1st Blog Of The Year - I LOVE NEW YORK!

HOWARD TV: TRACY MORGAN (IN DEMAND)
This was one of the best celebrity interviews I've ever seen and the best reason in the world to subscribe to Howard, whether it's by Radio or IN DEMAND, Stern has the hands down best, most open forum for adult conversation. Tracy was at his very best in this hour culled from the radio show, and the crew was both astonished and a hilarious sounding board for some of Tracy's more insane moments. This might have been the funniest hour of tv I've seen in months. This is what Howard meant by freedom of speech. Human, insightful dialog about life and what we all go through as human beings. This was one of Howard's finest hours.
Grade: A +


Speaking of the Stern show, Artie Lange absolutely fucking murdered on Letterman last week.


JACKASS 2 (DVD)
Re-watched the dvd - haven't dug into the extras yet, but already, this is one of the funniest films ever made. "Grandpa's balls" has to be seen to be believed.
Grade: A


SLEEPER CELL 2 (SHOWTIME)
In it's 3rd episode this show went from 30 to 90 - a seriously riveting hour that re-birthed the entire show. No spoilers, but this is something you might want to think about watching, and this episode kept topping itself. It also included the (so far) most disturbing scene of 2007 thus far.
Grade: A -


AMERICAN DAD
Bush came to dinner and fell off the wagon. Pretty funny.
Grade: B


The promo ON DEMAND keeps running for that Jennifer Anniston movie about the Graduate has to be the worst thing I've ever fucking seen. I can't imagine watching that movie and being forced to watch Jeffifer's "funny mock-outrage" acting. I'd rather die. What's the name of that stupid movie? I think it's RUMOR HAS IT. Yikes.


ONE PUNK: UNDER GOD (SUNDANCE)
The continuing story of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker's son, Jay. This is a terrific, smart show and Jay is a fascinating and smart subject. The recent 2 parter that had him visiting with his defrocked, but now popular again televangelist Jim Baker was pure gold, and completely unusual and nothing like any show on network tv right now.
Grade: B +


CLASSIC ALBUMS: U2 - The Joshua Tree (VH1)
Another great installment of a fantastic show. The best parts are always in the studio, when they separate the vocal tracks and let us listen in on the bare roots of the album. But this hour focused a bit more on the group, which we've all heard before, and less on the music.
Grade: B


DATELINE: POLICE UNDERCOVER VIDEOS (NBC)
Did you see that guy who tried to have his wife killed, then the cops bust in while he's paying the "hitman" - and he screams at the cops "Kill me! Kill me!" He looked like an ad for nerdy central casting. Then they cut to 4 years later - the guy is out of jail and he looks completely different - like a Soprano type mob boss - and the kids now love the father, support him and spend time with him. Meanwhile, the mother, who was plotted to be killed, has to deal with this guy still in her life - unreal.
Grade: B


SNL: ALEC BALDWIN & CHRISTINE AGUILERA (NBC)
The worst of the worst. This has been the worst season of SNL since Michael Anthony Hall and Robert Downy Jr. took over the show.
Grade: F


SUPERMAN 2: THE DONNER CUT (DVD)
A huge curio piece, one needs to know that when the original SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE was shot, the idea was to shoot 2 movies, the first and a sequel, simultaneously (an idea which came to fruition decades later) - and it just didn't work out. Richard Donner was the man to direct both films, and had directed tons of footage for SUPERMAN 2, but then they ran up against a release date for SUPERMAN and the producers decided to take the ending for part 2 - tack it on to part one, and worry about the rest later. When Donner blew up - they replaced him with Richard Lester - best known for A HARD DAY'S NIGHT to bring some "Comedy" into the series. But for years, fans wanted the sequel with Donner's vision - a vision the fan's felt was more in line with the series - to wit, Lester went on to make part 3 - with Richard Pryor - largely the film that is mostly considered to have halted the franchise. (They made a part 4 - but nobody cared and they financed it independently.)

