11.23.2008
It's the Dancing that Matters
Leaving behind politics for now, I'm heading back to the pop culture arena for this post...
I'm just watching the "encore presentation" of So You Think You Can Dance Canada (whatever happened to the term "re-run"?), and I'm annoyed all over again at the fact that Izaak is still on the show.
I was upset that Arassay was voted off the show but, quite frankly, the top four women were all amazing. I've been a little worried that Canada hasn't been feeling Lisa the way she deserves. And I had thought that Arassay had the edge over Natalli until I saw Natalli and Vincent dance their contemporary routine. By the end of the dancing this week, I figured it was anybody's game for the women.
Having said that, I firmly believe that the reason Arassay was the one who went home was because she had Izaak as a partner and Izaak always makes his partner look bad. But does Canada vote him off for being both the worst dancer and worst partner last week? No, they vote off Vincent who is one of the most talented dancers on the show. Could someone please rein in the little tween hormones and stop them voting for CUTE LITTLE BOYS and make them understand that they're supposed to vote based on the DANCING.
Remember Strictly Ballroom
: "It was the dancing that mattered."
I'm just watching the "encore presentation" of So You Think You Can Dance Canada (whatever happened to the term "re-run"?), and I'm annoyed all over again at the fact that Izaak is still on the show.
I was upset that Arassay was voted off the show but, quite frankly, the top four women were all amazing. I've been a little worried that Canada hasn't been feeling Lisa the way she deserves. And I had thought that Arassay had the edge over Natalli until I saw Natalli and Vincent dance their contemporary routine. By the end of the dancing this week, I figured it was anybody's game for the women.
Having said that, I firmly believe that the reason Arassay was the one who went home was because she had Izaak as a partner and Izaak always makes his partner look bad. But does Canada vote him off for being both the worst dancer and worst partner last week? No, they vote off Vincent who is one of the most talented dancers on the show. Could someone please rein in the little tween hormones and stop them voting for CUTE LITTLE BOYS and make them understand that they're supposed to vote based on the DANCING.
Remember Strictly Ballroom
: "It was the dancing that mattered."9.16.2008
Dance!
I've been watching the audition shows for the Canadian version of So You Think You Can Dance, because I got quite caught up in the American version this summer (and if Katee couldn't win it all, I'm glad the title went to Joshua). I was impressed that the show actually included some world dance this season, in the form of Bollywood routines and a Russian trepak with its impressive kazotskys. I hope they continue that concept in the Canadian version but expand on it... after all, we have some fabulous "world dance" right here in North America.
There's a movement in Native American dance that is taking off at the moment: dancers are combining traditional Indigenous dance practices with contemporary techniques and creating an exciting fusion of form. I would LOVE to see someone like Santee Smith of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre on the show as a guest dancer or guest choreographer. (Speaking of guest choreographers... I thought Sonya was a fabulously fierce addition to the SYTYCD arsenal.) I also hope to see some Celtic flavour included in some of the routines. This is Canada, after all, and whether you're from the Maritimes or you're Métis, Highland dance and jigging are part of the Canadian identity as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, I certainly hope that the show's producers here in Canada will continue to expand on the tradition started by their American counterparts this season and incorporate more world dance into the So You Think You Can Dance repertoire.
There's a movement in Native American dance that is taking off at the moment: dancers are combining traditional Indigenous dance practices with contemporary techniques and creating an exciting fusion of form. I would LOVE to see someone like Santee Smith of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre on the show as a guest dancer or guest choreographer. (Speaking of guest choreographers... I thought Sonya was a fabulously fierce addition to the SYTYCD arsenal.) I also hope to see some Celtic flavour included in some of the routines. This is Canada, after all, and whether you're from the Maritimes or you're Métis, Highland dance and jigging are part of the Canadian identity as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, I certainly hope that the show's producers here in Canada will continue to expand on the tradition started by their American counterparts this season and incorporate more world dance into the So You Think You Can Dance repertoire.
Labels: dancing, pop culture, tv
2.19.2008
Coffin's Cut
Those of you who know my peacenik tendencies may be surprised to learn that I've been following The Discovery Channel's Jetstream, a show about fighter pilot training. But I started watching the show because my screenwriting instructor's sister-in-law is one of the pilots on it (and she's very cool).
I've continued to watch the show because it's well made and I'm curious to watch Riel's progress (she just got a "superior" on her latest flight on the show!). As I've been watching, I also happended to develop a crush on one of the other pilots. Imagine... ME having a crush on a military man. A hunky, hockey playing, good-natured fighter pilot trainee. That would be Tim Coffin. Unfortunately, he's been struggling on a few phases of the training. In tonight's episode, the powers that be called a meeting to review his progress. And the verdict was... disappointing, to say the least. Tim has been ordered to cease training. And apparently you never get a second chance. So it's the end of his dream.
I'm familiar with the heartbreak of lost dreams. And I don't mean dreams that are random, vague or a million miles out of reach. I mean those so-close-you-can-taste-them kind of dreams. To lose those dreams... it can be devastating.
But something else I'm familiar with... you get more than one dream in a lifetime. It can take a very long time to discover your next dream when the one before has been crushed. But if you've dreamt once, you will be able to dream again. I promise.
I've continued to watch the show because it's well made and I'm curious to watch Riel's progress (she just got a "superior" on her latest flight on the show!). As I've been watching, I also happended to develop a crush on one of the other pilots. Imagine... ME having a crush on a military man. A hunky, hockey playing, good-natured fighter pilot trainee. That would be Tim Coffin. Unfortunately, he's been struggling on a few phases of the training. In tonight's episode, the powers that be called a meeting to review his progress. And the verdict was... disappointing, to say the least. Tim has been ordered to cease training. And apparently you never get a second chance. So it's the end of his dream.
I'm familiar with the heartbreak of lost dreams. And I don't mean dreams that are random, vague or a million miles out of reach. I mean those so-close-you-can-taste-them kind of dreams. To lose those dreams... it can be devastating.
But something else I'm familiar with... you get more than one dream in a lifetime. It can take a very long time to discover your next dream when the one before has been crushed. But if you've dreamt once, you will be able to dream again. I promise.
Labels: tv
2.11.2008
Shotgun
Watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles...
John Connor and his Terminator bodyguard Cameron getting into Sarah's car after school:
JOHN: I call shotgun.
CAMERON: I call 9mm.
John Connor and his Terminator bodyguard Cameron getting into Sarah's car after school:
JOHN: I call shotgun.
CAMERON: I call 9mm.
Labels: tv
1.27.2008
Miss America Reality Check?
If Miss America was really intent on updating their image and crowning an "It Girl," why did Miss Alaska not make the semi-finals? And why did they still crown a Barbie?
Labels: tv
1.15.2008
Come With Me If You Want To Live
"This season a mother will become a warrior, a son will become a hero, and their only ally will be a friend from the future."
I've started watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I may have been dissatisfied by the TV adaptation of Painkiller Jane, I may have been disappointed by the remake of The Bionic Woman, but I finally have my "women who kick ass" show! (Just to be clear, the only reason that Battlestar Galactica doesn't fill that bill is because it's an ensemble show. Yes, it does have plenty of women who kick ass but it has an equal number of men who kick ass. Different category. But I digress…)
Perhaps I'm simply blinded by my love of the James Cameron Terminator movies, but I don't think that's the case; I love it because it's faithful to Cameron's vision. I love how Lena Headey's Sarah Connor stays true to Linda Hamilton's Sarah from T2. I love how the opening and closing narration mirrors the films. I love the nods to the films, with the line used as the subject for this post being a prime example.
But I also appreciate the new directions: the time travel, the presence of Cameron (nice choice of name, btw) and the questions that her presence raises: Why couldn't the other terminator identify what kind of cyborg she is? What is her special relationship to John and/or Sarah? Basically, what's her secret? Because you KNOW she's got one.
One quibble: I get that the TV show has a fraction of the budget of a feature film, especially when that feature film is Terminator 2: Judgement Day, but they should have at least taken a moment to explain why we wouldn't be seeing any of the high tech T-1000 terminators with that cool liquid metal. But if that's my only problem with it, I'll learn to deal.
Overall, I think it succeeds where Painkiller Jane and The Bionic Women fail because of the power of its mythology. Yes, it has the advantage of movies to provide backstory for that mythology (mind you, Painkiller Jane should have had the advantage of comic books to provide backstory, but they didn't really bother to use that advantage). But I think it could stand on it's own without the films. The epic nature of their struggle, combined with their solitary existence as they hide from the world, gives it far greater scope than the other two series mentioned here.
If anyone believes that I'm overrating Chronicles and underrating the other shows, I would be very interested in your opinions so feel free to comment.
Addendum: Just realized another interesting name choice. The FBI agent in the show is named Ellison. James Cameron's original Terminator story was inspired by the writings of Harlan Ellison
. Pretty cool, dontcha think?
I've started watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I may have been dissatisfied by the TV adaptation of Painkiller Jane, I may have been disappointed by the remake of The Bionic Woman, but I finally have my "women who kick ass" show! (Just to be clear, the only reason that Battlestar Galactica doesn't fill that bill is because it's an ensemble show. Yes, it does have plenty of women who kick ass but it has an equal number of men who kick ass. Different category. But I digress…)
Perhaps I'm simply blinded by my love of the James Cameron Terminator movies, but I don't think that's the case; I love it because it's faithful to Cameron's vision. I love how Lena Headey's Sarah Connor stays true to Linda Hamilton's Sarah from T2. I love how the opening and closing narration mirrors the films. I love the nods to the films, with the line used as the subject for this post being a prime example.
But I also appreciate the new directions: the time travel, the presence of Cameron (nice choice of name, btw) and the questions that her presence raises: Why couldn't the other terminator identify what kind of cyborg she is? What is her special relationship to John and/or Sarah? Basically, what's her secret? Because you KNOW she's got one.
One quibble: I get that the TV show has a fraction of the budget of a feature film, especially when that feature film is Terminator 2: Judgement Day, but they should have at least taken a moment to explain why we wouldn't be seeing any of the high tech T-1000 terminators with that cool liquid metal. But if that's my only problem with it, I'll learn to deal.
Overall, I think it succeeds where Painkiller Jane and The Bionic Women fail because of the power of its mythology. Yes, it has the advantage of movies to provide backstory for that mythology (mind you, Painkiller Jane should have had the advantage of comic books to provide backstory, but they didn't really bother to use that advantage). But I think it could stand on it's own without the films. The epic nature of their struggle, combined with their solitary existence as they hide from the world, gives it far greater scope than the other two series mentioned here.
If anyone believes that I'm overrating Chronicles and underrating the other shows, I would be very interested in your opinions so feel free to comment.
Addendum: Just realized another interesting name choice. The FBI agent in the show is named Ellison. James Cameron's original Terminator story was inspired by the writings of Harlan Ellison
. Pretty cool, dontcha think?Labels: film, pop culture, tv
11.28.2007
No More Top Model for Me
True confessions time... America's Next Top Model is one of my guilty pleasure reality shows. Correction... was. Because it is a pleasure no longer. The beautiful and stunning Heather Kuzmich has been eliminated. The woman whose talent dwarfed her disability. (She has Asperger Syndrome and while everyone else tried to make it an issue for Heather, to her credit, she herself never focused on it.)Not one other girl on the show can hold a candle to Heather physically, and as for their personalities... can we say boring and bitchy, boys and girls? I won't bother watching the rest of the season because I don't give a crap about the remaining four girls. How come the quality rarely rises to the top in these model shows? I think I'm giving up on the whole franchise. There's just no point anymore.
Addendum 12.07.2007: I knew that Heather was an artist but I just discovered that she has some of her art up on deviantART under the name 0Pandoras0tear0. She is one wonderfully weird and wacky artistic gothic geeky gal. Kinda makes me wanna hang out with her. I wonder if she watches Battlestar Galactica...
11.22.2007
The Writer's Strike
By now I'm sure that most people, even those completely outside of the entertainment industry, are well aware of the WGA writer's strike. But there is cautious optimism in the air as news trickles out that talks between studios and writers will resume next week. For more about that news, check out WILDsound's Entertainment News. I certainly hope that they can sort things out before the strike affects Battlestar Galactica (dontcha love my priorities?). But if they don't, if the final season of Battlestar gets cut short *gulp*, I still support the strike. Why? Watch this video:
Labels: film, politics, tv, videos
8.21.2007
On The Lot: Results
I had planned on giving a blow-by-blow account of tonight's show, but let's skip right to the important stuff...
And the winner is: Will Bigham!
I have to admit that I'm thrilled. Not that Jason and Adam weren't both talented and deserving, but I was definitely rooting for Will. I just didn't want to type that last week because my predictions seem to be turning into jinxes lately. But now I can proclaim my bias proudly and celebrate loudly!
And for your viewing pleasure... "The Yes Men," one of Will's best films in my opinion:
The Yes Men - On the Lot
Uploaded by starmometerdotcom
And the winner is: Will Bigham!
I have to admit that I'm thrilled. Not that Jason and Adam weren't both talented and deserving, but I was definitely rooting for Will. I just didn't want to type that last week because my predictions seem to be turning into jinxes lately. But now I can proclaim my bias proudly and celebrate loudly!
And for your viewing pleasure... "The Yes Men," one of Will's best films in my opinion:
The Yes Men - On the Lot
Uploaded by starmometerdotcom
8.14.2007
On The Lot: Season Finale, Part 1
So Sam Friedlander was sent home from On The Lot after last week's voting, which I thought was the right choice. But the remaining filmmakers didn't have to make new films this week (pity), just choose two of the films that they'd made this summer. Starting with…
Jason Epperson — These are the films that he made this summer:
"Getta Rhoom"
"Blood Born"
"Eternal Waters"
"Sweet"
"Old Home Boyz"
"The Move"
"Oh, Boy"
Jason chose to screen "Eternal Waters" and "Sweet," both good choices I thought. They definitely showed his range as a director, as well as the optimistic outlook that he brings to his films. It was kind of sweet (no pun intended) how he kept choking up tonight, but not very helpful when he was supposed to be answering why he wants to win this thing. Garry Marshall said that he thought Jason should win.
Will Bigham — These are the films that he made this summer:
"Lucky Penny"
"Glass Eye"
"Nerve Endings"
"Spaghetti"
"Unplugged"
"Road Rage 101"
"The Yes Men"
Will chose to screen "Glass Eye" and "The Yes Men." While I definitely agree with his second choice, I actually thought "Glass Eye" was one of his weaker films. Of course that's all relative because all of his films are strong and the visual style of "Glass Eye" was very cool, but I think I would have picked either "Spaghetti" or "Unplugged" or "Road Rage"… wow, it really is hard to choose. I also think he gave a very good spiel when asked why he wanted to win this. And Carrie Fisher said that she thought Will should be the winner.
Adam Stein — These are the films that he made this summer:
"Dance Man"
"Dough: The Musical"
"Discovering The Wheels"
"Worldly Possessions"
"Girl Trouble"
"Driving Under The Influence"
"Army Guy"
Adam chose to screen "Dough: The Musical" and "Army Guy." As with Jason, I thought these were good choices. They really showed his diversity. And while I stand by my assertion that "Army Guy" is very derivative of that Twilight Zone episode, Adam's work does show quite a lot of originality. Unfortunately, I think his explanation of why he should win was the weakest and neither of the judges pegged him as the possible winner. But it's up to America so it's still anyones game.
Who do you think should win? Who do you think will win? I'd make a prediction myself but with my anti-psychic powers these days I think my predictions are more like jinxes, so Mum's the word from me!
Jason Epperson — These are the films that he made this summer:
"Getta Rhoom"
"Blood Born"
"Eternal Waters"
"Sweet"
"Old Home Boyz"
"The Move"
"Oh, Boy"
Jason chose to screen "Eternal Waters" and "Sweet," both good choices I thought. They definitely showed his range as a director, as well as the optimistic outlook that he brings to his films. It was kind of sweet (no pun intended) how he kept choking up tonight, but not very helpful when he was supposed to be answering why he wants to win this thing. Garry Marshall said that he thought Jason should win.
Will Bigham — These are the films that he made this summer:
"Lucky Penny"
"Glass Eye"
"Nerve Endings"
"Spaghetti"
"Unplugged"
"Road Rage 101"
"The Yes Men"
Will chose to screen "Glass Eye" and "The Yes Men." While I definitely agree with his second choice, I actually thought "Glass Eye" was one of his weaker films. Of course that's all relative because all of his films are strong and the visual style of "Glass Eye" was very cool, but I think I would have picked either "Spaghetti" or "Unplugged" or "Road Rage"… wow, it really is hard to choose. I also think he gave a very good spiel when asked why he wanted to win this. And Carrie Fisher said that she thought Will should be the winner.
Adam Stein — These are the films that he made this summer:
"Dance Man"
"Dough: The Musical"
"Discovering The Wheels"
"Worldly Possessions"
"Girl Trouble"
"Driving Under The Influence"
"Army Guy"
Adam chose to screen "Dough: The Musical" and "Army Guy." As with Jason, I thought these were good choices. They really showed his diversity. And while I stand by my assertion that "Army Guy" is very derivative of that Twilight Zone episode, Adam's work does show quite a lot of originality. Unfortunately, I think his explanation of why he should win was the weakest and neither of the judges pegged him as the possible winner. But it's up to America so it's still anyones game.
Who do you think should win? Who do you think will win? I'd make a prediction myself but with my anti-psychic powers these days I think my predictions are more like jinxes, so Mum's the word from me!
8.07.2007
On The Lot: Logline Challenge
First of all, what the frack is going on with the voting public?! I haven't watched Canadian Idol yet, but I heard that Greg Neufeld was eliminated. And I was so sure he would be in the top 3. And now Zach Lipovsky gets eliminated from On The Lot?! I really thought he was going to win the whole thing. I must stop predicting things; I think I just end up jinxing them instead! But I'm here to talk about the remaining competitors, so let's get to it:
Logline: A man wakes up and finds himself in a dress but can't remember what happened the night before
1. Will Bigham – "The Yes Men"
I thought this film was clever, fun, stylish and original. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.
2. Sam Friedlander – "Dress for Success"
Even before Carrie mentioned "9 to 5," I was thinking Sam's film was rather derivative of that movie myself (I haven't seen "Saw" so I can't comment on how this film compares to that movie). I still thought it was pretty good, but the tag at the end was weak so it didn't really sell it to me.
3. Adam Stein – "Army Guy"
Um… have the judges never watched episodes of the original "Twlight Zone"? Because, no offence Adam, but this was incredibly derivative of Episode 79: "Five Characters in Search of an Exit." So it really bothers me that the judges are saying how original this was. It was good, yes… but not original.
4. Jason Epperson – "Oh, Boy"
This was definitely more of what I expect from Jason than his film last week. It was sweet and funny and optimistic (possibly a strange choice of words for a film that involves a bomb exploding, but I stand by that word in describing Jason's films).
My favourite film of the night? Once again, Will walks away with that honour. My predictions? Um...
I will not make predictions
I will not make predictions
I will not make predictions…
Logline: A man wakes up and finds himself in a dress but can't remember what happened the night before
1. Will Bigham – "The Yes Men"
I thought this film was clever, fun, stylish and original. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.
2. Sam Friedlander – "Dress for Success"
Even before Carrie mentioned "9 to 5," I was thinking Sam's film was rather derivative of that movie myself (I haven't seen "Saw" so I can't comment on how this film compares to that movie). I still thought it was pretty good, but the tag at the end was weak so it didn't really sell it to me.
3. Adam Stein – "Army Guy"
Um… have the judges never watched episodes of the original "Twlight Zone"? Because, no offence Adam, but this was incredibly derivative of Episode 79: "Five Characters in Search of an Exit." So it really bothers me that the judges are saying how original this was. It was good, yes… but not original.
4. Jason Epperson – "Oh, Boy"
This was definitely more of what I expect from Jason than his film last week. It was sweet and funny and optimistic (possibly a strange choice of words for a film that involves a bomb exploding, but I stand by that word in describing Jason's films).
My favourite film of the night? Once again, Will walks away with that honour. My predictions? Um...
I will not make predictions
I will not make predictions
I will not make predictions…
7.31.2007
On The Lot: Road Week
I have to say, I was shocked that Andrew Hunt went home after last week's vote. And even more shocked that Zach was in the bottom two. I think we can safely say that I do not possess any psychic ability whatsoever. But on to tonight, with Penny Marshall sitting in for Garry, Jerry O'Connell acting for Jason and Gary Ross as the guest judge ("Pleasantville" director, "Dave" writer)...
1. Adam Stein - "Driving Under the Influence"
My regular readers will not be surprised to hear that I think this mini-musical was delightful. I thought the ending could have been stronger but I definitely enjoyed this film.
2. Sam Friedlander - "Backseat Driving Test"
I have to agree with the judges that the mother character generally and mother-son relationship specifically were underdeveloped, but the tag at the end was cute.
3. Zach Lipovsky - "Bonus Feature Two"
I adored the first part of this film last week, even though it didn't really fit the brief. Well, this sequel was even better. More story, better character development with a good tag at the end. I think he should be safe this week. I hope.
