As the title of the episode suggests, it looks like things are going to start to get a little messy for Hank and Britt. The Lindus case rears its ugly head again as the boys are asked to help steal money that will bail Lindus out of jail. Finally an episode that plays to the strength of the show's creator, Ted Griffin, writer of Ocean's Eleven. We get to see the boys in action as they break into a heavily guarded and alarmed Lindus building to get a quarter of a million dollars out of a safe. The show would become that much more enjoyable if Griffin could sprinkle more Ocean's like heists to go along with the relationship between Hank and Britt. It added more suspense, humor and depth to a show that is already ripe with all three.
The audience was also given the dose of humanity for Hank that I called for in my last Terriers post. We got the answer to last episode's bizarre ending. There was another person in the house and it was or is Hank's mentally ill sister. Louge does a great job of immediately conveying Hank's love and concern for her and in the process gains back some of the sympathy lost last episode. Hank is far from being the perfect and still has an extremely darkside, as any recovering alcoholic who lost his job and wife would, but we were reminded that he does have qualities that pulls people into his corner, whether they be partners, ex-partner's, ex-wives, or best friend's girls. Of course, this traits are what make users like Hank dangerous to those around him, so as much as we want to root for him in his plight, we can't forget he's the same guy who faked the loan signature with the bankers dead body bleeding on the street. Hank tells Britt, "I always miss the funny part," after Britt tells him a joke and you can't help but feel this is how Hank looks at his life, always missing the funny parts.
Hank keeps pulling Britt and himself deeper into whatever is behind this Lindus mess and in the process deeper into trouble. He says it's to get revenge and save the reputation of his old drinking buddy, Micky Goslen, but one can't help but feel it's about saving himself. Hank comments to Britt about how Micky once had a nice house but now all his life fit into one box. This is where Hank sees his life going. It's why he buys his house back. It's why he wants his ex-wife back. He doesn't want to end up dead in an alley with all his belongings fitting into a box. Somehow he sees solving Micky's murder as another part of that equation. By saving Micky's reputation, by proving that he was murdered and not killed by his addictions, Hank hopes to save a part of himself. Like almost everything in his life, the case isn't about Micky, it's about Hank.
Other bits...
Maybe it was just a throw away line or a mistake in the writing, but Hank says to Katie, "You know the rules," when leaving her with his sister. Britt later asks, "There are rules to watching your sister?" This begs the question, why would Katie know about taking care of Steph but Britt wouldn't? Do Katie and Hank have a past separate from Britt?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Note About The Baseball Season
Winning the World Series was supposed to change everything. We said the day after was going to different and I guess to a certain extent it was. Suddenly there were a bunch of people who were never there before, the working class fan was priced out by the suits and pink hats who spent more time on the phone or at the bar then watching the game, it was now the cool thing to be instead of the birthright it use to. But none of that is what we meant by change. We thought the suffering was going to disappear, the torture was going to stop, the pessimism was going to be washed away. But watching the 2010 season limp off into the sunset Friday night, I couldn't help but feel all those old emotions bubble to the surface.
The 2010 Red Sox were a vintage pre-championship team. I had them written off from the get go, which I guess was something slightly different from the old "this is the year" attitude I held on to every April. They had no offense. The "big" signings in the offseason only brought more question marks. There was nothing in the minors. GM Theo Epstein said it was going to be a bridge year, but my question was, a bridge to what? And to top it all off, the team had no personality. They just weren't fun to watch. So, I was far from surprised when they fell behind early. I watched the games, but was torn between rooting for my team because they were my team and rooting against my team so I could boast, "I told you so." Somehow, though, they never fell totally out of contention. Even when one of the biggest injury bugs in the history of baseball hit the team, they hung in there. Never close enough to be a threat, but never so far behind to be discounted. I should have known right then.
The most painful aspect of being a Red Sox fan BC (before championship) wasn't that they didn't win. Perennial losers aren't hard to follow. People always wanted to compare us to the "long suffering" Cubs fans, but what is there to suffer about knowing where you are going to finish every year. Chicago fans never started a year thinking, "this is the year," they never popped the corks off the champagne only to have the ball go through the firstbase man's legs, they never had Bucky "F-ing" Dent or Aaron "F-ing" Boone. What was most painful about being a Red Sox fan was that they were always in the mix, but they never came through in the end. Each year you would tell yourself that you weren't going to be fooled again, you weren't going to get excited because it was never going to happen, but then it would be September and against all odds they were in the race and you fought the desire to give in, to let yourself get hurt again, but you couldn't and the minute you thought, wait, this could be the year, they watched a called third strike or they gave up that homerun or they committed that error and it hurt that much more then the last time.
So, the 2010 Red Sox went into the last two weeks of the season with the smallest of chances of making the playoffs. As much as I had disliked the team that started the season, I had grown to love the band of misfits and youngsters thrown together due to all the injuries. The Daniel Nava's and Ryan Kalish's made me almost forget how much we were overpaying JD Drew to hit .242. Every bad start by the Beckett's and Lackey's seemed to be offset by Lester and Buckholtz. The Yankees magic number was 3, but they had 6 games left with the Sox. If the Sox could take those 6 games and 3 of 4 from Chicago, the Yankees would have to sweep Toronto. It was a long shot... but they won game one in New York... then they won game two. It wasn't until they scored two runs in the top of the 9th inning off of Mariano Rivera to take a one run lead in game three that I thought, "Wait, we can do this." And then it all fell apart. Our answer to Rivera, one of the major reason we won it all in 2007, Jonathan Pappelbon couldn't get three lousy outs before giving up the tying run and then Okajima walked in, yes WALKED in, the winning run. And it hurt.
I write all this because it wasn't supposed to feel like this anymore. The team proved in 2004 and again in 2007 that they were capable of winning. There wasn't a curse. They weren't out to cause us all pain. The Boston Red Sox were no different then the other 29 teams in the league. We now knew what it felt like to win, something my grandfather never experienced, so there was no way we could feel let down again. And yet, here it was, three short years since the last championship, and those old feelings were back. I turned off the TV cursing myself for falling for the same old bullshit. How could they do this to us again? But then it dawned on me, maybe it wasn't them. Maybe there is something about a Red Sox fan, a real Red Sox fan, those of us who's hearts broke when Yaz fouled out with the winning run on second, who shed tears when that ball went through Buckner's legs, that courts these emotions. Maybe there is something about growing up in New England that makes one illogically hopeful and intrinsically pessimistic at the same time. Maybe we brought all the pain on ourselves. All those years I spent blaming the Red Sox for breaking my heart, maybe I was just projecting, pushing my fears about life and relationships on something that couldn't argue otherwise. I realize that most of you will find it ridiculous to find life lessons in a stupid sports team, but maybe there is something there. Maybe us Red Sox fans had it wrong all along. Things have changed since 2004, just not what we expected or wanted because the problem wasn't where we thought it was. It wasn't bad ownership. It wasn't players that folded in the clutch. It wasn't a bad trade made 80 some-odd years ago. Maybe the problem has been us the whole time.
The 2010 Red Sox were a vintage pre-championship team. I had them written off from the get go, which I guess was something slightly different from the old "this is the year" attitude I held on to every April. They had no offense. The "big" signings in the offseason only brought more question marks. There was nothing in the minors. GM Theo Epstein said it was going to be a bridge year, but my question was, a bridge to what? And to top it all off, the team had no personality. They just weren't fun to watch. So, I was far from surprised when they fell behind early. I watched the games, but was torn between rooting for my team because they were my team and rooting against my team so I could boast, "I told you so." Somehow, though, they never fell totally out of contention. Even when one of the biggest injury bugs in the history of baseball hit the team, they hung in there. Never close enough to be a threat, but never so far behind to be discounted. I should have known right then.
The most painful aspect of being a Red Sox fan BC (before championship) wasn't that they didn't win. Perennial losers aren't hard to follow. People always wanted to compare us to the "long suffering" Cubs fans, but what is there to suffer about knowing where you are going to finish every year. Chicago fans never started a year thinking, "this is the year," they never popped the corks off the champagne only to have the ball go through the firstbase man's legs, they never had Bucky "F-ing" Dent or Aaron "F-ing" Boone. What was most painful about being a Red Sox fan was that they were always in the mix, but they never came through in the end. Each year you would tell yourself that you weren't going to be fooled again, you weren't going to get excited because it was never going to happen, but then it would be September and against all odds they were in the race and you fought the desire to give in, to let yourself get hurt again, but you couldn't and the minute you thought, wait, this could be the year, they watched a called third strike or they gave up that homerun or they committed that error and it hurt that much more then the last time.