Anyway - the web network of SUPERMAN geeks demanded that Donner's vision be restored, and so - The Donner Cut - 20 years later. Having just seen it - I can say "who cares." Some of the scenes are better - some are worse. It's still not as good as the first one, and the logic in the new version completely goes against the logic in the first - you can only watch if you imagine that part 1 ends with the same cliffhanger they thought they would end with. There's lots of behind the scenes footage on how they cobbled this together - and they used a lot of screen tests for scenes - which is not the best idea, since the performances weren't really up to par during some of the most important sequences (in this version, Lois shoots Clark to prove he's Superman - but the actor's don't seem to be taking it too seriously. Still - a great curio if you must - but they needn't have bothered. Lastly, in both movies Superman turns back time - and magically Lex Luthor disappears - now how do they explain that? Still, with the extras about putting the old stuff together, Richard Donner's angry commentary (a sequel itself, of sorts, to his angry commentary on SUPERMAN 1) this is quite an entertaining package - I just don't think the movie really came together on all cylinders. Not that the alternate version is any better - I just think when they used the device of killing Lois and having Superman do his time travel thing in part 1, they lost the best elements of the sequel. Still - an entertaining package.
Grade: B

And watching the old SUPERMAN movies made me nostalgic and even more resentful about how the SUPERMAN sucked so bad, even though it had a good star and good music - the story absolutely sucked - and Kate Bosworth and whoever played her husband sucked.

SUPERMAN RETURNS: D


12 & HOLDING (DVD)
Directed by Michael Cuesta, who directed many 6 FEET UNDERs, this is a great, unsung movie that you've probably never heard of - but it's really good and unusually grim for a film about kids.
Grade: B


ROCKY (NEW 2 DISC DVD)
This new set is da bomb for ROCKY fans. Although it still contains the very shitty 5.1 mix (you're better off going with 2.0 dolby - that's the way we originally heard it in the theaters. If you have a 5.1 set up - set it to 2.0, then hit 5 channel stereo so you get the surround mix - otherwise, in 5.1, all the classic music cues have been completely squelched down in the mix.) Otherwise - the print looks amazing - Stallone does a first class audio commentary, and there's even a 90 minute brand new docu on the making of the film. Forget the old editions - this new one has everything from the previous editions, plus TONS of new stuff - ROCKY has finally gotten the treatment it deserves. NOTE: you might want to hold off, as I'm sure MGM is planning a ROCKY 6 PACK set, including new editions of all the films with extras.
Grade: A +


LETTERMAN (CBS)
Had on Trumb and the girl from 24 - pretty funny.


LIPSTICK & DYNAMITE (SUNDANCE)
A docu on female wrestling that sticks to the talking heads format so closely it never really takes off.
Grade: C

TALLADEGA NIGHTS (DVD)
Much funnier then I had anticipated - John C. Reilly is great, as is the always funny Mr. Farrel. And if you don't like racing - it doesn't matter - this is a first class comedy.
Grade: B


NACHO LIBRE (DVD)
I turned it off after a half hour - couldn't get into it no matter what.
Grade: D


LASSIE (DVD)
I turned this off, too - but I might've reacted too soon, as the reviews for this latest edition were stellar.


JUSTICE (ABC)
Been watching the last batch of eps - still can't believe this - the best new law show in years - is getting the ax.
Grade: B +


THE SIMPSONS (FOX)
Kill Gill, parts 1 & 2. Hilarious episode that has a moocher moving in with The Simpsons and overstaying his welcome.
Grade: B +


REAL WORLD: DENVER (MTV)
Getting kind of boring.
Grade: C +


GREY'S ANATOMY (DVD - SEASON 1)
Watched the first four episodes...am I missing something - or is this much lauded show really this obvious and cloying? Does it get better?

UPDATE: So - I watched the fourth episode and things are finally starting to click. So I will finish the first season and give this a proper review.