4. Jason Epperson - "The Move"
First of all, even though I enjoyed Jason's film last week I am surprised that it garnered the most votes, giving him the opportunity to direct Jerry O'Connell. Unfortunately, I don't think he took advantage of the edge that should have given him. While he did a good job building suspense, the payoff was not nearly as good as the buildup. I'm a little worried for Jason this week.
5. Will Bigham - "Road Rage 101"
This was hands down my favourite film of the night. Well shot (loved the Vertigo shot or "Zolly"), great ending. Will's hitting them out of the park. He'd better be safe after this!
Based on a body of work, I think it's Sam's time to go. But based on tonight's films, I'm really not sure. And, as we've seen, my predictions rarely come true so why bother. Let's just see what next week brings.
1. Adam Stein - "Driving Under the Influence"
My regular readers will not be surprised to hear that I think this mini-musical was delightful. I thought the ending could have been stronger but I definitely enjoyed this film.
2. Sam Friedlander - "Backseat Driving Test"
I have to agree with the judges that the mother character generally and mother-son relationship specifically were underdeveloped, but the tag at the end was cute.
3. Zach Lipovsky - "Bonus Feature Two"
I adored the first part of this film last week, even though it didn't really fit the brief. Well, this sequel was even better. More story, better character development with a good tag at the end. I think he should be safe this week. I hope.
4. Jason Epperson - "The Move"
First of all, even though I enjoyed Jason's film last week I am surprised that it garnered the most votes, giving him the opportunity to direct Jerry O'Connell. Unfortunately, I don't think he took advantage of the edge that should have given him. While he did a good job building suspense, the payoff was not nearly as good as the buildup. I'm a little worried for Jason this week.
5. Will Bigham - "Road Rage 101"
This was hands down my favourite film of the night. Well shot (loved the Vertigo shot or "Zolly"), great ending. Will's hitting them out of the park. He'd better be safe after this!
Based on a body of work, I think it's Sam's time to go. But based on tonight's films, I'm really not sure. And, as we've seen, my predictions rarely come true so why bother. Let's just see what next week brings.
7.24.2007
On The Lot: Romantic Comedies
First of all, let's talk about the On The Lot eliminations. I'm shocked but relieved that Kenny went home… I guess I should have more faith in the voting public. I am sorry to see Mateen go, no offence to Sam but I would have preferred to keep Mateen over Sam. But I'm not entirely surprised.
Guest judge: Brad Silberling (director of "City of Angels")
1. Zach Lipovsky – "The Bonus Feature"
I enjoyed this immensely. It was fun and clever and yes, Carrie Fisher said it was more like a ride than a movie but I've gotta say I loved the ride. And just a shout out to Zach if he ever does any ego-surfing: The judges said you were a great director in need of a storyteller. Well, I've got a great story in need of a director… so if you don't win this thing, drop me an email!
2. Adam Stein – "Girl Trouble"
I have to confess that I was underwhelmed. I don't know how Carrie didn't see the Susan gag coming at the end, but I agree with Garry Marshall that it was more like an SNL skit than a movie.
3. Will Bigham – "Unplugged"
This one was definitely charming, nicely bookended by the human characters. I would say that he certainly fulfilled the romantic comedy brief and should be safe for next week.
4. Andrew Hunt – "Keep Off Grass"
The superhero schtick was a riot but the execution wasn't as good as the idea itself. But I think the concept was original enough to keep him safe, also.
5. Sam Friedlander – "American Hoe"
The performances were a little stiff and the story could have been stronger, but it had a nice tag at the end.
6. Jason Epperson – "Old Home Boyz"
I really liked this one. A fun, funny, well executed, boy-finally-gets-girl-after-50-years film.
I think that Jason and Will best fulfilled the romantic comedy brief, but my favourite film of the night was still Zach's. I think it's probably Sam's time to go, but time will tell. One week to be exact!
Guest judge: Brad Silberling (director of "City of Angels")
1. Zach Lipovsky – "The Bonus Feature"
I enjoyed this immensely. It was fun and clever and yes, Carrie Fisher said it was more like a ride than a movie but I've gotta say I loved the ride. And just a shout out to Zach if he ever does any ego-surfing: The judges said you were a great director in need of a storyteller. Well, I've got a great story in need of a director… so if you don't win this thing, drop me an email!
2. Adam Stein – "Girl Trouble"
I have to confess that I was underwhelmed. I don't know how Carrie didn't see the Susan gag coming at the end, but I agree with Garry Marshall that it was more like an SNL skit than a movie.
3. Will Bigham – "Unplugged"
This one was definitely charming, nicely bookended by the human characters. I would say that he certainly fulfilled the romantic comedy brief and should be safe for next week.
4. Andrew Hunt – "Keep Off Grass"
The superhero schtick was a riot but the execution wasn't as good as the idea itself. But I think the concept was original enough to keep him safe, also.
5. Sam Friedlander – "American Hoe"
The performances were a little stiff and the story could have been stronger, but it had a nice tag at the end.
6. Jason Epperson – "Old Home Boyz"
I really liked this one. A fun, funny, well executed, boy-finally-gets-girl-after-50-years film.
I think that Jason and Will best fulfilled the romantic comedy brief, but my favourite film of the night was still Zach's. I think it's probably Sam's time to go, but time will tell. One week to be exact!
7.18.2007
Missed On The Lot Last Night
I'm afraid I missed On The Lot last night because I was shopping for my maid of honour dress for my best friend's wedding. (The dress is awesome... but I probably won't have any decent pictures of it until the wedding itself, so don't be holding your breath on that one.) I didn't bother to check the TV listing times, just assumed that it would be on CTV after Canadian Idol. But (a) I didn't check the Canadian Idol times which turned out to be earlier than I assumed (all this assuming... well, I guess we don't need to say out loud what that makes me), and (b) CTV didn't even bother showing On The Lot for some reason. And I was definitely too late to watch the Fox airing.
Thankfully, Fox posts videos of the contestant films the next day, so I just finished watching them. And I have to say that my favourite, hands down, was Jason Epperson's film "Sweet."
Thankfully, Fox posts videos of the contestant films the next day, so I just finished watching them. And I have to say that my favourite, hands down, was Jason Epperson's film "Sweet."
7.09.2007
On the Lot: Worlds Collide
Too sick for a full review tonight…
Favourite film of the night: "Spaghetti" by Will Bigham.
Favourite concept of the night: "Time Upon a Once" by Zach Lipovsky.
Favourite film of the night: "Spaghetti" by Will Bigham.
Favourite concept of the night: "Time Upon a Once" by Zach Lipovsky.
7.04.2007
On The Lot: Horror Night
First of all, I totally blanked on the losing film from last week's episode of On The Lot. I didn't even remember to write about it immediately after the show. Guess it really didn't leave much of an impression on me and I understand why David was sent home. Sorry David!
But on to this week. I would have to say there are no real winners and no real losers here, there are just varying shades of pretty good. I think my least favourite was Kenny's "Malibu Myth." I didn't feel that it was remotely original and I didn't feel any building tension. And I think Kenny should have let his Director of Photography do his job because the change in colour tone when the actors stepped out of the vehicle was jarring and I'm quite certain it was not intentional. But aside from that, the style was cool. But that's the problem with Kenny's work... it's always style over substance (as in there is no substance at all).
My middling ones were Sam's "Ankle Biters," Andrew's "Midnight Snack," Shira-Lee's "Open House" and Mateen's "Profile" (links to come once they're posted). The attack in Sam's film was very well done, but the film wasn't cohesive overall. And "Midnight Snack," while enjoyable, really was more comedy than horror. I think both Shira-Lee and Mateen got excellent performances from their actors which is a big plus for me. And I think that Mateen's approach to the horror genre was unique and should be commended. The moment when the rookie cop stepped into the bathroom had all the tension that one could ask for. But, unfortunately, the beginning and the ending didn't support the middle as well as they could have.
I guess my favourite film of the night (by a very narrow margin) was Jason's "Eternal Waters." The beginning of the film was excellent and really set a nice tone. And I loved the combination of real life scariness combined with the supernatural. And I enjoyed the twist that the supernatural stuff was the positive stuff. But I agree with guest judge Eli Roth (director of "Cabin Fever") that the performance by the actress playing the mother really let down an otherwise excellent film. I don't know whether that has to do with her acting ability or with Jason's directing ability, but if that performance had been stronger I'd be giving this film two very enthusiastic thumbs up. As it is, I'll give it one solid thumb up instead.
But on to this week. I would have to say there are no real winners and no real losers here, there are just varying shades of pretty good. I think my least favourite was Kenny's "Malibu Myth." I didn't feel that it was remotely original and I didn't feel any building tension. And I think Kenny should have let his Director of Photography do his job because the change in colour tone when the actors stepped out of the vehicle was jarring and I'm quite certain it was not intentional. But aside from that, the style was cool. But that's the problem with Kenny's work... it's always style over substance (as in there is no substance at all).
My middling ones were Sam's "Ankle Biters," Andrew's "Midnight Snack," Shira-Lee's "Open House" and Mateen's "Profile" (links to come once they're posted). The attack in Sam's film was very well done, but the film wasn't cohesive overall. And "Midnight Snack," while enjoyable, really was more comedy than horror. I think both Shira-Lee and Mateen got excellent performances from their actors which is a big plus for me. And I think that Mateen's approach to the horror genre was unique and should be commended. The moment when the rookie cop stepped into the bathroom had all the tension that one could ask for. But, unfortunately, the beginning and the ending didn't support the middle as well as they could have.
I guess my favourite film of the night (by a very narrow margin) was Jason's "Eternal Waters." The beginning of the film was excellent and really set a nice tone. And I loved the combination of real life scariness combined with the supernatural. And I enjoyed the twist that the supernatural stuff was the positive stuff. But I agree with guest judge Eli Roth (director of "Cabin Fever") that the performance by the actress playing the mother really let down an otherwise excellent film. I don't know whether that has to do with her acting ability or with Jason's directing ability, but if that performance had been stronger I'd be giving this film two very enthusiastic thumbs up. As it is, I'll give it one solid thumb up instead.
7.03.2007
Speaking of Music...
I've uploaded a new song to My Music Box. It's called "The Bird and the Worm" by The Used (on "Lies for the Liars"). At the risk of lowering my CMQ (Cool Music Quotient 
), I'll admit that I discovered it on Canadian Idol when Montana Martin Iles sang it last week. You can watch Montana sing it over on Music Musings, my music blog, where I'm currently posting my commentary on Canadian Idol.
And in defense of my CMQ, I love to discover new talent and new songs regardless of the setting. And Canadian Idol gives me a chance to do both. Not every week, mind you, but more often than you might think.
), I'll admit that I discovered it on Canadian Idol when Montana Martin Iles sang it last week. You can watch Montana sing it over on Music Musings, my music blog, where I'm currently posting my commentary on Canadian Idol.And in defense of my CMQ, I love to discover new talent and new songs regardless of the setting. And Canadian Idol gives me a chance to do both. Not every week, mind you, but more often than you might think.
6.26.2007
On The Lot: Comedy Night
First of all, I thought On The Lot this week was going to be Horror Week. The first week was comedy, so why are we back to that genre already? And why are the groups doing different genres? Did the group going this week get a head start or is the group going next week going to have the advantage of having extra time to think about their ideas? I'd really like a better understanding of their plan for this show. (Probably just because I would actually like to be a contestant... and I have to say, after doing the Herland workshop this February, I'm not at all intimidated by the thought of doing a two-minute film in 5 days. That's completely do-able. Especially with a professional crew!)
Second of all, I think the voters got it right this week. (Sorry, Jessica.) And I think the reason that voting was up 37% from the week before is that America knows they got it wrong the previous week when Marty Martin got sent home.
Guest judge: Mark Waters (I think he did a great job with Freaky Friday!)
Now on to the films. My least favourites were Hilary Weisman Graham and Adam Stein... which is a shame because I've enjoyed Adam's work in the past, but neither film did anything for me. Will Bigham's film "Nerve Endings" was funny until it got to the crazy dancing bit and lost whatever subtlety it might have had. But I think Mark Waters did a disservice to this film with his comments... I just don't think he gets black comedy.
I really enjoyed Shalini Kantayya's "Doctor-in-Law." It was very chuckle-worthy, especially given the fact that she claimed to be out of her element in comedy. Shalini, my dear, you can absolutely do comedy.
But the best film of the night? Zach Lipovsky's "Die Hardly Working" (video embedded below). I would say "What a surprise" in a sarcastic tone, except that it WAS a surprise... there were no special effects!!! Well, no visible special effects that is. It was all done with sound effects and camera angles. Very clever and hilariously funny. And I just realized that Zach's Canadian! Go win this thing you crazy Canuck!
Second of all, I think the voters got it right this week. (Sorry, Jessica.) And I think the reason that voting was up 37% from the week before is that America knows they got it wrong the previous week when Marty Martin got sent home.
Guest judge: Mark Waters (I think he did a great job with Freaky Friday!)
Now on to the films. My least favourites were Hilary Weisman Graham and Adam Stein... which is a shame because I've enjoyed Adam's work in the past, but neither film did anything for me. Will Bigham's film "Nerve Endings" was funny until it got to the crazy dancing bit and lost whatever subtlety it might have had. But I think Mark Waters did a disservice to this film with his comments... I just don't think he gets black comedy.
I really enjoyed Shalini Kantayya's "Doctor-in-Law." It was very chuckle-worthy, especially given the fact that she claimed to be out of her element in comedy. Shalini, my dear, you can absolutely do comedy.
But the best film of the night? Zach Lipovsky's "Die Hardly Working" (video embedded below). I would say "What a surprise" in a sarcastic tone, except that it WAS a surprise... there were no special effects!!! Well, no visible special effects that is. It was all done with sound effects and camera angles. Very clever and hilariously funny. And I just realized that Zach's Canadian! Go win this thing you crazy Canuck!
6.20.2007
Whack-a-Mole?
6.19.2007
Back to the Lot
Just finished watching this week's episode of On The Lot. First of all, I'm glad that they put the poor departing filmmaker out of his misery at the beginning of the show this time. But Marty?! Are you fracking kidding me?! But I'll save that rant for another post; this one's about tonight's show.
Guest judge: Wes Craven!!!! I guess I don't typically cite him as one of my directorial influences, but he really is. So I was very excited to see him on the show.
The films: a strong group tonight… mostly. So I'm going to do a mini review of each, from my least favourite to my favourite.
5. The Orchard (Jessica) – The concept was intriguing; it was clever and had potential. The execution, however, did nothing for me. Absolutely nothing. If she doesn't go home next week, then something is wrong with the voting public.
4. Lost (Mateen) – This was a nice film, well-written, well-acted, but it didn't really grab me. Maybe because it was so dialogue heavy. Film is a visual medium and the visuals didn't make much of an impression on me.
3. Glass Eye (Will) – This was pretty cute. Of course, it used one of my favourite techniques of combining black & white with colour. Unfortunately, I felt nothing for the main character. The dog, yes. The man, not so much.
2. Blood Born (Jason) – I loved the concept. The style was slick. The ending had a nice irony. My only criticism would be that the main character wasn't proactive at all. He simply reacted. Otherwise, I thought it was great.
1. Sunshine Girl (Zach) – Granted, I wouldn't have understood the film as well as I needed to if Zach hadn't explained beforehand that the little girl was afraid of the dark. But aside from that, I thought it was excellent. Sweet and clever and surprising, with the main character even managing to show growth in such a short period of time. (And having directed a little girl myself, kudos to Zach in his casting and directing of his sunshine girl.)
So it looks like I agree with the judges this week. Hmm… should I be worried?
Guest judge: Wes Craven!!!! I guess I don't typically cite him as one of my directorial influences, but he really is. So I was very excited to see him on the show.
The films: a strong group tonight… mostly. So I'm going to do a mini review of each, from my least favourite to my favourite.
5. The Orchard (Jessica) – The concept was intriguing; it was clever and had potential. The execution, however, did nothing for me. Absolutely nothing. If she doesn't go home next week, then something is wrong with the voting public.
4. Lost (Mateen) – This was a nice film, well-written, well-acted, but it didn't really grab me. Maybe because it was so dialogue heavy. Film is a visual medium and the visuals didn't make much of an impression on me.
3. Glass Eye (Will) – This was pretty cute. Of course, it used one of my favourite techniques of combining black & white with colour. Unfortunately, I felt nothing for the main character. The dog, yes. The man, not so much.
2. Blood Born (Jason) – I loved the concept. The style was slick. The ending had a nice irony. My only criticism would be that the main character wasn't proactive at all. He simply reacted. Otherwise, I thought it was great.
1. Sunshine Girl (Zach) – Granted, I wouldn't have understood the film as well as I needed to if Zach hadn't explained beforehand that the little girl was afraid of the dark. But aside from that, I thought it was excellent. Sweet and clever and surprising, with the main character even managing to show growth in such a short period of time. (And having directed a little girl myself, kudos to Zach in his casting and directing of his sunshine girl.)
So it looks like I agree with the judges this week. Hmm… should I be worried?
6.18.2007
Burned
BURN NOTICE (bûrn nō'tĭs) n.
1. An official statement by one intelligence agency to other agencies, domestic or foreign, that an individual or group is unreliable.
I was just reading about USA Network's Burn Notice, a new TV series about a CIA operative who gets a burn notice. He doesn't know why, but he's determined to find out. Obviously, he won't be able to use his normal contacts so he'll have to get very creative. I decided to tap into my inner MacGyver and thought of an easy to make spy tool: a Hollow Book.
And for better spy gadget ideas, watch Burn Notice!
Labels: cool stuff, tv, videos
6.12.2007
On The Lot... again
I missed last week's episode of On The Lot and have yet to view the films from last week, so for now I'll keep my comments to the films shown tonight. My favourite was "Dance with the Devil" by Marty Martin (who directed "The Big Bad Heist" that I mentioned briefly in my previous post). My second favourite was "Polished" by Andrew Hunt (this is a little more like what I was expecting, though still not up there with his fantastic pitch session). I enjoyed "Beeline" by Shira-Lee Shalit, but felt that the acting was overdone. I'm not quite sure why this was a judge favourite, but c'est la vie.
Personally, I would opt to send Kenny Luby home. His work lacks narrative and I find it self-indulgent. The judges seem to be suggesting that it's simply experimental and independent but I've watched and enjoyed a lot of experimental and independent films and I stand by my statement that Kenny's work is neither. But it's possible that the popularity contest that is reality shows where viewers vote will keep cute Kenny and his charm and poor David May will be sent home instead. Tune in next week to see if I'm right.
Personally, I would opt to send Kenny Luby home. His work lacks narrative and I find it self-indulgent. The judges seem to be suggesting that it's simply experimental and independent but I've watched and enjoyed a lot of experimental and independent films and I stand by my statement that Kenny's work is neither. But it's possible that the popularity contest that is reality shows where viewers vote will keep cute Kenny and his charm and poor David May will be sent home instead. Tune in next week to see if I'm right.
5.28.2007
On The Lot: Comedy Shorts
I watched On The Lot tonight, the comedy shorts episode... which apparently means potty humour to many of the contestants. I have to say that I think I could have done better than many of them, and that my herland film workshop teammate, Moksha, did do better than many with her "Lean Mean Queen Machines." But there were also a few tonight that make me realize I'm sooo not there yet. I think my two favourites were "Dance Man" by Andrew Stein and "Danger Zone" by Zach Lipovsky. "Dance Man" was a fun quirky story with heart and "Danger Zone" was technically brilliant. I was a little disappointed by Andrew Hunt's film "Spaced Out"; not that it was bad, but I just expected more from him. Other films worth mentioning: "Big Bad Heist", "Lucky Penny", "Soft", "Check Out" and "Replication Theory". "Please Hold" started off really well but the weak ending spoiled it for me. The rest... well, I predict that the three going home tomorrow night will be three of the ones I didn't mention.
And I just have to say that I know Garry Marshall thinks he's trying to encourage women filmmakers, I just wish that someone would explain to him that he's actually being rather patronizing. With his talk about women's issues and women's perspectives... well, that's great, but sometimes it's just a human issue (or a penguin issue) or just an issue. And sometimes one woman's perspective bears no resemblance to any other woman's perspective or any other person's perspective (although that might make it hard to find an audience, but I'm just trying to make a point here). So please, Garry, just treat the women on the show like filmmakers, not "women filmmakers." Muchly appreciated.
And I just have to say that I know Garry Marshall thinks he's trying to encourage women filmmakers, I just wish that someone would explain to him that he's actually being rather patronizing. With his talk about women's issues and women's perspectives... well, that's great, but sometimes it's just a human issue (or a penguin issue) or just an issue. And sometimes one woman's perspective bears no resemblance to any other woman's perspective or any other person's perspective (although that might make it hard to find an audience, but I'm just trying to make a point here). So please, Garry, just treat the women on the show like filmmakers, not "women filmmakers." Muchly appreciated.
5.24.2007
Buffy Extravaganza
If you're a regular reader here, you probably already know that I'm a wee bit of a Buffy fan. (Holy understatement, Batman!) Well, I was over visiting the Internet Movie Database for that Movie Meme when I noticed they have a new FAQ for Buffy the Vampire Slayer! And I just learned that they've started "season 8" in the form of a comic book. I just might have to return to my comic book roots for that. And do ya wanna see the original unaired pilot? Me too! And you can watch it here: Buffy Unaired Pilot Season 1 Episode 0. I haven't read through them all yet but just picture me rubbing my hands together with glee. 