So, the 2010 Red Sox went into the last two weeks of the season with the smallest of chances of making the playoffs. As much as I had disliked the team that started the season, I had grown to love the band of misfits and youngsters thrown together due to all the injuries. The Daniel Nava's and Ryan Kalish's made me almost forget how much we were overpaying JD Drew to hit .242. Every bad start by the Beckett's and Lackey's seemed to be offset by Lester and Buckholtz. The Yankees magic number was 3, but they had 6 games left with the Sox. If the Sox could take those 6 games and 3 of 4 from Chicago, the Yankees would have to sweep Toronto. It was a long shot... but they won game one in New York... then they won game two. It wasn't until they scored two runs in the top of the 9th inning off of Mariano Rivera to take a one run lead in game three that I thought, "Wait, we can do this." And then it all fell apart. Our answer to Rivera, one of the major reason we won it all in 2007, Jonathan Pappelbon couldn't get three lousy outs before giving up the tying run and then Okajima walked in, yes WALKED in, the winning run. And it hurt.
I write all this because it wasn't supposed to feel like this anymore. The team proved in 2004 and again in 2007 that they were capable of winning. There wasn't a curse. They weren't out to cause us all pain. The Boston Red Sox were no different then the other 29 teams in the league. We now knew what it felt like to win, something my grandfather never experienced, so there was no way we could feel let down again. And yet, here it was, three short years since the last championship, and those old feelings were back. I turned off the TV cursing myself for falling for the same old bullshit. How could they do this to us again? But then it dawned on me, maybe it wasn't them. Maybe there is something about a Red Sox fan, a real Red Sox fan, those of us who's hearts broke when Yaz fouled out with the winning run on second, who shed tears when that ball went through Buckner's legs, that courts these emotions. Maybe there is something about growing up in New England that makes one illogically hopeful and intrinsically pessimistic at the same time. Maybe we brought all the pain on ourselves. All those years I spent blaming the Red Sox for breaking my heart, maybe I was just projecting, pushing my fears about life and relationships on something that couldn't argue otherwise. I realize that most of you will find it ridiculous to find life lessons in a stupid sports team, but maybe there is something there. Maybe us Red Sox fans had it wrong all along. Things have changed since 2004, just not what we expected or wanted because the problem wasn't where we thought it was. It wasn't bad ownership. It wasn't players that folded in the clutch. It wasn't a bad trade made 80 some-odd years ago. Maybe the problem has been us the whole time.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Top 5: Old School Video Games
In honor of the sixth installment in the Guitar Hero catalogue being released today, I give you this week's top 5... Top 5 Favorite Old School Video Games. For anyone reading this that may be significantly younger then me, I define "old school" as being anything for the original Nintendo system or earlier. So, for all of you who had to blow into your system or cartridge to make it work, who got chased around a two dimensional maze by ghosts, hot dogs, pickles, barrels and snakes, who's controller was connected to the system by a giant phone cord, and who screamed at their TV's "I PUSHED THAT BUTTON", here's my list...
5. Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt (Nintendo)
My answers to these top 5 topics sometimes end up being a little perverse, a little of which is a conscious effort to avoid the obvious and expose people to things they may not have heard of or experienced and a little of which is just because my taste tends to be just slightly outside the mainstream, but with this topic it's hard to stray to far outside the box. I guess putting it 5 instead of 1 is my way of keeping true to my lists even though this was the game that changed gaming for my generation. This game was so addicting that I would walk into our spare room where the Nintendo was and find my parents playing... and they wouldn't let me play! It was my game!! This game opened the door for gaming as we know it today)
4. Tron (Intelevision)
I had to include something from Intelevision. I'm sure most of you didn't even play on it, but it was the first system in my house. I used to spend hours playing this game. All you did was run around throwing discs at evil robots. It sounds so archaic now, but it kicked ass back then)
3. Tetris (Nintendo/Game Boy)
Again, super simple concept but I would play for hours. This is easily the most addicting game ever... well, other then Bust-A-Move, aka Bubble Boy. Tetris, like Mario Brothers, was the first of its kind and spawned a whole genre of puzzle games.)
2. Pitfall (Atari)
I submit that this game holds up to any game that is being played now, shitty graphics or not. I could have gone with Mrs. Pacman or Galaga or Space Invaders, but this was my favorite Atari game by far. I sure my love of Indiana Jones has something to do with that, but whatever, it's a classic.)
1. Baseball Stars (Nintendo)
None of you probably know much about this game but it was light years ahead of it's time. I'll admit that I haven't played a baseball game in the last few years, but up until I was still playing, there were concepts in Baseball Stars that still weren't being used. You built your team from scratch and got money for each win. Who you beat determined how much you got and you would use that money to pay players and improve their stats. Do you want to be popular so you can make more money or do you want to just build areas that make your team better on the field? To go along with this, the game play was great. You could jump walls to rob home runs and dive to steal base hits, things you couldn't do until the next generation of games came along. I loved this game more then any other sports game except NHL for Sega)
5. Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt (Nintendo)
My answers to these top 5 topics sometimes end up being a little perverse, a little of which is a conscious effort to avoid the obvious and expose people to things they may not have heard of or experienced and a little of which is just because my taste tends to be just slightly outside the mainstream, but with this topic it's hard to stray to far outside the box. I guess putting it 5 instead of 1 is my way of keeping true to my lists even though this was the game that changed gaming for my generation. This game was so addicting that I would walk into our spare room where the Nintendo was and find my parents playing... and they wouldn't let me play! It was my game!! This game opened the door for gaming as we know it today)
4. Tron (Intelevision)
I had to include something from Intelevision. I'm sure most of you didn't even play on it, but it was the first system in my house. I used to spend hours playing this game. All you did was run around throwing discs at evil robots. It sounds so archaic now, but it kicked ass back then)
3. Tetris (Nintendo/Game Boy)
Again, super simple concept but I would play for hours. This is easily the most addicting game ever... well, other then Bust-A-Move, aka Bubble Boy. Tetris, like Mario Brothers, was the first of its kind and spawned a whole genre of puzzle games.)
2. Pitfall (Atari)
I submit that this game holds up to any game that is being played now, shitty graphics or not. I could have gone with Mrs. Pacman or Galaga or Space Invaders, but this was my favorite Atari game by far. I sure my love of Indiana Jones has something to do with that, but whatever, it's a classic.)
1. Baseball Stars (Nintendo)
None of you probably know much about this game but it was light years ahead of it's time. I'll admit that I haven't played a baseball game in the last few years, but up until I was still playing, there were concepts in Baseball Stars that still weren't being used. You built your team from scratch and got money for each win. Who you beat determined how much you got and you would use that money to pay players and improve their stats. Do you want to be popular so you can make more money or do you want to just build areas that make your team better on the field? To go along with this, the game play was great. You could jump walls to rob home runs and dive to steal base hits, things you couldn't do until the next generation of games came along. I loved this game more then any other sports game except NHL for Sega)
How I Met Your Mother: Cleaning House
Well, it looks like we may be in for a melodramatic season from the HIMYM folks. This weeks episode was more consistently funny then last week, but still seemed a little heavy on the emotional stuff. There was no Sir Walter Dibs like scene that had me in stitches, but I was chuckling more through out the whole episode. Let's be honest, from the very beginning this show should have been called, Life With Barney, or something to that effect, because the show is at it's strongest when Barney is carrying it. The rest of the characters all have their moments and are a strong supporting cast, but nothing is funnier then Barney. As easy as race jokes can be, there was something hilarious about Barney's delusion that he had found his father. Do we want to know Ted's future wife is? Yes. Do we want to follow the ups and downs of the Marshal Lilly relationship? Yes. Do we want to know what the future has in store and still what secrets there may lie in Robin's past? Sure. But what we really tune in for week after week is Barney. As long as he's bringing the funny week after week, I'll keep watching.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Terriers: Change Partners
How do you feel about your past? What are your hopes for the future? These were the major questions raised in "Change Partners" as we got a little more background about the history of our beloved duo. What we were given were two men heading in different directions who need each other to get there. By finally getting a little detail into Britt's past, we see what makes Britt and Hank intrinsically different. We've been shown from episode one that Hank is someone who is not so much hanging on to the past as he is trying to get it back and this episode only added to that characterization. The episode starts with Hank tricking Britt into stealing his ex-wife's new fiance's wallet (that was a mouth full) and using the info to ruin his credit and mess with his identity. Add that to his irrational efforts to buy his old house from his ex and we see a man doing everything in his power to regain everything he once had. What exactly caused Hank's loss, we're not sure of. All we know is he worked as a policeman for 9 years and retired one year before he could claim a pension. Obviously, much of Hank's character is hidden behind the reason he left the force. Was it something he choose to do? Was he forced out? What role does his ex-partner and/or ex-wife play in it? I hate to say it, but if some of these answers aren't given soon people are going to lose sympathy for Hank's plight. As lovable as Hank first seemed, he's slowly dropping into the realm of unredeemability. Thinking to forge the bankers name as his dead body lay bleeding on the sidewalk just so he could keep the house he can't afford in the first place was so shocking an act, it's hard to find ways to forgive him. Hopefully Hank will swing out of his downward spiral before his lost all likability.
