Runway Roundup: Week 3 and Real World Rundown

Wow last night was a perfect Project Runway. We got Heidi showing off her German dominatrix side as she screamed at the designers to get going to the challenge (seriously I was scared for a second when she yelled at them). We got classic Tim quotes, “Ricky doesn’t look good, Ricky’s in trouble.” We got some designer cattiness as Ricky and Carmen mixed it up a little. And finally we got to see the season 4 designers stuck in a difficult challenge as they had to design men’s wear. It was hilarious to see the designers non reaction to their client former NFL great Tiki Barber. Although it was equally hilarious to see the lone straight guy freak out about Tiki in a similar fashion his fellow designers did when meeting Sarah Jessica Parker the week before. Because there was a celebrity involved I still felt like this season’s designers are getting challenges with huge rewards right of the bat, but that being said, it was obviously a tough challenge since the bottom 3 outfits were some of the worst in the history of the show. Carmen’s no shirt number (pictured above) was just embarrassing not only to her but to anyone ever been on or even watched Project Runway. It wasn’t just the lack of shirt or the ill fitted pants; the look itself was so bad that even the free accessories looked horrible when combined. Ricky wasn’t much better but at least he had something that could be worn…if you don’t mind being stuck with pins. Looking at Sweet P’s design made me think for the first time in my life that I could make clothes cause honestly I don’t know how much worse I could do than that collar. In the end Carmen had to go because of that god awful ensemble. Too bad too, because I loved her back story of being a former model turned designer. Lucky Ricky is living on borrowed time as he has placed in the bottom three twice in three weeks. Meanwhile the only problem I had with the episode was the winner. While Jack’s design was great I have a hard time giving the win to someone who didn’t follow the rules. It was clearly explained in the beginning that the outfits had to have three pieces and Jack only had two. Yes they were great pieces, but he still didn’t finish the task. I swear the judges have been sticklers for this in the past and by letting him win they’ve opened the door to a lot of potential controversy. Even if Jack had met the requirements, I still thought Kit had the best design. She took a look that could easily have been boring and classified as yacht wear, and played with textures and colors enough to make it young, hip and as she pointed out numerous times, TV friendly. Next week looks like another team challenge which always promises plenty of drama so tune in for that.

Now on to The Real World: Sydney which has quietly been chugging along on MTV. Early on I complained that this season was too white bread and vanilla and while those complaints are still valid the show has certainly done the best with what they’ve got. While the show has not rivaled the previous season in Denver in the sex category, the body count of this season has become staggering. First up we had the seemingly independent Shauvon head home to beg forgiveness from her ex-fiancee who doesn’t want her to work or leave the house. Then we had the coolest Real Worlder ever, Isaac, take a sabbatical for a few weeks because he saw CGI blackbirds. Now we’ve got the kicker though, as Trisha got kicked the fuck out for pushing Persian princess Parisa. I’ve been on the Trisha hating bandwagon ever since episode one when she displayed her xenophobic intolerance but week after week I’ve developed a deep reality hate for the woman. Parisa meanwhile certainly can push peoples buttons and be a bit of a drunk mom, but at least she’s been honest towards her roommates (perhaps to a fault). Taking a stand and sending Trisha packing was a bold and correct move by Parisa and hopefully one the guys in the house will continue to back her up on. Meanwhile, the remaining girls in the house have officially joined the Trisha team and displayed Trisha’s trademark classlessness when they spit at Parisa while she was on the phone. Here’s hoping next week the returning Isaac puts them in check. Either way the show has once again been entertaining and we’ve still got at least another month of drama before the season comes to an end.

I’ll be off this weekend trying to forget my age but I’ll be back next week as we enter the final month of the year and prepare to name the best of 2007.

El Dog’s Super Amazing Donkey iMix: Birthday Edition

Like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m a sucker for traditions and one new birthday tradition I’ve started is making an iMix with a song from every year of my sordid life. Each year I try not to duplicate any songs as obviously I have many favorites from each year. So here’s what I came up with for this time round and a few thoughts on why I chose them:

1973: Frankenstein- Edgar Winter: I bought this song back around Halloween for a party bus mix and instantly fell back in love with it. Not only does the song rock but it’s a perfect instrumental mix opener.

1974: Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe- Barry White: While I’ll admit that I wasn’t in my sexual prime at the age of one, Mr. White’s music has certainly influenced me to become the lover I am today. Roarrrrrr!

1975: Mama Mia- ABBA: I can’t look back on my life and not have an ABBA song. This song brings back memories of tanning on my balcony as a junior in college.

1976: More Then A Feeling- Boston: Not only one of the greatest air guitar songs of all time, but also one of the great sing a longs by a highly underrated band.