Labels: buffy, pop culture, tv
5.22.2007
I Want to be on Reality TV
Now there's a statement I never thought I'd write. But they finally made the perfect reality show for me! It's called "On the Lot" and it's for wannabe filmmakers. Pick me, pick me, pick me!
P.S. I'll be keeping my eye on Andrew Hunt.
P.S. I'll be keeping my eye on Andrew Hunt.
5.16.2007
Watch BSG's Gears & Levers Speech
Okay, I've finally managed to pull a clip of Chief Tyrol's gears & levers speech from Battlestar Galactica. Compare it with the clip of Mario Savio's original speech in my Mario Savio post. And you can also compare the texts and contexts in my Gears & Levers post. Hope you find these as fascinating as I do!
Labels: battlestar galactica, politics, tv, videos
4.27.2007
Swapping is the New Shopping
Here's a website with a very cool idea. You can trade your DVDs, music CDs, games, books and audiobooks all in one place. It's called Hitflip UK and, as the name implies, is currently only in the UK. But they started in Germany and it looks as though they're planning on expanding into the States, so I'm crossing my fingers that they'll end up in Canada eventually (hopefully they'll post these kinds of updates on their blog).
I love the idea of being able to swap DVDs that I've grown tired of (doesn't happen very often) or have duplicates of (which is somewhat more common) or that were gifts from people who didn't check my Amazon.com wish list (probably the most common reason I would swap).
*a few moments pass as I browse the site... *
Okay, now I'm desperate. I just did a search and seasons 1-5 of "Drop the Dead Donkey" are available to swap! I know the site is just for residents of the UK and I know the DVDs would be the wrong format anyway, but I want that show!!!!
*takes deep breath*
Okay, I've calmed down now. But I still want that TV show. I'll just have to figure out another way to get it. And I will. I'm quite determined that I will.
I love the idea of being able to swap DVDs that I've grown tired of (doesn't happen very often) or have duplicates of (which is somewhat more common) or that were gifts from people who didn't check my Amazon.com wish list (probably the most common reason I would swap).
*a few moments pass as I browse the site... *
Okay, now I'm desperate. I just did a search and seasons 1-5 of "Drop the Dead Donkey" are available to swap! I know the site is just for residents of the UK and I know the DVDs would be the wrong format anyway, but I want that show!!!!
*takes deep breath*
Okay, I've calmed down now. But I still want that TV show. I'll just have to figure out another way to get it. And I will. I'm quite determined that I will.
Labels: books and literature, cool sites, film, games, music, tv, videos
4.26.2007
About Last Night
Blue October performed on Conan last night... and I missed it! I was working late into the night on a grant report that's due... well... now. Unfortunately, Conan doesn't seem to provide videos (he could learn a thing or two from Jon Stewart), nor has anyone uploaded it to YouTube yet. But some kind soul on MySpace has the video... many thanks to Dory. So here's Blue October on Conan singing "She's My Ride Home":
Blue October on Conan O'Brien
4.24.2007
Galactica Station
I don't know if you remember, but a while back I mentioned this great blog called Galactica Station. For those Battlestar Galactica fans who haven't browsed that blog yet, I highly recommend it. Especially with the long summer ahead and no new BSG for months. Galactica Station is the place to get your BSG fix.
Which is why I nominated it for Best Pop Culture blog in the Blogger's Choice Awards. And yes, I nominated it in a category that I'm already nominated in, but I really think it deserves the award more than I do. But there's a long way to go to get them noticed by the voting public. So here I am providing blatant advertising, wishing I had bribes to offer people to get them to vote (just kidding)!
So at the very least, check out Galactica Station. And if you want to go even further... vote!
Which is why I nominated it for Best Pop Culture blog in the Blogger's Choice Awards. And yes, I nominated it in a category that I'm already nominated in, but I really think it deserves the award more than I do. But there's a long way to go to get them noticed by the voting public. So here I am providing blatant advertising, wishing I had bribes to offer people to get them to vote (just kidding)!
So at the very least, check out Galactica Station. And if you want to go even further... vote!
Labels: battlestar galactica, blogging, pop culture, tv
4.23.2007
Spend the Night With Blue October
Now, now... get your mind out of the gutter... that's not what I meant. (Or is mine the only mind that landed in the gutter?)Blue October is going to be performing on Conan O'Brien on Wednesday, April 25!
(I feel like a little Blue October cheerleader. Oh well, I guess I can live with that as long as I get to be the Gothic Cheerleader!
)4.22.2007
Not At All Plain Jane
Whilst browsing through the Blogger's Choice Awards, I discovered that Jane Espenson has a blog! And it's not just a this-is-what-happened-to-me-today sort of blog, it's Jane's screenwriting advice. (Mentally clapping my hands with glee.)
And I just realized that not everyone knows who I'm talking about. (Sad but true, I guess.) Well, Jane Espenson is a TV writer extraordinaire. A Joss Whedon crony who worked on Angel, Firefly and Buffy (she wrote two of my favourite Buffy episodes, granted I have many favourite episodes but these are definitely amongst them: Earshot and Life Serial), I've recently noticed her name on Battlestar Galactica episodes! (Dirty Hands was hers... the one where I said that the Chief was Savio-like in his glory; I'm rather fond of that line of mine and I'm rather fond of that episode of hers.)
Now I just saw something on her blog that makes me want to imitate a girl I went to elementary school who would get so excited when she knew the answer to something that she didn't just raise her hand but she slapped her other hand under her raised hand (right around armpit level) saying: "oh, oh, oh!" So what's making me want to behave in this ridiculous fashion? Jane has a short story in "Flirting with Pride & Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece." Must! have! that! book!
And I just realized that not everyone knows who I'm talking about. (Sad but true, I guess.) Well, Jane Espenson is a TV writer extraordinaire. A Joss Whedon crony who worked on Angel, Firefly and Buffy (she wrote two of my favourite Buffy episodes, granted I have many favourite episodes but these are definitely amongst them: Earshot and Life Serial), I've recently noticed her name on Battlestar Galactica episodes! (Dirty Hands was hers... the one where I said that the Chief was Savio-like in his glory; I'm rather fond of that line of mine and I'm rather fond of that episode of hers.)
Now I just saw something on her blog that makes me want to imitate a girl I went to elementary school who would get so excited when she knew the answer to something that she didn't just raise her hand but she slapped her other hand under her raised hand (right around armpit level) saying: "oh, oh, oh!" So what's making me want to behave in this ridiculous fashion? Jane has a short story in "Flirting with Pride & Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece." Must! have! that! book!
Labels: battlestar galactica, blogging, buffy, pop culture, tv, writing
3.26.2007
So Say We All: BSG Season 3 Posts
I am fully aware of the fact that I now have those handy Blogger labels, so you could find the Battlestar Galactica posts on your own. But I just thought I would make things a little simpler (and the links in brackets are to the episode descriptions):
3.25.2007 — Said the Joker to the Thief: What the Frack?! (Season Finale: Crossroads, Part 2)
3.21.2007 — Battlestar Galactica Poll (Re: Starbuck's destiny)
3.18.2007 — There's a Storm Coming (episode 19: Crossroads, Part 1)
3.04.2007 — Starbuck's Destiny (episode 17: Maelstrom)
3.03.2007 — Chief Norma Rae (episodes 15 & 16: A Day in the Life & Dirty Hands)
2.11.2007 — Do The Right Thing (episode 14: The Woman King)
1.28.2007 — Maybe It Was Gaeta... (episode 13: Taking a Break From All Your Worries)
1.21.2007 — Is Starbuck a Cylon? (episode 12: Rapture)
11.15.2006 — Battlestar Galactica Webisodes
10.15.2006 — A New Crew In Town (YouTube music video)
And I know this one was for season 2, but it's still one of my fave BSG posts:
7.02.2006 — The Gears & The Levers (Season Finale: Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2)
I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't start posting at the beginning of the season, but hindsight and all that. And now comes the long wait for season 4... *sigh*
3.25.2007 — Said the Joker to the Thief: What the Frack?! (Season Finale: Crossroads, Part 2)
3.21.2007 — Battlestar Galactica Poll (Re: Starbuck's destiny)
3.18.2007 — There's a Storm Coming (episode 19: Crossroads, Part 1)
3.04.2007 — Starbuck's Destiny (episode 17: Maelstrom)
3.03.2007 — Chief Norma Rae (episodes 15 & 16: A Day in the Life & Dirty Hands)
2.11.2007 — Do The Right Thing (episode 14: The Woman King)
1.28.2007 — Maybe It Was Gaeta... (episode 13: Taking a Break From All Your Worries)
1.21.2007 — Is Starbuck a Cylon? (episode 12: Rapture)
11.15.2006 — Battlestar Galactica Webisodes
10.15.2006 — A New Crew In Town (YouTube music video)
And I know this one was for season 2, but it's still one of my fave BSG posts:
7.02.2006 — The Gears & The Levers (Season Finale: Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2)
I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't start posting at the beginning of the season, but hindsight and all that. And now comes the long wait for season 4... *sigh*
Labels: battlestar galactica, pop culture, tv
3.25.2007
Said the Joker to the Thief: What the Frack?!
Well, I may have been right about Starbuck (thank the gods... of course she could still be a Cylon, so I guess "is Starbuck a Cylon?" could be the "who shot J.R.?" equivalent... but she's back and that's all I care about right now) but holy frack was I wrong about so much other stuff! The Chief?! Seriously... the CHIEF?!?! My "Savio-like in his glory" Chief? Say it isn't so.
And I guess skin jobs have been around for a looong time. And I guess they do have the ability to appear to age. Who knew? (Apart from Ron Moore and the BSG writers, I mean.) But I have to say that I respect Tigh more now, after his little speech (I wish I had it on DVD so I could quote him exactly). Actually, I don't think I ever respected him before, so I should say that I finally respect him. Ironic, dontcha think? The method of reveal was interesting though and I find myself wondering how each of them is going to react in the next season.
But I'm particularly looking forward to watching the unfolding storyline connecting the President, Athena, Caprica Six and Hera. THAT should be good.
Oh and the song, for those who haven't figured it out yet, was "All Along the Watchtower" written by Bob Dylan (I'm not sure whose version... Hendrix maybe?):
"There must be some way out of here,"
said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief
Businessmen they drink my wine, plowman dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
"No need to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who think that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and that is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late"
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view,
while all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
And I guess skin jobs have been around for a looong time. And I guess they do have the ability to appear to age. Who knew? (Apart from Ron Moore and the BSG writers, I mean.) But I have to say that I respect Tigh more now, after his little speech (I wish I had it on DVD so I could quote him exactly). Actually, I don't think I ever respected him before, so I should say that I finally respect him. Ironic, dontcha think? The method of reveal was interesting though and I find myself wondering how each of them is going to react in the next season.
But I'm particularly looking forward to watching the unfolding storyline connecting the President, Athena, Caprica Six and Hera. THAT should be good.
Oh and the song, for those who haven't figured it out yet, was "All Along the Watchtower" written by Bob Dylan (I'm not sure whose version... Hendrix maybe?):
"There must be some way out of here,"
said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief
Businessmen they drink my wine, plowman dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
"No need to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who think that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and that is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late"
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view,
while all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
Labels: battlestar galactica, music, pop culture, tv
3.21.2007
Battlestar Galactica Poll
Okay, so I've mostly mastered the embedding of videos (though I'm still waiting for a fix on the stand up comedian video), so I decided to try my hand at a poll. It might not be the prettiest poll around, but I think it does the job. Now I just need you Battlestar Galactica fans to actually vote!
Is Starbuck Really Dead?
[Make your own poll]
Please feel free to comment. Whether you think my answers are incomplete, idiotic or right on the money... let me know. And thanks for participating in my first poll!
Is Starbuck Really Dead?
[Make your own poll]
Please feel free to comment. Whether you think my answers are incomplete, idiotic or right on the money... let me know. And thanks for participating in my first poll!
Labels: battlestar galactica, pop culture, tv
3.18.2007
There's a Storm Coming
*SPOILER ALERT*
A Battlestar Galactica storm. A lot of questions asked but unanswered this week. And I have a feeling that only a fraction of them will be answered next week, with it being the season finale and all.
President Roslin has cancer again? Why did it return? Will they be able to treat it this time? The same way as before? Something new? They wouldn't kill her off, would they? And what's up with her assistant? And what's the deal with that snippet of song? Is Saul finally cracking up? Or is there something more sinister going on? (Someone suggested that maybe Saul is a Cylon, but I find that hard to believe if he's Adama's oldest friend. Just how long have the Cylon's been making skin jobs? And do they program them to show signs of age?)
As for Apollo… well, let's just say that if I were Dee I would have left him long ago. Y'know, I never thought I'd say this but I would be okay if Apollo were the one to leave the show. Which brings me to my theories…
As I've said before, I don't believe that Starbuck is really dead. Okay, so her name's not in the credits. And yes, the survivor count is one lower. But I don't believe that's permanent. Denial? Or good instincts? Only time will tell. Personally, I think her "death" (I'll remove the quotes once we're into episode 2 of season 4 and there's still no sign of her) is a red herring and if somebody is actually leaving the show—and it's not just rumours started to create some BSG buzz—it will be another character, a different character, a less crucial character… or Apollo.
Of course, the most logical other character to remove would be Baltar. If he loses the trial and is put to death, that would make perfect sense. Although we could still have Head Baltar. And Baltar could still turn out to be a Cylon (though I doubt it). But if Baltar is going to stay, how? Will he win the trial? Will the Cylon's take him back? Will he somehow become indispensable?
As for "the storm," I don't think it's much of a stretch to theorize that Helo's instincts will turn out to be correct and there will be a honkin' big fleet of Cylons at the nebula (or something we can't even imagine yet). Whatever it is, next week should be good. And it bloody well better hint at some way that Starbuck could still be alive. Let us talk about that all summer, Mr. Moore. "Is Starbuck alive?" could easily surpass "Who shot J.R." in pop culture history… I swear!
P.S. Love, LOVE, LOVE Mark Sheppard in the role of Romo Lampkin, Baltar's lawyer. Delightfully sleazy!
P.P.S. I just found a new (to me) online BSG resource: BuddyTV. Great articles... check it out!
A Battlestar Galactica storm. A lot of questions asked but unanswered this week. And I have a feeling that only a fraction of them will be answered next week, with it being the season finale and all.
President Roslin has cancer again? Why did it return? Will they be able to treat it this time? The same way as before? Something new? They wouldn't kill her off, would they? And what's up with her assistant? And what's the deal with that snippet of song? Is Saul finally cracking up? Or is there something more sinister going on? (Someone suggested that maybe Saul is a Cylon, but I find that hard to believe if he's Adama's oldest friend. Just how long have the Cylon's been making skin jobs? And do they program them to show signs of age?)
As for Apollo… well, let's just say that if I were Dee I would have left him long ago. Y'know, I never thought I'd say this but I would be okay if Apollo were the one to leave the show. Which brings me to my theories…
As I've said before, I don't believe that Starbuck is really dead. Okay, so her name's not in the credits. And yes, the survivor count is one lower. But I don't believe that's permanent. Denial? Or good instincts? Only time will tell. Personally, I think her "death" (I'll remove the quotes once we're into episode 2 of season 4 and there's still no sign of her) is a red herring and if somebody is actually leaving the show—and it's not just rumours started to create some BSG buzz—it will be another character, a different character, a less crucial character… or Apollo.
Of course, the most logical other character to remove would be Baltar. If he loses the trial and is put to death, that would make perfect sense. Although we could still have Head Baltar. And Baltar could still turn out to be a Cylon (though I doubt it). But if Baltar is going to stay, how? Will he win the trial? Will the Cylon's take him back? Will he somehow become indispensable?
As for "the storm," I don't think it's much of a stretch to theorize that Helo's instincts will turn out to be correct and there will be a honkin' big fleet of Cylons at the nebula (or something we can't even imagine yet). Whatever it is, next week should be good. And it bloody well better hint at some way that Starbuck could still be alive. Let us talk about that all summer, Mr. Moore. "Is Starbuck alive?" could easily surpass "Who shot J.R." in pop culture history… I swear!
P.S. Love, LOVE, LOVE Mark Sheppard in the role of Romo Lampkin, Baltar's lawyer. Delightfully sleazy!
P.P.S. I just found a new (to me) online BSG resource: BuddyTV. Great articles... check it out!
Labels: battlestar galactica, pop culture, tv
3.17.2007
Plasma TVs, Not Plasma Torpedoes!
I realize that I won't be able to afford a new TV for a while, but when my friend loaned me "Road to Perdition" and my cousin made me promise not to watch it on my 14" TV with its crappy sound system… well, I started thinking a new TV should probably go on my wishlist. But I don't really know what I want.
When my mother gave me her 15" free-TV-with-purchase last summer, I was excited. Not for the whole extra inch but because it was an LCD TV. I quickly discovered, however, that LCD screens (at least this particular LCD screen) can be limited in their viewing angle… the picture looks very dark if I'm not positioned just so. Now what?
Once again, the internet to the rescue. This site called TestFreaks has reviews of a large selection of different TVs; I'm kind of leaning towards a Plasma TV now. The site would be even better if you could sort by specific features and/or do a side-by-side comparison of selected makes and models. I'd also like to see photos of the TVs in question because aesthetics are important too. But there's a whole lot of information in one place, so that's a pretty decent start.
When my mother gave me her 15" free-TV-with-purchase last summer, I was excited. Not for the whole extra inch but because it was an LCD TV. I quickly discovered, however, that LCD screens (at least this particular LCD screen) can be limited in their viewing angle… the picture looks very dark if I'm not positioned just so. Now what?
Once again, the internet to the rescue. This site called TestFreaks has reviews of a large selection of different TVs; I'm kind of leaning towards a Plasma TV now. The site would be even better if you could sort by specific features and/or do a side-by-side comparison of selected makes and models. I'd also like to see photos of the TVs in question because aesthetics are important too. But there's a whole lot of information in one place, so that's a pretty decent start.
Labels: cool stuff, tv
3.04.2007
Starbuck's Destiny
*SPOILER ALERT*
They did NOT just kill off Starbuck. No way can her destiny be to die such an inglorious death. I don't know where Battlestar Galactica is going with this; they probably want us to think that the only way she could still be alive is if she's a Cylon and I don't believe she is. I don't know how else to get out of this one, but I'm sure the writers have a way. She is NOT dead. No fracking way.
No. Fracking. Way.
They did NOT just kill off Starbuck. No way can her destiny be to die such an inglorious death. I don't know where Battlestar Galactica is going with this; they probably want us to think that the only way she could still be alive is if she's a Cylon and I don't believe she is. I don't know how else to get out of this one, but I'm sure the writers have a way. She is NOT dead. No fracking way.
No. Fracking. Way.
Labels: battlestar galactica, tv
3.03.2007
Is This For Reel?
Well, I just spent the last 20 minutes watching "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, Chapter 1: Purple Death" thanks to ReelTime.com. Oh my, what delightfully cheesy story lines and what wonderfully bad acting. (I always knew that Captain Proton from "Star Trek: Voyager" was based on the old Flash Gordon, but I had never realized just how closely the one resembled the other.) And, oh my gawd, Queen Fria has Princess Leia hair. Or, technically, I guess that would be the other way around. Too fun!
I'm really quite excited by the ReelTime.com website. It's a DVD quality streaming video site offering movies and vintage television shows. Its content may be a little limited at the moment but it's growing. And it's cheap!!! Whether you buy a membership or opt for the pay per view route or just enjoy their free content (like the aforementioned cheesy Flash Gordon).
Now, you may be wondering why I'm touting watching movies on your computer when I recently questioned whether people really want to watch TV shows on their cell phones. Well, (a) the ReelTime website shows you how to hook your PC up to your TV so that you could actually stream the movies directly to your TV set, and (b) my computer monitor is actually larger than my TV and I have a love seat in my office, so watching a movie on my computer is a pretty enjoyable experience for me.
I'm kind of keen to check out the short films they have available (what a surprise). Now I just have to decide whether to pay the whopping $0.49 up front, or get a membership first. Decisions, decisions.
I'm really quite excited by the ReelTime.com website. It's a DVD quality streaming video site offering movies and vintage television shows. Its content may be a little limited at the moment but it's growing. And it's cheap!!! Whether you buy a membership or opt for the pay per view route or just enjoy their free content (like the aforementioned cheesy Flash Gordon).
Now, you may be wondering why I'm touting watching movies on your computer when I recently questioned whether people really want to watch TV shows on their cell phones. Well, (a) the ReelTime website shows you how to hook your PC up to your TV so that you could actually stream the movies directly to your TV set, and (b) my computer monitor is actually larger than my TV and I have a love seat in my office, so watching a movie on my computer is a pretty enjoyable experience for me.
I'm kind of keen to check out the short films they have available (what a surprise
). Now I just have to decide whether to pay the whopping $0.49 up front, or get a membership first. Decisions, decisions.Labels: cool sites, film, pop culture, tv
Chief Norma Rae
I finally got to catch up on the Battlestar Galactica episodes that I missed during my film workshop. (It really IS the best show on television!)