Britt, on the other hand, seems to be running from his past as fast as he can. We were finally given a little detail into his criminal past and how ashamed of it he is. We met one of his old partners, Ray, and were told how he came to meet both Hank and his girlfriend, Katie. Britt broke into people's houses, into places of business, pick pocketed bystanders. Unlike Hank, who is actively chasing his past, Britt has a chance to take up his old ways dropped in front of him and chooses to pass. And it makes him so much more likable. Britt is far from grown up, but is so much more mature then the guy who robbed people blind. Britt knows the future he wants, one that includes Katie, and knows he won't get it as a thief. That realization is a level of maturity that is lost on Hank. Will Britt ever be tempted back into a life of crime? I'm sure that's a story line somewhere down the line. But for now, Britt has moved on and we're left wondering if Hank will be able to join him.
Other Things From Episode...
What was with that last scene? Was that really another person in the house? Or was it a flash back to something that happened in the past similar to those scenes in the episode "Dog And Pony"? There haven't been enough episodes to tell if those scenes were a style the show will repeat or not. If it was a person who broke into the house, who? Does it have to do with the Lindus storyline or is it something new to us? We'll have to wait and see.
Britt, on the other hand, seems to be running from his past as fast as he can. We were finally given a little detail into his criminal past and how ashamed of it he is. We met one of his old partners, Ray, and were told how he came to meet both Hank and his girlfriend, Katie. Britt broke into people's houses, into places of business, pick pocketed bystanders. Unlike Hank, who is actively chasing his past, Britt has a chance to take up his old ways dropped in front of him and chooses to pass. And it makes him so much more likable. Britt is far from grown up, but is so much more mature then the guy who robbed people blind. Britt knows the future he wants, one that includes Katie, and knows he won't get it as a thief. That realization is a level of maturity that is lost on Hank. Will Britt ever be tempted back into a life of crime? I'm sure that's a story line somewhere down the line. But for now, Britt has moved on and we're left wondering if Hank will be able to join him.
Other Things From Episode...
What was with that last scene? Was that really another person in the house? Or was it a flash back to something that happened in the past similar to those scenes in the episode "Dog And Pony"? There haven't been enough episodes to tell if those scenes were a style the show will repeat or not. If it was a person who broke into the house, who? Does it have to do with the Lindus storyline or is it something new to us? We'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Top 5: TV Theme Songs
Another two post day. In honor of the new TV season I decided to go with Top 5 Favorite TV Theme Songs...
5. Animaniacs www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWnWwN1z_UM&feature=related
I debated whether to include this or not. Most of the TV theme songs we think of were prime time shows and Animaniacs was a afternoon cartoon, but I left the title of the list more open then I was originally thinking. Animaniacs was a TV show and its theme song was great. This funny, nonsensical ditty captured the true spirit of the show. It paraded out all your favorite characters. It made you laugh. And most important of all, you couldn't get it out of your head. My favorite part was the line that changed every show. It gave you something to look forward to every time it came on
4. The Muppet Show www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EK-4KEKsLM&feature=related
Even more then the song, I got excited every time the distinct production company logo popped up on my TV screen. I knew what was going to follow and at the time there was nothing better in the world. The song is a classic and brings back tons of memories. I can't imagine anyone not getting a little giddy once it starts to play.
3. Dukes Of Hazzard www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EK-4KEKsLM&feature=related
There seems to be a bunch of nostalgia connected to this list for me. In part I'm sure that has to do with the fact that TV theme songs aren't what they once were. To a certain extent, another part is that nostalgia plays a roll in everything that we hold dear, so any list of favorites is going to contain a bunch of nostalgia. This was another childhood favorite. The night it came on was my favorite day of the week. I think I enjoyed the car flying through the air more then anything, but the song was damn good too. The only song on my list by a radio played artist, Waylon Jennings.
2. The A-Team www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVonyVSQoM&feature=related
One of the best orchestral themes ever as far as I'm concerned, TV or not. It gets me almost as giddy as the Raiders of The Lost Ark theme or the Star Wars theme. I know it might be blasphemy to compare it to a John Williams piece of work, but I don't care. I remember it being a staple whenever the High School band would come play at our grammar school. It was the only moment I payed attention to what was going on.
1. Cheers www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KtAgAMzaeg
There isn't much question to this one. This is by far the greatest theme song ever. It encapsulated everything the show was about in a tidy minute. It's totally catchy and could have easily been a huge radio hit without the popular show behind it. I loved the song as much as I loved the show.
Honorable Mentions: Friends, The Jeffersons, Laverne and Shirley, Mission Impossible
5. Animaniacs www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWnWwN1z_UM&feature=related
I debated whether to include this or not. Most of the TV theme songs we think of were prime time shows and Animaniacs was a afternoon cartoon, but I left the title of the list more open then I was originally thinking. Animaniacs was a TV show and its theme song was great. This funny, nonsensical ditty captured the true spirit of the show. It paraded out all your favorite characters. It made you laugh. And most important of all, you couldn't get it out of your head. My favorite part was the line that changed every show. It gave you something to look forward to every time it came on
4. The Muppet Show www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EK-4KEKsLM&feature=related
Even more then the song, I got excited every time the distinct production company logo popped up on my TV screen. I knew what was going to follow and at the time there was nothing better in the world. The song is a classic and brings back tons of memories. I can't imagine anyone not getting a little giddy once it starts to play.
3. Dukes Of Hazzard www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EK-4KEKsLM&feature=related
There seems to be a bunch of nostalgia connected to this list for me. In part I'm sure that has to do with the fact that TV theme songs aren't what they once were. To a certain extent, another part is that nostalgia plays a roll in everything that we hold dear, so any list of favorites is going to contain a bunch of nostalgia. This was another childhood favorite. The night it came on was my favorite day of the week. I think I enjoyed the car flying through the air more then anything, but the song was damn good too. The only song on my list by a radio played artist, Waylon Jennings.
2. The A-Team www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVonyVSQoM&feature=related
One of the best orchestral themes ever as far as I'm concerned, TV or not. It gets me almost as giddy as the Raiders of The Lost Ark theme or the Star Wars theme. I know it might be blasphemy to compare it to a John Williams piece of work, but I don't care. I remember it being a staple whenever the High School band would come play at our grammar school. It was the only moment I payed attention to what was going on.
1. Cheers www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KtAgAMzaeg
There isn't much question to this one. This is by far the greatest theme song ever. It encapsulated everything the show was about in a tidy minute. It's totally catchy and could have easily been a huge radio hit without the popular show behind it. I loved the song as much as I loved the show.
Honorable Mentions: Friends, The Jeffersons, Laverne and Shirley, Mission Impossible
Lonestar: Pilot
The buzz on Fox's new drama, Lone Star, was that it was great but so high concept that reviewers couldn't imagine how it could last creatively more than 5 or 6 episodes. From the pilot episode, I don't see that as the shows problem. It seems to me, the concept of a grifter trying to get out of the game and start a real life could be easily shed. Lone Star seemed to be nothing more than a really good night time soap opera. That being the case, I don't see any problem with them following other characters and changing story lines with relative ease. I mean, it wouldn't have been odd for a grifter with a shady past to walk on Melrose Place, why can't Lone Star do it?
