it all the way to the end.
Grade: ???
DEATH PROOF (DVD)
This was the first half of GRINDHOUSE, which we all know was two movies in one. They stripped away the second movie (Released on its own,) added a disc of extras and gave this film an extra 40 minutes. I have a feeling the film was better with a shorter running time, because it's more a cool idea with some nifty scenes rather than a full fledged film, however, it's a fun ride, it's a Tarantino so that means some juicy dialog, a great lap dance scene (omitted from the original release) and some needless extra filler of some not-so-greatly delivered Q dialoge. On the whole, this is a very worthwhile endeavor. The movie has a fantastic look and feel from the 70s and a GREAT blistering lead performance in Kurt Russel, though he comes off much better in the first half then the very repetitive second half. Killer soundtrack. The extras are mostly about how they filmed the stunts for the film (which were not CGI'd) and some generic behind the scenes stuff. If you're a fan of Quentin, even though this isn't a fully realized film - you gotta see it. Even more importantly, I wish they would eventually release the whole thing on DVD - the two movies, the faux trailers - I mean, they have to, right?
Grade: B+
KID NATION
This bored me too much - I left after the 2nd commercial break. Did I miss anything?
HALLOWEEN (NOT YET ON DVD)
Fairly pointless remake with Rob Zombie (the great, DEVIL'S REJECTS) helming the retelling of this classic story. We get a LOT more of young Michael and how he became a killer, but once the movie shifts to HALLOWEEN night, which is where the majority of the original film took place, it becomes almost a bad shot for shot remake, with Rob not really adding much to what we already know and have seen. Reccomended, but barely. By the way, Rob manages to get in every player from DEVIL'S REJECTS in starring roles and cameos here - sounds like Mr. Zombie is very happy with his little acting troupe. The last guy to do that a lot was George A. Romero.
Grade: B -
THE SHOOTER (DVD)
Coming from Antoin Fuqua, who directed TRAINING DAY (an A) - I expected a lot more than this insanely predictable tale of Marky Mark pretending to be a great sharp shooter. It was needlessly complicated and very boring mixed with utter predictablity.
HOSTEL II (DVD)
ALIENS IN AMERICA (THE CW)
Continues to get funnier and funnier. Now the dad is getting in on the comedy, and he's especially adept at it - this is truly a great show and if you aren't watching it, really - check it out.
Grade: A
FAMILY GUY (FOX)
The episode in which Peter finds out he is an illegal alien was wrenchingly funny.
Grade: B +
THE SARAH SILVERMAN SHOW (COM)
The second season proves as devlish as the first, with Sarah, at this time, being the funniest woman on television. The recent episode in which she did battle on the COOKIE SHOW was masterful in its irreverence. I also loved the ep about her maid being deported and the revelation that Brian is into SPIN DOCTORS (they spoofed the video - hilarious) and that Jay is into "Gentle Comedy."
Grade: A
Speaking of which, I though Jimmy Kimmel killed, as usual, at the American Music Awards, and the current issue of PLAYBOY has a GREAT article on Jimmy, which becomes a bit of a love song to both Jimmy and Sarah, and reveals very much of both. It's one of the best articles I've read about Jimmy and it's highly reccomended.
HOSTEL II (DVD)
A worthy follow up, though not nearly as scary or original as the first, this does continue the mythology and puts enough of a twist on the first movie to have a right to exist. There is a bit too much dumb dialoge, the girls are not really fleshed out, and Eli Roth, as a director, does far worse to Heather Matarazzo then all the bullies did to her as Dawn Weiner in WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (An "A" movie, by the way.) The extras are really plentiful, and in some ways more entertaining then the film - but - at 90 minutes this is enjoyable enough with some truly inspired moments. When I was a kid I used to watch ANOTHER WORLD which is a now-defunct soap opera on NBC. I doubt anyone reading this remembers, but before Richard Burgi became a USA NETWORK SENSATION in a forgettable drama, he was the evil pimp CHAD in that show - here, he's just as evil.
Grade: B -
That's it for now.
Coming:
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (new season)
SHOOTER (DVD)
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (IN THEATRES)
3 10 TO YUMA (DVD SCREENER)
2007/11/04
The Digital Couch returns!
CALIFORNICATION (SHOWTIME)
http://television.aol.com/show/californication/1342172/main?flv=1&ncid=yInozwVMCu0000000742&icid=rbox_tv_shows.M
Okay, once you get over the concept that on this show - every single female in the world, straight and bi, wants to fuck David Duchovny, this becomes an enjoyable show that tries very hard to expose the pain and loathing that tags along with sex, drugs and debauchery. They don't quite hit the mark - but get close enough and some of the stories are truly memorable. Duchovny plays Hank Moody, a novelist whose book got turned into a high grossing shitty movie, so he's angry at the world. (Most can only wish for these problems.) Moody still holds a torch for his ex wife who he shares a child with, and some of the sex scenes go pretty far on the outrageous meter. The entire show though, is pretty much stolen from Duchovny by Evan Handler, who plays Hank's agent. Though his storyline seems directly lifted out of SECRETARY, the very good James Spader film, there is something very real about Handler (you might remember him as Charlotte's lawyer boyfriend on SEX AND THE CITY. The apex of the show probably hits when the two ex-wives walk in during a 3 way between Hank, Handler and a very foxy lady who covers Handler's face with a special talent. While all the stuff with Mia (sorry, you have to know the show) and the way that Handler gets his new associate and all the stuff with them and the stolen (supposedly genius book) written by Hank...it's too complicated - needless to say, for a show about Hollywood, it doesn't seem to really have any idea of the way things actually work. And while the conclusion was very satisfying - the last 2 minutes undid much good will towards the show I only hope if this makes it to season 2, that this last minute piss poor plot twist (a very bad GRADUATE homage) was just fantasy. Still - recommended.
Grade: B -
DIRTY SEXY MONEY (ABC)
http://television.aol.com/show/dirty-sexy-money/1342101/main?flv=1&ncid=oyjqUzrKfk0000000465&icid=rbox_tv_shows.M
I haven't seen all of these, (my dvr got wiped a few weeks ago and I lost HOURS of programming) I've really liked what I've seen.
Grade: B
I just heard from THE SURF REPORT that HBO is airing a series finale' of EXTRAS. This is cause of celebration. Now if only they could give a proper ending to DEADWOOD (though I contend the final episode would probably serve as a better finale' than one they would construct), get THE SOPRANOS to do a few more seasons (sorry, there's nothing else like it) and do another season of Lisa Kudrow's ill fated THE COMEBACK....now that would be something.
Speaking of finale's, how outrageous is it that Seinfeld wanted to shoot another final episode of SEINFELD to coincide with the new box set? Jerry - PLEASE do the episode anyway and erase memories of your own season final - the worst in the entire 9 year run. Speaking of which, I've been watching season 4 again on DVD and THE CHEEVER LETTERS might be one of the funniest eps they've ever done. But really, for the sake of humanity, Jerry - give us a proper ending to the greatest comedy of all time! (Along with the Honeymooners and The Office BBC)
THE FLY (DVD - DAVID CRONENBERG REMAKE)
http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Two-Disc-Collectors-Jeff-Goldblum/dp/B0009X768W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194225656&sr=8-1
Fox recently released this 80s classic in a great 2-disc set. While I have not yet gone through the oodles and oodles of extras, the centerpiece remains the story of a man, Jeff Goldblum, a shy scientist who strikes up a very unlikely romance with the adorable reporter Geena Davis. Goldblum has created a machine that can transport entities through time, and I had forgotten how truly spectacular the effects were, the acting of Goldblum (I think he was nominated), and how incredibly sad a story this was. And the writing and direction is truly topnotch, as it mines many of Cronenberg's favorite obsessions. An creepy, dreadful masterpiece and a lesson in efficient storytelling.
Grade: A +
TAXI DRIVER (DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/Taxi-Driver-Two-Disc-Collectors-Robert/dp/B000R8YC18/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194226132&sr=1-1
They just did a 2 disc reissue of this, but I just watched the 2 disc reissue I bought a few years ago. What a great, intense and fascinating movie. DeNiro is perfect, as is Jodie Foster and every other element of the film. There is not one false note here, and DeNiro's speed taking, alcohol swigging street avenger is just as powerful now as it was 30 years ago. The bomb. And Scorsesee's first great movie (MEAN STREETS was good - this is great.)
Grade: A +
EAGLES "Long Road Out Of Eden" (CD - first Eagles CD in 23 years!)
http://www.amazon.com/Eagles-Long-Road-Eden-Release/dp/B000XQX6H0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1194226796&sr=1-1
I can't believe as I write this blog, my first in a few months, I'm listening to the first Eagle's CD - I think - in 23 years (The Long Run was I believe released in 79 or something like that.) There are 20 new songs here that barely qualify as a double disc (if they'd ridden themselves of 3 songs, they'd be a single disc.) Actually - "How Long" which sort of sounds like "Take It Easy," is an unrecorded song from the 70s era that sounds exactly like it just came off THE BEST OF THE EAGLES. Frey and Henley's vocals have never sound crisper and the band, including the awesome Joe Walsh, is as tight as ever. They've apparently been working on this for 5 years, and 1 song that appears here "No More Cloudy Days" appeared on 2005's THE FIRST FAREWELL DVD. Another song to be included from that DVD was a great song by Joe Walsh called "One Day At A Time" but somehow didn't make it to this collection. "Cloudy Days" is GREAT by the way with a killer Glen Frey vocal. My friend, Dave D., recently pointed out to me how far these guys had gotten away from greatness - at one point Frey had a minor hit with SMUGGLER'S BLUES and even acted on MIAMI VICE as the smuggler with the blues. Jesus. I also think it's interesting that they are clearly labelled now as "country rock" - somehow I never saw them that way, but between that self promotion of country and the fact that the CD will only be available at Walmart exclusively for the next year (Shame on you, Don Henley - after all your corporate screaming) - this all seems to be part of a financial arrangement to market specifically to the Midwest. This is a shame because the CD is really good and feels like it came right after THE LONG RUN with no seams showing. Maybe a few too many shitty ballads, but mostly this CD rocks hard and makes you remember why you loved The Eagles in the first place. Standouts: "Waiting In The Weeds, No More Cloudy Days, You Are Not Alone, Long Road Out Of Eden (a new 10 minute Eagles masterpiece - well, maybe I need to hear it more to proclaim masterpiece, but it sounds really good, definitely in the vein of "the last resort" and other classics,) I Dreamed There Was No War, Somebody, Last Good Time In Town (a new Joe Walsh/Eagles classic in the vein of Life's Been Good,) Center Of The Universe and It's Your World Now. The Eagles are definitely back, and I think that's a good thing. If they can make their next CD in less time, that'll be a great thing - but still - this is a gift to the true believers.
Grade: B +
MICK JAGGER "BEST OF MICK SOLO" (CD/DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Mick-Jagger-Dvd/dp/B000V9M0E4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1194227730&sr=8-2
Good collection, but how's they miss PARADISE and BRAND NEW SET OF RULES? The best 2 solo Mick offerings EVER! And where is STATE OF SHOCK with Michael Jackson? (Just kidding.)
Grade: B
ELTON JOHN AT 60: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
http://www.amazon.com/Elton-60-Madison-Square-Garden/dp/B000UZD4AS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194228203&sr=8-2
One of the best Elton packages ever offered, EVER! This has him at his 60th birthday at Madison Square Garden belting out around 40 songs in perfect pitch, and there's about 24 more archival performances of his. This pretty much covers everything. Even though I will always love the ONE NIGHT ONLY dvd, this will be the one I watch for a while. There are like - 64 songs on here - and all are in stellar versions - the 5.1 mix is superb - this is one of the best Elton dvds ever produced, and Elton sings like a champ. At 60 years old, this fucker is still doing it.
Grade: A +
JOHN FOGERTY "Revival"
Great - kind of sounds like a Clearwater CD. His best collection since CENTERFIELD.
Grade: B
JACKASS 2 (DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/Jackass-Number-Unrated-Willie-Garson/dp/B000JLTRJK/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194228661&sr=1-1
I recently re-watched this with some friends and forgot just how profanely funny this is. And I also could not believe that none of these guys have ended up dead yet. But Knoxville and Co. are some inventive, funny mother fuckers. Some of the bits here are off the charts, but for my money, the switcheroo involving Bam's dad and an impostor might be the funniest thing I've seen in ages. But I think the main attraction here is the commoradirty between the guys - their good naturedness towards each other in the face of personal atrocities perpetrated on each other is truly admirable. And "Grandpa's Balls" has to be seen to be believed.
Grade: A
I LOVE NEW YORK 2 (VH1)
http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/i_love_new_york_2/splash.jhtml
Twice as outrageous as last year and about twice as staged. Definitely off the MUST WATCH list, due to the obvious prodding and scripting by producers. Even New York's mom, complete with a whole new makeover which makes her almost indistinguishable from her daughter, seems to be in on the storylining this year. Why can't reality shows just let shit HAPPEN?
Grade: C -
FLAVA FLAV ROAST (COM CENTRAL)
http://www.amazon.com/Comedy-Central-Roast-Flavor-Flav/dp/B000V2SQ80/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=digital-video&qid=1194228970&sr=8-5
Jimmy Kimmel killed, as did Ross Schwartz, and this was one of the funniest roasts Comedy Central has ever done.
Grade: A
ALIENS IN AMERICA (The CW)
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/aliens-in-america
A show that has absolutely no right to be nearly as warm, funny and sharp as it is - but it's all that and more. Here it is - the best new comedy of this season. It's about a nerd and the Pakistani student who comes to stay with them - and yet - this single camera half hour has the best comic sensibility of all the new comedies on the air right now. If you haven't seen this yet, catch up!
Grade: A
ROCK OF LOVE FINALE
http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/rock_of_love/series_characters.jhtml
I loved this whole show - I LOVED Rodeo, Brandy C. and Brandy M. (both can be seen in online porn as dirty as anything you've ever seen) and I thought Shannon was very pretty, very insane, and VERY entertaining. I loved Heather's 80s porno hair and her Bride Of Frankenstein makeup (made even funnier by the fact that every time Heather was scene sans makeup, she was kind of beautiful. But in the end, I think Mr. Michaels made exactly the right choice. But what is Heather going to do with that tattoo?
GRADE: B +
The Next Great American Band (FOX)
Pretty good - at 2 hours, pretty long. Not enough there to make me watch this every week.
Grade: C-
KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS (E!)
Ridiculous - and not in the good way. Bruce Jenner should have his medals stripped away.
Grade: F
SNL - THE NEW SEASON
It truly sucks out loud. And with Seth Myers now co-hosting UPDATE - there is truly no more compelling reason to watch this sinking ship. Is it even TRYING to be funny?
