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!
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