The problem I see has more to do with the audience feeling sympathy for the lead character, Bob Allen played by James Wolk. Bob is a con man who is currently working two cons. In one he is married to the daughter of a huge oil tycoon, Cat Thatcher, played by Friday Night Lights favorite Adrianne Palicki. In the other he is the boyfriend of a girl, Lindsay played by Eloise Mumford, who's parents he is taking money from. While it is easy to connect with Bob's desire to get out of the racket and become part of a "real" life, what I find a stretch to relate to is his desire to keep both lives he is living. I realize that the anti-hero is becoming the norm more then the exception, characters like Tony Soprano and Don Draper and Tommy Gavin have us all rooting for the bad guy, but there is something about deciding to marry two women and keep it secret from them I have a problem rooting for. Some will ask, why is that any different then Tony and Don cheating on their wives? I guess it's in the writing. You know what Tony and Don are doing is wrong and you aren't happy when they do it. You hope they will see the errors of there ways and every time they slide you feel upset. I felt like Lone Star was glorifying Bob's decision, like it was the right thing to do and at that point it lost me.
On the whole I enjoyed Lone Star in a vapid way. It was a fun hour and there were some good actors that I like watching. I don't think it will be appointment viewing for me and if they don't do something to change Bob's decision making I may fall off even faster, but for now I will continue to watch.
The problem I see has more to do with the audience feeling sympathy for the lead character, Bob Allen played by James Wolk. Bob is a con man who is currently working two cons. In one he is married to the daughter of a huge oil tycoon, Cat Thatcher, played by Friday Night Lights favorite Adrianne Palicki. In the other he is the boyfriend of a girl, Lindsay played by Eloise Mumford, who's parents he is taking money from. While it is easy to connect with Bob's desire to get out of the racket and become part of a "real" life, what I find a stretch to relate to is his desire to keep both lives he is living. I realize that the anti-hero is becoming the norm more then the exception, characters like Tony Soprano and Don Draper and Tommy Gavin have us all rooting for the bad guy, but there is something about deciding to marry two women and keep it secret from them I have a problem rooting for. Some will ask, why is that any different then Tony and Don cheating on their wives? I guess it's in the writing. You know what Tony and Don are doing is wrong and you aren't happy when they do it. You hope they will see the errors of there ways and every time they slide you feel upset. I felt like Lone Star was glorifying Bob's decision, like it was the right thing to do and at that point it lost me.
On the whole I enjoyed Lone Star in a vapid way. It was a fun hour and there were some good actors that I like watching. I don't think it will be appointment viewing for me and if they don't do something to change Bob's decision making I may fall off even faster, but for now I will continue to watch.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
How I Met Your Mother: Big Days
Busy day today. Putting up a couple of posts so I can try to catch up with all that is going on now that the new TV season is up and going. I'll start with my favorite sitcom at the moment, How I Met Your Mother...
Last season was a huge disappointment from what had been the most consistently funny show on TV. Even the show runners admitted that they had steered the show wrong. One of the things I enjoyed most about HIMYM was the shows style, they way the played with time lines, the way nothing that happened was lost or forgotten, the way their jokes kept reappearing much like how jokes between friends do in real life. HIMYM was not a normal sitcom. It wasn't Two And A Half Men or Big Bang Theory. It broke all the conventions those shows rely on to stay funny. Then last season happened. For whatever reason the writers and show runners decided to shift away from what made the show special and made a season filled with stand alone episodes and tepid jokes. That's not to say there weren't some classic moments, like duck vs rabbit or the one joke that ran through the whole season, the doppelgangers, but as a whole I was scared HIMYM was losing steam.
In the months leading up to the season opener, the people behind HIMYM made it clear to the media that they knew they went wrong last season and promised the up coming season was going to go back to what we all liked about the show before. After watching the first episode, I'm still not convinced. The episode felt high on the drama and emotion and light on the laughs. The funniest part of the show was the opening scene with Barney and Ted. Sir Walter Dibs is a classic Barney creation and Ted's response that he didn't "have time for a fake history lesson," was hilarious. I have my fingers crossed that this will be, like the creators said, the best season ever, but the season opener leaves a lot of room for improvement.
A couple things... who's wedding were the boys at is the obvious question the episode brings up. The obvious answer would be Barney's, which then begs the question who is he marrying? The interactions between Barney and Robin earlier in the episode seem to open the possibility of them getting back together. Do Barney and Robin get married? I think more then Barney, it's Robin that is getting married. To who? I'm not sure, probably a character we haven't met yet. Also, the umbrella is mentioned yet again. Ted tells us she is at the wedding... will we finally get to see her by the end of this season. And if we do, what happens to the rest of the show?
Last season was a huge disappointment from what had been the most consistently funny show on TV. Even the show runners admitted that they had steered the show wrong. One of the things I enjoyed most about HIMYM was the shows style, they way the played with time lines, the way nothing that happened was lost or forgotten, the way their jokes kept reappearing much like how jokes between friends do in real life. HIMYM was not a normal sitcom. It wasn't Two And A Half Men or Big Bang Theory. It broke all the conventions those shows rely on to stay funny. Then last season happened. For whatever reason the writers and show runners decided to shift away from what made the show special and made a season filled with stand alone episodes and tepid jokes. That's not to say there weren't some classic moments, like duck vs rabbit or the one joke that ran through the whole season, the doppelgangers, but as a whole I was scared HIMYM was losing steam.
In the months leading up to the season opener, the people behind HIMYM made it clear to the media that they knew they went wrong last season and promised the up coming season was going to go back to what we all liked about the show before. After watching the first episode, I'm still not convinced. The episode felt high on the drama and emotion and light on the laughs. The funniest part of the show was the opening scene with Barney and Ted. Sir Walter Dibs is a classic Barney creation and Ted's response that he didn't "have time for a fake history lesson," was hilarious. I have my fingers crossed that this will be, like the creators said, the best season ever, but the season opener leaves a lot of room for improvement.
A couple things... who's wedding were the boys at is the obvious question the episode brings up. The obvious answer would be Barney's, which then begs the question who is he marrying? The interactions between Barney and Robin earlier in the episode seem to open the possibility of them getting back together. Do Barney and Robin get married? I think more then Barney, it's Robin that is getting married. To who? I'm not sure, probably a character we haven't met yet. Also, the umbrella is mentioned yet again. Ted tells us she is at the wedding... will we finally get to see her by the end of this season. And if we do, what happens to the rest of the show?
Big Brother: Finale
Ok, this is a little late but I felt obliged to comment briefly on the finale since I've been posting the whole season. Really, not much to say. The votes played out just as I thought. Hayden deserved to win. In typical Branden and Rachel fashion, they were following a different show then the rest of us. To say they voted based on social game was just silly. All three of the Brigade members that were left in the house played the same social game. The only thing that separated them was their performances in competitions and Hayden obviously was much better then the other two. I interpreted their idea of "best social game" to mean, the person we liked the best. I never thought that the two of them got over the fight with Hayden and Kristen, and I was right. I don't think the vote would have been much different if Enzo had stayed in the house instead of Lane. Maybe Brittney's vote would have gone to Hayden, making the vote 5-2 instead of 4-3. Other then that, no surprises. Even Brittney getting the viewers choice prize seemed obvious.
As entertaining as the season was, there wasn't much excitement in how it all played out. The cast kept things interesting. There were people to like, there were people to hate, but the game play was lacking. Can't wait until next year.
As entertaining as the season was, there wasn't much excitement in how it all played out. The cast kept things interesting. There were people to like, there were people to hate, but the game play was lacking. Can't wait until next year.
Monday, September 20, 2010
From My Queue: Deliver Us From Evil
Deliver Us From Evil: 4 out of 5 stars
director: Amy Berg
writer: Amy Berg
From the title you would expect this to be some sort of horror movie, and I guess in a way it could be argued that it is, but in reality it's a documentary about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the subsequent cover up. The movie focuses on one particular priest, Father Oliver O'Grady, and his victims in Central and Northern California. Although there are no graphic depictions and the descriptions of the acts are no stronger then PG-13, Amy Berg has no problem painting a chilling and disturbing story, full of raw emotion and plenty of "What the fuck" moments. It is totally mind boggling how the Catholic Church has let this stuff happen and there explanations only make things worse. Some people may say the same about the parents, who blindly trusted O'Grady and the church, but having grown up Catholic, I understand. This trust only makes the pain that much more intense when you realize it is partially your fault your kid was abused. For me, the scenes of the parents realization were the most intense. When Bob Jyono starts yelling at the camera in sadness, you can't help but feel the amount of suffering this priest has placed on not just the kids he abused but the families and the communities he was supposed to service.