Grade: F
I still miss THE SOPRANOS and thought they were ROBBED at the Emmys in the acting awards, especially for Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Michael Imperiolli. That the moron who plays Janice got nominated - well - Ryan Seacrest was hosting (after a decent monologue, his uselessness became really apparent.) James Spader should've been ashamed to take that Emmy home, especially since BOSTON LEGAL stopped being a real show about 3 seasons ago.
Did anyone hear that massive fight between Sal and Artie on the STERN RADIO SHOW - it was insane, real - and I wonder if Sal still has a job. For the record, Sal was so far out of line I was sort of surprised that he wasn't fired on the spot. Still, he makes for compelling radio, and I wonder if he'll be given some slack over this - but this was about as uncomfortable and riveting as live radio goes. There's a reason Howard is the King. Here is the synopsis from their official site:
www.howardstern.com
"DOWNTRODDEN” COMEDIANS STAND UP
Howard railed against Richard and Sal's claim (made on the Wrap-Up Show yesterday) that he gives Artie more slack with the guests. Howard and Artie explained that it was Artie's job to be a larger part of the show,
and he's paid accordingly. Sal came in to defend himself, but Howard immediately speculated that Sal’s complaint was just an extension of his jealousy over Howard's close relationship with Artie.
Artie told Sal that he and Richard were just “glorified radio contest winners,” and Howard wondered why Sal and Richard always felt so “downtrodden.” Richard remarked that he was just offended when people mocked the validity of his ideas and claimed they couldn't care less if he died. Artie noted that Sal crosses the line with guests, like when he insulted Jon Stewart's comedy and asked Ace Frehley for his phone number.
ARTIE, SAL, AND RICHARD GET AGGRESSIVE
Sal began yelling that he always defended Artie, even though Artie “rips off” audiences by performing the same act over and over. Sal also told Artie that he was "nothing" before the Stern show, that he was horrible on MAD TV and that BEER LEAGUE is the worst shit ever and that Artie walks around like he's God's gift to comedy. Artie told Sal that he should go f’ himself, watch his “gay” kids die ofR>TRONG>AIDS, and meet him downstairs later for an asskicking. Howard said Artie really didn't want Sal's kids to die of AIDS, and Artie admitted that Howard was right; he hoped Sal kids live to “at least 25” before the disease kills them.
Gary came in to say that Richard was being less than honest about his feelings, so Richard confessed that he thought Gary didn’t like him or want to hear any of his bits. Gary told Richard that “it's not that I don't want to hear anything, it's that I don't want to hear everything,” adding that Richard is “passive-aggressive” to the “nth-degree” when his bits don't get played. Howard then informed Richard that Gary's intuition was right 99% of the time.
THE NEXT DAY:
A MOMENT WITH FRED
Howard took a moment with Fred, who “endorsed” Artie in his fight with Sal and Richard because they'd “crossed the line” by throwing “everything but the kitchen sink” at Artie during their “attack” on him yesterday. Fred also said he thought Jerry Seinfeld was a “wacko,” as Jerry's “America's sweetheart” status doesn't agree with the fact that he once dated a 17 year-old and “stole” a newlywed woman. Robin agreed with Fred on both counts.
A MESSAGE FROM THE STERN SHOW OMBUDSMAN
Jason came in to say he mistakenly gave the impression yesterday that Richard has been pulling people aside to talk trash about Artie. Jason clarified that Richard had just mentioned (in the course of a “casual conversation”) he was upset with Artie for insulting his bits and “undermining” his work. Artie wondered why he was brought up in a “casual conversation,” but Jason couldn't remember, saying Richard just seemed angry with the fact that Artie says one thing to his face and the opposite on-air.
JD: SAL & RICHARD'S “REPRESENTATIVE”
Howard asked Sal and Richard if they wanted to “work out the parameters” of their new relationship with Artie, so JD came in as their “representative” and said they were doing fine. JD explained that the guys were hard at work on some new projects, and everyone was surprised they were turning down airtime. Howard noted that Richard told people he was bummed that yesterday's fight happened on Halloween. JD then read a statement from Sal and Richard in which they claimed they were upset with the listener emails Howard had read in support of Artie, as he'd skipped over all the ones that defended them. Howard told JD that he was the only real winner in this debacle, but JD didn't seem to buy it.
LATER:
ROBIN BEGINS (AND ENDS) HER CAREER AS A MODERATOR
Sal & Richard came in to say that Robin had convinced them to return to the studio. Sal requested that Robin be their “moderator,” so Howard begrudgingly obliged. Sal then said he and Artie were very passionate about their work, so when someone insults that work, they tend to lash out. Sal apologized for insulting Artie's resume, and Richard said that while Artie's comments sometimes hurt, they'll just deal with it from now on.
Howard asked how Sal making fun of Gary's work was different than Artie making fun of Sal's work, but Sal claimed it was “different.” Artie said Richard and Sal were asking him to edit himself, so Richard replied that he didn't want Artie to censor himself, just be aware that his statements hurt. Sal then apologized to Artie but still maintained that “Beer League” was “OK” – and not as good as his own film, “Robin's Meats & Vegetables.”
BUT HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL?
Artie said he didn't like Sal and Richard, calling them “serpent pussy homos,” and never wanted to see them again, adding that when Howard retires, Sal will be an “asswipe without a hole.” Artie then became so angry, he started throwing things in Sal’s direction (but missing), scaring everyone in the studio into near-silence. Howard remarked that he missed Artie's outburst because he was “drawing pictures” and told Artie that throwing things wasn't cool. Artie indignantly told Howard he didn't care what he thought, saying, “Fire me.” Artie repeated his threats to “drop” Sal, noting that he couldn't be around “phony asswipes like that.” Fred began picking up the items that Artie threw, and Sal said he was fine and understood Artie's anger. Howard explained that Sal might be retarded, but he doesn't hate Artie. Artie again said he didn't care and refused to cooperate with Howard's attempts at diplomacy.
HOWARD PUTS OUT THE FIRE
Howard eventually succeeded in calming everyone down, and Artie apologized for his actions and asked if he could light a cigarette. Howard allowed Artie to light
up, and apologized for allowing the situation to escalate. Artie laughed that he just remembered Cara, his “Beer League” co-star, was in the green room the whole time. Howard then thanked everyone and told Artie to get some pussy this weekend. (This entire synopsis reprinted from the official HOWARD STERN WEBSITE www.howardstern.com
In the next Digital Couch:
DAMAGES (FX)
DEXTER: SEASON 2 (SHOWTIME)
WEEDS: SEASON 3 (SHOWTIME)
SPRINGSTEEN: MAGIC and LA SPORTS ARENA SHOW
and much more!
http://television.aol.com/show/californication/1342172/main?flv=1&ncid=yInozwVMCu0000000742&icid=rbox_tv_shows.M
Okay, once you get over the concept that on this show - every single female in the world, straight and bi, wants to fuck David Duchovny, this becomes an enjoyable show that tries very hard to expose the pain and loathing that tags along with sex, drugs and debauchery. They don't quite hit the mark - but get close enough and some of the stories are truly memorable. Duchovny plays Hank Moody, a novelist whose book got turned into a high grossing shitty movie, so he's angry at the world. (Most can only wish for these problems.) Moody still holds a torch for his ex wife who he shares a child with, and some of the sex scenes go pretty far on the outrageous meter. The entire show though, is pretty much stolen from Duchovny by Evan Handler, who plays Hank's agent. Though his storyline seems directly lifted out of SECRETARY, the very good James Spader film, there is something very real about Handler (you might remember him as Charlotte's lawyer boyfriend on SEX AND THE CITY. The apex of the show probably hits when the two ex-wives walk in during a 3 way between Hank, Handler and a very foxy lady who covers Handler's face with a special talent. While all the stuff with Mia (sorry, you have to know the show) and the way that Handler gets his new associate and all the stuff with them and the stolen (supposedly genius book) written by Hank...it's too complicated - needless to say, for a show about Hollywood, it doesn't seem to really have any idea of the way things actually work. And while the conclusion was very satisfying - the last 2 minutes undid much good will towards the show I only hope if this makes it to season 2, that this last minute piss poor plot twist (a very bad GRADUATE homage) was just fantasy. Still - recommended.
Grade: B -
DIRTY SEXY MONEY (ABC)
http://television.aol.com/show/dirty-sexy-money/1342101/main?flv=1&ncid=oyjqUzrKfk0000000465&icid=rbox_tv_shows.M
I haven't seen all of these, (my dvr got wiped a few weeks ago and I lost HOURS of programming) I've really liked what I've seen.
Grade: B
I just heard from THE SURF REPORT that HBO is airing a series finale' of EXTRAS. This is cause of celebration. Now if only they could give a proper ending to DEADWOOD (though I contend the final episode would probably serve as a better finale' than one they would construct), get THE SOPRANOS to do a few more seasons (sorry, there's nothing else like it) and do another season of Lisa Kudrow's ill fated THE COMEBACK....now that would be something.
Speaking of finale's, how outrageous is it that Seinfeld wanted to shoot another final episode of SEINFELD to coincide with the new box set? Jerry - PLEASE do the episode anyway and erase memories of your own season final - the worst in the entire 9 year run. Speaking of which, I've been watching season 4 again on DVD and THE CHEEVER LETTERS might be one of the funniest eps they've ever done. But really, for the sake of humanity, Jerry - give us a proper ending to the greatest comedy of all time! (Along with the Honeymooners and The Office BBC)
THE FLY (DVD - DAVID CRONENBERG REMAKE)
http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Two-Disc-Collectors-Jeff-Goldblum/dp/B0009X768W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194225656&sr=8-1
Fox recently released this 80s classic in a great 2-disc set. While I have not yet gone through the oodles and oodles of extras, the centerpiece remains the story of a man, Jeff Goldblum, a shy scientist who strikes up a very unlikely romance with the adorable reporter Geena Davis. Goldblum has created a machine that can transport entities through time, and I had forgotten how truly spectacular the effects were, the acting of Goldblum (I think he was nominated), and how incredibly sad a story this was. And the writing and direction is truly topnotch, as it mines many of Cronenberg's favorite obsessions. An creepy, dreadful masterpiece and a lesson in efficient storytelling.
Grade: A +
TAXI DRIVER (DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/Taxi-Driver-Two-Disc-Collectors-Robert/dp/B000R8YC18/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194226132&sr=1-1
They just did a 2 disc reissue of this, but I just watched the 2 disc reissue I bought a few years ago. What a great, intense and fascinating movie. DeNiro is perfect, as is Jodie Foster and every other element of the film. There is not one false note here, and DeNiro's speed taking, alcohol swigging street avenger is just as powerful now as it was 30 years ago. The bomb. And Scorsesee's first great movie (MEAN STREETS was good - this is great.)
Grade: A +
EAGLES "Long Road Out Of Eden" (CD - first Eagles CD in 23 years!)
http://www.amazon.com/Eagles-Long-Road-Eden-Release/dp/B000XQX6H0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1194226796&sr=1-1
I can't believe as I write this blog, my first in a few months, I'm listening to the first Eagle's CD - I think - in 23 years (The Long Run was I believe released in 79 or something like that.) There are 20 new songs here that barely qualify as a double disc (if they'd ridden themselves of 3 songs, they'd be a single disc.) Actually - "How Long" which sort of sounds like "Take It Easy," is an unrecorded song from the 70s era that sounds exactly like it just came off THE BEST OF THE EAGLES. Frey and Henley's vocals have never sound crisper and the band, including the awesome Joe Walsh, is as tight as ever. They've apparently been working on this for 5 years, and 1 song that appears here "No More Cloudy Days" appeared on 2005's THE FIRST FAREWELL DVD. Another song to be included from that DVD was a great song by Joe Walsh called "One Day At A Time" but somehow didn't make it to this collection. "Cloudy Days" is GREAT by the way with a killer Glen Frey vocal. My friend, Dave D., recently pointed out to me how far these guys had gotten away from greatness - at one point Frey had a minor hit with SMUGGLER'S BLUES and even acted on MIAMI VICE as the smuggler with the blues. Jesus. I also think it's interesting that they are clearly labelled now as "country rock" - somehow I never saw them that way, but between that self promotion of country and the fact that the CD will only be available at Walmart exclusively for the next year (Shame on you, Don Henley - after all your corporate screaming) - this all seems to be part of a financial arrangement to market specifically to the Midwest. This is a shame because the CD is really good and feels like it came right after THE LONG RUN with no seams showing. Maybe a few too many shitty ballads, but mostly this CD rocks hard and makes you remember why you loved The Eagles in the first place. Standouts: "Waiting In The Weeds, No More Cloudy Days, You Are Not Alone, Long Road Out Of Eden (a new 10 minute Eagles masterpiece - well, maybe I need to hear it more to proclaim masterpiece, but it sounds really good, definitely in the vein of "the last resort" and other classics,) I Dreamed There Was No War, Somebody, Last Good Time In Town (a new Joe Walsh/Eagles classic in the vein of Life's Been Good,) Center Of The Universe and It's Your World Now. The Eagles are definitely back, and I think that's a good thing. If they can make their next CD in less time, that'll be a great thing - but still - this is a gift to the true believers.
Grade: B +
MICK JAGGER "BEST OF MICK SOLO" (CD/DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Mick-Jagger-Dvd/dp/B000V9M0E4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1194227730&sr=8-2
Good collection, but how's they miss PARADISE and BRAND NEW SET OF RULES? The best 2 solo Mick offerings EVER! And where is STATE OF SHOCK with Michael Jackson? (Just kidding.)
Grade: B
ELTON JOHN AT 60: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
http://www.amazon.com/Elton-60-Madison-Square-Garden/dp/B000UZD4AS/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194228203&sr=8-2
One of the best Elton packages ever offered, EVER! This has him at his 60th birthday at Madison Square Garden belting out around 40 songs in perfect pitch, and there's about 24 more archival performances of his. This pretty much covers everything. Even though I will always love the ONE NIGHT ONLY dvd, this will be the one I watch for a while. There are like - 64 songs on here - and all are in stellar versions - the 5.1 mix is superb - this is one of the best Elton dvds ever produced, and Elton sings like a champ. At 60 years old, this fucker is still doing it.
Grade: A +
JOHN FOGERTY "Revival"
Great - kind of sounds like a Clearwater CD. His best collection since CENTERFIELD.
Grade: B
JACKASS 2 (DVD)
http://www.amazon.com/Jackass-Number-Unrated-Willie-Garson/dp/B000JLTRJK/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1194228661&sr=1-1
I recently re-watched this with some friends and forgot just how profanely funny this is. And I also could not believe that none of these guys have ended up dead yet. But Knoxville and Co. are some inventive, funny mother fuckers. Some of the bits here are off the charts, but for my money, the switcheroo involving Bam's dad and an impostor might be the funniest thing I've seen in ages. But I think the main attraction here is the commoradirty between the guys - their good naturedness towards each other in the face of personal atrocities perpetrated on each other is truly admirable. And "Grandpa's Balls" has to be seen to be believed.