"A Day in the Life" was a good enough episode, if not one that will echo strongly in my mind. But "Dirty Hands" was a standout for me. Revisiting that golden moment when the Chief, Savio-like in his glory, paraphrased that famous gears and levers speech that resonates in my head like Shakepeare. ("Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, assume the port of Mars...")
When the young architect student was injured and the Chief started marching with a purpose, I knew we had a Norma Rae moment coming. And it was Norma Rae but better. It was Norma Rae and Mario Savio all at once as the Chief threw himself on the levers and shut down the mill... oops, I mean refinery. It was a heart swelling scene, a Proud Moment, dazlious. (Have I mentioned that my grandad was a union activist? So you see, I come by my socialist tendencies honestly.)
Much as I enjoyed both of these episodes, I want to know when we're going to revisit the burning question of who Deanna saw. What about Starbuck's destiny? And forget the big picture... what's going on with Caprica Six, wasting away in the brig with not a camera crew in sight. Is she being visited by Head Baltar? Enquiring minds want to know. God I love this show!
"A Day in the Life" was a good enough episode, if not one that will echo strongly in my mind. But "Dirty Hands" was a standout for me. Revisiting that golden moment when the Chief, Savio-like in his glory, paraphrased that famous gears and levers speech that resonates in my head like Shakepeare. ("Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, assume the port of Mars...")
When the young architect student was injured and the Chief started marching with a purpose, I knew we had a Norma Rae moment coming. And it was Norma Rae but better. It was Norma Rae and Mario Savio all at once as the Chief threw himself on the levers and shut down the mill... oops, I mean refinery. It was a heart swelling scene, a Proud Moment, dazlious. (Have I mentioned that my grandad was a union activist? So you see, I come by my socialist tendencies honestly.)
Much as I enjoyed both of these episodes, I want to know when we're going to revisit the burning question of who Deanna saw. What about Starbuck's destiny? And forget the big picture... what's going on with Caprica Six, wasting away in the brig with not a camera crew in sight. Is she being visited by Head Baltar? Enquiring minds want to know. God I love this show!
Labels: battlestar galactica, politics, tv
3.02.2007
TV To Go
I just read this article called "Get Tuned In: TV Programming on Cell Phones." It's kind of interesting to see what's coming down the pipe in terms of TV on cell phones; the article gives a sneak preview of what the various cell phone carriers will be offering. Verizon really looks like it's got the best package as far as television programming goes, with plans to offer network shows after they've been aired on regular TV plus their intention to expand their FiOS TV service to wireless handsets, which would let users control their DVRs from their phones without having to be at home. Both very cool features. (They don't mention Bell Mobility... is that only a Canadian service? Because their commercials make their package look pretty good, with their movie service and everything. It would be interesting to see how Bell stacks up to the carriers mentioned in the article.)
The article goes on to discuss the downside of mobile TV features in terms of bandwidth, but I have to ask this… do people really want to watch an entire TV show (or movie, for that matter) on a screen that can fit in the palm of their hand? I mean, people complain about my 14" TV being too small, but they'll watch it on their cell phone instead? As the Scots say (okay, it's actually a Yorkshire expression, but I first heard it from a Scotsman so I still hear it with a Scottish accent in my head): there's none so queer as folk.
The article goes on to discuss the downside of mobile TV features in terms of bandwidth, but I have to ask this… do people really want to watch an entire TV show (or movie, for that matter) on a screen that can fit in the palm of their hand? I mean, people complain about my 14" TV being too small, but they'll watch it on their cell phone instead? As the Scots say (okay, it's actually a Yorkshire expression, but I first heard it from a Scotsman so I still hear it with a Scottish accent in my head): there's none so queer as folk.
Labels: cool stuff, film, pop culture, tv
2.11.2007
Do The Right Thing
I was originally going to call this Battlestar Galactica commentary "The Mayor of Dogsville" but changed my mind. I picked my current title because Helo, like Apollo in the original series, is that stand-up guy who always tries to do the right thing, always has the best intentions, always stands up for what he believes no matter who opposes him. Then I realized the title was even more appropriate than I first thought. Circumstances creating heightened tension, racial intolerance leading to violence and death... sound like any particular Spike Lee movie you know?
I suppose it may be obvious at this point to say that I really enjoyed tonight's episode (and not just because it featured Helo). Confession time: even I was glad not to be subjected to the Starbuck-Apollo love quadrangle this week, much as I've tried to be tolerant and defend this storyline to the naysayers. And oh what a lovely tease: the Baltar inside Caprica Six's head is back! I think we'll be seeing more of Head Baltar in the future...
I suppose it may be obvious at this point to say that I really enjoyed tonight's episode (and not just because it featured Helo). Confession time: even I was glad not to be subjected to the Starbuck-Apollo love quadrangle this week, much as I've tried to be tolerant and defend this storyline to the naysayers. And oh what a lovely tease: the Baltar inside Caprica Six's head is back! I think we'll be seeing more of Head Baltar in the future...
Labels: battlestar galactica, film, pop culture, tv
2.05.2007
Temba, His Arms Wide
I originally misread this week's Sunday Seven question as favourite TV episodes, each from a different series. As you will see, that's not really what Patrick intended. But I decided to keep what I wrote anyway because I wrote so damn much!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name your top seven favorite individual episodes of any single television series. If you feel especially enterprising, give a few lines explaining why you think makes your chosen episodes so good.
1. The West Wing, "A Proportional Response"
One of my favourite shows on TV until Aaron Sorkin left, there are countless episodes that I would call favourites. Here I opted for the one where Charlie was first hired. I love how he keeps insisting that he's just there for the messenger job but keeps getting pulled deeper into the West Wing. And the dialogue at the end provided a wonderful example of what I call a "West Wing moment." After Charlie has figured out where the President left his glasses, and gets yelled at for his pains, he decides that he should just leave. Then President Bartlet pulls him aside...
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Once More With Feeling"
So many Buffy episodes to choose from, I was tempted to follow Carly's example and list all my favourite Buffy episodes, but I didn't want to be a copycat. Given my intense love of musicals and all things Buffy, this particular episode seemed like a natural choice.
3. Battlestar Galactica, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2"
I've made no secret of the fact that BSG is one of my favourite TV shows, so again, tough to choose. But Chief Tyrol's speech, and its echoes of Mario Savio, made me opt for this one hands down.
4. Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Darmok"
The first TV episode I ever purchased, back when you had to buy them on VHS one episode at a time. Such a brilliant, thought-provoking episode. I attempted to address it in a previous post (The Language of Metaphor), but was overwhelmed by how much I wanted to say about it. So maybe that's a post for the future. (In case you're wondering, the title of this post is from Darmok and means "giving; receiving.")
5. Star Trek: Voyager, "Drone"
Expanding greatly on concepts first presented in the Star Trek: TNG episode, "I, Borg" I found this episode truly moving, especially at the end when Seven says, "You're hurting me," a line that One had used previously in a literal context. Ironically, this oh-so-touching episode also contains one of my favourite bits of funny dialogue from Voyager:
6. Rock Star: Supernova, "Week 10"
This may sound like a strange choice, but this was the week when Storm Large sang her original song, "Ladylike." Her performance still rocks my world.
Do you want Storm to come to Calgary?
7. Sex and the City, "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux"
I wish I'd thought of this one for the Sunday Seven about our favourite series finales. Anyway, I loved how all the storylines wrapped up in such touching ways, while remaining completely true to the characters.
Best line...
Sounds good to me.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name your top seven favorite individual episodes of any single television series. If you feel especially enterprising, give a few lines explaining why you think makes your chosen episodes so good.
1. The West Wing, "A Proportional Response"
One of my favourite shows on TV until Aaron Sorkin left, there are countless episodes that I would call favourites. Here I opted for the one where Charlie was first hired. I love how he keeps insisting that he's just there for the messenger job but keeps getting pulled deeper into the West Wing. And the dialogue at the end provided a wonderful example of what I call a "West Wing moment." After Charlie has figured out where the President left his glasses, and gets yelled at for his pains, he decides that he should just leave. Then President Bartlet pulls him aside...
BARTLET: Listen, Leo McGarry filled me in on the situation with your mother. I'm so very sorry. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of calling Tom Connolly, the FBI Director, and we had the computer spit out some quick information. Your mother was killed by a Westing 38 revolver firing KTWs, or what are known as "cop killer" bullets. Now, we have not had a whole lot of success yet in banning that weapon and those bullets off the streets, but we're planning on taking a big whack at it when Congress comes back from recess.
(beat)
So, What do you say, you wanna come help us out?
CHARLIE: (pause) Yes sir, I do.
After a bit more banter between other characters, Charlie whispers to Josh...
CHARLIE: I've never felt like this before.
Josh smiles...
JOSH: It doesn't go away.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Once More With Feeling"
So many Buffy episodes to choose from, I was tempted to follow Carly's example and list all my favourite Buffy episodes, but I didn't want to be a copycat. Given my intense love of musicals and all things Buffy, this particular episode seemed like a natural choice.
3. Battlestar Galactica, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2"
I've made no secret of the fact that BSG is one of my favourite TV shows, so again, tough to choose. But Chief Tyrol's speech, and its echoes of Mario Savio, made me opt for this one hands down.
TYROL: There comes a time when you realize that the engine you built with your blood and your sweat and your tears is being used for something so foul, so perverted, it makes you sick in your heart. And it's then that you must throw your body on the gears, and on the levers, and on the machine itself and make it stop! And you have to show the people who run it, the people who control it, that unless we're free that machine will be prevented from working at all!
4. Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Darmok"
The first TV episode I ever purchased, back when you had to buy them on VHS one episode at a time. Such a brilliant, thought-provoking episode. I attempted to address it in a previous post (The Language of Metaphor), but was overwhelmed by how much I wanted to say about it. So maybe that's a post for the future. (In case you're wondering, the title of this post is from Darmok and means "giving; receiving.")
5. Star Trek: Voyager, "Drone"
Expanding greatly on concepts first presented in the Star Trek: TNG episode, "I, Borg" I found this episode truly moving, especially at the end when Seven says, "You're hurting me," a line that One had used previously in a literal context. Ironically, this oh-so-touching episode also contains one of my favourite bits of funny dialogue from Voyager:
ONE: I was an accident?
DOCTOR: Call it a random convergence of technologies.
ONE: Am I unwelcome here?
DOCTOR: On the contrary. Our primary mission is to explore new forms of life. You may have been unexpected but given time, I am sure you'll make a fine addition to the crew. After all, you've got my mobile emitter driving your neo-cortex so you're bound to make a dazzling impression.
(beat)
That's called a joke.
ONE: Joke. A verbal comment or gesture designed to provoke laughter.
DOCTOR: I see you've got your mother's sense of humour.
6. Rock Star: Supernova, "Week 10"
This may sound like a strange choice, but this was the week when Storm Large sang her original song, "Ladylike." Her performance still rocks my world.
Do you want Storm to come to Calgary?
7. Sex and the City, "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux"
I wish I'd thought of this one for the Sunday Seven about our favourite series finales. Anyway, I loved how all the storylines wrapped up in such touching ways, while remaining completely true to the characters.
Best line...
CARRIE: I am someone who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love.
Sounds good to me.
Labels: battlestar galactica, buffy, memes, pop culture, rockstar, tv
1.28.2007
Maybe It Was Gaeta...
Tonight's episode of Battlestar Galactica was not as compelling a storyline as last week (at least, not for me) although it was quite exciting from a filmmaker's perspective: the interrogation sequence was fabulous and the intercutting between scenes near the end... very cool. I have to say that I think Edward James Olmos is very interesting as a director. But that's not really what I came here to talk about.
I came here to discuss the burning BSG question of the moment: who did Deanna see last week? Tonight's story started me wondering whether it was Gaeta. I mean, the way he woke up and got to the brig just in time to save Baltar... Holy Coincidence, Batman!
Only time will tell.
P.S. For those fair weather fans out there who think BSG's days are numbered, I suggest you read State of Galactica Address over at Galactica Station.
I came here to discuss the burning BSG question of the moment: who did Deanna see last week? Tonight's story started me wondering whether it was Gaeta. I mean, the way he woke up and got to the brig just in time to save Baltar... Holy Coincidence, Batman!
Only time will tell.
P.S. For those fair weather fans out there who think BSG's days are numbered, I suggest you read State of Galactica Address over at Galactica Station.
Labels: battlestar galactica, tv
1.21.2007
Is Starbuck a Cylon?
So who did Deanna see? The scene between Helo and Starbuck about Starbuck's painting would suggest that Deanna saw Starbuck. But I think the Battlestar Galactica writers are far too clever to make it that obvious... so I predict that line of thinking to be a red herring. Although it would certainly fit with the observation I've heard some people make that all the hot chicks on the show turn out to be cylons. But if not Starbuck, then who?
And while we're on the subject of BSG, I loved the scene before the opening credits between Helo and Sharon/Athena. Granted, they are my favourite couple on the show (as well as being two of my favourite characters... and yes, I have a wee crush on Helo, so I may be a little biased), but I still say it was damned moving.
And while we're on the subject of BSG, I loved the scene before the opening credits between Helo and Sharon/Athena. Granted, they are my favourite couple on the show (as well as being two of my favourite characters... and yes, I have a wee crush on Helo, so I may be a little biased), but I still say it was damned moving.
Labels: battlestar galactica, tv
1.10.2007
The Sunday non-Seven
I finally got around to playing Patrick's Sunday Seven this week and decided that I couldn't really play the way I'm supposed to.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name your seven favorite television series finales.
I don't have seven. I have two. Unless I'm forgetting some (which could easily be the case). So I'm splitting up my list...
Favorite TV series finales:
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation ("All Good Things...")
2. Star Trek: Voyager ("Endgame")
Okay TV series finales:
3. Frasier ("Goodnight, Seattle")
4. Friends ("The Last One")
Disappointing TV series finales:
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Chosen")... they killed Anya!!!!
6. M*A*S*H ("Goodbye, Farewell & Amen")... I was so stoked for this finale and so crushingly disappointed afterwards; for me, it almost seemed to negate everything that went before.
7. Seinfeld ("The Finale")... ditto
And an extra couple of categories just for the heck of it...
TV series finales that would have been good had they bothered to mention that it was series finale, not simply a season finale:
8. Judging Amy ("My Name is Amy Gray...")
TV series finales that I didn't watch because Aaron Sorkin didn't write it:
9. The West Wing ("Tomorrow")
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name your seven favorite television series finales.
I don't have seven. I have two. Unless I'm forgetting some (which could easily be the case). So I'm splitting up my list...
Favorite TV series finales:
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation ("All Good Things...")
2. Star Trek: Voyager ("Endgame")
Okay TV series finales:
3. Frasier ("Goodnight, Seattle")
4. Friends ("The Last One")
Disappointing TV series finales:
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Chosen")... they killed Anya!!!!
6. M*A*S*H ("Goodbye, Farewell & Amen")... I was so stoked for this finale and so crushingly disappointed afterwards; for me, it almost seemed to negate everything that went before.
7. Seinfeld ("The Finale")... ditto
And an extra couple of categories just for the heck of it...
TV series finales that would have been good had they bothered to mention that it was series finale, not simply a season finale:
8. Judging Amy ("My Name is Amy Gray...")
TV series finales that I didn't watch because Aaron Sorkin didn't write it:
9. The West Wing ("Tomorrow")
12.21.2006
TV Guide
Having recently been talking to a few people about new TV sets (it being Christmas time and all), I thought I should check out this handy "TV Guide." And no, I don't mean the thing you get each week that tells you the TV listings. I mean the online Guide to Television & Accessories that helps you in choosing a TV from leading brands. The site is definitely thorough, but I would have loved to have seen an interactive guide where you could have narrowed your options by selecting answers to specific questions. But maybe that's just because I'm inherently lazy. 
Labels: odds and ends, tv
12.05.2006
Lucky Number 13
While exploring the sites of other meme participants, I came across this entry: "Thirteen Favorite Joss Whedon Moments".
It was both amusing and informative. I had no idea that Joss Whedon had written a few Roseanne episodes (the blog has a clip from one of the episodes; I never had any desire to watch that show, but I must admit the clip was good). I didn't realize that there were Joss Whedon graphic novels that take place in the Buffyverse (cool!). Nor had I realized that he had written Alien Resurrection (but I guess I can forgive you for that, Joss, because of everything you've done since).
In my opinion, they missed a couple of key Buffy moments. Particularly Becoming, part 2 (Season 2 finale)...
In the moments before Buffy kills Angel, he gets her cornered and disarms her. Then he says, in that mocking way of Angelus: "Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends...No hope. Take all that away... and what's left?"
Buffy looks up at him with one of her famous Buffy stares and says:
"Me."
Then she stops his sword with her bare hands.
Yep, I would definitely swap that one for the Gingerbread episode doodle moment.
But you've gotta head over to the blog just to check out he video of Angel dancing at the end. It's hysterical!
It was both amusing and informative. I had no idea that Joss Whedon had written a few Roseanne episodes (the blog has a clip from one of the episodes; I never had any desire to watch that show, but I must admit the clip was good). I didn't realize that there were Joss Whedon graphic novels that take place in the Buffyverse (cool!). Nor had I realized that he had written Alien Resurrection (but I guess I can forgive you for that, Joss, because of everything you've done since).
In my opinion, they missed a couple of key Buffy moments. Particularly Becoming, part 2 (Season 2 finale)...
In the moments before Buffy kills Angel, he gets her cornered and disarms her. Then he says, in that mocking way of Angelus: "Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends...No hope. Take all that away... and what's left?"
Buffy looks up at him with one of her famous Buffy stares and says:
"Me."
Then she stops his sword with her bare hands.
Yep, I would definitely swap that one for the Gingerbread episode doodle moment.
But you've gotta head over to the blog just to check out he video of Angel dancing at the end. It's hysterical!
Labels: buffy, pop culture, tv
11.15.2006
Battlestar Galactica Webisodes
Those of you who know me are probably aware of just how big a Battlestar Galactica fan I am... both old and new. Well, I just found out that there are BSG Resistance Webisodes that fill in the four-month gap when the humans were living on New Caprica under Cylon rule. My cousin first noticed "Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance" on the Internet Movie Database. Then some kindly reviewer on that page pointed the way to SciFi.com's Battlestar site, explaining that these were short webisodes.
I don't know if they will stay as webisodes or if there's any plan of putting them together for some kind of two-hour special or if they'll go on the Season 3 DVD when it comes out... I haven't looked into that yet. Right now, I'm just trying to watch them. I'm having some issues and I haven't figured out whether it's my browser or what. The pre-clip commercial plays just fine, but not the clip... very frustrating. Anyway, once I get that sorted out, I'll let you know what I think of the episodes (although I doubt it will be as insightful as my Gears & Levers post, but what can you do?).
Addendum (2.01.2007): I still haven't managed to get these damn webisodes to work. I've tried different browsers to no avail. Does anybody have any suggestions?
I don't know if they will stay as webisodes or if there's any plan of putting them together for some kind of two-hour special or if they'll go on the Season 3 DVD when it comes out... I haven't looked into that yet. Right now, I'm just trying to watch them. I'm having some issues and I haven't figured out whether it's my browser or what. The pre-clip commercial plays just fine, but not the clip... very frustrating. Anyway, once I get that sorted out, I'll let you know what I think of the episodes (although I doubt it will be as insightful as my Gears & Levers post, but what can you do?).
Addendum (2.01.2007): I still haven't managed to get these damn webisodes to work. I've tried different browsers to no avail. Does anybody have any suggestions?
Labels: battlestar galactica, pop culture, tv
9.09.2006
Great Tempest
Tempest = Storm
Great = Large
I know I haven't been commenting on Rock Star: Supernova this year, even though I was a two-posts-a-week Rock Star: INXS grrl last year. That doesn't mean I haven't been watching, just that I've been too insanely busy with my short film to blog (said film is now in the can, except for one insert shot, then it's off to the lab when the rest of the students finish filming). But enough preamble...
I was keenly disappointed to see Storm Large leave the show. Especially after her incredible, anthem-like original song the night before: "Ladylike." I hope she goes straight into the studio to record this song (both the PG and R-rated versions). I simply can't get it out of my head which, in this case, is a wonderful thing. Aside from the fact that it's crazy catchy, the sentiment is so relatable for all of us women who feel constrained by society's desire for us to fit a girly-girl mold. And I HIGHLY recommend watching the video!!! You can either follow the links on the Rock Star site or go here to watch it without commercials (albeit with lower quality).
Anyway, since I'm commenting on the show, I'll throw in a couple of other observations. Love Dilana! Even if she did have a bit of a meltdown a couple weeks ago. I think she's pulled herself together and is back to her rocking, original self. Can't stand Lukas Rossi, even if he is Canadian. He's kind of like this year's JD for me. Though I confess that he's probably more talented than JD and I did actually download his original song, "Headspin." To take the comparisons further, I kind of feel like Dilana is the new Jordis, Toby Rand is rather Mig-like (though I think Toby is a stronger contender than Mig was) and, for me, Storm was this year's Marty. To clarify that last statement, Marty Casey was the guy that I didn't even realize I loved until I noticed that the Rock Star songs that I played most were his... all of his. Same with Storm. That girl can sing the sh*t out of a phone book.
Tempest = Storm
Great = Large
I can't wait for the storm to pass this way.