One of the two things I found most disturbing was Oliver O'Grady's descriptions of his acts. The movie showcased numerous interviews with the priest where he talked about what happened and the things he did. He talks with such a nonchalant manner, smiling on many occasions, about acts that are so revolting, you almost miss out on the severity of what he's admitting to. Once you grasp what is being said you can't help but realize, this is a sick man who needs to be in jail. At the same time, you get to see the cult of personality his parishioners fell for. He presents himself as a man who is thoughtful and very self-aware, able to hide the monster he really is.
The second thing is the extent that the Catholic Church has gone to cover up and ignore this issue. Not only did they try to solve the problems my simpling moving O'Grady from parish to parish, they won't even admit to knowing there was a problem. At one point a bishop who oversaw O'Grady claimed he wasn't able to deduce there was a problem after two reported incidents because one was with a girl and one was with a boy. Why would a man sexually abusing a girl be a problem? I would think any sexual activity from supposed chaste priests would raise red flags, but what do I know? It begs the question, if sexual contact with young girls is OK, how long has the Church been letting this go on? If the Church means to practice the messages it preaches and further the teachings of Christ, how can they let this suffering happen to the youngest and most innocent of its charges? It's a question the film explores as much as it can with no real resolution, to no fault of its own. The film points out the current Pope was for years the Cardinal in charge of protection of the youth. It was his job to root out the perverts in the Church and save the kids from the atrocities that were going on, yet his response was much the same as it always seems to have been. Just move the priest to another parish where nobody knows the monster that he is.
Though at times it is hard to digest the horror of O'Grady's crimes (he once had sex with a 9 month old child), this movie is a must see for anyone who still tries to defend the Catholic Church. There is no defense for what has happened across the world.
director: Amy Berg
writer: Amy Berg
From the title you would expect this to be some sort of horror movie, and I guess in a way it could be argued that it is, but in reality it's a documentary about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the subsequent cover up. The movie focuses on one particular priest, Father Oliver O'Grady, and his victims in Central and Northern California. Although there are no graphic depictions and the descriptions of the acts are no stronger then PG-13, Amy Berg has no problem painting a chilling and disturbing story, full of raw emotion and plenty of "What the fuck" moments. It is totally mind boggling how the Catholic Church has let this stuff happen and there explanations only make things worse. Some people may say the same about the parents, who blindly trusted O'Grady and the church, but having grown up Catholic, I understand. This trust only makes the pain that much more intense when you realize it is partially your fault your kid was abused. For me, the scenes of the parents realization were the most intense. When Bob Jyono starts yelling at the camera in sadness, you can't help but feel the amount of suffering this priest has placed on not just the kids he abused but the families and the communities he was supposed to service.
One of the two things I found most disturbing was Oliver O'Grady's descriptions of his acts. The movie showcased numerous interviews with the priest where he talked about what happened and the things he did. He talks with such a nonchalant manner, smiling on many occasions, about acts that are so revolting, you almost miss out on the severity of what he's admitting to. Once you grasp what is being said you can't help but realize, this is a sick man who needs to be in jail. At the same time, you get to see the cult of personality his parishioners fell for. He presents himself as a man who is thoughtful and very self-aware, able to hide the monster he really is.
The second thing is the extent that the Catholic Church has gone to cover up and ignore this issue. Not only did they try to solve the problems my simpling moving O'Grady from parish to parish, they won't even admit to knowing there was a problem. At one point a bishop who oversaw O'Grady claimed he wasn't able to deduce there was a problem after two reported incidents because one was with a girl and one was with a boy. Why would a man sexually abusing a girl be a problem? I would think any sexual activity from supposed chaste priests would raise red flags, but what do I know? It begs the question, if sexual contact with young girls is OK, how long has the Church been letting this go on? If the Church means to practice the messages it preaches and further the teachings of Christ, how can they let this suffering happen to the youngest and most innocent of its charges? It's a question the film explores as much as it can with no real resolution, to no fault of its own. The film points out the current Pope was for years the Cardinal in charge of protection of the youth. It was his job to root out the perverts in the Church and save the kids from the atrocities that were going on, yet his response was much the same as it always seems to have been. Just move the priest to another parish where nobody knows the monster that he is.
Though at times it is hard to digest the horror of O'Grady's crimes (he once had sex with a 9 month old child), this movie is a must see for anyone who still tries to defend the Catholic Church. There is no defense for what has happened across the world.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Top 5: Independent Brewers
In honor of the Brass City Brewfest, which I attended this past weekend, I am going to do a top 5 favorite independent brewers. I thought of doing top 5 beers, but thought this would be a little more interesting and let me include more of my favorites, since some of my favorite beers are made by the same brewers and some wouldn't make the list just by shear numbers. In all honesty, I could have just called this list top 5 favorite brewers and the list would have been the same (yes, I'm a beer snob... if by beer snob you mean, I refuse to support the bullshit cooperate tactics used to try to squash small business just because you can and I refuse to drink beer that taste like bad water) but I figured others might need it to be more specific...
5. Southampton Publick House, Southampton, NY
Really these guys make the list based on one brew, their Double White. It is similar to Blue Moon (Coors), a white Belgian, but the flavor is much more complex and the double means stronger alcohol content. I really taste the citrus and coriander in this, more so then other Belgian whites I've tried. It might be my favorite beer. They also make a Altgier and an IPA and a few seasonal beers, all of which are good but nothing that knocks my socks off. Just go try the Double White and you'll understand.
4. Matt Brewing Company (Sarnac), Utica, NY
Sarnac's core beers, the one's they make all year round are solid. I enjoy their Black Forest, a Bavarian Black beer, Black & Tan and Brown ale. But the real reason they got on this list is their seasonal beers. They make an excellent Irish Red. They also make what is probably my favorite of the Pumpkin Ales. The Oatmeal Stout is awesome. The Pomegranate Wheat is interesting if you like a more fruity beer. The cream of their beer crop, though, has to be the Carmel Porter. It's like drinking beer candy! You can really taste the kale.
3. Stone Brewing Co, San Diego, CA
If you're looking for your beer to drop you on your ass, this is the company for you. These beers, with names like Arrogant Bastard, Levitation Ale, and Vertical Epic Ale, are not for the faint of heart. The alcohol per volume on these starts at 7.2 and goes up (major brand beer is 4.5-5). If you really want to get your ass kicked the Double Bastard is 10.5. That's not saying anything about the bitterness. If you don't like bitter beer, you should probably stay away. But if you like a strong, well crafted beer, you need to give these guys a try.
2. Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), Boston, MA
The king of independent beer makers. You can't go wrong with a Sam Adams brew. They pretty much hit everything there is and do them all well. I really enjoy their Irish Red, Honey Porter, Summer Ale, Cream Stout and Scotch Ale. My favorite is hands down the Cherry Wheat. Some people don't like the fruit beers, and I agree some of them get to sweet (I'm not a fan of the Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier), but I love this one. Probably would be in my top 5 beers.
1. Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, PA
To me, there is more flavor in Weyerbacher beer then any other brewery I've tasted. The Merry Monks Belgian is probably my favorite beer. Its another beer with an alcohol content that might knock you on your ass. They have an excellent Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Autumn Fest, Winter Ale. Under the great named beer category, they have one called the Blithering Idiot, which is a barleywine and taste as good as it sounds. You can never go wrong with Weyerbacher and they are by far my favorite brewer.
Honorable Mention: Hooker, Bloomfield, CT. Riverhorse, Lambertville, NJ. Dogfish Head, Milton, DE
5. Southampton Publick House, Southampton, NY
Really these guys make the list based on one brew, their Double White. It is similar to Blue Moon (Coors), a white Belgian, but the flavor is much more complex and the double means stronger alcohol content. I really taste the citrus and coriander in this, more so then other Belgian whites I've tried. It might be my favorite beer. They also make a Altgier and an IPA and a few seasonal beers, all of which are good but nothing that knocks my socks off. Just go try the Double White and you'll understand.