Grade: A
I LOVE NEW YORK 2 (VH1)
http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/i_love_new_york_2/splash.jhtml
Twice as outrageous as last year and about twice as staged. Definitely off the MUST WATCH list, due to the obvious prodding and scripting by producers. Even New York's mom, complete with a whole new makeover which makes her almost indistinguishable from her daughter, seems to be in on the storylining this year. Why can't reality shows just let shit HAPPEN?
Grade: C -
FLAVA FLAV ROAST (COM CENTRAL)
http://www.amazon.com/Comedy-Central-Roast-Flavor-Flav/dp/B000V2SQ80/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/103-7085827-8050222?ie=UTF8&s=digital-video&qid=1194228970&sr=8-5
Jimmy Kimmel killed, as did Ross Schwartz, and this was one of the funniest roasts Comedy Central has ever done.
Grade: A
ALIENS IN AMERICA (The CW)
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/aliens-in-america
A show that has absolutely no right to be nearly as warm, funny and sharp as it is - but it's all that and more. Here it is - the best new comedy of this season. It's about a nerd and the Pakistani student who comes to stay with them - and yet - this single camera half hour has the best comic sensibility of all the new comedies on the air right now. If you haven't seen this yet, catch up!
Grade: A
ROCK OF LOVE FINALE
http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/rock_of_love/series_characters.jhtml
I loved this whole show - I LOVED Rodeo, Brandy C. and Brandy M. (both can be seen in online porn as dirty as anything you've ever seen) and I thought Shannon was very pretty, very insane, and VERY entertaining. I loved Heather's 80s porno hair and her Bride Of Frankenstein makeup (made even funnier by the fact that every time Heather was scene sans makeup, she was kind of beautiful. But in the end, I think Mr. Michaels made exactly the right choice. But what is Heather going to do with that tattoo?
GRADE: B +
The Next Great American Band (FOX)
Pretty good - at 2 hours, pretty long. Not enough there to make me watch this every week.
Grade: C-
KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS (E!)
Ridiculous - and not in the good way. Bruce Jenner should have his medals stripped away.
Grade: F
SNL - THE NEW SEASON
It truly sucks out loud. And with Seth Myers now co-hosting UPDATE - there is truly no more compelling reason to watch this sinking ship. Is it even TRYING to be funny?
Grade: F
I still miss THE SOPRANOS and thought they were ROBBED at the Emmys in the acting awards, especially for Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Michael Imperiolli. That the moron who plays Janice got nominated - well - Ryan Seacrest was hosting (after a decent monologue, his uselessness became really apparent.) James Spader should've been ashamed to take that Emmy home, especially since BOSTON LEGAL stopped being a real show about 3 seasons ago.
Did anyone hear that massive fight between Sal and Artie on the STERN RADIO SHOW - it was insane, real - and I wonder if Sal still has a job. For the record, Sal was so far out of line I was sort of surprised that he wasn't fired on the spot. Still, he makes for compelling radio, and I wonder if he'll be given some slack over this - but this was about as uncomfortable and riveting as live radio goes. There's a reason Howard is the King. Here is the synopsis from their official site:
www.howardstern.com
"DOWNTRODDEN” COMEDIANS STAND UP
Howard railed against Richard and Sal's claim (made on the Wrap-Up Show yesterday) that he gives Artie more slack with the guests. Howard and Artie explained that it was Artie's job to be a larger part of the show,
and he's paid accordingly. Sal came in to defend himself, but Howard immediately speculated that Sal’s complaint was just an extension of his jealousy over Howard's close relationship with Artie.
Artie told Sal that he and Richard were just “glorified radio contest winners,” and Howard wondered why Sal and Richard always felt so “downtrodden.” Richard remarked that he was just offended when people mocked the validity of his ideas and claimed they couldn't care less if he died. Artie noted that Sal crosses the line with guests, like when he insulted Jon Stewart's comedy and asked Ace Frehley for his phone number.
ARTIE, SAL, AND RICHARD GET AGGRESSIVE
Sal began yelling that he always defended Artie, even though Artie “rips off” audiences by performing the same act over and over. Sal also told Artie that he was "nothing" before the Stern show, that he was horrible on MAD TV and that BEER LEAGUE is the worst shit ever and that Artie walks around like he's God's gift to comedy. Artie told Sal that he should go f’ himself, watch his “gay” kids die of
Gary came in to say that Richard was being less than honest about his feelings, so Richard confessed that he thought Gary didn’t like him or want to hear any of his bits. Gary told Richard that “it's not that I don't want to hear anything, it's that I don't want to hear everything,” adding that Richard is “passive-aggressive” to the “nth-degree” when his bits don't get played. Howard then informed Richard that Gary's intuition was right 99% of the time.
THE NEXT DAY:
A MOMENT WITH FRED
Howard took a moment with Fred, who “endorsed” Artie in his fight with Sal and Richard because they'd “crossed the line” by throwing “everything but the kitchen sink” at Artie during their “attack” on him yesterday. Fred also said he thought Jerry Seinfeld was a “wacko,” as Jerry's “America's sweetheart” status doesn't agree with the fact that he once dated a 17 year-old and “stole” a newlywed woman. Robin agreed with Fred on both counts.
A MESSAGE FROM THE STERN SHOW OMBUDSMAN
Jason came in to say he mistakenly gave the impression yesterday that Richard has been pulling people aside to talk trash about Artie. Jason clarified that Richard had just mentioned (in the course of a “casual conversation”) he was upset with Artie for insulting his bits and “undermining” his work. Artie wondered why he was brought up in a “casual conversation,” but Jason couldn't remember, saying Richard just seemed angry with the fact that Artie says one thing to his face and the opposite on-air.
JD: SAL & RICHARD'S “REPRESENTATIVE”
Howard asked Sal and Richard if they wanted to “work out the parameters” of their new relationship with Artie, so JD came in as their “representative” and said they were doing fine. JD explained that the guys were hard at work on some new projects, and everyone was surprised they were turning down airtime. Howard noted that Richard told people he was bummed that yesterday's fight happened on Halloween. JD then read a statement from Sal and Richard in which they claimed they were upset with the listener emails Howard had read in support of Artie, as he'd skipped over all the ones that defended them. Howard told JD that he was the only real winner in this debacle, but JD didn't seem to buy it.
LATER:
ROBIN BEGINS (AND ENDS) HER CAREER AS A MODERATOR
Sal & Richard came in to say that Robin had convinced them to return to the studio. Sal requested that Robin be their “moderator,” so Howard begrudgingly obliged. Sal then said he and Artie were very passionate about their work, so when someone insults that work, they tend to lash out. Sal apologized for insulting Artie's resume, and Richard said that while Artie's comments sometimes hurt, they'll just deal with it from now on.
Howard asked how Sal making fun of Gary's work was different than Artie making fun of Sal's work, but Sal claimed it was “different.” Artie said Richard and Sal were asking him to edit himself, so Richard replied that he didn't want Artie to censor himself, just be aware that his statements hurt. Sal then apologized to Artie but still maintained that “Beer League” was “OK” – and not as good as his own film, “Robin's Meats & Vegetables.”
BUT HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL?
Artie said he didn't like Sal and Richard, calling them “serpent pussy homos,” and never wanted to see them again, adding that when Howard retires, Sal will be an “asswipe without a hole.” Artie then became so angry, he started throwing things in Sal’s direction (but missing), scaring everyone in the studio into near-silence. Howard remarked that he missed Artie's outburst because he was “drawing pictures” and told Artie that throwing things wasn't cool. Artie indignantly told Howard he didn't care what he thought, saying, “Fire me.” Artie repeated his threats to “drop” Sal, noting that he couldn't be around “phony asswipes like that.” Fred began picking up the items that Artie threw, and Sal said he was fine and understood Artie's anger. Howard explained that Sal might be retarded, but he doesn't hate Artie. Artie again said he didn't care and refused to cooperate with Howard's attempts at diplomacy.
HOWARD PUTS OUT THE FIRE
Howard eventually succeeded in calming everyone down, and Artie apologized for his actions and asked if he could light a cigarette. Howard allowed Artie to light
up, and apologized for allowing the situation to escalate. Artie laughed that he just remembered Cara, his “Beer League” co-star, was in the green room the whole time. Howard then thanked everyone and told Artie to get some pussy this weekend. (This entire synopsis reprinted from the official HOWARD STERN WEBSITE www.howardstern.com
In the next Digital Couch:
DAMAGES (FX)
DEXTER: SEASON 2 (SHOWTIME)
WEEDS: SEASON 3 (SHOWTIME)
SPRINGSTEEN: MAGIC and LA SPORTS ARENA SHOW
and much more!
2007/06/15
THE LAST SOPRANOS, and THE LAST BLOG. Ever.
"Made In America"
So - this is it - the last episode of THE SOPRANOS has aired, and as promised, this blog comes to close. At some point in life I might start on it again - but life has gotten busy - I spend my spare time these days doting on G., but even still - I think writing about these shows kind of misses the point with me. I'm going to basically review everything I've seen lately as well as stuff I think you should really check out.
THE OFFICE (BBC)
I've crowed enough about this show - but you must gets seasons 1 & 2 and the Xmas specials - watch them in order and see a truly amazing show that has what is probably the most satisfying finale of any tv show I've ever seen.
Grade: A +
THE OFFICE (BBC)
I've crowed enough about this show - but you must gets seasons 1 & 2 and the Xmas specials - watch them in order and see a truly amazing show that has what is probably the most satisfying finale of any tv show I've ever seen.
Grade: A +
I thought BORAT and JACKASS 2 were the funniest films of last year - and if you're just looking for great movies to watch, JESUS IS MAGIC, HAPPINESS, KILL BILL, BUGSY, OPEN WATER, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (UNCUT DVD VERSION), ELECTION, THE YARDS, TERMINATOR 1 & 2 (the third kind of really sucked), BOOGIE NIGHTS, KEN PARK, KIDS, GUMMO, BULLY, ROCKY BALBOA (the whole series - but the last one was really great), AWAKENINGS - these are all films that if you haven't seen - you should. I'll probably throw out a few more for this big last blow out - but those are the first few that came to mind.
One thing I also love is collecting tv series on dvd. Yet, with the exception of THE SOPRANOS, my other two favorite dramas remain in limbo. WISEGUY, one of the best crime dramas EVER to hit the air has only appeared in a 4 box set - yet an entire season is missing, the arcs are shown out of order and key songs are replaced by library music. One episode even has a gaffe that JUST features Ken Wahl talking and not even the audio. And now they've pulled it - so in all likelihood, WISEGUY will never see the real light of dvd in any cohesive way (luckily I had all of them taped on HQ VHS - so I've successfully converted them.) - But HILL STREET BLUES? They released the first 2 seasons in very nice boxes (even though they were missing the great "Previously on Hill St. Blues" that set up the episodes, but now they've stopped. Season 3 was all ready to go - but the sales were disappointing. You know why that's so idiotic? Because they simply should have released all 7 seasons in one box set and made their money - but they were stupid and now we may NEVER get the finest cop drama EVER on DVD. This actually makes my blood boil - and yet - every season of SHE'S THE SHERIFF is available with audio commentary.
One thing I also love is collecting tv series on dvd. Yet, with the exception of THE SOPRANOS, my other two favorite dramas remain in limbo. WISEGUY, one of the best crime dramas EVER to hit the air has only appeared in a 4 box set - yet an entire season is missing, the arcs are shown out of order and key songs are replaced by library music. One episode even has a gaffe that JUST features Ken Wahl talking and not even the audio. And now they've pulled it - so in all likelihood, WISEGUY will never see the real light of dvd in any cohesive way (luckily I had all of them taped on HQ VHS - so I've successfully converted them.) - But HILL STREET BLUES? They released the first 2 seasons in very nice boxes (even though they were missing the great "Previously on Hill St. Blues" that set up the episodes, but now they've stopped. Season 3 was all ready to go - but the sales were disappointing. You know why that's so idiotic? Because they simply should have released all 7 seasons in one box set and made their money - but they were stupid and now we may NEVER get the finest cop drama EVER on DVD. This actually makes my blood boil - and yet - every season of SHE'S THE SHERIFF is available with audio commentary.
The LAND OF THE LOST dvds are really cool. Loaded with extras - and best of all - loaded with the silly/scary tv show that captured my imagination all those years ago.
IGBY GOES DOWN (VHS)
G. recently made me watch this and I thought it was really good. It's a super specific story about this kid who's kind of floating through life based on his parent's weird situation and it's very non-genre but I got pretty sucked in.
Grade: B
Grade: B
TIM AND ERIC'S AWESOME SHOW! (TOON)
I watched this the other night in a Hawaiian Condo - fucking brilliantly funny - or it was the booze - but I think it might've been both.
Grade: A
I watched this the other night in a Hawaiian Condo - fucking brilliantly funny - or it was the booze - but I think it might've been both.
Grade: A
I LOVE WONDERSHOWZEN (Get the dvds.)
LIVING IN OBLIVION is one of the greatest comedies ever made.
BROADCAST NEWS and MOONSTRUCK are genius.
TWO BROTHERS is awesome. (and wrenching.)
FREEWAY had the best opening 20 minutes for a tv movie EVER.
THE IDOLMAKER, MIRACLE MILE, MY BODYGUARD, MEATBALLS and LITTLE DARLINGS are some GREAT old movies.
THE GAME, with Michael Douglas - amazing.
I never saw the 2 follow up MATRIX movies - am I missing something?
TRAFFIC, the movie - is really good - and really overrated.
I traded in my NAKED GUN collection because I can't stand to see OJ in them.
TITANIC has some of the best scenes ever shot - and some of the worst.
UNDECLARED should've lasted longer.
THE X FILES really needed a better ending.
FRIENDS has exactly the ending the fans wanted - a really boring one.
MARY TYLER MOORE was a perfect show with a perfect ending. Also the only show to ever spawn two comedy sequels (Rhoda and The Ted Knight Show - (there might've even been a third) - and the only comedy EVER to spawn a one hour drama :LOU GRANT. (Lou Grant's boss was played by Nancy Marchand - Tony Soprano's mother, Livia.)
THE BEATLES' LOVE is best served by a 5.1 system. So is THE EAGLES FIRST FAREWELL TOUR.
LIVING IN OBLIVION is one of the greatest comedies ever made.
BROADCAST NEWS and MOONSTRUCK are genius.
TWO BROTHERS is awesome. (and wrenching.)
FREEWAY had the best opening 20 minutes for a tv movie EVER.
THE IDOLMAKER, MIRACLE MILE, MY BODYGUARD, MEATBALLS and LITTLE DARLINGS are some GREAT old movies.
THE GAME, with Michael Douglas - amazing.
I never saw the 2 follow up MATRIX movies - am I missing something?
TRAFFIC, the movie - is really good - and really overrated.
I traded in my NAKED GUN collection because I can't stand to see OJ in them.
TITANIC has some of the best scenes ever shot - and some of the worst.
UNDECLARED should've lasted longer.
THE X FILES really needed a better ending.