1977: Turn to Stone- Electric Light Orchestra: Another underrated band that seems to be going through a Journey like renaissance in pop culture.

1978: Just What I Needed- The Cars: One of the first songs I remember from my parent’s car radio. Circuit City almost ruined this track though.

1979: Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough- Michael Jackson: He’s a freak, he’s a perv, he might be evil but I can’t close the door on his music. This song makes me want to dance ‘til I break my ankle, which I think I’ve done before.

1980: Call Me- Blondie: One great band, one of many amazing songs, one brilliant memory of seeing Debbie perform for free at Taste of Minnesota.

1981: Down Under- Men at Work: Who would’ve guessed Colin Hay would still be around and that Men at Work’s music is less of a joke now then it was back in the 80’s.

1982: 1999- Prince: The song that introduced me to my first case of musical fanaticism. To this day Prince is one of my favorite artists and it all dates back to a song about a date.

1983: Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper: This one’s a little more audio/visual because a lot of my love for the song stemmed and stems from the great video.

1984: Jump- Van Halen: Despite the craptacular Van Halen incarnations that many people choose to remember with Sammy Hagar or Gary Cherone, I’m strictly a Roth era guy and this song still makes me strut like Diamond Dave himself.

1985: You Spin Me Round- Dead or Alive: Truly a timeless track. It could be released tomorrow and be the number one song in any club in the country.

1986: Walk This Way- Run DMC: Man I hate Aerosmith but I can’t argue with the impact the first rap/rock collaboration made on my musical future.

1987: Never Gonna Give You Up- Rick Astley: My current karaoke weapon of choice and a lost hit from the 80’s brought back to the forefront thanks to Family Guy.

1988: Mr. Brownstone- Gun’s N Roses: I remember listening to this album in 8th grade and feeling like I had discovered something all my own. Plus there was the subversive fun of listening to swear words on your headphones in class.

1989: Wild Thing- Tone Loc: I’ll admit at the time I found this song overplayed and annoying but maybe nostalgia has gotten the better of me as I truly enjoy the raspy musings of Mr. Loc these days.

1990: Poison- Bell Biv DeVoe: This cassette tape was always within reach during my bus rides to my first real job. It foreshadowed my continued love of fluff pop.

1991: Hunger Strike- Temple of the Dog: Yes I know this song wasn’t big until after the whole grunge thing hit but I actually heard this on an indie release from a friend who had his hand on the pulse of music to come. Also introduced me to Nirvana too.

1992: Welcome to Paradise- Green Day: Freshman year of college and an introduction to another band that would stick with me the rest of my life.

1993: Insane in the Brain- Cypress Hill: By no means one of my favorite bands but there are a few tracks that just make me go…well…insane.

1994: Supernova- Liz Phair: Chicks rock…nuff said.

1995: Only Happy When it Rains- Garbage: Chicks rock even hard when uber producer Butch Vig is backing them up.

1996: Lovefool- The Cardigans: Between 90210 and Romeo & Juliet I couldn’t help but have this song burned into my head for the rest of my life.

1997: Hypnotize- Notorious BIG: The greatest rapper ever and one of the best opening tracks on an album, back when people actually listened to albums in order.

1998: Like a Friend- Pulp: One of the most cinematic songs ever. To this day it makes me want to proclaim my love in the rain or run after a moving train.

1999: Guerilla Radio- Rage Against the Machine: Cause even at 34 I still like to throw my fist in the air and testify.

2000: Suckers International Has Gone Public- Dillinger 4: One of my top 5 songs by one of my top 5 bands. Please make more new music you assholes!

2001: Wild Rover- Dropkick Murphys: Okay so the song itself is old because it’s a cover but after seeing these guys live for the umpteenth time a couple of weeks back I can truly say they’ve made it their own.

2002: Get Ur Freak On- Missy Elliott: No she’s not on here cause we share a name (her’s is misspelled by the way), she’s on here because she’s the most gifted female MC of all time and one of my favorites no matter the gender.

2003: Crazy in Love- Beyonce: Try as I might I can’t hate on her music and this first solo track still gets my ass dropping and heart pumping especially Hova’s fill line.

2004: Pain- Jimmy Eat World: A highly underappreciated band (their new album is one of the best of the year) who transcended their emo label and just make great rock and roll like this track.

2005: Helicopter- Bloc Party: This has become the most played track on both my iPods and I can’t give you a definitive reason why. There are no other tracks by the band that I really enjoy, there’s no sing a long ability that often seduces me, there’s just a really great song that reminds me why I love music. How awesome is it that you can play this on Guitar Hero III!