4. Matt Brewing Company (Sarnac), Utica, NY
Sarnac's core beers, the one's they make all year round are solid. I enjoy their Black Forest, a Bavarian Black beer, Black & Tan and Brown ale. But the real reason they got on this list is their seasonal beers. They make an excellent Irish Red. They also make what is probably my favorite of the Pumpkin Ales. The Oatmeal Stout is awesome. The Pomegranate Wheat is interesting if you like a more fruity beer. The cream of their beer crop, though, has to be the Carmel Porter. It's like drinking beer candy! You can really taste the kale.
3. Stone Brewing Co, San Diego, CA
If you're looking for your beer to drop you on your ass, this is the company for you. These beers, with names like Arrogant Bastard, Levitation Ale, and Vertical Epic Ale, are not for the faint of heart. The alcohol per volume on these starts at 7.2 and goes up (major brand beer is 4.5-5). If you really want to get your ass kicked the Double Bastard is 10.5. That's not saying anything about the bitterness. If you don't like bitter beer, you should probably stay away. But if you like a strong, well crafted beer, you need to give these guys a try.
2. Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), Boston, MA
The king of independent beer makers. You can't go wrong with a Sam Adams brew. They pretty much hit everything there is and do them all well. I really enjoy their Irish Red, Honey Porter, Summer Ale, Cream Stout and Scotch Ale. My favorite is hands down the Cherry Wheat. Some people don't like the fruit beers, and I agree some of them get to sweet (I'm not a fan of the Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier), but I love this one. Probably would be in my top 5 beers.
1. Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, PA
To me, there is more flavor in Weyerbacher beer then any other brewery I've tasted. The Merry Monks Belgian is probably my favorite beer. Its another beer with an alcohol content that might knock you on your ass. They have an excellent Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Autumn Fest, Winter Ale. Under the great named beer category, they have one called the Blithering Idiot, which is a barleywine and taste as good as it sounds. You can never go wrong with Weyerbacher and they are by far my favorite brewer.
Honorable Mention: Hooker, Bloomfield, CT. Riverhorse, Lambertville, NJ. Dogfish Head, Milton, DE
Monday, September 13, 2010
Big Brother: BRIGADE
So, the boys changed tact once again and decided to run with what got them there. In a lot of ways, this season of Big Brother reminds me of Survivor: Africa. As much as I was entertained by the cast members, the sides where chosen right at the beginning and loyalty and smart play kept that alliance in power the whole season. I'd like to feel bad for Brittney, but as I have pointed out, she had many opportunities to change the game in her favor but just didn't. Did she not realize how tight the boys were? Maybe. I think she just let her personal feelings affect her game play. When someone is an outsider they are in their weakest position and more willing to join forces. She could have used this to make a pact with Brendon and Ragan and Kathy and the game would have been changed, but she had to get Brendon out of the house.
I think its Hayden's game to lose. He is already in the final competition and if he wins he'll take Lane. I'm not sure how much Rachel and Brendon will hold in house fights against Hayden and who knows which way Matt and Ragan will go, but I figure the vote will fall 5-2 Hayden. Enzo just can't win a competition, so I doubt he'll be a factor, but I guess there is an outside chance he gets into the final and upsets Hayden. In that case, I think he takes Lane and the vote falls much the same way. Have to wait until Wednesday to find out. My final rankings...
1.Hayden
2.Enzo
3.Lane
I think its Hayden's game to lose. He is already in the final competition and if he wins he'll take Lane. I'm not sure how much Rachel and Brendon will hold in house fights against Hayden and who knows which way Matt and Ragan will go, but I figure the vote will fall 5-2 Hayden. Enzo just can't win a competition, so I doubt he'll be a factor, but I guess there is an outside chance he gets into the final and upsets Hayden. In that case, I think he takes Lane and the vote falls much the same way. Have to wait until Wednesday to find out. My final rankings...
1.Hayden
2.Enzo
3.Lane
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Terriers: Pilot
Police Procedural and Medical Dramas have become the kings and queens of television. You would find it hard pressed to turn on your TV at any given hour and not find one or two of each on. But there is something about these shows that never connected with me. I missed out on the Law and Order craze. I have no desire to watch one CSI a week, let alone three. A good private investigator show though, that's a different story. There is something grittier about the PI, more exciting. A good PI show is less about the crimes being solved and more about the people solving them. Its about working outside the rules. Its about overcoming ones glaring shortcomings. There's just more meat there. With all the focus on the police side of things, television had seemed to forget about the police procedural's rebel cousin. The last PI show I remember watching was Veronica Mars, and as much as I loved that show, it was still a glossed over look at the world. But the arrival of FX's Terriers may have just changed that.
The Terriers pilot was a wonderfully gritty look into the world of two private investigators, Hank Dolworth played by Donald Logue (The Tao Of Steve, Grounded For Life) and Britt Pollack played by Michael Raymond-James (True Blood), neither on the upside of life. Dolworth is an ex-cop with a drinking past and an ex-wife. Pollack is a lovable loser whose girlfriend can't seem to pressure into growing up. What sells this show right from the first scene is the chemistry between the two partners. You can't help but love the two men as their funny banter and playful nature carry you through the heavy and sometimes brutally violent messes they get themselves into. The pilot episode finds the two getting in over there heads with a local real estate developer with tons of money and power. Though the episode comes to a resolution, we are given the feeling that the two will run into further problems with the man and his shady associates, most likely giving us a storyline that will run throughout the season.
Even though the show will only remain interesting as long as Logue and Raymond-James relationship feels fresh, there are other performances that spice up the story. Rockmond Dunbar's (Prison Break, Soul Food) turn as Dolworth's ex-police partner, Mark Gustafson, added more depth to the shows world as a whole. His obvious frustration dealing with Dolworth and his bullshit felt as painful, if not more, then Dolworth's dealings with his ex-wife, Gretchen (Kimberly Quinn). The fact that either of the two continue to put up with him, even at a distance, makes you realize there is something worthwhile to the character, even if he has fallen far from grace. Laura Allen (Mona Lisa Smile) does much the same for Britt as his girlfriend, Katie Nichols. Katie is obviously looking for more from her boyfriend, stability, commitment, a kid, but none of it appears to be in the immediate future. So, she puts up with Britt's childish behavior and his loser sidekick in hopes that things will change. The question the show will probably address at some point, though, is how long is she willing to put up with it?
I have high hopes for Terriers. The witty writing and solid acting is enough to keep me watching. It will now be seen how fresh they can keep the story lines and the great chemistry between the two leads.
The Terriers pilot was a wonderfully gritty look into the world of two private investigators, Hank Dolworth played by Donald Logue (The Tao Of Steve, Grounded For Life) and Britt Pollack played by Michael Raymond-James (True Blood), neither on the upside of life. Dolworth is an ex-cop with a drinking past and an ex-wife. Pollack is a lovable loser whose girlfriend can't seem to pressure into growing up. What sells this show right from the first scene is the chemistry between the two partners. You can't help but love the two men as their funny banter and playful nature carry you through the heavy and sometimes brutally violent messes they get themselves into. The pilot episode finds the two getting in over there heads with a local real estate developer with tons of money and power. Though the episode comes to a resolution, we are given the feeling that the two will run into further problems with the man and his shady associates, most likely giving us a storyline that will run throughout the season.
Even though the show will only remain interesting as long as Logue and Raymond-James relationship feels fresh, there are other performances that spice up the story. Rockmond Dunbar's (Prison Break, Soul Food) turn as Dolworth's ex-police partner, Mark Gustafson, added more depth to the shows world as a whole. His obvious frustration dealing with Dolworth and his bullshit felt as painful, if not more, then Dolworth's dealings with his ex-wife, Gretchen (Kimberly Quinn). The fact that either of the two continue to put up with him, even at a distance, makes you realize there is something worthwhile to the character, even if he has fallen far from grace. Laura Allen (Mona Lisa Smile) does much the same for Britt as his girlfriend, Katie Nichols. Katie is obviously looking for more from her boyfriend, stability, commitment, a kid, but none of it appears to be in the immediate future. So, she puts up with Britt's childish behavior and his loser sidekick in hopes that things will change. The question the show will probably address at some point, though, is how long is she willing to put up with it?