P.S. Check out this awesome video of Storm, Inc. (Storm's old band).
Great = Large
I know I haven't been commenting on Rock Star: Supernova this year, even though I was a two-posts-a-week Rock Star: INXS grrl last year. That doesn't mean I haven't been watching, just that I've been too insanely busy with my short film to blog (said film is now in the can, except for one insert shot, then it's off to the lab when the rest of the students finish filming). But enough preamble...
I was keenly disappointed to see Storm Large leave the show. Especially after her incredible, anthem-like original song the night before: "Ladylike." I hope she goes straight into the studio to record this song (both the PG and R-rated versions). I simply can't get it out of my head which, in this case, is a wonderful thing. Aside from the fact that it's crazy catchy, the sentiment is so relatable for all of us women who feel constrained by society's desire for us to fit a girly-girl mold. And I HIGHLY recommend watching the video!!! You can either follow the links on the Rock Star site or go here to watch it without commercials (albeit with lower quality).
Anyway, since I'm commenting on the show, I'll throw in a couple of other observations. Love Dilana! Even if she did have a bit of a meltdown a couple weeks ago. I think she's pulled herself together and is back to her rocking, original self. Can't stand Lukas Rossi, even if he is Canadian. He's kind of like this year's JD for me. Though I confess that he's probably more talented than JD and I did actually download his original song, "Headspin." To take the comparisons further, I kind of feel like Dilana is the new Jordis, Toby Rand is rather Mig-like (though I think Toby is a stronger contender than Mig was) and, for me, Storm was this year's Marty. To clarify that last statement, Marty Casey was the guy that I didn't even realize I loved until I noticed that the Rock Star songs that I played most were his... all of his. Same with Storm. That girl can sing the sh*t out of a phone book.
Tempest = Storm
Great = Large
I can't wait for the storm to pass this way.
P.S. Check out this awesome video of Storm, Inc. (Storm's old band).
Labels: music, pop culture, tv
7.02.2006
The Gears & The Levers
I finally got around to watching the season two finale for Battlestar Galactica (why it took me so long to watch the season finale to my favourite show is a long and boring story... and by the way, for any Americans who might be reading this, the finale was only aired here in Canada about a month ago. So I'm not THAT late in watching it).
While watching the part where Chief Tyrol gives his union speech, I thought it seemed somewhat familiar. When he got to the "gears and levers" bit, I realized why. The Chief's speech was paraphrased from the speech given by Mario Savio on the steps of Sproul Hall in 1964 as part of Berkeley's Free Speech Movement. Compare:
Chief Tyrol: "There comes a time when you realize that the engine you built with your blood and your sweat and your tears is being used for something so foul, so perverted, it makes you sick in your heart. And it's then that you must throw your body on the gears, and on the levers, and on the machine itself and make it stop! And you have to show the people who run it, the people who control it, that unless we're free that machine will be prevented from working at all!"
Mario Savio: "There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies on the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"
Now I hope you don't see this as Battlestar Galactica ripping off Mario Savio. I think Mario Savio was an incredible man and see this as more of an homage. And I think it's amazingly cool that a BSG writer would be familiar with the Savio speech, identify the perfect context in which to use it and reword it in the Chief's unique voice. Bravo!
P.S. I did a little research and found out that BSG actually got permission from Savio's family to use the speech. Maybe this sounds a little corny (or Klingon-ish), but it kinda makes me proud that they acted with such honour.
P.P.S. Allow me to highly recommend the documentary "Berkeley in the Sixties" by Mark Kitchell. That film is what made me fall in love with Mario Savio in the first place.
Update May 1, 2007: I've just embedded a video of Mario Savio's speech in a new post: Watch Mario Savio's Gears & Levers Speech.
Update May 16, 2007: I've just embedded video of Chief Tyrol's speech in a new post: Watch BSG's Gears & Levers Speech.
While watching the part where Chief Tyrol gives his union speech, I thought it seemed somewhat familiar. When he got to the "gears and levers" bit, I realized why. The Chief's speech was paraphrased from the speech given by Mario Savio on the steps of Sproul Hall in 1964 as part of Berkeley's Free Speech Movement. Compare:
Chief Tyrol: "There comes a time when you realize that the engine you built with your blood and your sweat and your tears is being used for something so foul, so perverted, it makes you sick in your heart. And it's then that you must throw your body on the gears, and on the levers, and on the machine itself and make it stop! And you have to show the people who run it, the people who control it, that unless we're free that machine will be prevented from working at all!"
Mario Savio: "There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies on the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"
Now I hope you don't see this as Battlestar Galactica ripping off Mario Savio. I think Mario Savio was an incredible man and see this as more of an homage. And I think it's amazingly cool that a BSG writer would be familiar with the Savio speech, identify the perfect context in which to use it and reword it in the Chief's unique voice. Bravo!
P.S. I did a little research and found out that BSG actually got permission from Savio's family to use the speech. Maybe this sounds a little corny (or Klingon-ish), but it kinda makes me proud that they acted with such honour.
P.P.S. Allow me to highly recommend the documentary "Berkeley in the Sixties" by Mark Kitchell. That film is what made me fall in love with Mario Savio in the first place.
Update May 1, 2007: I've just embedded a video of Mario Savio's speech in a new post: Watch Mario Savio's Gears & Levers Speech.
Update May 16, 2007: I've just embedded video of Chief Tyrol's speech in a new post: Watch BSG's Gears & Levers Speech.
Labels: battlestar galactica, film, politics, pop culture, tv
11.16.2005
More From The Onion
I found this article particularly amusing, since I'm in the midst of trying to invent a reality show for my current NaNoWriMo character to be on:
Animal Planet Reality Show To Put Bear, Antelope, Hawk, Cheetah In Same House
November 16, 2005 | Issue 41•46
LOS ANGELES—Producers of The Zoo auditioned over 80 different species to find the right mix of personalities. (Click here for the full article.)
Animal Planet Reality Show To Put Bear, Antelope, Hawk, Cheetah In Same House
November 16, 2005 | Issue 41•46
LOS ANGELES—Producers of The Zoo auditioned over 80 different species to find the right mix of personalities. (Click here for the full article.)
Labels: pop culture, tv
10.10.2005
"Daily" Quote
Jon Stewart on the Arctic ice cap:
"There is near-universal consensus the melting is due in part to global warming, but the Bush administration counters that the ice caps are not melting — rather, the water has been liberated."
"There is near-universal consensus the melting is due in part to global warming, but the Bush administration counters that the ice caps are not melting — rather, the water has been liberated."
Labels: bush bashing, humour, jon stewart, politics, tv
9.21.2005
It Ain't Pretty: Rock Star Wrap Up
My last Rock Star: INXS post. (I may well follow up on my favourite rockers as I find out what they're up to, but that will be about their own careers, not Rock Star: INXS)
For starters, I'm surprised the finale didn't recap any of the reality episode footage of the final three rockers writing songs with Andrew Farriss (watch songwriting video). Both MiG and Marty actually prepared for this opportunity. What did J.D. do? Listen to the track once and jot down about three words. Does this remind anybody else of the recording studio episode, where everyone else actually learned the song they were supposed to sing the next day and J.D. had some beer and passed out early? And INXS actually wants to work with a guy who so obviously doesn't want to do any of the prep work?! Why?!? But I'm getting ahead of myself.
On to the performances: J.D.'s song choice was fine and his performance was fine... I'll give him that much. (And that's a lot given how much I don't like the guy.) I don't think MiG made the right choice with "Bohemian Rhapsody." I think all the reasons that he had for not picking it the first time around still stood. How does reminding INXS about his stage career help show them how he fits with them? (Plus, I think Suzie McNeil's version was much more impressive.) Now for Marty... some people criticized him for choosing "Wish You Were Here," a song that he'd already done. But it was a fabulous song the first time around and really seemed to strike a chord with the band, both in its subject matter and the tone of Marty's voice when he sang it. I think it was a good choice. (Watch the videos.)
Then MiG was cut and J.D. and Marty fronted INXS for one song each (I had a feeling it would come down to the two of them). I think Marty rocked his song and made it feel fresh and new. Once again, J.D. was fine... and very firmly inside the INXS comfort zone.
And I think that's what it all came down to. A comfort zone. Which, I would like to point out, is not the same thing as a good fit. A comfortable fit does not set the world on fire. And nor will INXS with J.D. Fortune fronting them.
Marty Casey and INXS would have been a good fit, a symbiotic relationship, each bringing out the best in the other. But I think Marty was too ambitious for INXS, had too many ideas about the future that I now see were outside their comfort zone. INXS just wants Michael Hutchence back, which they obviously can't have. So they went with the person that they considered to be the next best thing: a controversial, "sexy" bad boy with a tendency to impulsively indulge in everything in excess. (Who even looks just a bit like Hutchence, dontcha think...)
I'll wrap this up by quoting from llamabean: "The only way their decision could be rationalized would be that INXS was afraid to select Marty because he would have taken the group in new, daring and ultimately groundbreaking directions, while J.D.'s former life as a musical whore (ie. elvis impersonator) makes him a perfect pushover; willing to submit to the elderly and obviously senile INXS leftovers."
Here, here!
And finally, my previous Rock Star posts for anyone who's interested:
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005)
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005)
Two Words (9.14.2005)
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005)
Top 5 (9.06.2005)
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005)
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005)
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005)
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005)
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005)
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005)
The Man Who Sold the World (8.07.2005)
Just Jordis (8.05.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005)
For starters, I'm surprised the finale didn't recap any of the reality episode footage of the final three rockers writing songs with Andrew Farriss (watch songwriting video). Both MiG and Marty actually prepared for this opportunity. What did J.D. do? Listen to the track once and jot down about three words. Does this remind anybody else of the recording studio episode, where everyone else actually learned the song they were supposed to sing the next day and J.D. had some beer and passed out early? And INXS actually wants to work with a guy who so obviously doesn't want to do any of the prep work?! Why?!? But I'm getting ahead of myself.
On to the performances: J.D.'s song choice was fine and his performance was fine... I'll give him that much. (And that's a lot given how much I don't like the guy.) I don't think MiG made the right choice with "Bohemian Rhapsody." I think all the reasons that he had for not picking it the first time around still stood. How does reminding INXS about his stage career help show them how he fits with them? (Plus, I think Suzie McNeil's version was much more impressive.) Now for Marty... some people criticized him for choosing "Wish You Were Here," a song that he'd already done. But it was a fabulous song the first time around and really seemed to strike a chord with the band, both in its subject matter and the tone of Marty's voice when he sang it. I think it was a good choice. (Watch the videos.)
Then MiG was cut and J.D. and Marty fronted INXS for one song each (I had a feeling it would come down to the two of them). I think Marty rocked his song and made it feel fresh and new. Once again, J.D. was fine... and very firmly inside the INXS comfort zone.
And I think that's what it all came down to. A comfort zone. Which, I would like to point out, is not the same thing as a good fit. A comfortable fit does not set the world on fire. And nor will INXS with J.D. Fortune fronting them.
Marty Casey and INXS would have been a good fit, a symbiotic relationship, each bringing out the best in the other. But I think Marty was too ambitious for INXS, had too many ideas about the future that I now see were outside their comfort zone. INXS just wants Michael Hutchence back, which they obviously can't have. So they went with the person that they considered to be the next best thing: a controversial, "sexy" bad boy with a tendency to impulsively indulge in everything in excess. (Who even looks just a bit like Hutchence, dontcha think...)
I'll wrap this up by quoting from llamabean: "The only way their decision could be rationalized would be that INXS was afraid to select Marty because he would have taken the group in new, daring and ultimately groundbreaking directions, while J.D.'s former life as a musical whore (ie. elvis impersonator) makes him a perfect pushover; willing to submit to the elderly and obviously senile INXS leftovers."
Here, here!
And finally, my previous Rock Star posts for anyone who's interested:
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005)
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005)
Two Words (9.14.2005)
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005)
Top 5 (9.06.2005)
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005)
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005)
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005)
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005)
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005)
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005)
The Man Who Sold the World (8.07.2005)
Just Jordis (8.05.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005)
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
9.20.2005
INXS Mis-Fortune
Well, J.D. Fortune just became the new lead singer of INXS. Pretty much guaranteeing that I won't be buying any future INXS albums. I'll save my money for Marty Casey CDs instead, thank you very much.
I'll be posting my Rock Star: INXS post-show commentary later. Not much in the mood now.
I'll be posting my Rock Star: INXS post-show commentary later. Not much in the mood now.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
9.15.2005
Sweet Suzie McNeil
I had pretty much given up my hopes that J.D. would be sent home before the Rock Star: INXS finale, but I was still upset to see Suzie go home last night. The most upset I've been so far. But she was very gracious, which was nice to see... not that I would have expected anything less from her. While I think she will have an awesome career, whatever path she chooses, I kind of hope that she fronts a band rather than goes solo. She just has such an amazing rapport with people, the way she interacts with everybody while she's performing... not that she can't do that solo but, call me crazy, I think she'd have more fun with a band.
Now for the final three... INXS may think they have a hard choice in front of them but, with Suzie gone, I think it's a no-brainer.
While MiG can certainly sing and perform and fit in with the band, I think that (a) he really is a stage performer at heart, not a rock star (having said that, I would LOVE to see him on stage) and (b) I think he's too firmly in INXS' comfort zone and wouldn't push them into the future of the music industry. People would just want to hear their back catalogue and not really care what they're doing next.
And J.D... oh J.D. *exasperated sigh*. As my erudite, laconic, guitar-playing lothario friend Brian said: "J.D. was that obnoxious, clueless loser kid in school who is 'cool' now that he's on TV, but doesn't realize that he's still an idiot." Obviously, he has a huge fan base of silly women who want to sleep with him (and pick up their penicillin on their way out the door), but if INXS wants a serious place in the future of music they won't get that with him. (Does anyone else think that when J.D. sings in his lower register, he still sounds like an Elvis impersonator?)
Marty Casey... now he's the real deal. He's passionate and intense, his voice is captivating and unique and he can bring something fresh to the INXS back catalogue as well as propel them into this new millennium. He's definitely the future of INXS. I just hope they realize it.
Now for the final three... INXS may think they have a hard choice in front of them but, with Suzie gone, I think it's a no-brainer.
While MiG can certainly sing and perform and fit in with the band, I think that (a) he really is a stage performer at heart, not a rock star (having said that, I would LOVE to see him on stage) and (b) I think he's too firmly in INXS' comfort zone and wouldn't push them into the future of the music industry. People would just want to hear their back catalogue and not really care what they're doing next.
And J.D... oh J.D. *exasperated sigh*. As my erudite, laconic, guitar-playing lothario friend Brian said: "J.D. was that obnoxious, clueless loser kid in school who is 'cool' now that he's on TV, but doesn't realize that he's still an idiot." Obviously, he has a huge fan base of silly women who want to sleep with him (and pick up their penicillin on their way out the door), but if INXS wants a serious place in the future of music they won't get that with him. (Does anyone else think that when J.D. sings in his lower register, he still sounds like an Elvis impersonator?)
Marty Casey... now he's the real deal. He's passionate and intense, his voice is captivating and unique and he can bring something fresh to the INXS back catalogue as well as propel them into this new millennium. He's definitely the future of INXS. I just hope they realize it.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
9.14.2005
Two Words
For once, I will be brief. I have just two words about tonight's episode of Rock Star: INXS...
Marty Casey
(Hey Brian... when you're right, you're right.)
Marty Casey
(Hey Brian... when you're right, you're right.)
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
9.12.2005
"Daily" Quote
Jon Stewart on the evacuation of New Orleans:
"You can't just rush in there. The federal government can't just usurp the power of the states — unless New Orleans is in some type of persistent vegetative state..."
"You can't just rush in there. The federal government can't just usurp the power of the states — unless New Orleans is in some type of persistent vegetative state..."
Labels: humour, jon stewart, politics, tv
9.07.2005
I Searched Afar The Land
Tonight was bittersweet on Rock Star: INXS. As soon as they announced that J.D. Fortune had the encore, I knew he wouldn't be going home. Actually, I guess I knew after his performances last night that he probably wouldn't be going home. And then, by simple elimination, I knew it would be Jordis Unga.
If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I struggled with my shifting top three and that Jordis was no longer in it. (To be clear, I speak only of my top three to win this competition. Not my three favourite singers on the show... because Jordis is still firmly in that category.) So I had made my peace with the fact that she wouldn't stay forever. (As if I'm the one who actually needs to make peace with that.) I had kinda hoped that J.D. would go home before her, just out of sheer cussedness, I guess. But I also knew that the sooner she left, the sooner her solo career could start.
Now she can go back to being true to herself. I'm looking forward to that. And to her debut CD. (I don't suppose you can pre-order a CD that hasn't even been written yet... No? Oh well, worth a shot.) I have searched afar the land for a voice like hers and I will follow it to the ends of the earth if that's what it takes. (Though my local record store would be a little more convenient, if rather less poetic.)
P.S. If you're looking for Jordis downloads, head over to JordisUnga.org and check out the music download page.
If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I struggled with my shifting top three and that Jordis was no longer in it. (To be clear, I speak only of my top three to win this competition. Not my three favourite singers on the show... because Jordis is still firmly in that category.) So I had made my peace with the fact that she wouldn't stay forever. (As if I'm the one who actually needs to make peace with that.) I had kinda hoped that J.D. would go home before her, just out of sheer cussedness, I guess. But I also knew that the sooner she left, the sooner her solo career could start.
Now she can go back to being true to herself. I'm looking forward to that. And to her debut CD. (I don't suppose you can pre-order a CD that hasn't even been written yet... No? Oh well, worth a shot.) I have searched afar the land for a voice like hers and I will follow it to the ends of the earth if that's what it takes. (Though my local record store would be a little more convenient, if rather less poetic.)
P.S. If you're looking for Jordis downloads, head over to JordisUnga.org and check out the music download page.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
9.06.2005
Top 5
My comments on the top 5 performance episode of Rock Star: INXS...
Original songs: Marty's was easily my favourite original. Next up would be Jordis, with Suzie following very closely behind. After that... um... er... I'm rather reluctant to admit that I liked J.D.'s song better than MiG's. (I would have liked J.D.'s song even better if someone else had sung it!) But I just felt that MiG's songwriting seemed a little simplistic.
My top three tonight (though not my top three overall):
1. Marty Casey — He made a wise choice with his arrangement of "Everlong" and his original song rocked!
2. Suzie McNeil — She showed off her beautiful vocals on the Bonnie Raitt song (with far more control than Deanna had) and I enjoyed her original song.
3. Jordis Unga — I found her version of "We Are The Champions" left quite a bit wanting. I think part of it is that while her voice is beautiful when she sings softly and she does the shouting-with-tone thing better than anyone else I can think of, she doesn't have the power to deliver a Queen song the way it needs to be delivered (and I agree with Dave that her lower register needs work). But I really enjoyed her original song. (And I found it interesting how much the lyrics reminded me of what I wrote about Jordis just yesterday.)
Encore prediction: Marty's original song "Trees" (watch video)
Random thoughts:
~ Why was Brooke Burke wearing a nightie? (granted, there may be a little "meow" in that comment, but really... her dress — and I use that term loosely — was pretty awful)
~ How short is MiG Ayesa anyway? (okay, I looked that one up: he's actually 5'10"... I guess Marty and J.D. are both taller than I thought, because MiG looks so short next to them)
~ I realize that many women think J.D. is the sexiest man on the show **shudder** but I hope that INXS can see that he's simply the flavour of the week. And once that wears off, they would just be left with a guy who arranges other people's songs well. (P.S. I hope those women just think he's the sexiest performer on the show, because Dave Navarro is by far the sexiest man on the show overall!)(P.P.S. I dropped in on a Rock Star thread over at Television Without Pity and found that somebody had said: "JD is the only rocker who can bring the sex," to which someone else replied: "But you end up hoping he brought the penicillin, too." Hehehe.)
Original songs: Marty's was easily my favourite original. Next up would be Jordis, with Suzie following very closely behind. After that... um... er... I'm rather reluctant to admit that I liked J.D.'s song better than MiG's. (I would have liked J.D.'s song even better if someone else had sung it!) But I just felt that MiG's songwriting seemed a little simplistic.
My top three tonight (though not my top three overall):
1. Marty Casey — He made a wise choice with his arrangement of "Everlong" and his original song rocked!
2. Suzie McNeil — She showed off her beautiful vocals on the Bonnie Raitt song (with far more control than Deanna had) and I enjoyed her original song.
3. Jordis Unga — I found her version of "We Are The Champions" left quite a bit wanting. I think part of it is that while her voice is beautiful when she sings softly and she does the shouting-with-tone thing better than anyone else I can think of, she doesn't have the power to deliver a Queen song the way it needs to be delivered (and I agree with Dave that her lower register needs work). But I really enjoyed her original song. (And I found it interesting how much the lyrics reminded me of what I wrote about Jordis just yesterday.)