2006: Don’t Cry Out- Shiny Toy Guns: Since I didn’t hear it until 2007 I wasn’t able to name this the best song of 2006 even though it was. The euro pop/disco mix of this band certainly makes me think of some great old music but its still fresh all by itself. Plus it helped endear me to my current lady friend.

2007: Gimme More- Britney Spears: She’s back musically even if the rest of her life spirals downward. This first single really brought her back to relevance at least for a couple of weeks when it declared…”It’s Britney bitch.”

34 Realizations on Turning 34

This weekend mother nature will once again slap me on the ass and inform me I’ve aged another 365 days. While I don’t consider myself to be the most introspective person in the world I am a sucker for creating traditions, so without further adieu here’s this year’s installment of birthday realizations:

34. The older you get the more scary doctors become.
33. Not only are most pro athletes younger than me, but I could be their father.
32. I may live past 60.
31. Money is the greatest evil in this world.
30. Money is the greatest necessity in this world.
29. I don’t care if athletes take steroids.
28. Despite some bad spots, I’m still a romantic at heart.
27. I never get tired of saying “Jordan Catalano.”
26. If I was a wrestler, my finishing move would be the “Throat Punch.”
25. I hate the idea of people more than people themselves.
24. The older I get, the longer these lists become.
23. I’ll never see my Wisconsin Badgers play for the National Championship in football but that’s ok.
22. Quitting smoking is harder than I thought.
21. Remakes or reimaginings can sometimes surpass the original (see Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica).
20. The US political system is so corrupt that we’ll never have a government for the people by the people in my lifetime.
19. I can’t quite party as hard as I once could.
18. Add New York to the list of cities that could kill me.
17. Its easier to spoil someone else than it is yourself.
16. Kitchen tongs are the most essential cooking utensil.
15. I can live without an iPhone…at least for another year.
14. I think I’m ready to enter the HD era of TV.
13. No matter how much I try, believing in a higher power is a foreign concept to me.
12. Believing in the concept of the lizard people is surprisingly easier.
11. Unless you’re the 2001 Baltimore Ravens you need more then a “game manager” at the quarterback position.
10. I’m more like my parents than I ever realized.
9. Sexual orientation and gender identification are too entirely different things.
8. I’m not too old to go to concerts, although I think some people might be too young.
7. As much of a geek as I am, I’d rather not see Star Wars be turned into a TV show.
6. While Halloween and St Patrick’s Day are my favorite holidays, I secretly love Christmas almost as much.
5. You truly don’t know what you’re missing until you find that same thing.
4. I’m both a snob and a reverse snob, which can make things difficult.
3. 2-Pac and Biggie are really dead but I think Elvis lived.
2. I’m a natural born entertainer…sometimes unintentionally.
1. I think my 30’s are turning into the best years of my life despite the aches and pains.

Minneapolis Restaurant Preview: The Red Stag Supperclub

Clearly we live in a world of Top Chef and foodie goodness. How else could you explain the fact that so many people, myself included, are familiar with the term soft opening. For those not in the know, a soft opening is when a new restaurant opens its door without fanfare or press in an attempt to give their operation a final run through on live paying guinea pigs…I mean customers. This past weekend I was lucky enough to experience this for myself as I visited the newly opened Red Stag Supperclub.

The Red Stag has been on my food radar for months now and for a couple of reasons. First off, there’s the obvious fact that its in my neighborhood sitting squarely in the heart of the East Hennepin river district. Even after a year which saw the arrival of several new joints, we can always use more. Secondly, there is the fact that the owners took inspiration from a variety of regional old school supper clubs most notably The White Stag Inn a favorite of mine in northern Wisconsin. The White Stag is the kind of place where you get a relish tray, a wedge of lettuce salad, and just about the best damn steak you’ll ever have. It’s the kind of place you discover as a child and love as an adult. It holds a special place in my heart due to nostalgia and its fine food. Anyway the promise of an eatery using the old supper club format as inspiration kept me excited for the last six months as The Red Stag was under construction. Last week when a friend and I drove by the front of the building we were surprised to see what looked like an open restaurant and sure enough after checking the web we discovered that yes the day had finally come (although the official opening was not until yesterday).