I have high hopes for Terriers. The witty writing and solid acting is enough to keep me watching. It will now be seen how fresh they can keep the story lines and the great chemistry between the two leads.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Big Brother: I've Been Called A Ball Buster Before
So, Hayden is HOH and it looks like him and Enzo have paired up to keep Brittney around. Everything is going to ride on the POV this week. If Lane wins, he takes himself off and votes Enzo out of the house and loses Enzo's vote in a situation where he needs every vote he can get. If Brittney wins, she takes herself off and sends Enzo home, which helps Lane's cause by saving him the scar from voting out Enzo. If Enzo or Hayden wins, nominations stay the same and Lane goes home. I'm not sure what effect that would have on the final vote.
That's all I really have to comment on this week, so I'm going to do 4 burning questions at this point in the season...
4. How is Ragan going to react to Matt's lie?
Ragan got very close to Matt and felt they were kindred spirits. Seeing how Kathy reacted to the truth about Matt's wife, I can't imagine Ragan not being totally destroyed. I'm not sure what Matt was thinking trying this ploy in the first place. Whether or not he thought it was just a game strategy, there is no way he could have thought that others in the house would be able to brush off the truth as part of the game. And what matters most in these games is not how you would react but how others will react. If it's not painfully awkward in the jury house right now, its going to get one hundred times worse when Ragan's shoes walk through the door.
3. Can Lane do a confessional without yelling and chopping one hand into the other for emphasis?
Now that there is only four people in the house and we get to see that much more of Lane in the confessional, this is really starting to bug me. The act was slightly humorous the first time they showed it, but now that we've all seen it a hundred times the luster is off the penny. I went from being OK with Lane winning to hoping he falls on his face in a matter of two shows. Just talk to the camera like a normal person, sir. The only saving grace for Lane, in my eyes, was his anti-flower rant. As a fellow "I don't do flowers" male, I couldn't help but cheer his excited yell and hand chop for at least a couple minutes.
2. Can't somebody get Brittney some hair dye?
If this finance of hers is so caring and loving don't you think he would have put some hair dye in her HOH basket? Those roots show more and more every week. These people get all the food and alcohol they want, but a girl can't get a few beauty aids. They should make that one of the reward challenges, win a months worth of hair dye. I really should care less about this, but it bothers me when pretty girls feel they need to be blond. Brunettes are better looking, ladies. Keep your hair its natural color.
...that may have been the gayest paragraph I have ever written.
1. What the hell does the nickname Meow, Meow mean?
I've asked it before and I still don't have an answer. What the hell? It makes no sense. Why does a grown man call himself that? I demand answers before the season comes to an end!
That's all I really have to comment on this week, so I'm going to do 4 burning questions at this point in the season...
4. How is Ragan going to react to Matt's lie?
Ragan got very close to Matt and felt they were kindred spirits. Seeing how Kathy reacted to the truth about Matt's wife, I can't imagine Ragan not being totally destroyed. I'm not sure what Matt was thinking trying this ploy in the first place. Whether or not he thought it was just a game strategy, there is no way he could have thought that others in the house would be able to brush off the truth as part of the game. And what matters most in these games is not how you would react but how others will react. If it's not painfully awkward in the jury house right now, its going to get one hundred times worse when Ragan's shoes walk through the door.
3. Can Lane do a confessional without yelling and chopping one hand into the other for emphasis?
Now that there is only four people in the house and we get to see that much more of Lane in the confessional, this is really starting to bug me. The act was slightly humorous the first time they showed it, but now that we've all seen it a hundred times the luster is off the penny. I went from being OK with Lane winning to hoping he falls on his face in a matter of two shows. Just talk to the camera like a normal person, sir. The only saving grace for Lane, in my eyes, was his anti-flower rant. As a fellow "I don't do flowers" male, I couldn't help but cheer his excited yell and hand chop for at least a couple minutes.
2. Can't somebody get Brittney some hair dye?
If this finance of hers is so caring and loving don't you think he would have put some hair dye in her HOH basket? Those roots show more and more every week. These people get all the food and alcohol they want, but a girl can't get a few beauty aids. They should make that one of the reward challenges, win a months worth of hair dye. I really should care less about this, but it bothers me when pretty girls feel they need to be blond. Brunettes are better looking, ladies. Keep your hair its natural color.
...that may have been the gayest paragraph I have ever written.
1. What the hell does the nickname Meow, Meow mean?
I've asked it before and I still don't have an answer. What the hell? It makes no sense. Why does a grown man call himself that? I demand answers before the season comes to an end!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Top 5: Monty Python Flying Circus Skits
I just got the opportunity to watch the Sundance Channel 6 part documentary on Monty Python the other day and it inspired this list. I've decided to just stick to the Flying Circus television show and not include any of the Python movies, other then "And Now For Something Completely Different" which was just a best of Flying Circus movie anyway...
5.Frontiers Of Medicine-Penguins www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmx0jml1jk
This isn't one of the more known Python sketches but it has me in stitches every time I see it. They send up the science community and the absurdity of some of the studies conducted by trying to prove that Penguins are smarter then humans. When asked a series of questions Penguins and Non-English speaking humans score the same! They also get a few shots in on BBC programmers (just substitute ABC, NBC or CBS programmer and you should get the jokes). The sketch also shows how ahead of the curve Python was, doing a Penguin centered sketch 30 some odd years before "The March Of The Penguins"
4.Rival Documentaries www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TOTQW0-DxM
The premise is simple enough, a bunch of documentarians fighting over one microphone. There's not much intellectual substance here but a ton of laughs. The best moment was when John Cleese tackles Michael Palin. I fell off my couch!
3. Nudge Nudge www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXpKKnffEmk
Eric Idle is my favorite Python and this was probably his best performance. Totally silly, but I couldn't count all the times I've been able to bring nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean, know what I mean, into a conversation. One of my favorite Python sketches to quote.
2. Argument Sketch www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y
This sketch encapsulates everything Python was. It was totally silly yet extremely witty at the same time. The writing is so tight and on point. If one phrase or word was off, it probably wouldn't work, but it is total genius the way they performed it. No comedy troupe since has been as good with word play as Monty Python and this is the best example.
1. Dead Parrot www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjOSLCR2hE
I didn't want to put this sketch on the list. Saying this is your favorite Python sketch doesn't say much about you and how much of a fan you may be. Everyone knows the Dead Parrot sketch. Its like saying your favorite Shakespeare play is Hamlet, the one play we all read in school. When someone says their favorite Shakespeare play is Hamlet, I assume they haven't read anything else by him. I assume the same thing about Python and the Parrot sketch. But at the same time, there has to be something that made it that famous in the first place. Dead Parrot may be the greatest sketch ever written. Its so absurd, yet we can all relate to Cleese's frustration. Palin does such a great job playing dumb. As much as I may want to, I can't deny it as the best of Python's work.
Honorable mentions: Philosopher Football www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8, Olympic Hide and Seek Final www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycb9_Y_gJ-g&feature=fvsr, Spanish Inquisition www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tym0MObFpTI&feature=related
5.Frontiers Of Medicine-Penguins www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZmx0jml1jk
This isn't one of the more known Python sketches but it has me in stitches every time I see it. They send up the science community and the absurdity of some of the studies conducted by trying to prove that Penguins are smarter then humans. When asked a series of questions Penguins and Non-English speaking humans score the same! They also get a few shots in on BBC programmers (just substitute ABC, NBC or CBS programmer and you should get the jokes). The sketch also shows how ahead of the curve Python was, doing a Penguin centered sketch 30 some odd years before "The March Of The Penguins"
4.Rival Documentaries www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TOTQW0-DxM
The premise is simple enough, a bunch of documentarians fighting over one microphone. There's not much intellectual substance here but a ton of laughs. The best moment was when John Cleese tackles Michael Palin. I fell off my couch!
3. Nudge Nudge www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXpKKnffEmk
Eric Idle is my favorite Python and this was probably his best performance. Totally silly, but I couldn't count all the times I've been able to bring nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean, know what I mean, into a conversation. One of my favorite Python sketches to quote.
2. Argument Sketch www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y
This sketch encapsulates everything Python was. It was totally silly yet extremely witty at the same time. The writing is so tight and on point. If one phrase or word was off, it probably wouldn't work, but it is total genius the way they performed it. No comedy troupe since has been as good with word play as Monty Python and this is the best example.