Encore prediction: Marty's original song "Trees" (watch video)
Random thoughts:
~ Why was Brooke Burke wearing a nightie? (granted, there may be a little "meow" in that comment, but really... her dress — and I use that term loosely — was pretty awful)
~ How short is MiG Ayesa anyway? (okay, I looked that one up: he's actually 5'10"... I guess Marty and J.D. are both taller than I thought, because MiG looks so short next to them)
~ I realize that many women think J.D. is the sexiest man on the show **shudder** but I hope that INXS can see that he's simply the flavour of the week. And once that wears off, they would just be left with a guy who arranges other people's songs well. (P.S. I hope those women just think he's the sexiest performer on the show, because Dave Navarro is by far the sexiest man on the show overall!)(P.P.S. I dropped in on a Rock Star thread over at Television Without Pity and found that somebody had said: "JD is the only rocker who can bring the sex," to which someone else replied: "But you end up hoping he brought the penicillin, too." Hehehe.)
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
9.05.2005
Rock Star Ramblings
I was trying to limit my Rock Star: INXS posts to the two per week that I've been doing but, after watching tonight's reality episode, I found I had a few things to say.
First off, the recap of last week reminded me of J.D. crashing and burning in the recording studio. Did INXS even take that into account when they chose to send home Ty Taylor instead? Or were they only thinking about the ratings when they chose to keep the less talented but more controversial J.D. Fortune?
Secondly, I have decided who Suzie is replacing in my top three (with the disclaimer that it could well change again tomorrow night). My new top three is Suzie McNeil, Marty Casey and MiG Ayesa. I still LOVE Jordis Unga but her lack of experience is becoming evident in all of the stuff that goes along with being a rock star. Like choosing to go for that nearly impossible note in "Dream On" but then going ahead and changing the melody of the new INXS song. Or her inability to bounce back after disappointment (which is why I think her performance in the bottom three was so underwhelming). Or her lack of communication skills and confidence when trying to arrange her original song with the house band. (I want to hear what the real Jordis sounds like, not what somebody thinks she should sound like. As talented as the house band is, they can't get inside her head and translate her thoughts into sound.) So I'm thinking that maybe she needs to grow some more on her own before being thrust into the international spotlight as lead singer for such an established band. I'm afraid that she might lose some of herself in the process.
By contrast, I think that INXS pushes Marty to be more than just a metal guy, which I fear he might lapse into if he doesn't make it here. Not that I don't like Angry Marty, but he has so much more to offer than that. So for him, I think that INXS would help him be the best Marty that he can be (ick, that sentence sounded really touchy-feely, self-help-book-ish to me... do me a favour and strip away that sickly sentiment when you read it).
Finally, I've had a few people looking for information on the house band. And given how much I've been raving about them, I was a little curious myself. So here's the link to the information posted on the Rock Star website: The House Band. And here are a few more links that I found:
Paul Mirkovich, House Band Musical Director/Keyboardist/Background Vocalist — no website, but you can read his interviews on Native Instruments & TASCAM
Jim McGorman, Guitarist/Keyboardist/Background Vocalist — also no website, but you can read his interview on Rock Star Go Home
Rafael Moreira, Lead Guitarist/Background Vocalist — visit Rafael's website
Nate Morton, Drummer — you gotta love a guy who cites Animal from The Muppets as his primary influence... visit Nate's website (P.S. If you go to "central casting" on the Muppets website, Animal's bio includes his "must" list: "Food, Women, Drums, rinse and repeat," which I thought it was chuckle worthy.)
Sasha Krivtsov, Bassist — visit Sasha's website
First off, the recap of last week reminded me of J.D. crashing and burning in the recording studio. Did INXS even take that into account when they chose to send home Ty Taylor instead? Or were they only thinking about the ratings when they chose to keep the less talented but more controversial J.D. Fortune?
Secondly, I have decided who Suzie is replacing in my top three (with the disclaimer that it could well change again tomorrow night). My new top three is Suzie McNeil, Marty Casey and MiG Ayesa. I still LOVE Jordis Unga but her lack of experience is becoming evident in all of the stuff that goes along with being a rock star. Like choosing to go for that nearly impossible note in "Dream On" but then going ahead and changing the melody of the new INXS song. Or her inability to bounce back after disappointment (which is why I think her performance in the bottom three was so underwhelming). Or her lack of communication skills and confidence when trying to arrange her original song with the house band. (I want to hear what the real Jordis sounds like, not what somebody thinks she should sound like. As talented as the house band is, they can't get inside her head and translate her thoughts into sound.) So I'm thinking that maybe she needs to grow some more on her own before being thrust into the international spotlight as lead singer for such an established band. I'm afraid that she might lose some of herself in the process.
By contrast, I think that INXS pushes Marty to be more than just a metal guy, which I fear he might lapse into if he doesn't make it here. Not that I don't like Angry Marty, but he has so much more to offer than that. So for him, I think that INXS would help him be the best Marty that he can be (ick, that sentence sounded really touchy-feely, self-help-book-ish to me... do me a favour and strip away that sickly sentiment when you read it).
Finally, I've had a few people looking for information on the house band. And given how much I've been raving about them, I was a little curious myself. So here's the link to the information posted on the Rock Star website: The House Band. And here are a few more links that I found:
Paul Mirkovich, House Band Musical Director/Keyboardist/Background Vocalist — no website, but you can read his interviews on Native Instruments & TASCAM
Jim McGorman, Guitarist/Keyboardist/Background Vocalist — also no website, but you can read his interview on Rock Star Go Home
Rafael Moreira, Lead Guitarist/Background Vocalist — visit Rafael's website
Nate Morton, Drummer — you gotta love a guy who cites Animal from The Muppets as his primary influence... visit Nate's website (P.S. If you go to "central casting" on the Muppets website, Animal's bio includes his "must" list: "Food, Women, Drums, rinse and repeat," which I thought it was chuckle worthy.)
Sasha Krivtsov, Bassist — visit Sasha's website
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.31.2005
Such Sweet Sorrow
I was so sure, after J.D. sang his INXS song tonight, that he would be the one to go home. But then both Jordis and Ty messed up and nothing was certain anymore.
I knew that Ty Taylor would be going home soon, I just didn't want him to be next. I hope some smart record producer was standing in the wings to offer him a sweet deal. And I know that we'll all be hearing from him again soon. In the meantime, I'm listening to "Everybody Hurts" and letting myself get a little sentimental.
Peace Please
I knew that Ty Taylor would be going home soon, I just didn't want him to be next. I hope some smart record producer was standing in the wings to offer him a sweet deal. And I know that we'll all be hearing from him again soon. In the meantime, I'm listening to "Everybody Hurts" and letting myself get a little sentimental.
Peace Please
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess
So much to say about tonight's episode of Rock Star: INXS...
1. Holy amazing song list, Batman! Not only was it a line-up of iconic rock songs, but it included "Imagine" — one of my all time favourite songs — along with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Wish You Were Here" — two other sensational classics that I count among my faves.
2. The house band ROCKS!!!
3. After MiG performed "We Will Rock You" a few weeks back, I fleetingly wondered if they would do "Bohemian Rhapsody" at some point, but promptly dismissed that possibility because the song is so damn hard. Well, it IS bloody hard but that rockin' house band and the exceptionally talented Suzie McNeil (the aforementioned goddess) pulled it off beautifully (watch video).
4. Once again, my top three is in flux. It's not that I ever disliked Suzie, and I thought that her version of "Losing My Religion" was kick ass, but she was never in my top three before. Until tonight. But who am I displacing? Jordis Unga, MiG Ayesa or Marty Casey? That's a tough call. Do I count the fact that I will absolutely follow the individual careers of Jordis and/or Marty if they don't win? Or do I consider the fact that MiG is probably better suited to INXS than either of them? I haven't quite decided yet, but Suzie is displacing somebody.
5. I got misty during Marty's performance of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (watch video); there were actual tears during Jordis' version of John Lennon's "Imagine" (watch video); I was dancing around my living room while MiG sang Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" (watch video); and I was bursting with pride or joy or something during Suzie's rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (watch video). Amazing night. (For the record, Ty's performance of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was flawless and immensely enjoyable, but it just failed to move me the way the others did. Sorry, Ty.)
6. Will Suzie get the encore two weeks in a row?
P.S. I almost entitled this post "Zack Werner has Rock Star Envy" but decided it wasn't sufficiently relevant. It was, however, a thought that I had when I watched Canadian Idol earlier in the evening and witnessed Zack's surly mood towards all of the young amateurs on that show. I think he wishes he was judging the Rock Stars instead.
1. Holy amazing song list, Batman! Not only was it a line-up of iconic rock songs, but it included "Imagine" — one of my all time favourite songs — along with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Wish You Were Here" — two other sensational classics that I count among my faves.
2. The house band ROCKS!!!
3. After MiG performed "We Will Rock You" a few weeks back, I fleetingly wondered if they would do "Bohemian Rhapsody" at some point, but promptly dismissed that possibility because the song is so damn hard. Well, it IS bloody hard but that rockin' house band and the exceptionally talented Suzie McNeil (the aforementioned goddess) pulled it off beautifully (watch video).
4. Once again, my top three is in flux. It's not that I ever disliked Suzie, and I thought that her version of "Losing My Religion" was kick ass, but she was never in my top three before. Until tonight. But who am I displacing? Jordis Unga, MiG Ayesa or Marty Casey? That's a tough call. Do I count the fact that I will absolutely follow the individual careers of Jordis and/or Marty if they don't win? Or do I consider the fact that MiG is probably better suited to INXS than either of them? I haven't quite decided yet, but Suzie is displacing somebody.
5. I got misty during Marty's performance of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (watch video); there were actual tears during Jordis' version of John Lennon's "Imagine" (watch video); I was dancing around my living room while MiG sang Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" (watch video); and I was bursting with pride or joy or something during Suzie's rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (watch video). Amazing night. (For the record, Ty's performance of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was flawless and immensely enjoyable, but it just failed to move me the way the others did. Sorry, Ty.)
6. Will Suzie get the encore two weeks in a row?
P.S. I almost entitled this post "Zack Werner has Rock Star Envy" but decided it wasn't sufficiently relevant. It was, however, a thought that I had when I watched Canadian Idol earlier in the evening and witnessed Zack's surly mood towards all of the young amateurs on that show. I think he wishes he was judging the Rock Stars instead.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.30.2005
Jump the Shark
I was over at I Am Bored.com and followed the link to the To Coin a Phrase - Mythbusters Quiz (fyi... apparently, a mythbuster I am not). One of the questions on the quiz was: The phrase "jump the shark," which describes the point at which the quality of a television series begins to decline, was inspired by an episode of Happy Days. True or False? The answer (to one of the few questions I got right):
Naturally, I had to check out the Jump the Shark website. I thought it was kinda cool to compare my reasons for ditching a show with others. First stop, The West Wing. My opinion: the jump the shark moment was when Aaron Sorkin left. Survey says:
Yep, feeling pretty validated on that one. Checked out a few more shows but was moved to write this post after checking out CSI: Miami. I'm a big fan of the original CSI but never warmed up to the first spin-off. Why? Because David Caruso takes himself waaay too seriously. So it was a laugh-out-loud moment when I read the survey results:
Perfect!!!
The correct answer is true. In 1977, ABC aired an episode of Happy Days in which the character Fonzie jumped over a shark in a tank on water skis in an attempt to boost the show's ratings. While the show continued for several more seasons, it just wasn't the same.
The phrase "jumped the shark" was coined in the mid-1980s to describe the deterioration of a TV series after a pivotal episode or plot twist, and, in 1997, the www.jumptheshark.com Web site was launched to document this phenomenon. The phrase is widely used today, particularly within the television industry.
Some examples of how a TV show can "jump the shark" include having any of the main characters die, get married, have a baby or leave the show; introducing a new character or a special guest star; replacing an actor; changing the show's setting; or failing to adequately resolve a season-finale cliffhanger.
Naturally, I had to check out the Jump the Shark website. I thought it was kinda cool to compare my reasons for ditching a show with others. First stop, The West Wing. My opinion: the jump the shark moment was when Aaron Sorkin left. Survey says:
1. 198 votes (26%) for "Never Jumped";
2. 86 votes (11%) for "Exit...Stage Left (Sorkin and Schlamme)"...
Yep, feeling pretty validated on that one. Checked out a few more shows but was moved to write this post after checking out CSI: Miami. I'm a big fan of the original CSI but never warmed up to the first spin-off. Why? Because David Caruso takes himself waaay too seriously. So it was a laugh-out-loud moment when I read the survey results:
1. 46 votes (23 %) for "Caruso thinks he's Brando"...
Perfect!!!
Labels: pop culture, quizzes, tv
8.25.2005
Colour Me Stunned
Surprising results on the elimination show of Rock Star: INXS tonight. Jordis did NOT end up in the bottom three. Don't get me wrong, I think the chick is absolutely awesome but hers was easily the worst performance last night. (To her credit, she fully expected to be singing for survival tonight.) And Marty?!? What was he doing in the bottom three?! That's just wrong in so many ways. But I am glad for Suzie that she never hit the bottom three at all during the voting AND she got the encore. After ending up in the bottom three after her last two rockin' performances, she deserves a break.
As for Deanna, I had been expecting that she would be the next to go home. But I actually liked her original song last night and thought she performed it well. And, much as it pains me to say it, I thought she sang her INXS song better than Ty, so I kinda thought that Ty would be going home instead. Ultimately, I don't think Ty is going to end up as the lead singer, but I'm not quite ready for him to go home yet (he's just so damn pretty). But I confess to some dampness around the eyes when Deanna was told that she "just wasn't right for the band."
I have a feeling these upcoming weeks are just gonna get harder and harder, watching them leave one by one. I've grown attached to all of them at this point. (Well, all but one of them... but who knows, I might even get sentimental when it's J.D.'s turn to leave.)
As for Deanna, I had been expecting that she would be the next to go home. But I actually liked her original song last night and thought she performed it well. And, much as it pains me to say it, I thought she sang her INXS song better than Ty, so I kinda thought that Ty would be going home instead. Ultimately, I don't think Ty is going to end up as the lead singer, but I'm not quite ready for him to go home yet (he's just so damn pretty). But I confess to some dampness around the eyes when Deanna was told that she "just wasn't right for the band."
I have a feeling these upcoming weeks are just gonna get harder and harder, watching them leave one by one. I've grown attached to all of them at this point. (Well, all but one of them... but who knows, I might even get sentimental when it's J.D.'s turn to leave.)
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.24.2005
Just a Bad Dream?
What to say about tonight's episode of Rock Star: INXS? A lot of great performances, except for the one I was most looking forward to... Jordis Unga singing Aerosmith's "Dream On" (watch video). I was fully prepared for her to rock that song even better than Fisher (if you haven't heard Fisher's version, listen now... it's amazing). Unfortunately, Jordis was so focused on that one note she couldn't hit, her performance was kind of a mess. I still love her to death, and she's still one of my top three, but I confess I was disappointed.
On the up side, I thought MiG and Deanna did well with their original songs. I realized I was actually kinda nervous for them. I found myself thinking about the first time I went to hear my friend Brian's band (that would be my erudite, laconic, guitar-playing lothario friend Brian). I was so nervous that his band, Burning the Ground, would suck and that I would have to spout meaningless platitudes afterwards to cover up the fact that I thought they sucked. Fortunately, they turned out to be really good and I was so relieved that I think I gushed a little too much, probably making it completely transparent that I had previously expected them to be awful. But I digress...
I think all of the competitors remaining on Rock Star: INXS are pretty damn good. So now it's not so much about sending home the weakest link (though I could do without J.D.'s attitude) as deciding who is best for the band. Any chance of having a show of all INXS songs? That might be helpful right about now.
P.S. My psychic ability seems to have deserted me... I have no idea who will get the encore.
P.P.S. I love RDTV! This little local television station for Red Deer, Alberta is carrying the reality episode of the show on Monday nights. RDTV rocks!
On the up side, I thought MiG and Deanna did well with their original songs. I realized I was actually kinda nervous for them. I found myself thinking about the first time I went to hear my friend Brian's band (that would be my erudite, laconic, guitar-playing lothario friend Brian). I was so nervous that his band, Burning the Ground, would suck and that I would have to spout meaningless platitudes afterwards to cover up the fact that I thought they sucked. Fortunately, they turned out to be really good and I was so relieved that I think I gushed a little too much, probably making it completely transparent that I had previously expected them to be awful. But I digress...
I think all of the competitors remaining on Rock Star: INXS are pretty damn good. So now it's not so much about sending home the weakest link (though I could do without J.D.'s attitude) as deciding who is best for the band. Any chance of having a show of all INXS songs? That might be helpful right about now.
P.S. My psychic ability seems to have deserted me... I have no idea who will get the encore.
P.P.S. I love RDTV! This little local television station for Red Deer, Alberta is carrying the reality episode of the show on Monday nights. RDTV rocks!
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.21.2005
You Know You've Watched Too Much HGTV When...
The home decorating shows on the Home & Garden Television Network are great but I've realized that it is possible to reach viewer saturation. How do I know that I've watched too much HGTV?
~ It's not because I've seen every single episode of Designer Guys (although I have).
~ And it's not because I know all the Changing Rooms decorators by name (although I do).
~ And it's not because I'll start decluttering my bathroom at midnight just because Neat is on (though it's been known to happen).
~ And it's not even because, after five years of decorating my 450 square foot apartment, I still manage to come up with new decorating projects (sad but true).
Nope, the big clue that I've been watching too much HGTV...
~ I've started having sexy dreams about Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes. Yep, move over Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy... Mike Holmes is the romantic hero for the modern age.
...
Should I be looking for a support group?
~ It's not because I've seen every single episode of Designer Guys (although I have).
~ And it's not because I know all the Changing Rooms decorators by name (although I do).
~ And it's not because I'll start decluttering my bathroom at midnight just because Neat is on (though it's been known to happen).
~ And it's not even because, after five years of decorating my 450 square foot apartment, I still manage to come up with new decorating projects (sad but true).
Nope, the big clue that I've been watching too much HGTV...
~ I've started having sexy dreams about Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes. Yep, move over Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy... Mike Holmes is the romantic hero for the modern age.
...
Should I be looking for a support group?
Labels: decorating, pop culture, tv
8.19.2005
Family Guy's Freakin' Blog
Hey, I just found out that there's a Family Guy blog with posts from writers, directors, interns and others that work on the show. I've only read a few bits and pieces, but it looks like fun. Hell, anything to do with Family Guy looks like fun. Even the Family Guy: Live in Las Vegas CD!
Labels: pop culture, tv
8.18.2005
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!!
(Forgive the Orwellian reference in the title. It was an urge I could not resist.)
I was glad to see that the three singers I singled out in my last post comprised the top three on tonight's elimination episode of Rock Star: INXS. And MiG got the encore! (Am I good or what? Maybe I should become a psychic...)
I was not at all surprised to see Jessica in the bottom three (yet again) and Deanna's presence there also made sense. But, once again, why the hell was Suzie there? And, more to the point, why the hell wasn't J.D. there? He had the worst performance last night, did he not? Has his fan base gone deaf? Call me naive, but I just don't get it.
I was glad to see that the three singers I singled out in my last post comprised the top three on tonight's elimination episode of Rock Star: INXS. And MiG got the encore! (Am I good or what? Maybe I should become a psychic...)
I was not at all surprised to see Jessica in the bottom three (yet again) and Deanna's presence there also made sense. But, once again, why the hell was Suzie there? And, more to the point, why the hell wasn't J.D. there? He had the worst performance last night, did he not? Has his fan base gone deaf? Call me naive, but I just don't get it.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.17.2005
MiG Joins the Game
After last week's Rock Star: INXS, I predicted that Jordis Unga would be the one to volley the top performance back into play (see my Rock Star Volleyball post). And she came soooo close with her stellar performance of Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (watch video) but at the last second MiG Ayesa beat her to the ball by singing Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way" (watch video). (Okay, volleyball analogy ends here, 'cause I really don't know enough about that game, for one thing, and analogies that go on for too long become pretty tedious in any case.)
The fact that MiG accompanied himself on the piano was definitely impressive, but I think the clincher for me was when MiG's song ended and I found myself thinking: "that poor man must love his wife so deeply and miss her so terribly much," because that's what he clearly transmitted through the song. In the same way that Jordis communicated so eloquently about her friend who died through "The Man Who Sold the World" (right click on song title to download), which is still the standout performance of the whole series for me. It's all about communication, baby.
And I have to give major kudos to Marty Casey for his version of Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" (watch video). Yep, you read that right: INXS gave Marty a Britney song... how's that for a challenge? But Marty came through with a darker, edgier version of the song that I honestly enjoyed. I gotta admit, that guy and his intense voice is really growing on me. If he doesn't make it as lead singer of INXS, I fully intend to follow whatever career path he ends up on. (I already KNOW that I'll follow Jordis' music to the ends of the earth, no questions asked.)
The fact that MiG accompanied himself on the piano was definitely impressive, but I think the clincher for me was when MiG's song ended and I found myself thinking: "that poor man must love his wife so deeply and miss her so terribly much," because that's what he clearly transmitted through the song. In the same way that Jordis communicated so eloquently about her friend who died through "The Man Who Sold the World" (right click on song title to download), which is still the standout performance of the whole series for me. It's all about communication, baby.
And I have to give major kudos to Marty Casey for his version of Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" (watch video). Yep, you read that right: INXS gave Marty a Britney song... how's that for a challenge? But Marty came through with a darker, edgier version of the song that I honestly enjoyed. I gotta admit, that guy and his intense voice is really growing on me. If he doesn't make it as lead singer of INXS, I fully intend to follow whatever career path he ends up on. (I already KNOW that I'll follow Jordis' music to the ends of the earth, no questions asked.)