FRIENDS has exactly the ending the fans wanted - a really boring one.
MARY TYLER MOORE was a perfect show with a perfect ending. Also the only show to ever spawn two comedy sequels (Rhoda and The Ted Knight Show - (there might've even been a third) - and the only comedy EVER to spawn a one hour drama :LOU GRANT. (Lou Grant's boss was played by Nancy Marchand - Tony Soprano's mother, Livia.)
THE BEATLES' LOVE is best served by a 5.1 system. So is THE EAGLES FIRST FAREWELL TOUR.
THE WEDDING CRASHERS is really funny. The writer - Steven Faber is even funnier.
The 5.1 disc of DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is amazing.
THE SHIELD - 6.2 SEASON ENDING EPISODES (FX)
Enough with this "seasons 6.1 - 6.2" - it's really annoying. Beyond that - This last batch of SHIELD episodes have been awesome, dizzying, mature and trenchant. The performance of Walton Goggins as Shane has gone from annoying in season one to invaluable. The stuff with his guilt over Lem was great - Vic's performance (Chicklis) has NEVER been better as Vic, and if I had any complaints about this season, it was just that the Dutch stuff somehow never seemed as exciting as what was going on in the rest of the show, and that the finale just kind of was okay - it didn't really build to anything great. It reminded me of the first season finale, which became about how overall corruption was worse then anything Vic Mackey could do. It also seemed like they tried to cram so much in that all the Vic-Aceveda stuff, which should've been explosive, kind of felt a little by the numbers. Still, this was a series in top form, and I'm looking forward to the final season.
Grade: A
REAL WORLD: VEGAS REUNITED (MTV)
Nothing more fun then going back in time and seeing these true misfits share a place together in Vegas. I've only seen a few eps and although it's far from great, it's fun to see those characters again. Yet, if they REALLY want to please the fans - get the gang from REAL WORLD: HAWAII (the best season of the entire series history) - get those guys back together again. THAT would be something.
Grade: B -
ROCKY 3
Watched this with G. over the weekend - loved the angle of bringing back Apollo - Mickey's death was a little gimmicky - and that speech by Adrian at the beach was so badly over the top and poorly acted, me and G. were embarrassed watching it. Still, Mr. T. was a great opponent, Apollo was a great friend to Rocky and yes, their manly beach hugging at the end of "Gonna Fly Now" was something you probably wouldn't see today - but we fucking loved it! Great fight sequences and awesome last scene of Apollo's "favor." (I kept thinking it would be anal - but it turned out he just wanted another fight with the Rock.)
Grade: B +
The 5.1 disc of DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is amazing.
THE SHIELD - 6.2 SEASON ENDING EPISODES (FX)
Enough with this "seasons 6.1 - 6.2" - it's really annoying. Beyond that - This last batch of SHIELD episodes have been awesome, dizzying, mature and trenchant. The performance of Walton Goggins as Shane has gone from annoying in season one to invaluable. The stuff with his guilt over Lem was great - Vic's performance (Chicklis) has NEVER been better as Vic, and if I had any complaints about this season, it was just that the Dutch stuff somehow never seemed as exciting as what was going on in the rest of the show, and that the finale just kind of was okay - it didn't really build to anything great. It reminded me of the first season finale, which became about how overall corruption was worse then anything Vic Mackey could do. It also seemed like they tried to cram so much in that all the Vic-Aceveda stuff, which should've been explosive, kind of felt a little by the numbers. Still, this was a series in top form, and I'm looking forward to the final season.
Grade: A
REAL WORLD: VEGAS REUNITED (MTV)
Nothing more fun then going back in time and seeing these true misfits share a place together in Vegas. I've only seen a few eps and although it's far from great, it's fun to see those characters again. Yet, if they REALLY want to please the fans - get the gang from REAL WORLD: HAWAII (the best season of the entire series history) - get those guys back together again. THAT would be something.
Grade: B -
ROCKY 3
Watched this with G. over the weekend - loved the angle of bringing back Apollo - Mickey's death was a little gimmicky - and that speech by Adrian at the beach was so badly over the top and poorly acted, me and G. were embarrassed watching it. Still, Mr. T. was a great opponent, Apollo was a great friend to Rocky and yes, their manly beach hugging at the end of "Gonna Fly Now" was something you probably wouldn't see today - but we fucking loved it! Great fight sequences and awesome last scene of Apollo's "favor." (I kept thinking it would be anal - but it turned out he just wanted another fight with the Rock.)
Grade: B +
(and don't forget how much i LOVED ROCKY BALBOA)
THE ODD COUPLE (1st season dvd)
I bought this for G. - who's a big fan, but I haven't seen too much of it. But from what I have seen - it seems like a great gift to fans of the show packed to the gills with little extras - let's just hope they release all 5 seasons of this classic comedy that was funny right from the get go.
Grade: A
ALPHA DOG (DVD)
WAY better then I thought it would - Justin Timberlake is just great in his big screen debut, Emile Hirsh is perfect and this is yet another version of MEAN STREETS - this one set in the San Fernando Valley and based on a true story - but it kind of rocked. Not as hard as BULLY, which this film shares a lot of theme with, but it still kind of rocks.
Grade: B
LOST (3rd season Finale) (ABC)Wow. The show itself had been Lost - and then came the last 8 eps and each one seemed to top itself. I have to admit - I truly thought this show was creatively dead and they wouldn't be able to come back - they've proved me wrong. The ending was a mind-blower and I look forward to the 3 coming mini-seasons - however - let's not get crazy - do the short 3 seasons, like the deal you made with ABC - and end this fucking thing well. It's not epic enough to keep dragging out and it's taken enough wrong turns that I'd just like to see them wind down in a classic style. But at the moment, the ship is VERY steady.
Finale' Grade: A
Season Grade: B -
ON THE LOT (FOX)
Has become an addictive version of PROJECT GREENLIGHT - but where's Spielberg? And the student films - or whatever - all kind of REALLY suck. - UPDATE: Have seen a few more - apparently the ratings are in the basement so they're eliminating contestants off-air - which leads to a really chaotic mess. And the short films are getting fascinatingly worse.
Grade: C -
AMY WINEHOUSE CD
Buy it.
Now.
Awesome.
I just picked up the new McCartney CD "MEMORY ALMOST FULL" and at first listen, sounds like a gem.
STRANGER THEN FICTION (DVD)
I wanted to love this film. I didn't - but I really liked it. It just didn't have the emotion to keep up it's story - and it was very cold and distancing. And Emma Thompson seemed to be acting in a different movie. A much worse one. Still - it had some great story beats and a nice performance from Will Ferrel.
Grade: C +
THE OFFICE FINALE (NBC)
This came back from a wildly uneven season and scored with this finale - but comparisons to the BBC series are a serious joke. That said - this finale' was very well done, very eventful and hopefully a sign of great things to come for the series 4th season.
THE SARAH SILVERMAN SHOW (COM)
"Muffin' Man." I did not get that joke the first time around. This was my favorite episode in this short new series run, and I loved the TAB wars between the lovers.
Grade: A
RESCUE ME PREMIERE (FX)
THE ODD COUPLE (1st season dvd)
I bought this for G. - who's a big fan, but I haven't seen too much of it. But from what I have seen - it seems like a great gift to fans of the show packed to the gills with little extras - let's just hope they release all 5 seasons of this classic comedy that was funny right from the get go.
Grade: A
ALPHA DOG (DVD)
WAY better then I thought it would - Justin Timberlake is just great in his big screen debut, Emile Hirsh is perfect and this is yet another version of MEAN STREETS - this one set in the San Fernando Valley and based on a true story - but it kind of rocked. Not as hard as BULLY, which this film shares a lot of theme with, but it still kind of rocks.
Grade: B
LOST (3rd season Finale) (ABC)Wow. The show itself had been Lost - and then came the last 8 eps and each one seemed to top itself. I have to admit - I truly thought this show was creatively dead and they wouldn't be able to come back - they've proved me wrong. The ending was a mind-blower and I look forward to the 3 coming mini-seasons - however - let's not get crazy - do the short 3 seasons, like the deal you made with ABC - and end this fucking thing well. It's not epic enough to keep dragging out and it's taken enough wrong turns that I'd just like to see them wind down in a classic style. But at the moment, the ship is VERY steady.
Finale' Grade: A
Season Grade: B -
ON THE LOT (FOX)
Has become an addictive version of PROJECT GREENLIGHT - but where's Spielberg? And the student films - or whatever - all kind of REALLY suck. - UPDATE: Have seen a few more - apparently the ratings are in the basement so they're eliminating contestants off-air - which leads to a really chaotic mess. And the short films are getting fascinatingly worse.
Grade: C -
AMY WINEHOUSE CD
Buy it.
Now.
Awesome.
I just picked up the new McCartney CD "MEMORY ALMOST FULL" and at first listen, sounds like a gem.
STRANGER THEN FICTION (DVD)
I wanted to love this film. I didn't - but I really liked it. It just didn't have the emotion to keep up it's story - and it was very cold and distancing. And Emma Thompson seemed to be acting in a different movie. A much worse one. Still - it had some great story beats and a nice performance from Will Ferrel.
Grade: C +
THE OFFICE FINALE (NBC)
This came back from a wildly uneven season and scored with this finale - but comparisons to the BBC series are a serious joke. That said - this finale' was very well done, very eventful and hopefully a sign of great things to come for the series 4th season.
THE SARAH SILVERMAN SHOW (COM)
"Muffin' Man." I did not get that joke the first time around. This was my favorite episode in this short new series run, and I loved the TAB wars between the lovers.
Grade: A
RESCUE ME PREMIERE (FX)
I'll be watching - but the blog is over - so I guess we'll just never know what I thought of it. My prediction: about the same as all the previous seasons - good with inane moments of surrealness that went out with ALLY MCBEAL. 7 years ago. And if Leary spends half the premier talking to his dead relative - or different versions of himself - you'll know that he's simply taking stuff from better shows and doing nothing more then recycling them. This show is at it's very best when it's real and dangerous - not the warmed over fantasy bullshit.
PREDICTION GRADE: B -
UPDATE: I actually got a chance to see it. It was WAY better then I expected - and the firehouse explosion was hairy. AND - as of yet at least - no fucking fantasy sequences. And I loved the porn stuff with Tatum O'Neil.
Revised Grade: B +
The promos for DAMAGE on FX seem pretty good.
I started watching APOCOLYPTO and thought it starts off really good - even if Gibson does hate the Jews.
UPDATE: I finished the movie. It's real good. Real long. Real bloody. Real long. Real interesting and based in fact. And really fucking long.
Since this is the last time I'll be here, let me give you some more recommendations of stuff I've loved that I recommend wholeheartedly: TAXI and SEINFELD on DVD, TRAFFIK (the bbc series dvd), MURDER ONE (especially season 2), SOAP on DVD, THE HONEYMOONERS classic 39 all out on dvd, I love DRAWN TOGETHER on the Toon network - WINDY CITY HEAT is one of the best comedies EVER made (even though Perrry is now suing everybody involved), CRASH is great, RUDY is great, RAGING BULL is maybe the best film ever made, along with WIZARD OF OZ.
TAXI DRIVER and KING OF COMEDY are 2 great Scorsese movies - as well as one of my other all time favorites GOODFELLAS. DONNIE BRASCO and DEEP COVER are really good crime thrillers. I love THE FIRM, HARD CANDY, THE FAMILY MAN, GLADIATOR and GO.
Looking forward to the new BAD GIRLS: ROAD TRIP. MOTHER'S DAY is depraved and awesome. The EVIL DEAD series (3 movies) are all excellent. SPRINGSTEEN LIVE IN NYC is still his best concert dvd along with his HAMMERSMITH, ODEON disc (available in the BORN 2 RUN set.)
BILLY JOEL'S recent 12 GARDENS is a fantastic live cd. BAT OUT OF HELL 3 wasn't perfect but good enough to be a worthy conclusion - despite the absence of new Jim Steinman songs.
ELTON JOHN's DREAM TICKET dvd set - on Amazon for about 25 bux - is definitely the way to go on him.
ANGEL HEART is a great movie, as is AND THE BAND PLAYED ON.
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE is the new king of late nite shows, period.
STERN ON DEMAND and THE STERN SIRIUS RADIO show are both solid A +. If you're in the car a lot - go for the radio show. If you're never in the car and don't want to install a radio - the ON DEMAND site (available only if you have ON DEMAND - which now is a digital cable thing) the tv show is the way to go - since almost everything great that happens on the radio is repeated in an edited (not for content but to make more cohesion out of them) form. Or do like me - get both.
FREAKS & GEEKS is a one of a kind show and everybody show own the 15 episode set.
AMONGST FRIENDS and BABY BOY are two overlooked gems.
PREDICTION GRADE: B -
UPDATE: I actually got a chance to see it. It was WAY better then I expected - and the firehouse explosion was hairy. AND - as of yet at least - no fucking fantasy sequences. And I loved the porn stuff with Tatum O'Neil.
Revised Grade: B +
The promos for DAMAGE on FX seem pretty good.
I started watching APOCOLYPTO and thought it starts off really good - even if Gibson does hate the Jews.
UPDATE: I finished the movie. It's real good. Real long. Real bloody. Real long. Real interesting and based in fact. And really fucking long.
Since this is the last time I'll be here, let me give you some more recommendations of stuff I've loved that I recommend wholeheartedly: TAXI and SEINFELD on DVD, TRAFFIK (the bbc series dvd), MURDER ONE (especially season 2), SOAP on DVD, THE HONEYMOONERS classic 39 all out on dvd, I love DRAWN TOGETHER on the Toon network - WINDY CITY HEAT is one of the best comedies EVER made (even though Perrry is now suing everybody involved), CRASH is great, RUDY is great, RAGING BULL is maybe the best film ever made, along with WIZARD OF OZ.
TAXI DRIVER and KING OF COMEDY are 2 great Scorsese movies - as well as one of my other all time favorites GOODFELLAS. DONNIE BRASCO and DEEP COVER are really good crime thrillers. I love THE FIRM, HARD CANDY, THE FAMILY MAN, GLADIATOR and GO.
Looking forward to the new BAD GIRLS: ROAD TRIP. MOTHER'S DAY is depraved and awesome. The EVIL DEAD series (3 movies) are all excellent. SPRINGSTEEN LIVE IN NYC is still his best concert dvd along with his HAMMERSMITH, ODEON disc (available in the BORN 2 RUN set.)
BILLY JOEL'S recent 12 GARDENS is a fantastic live cd. BAT OUT OF HELL 3 wasn't perfect but good enough to be a worthy conclusion - despite the absence of new Jim Steinman songs.
ELTON JOHN's DREAM TICKET dvd set - on Amazon for about 25 bux - is definitely the way to go on him.
ANGEL HEART is a great movie, as is AND THE BAND PLAYED ON.
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE is the new king of late nite shows, period.