1. Dead Parrot www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjOSLCR2hE
I didn't want to put this sketch on the list. Saying this is your favorite Python sketch doesn't say much about you and how much of a fan you may be. Everyone knows the Dead Parrot sketch. Its like saying your favorite Shakespeare play is Hamlet, the one play we all read in school. When someone says their favorite Shakespeare play is Hamlet, I assume they haven't read anything else by him. I assume the same thing about Python and the Parrot sketch. But at the same time, there has to be something that made it that famous in the first place. Dead Parrot may be the greatest sketch ever written. Its so absurd, yet we can all relate to Cleese's frustration. Palin does such a great job playing dumb. As much as I may want to, I can't deny it as the best of Python's work.
Honorable mentions: Philosopher Football www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8, Olympic Hide and Seek Final www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycb9_Y_gJ-g&feature=fvsr, Spanish Inquisition www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tym0MObFpTI&feature=related
Friday, September 3, 2010
Big Brother: I'm No English Major
I haven't decided if Lane is brilliant or really stupid yet. It really felt like it was time for him to make a big move and keep Ragan, but I'm not sure his chances are any better or worse now that he ultimately decided to evict Ragan. Everything for him comes down to Brittney winning the HOH this week. If she wins he has no choice but to evict one of his friends and doesn't look disloyal in the process. If she loses though, and he evicts Enzo or Hayden over her, he loses at least one vote in the jury, if not two. I wonder, if Enzo wins, he would be smart enough to put Hayden and Brittney on the block, forcing Lane to chose between taking the opportunity to get rid of the hands on jury favorite and staying loyal to the Brigade? This next week could either be very interesting or extremely boring.
This week also gave us a vist to the jury house. Holy shit, did I forget how nauseating Brendon and Rachel are! We need to inact some kind of law that prevents them from ever being shown on TV again. If these two become the next Rob and Amber reality "it couple" I think I'll end up shooting my TV. My question about the jury house is, why do they only show us the feet of the person entering the house? We know who it is. They aren't hiding anything from us. Just show the whole person.
Not much to write now that we are down to the nitty gritty, so here are my rankings...
1.Hayden
2.Lane
3.Enzo
4.Brittney
This week also gave us a vist to the jury house. Holy shit, did I forget how nauseating Brendon and Rachel are! We need to inact some kind of law that prevents them from ever being shown on TV again. If these two become the next Rob and Amber reality "it couple" I think I'll end up shooting my TV. My question about the jury house is, why do they only show us the feet of the person entering the house? We know who it is. They aren't hiding anything from us. Just show the whole person.
Not much to write now that we are down to the nitty gritty, so here are my rankings...
1.Hayden
2.Lane
3.Enzo
4.Brittney
Thursday, September 2, 2010
From My Queue: Big Fan
I've gotten a little behind in my movie viewing over the last couple of years. At one point I was at the movie theater at least once a week, but due to lack of funds and other obligations I've found it harder and harder to get there. Like the title suggests, the movie reviews I will do for the blog are going to be movies from my Netflix queue. That being the case, they won't always be current, but hopefully they will still be fun...
Big Fan- 3 out of 5 stars
writer: Robert D. Siegel
director: Robert D. Siegel
cast: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan
Patton Oswalt, one of the best stand-up comedians out there, may be the lead in this movie about an obsessive New York Giant football fan, but Robert Siegel's take on the subject is far from funny. Siegel is the writer of 2008's indie darling The Wrestler and much like that film Big Fan is a dark tale of a man lost in a world of his own creation that most people don't understand. Unlike The Wrestler, there is very little feeling of redemption here, or at least hope of redemption. Oswalt's character, Paul Aufiero, works in a parking garage, lives with his mother, calls into late night radio talk shows with scripted rants, watches Giants games on a TV in the Giant Stadium parking lot and has no aspirations of anything else. When other family members badger him about finding a career or starting a family Paul says he's not interested and the viewer can't help but believe him. As pathetic as most of us would find the character, Paul seems totally content with the world he has created for himself. Sports fans can't help but feel a little threatened by Siegel's portrayal of this world. Paul is nothing but a blown up caricature of a sports fanatic. Most sports fans can relate to many of the trials and tribulations he goes through. We've all bumped into our favorite player in public and debated what to do. We've all used the pronouns us and we when talking about our favorite teams. Some of us may have even called into a radio program to add to the conversation or debate. But I find it hard to believe anyone takes it to the delusional level Paul does. Unfortunately, I'm sure most non-sports fans don't find it so hard. It's everything they fear of those they don't understand.
Over all I found the movie an interesting view. It kept me entertained for a hour and a half, even though it masked hyperbole as truth. Oswalt and one of those "that guy" character actors, Kevin Corrigan, did a great job making the somewhat depressing world the two characters lived in seem that much more real. Siegel seems to have a knack for depicting the pathetic and depressive in a way that makes you want to keep watching. I feel this movie would have been better served if it gave the audience some hope for Paul's future other then that he was content in his world, but then again, I don't write award winning movies, just this stupid blog.
***SPOILER***
One interesting question the movie does bring up for us sports fanatics is, how important is the success of our team to us? In the movie Paul gets savagely beat by his favorite athlete and then refuses to press charges because it might mean the end of said players career or at least further suspension that would hurt the Giants chances of making the playoffs. As foreign as that rational may be to some, I got it. In fact I started to worry about the repercussions before it was even fully addressed in the film. If you were given the choice of huge pay day or the continued success of your favorite team, what would you do? Would you continue to defend your favorite player even after he has proven to be a horrible person? Many people in Pittsburgh are going through this dilemma right now. Are you better off with a sub-par team that might not make the playoffs but made up of good people or a Super Bowl contender with a quarterback who has been accused of rape and other horrible acts multiple times? Paul ultimately decides for the later and although I don't really agree, I understand.
Big Fan- 3 out of 5 stars
writer: Robert D. Siegel
director: Robert D. Siegel
cast: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan
Patton Oswalt, one of the best stand-up comedians out there, may be the lead in this movie about an obsessive New York Giant football fan, but Robert Siegel's take on the subject is far from funny. Siegel is the writer of 2008's indie darling The Wrestler and much like that film Big Fan is a dark tale of a man lost in a world of his own creation that most people don't understand. Unlike The Wrestler, there is very little feeling of redemption here, or at least hope of redemption. Oswalt's character, Paul Aufiero, works in a parking garage, lives with his mother, calls into late night radio talk shows with scripted rants, watches Giants games on a TV in the Giant Stadium parking lot and has no aspirations of anything else. When other family members badger him about finding a career or starting a family Paul says he's not interested and the viewer can't help but believe him. As pathetic as most of us would find the character, Paul seems totally content with the world he has created for himself. Sports fans can't help but feel a little threatened by Siegel's portrayal of this world. Paul is nothing but a blown up caricature of a sports fanatic. Most sports fans can relate to many of the trials and tribulations he goes through. We've all bumped into our favorite player in public and debated what to do. We've all used the pronouns us and we when talking about our favorite teams. Some of us may have even called into a radio program to add to the conversation or debate. But I find it hard to believe anyone takes it to the delusional level Paul does. Unfortunately, I'm sure most non-sports fans don't find it so hard. It's everything they fear of those they don't understand.
Over all I found the movie an interesting view. It kept me entertained for a hour and a half, even though it masked hyperbole as truth. Oswalt and one of those "that guy" character actors, Kevin Corrigan, did a great job making the somewhat depressing world the two characters lived in seem that much more real. Siegel seems to have a knack for depicting the pathetic and depressive in a way that makes you want to keep watching. I feel this movie would have been better served if it gave the audience some hope for Paul's future other then that he was content in his world, but then again, I don't write award winning movies, just this stupid blog.
***SPOILER***
One interesting question the movie does bring up for us sports fanatics is, how important is the success of our team to us? In the movie Paul gets savagely beat by his favorite athlete and then refuses to press charges because it might mean the end of said players career or at least further suspension that would hurt the Giants chances of making the playoffs. As foreign as that rational may be to some, I got it. In fact I started to worry about the repercussions before it was even fully addressed in the film. If you were given the choice of huge pay day or the continued success of your favorite team, what would you do? Would you continue to defend your favorite player even after he has proven to be a horrible person? Many people in Pittsburgh are going through this dilemma right now. Are you better off with a sub-par team that might not make the playoffs but made up of good people or a Super Bowl contender with a quarterback who has been accused of rape and other horrible acts multiple times? Paul ultimately decides for the later and although I don't really agree, I understand.
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