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.10.2005
Rock Star Volleyball
I realize that I've been devoting a lot of blog space to Rock Star: INXS, but it's been so great these past few weeks that I can't help myself.
This week it was Ty Taylor who, once again, stole the show — and my heart — with his soulful and passionate rendition of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" (watch it here). But I have every confidence that it will be Jordis' turn to wow me again next week (I'm still reeling from her version of "The Man Who Sold the World"... see my previous post). Ty and Jordis seem to be volleying the phenomenal performances back and forth.
Also deserving of kudos this week: Marty Casey singing an intense, unplugged rendition of The Killers' song "Mr. Brightside" (watch video) and Suzie McNeil (from my hometown of Toronto!), who sang a kick ass arrangement of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" (watch video). Suzie had a little arranging help from J.D. — I gotta say, that guy may rub me the wrong way and I'm not so keen on his vocals sometimes, but that boy sure knows how to come up with some cool arrangements.
Elimination Night Update: I CANNOT believe that Suzie was in the bottom three!!! Fortunately, the band seemed as stunned as I was and Suzie rocked out with the INXS song "Bitter Tears" and was sent straight back to rejoin the others. Phew.
This week it was Ty Taylor who, once again, stole the show — and my heart — with his soulful and passionate rendition of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" (watch it here). But I have every confidence that it will be Jordis' turn to wow me again next week (I'm still reeling from her version of "The Man Who Sold the World"... see my previous post). Ty and Jordis seem to be volleying the phenomenal performances back and forth.
Also deserving of kudos this week: Marty Casey singing an intense, unplugged rendition of The Killers' song "Mr. Brightside" (watch video) and Suzie McNeil (from my hometown of Toronto!), who sang a kick ass arrangement of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" (watch video). Suzie had a little arranging help from J.D. — I gotta say, that guy may rub me the wrong way and I'm not so keen on his vocals sometimes, but that boy sure knows how to come up with some cool arrangements.
Elimination Night Update: I CANNOT believe that Suzie was in the bottom three!!! Fortunately, the band seemed as stunned as I was and Suzie rocked out with the INXS song "Bitter Tears" and was sent straight back to rejoin the others. Phew.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.08.2005
"Daily" Quote
Jon Stewart on "nuclear states":
"President Bush did not offer India official recognition as a nuclear state, which would have put it on par with Russia, France and China. So if India ever drops a nuclear bomb on you, remember: it doesn't count."
"President Bush did not offer India official recognition as a nuclear state, which would have put it on par with Russia, France and China. So if India ever drops a nuclear bomb on you, remember: it doesn't count."
Labels: bush bashing, humour, jon stewart, politics, tv
8.05.2005
Just Jordis
It was Jordis Unga who offered up the goosebump-inducing, tear-welling performance this week on Rock Star: INXS with Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World." Watch it here.
I missed the elimination episode but I hear she was called back for an encore... I should bloody well think so. I also heard that Ty was in the bottom three?! He's one of my front runners (I'm thinking... hoping... that it'll end up being between Ty, Jordis and MiG). But I suppose since everybody performed so well on Tuesday night, Ty's performance needed to be his usual kick ass kind... which he couldn't really do with a song he'd never heard before.
I also heard that CBS has dropped the Monday night, "behind the scenes" episode. Ack Thpppbt! I was quite enjoying getting to know the rockers that way, watching their clinics, seeing them struggle with song selection and all that jazz. Unfortunately, I do not have VH1 (the only channel that seems to be airing the Monday night episode), so unless I can find a local channel that's decided to pick it up, I guess I'm S.O.L... *sigh*.
I missed the elimination episode but I hear she was called back for an encore... I should bloody well think so. I also heard that Ty was in the bottom three?! He's one of my front runners (I'm thinking... hoping... that it'll end up being between Ty, Jordis and MiG). But I suppose since everybody performed so well on Tuesday night, Ty's performance needed to be his usual kick ass kind... which he couldn't really do with a song he'd never heard before.
I also heard that CBS has dropped the Monday night, "behind the scenes" episode. Ack Thpppbt! I was quite enjoying getting to know the rockers that way, watching their clinics, seeing them struggle with song selection and all that jazz. Unfortunately, I do not have VH1 (the only channel that seems to be airing the Monday night episode), so unless I can find a local channel that's decided to pick it up, I guess I'm S.O.L... *sigh*.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
8.03.2005
Pop Culture
This category groups film, theatre, television, literature and the like:
Battlestar Galactica Webisodes (11.15.2006)
Generic Update Post (11.08.2006)
A New Crew In Town (10.15.2006)
Great Tempest (9.09.2006) ~ Rock Star: Supernova
Crazy Videos (9.03.2006)
Filming! (8.28.2006)
The Ultimate in Geekiness (8.21.2006)
Note To Self... (8.17.2006)
Separated at Birth? (7.19.2006)
The Gears & The Levers (7.02.2006)
Poseidon (5.15.2006)
Spoof Trailers (4.30.2006)
What I Learned Today... (11.21.2005)
More From The Onion (11.16.2005)
The Onion: News in Brief (11.10.2005)
Cellar Door (9.26.2005)
It Ain't Pretty: Rock Star Wrap Up (9.21.2005)
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Two Words (9.14.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Top 5 (9.06.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Jump the Shark (8.30.2005)
Party & Prejudice (8.29.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
You Know You've Watched Too Much HGTV When... (8.21.2005)
Family Guy's Freakin' Blog (8.19.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just Jordis (8.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Asimov and The Bard (8.02.2005)
Why, Robot? (8.01.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Irreverent Graffiti (7.23.2005)
The Final Frontier (7.20.2005)
The Language of Metaphor — cross-referenced under Language, but the Star Trek: TNG foundation of this post firmly plants it in Pop Culture, as well. (7.17.2005)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (7.16.2005)
Which Witch is Which? (7.12.2005)
Five Women (6.23.2005)
Simpsons for the Blind (6.05.2005)
Separated at Birth (5.22.2005)
Weirdgrrl Recommends (4.18.2005)
Wondrous Strange Things (4.05.2005)
Relax, Relate, Communicate (3.26.2005)
Loonatics (3.16.2005)
Create a Character (3.14.2005)
Superman is a Dick (3.07.2005)
Tunes on TV (3.04.2005)
Is SpongeBob Gay?! (2.04.2005)
Calvin and Hobbes' Gory Snowmen (1.25.2005)
Recommended Daily Dose of TV (1.24.2005)
Welcome to Hollywood, Dawg (1.18.2005)
The Bush Show (1.13.2005)
My Idée Fixe (aka MI5) (1.08.2005)
Lightning Sand (12.14.2004)
A Daily Dose of The Daily Show (12.03.2004)
NaNoFiMo & Sexy Cops (12.01.2004)
Agent Orange (11.19.2004)
Here Be Dragons (11.19.2004)
Pop Culture Stuff (11.13.2004)
I Drink, Therefore I Am (11.10.2004)
A Piece of the Pi (10.17.2004)
Random Snippets (10.13.2004)
Time is on My Mind (10.09.2004)
Mansfield Park Rant (10.07.2004)
Dark. Darkest. Darko. (10.02.2004)
In the Wee Small Hours (9.26.2004)
Film Fest (9.24.2004)
Peculiar Dreams (8.27.2004)
Battlestar Galactica Webisodes (11.15.2006)
Generic Update Post (11.08.2006)
A New Crew In Town (10.15.2006)
Great Tempest (9.09.2006) ~ Rock Star: Supernova
Crazy Videos (9.03.2006)
Filming! (8.28.2006)
The Ultimate in Geekiness (8.21.2006)
Note To Self... (8.17.2006)
Separated at Birth? (7.19.2006)
The Gears & The Levers (7.02.2006)
Poseidon (5.15.2006)
Spoof Trailers (4.30.2006)
What I Learned Today... (11.21.2005)
More From The Onion (11.16.2005)
The Onion: News in Brief (11.10.2005)
Cellar Door (9.26.2005)
It Ain't Pretty: Rock Star Wrap Up (9.21.2005)
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Two Words (9.14.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Top 5 (9.06.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Jump the Shark (8.30.2005)
Party & Prejudice (8.29.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
You Know You've Watched Too Much HGTV When... (8.21.2005)
Family Guy's Freakin' Blog (8.19.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just Jordis (8.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Asimov and The Bard (8.02.2005)
Why, Robot? (8.01.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Irreverent Graffiti (7.23.2005)
The Final Frontier (7.20.2005)
The Language of Metaphor — cross-referenced under Language, but the Star Trek: TNG foundation of this post firmly plants it in Pop Culture, as well. (7.17.2005)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (7.16.2005)
Which Witch is Which? (7.12.2005)
Five Women (6.23.2005)
Simpsons for the Blind (6.05.2005)
Separated at Birth (5.22.2005)
Weirdgrrl Recommends (4.18.2005)
Wondrous Strange Things (4.05.2005)
Relax, Relate, Communicate (3.26.2005)
Loonatics (3.16.2005)
Create a Character (3.14.2005)
Superman is a Dick (3.07.2005)
Tunes on TV (3.04.2005)
Is SpongeBob Gay?! (2.04.2005)
Calvin and Hobbes' Gory Snowmen (1.25.2005)
Recommended Daily Dose of TV (1.24.2005)
Welcome to Hollywood, Dawg (1.18.2005)
The Bush Show (1.13.2005)
My Idée Fixe (aka MI5) (1.08.2005)
Lightning Sand (12.14.2004)
A Daily Dose of The Daily Show (12.03.2004)
NaNoFiMo & Sexy Cops (12.01.2004)
Agent Orange (11.19.2004)
Here Be Dragons (11.19.2004)
Pop Culture Stuff (11.13.2004)
I Drink, Therefore I Am (11.10.2004)
A Piece of the Pi (10.17.2004)
Random Snippets (10.13.2004)
Time is on My Mind (10.09.2004)
Mansfield Park Rant (10.07.2004)
Dark. Darkest. Darko. (10.02.2004)
In the Wee Small Hours (9.26.2004)
Film Fest (9.24.2004)
Peculiar Dreams (8.27.2004)
Labels: books and literature, film, pop culture, theatre, tv
7.26.2005
Ty TV
I don't tend to watch a lot of reality television and I'm rarely moved to comment on any of it, but...
I've been watching Rock Star: INXS and tonight's performance of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" by Ty Taylor was incredible. And I'm not just saying that because he's such phenomenal eye candy — which he is — but the man can really sing. You can watch the video of his performance here. And if you're heading over there anyway, check out Jordis singing "Gimme Some Lovin'"... that chick is so cool that I happily forgive her the one lyric slip.
I've been watching Rock Star: INXS and tonight's performance of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" by Ty Taylor was incredible. And I'm not just saying that because he's such phenomenal eye candy — which he is — but the man can really sing. You can watch the video of his performance here. And if you're heading over there anyway, check out Jordis singing "Gimme Some Lovin'"... that chick is so cool that I happily forgive her the one lyric slip.
Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv
7.20.2005
The Final Frontier
I just read that James Doohan, who played Scotty on the original Star Trek series, died early this morning. (Read CNN obituary.)
I think he was one of my favourite characters in the original series, largely because of that endearing Scottish brogue. Lines like "The engines canna take much more a this, Captain" and "Admiral, there be whales here" just would not have sounded the same in a standard, non-regional American accent (or Canadian... I didn't realize that Doohan was Canadian! Or maybe I knew that and just forgot... Shame on me).
A few final words, perhaps more apropos than ever (depending on your afterlife belief system): "Beam me up, Scotty... There's no intelligent life down here."
I think he was one of my favourite characters in the original series, largely because of that endearing Scottish brogue. Lines like "The engines canna take much more a this, Captain" and "Admiral, there be whales here" just would not have sounded the same in a standard, non-regional American accent (or Canadian... I didn't realize that Doohan was Canadian! Or maybe I knew that and just forgot... Shame on me).
A few final words, perhaps more apropos than ever (depending on your afterlife belief system): "Beam me up, Scotty... There's no intelligent life down here."
Labels: pop culture, tv
7.17.2005
The Language of Metaphor
I noticed that "Darmok" was on TV the other night. First thought: I love that episode! Second thought: Didn't I write a blog post about it? Answer to second thought: Apparently I never finished it. I found the draft from March 10:
I'm a little disappointed with myself that I never finished it. The only other things I'd written in the draft were some random words and phrases:
~ figurative language vs. literal language
~ rhetorical tropes
~ evolution of language
~ boom of contemporary cultural metaphors
I also had a link to The Darmok Dictionary, but that was all. Curses to my short attention span! I think it might have been an interesting post (well, interesting to me anyway... and given my limited viewing audience, I guess that's pretty much all that matters here).
I considered trying to finish it now, but I'm having trouble at the moment condensing this idea into a blog post of reasonable length. Concise and witty it would not be. Ponderous and verbose, more like. So until I learn to trim either my thoughts or my words, I leave this unfinished.
Shaka, when the walls fell.
I seem to be on a bit of a lingustics kick ever since coming across that "dinosaur blog" cartoon. Writing the definition for "grassy knollism" in yesterday's blog post got me thinking about the use of metaphor and allusion in language. Which, if you're a bit of sci-fi geek, should conjure up the "Darmok" episode of Star Trek: TNG (the one episode that I bothered to buy on VHS).
I'm a little disappointed with myself that I never finished it. The only other things I'd written in the draft were some random words and phrases:
~ figurative language vs. literal language
~ rhetorical tropes
~ evolution of language
~ boom of contemporary cultural metaphors
I also had a link to The Darmok Dictionary, but that was all. Curses to my short attention span! I think it might have been an interesting post (well, interesting to me anyway... and given my limited viewing audience, I guess that's pretty much all that matters here).
I considered trying to finish it now, but I'm having trouble at the moment condensing this idea into a blog post of reasonable length. Concise and witty it would not be. Ponderous and verbose, more like. So until I learn to trim either my thoughts or my words, I leave this unfinished.
Shaka, when the walls fell.
Labels: language, pop culture, tv
7.12.2005
Which Witch is Which?
I was watching a re-run of Bewitched late one night (well, technically I guess they're all re-runs... except for the new movie, but I don't think that's out yet, so I doubt anyone would think I was talking about that... but, once again, I digress). Anyway, in this particular episode, Samantha's mother was asked her last name and, with a cocked eyebrow to her daughter, she answered "Waters" which related directly to a spell she'd just cast. Obviously, their last name was not Waters, but it made me wonder briefly if, as witches, they actually used surnames. My thoughts whizzed right past that question and landed on the flavour of "Samantha Waters" in my mouth... it tasted familiar. Sam Waters...? Then it hit me: that was the name of the main character on Profiler. So we've got Samantha "Waters" Stephens... attractive, blonde witch. And Samantha Waters... attractive, blonde psychic. Hmmm. Coincidence?
Labels: pop culture, tv
6.05.2005
Simpsons for the Blind
While perusing Waxy.org: Links Miniblog, I found this highly entertaining link:
Simpsons episodes described for the blind (don't miss the MP3; it's like listening to old-time radio serials)
Simpsons episodes described for the blind (don't miss the MP3; it's like listening to old-time radio serials)
Labels: pop culture, tv
6.02.2005
That 70's Source
One of my favourite movies as a kid was "All The President's Men" (I know, I was a strange child). So when I saw a news clip that the identity of Deep Throat was finally going to be revealed, I was very excited (perhaps I'm a strange adult, as well). But now that the secret's out (former Deputy Director of the FBI, W. Mark Felt), it all seems a little anti-climactic. As Jon Stewart said, "Deep Throat is... a guy you've never heard of."
Stewart went on to report that G. Gordon Liddy, who went to jail for the Watergate break-in (minor detail), was asked his opinion about Felt's actions. (D'ya think the person asking the question actually thought Liddy would say, "he's a hero, man... two thumbs up"?) Apparently, Liddy said that Felt had "behaved unethically." ("You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means"... non-sequitur courtesy of The Princess Bride.) Jon Stewart surmised that Liddy probably went on to say "through this man's unethical actions, I went to jail for crimes I committed." (I'll link to the Stewart clip once it's available on the website.)
But if you want actual news coverage, check out The Washington Post's FBI's No. 2 Was 'Deep Throat' (it's only fair to start with the paper that started it all), CNN's Deep Throat's Role Revisited or the New York Post's 'Deep Throat' Coughs it Up (yep, that was the actual headline).
I also did a Technorati blog search to see what people are writing on their blogs about this and I was dismayed at the number of people saying how disappointed they are that Deep Throat turned out to be some whiny bureaucrat who only squealed because he'd been passed over for promotion. Granted, I just admitted to being a little disappointed myself, but my disappointment stems from the low key and commonplace way this 30 year secret was revealed (and the fact that I'd never heard of the guy before). Quite honestly, I think Felt did the right thing and I don't particularly care why he did it. So I prefer the opinions expressed on the blog So Let It Be Written... (Deep Throat): "You don't have to be a hero to do the right thing." Amen to that!
Apparently, Woodward had prepared for Felt's eventual death by writing a short book about Deep Throat. (Woodward & Bernstein had promised not to disclose his identity until after his death.) I'm guessing that his publisher is gonna have that book on the shelves in no time flat. And if you think I'm gonna buy it... well, you'd be right.
Stewart went on to report that G. Gordon Liddy, who went to jail for the Watergate break-in (minor detail), was asked his opinion about Felt's actions. (D'ya think the person asking the question actually thought Liddy would say, "he's a hero, man... two thumbs up"?) Apparently, Liddy said that Felt had "behaved unethically." ("You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means"... non-sequitur courtesy of The Princess Bride.) Jon Stewart surmised that Liddy probably went on to say "through this man's unethical actions, I went to jail for crimes I committed." (I'll link to the Stewart clip once it's available on the website.)
But if you want actual news coverage, check out The Washington Post's FBI's No. 2 Was 'Deep Throat' (it's only fair to start with the paper that started it all), CNN's Deep Throat's Role Revisited or the New York Post's 'Deep Throat' Coughs it Up (yep, that was the actual headline).
I also did a Technorati blog search to see what people are writing on their blogs about this and I was dismayed at the number of people saying how disappointed they are that Deep Throat turned out to be some whiny bureaucrat who only squealed because he'd been passed over for promotion. Granted, I just admitted to being a little disappointed myself, but my disappointment stems from the low key and commonplace way this 30 year secret was revealed (and the fact that I'd never heard of the guy before). Quite honestly, I think Felt did the right thing and I don't particularly care why he did it. So I prefer the opinions expressed on the blog So Let It Be Written... (Deep Throat): "You don't have to be a hero to do the right thing." Amen to that!
Apparently, Woodward had prepared for Felt's eventual death by writing a short book about Deep Throat. (Woodward & Bernstein had promised not to disclose his identity until after his death.) I'm guessing that his publisher is gonna have that book on the shelves in no time flat. And if you think I'm gonna buy it... well, you'd be right.
Labels: humour, jon stewart, news, politics, tv
4.25.2005
Quote of the Day
Jon Stewart on Pope Benedict XVI:
"Cardinal Ratzinger, now known as Pope Benedict XVI, stood adorned with papal vestments, and crowned with the pope's signature white skullcap. And as he stood there before the adoring multitudes, it was then that he realized... this is how Bono must feel."
"Cardinal Ratzinger, now known as Pope Benedict XVI, stood adorned with papal vestments, and crowned with the pope's signature white skullcap. And as he stood there before the adoring multitudes, it was then that he realized... this is how Bono must feel."
Labels: jon stewart, tv
4.06.2005
Doubleplusungood
Was watching last night's intro to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and was quite tickled by the segment about the latest report critiquing U.S. intelligence gathering capabilities (and the NY Times' use of the phrase "doody-headed nincompoopery"... one can't help but wonder if the decline in their vocabulary is the result of William Safire's retirement... but I digress). While pondering why the authors of this report didn't seem to have access to the three previous reports that reached the same conclusions, Stewart suggested that a new report would be issued to explain this lack of communication, entitled:
"The Report Commission:
Reporting on Reporting Redundancy on Commission Reporting"
>>> watch segment
Naturally, this made me think of the phrase "Department of Redundancy Department." (Did I mention that this was going to be one of those tangentially meandering blog posts?) And I started trying to figure out who first coined that phrase. I remember reading it in "Anguished English" by Richard Lederer, but I'm sure it was around before then. It almost sounds Orwellian but it's kinda the antithesis of the Newspeak in "1984," which is intended to simplify language to its barest, most essential parts rather than make it more complicated than it needs to be (hmm... complicated like my run-on sentences that spew verbosity at every turn). Ironically, the Newspeak translation of "extremely bad" into "doubleplusungood" actually sounds more complicated to me, even though its root words are simplistic. (By the way, check out this Complete Newspeak Dictionary.) But I'm digressing yet again. (Though how can one tell in such a tangent-based rambling?)
Now where was I? Oh yes, Newspeak. The purpose of Newspeak is to dehumanize language and discount the emotion behind complex constructions of words. So if a culture's language does not contain the word for a concept, will the people of that culture be unable to comprehend it? Apparently, some linguistic anthropologists seem to think so (one website that I stumbled across claimed that Noam Chomsky is one of them, but being more familiar with his anarchist politics than his lingustic theories, I can't vouch for that). Taken to its extreme: if no word for "suffering" exists, how can one appreciate that they are, indeed, suffering? Likewise, how can an oppressed people rebel if they do not understand what "to rebel" means?