STERN ON DEMAND and THE STERN SIRIUS RADIO show are both solid A +. If you're in the car a lot - go for the radio show. If you're never in the car and don't want to install a radio - the ON DEMAND site (available only if you have ON DEMAND - which now is a digital cable thing) the tv show is the way to go - since almost everything great that happens on the radio is repeated in an edited (not for content but to make more cohesion out of them) form. Or do like me - get both.
FREAKS & GEEKS is a one of a kind show and everybody show own the 15 episode set.
AMONGST FRIENDS and BABY BOY are two overlooked gems.
HOUSE OF GAMES is David Mamet's finest film.
CHINATOWN is overrated.
CHINATOWN is overrated.
I just got the brand new SPRINGSTEEN 2007 DVD in New Orleans - if you were into that SEEGER SESSIONS cd, you'll LOVE this. It has blistering sound - re-worked versions of many hits - and Springsteen sounds awesome.
SUPERMAN RETURNS sucked.
I didn't really like ANY of the PIRATES movies. Sorry.
I still have never seen the ending of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, nor any complete HARRY POTTER movie.
As great as NIGHT, DAWN and to a lesser degree, DAY OF THE DEAD was - that's how bad Romero's fourth film LAND OF THE DEAD was.
AUTO FOCUS is great, AMERICAN BEAUTY is stunning, and TOMMY BOY is still hilarious.
4 best WOODY films ever:
ANNIE HALL
MANHATTAN
HANNAH & HER SISTERS
CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS
Best 2 Oliver Stone films ever: SALVADOR and NATURAL BORN KILLERS (the unedited dvd version.)
THE FAMILY MAN, GHOST WORLD, CRUMB, STEVIE, THE LION KING and THE MINUS MAN all rock.
Okay - I could clearly do this forever - let me just get back to my reviews...
HOW TO MAKE LOVE LIKE A PORN STAR by Jenna Jameson with Neil Strauss (Hardcover)
I kind of loved this book and was addicted to it's wild storytelling and glimpse into a serious porn career, yet was missing some political take on the subject matter. It always blows my mind when some of these porn starlets write the book of their life, and don't see the sex as anything but a business part of the "biz" and Jenna certainly doesn't stop to think about any of the implications of her on screen sex - only if the money shot looks good. On some level, that's awesome. On another - it's really, tragically sad. All in all - a highly readable book, Jenna had a horrible life and I got really bored with the last chapters of Jenna just exploiting her image to become porn's biggest name. Not that I rooted against her, just that the last few chapters are just about her company and her money and it all gets a bit much. Much grittier is her rise to the "top." Highly reccomended reading. Neil Strauss is also a GREAT writer and I'm positive Jenna wouldn't have ended up with such a classy read had she not had the great Mr. Strauss helping her.
Grade: B
Okay - a few more favorites: DAZED AND CONFUSED, I really liked the 1st CHARLIES ANGELS (so sue me - Cameron Diaz' smile steals the show - and her happy dance in the morning) - I loved BABEL but wouldn't watch it again. THE DEPARTED is SERIOUSLY overrated. CASINO is not the best chapter in the Scorese mob cannon, but it's not bad at all.
UNFAITHFUL is a great thriller. SUPERMAN 1 & 2 are awesome - with part 1 being the better of the 2. The Donner cut neither adds or takes away from this - but SUPERMAN 1 is really where it's at. Of all the KING KONGS - the original had the most heart, but Peter Jackson's KONG was breathtaking - if ONLY for the relationship between KONG and Naomi Watts - and every other aspect of that movie - the time period - Jack Black, etc. - pretty much blew.
NIP/TUCK had 2 steller seasons, a pretty decent 3rd one - a REALLY uneven 4th one - yet somehow - I can't wait for season 5, set in Los Angeles. Oh - and I could care less if Julia comes back or not. And Matt is as useless as AJ.
If you haven't seen any Henry Jaglom films, you should.
I love ON DEMAND - but they HAVE to fix the fast-forwarding option problem. (It's too slow!)
KITANOS ON SUNSET is worth it to go at least once to try the filet mignon asparagus thng.
BEST FINALES EVER: MASH, NEWHEART, ST. ELSEWHERE, HILL ST. BLUES, DEADWOOD, MURDER ONE, THE OFFICE BBC (that one being THE BEST), the 1st season ender of VERONICA MARS, okay - getting off track.
WORST ENDING EVER.
Seinfeld.
BEST COMEDY EVER.
Seinfeld.
(With THE HONEYMOONERS coming close - but no one yet has come near the brilliance of the finest of SEINFELD, which was brilliant right up until that last fucking horror show they passed off as a finale.)
I will sorely miss THE KING OF QUEENS. I used to love IT'S YOUR MOVE. JAMES AT 15 was a GREAT show. PRISONER: CELL BLOCK H - great prison drama. OZ - fantastic (and another bad ending.) But the first season of OZ ranks up there with the best in tv history. The stuff between Beacher and Verne was the most frightening relationship I've ever seen on tv - to this day.
I think the SPIDERMAN movies are REALLY overrated.
I think HANNIBAL, the LAMBS sequel, is criminally underrated.
ELEPHANT, THE BROWN BUNNY, BUFFALO 66, LAST TANGO IN PARIS, HAPPINESS and MYSTERIOUS SKIN are all tough to love, GREAT movies. Especially HAPPINESS - which I found to be the most refreshing film about weirdoes in 8 years.
EZ STREETS was the best show that only got 6 episodes. And the BEST PILOT. EVER.
TWIN PEAKS was kind of great. It got bogged down in both the 2nd season and in parts of the movie - but overall - it's kind of a masterpiece.
Love the old STAR WARS TRILOGY - the new one was as brain dead as (fill in your own joke here.)
UNITED 93 and THIRTEEN are both great movies.
I didn't get into ELF.
I LOVE the 41 YEAR OLD VIRGIN (the uncut dvd version.) - Can't wait to see KNOCKED UP or SUPERBAD.
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS is wrenching.
Why don't they release every season of the GREAT ST. ELSEWHERE already?
CHINA BEACH - why is there no dvd set?
THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW - 2nd best HBO show ever.
ENTOURAGE - pretty goddamned good.
LETTERMAN is GREAT.
LENO is as lame as it gets.
I don't get the Craig Ferguson show at ALL.
Conan hasn't made me laugh in 14 years.
Kimmel still has them all beat, but how in the fuck did they give Leno a show?
ELLIOT SMITH is great (he died.) Mitch Heberg was one of the funniest guys ever. (He died.)
THE EELS are awesome - their first 2 cds are the best.
I went to dinner last nite and it reminded and we were waiting for my friend's niece to show up - it totally reminded me of....
well, I guess I can put this off no longer.
This is the end of the blog. The end of the road - but first, before I drone on about everything else - let's get to the meat of this - the last batch of SOPRANOS EPISODES. Since I reviewed the first few already - I'll do short reviews of the first 5 or so - then get into the last 4 in depth:
THE SOPRANOS: THE FINAL SEASON (HBO) SPOILERS!
If you have NOT seen the final season of THE SOPRANOS - these synopsis will contain very sensitive details about major plotlines and story beats. If you are STILL only on episode 5, (THAT MEANS YOU, G!) READ NO FURTHER!!!!!!!! Reading further if you have not seen the show will only destroy your experience with the show.
THE SOPRANOS: THE FINAL SEASON!
NOTE: I generally loved the final season, and remember in my reviews I'm just being insanely nit-picky.
Episode 1 - SOPRANOS HOME MOVIES (HBO)
The season started off with a bang. A mostly good episode (save for almost every scene involving Janice.) It dealt mostly with Tony and Bobby's burgeoning relationship - and the scary turn it takes. I thought it was well played, the fight with Bobby and Tony was really hairy, and the results were horrifying. What a way to begin. It also marked the new tone of the next few episodes - which were just examing Tony's relationships with the major players - though we never got a REAL Tony/Carm episode in this cycle - but we've kind of been through that before.
Grade: A - (for all the Janice/Carm scenes - otherwise a straight A.)
The season started off with a bang. A mostly good episode (save for almost every scene involving Janice.) It dealt mostly with Tony and Bobby's burgeoning relationship - and the scary turn it takes. I thought it was well played, the fight with Bobby and Tony was really hairy, and the results were horrifying. What a way to begin. It also marked the new tone of the next few episodes - which were just examing Tony's relationships with the major players - though we never got a REAL Tony/Carm episode in this cycle - but we've kind of been through that before.
Grade: A - (for all the Janice/Carm scenes - otherwise a straight A.)
Episode 2: STAGE FIVE
An episode that featured the too-silly CLEAVER movie - which in reality - would have never seen a release. And it wasn't even good - it wasn't particularly funny...I think this might've worked better if they made it just seem like an average C slasher movie - instead of the over topless they gave it, rendering this "project" pretty laughable. Still - it included beats that furthered the Tony/Chrissy tension - yet I hate that so much of that came from this movie that would NEVER be a real movie ever in any universe. The Johnny Sack is sick in prison storyline - even with the nice guest turn by Sidney Pollack - was a snore. The actor is great so he made it work - but who cared that much? I mean - if Phil or Tony would've visited him (Tony visiting him seemed like a natural - though the show has taught us that you can't visit or you look guilty) - that might've been interesting. But otherwise - it had no bearing on the rest of the show. And the actress who played his overweight wife was never a strong player. Then at some point Phil appears to be giving a class to children about the history of his family - it was weird. The ending, with Phil getting worked up over Tony, and Christopher getting an ominous kiss by Tony during his kid's baptism - that was good stuff - overall, a push.
Grade: B -
EPISODE 3 - "Remember When"
The third ep Dealt very directly with the ongoing tension that had been building between Tony and Paulie. We learn that Tony used to really idolize Paulie, and it's always nice to see Beansie - and I liked the fact they had to go on the run and deal with each other. And I LOVED that Tony still can't deal with the fact that someone told Johnny Sac about the ass-mole remark. I thought the dinner scene was superb and a great example of Paulie opening his mouth too much - but by the time Tony and Paulie went on their boat ride, the whole thing had gotten a little much for it's own good, with the big pussy flashbacks that hit things right on the nose, and the shots of knifes and axes - just kind of overwritten for my taste - but still a pretty tasty episode.
Grade: B -
An episode that featured the too-silly CLEAVER movie - which in reality - would have never seen a release. And it wasn't even good - it wasn't particularly funny...I think this might've worked better if they made it just seem like an average C slasher movie - instead of the over topless they gave it, rendering this "project" pretty laughable. Still - it included beats that furthered the Tony/Chrissy tension - yet I hate that so much of that came from this movie that would NEVER be a real movie ever in any universe. The Johnny Sack is sick in prison storyline - even with the nice guest turn by Sidney Pollack - was a snore. The actor is great so he made it work - but who cared that much? I mean - if Phil or Tony would've visited him (Tony visiting him seemed like a natural - though the show has taught us that you can't visit or you look guilty) - that might've been interesting. But otherwise - it had no bearing on the rest of the show. And the actress who played his overweight wife was never a strong player. Then at some point Phil appears to be giving a class to children about the history of his family - it was weird. The ending, with Phil getting worked up over Tony, and Christopher getting an ominous kiss by Tony during his kid's baptism - that was good stuff - overall, a push.
Grade: B -
EPISODE 3 - "Remember When"
The third ep Dealt very directly with the ongoing tension that had been building between Tony and Paulie. We learn that Tony used to really idolize Paulie, and it's always nice to see Beansie - and I liked the fact they had to go on the run and deal with each other. And I LOVED that Tony still can't deal with the fact that someone told Johnny Sac about the ass-mole remark. I thought the dinner scene was superb and a great example of Paulie opening his mouth too much - but by the time Tony and Paulie went on their boat ride, the whole thing had gotten a little much for it's own good, with the big pussy flashbacks that hit things right on the nose, and the shots of knifes and axes - just kind of overwritten for my taste - but still a pretty tasty episode.
Grade: B -
Episode 4 - "Chasing It"
Now we were getting somewhere. While I enjoyed all the previous episodes to varying degrees, this was the first of a spate of last season brilliance. Tony is way in over his head in gambling debt - and he can't seem to catch a break. He's reduced to becoming a real degenerate gambler - and the self loathing is palpable. The stuff with Vito's kid - I really could've used a lot less of. But the true greatness of this ep came from the Tony/Hesh conflict. T had always treated Hesh with great reverence, and the disrespect he showed here was both disturbing and scary. Jerry Adler as Hesh had never had better moments, and even though the ending was sort of a cop-out, it worked well enough.
Grade: A
Episode 5: "Walk Like A Man" - written & directed by Terrence Winter
A superb episode that had Christopher finally fall back into his rabbit hole of addiction, loathing, self hatred - this one had it all. The Chrissy/Paulie wars have always been a high point of this series - and this was not only an exception - but a brilliant addition - and in many ways, our final story about Christopher. Imperioli's acting was superb, as was Gandolfini's and Sirico's (Paulie Walnuts.) Strange how Silvio didn't figure too much into these episodes - but hey, the guy never could really act.
But over the years I think I'd just grown to accept him. And let's face it - nobody was more of a drag on this show than Janice - so Silvio is a saint by comparison. But the meat of this ep, Chrissy's meetings at AA, his encounter with the writer of CLEAVER - the truly inspired direction and the scorched earth ending - brilliant. The site of Chrissy putting that tree back in the ground is definitely a series high point.
Grade: A +
Now we were getting somewhere. While I enjoyed all the previous episodes to varying degrees, this was the first of a spate of last season brilliance. Tony is way in over his head in gambling debt - and he can't seem to catch a break. He's reduced to becoming a real degenerate gambler - and the self loathing is palpable. The stuff with Vito's kid - I really could've used a lot less of. But the true greatness of this ep came from the Tony/Hesh conflict. T had always treated Hesh with great reverence, and the disrespect he showed here was both disturbing and scary. Jerry Adler as Hesh had never had better moments, and even though the ending was sort of a cop-out, it worked well enough.
Grade: A
Episode 5: "Walk Like A Man" - written & directed by Terrence Winter
A superb episode that had Christopher finally fall back into his rabbit hole of addiction, loathing, self hatred - this one had it all. The Chrissy/Paulie wars have always been a high point of this series - and this was not only an exception - but a brilliant addition - and in many ways, our final story about Christopher. Imperioli's acting was superb, as was Gandolfini's and Sirico's (Paulie Walnuts.) Strange how Silvio didn't figure too much into these episodes - but hey, the guy never could really act.