RENO 911! (DVD - SEASON 1)
Watched the first few - some funny laugh out loud stuff mixed with some rather obvious humor - but I'm going to finish the set.
UPDATE: Much like GREY'S - this show took a few eps to find itself, but now I'm laughing out loud at some of what goes on - though I wish they would be more docu like and less obvious sometimes.
Grade: B -


SNL: THE FIRST SEASON (DVD)
Haven't finished the set, but watched the first 3 or 4 eps - and based on what I saw - it's amazing the show survived. I guess you have to go back 30 years to realize that this stuff was ground-breaking, but based on the first few, which included bad sketches with the bee people, some GREAT music - Janice Ian did AT 17, and in the 2nd episode, the entire thing was songs by Paul Simon and a few by Art Garfunkle. It's amazing though - how quickly things got better - by episode 5, the elements to the show are really beginning to take place - and I'll do a real review on this once I finish the package.


ROCKY BALBOA (In Theaters)
Just another shout out to my favorite film of the year. If you can see this in a theater, do it.
Grade: A +


LITTLE CHILDREN (In Theaters)
Completely disturbing, lacking of humor mostly, and the director's (Todd Field) second effort (after IN THE BEDROOM.) It's almost like a perverted episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, examining this seemingly perfect little bedroom town - but look deeper and there is some sick shit going on. Jackie Earl Haley, JR. - so good as BUDDY in the BAD NEWS BEARS movies (the older cool kid who drove a bike) completely reinvents himself as a first rate character actor and his performance in the film is the one you remember most.
Grade: B +


THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (In Theaters)
Forrest Whitaker is the main reason to see this and his chilling depiction of Idi Amin makes this a scary look back at that dictator's rise.
Grade: B -


THE SURREAL LIFE: CELEBRITY GAMES (VH1)
More shenanigans from the celebs - this one doesn't look too interesting - but there is a nice mix of returnees, and Chyna Doll and Bridgett Nielson look like they might have something going on.
Grade: C +


YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT (ABC)
Fun enough, but in reality, IDOL starts in a day or two - and this is a 4th class reject in light of that.
Grade: D


SHOOTING SIZEMORE (VH1)
A bit much like BREAKING BONDADUCE, and I'm a little menaced that they chose such similar names, but again, after watching Sizemore's leaked porn, you know the guy has serious fucking problems. Watching him try to get himself straight here is both uplifting and frustrating. And he makes a fantastic subject. Another winner from VH1.
Grade: A -


I LOVE NEW YORK (Vh1)
Let's give it up to NEW YORK!!!! New York, the twice jilted lover of Flava Flav in FLAVOR OF LOVE, is now the star - picking between 20 men to be her true love. On hand is her over the top Mom, and in all, the both of them seem a lot less mentally insane from the other shows - but maybe young Tiffany is taking this show seriously and maybe when she's not in competition she's a lot easier - but expect the fireworks to fly. My prediction: Funnest show of the year.
Grade: A


JENNIFER HUDSON on LETTERMAN (CBS)
A really tame interview followed by a powerhouse performance. I think Hudson is here to stay.


DIRT (FX)
Okay - but you never believe for a second that it's celebrities are actually real. Which gives the whole enterprise a nice sheen of bullshit. Also - Courtney Cox is a bit much here in every way. But I like the reporter with the mental problems.
Grade: C +


THE OFFICE (NBC)
BACK FROM VACATION. So Michael hooks up with Jan in Hawaii - takes a forbidden picture then accidentally sends it out to the world. Jan shows up - we think she's going to tear Michael a new one - but all she wants is to go back to his apt. and do the nasty. I love this show.
Grade: B +


30 ROCK (NBC)
Another fine outing, though not quite as fine as previous eps. But the scenes of Alec Baldwin dealing with his mother - I think he's going to get the best supporting actor Emmy for the next four years, like John Laroquette in NIGHT COURT - this guy is fucking pitch perfect.
Grade: B