Hmm, interesting idea. But I counter with Buffy creator Joss Whedon's claim that language can sometimes have the effect of inhibiting true communication. (Have you seen the Emmy-nominated Buffy episode "Hush"? The majority of the episode is completely without dialogue and what little dialogue there is at the beginning and end of the show focuses on speech and communication... very on theme.) Who was it who said that words conceal as much as they reveal? [Google search result: "Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within." ~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson]
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE words (as anybody who reads my blog can attest). But I would argue that the hypothetical culture that doesn't have a word for suffering or rebellion will still suffer and rebel AND communicate about it. That communication may involve action or art instead of language, but the lack of a word doesn't prevent the intuitive thought. Does it? Or maybe I'm naive and uneducated and I just need to read more about the various theories of linguistics. And maybe that's more than enough inconclusive ramblings for today.
Reporting on Reporting Redundancy on Commission Reporting"
>>> watch segment
Naturally, this made me think of the phrase "Department of Redundancy Department." (Did I mention that this was going to be one of those tangentially meandering blog posts?) And I started trying to figure out who first coined that phrase. I remember reading it in "Anguished English" by Richard Lederer, but I'm sure it was around before then. It almost sounds Orwellian but it's kinda the antithesis of the Newspeak in "1984," which is intended to simplify language to its barest, most essential parts rather than make it more complicated than it needs to be (hmm... complicated like my run-on sentences that spew verbosity at every turn). Ironically, the Newspeak translation of "extremely bad" into "doubleplusungood" actually sounds more complicated to me, even though its root words are simplistic. (By the way, check out this Complete Newspeak Dictionary.) But I'm digressing yet again. (Though how can one tell in such a tangent-based rambling?)
Now where was I? Oh yes, Newspeak. The purpose of Newspeak is to dehumanize language and discount the emotion behind complex constructions of words. So if a culture's language does not contain the word for a concept, will the people of that culture be unable to comprehend it? Apparently, some linguistic anthropologists seem to think so (one website that I stumbled across claimed that Noam Chomsky is one of them, but being more familiar with his anarchist politics than his lingustic theories, I can't vouch for that). Taken to its extreme: if no word for "suffering" exists, how can one appreciate that they are, indeed, suffering? Likewise, how can an oppressed people rebel if they do not understand what "to rebel" means?
Hmm, interesting idea. But I counter with Buffy creator Joss Whedon's claim that language can sometimes have the effect of inhibiting true communication. (Have you seen the Emmy-nominated Buffy episode "Hush"? The majority of the episode is completely without dialogue and what little dialogue there is at the beginning and end of the show focuses on speech and communication... very on theme.) Who was it who said that words conceal as much as they reveal? [Google search result: "Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within." ~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson]
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE words (as anybody who reads my blog can attest). But I would argue that the hypothetical culture that doesn't have a word for suffering or rebellion will still suffer and rebel AND communicate about it. That communication may involve action or art instead of language, but the lack of a word doesn't prevent the intuitive thought. Does it? Or maybe I'm naive and uneducated and I just need to read more about the various theories of linguistics. And maybe that's more than enough inconclusive ramblings for today.
Labels: books and literature, buffy, humour, jon stewart, language, philosophy, politics, tv
3.16.2005
Loonatics
I was browsing through the Links Miniblog at Waxy.org when I came across the information that Bugs Bunny is getting an extreme makeover: "The WB network will take the famed Looney Tunes characters as models for a new children's series, Loonatics, that will air on Saturday mornings starting this fall. The characters' descendants — Buzz Bunny and the like — will be superhero action figures for the cartoon set in the year 2772."
I'm not quite sure whether it's the show that should be called Loonatics or the producers at Warner Bros. But hey, what do I know? Well... I do know that there's a new flash film by TLG Media called "A New Bunny" that serves as a very amusing commentary on the whole concept. So click on the title and go watch it already! (Though if you're easily offended by coarse language, you'd probably better stick with the censored version.)
Labels: pop culture, tv
3.04.2005
Tunes on TV
I came across this article on Wired the other day: "Copyrights Keep TV Shows off DVD." It starts out by saying "WKRP in Cincinnati was one of the most popular television shows of the late '70s and early '80s, but it is unlikely ever to be released on DVD because of high music-licensing costs." I hadn't really thought about that side of things before. But when it went on to explain that "for many TV shows, costs to license the original music for DVD are prohibitively high, so rights owners replace the music with cheaper tunes, much to the irritation of avid fans," I found myself thinking that I would definitely be one of those irritated fans.
The article then quoted David Lambert, news director of TVShowsOnDVD.com, saying "The fans don't want syndicated cuts. They don't want the songs replaced. They don't want anything censored for political correctness. They want to see it in the way they originally saw it broadcast, enjoyed it and fell in love with it." Very true. And "I think the studios are a bit shortsighted. A lot of fans -- if they understood the situation -- would gladly wait a little longer and pay a little more to get the complete, original version." Also true, at least in my case.
I thought about the songs that I will forever associate with certain scenes from TV shows: "Full of Grace" by Sarah McLachlan with the final scene of the final episode from season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played after Buffy had to kill Angel; "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley with the third season finale of The West Wing, played as CJ finds out that her secret service agent/love interest has been killed (check out my Hallelujah post for more about that song); or, to use the first show mentioned here, the episode of WKRP about the guy who wants to defect from Russia that features Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." If I were to watch these episodes on DVD and discover that they'd replaced those songs with something else, I would be outraged and the emotional impact of those scenes would be forever lessened for me. Thankfully, I know that the Buffy DVDs are intact... at least for all of the songs that stick in my memory. I don't have The West Wing DVDs yet, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed there.
I only hope that my favourite shows have champions like Moonlighting creator and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron: "I was unwilling to replace the music. I felt that was integral to the show. That really stymied its video and DVD release for years." This attitude combined with two years of lobbying by fans has made Moonlighting one of the success stories. The first two seasons of the show are scheduled for release this May with the music intact. Way to set an example!
P.S. I just did a Google search and found out that they did in fact replace "Tiny Dancer" in WKRP episodes that air on The Comedy Network and TNN. Bastards!
The article then quoted David Lambert, news director of TVShowsOnDVD.com, saying "The fans don't want syndicated cuts. They don't want the songs replaced. They don't want anything censored for political correctness. They want to see it in the way they originally saw it broadcast, enjoyed it and fell in love with it." Very true. And "I think the studios are a bit shortsighted. A lot of fans -- if they understood the situation -- would gladly wait a little longer and pay a little more to get the complete, original version." Also true, at least in my case.
I thought about the songs that I will forever associate with certain scenes from TV shows: "Full of Grace" by Sarah McLachlan with the final scene of the final episode from season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played after Buffy had to kill Angel; "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley with the third season finale of The West Wing, played as CJ finds out that her secret service agent/love interest has been killed (check out my Hallelujah post for more about that song); or, to use the first show mentioned here, the episode of WKRP about the guy who wants to defect from Russia that features Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." If I were to watch these episodes on DVD and discover that they'd replaced those songs with something else, I would be outraged and the emotional impact of those scenes would be forever lessened for me. Thankfully, I know that the Buffy DVDs are intact... at least for all of the songs that stick in my memory. I don't have The West Wing DVDs yet, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed there.
I only hope that my favourite shows have champions like Moonlighting creator and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron: "I was unwilling to replace the music. I felt that was integral to the show. That really stymied its video and DVD release for years." This attitude combined with two years of lobbying by fans has made Moonlighting one of the success stories. The first two seasons of the show are scheduled for release this May with the music intact. Way to set an example!
P.S. I just did a Google search and found out that they did in fact replace "Tiny Dancer" in WKRP episodes that air on The Comedy Network and TNN. Bastards!
1.24.2005
Recommended Daily Dose of TV
Finally, a scientifically-assessed, culturally-important reason to watch more TV. That well-respected bastion of ever-accurate news, The Onion, reported on a Columbia University study that suggests that viewing fewer than four hours of television a day severely inhibits a person's ability to ridicule popular culture.
Above: A few of the many celebrities underinformed
television viewers were unable to mock.
The article went on to discuss how study findings have triggered concern among parents across the country:
Read the entire oh-so-shocking article here. And since it's printed in The Onion, it must be legit... right?
"An hour or two of television per day simply does not provide enough information to effectively mock mediocre sitcoms, vapid celebrities, music videos, and talk-show hosts—an essential skill in modern society," said Dr. Madeleine Ben-Ami, a professor of cognitive science and chief author of the study.
Above: A few of the many celebrities underinformed
television viewers were unable to mock.
The article went on to discuss how study findings have triggered concern among parents across the country:
"I don't want my 10-year-old to enter college without the ability to mock boy bands," said Myra Savage of Phoenix. "I want him to excel, like those kids who form campus sketch troupes or win college-wide trivia contests. Should I make him cut down on his reading?"
Read the entire oh-so-shocking article here. And since it's printed in The Onion, it must be legit... right?
Labels: tv
1.18.2005
Welcome to Hollywood, Dawg
"Oh, dreadful is the check—intense the agony—
When the ear begins to hear, and the eye begins to see"
~ Emily Brontë
Very intense was the agony on tonight's American Idol and there were definitely moments when ears and eyes would have been better deaf and blind. Why, oh why, do I put myself through the pain and horror of the audition episodes each year? Must be the triumph of hope over experience. From now on, I think I'll suspend my Idol viewing activities until the semi-finals.
When the ear begins to hear, and the eye begins to see"
~ Emily Brontë
Very intense was the agony on tonight's American Idol and there were definitely moments when ears and eyes would have been better deaf and blind. Why, oh why, do I put myself through the pain and horror of the audition episodes each year? Must be the triumph of hope over experience. From now on, I think I'll suspend my Idol viewing activities until the semi-finals.
Labels: tv
1.13.2005
The Bush Show
Here's what tickled my funny bone on last night's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: when Jon compared George W. Bush's life to "The Truman Show"...
And oh yeah, didja hear? They officially stopped looking for weapons of mass destruction... and guess what... they DIDN'T find any. Anyone surprised? Watch Jon's clip from last night.
"So the president doesn't read the papers, the only real information he gets are from his loyal aides. And even when he goes to a town hall meeting to meet the people, they've been pre-selected." [like the dairy farmer from Utah selected to represent the youth of America... yeah, right]
Jon continued: "Our president's living in The Truman Show. Nothing happens around him that isn't planned." Then he added in a whisper, "I don't even think he knows we're out here watching."
And oh yeah, didja hear? They officially stopped looking for weapons of mass destruction... and guess what... they DIDN'T find any. Anyone surprised? Watch Jon's clip from last night.
Labels: bush bashing, jon stewart, tv
1.08.2005
My Idée Fixe (aka MI5)
They do not exist, you will never know their names and they are all that stand between you and those who would do this country harm. Take a trip into the world of deceit and espionage that is MI5.
Hooray! MI5 is back on A&E! Marathon today; new episode tonight at 8pm (10pm ET). Hopefully the team will be able to prove Tom's innocence and all will be well again. Hmm, I suppose that's a given if they're lining up a whole new season. Unless Tom's leaving... gawd, I hope not. Okay, you may be wondering who the heck Tom is and what's all the fuss about MI5. So a little background... (Wow, I can't believe I haven't talked about this before but I don't think MI5 has been on in the whole time I've been keeping this blog. Holy Tom Quinn withdrawal, Batman!)
MI5 (called Spooks on the BBC, where it's a season ahead of us wretched Canadians) is an intelligent drama describing the life and work of the employees of the MI5 anti-terrorism branch. In brief: Tom Quinn (Matthew MacFadyen) is a senior anti-terrorism agent working for MI5, the British equivalent of the FBI. (the "MI" standing for "military intelligence" not "mission impossible"... don't mind me, I've had Mission Impossible on the brain ever since I discovered that Carrie-Anne Moss (aka Trinity from The Matrix) is going to be in the next movie). Anyway, Tom works in a department called Section B where he does covert operations. His boss is Harry Pearce (Peter Firth... no relation to Colin Firth), the tough head of the counter-terrorism department who is still traumatized by his experience serving in Northern Ireland during his army career, making him nervous of Irish terrorists. Also working in Section B is rookie agent Zoe Reynolds (Keeley Hawes), surveillance specialist Danny Hunter (David Oyelowo) and a handful of others.
I suppose you may liken it to American counter-terrorism dramas like Alias and 24, but I have no interest in watching those over-the-top, Hollywood-style, slick action shows (take that comment with a whopping grain of salt, since I've never actually seen a complete episode of either). MI5 is well acted, well written, very British and very intense. Definitely not a check-your-brain-at-the-door kind of show. And I gotta say it's pretty darn slick for the BBC. Some people find the show humourless, and while it's not exactly laugh-your-ass-off funny, it has a spare and subtle British humour that I find immensely refreshing. And did I mention it's very intense?
Not only do I really like the show, and have a huge crush on Tom (furthest to the right in above pic) and a smaller crush on Danny (second from the left), but they always use good songs in their promos. When A&E first started airing the show, they advertised it with "When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down. Now the ads feature "Someday" by Nickelback. Works for me. And if you want more MI5 related fun, you can even go to the "spy academy" and play games! (I've since been checking out the games and have discovered some glitches in the A&E versions, although their instructions are sometimes better than the BBC ones. But the BBC Spooks Game page is glitch-free and has "assignments" in addition to "spy academy" training, so I recommend that site instead... or after.)
By the way, for those of you who are familiar with my first noveling attempt, "Being Zoe" (manuscript currently sitting in a drawer, waiting for me to get enough distance from it to stop hating it)... my main character, Zoe Quinn, is named after the Zoe character in MI5, borrowing the Quinn from Tom. No need to mock me about that... I mock myself plenty!
P.S. I just went to IMDb to get the hyperlink for Matthew MacFadyen and discovered that he's in a new version of Pride & Prejudice due out later this year. I'm so torn. I would love to see Matthew as Mr. Darcy, but how can anyone dream of topping the Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle version?!?!?!
Labels: tv
12.03.2004
A Daily Dose of The Daily Show
Hey everyone... Canada was one of the top stories on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight! Okay, more accurately it was Bush's visit to Ottawa that made the headlines... myeh, potato-potahto. Unfortunately, there's no video clip of it up on the website (not yet, anyway... we can always hope). So allow me to mention a few of the highlights...
Jon Stewart mentioned that this was the first time that President Bush has visited Canada since taking office four years ago, then he explained that "he's been meaning to get around to it... but just didn't care." And, when Prime Minister Martin told a joke and then promptly began speaking French, Stewart hypothesized that in Canada "French is the comedy equivalent of: But seriously folks." And I definitely got a chuckle after Martin's comments about Bush and Martin's plan to craft a new North American partnership: "We agreed to put forward an agenda in which our two nations will cooperate in a practical way towards common goals..." At which point, Jon Stewart showed the cover of a new policy document: "Moving Forward: Proceeding with Going Ahead, A Non-Specific Proposal."
While I was on The Daily Show website, searching in vain for a clip of the aforementioned segment, I noticed that they did have a clip of the "This Week in God: Fanatics" segment from the previous night. Must watch it... bloody hilarious!
P.S. Apparently I should wait until the next day before bemoaning the lack of available video. It is now on The Daily Show site, as "Headlines: Nuke Kids on the Block" (which starts off with Iran as the top headline and segues into us at around the two minute mark).
Jon Stewart mentioned that this was the first time that President Bush has visited Canada since taking office four years ago, then he explained that "he's been meaning to get around to it... but just didn't care." And, when Prime Minister Martin told a joke and then promptly began speaking French, Stewart hypothesized that in Canada "French is the comedy equivalent of: But seriously folks." And I definitely got a chuckle after Martin's comments about Bush and Martin's plan to craft a new North American partnership: "We agreed to put forward an agenda in which our two nations will cooperate in a practical way towards common goals..." At which point, Jon Stewart showed the cover of a new policy document: "Moving Forward: Proceeding with Going Ahead, A Non-Specific Proposal."
While I was on The Daily Show website, searching in vain for a clip of the aforementioned segment, I noticed that they did have a clip of the "This Week in God: Fanatics" segment from the previous night. Must watch it... bloody hilarious!
P.S. Apparently I should wait until the next day before bemoaning the lack of available video. It is now on The Daily Show site, as "Headlines: Nuke Kids on the Block" (which starts off with Iran as the top headline and segues into us at around the two minute mark).
Labels: jon stewart, tv
11.04.2004
Post-Election Blog Post
My attempt to find humour in an otherwise bleak moment in history: the first time that George W. Bush was elected (as opposed to selected) president...
"Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country." ~ Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
Political cartoon in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Political cartoon in the Geneva daily "Le Temps":
Headline in The Onion: "God Puts His Tool Back Into Office"
Title of special election night coverage of "Indecision 2004" on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: "Prelude to a Recount" (watch this!)
"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." ~ Thomas Jefferson
*sigh*
"Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country." ~ Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
Political cartoon in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Political cartoon in the Geneva daily "Le Temps":
Headline in The Onion: "God Puts His Tool Back Into Office"
Title of special election night coverage of "Indecision 2004" on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: "Prelude to a Recount" (watch this!)
"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." ~ Thomas Jefferson
*sigh*
Labels: bush bashing, jon stewart, tv
8.27.2004
Peculiar Dreams
Had a weird dream last night... was directing "Macbeth! The Musical." (The sad thing is that Broadway will probably actually do that someday... I mean, if they can make a musical out of Wuthering Heights, what's next? But I digress...) I think the dream was largely induced by watching Family Guy last night. It was the episode where Lois is supposed to direct The King and I (hence the musical portion of the dream) and Stewie auditions with the "winter of our discontent" speech from Richard III which leads to the roundabout part of my dream interpretation. (As an aside, the "winter, etc." link leads to Blinkie's tongue-in-cheek translation of the speech, along with the original text. Check out Blinkie's concise explanations of other Shakespearean plays.)
Anyway, I think the Dick 3 reference made me think of the cast party scene in The Tall Guy where two characters are talking about producing "Dirty Dick," a musical of Richard III with the irreverent breakout hit "I've Got A Hunch I'm Gonna Be King." The cast party in question was for "Elephant!" a musical version of The Elephant Man. (Tasteless? Of course, but you've gotta see it in the context of the movie... bloody hilarious!) Haven't quite figured out why my subconscious chose Macbeth (not one of my fave Shakespearean plays), unless it was for the dream visual of having the three witches descend to the stage on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon wires... hmmm, more analysis might be needed.
Labels: film, pop culture, tv
3.24.2004
A couple o' links
Stumbled across the Bow-Lingual Dog Translator as I was surfing the web tonight. Claims it can translate your dog's bark. Would love to test this baby out. Some bits from the article about it in NOW magazine:
Samuel, a black Lab, whimpered, "Stop playing with my emotions" when his owner Nick feigned throwing a stick for the third time.
Colleen the Collie asked me, "Aren't I great?" about 200 times in 10 minutes while hopping about erratically.
Anderson, the portly Beagle, rolled in the mud while barking, oddly enough, "You're not so tough!"
Also found a book that I wouldn't mind picking up... and maybe giving to every American I meet who asks what makes us uniquely Canadian:
How to Be a Canadian (Even If You Already are One)
by Will & Ian Ferguson
Speaking of uniquely Canadian, I've been watching CBC's new show Snakes & Ladders. Some have called it a Canadian version of the West Wing but I hesitate to make any comparisons between such distinct programs. It's like comparing Bridget Jones' Diary to Pride and Prejudice or Jesus of Montreal to Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (okay, I haven't actually seen The Passion yet, but if you'll permit me a little lattitude)... obviously a connection but they're really not comparable. But I digress from my important question... is Snakes & Ladders over?!?! I remember reading that it was only a six part series, but is that truly the end of it? Please say it isn't so!
Oh, yeah... EdMo stuff...
EdMo Hours: 31.5 down ~ 18.5 to go
Samuel, a black Lab, whimpered, "Stop playing with my emotions" when his owner Nick feigned throwing a stick for the third time.
Colleen the Collie asked me, "Aren't I great?" about 200 times in 10 minutes while hopping about erratically.
Anderson, the portly Beagle, rolled in the mud while barking, oddly enough, "You're not so tough!"
Also found a book that I wouldn't mind picking up... and maybe giving to every American I meet who asks what makes us uniquely Canadian:
How to Be a Canadian (Even If You Already are One)
by Will & Ian Ferguson
Speaking of uniquely Canadian, I've been watching CBC's new show Snakes & Ladders. Some have called it a Canadian version of the West Wing but I hesitate to make any comparisons between such distinct programs. It's like comparing Bridget Jones' Diary to Pride and Prejudice or Jesus of Montreal to Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (okay, I haven't actually seen The Passion yet, but if you'll permit me a little lattitude)... obviously a connection but they're really not comparable. But I digress from my important question... is Snakes & Ladders over?!?! I remember reading that it was only a six part series, but is that truly the end of it? Please say it isn't so!
Oh, yeah... EdMo stuff...
EdMo Hours: 31.5 down ~ 18.5 to go
Labels: animals, pop culture, tv
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