But over the years I think I'd just grown to accept him. And let's face it - nobody was more of a drag on this show than Janice - so Silvio is a saint by comparison. But the meat of this ep, Chrissy's meetings at AA, his encounter with the writer of CLEAVER - the truly inspired direction and the scorched earth ending - brilliant. The site of Chrissy putting that tree back in the ground is definitely a series high point.Grade: A +
Episode 6 - "Heidi & Kennedy"
Oh, Chrissy. The sight of him driving Tony in that baseball cap harkened back to even the pilot - and I don't know that I'll ever hear the song "Comfortably Numb" in quite the same way again. (By the way - that was NOT the Floyd version but a Roger Waters solo outting that had Van Morrison singing the famous back up vocals - it's available on both VAN MORRISON "At The Movies" and "The Departed" soundtrack.) The first 20 minutes of this episode is probably THE high water mark of the show - did IT happen cinematically or did it seem random? A little of both - but it simply worked. And then the rest of the show following Tony on his trek to Vegas - who knew that Tony was SO jealous of Christopher's lifestyle? Who knew that Tony was SUCH a monster? And who knew that this would be one of the most amazing episodes in the series history?
On a scale of 1 to 10 - this one got a 300. (joke stolen from S. Silverman)
A ++
Episode 7 - "The Second Coming"
Things got quite a bit calmer in this ep, which mostly dealt with AJ's depression - for the record - I thought he would do it. All in all - kind of comedown from the previous week. And not much talk about the events of the previous week, either.
Grade: B
Episode 8 - "The Blue Comet"
Usually the next-to-last ep of THE SOPRANOS are almost always the best - and this was great, but in reality, without the dynamics of the Tony/Christopher dance leading the episode - it mainly felt like we were glued to really secondary characters. And things are coming to a close. And Bobby - we needed more scenes with him to properly set that up - and his toy train store moment was - well, if I'm being super honest - completely over the top, over produced, and mostly - just plain over-directed. The cuts were what I'd expect from a 2nd year film student. And I don't have the time to talk about how ridiculous the Dr. Melfi stuff was. Her shrink would've never outed her like that - and she would've never shown him the door like that. No shrink in history would leave a patient mid-crisis like that. Still, the feelings of finality hung over this episode like never before.
UPDATE: I went and took a look - remember that flashback that Tony has where Bobby explains that getting whacked "You don't see anything - it just goes to black." - That was never in that episode - it must've been from footage that was shot and not used - very strange. UPDATE: I caught the show again and found that I was wrong - they did talk about it and it WAS shown.
Grade: B
Episode 9 - "Made In America" - The final Sopranos episode.
First off - I have to say that the best thing about the finale is that it wasn't so bad nor ridiculous that I don't think it's going to hurt the legacy of the show. Yet - there is much to talk about. Forgetting about all the hair brained theories that I've heard on the internet and radio all week - either T got whacked or he didn't - this is how I kind of feel. I've seen the episode 2 or 3 times - what can I say - I'm a SOPRANOS junkie and this WAS the finale. I'm going to talk about what I liked about it first.
In many ways - we got some great final scenes between Tony and some characters that - if not exactly closure - was enough to take away from. The last stuff with him and Paulie was GREAT - Paulie finally calling Tony a prick - Tony putting the squeeze on him - Paulie giving in....That was really great and a great summation of the relationship. His final scene with Jr. was - at least from my point of view - spectacular. Well written, well acted - well played. And there was some clear "adios, pal" signs afoot everywhere in the episode. I was really nervous when I heard that David Chase was both writing and directing the finale - while he is the genius that came up with the whole show, frankly - I think some of the worst (and best) ideas came from him - but I just find him more stiff then some of the other writers on the show. I think people like Terry Winter and Frank Renzulli and Robin Green and Mitch Burgess and Mathew Weiner - I think they turned the show into something truly special - and that Chase has been along for this great ride - but not the main man of the show. I remember being really scared when Larry David came back after not being at SEINFELD for 2 years to write the finale, and I remember thinking the show had evolved from what it had become - and that Larry David had also left the show with the horrible 7th season ender "The Envelopes." Truly a vile episode in the show's history and had the characters doing things I never believed they would do. David pushed that even further in his laugh-free final episode where he put these great characters into maybe the stupidest hour of "greatest hits" tv - anyway - enough about the SEINFELD finale - an hour that still haunts my soul to this day. Who would've ever thought that the last ep of SEINFELD would be the very worst ep of Seinfeld?
But that is not the case here - like it or loathe it - this was a finale that was indeed polarizing - but not the creative failure I had feared. However - I did think Chase would do something really weird and pretentious and he did not dissapoint.
Now - on to the bad parts of the finale.
I'll talk about the final scene in a bit, but let's talk about the fact that the final episode of the Sopranos ever had 20 FUCKING MINUTES of AJ. I agree the kid's gotten better as an actor - but 20 FUCKING MINUTES on listening to him talk about Al-Queda? Truly absurd. Dramatically, this could've been an electrifying episode had hey really gone for the Tony/Phil war - but instead - they kind of went around it. Do you remember Tony's reaction to hearing about Phil's fate? You don't? That's because there was none. Now you'll have people like my friend RALPH, who will say "But I thought the AJ stuff was great because he wanted to fight wars and then he just caved in for a job and a cool car." That's true. And it was ironic and even almost funny - but save that for another episode. Not the last one. One might argue that the true nature of the Soprano family was shown to be corrupt in the finale would be right - but maybe that's not exactly the best creative choice they could've gone down. I just tend to believe that the last episode of the greatest drama in the last 10 years shoul'dve been a GREAT Sopranos episode - not great BECAUSE it was the last one. And yet - it sort of was. I was just waiting for some more emotional payoff that never came. Tony and Chris never came up (except for that annoying cat storyline.)
As a final story - there was much drama to be exploited here and many great scenes that simply did not unfold. Instead, we got a very going-through-the-motions ending that resolved many things - but not in elegant fashion. Instead, we got mostly very - borderline clunky but workman like precise scenes depicting Tony trying to tie up some loose ends and win the war with Phil. On the plus side - we got a long awaited and really unexpected ending to the relationship with the FBI agent Harris. That stuff was pretty cool. (I think Agent Harris has started to think of himself as a Soprano.) But why all the references to Al-Queda that ultimately went nowhere? And could an SUV really explode from leaves? Still, it was an ok episode - much like Chase's first season closer, it was very workmanlike - hit all the beats, but did it in very non-elegant way and was just incredibly blunt. At least he didn't have Artie Bucco approach Tony with a machine gun (like he did in his first season finale.) If you ever want to ask yourself just how much Chase understands about his own series - know this: He absolutely went balls to the walls with HBO - fighting with them that Steven Van Zantd (Silvio) should play Tony.
Enough said.
Now about this ending scene: I've watched only about 23 times. It really was the best moment of the show because you knew it was ending - you knew this was it - and it was rife with unbelievable tension. Even when you watch it again - it really is a stunner. I don't need to talk about the specifics - people have not stopped talking about it all week. Though, as someone who really loved the soundtrack to all seasons, I loved him looking at the jukebox, finally settling by the Tony Bennet song, and then the Journey song comes on. Great. It was weird for the series to end in a completely unfamilar setting (though that resturaunt is a famous one in Jersey - for their onion rings.)
I initially really fucking hated the ending - but it became like a song to me that I didn't like at first. Now I'm the "brilliant" camp - I think. I still don't know - but in it's own way - it did assure that the show would live forever. On another hand - you can say that Chase had to make some tough choices in the finale and instead of making any - decided to make none and end on an arty, film school stunt that would make a great little short film - but the ending of the greatest show of all time? Yeah - but it still kind of works really fucking well. I always thought the end of the Sopranos would have to deal with the Tony/Chris relationship - to me - that was always the beating heart of the show, and Chrissy was always - next to Tony - the most fun, relatable and dynamic character. Not having him around for the last few eps was not to the show's befefit - but The Sopranos has always been a show (mostly) that ran on it's own terms. Even though seasons 2 and 3 got a little bogged down with the producers and writers being completely full of themselves, the show eventually got back to it's roots and returned with a hard-ass mentality that we'd never seen before. Just like Wiseguy's last scene between Vinnie and Sonny - this was tv as we'd never seen it before. The first season of OZ flirted with it - but now, truly - we have maybe the most pitch perfect show of all time.
And the ending - Don't Stop...
In retrospect I find myself gravitating to the idea that this is the perfect ending.....what can I say? Did T get whacked in front of his family - did they take down his whole family in retribution for the way Phil died? I have no idea - and I think you have to fill in the blank. Me, personally - Tony's alive - the family is alive, and life will go on for the crooks in Jersey.
Finale Episode Grade:
Either an A + or an F - depends how you look at it.
I can see the arguments of both and agree with both - however, in the final verdict:
I say - it worked.
A +
For one final 4 minutes, here's the last scene of the last episode of THE SOPRANOS:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mN1-3rX9XKk
Here are a buttload of articles on the final ep, the final scene, but first - the only interview with David Chase post-finale:
David Chase speaks!
Posted by Alan Sepinwall - NJ Ledger
June 11, 2007
What do you do when your TV world ends? You go to dinner, then keep quiet. Sunday night, "Sopranos" creator David Chase took his wife out for dinner in France, where he's fled to avoid "all the Monday morning quarterbacking" about the show's finale. After this exclusive interview, agreed to well before the season began, he intends to go into radio silence, letting the work -- especially the controversial final scene -- speak for itself.
"I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there," he says of the final scene.
"No one was trying to be audacious, honest to god," he adds. "We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people's minds, or thinking, 'Wow, this'll (tick) them off.' People get the impression that you're trying to (mess) with them and it's not true. You're trying to entertain them."
In that scene, mob boss Tony Soprano waited at a Bloomfield ice cream parlor for his family to arrive, one by one. What was a seemingly benign family outing was shot and cut as the preamble to a tragedy, with Tony suspiciously eyeing one patron after another, the camera dwelling a little too long on Meadow's parallel parking and a man in a Members Only jacket's walk to the men's room. Just as the tension had been ratched up to unbearable levels, the series cut to black in mid-scene (and mid song) with no resolution.
"Anybody who wants to watch it, it's all there," says Chase, 61, who based the series in general (and Tony's relationship with mother Livia specifically) on his North Caldwell childhood.
Some fans have already assumed that the ambiguous ending was Chase setting up the oft-rumored "Sopranos" movie, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.
"I don't think about (a movie) much," he says. "I never say never. An idea could pop into my head where I would go, 'Wow, that would make a great movie,' but I doubt it.
"I'm not being coy," he adds. "If something appeared that really made a good 'Sopranos' movie and you could invest in it and everybody else wanted to do it, I would do it. But I think we've kind of said it and done it."
Another problem: over the last season, Chase killed so many key characters. He's toyed with the idea of "going back to a day in 2006 that you didn't see, but then (Tony's children) would be older than they were then and you would know that Tony doesn't get killed. It's got problems."
(Earlier in the interview, he notes that his favorite part of the show was often the characters telling stories about the good ol' days of Tony's parents. Just a guess, but if Chase ever does a movie spin-off, it'll be set in Newark in the '60s.)
Since Chase is declining to offer his interpretation of the final scene, let me present two more of my own, which came to me with a good night's sleep and a lot of helpful reader e-mails:
Theory No. 1 (and the one I prefer): Chase is using the final scene to place the viewer into Tony's mindset. This is how he sees the world: every open door, every person walking past him could be coming to kill him, or arrest him, or otherwise harm him or his family. This is his life, even though the paranoia's rarely justified. We end without knowing what Tony's looking at because he never knows what's coming next.
Theory No. 2: In the scene on the boat in "Soprano Home Movies," repeated again last week, Bobby Bacala suggests that when you get killed, you don't see it coming. Certainly, our man in the Members Only jacket could have gone to the men's room to prepare for killing Tony (shades of the first "Godfather"), and the picture and sound cut out because Tony's life just did. (Or because we, as viewers, got whacked from our life with the show.)
Meanwhile, remember that 21-month hiatus between Seasons Five and Six? That was Chase thinking up the ending. HBO chairman Chris Albrecht came to him after Season Five and suggested thinking up a conclusion to the series; Chase agreed, on the condition that he get "a long break" to decide on an ending.
Originally, that ending was supposed to occur last year, but midway through production, the number of episodes was increased, and Chase stretched out certain plot elements while saving the major climaxes for this final batch of 9.
"If this had been one season, the Vito storyline would not have been so important," he says.
Much of this final season has featured Tony bullying, killing or otherwise alienating the members of his inner circle. After all those years viewing him as "the sympathetic mob boss," were we supposed to, like his therapist Dr. Melfi, finally wake up and smell the sociopath?
"From my perspective, there's nothing different about Tony in this season than there ever was," insists Chase. "To me, that's Tony."
Chase has had an ambivalent relationship with his fans, particularly the bloodthirsty whacking crowd who seemed to tune in only for the chance to see someone's head get blown off (or run over by an SUV). So was he reluctant to fill last week's penultimate episode, "The Blue Comet," with so many vivid death scenes?
"I'm the Number One fan of gangster movies," he says. "Martin Scorsese has no greater devotee than me. Like everyone else, I get off partly on the betrayals, the retributions, the swift justice. But what you come to realize when you do a series is you could be killing straw men all day long. Those murders only have any meaning when you've invested story in them. Otherwise, you might as well watch 'Cleaver.'"
One detail about the final scene that he'll discuss, however tentatively: the selection of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" as the song on the jukebox.
"It didn't take much time at all to pick it, but there was a lot of conversation after the fact. I did something I'd never done before: in the location van, with the crew, I was saying, 'What do you think?' When I said, 'Don't Stop Believin',' people went, 'What? Oh my god!' I said, 'I know, I know, just give a listen,' and little by little, people started coming around."
Whether viewers will have a similar time-delayed reaction to the finale as a whole, Chase doesn't know. ("I hear some people were very angry, and others were not, which is what I expected.") He's relaxing in France, then he'll try to make movies.
"It's been the greatest career experience of my life," he says. "There's nothing more in TV that I could say or would want to say."
Here's Chase on some other points about the finale and the season:
-After all the speculation that Agent Harris might turn Tony, instead we saw that Harris had turned, passing along info on Phil's whereabouts and cheering, "We're going to win this thing!" when learning of Phil's demise.
"This is based on an actual case of an FBI agent who got a little bit too partisan and excited during the Colombo wars of the '70s," says Chase of the story of Lindley DeVecchio, who supplied Harris' line.
-Speaking of Harris, Chase had no problem with never revealing what -- if anything -- terror suspects Muhammed and Ahmed were up to.
"This, to me, feels very real," he says. "The majority of these suspects, it's very hard for anybody to know what these people are doing. I don't even think Harris might know where they are. That was sort of the point of it: who knows if they are terrorists or if they're innocent pistachio salesmen? That's the fear that we are living with now."
Also, the apocryphal story -- repeated by me, unfortunately -- that Fox, when "Sopranos" was in development there, wanted Chase to have Tony help the FBI catch terrorists, wasn't true.
"What I said was, if I had done it at Fox, Tony would have been a gangster by day and helping the FBI by night, but we weren't there long enough for anyone to make that suggestion."
-I spent the last couple of weeks wrapping my brain around a theory supplied by reader Sam Lorber (and his daughter Emily) that the nine episodes of this season were each supposed to represent one of the nine circles of Hell from Dante's "The Divine Comedy." Told of the theory, Chase laughed and said, "No."
-Since Butchie was introduced as a guy who was pushing Phil to take out Tony, why did he turn on Phil and negotiate peace with Tony?
"I think Butch was an intelligent guy, he began to see that there was no need for it, that Phil's feelings were all caught up in what was esentially a convoluted personal grudge."
-Not from Chase, but I feel the need to debunk the e-mail that's making the rounds about all the Holsten's patrons being characters from earlier in the series. The actor playing Member's Only guy had never been on the show before, Tony killed at least, one if not both of his carjackers, and there are about 17 other things wrong with this popular but incorrect theory.
Posted by Alan Sepinwall - NJ Ledger
June 11, 2007
What do you do when your TV world ends? You go to dinner, then keep quiet. Sunday night, "Sopranos" creator David Chase took his wife out for dinner in France, where he's fled to avoid "all the Monday morning quarterbacking" about the show's finale. After this exclusive interview, agreed to well before the season began, he intends to go into radio silence, letting the work -- especially the controversial final scene -- speak for itself.
"I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there," he says of the final scene.
"No one was trying to be audacious, honest to god," he adds. "We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people's minds, or thinking, 'Wow, this'll (tick) them off.' People get the impression that you're trying to (mess) with them and it's not true. You're trying to entertain them."
In that scene, mob boss Tony Soprano waited at a Bloomfield ice cream parlor for his family to arrive, one by one. What was a seemingly benign family outing was shot and cut as the preamble to a tragedy, with Tony suspiciously eyeing one patron after another, the camera dwelling a little too long on Meadow's parallel parking and a man in a Members Only jacket's walk to the men's room. Just as the tension had been ratched up to unbearable levels, the series cut to black in mid-scene (and mid song) with no resolution.
"Anybody who wants to watch it, it's all there," says Chase, 61, who based the series in general (and Tony's relationship with mother Livia specifically) on his North Caldwell childhood.
Some fans have already assumed that the ambiguous ending was Chase setting up the oft-rumored "Sopranos" movie, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.
"I don't think about (a movie) much," he says. "I never say never. An idea could pop into my head where I would go, 'Wow, that would make a great movie,' but I doubt it.
"I'm not being coy," he adds. "If something appeared that really made a good 'Sopranos' movie and you could invest in it and everybody else wanted to do it, I would do it. But I think we've kind of said it and done it."
Another problem: over the last season, Chase killed so many key characters. He's toyed with the idea of "going back to a day in 2006 that you didn't see, but then (Tony's children) would be older than they were then and you would know that Tony doesn't get killed. It's got problems."
(Earlier in the interview, he notes that his favorite part of the show was often the characters telling stories about the good ol' days of Tony's parents. Just a guess, but if Chase ever does a movie spin-off, it'll be set in Newark in the '60s.)
Since Chase is declining to offer his interpretation of the final scene, let me present two more of my own, which came to me with a good night's sleep and a lot of helpful reader e-mails:
Theory No. 1 (and the one I prefer): Chase is using the final scene to place the viewer into Tony's mindset. This is how he sees the world: every open door, every person walking past him could be coming to kill him, or arrest him, or otherwise harm him or his family. This is his life, even though the paranoia's rarely justified. We end without knowing what Tony's looking at because he never knows what's coming next.
Theory No. 2: In the scene on the boat in "Soprano Home Movies," repeated again last week, Bobby Bacala suggests that when you get killed, you don't see it coming. Certainly, our man in the Members Only jacket could have gone to the men's room to prepare for killing Tony (shades of the first "Godfather"), and the picture and sound cut out because Tony's life just did. (Or because we, as viewers, got whacked from our life with the show.)
Meanwhile, remember that 21-month hiatus between Seasons Five and Six? That was Chase thinking up the ending. HBO chairman Chris Albrecht came to him after Season Five and suggested thinking up a conclusion to the series; Chase agreed, on the condition that he get "a long break" to decide on an ending.
Originally, that ending was supposed to occur last year, but midway through production, the number of episodes was increased, and Chase stretched out certain plot elements while saving the major climaxes for this final batch of 9.
"If this had been one season, the Vito storyline would not have been so important," he says.
Much of this final season has featured Tony bullying, killing or otherwise alienating the members of his inner circle. After all those years viewing him as "the sympathetic mob boss," were we supposed to, like his therapist Dr. Melfi, finally wake up and smell the sociopath?
"From my perspective, there's nothing different about Tony in this season than there ever was," insists Chase. "To me, that's Tony."
Chase has had an ambivalent relationship with his fans, particularly the bloodthirsty whacking crowd who seemed to tune in only for the chance to see someone's head get blown off (or run over by an SUV). So was he reluctant to fill last week's penultimate episode, "The Blue Comet," with so many vivid death scenes?
"I'm the Number One fan of gangster movies," he says. "Martin Scorsese has no greater devotee than me. Like everyone else, I get off partly on the betrayals, the retributions, the swift justice. But what you come to realize when you do a series is you could be killing straw men all day long. Those murders only have any meaning when you've invested story in them. Otherwise, you might as well watch 'Cleaver.'"
One detail about the final scene that he'll discuss, however tentatively: the selection of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" as the song on the jukebox.
"It didn't take much time at all to pick it, but there was a lot of conversation after the fact. I did something I'd never done before: in the location van, with the crew, I was saying, 'What do you think?' When I said, 'Don't Stop Believin',' people went, 'What? Oh my god!' I said, 'I know, I know, just give a listen,' and little by little, people started coming around."
Whether viewers will have a similar time-delayed reaction to the finale as a whole, Chase doesn't know. ("I hear some people were very angry, and others were not, which is what I expected.") He's relaxing in France, then he'll try to make movies.
"It's been the greatest career experience of my life," he says. "There's nothing more in TV that I could say or would want to say."
Here's Chase on some other points about the finale and the season:
-After all the speculation that Agent Harris might turn Tony, instead we saw that Harris had turned, passing along info on Phil's whereabouts and cheering, "We're going to win this thing!" when learning of Phil's demise.
"This is based on an actual case of an FBI agent who got a little bit too partisan and excited during the Colombo wars of the '70s," says Chase of the story of Lindley DeVecchio, who supplied Harris' line.
-Speaking of Harris, Chase had no problem with never revealing what -- if anything -- terror suspects Muhammed and Ahmed were up to.
"This, to me, feels very real," he says. "The majority of these suspects, it's very hard for anybody to know what these people are doing. I don't even think Harris might know where they are. That was sort of the point of it: who knows if they are terrorists or if they're innocent pistachio salesmen? That's the fear that we are living with now."
Also, the apocryphal story -- repeated by me, unfortunately -- that Fox, when "Sopranos" was in development there, wanted Chase to have Tony help the FBI catch terrorists, wasn't true.
"What I said was, if I had done it at Fox, Tony would have been a gangster by day and helping the FBI by night, but we weren't there long enough for anyone to make that suggestion."
-I spent the last couple of weeks wrapping my brain around a theory supplied by reader Sam Lorber (and his daughter Emily) that the nine episodes of this season were each supposed to represent one of the nine circles of Hell from Dante's "The Divine Comedy." Told of the theory, Chase laughed and said, "No."
-Since Butchie was introduced as a guy who was pushing Phil to take out Tony, why did he turn on Phil and negotiate peace with Tony?
"I think Butch was an intelligent guy, he began to see that there was no need for it, that Phil's feelings were all caught up in what was esentially a convoluted personal grudge."
-Not from Chase, but I feel the need to debunk the e-mail that's making the rounds about all the Holsten's patrons being characters from earlier in the series. The actor playing Member's Only guy had never been on the show before, Tony killed at least, one if not both of his carjackers, and there are about 17 other things wrong with this popular but incorrect theory.
THE BOSS SPEAKS!
The only interview around with JAMES GANDOLFINI!
James Gandolfini looks past 'Sopranos'
By FRAZIER MOORE, AP NEW YORK -
There was no decisive moment, no seismic shift, no ceremony when James Gandolfini put "The Sopranos" behind him. But he has. Comfortably. "I was told that it would be a transition," he says and shakes his head. "Not much. It's very calming to move on."
Gandolfini, of course, had played gangster-in-therapy Tony Soprano — earning raves, clout and unsought celebrity — since the HBO drama premiered in January 1999.
Now there's only one piece of unfinished business. The finale, which airs Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT, will bring to a close a saga as powerful and oddly relatable as anything ever seen on TV. This conclusion, however satisfying or disappointing, will surely leave "Sopranos" fans wanting more.
But not Gandolfini.
"The character has been with me for so long," he says, "it's a relief to let him go."
No wonder. For 86 episodes, Gandolfini submerged himself in that fiendish, tormented character. He channeled the dark world of "Sopranos" creator David Chase. He was regularly summoned to his own psychic danger zone. All in all, the experience was "wearing," he says.
There also was a physical toll. "The Sopranos" revolves around Tony, which meant Gandolfini had an exhausting workload.
"But in a way, being tired helped me play the character. If the guy had to look good and be handsome and happy, the hours we worked would certainly not help. They helped ME a great deal," he laughs. "I was allowed to be grumpy and tired and look like (crap)."
That was then. Whatever awaits Tony in the series-ender — prison, death or some sort of escape — Gandolfini has already laid him to rest.
Time after time, Gandolfini felt the end at Silvercup Studios in Queens, and on locations such as Tony's home turf of northern New Jersey. All during April, members of the large "Sopranos" cast would shoot their last scene with him, then leave forever. Then he'd shoot a last scene with another cast member, who would disappear.
"There wasn't any grand finale," he says.
Or was there? Gandolfini suddenly remembers his last scene alongside Steven Van Zandt, who since the beginning played Tony's loyal consigliere Silvio. "This is no indication of my feelings toward anyone else, but, for some reason, that really hit me when he left. Wow!"
Speaking to a reporter at HBO headquarters last week, Gandolfini, who recently signed a production deal with the network, was taking a break from screening footage for a documentary he's making about U.S. soldiers in Iraq who recover from near-fatal injuries.
Dressed casually in short sleeves, chinos and running shoes, the 45-year-old actor is down-to-earth and deferential, yet remains a formidable presence even without Tony's cockiness and mobster cred. His voice, while reflecting his New Jersey background, is richer, more robust than Tony's astringent delivery.
Though famously press-shy ever since "The Sopranos" blindsided him with stardom, Gandolfini has consented to this rare interview. Nursing coffee from a foam cup, he shares nearly an hour in agreeable give-and-take, only drawing the line when one too many questions delves into his acting technique: "Oh, please! Who gives a (crap)!" he scoffs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be abrupt."
He misses no chance to deflect credit toward his colleagues.
"I might be in a lot of scenes, but the crew is in EVERY scene," he points out. "The crew is there 16 hours a day, every day.
"And the cast totally propped me up in many scenes. After three or four scenes sometimes I was adrift, and because (the editor) could cut to such other good actors, they were there to help me."
It was a two-way street, according to Michael Imperioli, who played Tony's hothead nephew Christopher, now dead (thanks to Tony's cold-hearted intervention) after a car crash a few episodes ago.
"Every time you go and do a scene with this guy," Imperioli said at the start of the season, "he manages to give 105 percent. That rubs off. That makes YOU work harder."
"I had the greatest sparring partner in the world, I had Muhammad Ali," said Lorraine Bracco, who, as Tony's psychiatrist Dr. Melfi, went one-on-one with Gandolfini in their penetrating therapy scenes. "He cares what he does, and does it extremely well."
Saying goodbye to the crew and his co-stars — yes, that was hard, Gandolfini concedes, even if saying goodbye to Tony wasn't.
Also hard: no more of those magnificent "Sopranos" scripts.
"Good writing will bring you to places you don't even expect sometimes," he marvels, meaning himself, and how the material could catch him off guard and take him somewhere new, even as he was performing it.
"It's a ride that I was along on, with everybody else," he says.
And like everybody else, he can't help feeling appalled by Tony's brutish misbehavior. After shooting a scene where Tony did something despicable, Gandolfini would sometimes upbraid his own character.
"I would shake my head and say, God, what a _!" Whereupon he helpfully substitutes his unpublishable outburst with a family friendly version: "What a jerk!"
So what's the truth? Does he like this jerk who was part of him for so long?
"I used to," he says. "But it's difficult toward the end. I think the thing with Christopher might have turned the corner." That was a soulless display: Fed up with his nephew's shortcomings, Tony pinched shut the nostrils of the gravely hurt Christopher, ensuring he would choke to death.
But wait! Gandolfini thinks a moment, and more of Tony's recent misdeeds — not homicidal, but clearly depraved — come to mind: "Maybe the gambling thing with Hesh. And maybe the thing with Tony Sirico (as Paulie Walnuts) on the boat.
"It's kind of one thing after another. Let's just say, it was a lot easier to like him in the beginning, than in the last few years."
But back then, maybe it wasn't so easy for Gandolfini to like himself. Early on, he felt a stronger kinship with Tony, mostly stemming from "that infantile temper that I certainly possessed much more of when I was younger."
Meanwhile, the writers fleshed out Tony by cribbing from Gandolfini — in particular, his temper.
"In the first year, maybe they would see that sometimes when I have anger, it's very funny. So they go with that. When I break something, it's funny. So they're gonna put it in again. And then I realize that I'm continually breaking things. So then I'm getting more angry because I have to continue breaking things. And then they decide, `Well, we've broken enough (stuff).'
"It was a learning process for all of us, I think."
All in the service of David Chase's vision. Pantomiming the pull Chase exerted over him (like everything on "The Sopranos"), Gandolfini playfully hooks his index finger in the corner of his mouth as if he were a trout at the end of Chase's line.
A decade ago, Gandolfini was certainly hooked when he read Chase's pilot script. A little-known character actor in his mid-30s (and the son of working-class parents who had grown up in Park Ridge, N.J.), he knew Tony was a role he was born to play. He also realized the cards were stacked against a beefy, balding, little-known actor landing the role.
But four years earlier, he'd made a brief appearance in Tony Scott's comically bloody thriller, "True Romance": a two-fisted confrontation with its star, Patricia Arquette. That performance won him his audition for Tony.
"True Romance" was also Edie Falco's first peek at the actor with whom she would be wed cinematically as Tony's wife, Carmela. "I sort of knew the name James Gandolfini," Falco recalled. "Then I watched the film, and he's in a scene where he beats the living daylights out of a woman. I thought, `Ohhhhhhh, OK. Welllll, let's see how THIS goes.'"
And how did it go? "It was maybe the most perfect working relationship," she said.
Now it's over. One concluding episode, shrouded in secrecy, remains to be aired. The Soprano home has been struck from Studio X at Silvercup. And Gandolfini, now done with Tony, is looking ahead to other roles, perhaps as Ernest Hemingway in a film he's developing for HBO.
"I don't even think I've proven myself, yet," he says. "The Tony character was from New Jersey, I'm from New Jersey — there's not a lot of stretching going on, here." Then he pauses, reconsiders, gives himself some credit. "In some ways, there is." He shrugs. "In a LOT of ways.
"But I have yet to begin the fight, I think."
James Gandolfini looks past 'Sopranos'
By FRAZIER MOORE, AP NEW YORK -
There was no decisive moment, no seismic shift, no ceremony when James Gandolfini put "The Sopranos" behind him. But he has. Comfortably. "I was told that it would be a transition," he says and shakes his head. "Not much. It's very calming to move on."
Gandolfini, of course, had played gangster-in-therapy Tony Soprano — earning raves, clout and unsought celebrity — since the HBO drama premiered in January 1999.
Now there's only one piece of unfinished business. The finale, which airs Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT, will bring to a close a saga as powerful and oddly relatable as anything ever seen on TV. This conclusion, however satisfying or disappointing, will surely leave "Sopranos" fans wanting more.
But not Gandolfini.
"The character has been with me for so long," he says, "it's a relief to let him go."
No wonder. For 86 episodes, Gandolfini submerged himself in that fiendish, tormented character. He channeled the dark world of "Sopranos" creator David Chase. He was regularly summoned to his own psychic danger zone. All in all, the experience was "wearing," he says.
There also was a physical toll. "The Sopranos" revolves around Tony, which meant Gandolfini had an exhausting workload.
"But in a way, being tired helped me play the character. If the guy had to look good and be handsome and happy, the hours we worked would certainly not help. They helped ME a great deal," he laughs. "I was allowed to be grumpy and tired and look like (crap)."
That was then. Whatever awaits Tony in the series-ender — prison, death or some sort of escape — Gandolfini has already laid him to rest.
Time after time, Gandolfini felt the end at Silvercup Studios in Queens, and on locations such as Tony's home turf of northern New Jersey. All during April, members of the large "Sopranos" cast would shoot their last scene with him, then leave forever. Then he'd shoot a last scene with another cast member, who would disappear.
"There wasn't any grand finale," he says.
Or was there? Gandolfini suddenly remembers his last scene alongside Steven Van Zandt, who since the beginning played Tony's loyal consigliere Silvio. "This is no indication of my feelings toward anyone else, but, for some reason, that really hit me when he left. Wow!"
Speaking to a reporter at HBO headquarters last week, Gandolfini, who recently signed a production deal with the network, was taking a break from screening footage for a documentary he's making about U.S. soldiers in Iraq who recover from near-fatal injuries.
Dressed casually in short sleeves, chinos and running shoes, the 45-year-old actor is down-to-earth and deferential, yet remains a formidable presence even without Tony's cockiness and mobster cred. His voice, while reflecting his New Jersey background, is richer, more robust than Tony's astringent delivery.
Though famously press-shy ever since "The Sopranos" blindsided him with stardom, Gandolfini has consented to this rare interview. Nursing coffee from a foam cup, he shares nearly an hour in agreeable give-and-take, only drawing the line when one too many questions delves into his acting technique: "Oh, please! Who gives a (crap)!" he scoffs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be abrupt."
He misses no chance to deflect credit toward his colleagues.
"I might be in a lot of scenes, but the crew is in EVERY scene," he points out. "The crew is there 16 hours a day, every day.
"And the cast totally propped me up in many scenes. After three or four scenes sometimes I was adrift, and because (the editor) could cut to such other good actors, they were there to help me."
It was a two-way street, according to Michael Imperioli, who played Tony's hothead nephew Christopher, now dead (thanks to Tony's cold-hearted intervention) after a car crash a few episodes ago.
"Every time you go and do a scene with this guy," Imperioli said at the start of the season, "he manages to give 105 percent. That rubs off. That makes YOU work harder."
"I had the greatest sparring partner in the world, I had Muhammad Ali," said Lorraine Bracco, who, as Tony's psychiatrist Dr. Melfi, went one-on-one with Gandolfini in their penetrating therapy scenes. "He cares what he does, and does it extremely well."
Saying goodbye to the crew and his co-stars — yes, that was hard, Gandolfini concedes, even if saying goodbye to Tony wasn't.
Also hard: no more of those magnificent "Sopranos" scripts.
"Good writing will bring you to places you don't even expect sometimes," he marvels, meaning himself, and how the material could catch him off guard and take him somewhere new, even as he was performing it.
"It's a ride that I was along on, with everybody else," he says.
And like everybody else, he can't help feeling appalled by Tony's brutish misbehavior. After shooting a scene where Tony did something despicable, Gandolfini would sometimes upbraid his own character.
"I would shake my head and say, God, what a _!" Whereupon he helpfully substitutes his unpublishable outburst with a family friendly version: "What a jerk!"
So what's the truth? Does he like this jerk who was part of him for so long?
"I used to," he says. "But it's difficult toward the end. I think the thing with Christopher might have turned the corner." That was a soulless display: Fed up with his nephew's shortcomings, Tony pinched shut the nostrils of the gravely hurt Christopher, ensuring he would choke to death.
But wait! Gandolfini thinks a moment, and more of Tony's recent misdeeds — not homicidal, but clearly depraved — come to mind: "Maybe the gambling thing with Hesh. And maybe the thing with Tony Sirico (as Paulie Walnuts) on the boat.
"It's kind of one thing after another. Let's just say, it was a lot easier to like him in the beginning, than in the last few years."
But back then, maybe it wasn't so easy for Gandolfini to like himself. Early on, he felt a stronger kinship with Tony, mostly stemming from "that infantile temper that I certainly possessed much more of when I was younger."
Meanwhile, the writers fleshed out Tony by cribbing from Gandolfini — in particular, his temper.
"In the first year, maybe they would see that sometimes when I have anger, it's very funny. So they go with that. When I break something, it's funny. So they're gonna put it in again. And then I realize that I'm continually breaking things. So then I'm getting more angry because I have to continue breaking things. And then they decide, `Well, we've broken enough (stuff).'
"It was a learning process for all of us, I think."
All in the service of David Chase's vision. Pantomiming the pull Chase exerted over him (like everything on "The Sopranos"), Gandolfini playfully hooks his index finger in the corner of his mouth as if he were a trout at the end of Chase's line.
A decade ago, Gandolfini was certainly hooked when he read Chase's pilot script. A little-known character actor in his mid-30s (and the son of working-class parents who had grown up in Park Ridge, N.J.), he knew Tony was a role he was born to play. He also realized the cards were stacked against a beefy, balding, little-known actor landing the role.
But four years earlier, he'd made a brief appearance in Tony Scott's comically bloody thriller, "True Romance": a two-fisted confrontation with its star, Patricia Arquette. That performance won him his audition for Tony.
"True Romance" was also Edie Falco's first peek at the actor with whom she would be wed cinematically as Tony's wife, Carmela. "I sort of knew the name James Gandolfini," Falco recalled. "Then I watched the film, and he's in a scene where he beats the living daylights out of a woman. I thought, `Ohhhhhhh, OK. Welllll, let's see how THIS goes.'"
And how did it go? "It was maybe the most perfect working relationship," she said.
Now it's over. One concluding episode, shrouded in secrecy, remains to be aired. The Soprano home has been struck from Studio X at Silvercup. And Gandolfini, now done with Tony, is looking ahead to other roles, perhaps as Ernest Hemingway in a film he's developing for HBO.
"I don't even think I've proven myself, yet," he says. "The Tony character was from New Jersey, I'm from New Jersey — there's not a lot of stretching going on, here." Then he pauses, reconsiders, gives himself some credit. "In some ways, there is." He shrugs. "In a LOT of ways.
"But I have yet to begin the fight, I think."
THE SOPRANOS PREDICTION POOL: http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2007/06/08/sopranos/print.html
THE SOPRANOS EW FINAL REVIEW: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042054,00.html
Thinking Tony got whacked?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/15/television.sopranos.reut/index.html?eref=ew
A better EW review that hails the ending as the greatest thing ever:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042736,00.html
A debate on the ending from various critics:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042148,00.html
A Sopranos' movie?
http://news.aol.com/entertainment/tv/articles/_a/sopranos-movie-no-sure-thing/20070612064809990002
Don't Stop Believin' WAS the perfect song - here's what Journey front man Steve Perry has to say:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20042340,00.html
The Journey guitarist has a few words as well:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042206,00.html
Footage from fans of behind the scenes of the final scene:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qxhlOjpBgT4&mode=related&search=
Interesting location footage of Meadow trying to parallel park - somebody shot this on their own:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q1q9w1f7pY8
And lastly - go here if you're really thinking T mighta gotten whacked:
http://tonyisdead.com/
And so - this blog has come to it's end. I started this blog about 3 years ago - it's gotten thousands of views and I'm really proud of it - but like David Chase - I'd rather go out leaving people wanting more. There are other - more complicated reasons I'm ending it - but that's best left to imagination.
Ah, fuck it - it's the last blog - I'll talk.
My editor-in-chief all these years was my little cat Lula, who passed 2 weeks ago - somehow writing these without her whirring at my feet has taken a lot of the fun out of this. Truth be told, I enjoyed Lula's company more then all these movies combined, and the brave way she took on cancer trumped any movie or tv show I could've ever seen. She was a very special little cat and the unoficial mascot of this blog.
If you take anything away from this - know that when you put your animal down - for an extra 50 dollars or so, you can have the vet come directly to your own house - of all the reccomendations I've ever made on this blog - this is strongest one - do it on your own terms and the pet's terms. Lula died in my bed, in my arms - and I couldn't imagine a more humane ending for her.
I have a pretty tough schedule these days - as I've had a pretty weird year - and I need to solely focus on my work for the next...who knows. Maybe one day one I slow down again I can do some of these again - you'll all be the first to know if that day comes. If you were a reader of this blog - be sure to send your email and i'll keep you on an update list if I ever do anything with it again.
Thanks to all the people who populated the comments boards. They've been a bit barren as of late - but I used to like when I'd write a review and get like - 12 comments on it. This was very very satisfying - and if you want to see earlier reviews - of which I've done a ton - look no further then this blog, as you can back track and get all the way to the first one.
This was actually the second incarnation of the Digital Couch, named by Heidi (who's engaged!) (long time readers of this blog know exactly who Heidi is.)
If you want to see the original version of this blog - it's all here at this site:
http://thedigitalcouch.blogspot.com/
THE GIRL - aka, Jess Zaino, is doing exceedingly well - she's now working a long contract with Home Shopping Network. You can google her and find out all about her blog and her sites, etc. - too many to list here, but she's been thriving and was a good friend to me when Lula started to get sick. (And still is a good friend.) If you want to check out her very popular blog -go here:
Thinking Tony got whacked?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/15/television.sopranos.reut/index.html?eref=ew
A better EW review that hails the ending as the greatest thing ever:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042736,00.html
A debate on the ending from various critics:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042148,00.html
A Sopranos' movie?
http://news.aol.com/entertainment/tv/articles/_a/sopranos-movie-no-sure-thing/20070612064809990002
Don't Stop Believin' WAS the perfect song - here's what Journey front man Steve Perry has to say:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20042340,00.html
The Journey guitarist has a few words as well:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040769_20040772_20042206,00.html
Footage from fans of behind the scenes of the final scene:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qxhlOjpBgT4&mode=related&search=
Interesting location footage of Meadow trying to parallel park - somebody shot this on their own:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q1q9w1f7pY8
And lastly - go here if you're really thinking T mighta gotten whacked:
http://tonyisdead.com/
And so - this blog has come to it's end. I started this blog about 3 years ago - it's gotten thousands of views and I'm really proud of it - but like David Chase - I'd rather go out leaving people wanting more. There are other - more complicated reasons I'm ending it - but that's best left to imagination.
Ah, fuck it - it's the last blog - I'll talk.
My editor-in-chief all these years was my little cat Lula, who passed 2 weeks ago - somehow writing these without her whirring at my feet has taken a lot of the fun out of this. Truth be told, I enjoyed Lula's company more then all these movies combined, and the brave way she took on cancer trumped any movie or tv show I could've ever seen. She was a very special little cat and the unoficial mascot of this blog.
If you take anything away from this - know that when you put your animal down - for an extra 50 dollars or so, you can have the vet come directly to your own house - of all the reccomendations I've ever made on this blog - this is strongest one - do it on your own terms and the pet's terms. Lula died in my bed, in my arms - and I couldn't imagine a more humane ending for her.I have a pretty tough schedule these days - as I've had a pretty weird year - and I need to solely focus on my work for the next...who knows. Maybe one day one I slow down again I can do some of these again - you'll all be the first to know if that day comes. If you were a reader of this blog - be sure to send your email and i'll keep you on an update list if I ever do anything with it again.
Thanks to all the people who populated the comments boards. They've been a bit barren as of late - but I used to like when I'd write a review and get like - 12 comments on it. This was very very satisfying - and if you want to see earlier reviews - of which I've done a ton - look no further then this blog, as you can back track and get all the way to the first one.
This was actually the second incarnation of the Digital Couch, named by Heidi (who's engaged!) (long time readers of this blog know exactly who Heidi is.)
If you want to see the original version of this blog - it's all here at this site:
http://thedigitalcouch.blogspot.com/
THE GIRL - aka, Jess Zaino, is doing exceedingly well - she's now working a long contract with Home Shopping Network. You can google her and find out all about her blog and her sites, etc. - too many to list here, but she's been thriving and was a good friend to me when Lula started to get sick. (And still is a good friend.) If you want to check out her very popular blog -go here:
jesszaino.blogspot.com
G. aka Genevieve continues to put up with me, for that alone she gets a gold star. This weekend we watched HARD CANDY and a great movie I'd never seen called STAR 80 which features a blistering performance from Eric Roberts. But the person you should really feel sorry for is G., who now has to listen to all my Digitial Couch style ramblings. Good thing she's beautiful inside and out.
Genevieve: A +
Actually - all my readers and pundits have been great, and this has been a really fun ride.
G. aka Genevieve continues to put up with me, for that alone she gets a gold star. This weekend we watched HARD CANDY and a great movie I'd never seen called STAR 80 which features a blistering performance from Eric Roberts. But the person you should really feel sorry for is G., who now has to listen to all my Digitial Couch style ramblings. Good thing she's beautiful inside and out.
Genevieve: A +
Actually - all my readers and pundits have been great, and this has been a really fun ride.
The apex of all the fun times with this blog might be about 8 months ago when Howard Stern plugged this site on his website. THAT was pretty fucking amazing.
Thanks to all the people who populated the comments section (which I'll continue to read and comment back on) - You don't have to sign up - u can leave anonymous comments. People like Laura W., Ally, John, Ralph C., Mark G., Jen R., Ron M., Mark W., David G., Jason W., Jake L., Jimbo, Lonnie M, Tony B. and many more that I can't think of right now.
Thanks again for reading this - I had a lot of fun writing it.
Good luck and thanks for all fish.
Digital Couch Out.
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