One other item that has made The Red Stag a point of interest prior to its opening is the fact that it’s the first LEED certified restaurant in Minnesota. LEED is a certification given to businesses that are building using only sustainable and recycled products. For example the Stag recycled old pieces from other restaurants including marble flooring and a refurbished piano. Walking in to the restaurant one would never know it. The place looks amazing and certainly looks the part of a supper club right down to those old uncomfortable wooden chairs and the bartender clad in plaid. The pictures adorning the walls immediately plucked at my nostalgia strings and the bar is a thing of wooden beauty. It’s a wide open space with an equally open kitchen but the volume or the surprisingly packed restaurant was never a nuisance or annoying. Yes it seems I wasn’t the only one anticipating this place as when we arrived at 6:30 on their 3rd night of service, The Red Stag was already featuring a 45 minute wait for a party of 3. Thankfully they feature a communal table that me and my companions were more than eager to share with another group of four. I must say there was something odd about sitting at the head of a table and staring down past four empty spots to group headlined by a complete stranger who was staring back at me, but then again that’s a supper club for you, a good place to meet and mingle. Since this was a soft opening I’m going to skip observations on service altogether. As with any new restaurant I imagine it will take a few weeks to iron out all the details but I can say that our server was relatively knowledgeable about the new menu and everyone from the bar staff to the bus boys was eager to please and engage in conversation about their new enterprise.

The intent of the restaurant is obvious and that is to take the supper club and update it with a modern take and it seems like an idea that could cause some growing pains for the Stag. I mentioned that the place was packed and the cross section of the clientele was very telling. You had folks in suits one table down from folks in hoodies and jeans. The menu continued this juxtaposition with items such as bone marrow right up next to basic steaks. I’m not sure if this approach can work without alienating one type of customer or the other. Furthermore the prices seemed a bit on the high note from the bar ($3.75 for a PBR!) to a $44 “baseball cut” sirloin. My friends and I thought we’d circumvent the entrees in favor of sampling a variety of small plates and sides. Here we found a variety of quality items but once again the theme of value reared its head.

We started with a round of four dishes to share thinking that would satisfy our hunger. A fresh take on a Waldorf salad featured some incredible flavors including a crème fraische foam and smoked raisins that danced on your pallet. Sadly however the $9 salad would barely be adequate for 1 let alone 2 or 3 people. We also tried the roasted acorn squash that was cooked to perfection and served with a brown sugar maple sauce. Again the flavors were spot on but while the decision to serve the squash in its gourd was physically attractive, the mechanics of extracting all of the “meat” we exasperating. The triple cooked fries were essentially large tater tots with crispy outsides and mashed potato like insides. They were tasty but unevenly seasoned and at an average of $1 a fry, hardly a good value. Completing our first round was the lobster truffle mac and cheese. At $9 this was the best bargain on the menu and almost made up for some of the other pricing missteps. We expected a mac and cheese with the essence of lobster and yet the small casserole dish (still probably not enough for more then one person) contained succulent chunks of lobster meat mixed in with the creamy sauce and firm noodles. One might expect this dish to be overpowering and rich but the flavors were subtle and oh so savory. Still we were left hungry so we ordered another round of the magnificent mac and cheese and also tried the flatbread of the day. The flatbread was another success as it melded duck, gruyere, and grapes on a bread reminiscent of Indian nan. We closed out with a crème brulee that featured an unadvertised coffee flavor to it that was good but unspectacular.

Everything we tried except for the fries and dessert made an impression with its flavors and I certainly plan on coming back to sample their steaks and other entrees but again I’m concerned with the concept here. While the fine dining crowd will certainly appreciate the menu ex-Cosmos chef William Baskin has compiled here I doubt the sweatshirt crowd I noticed this past Saturday will make return trips based on the question of value. Likewise I’m not sure if the fine dining crew will appreciate the whimsy of the environment and theme. With a space this large and the high cost of the quality ingredients (all from local farms by the way) I’m not sure if the Stag concept has the same sustainability its building has.

Red Stag Supperclub, 509 1st Avenue NE Minneapolis, 612-767-7766 redstagsupperclub.com

Minneapolis Restaurant Review: Café Maude

When I was a junior in college my folks moved out of my childhood home on the tough streets of south Minneapolis and upgraded to a pleasure dome two blocks from Lake Harriet in southwest Minneapolis. Other than the loss of some of my street cred I welcomed the move as I got a basement apartment out of the deal. The new neighborhood had a bagel shop, an Italian deli, a pasta bar, and a good pizza joint. However as a newly turned 21 year old that stayed on and off with his parents during and after college, the neighborhood lacked the most important thing…alcohol.

Now years later, on a site previously housing a sub par deli and stuffed next to a hardware store, we have Café Maude. This is the place I dreamt about when I lived in the neighborhood. During the day it’s a bustling brunch/lunch destination and at night it’s packed with the dinner crowd and those stopping by for a drink or two. Being that this is Minnesota where we can’t even buy booze on Sundays, it was quite a battle for the owners to get the neighborhood to support a full liquor license for Maude, but thank god they did because if not my brunch experience this past weekend would just have been good instead of great.

Since Maude has become one of the hottest tables in town since its opening, I figured the best tact to get in was for my companion and I to sneak in to a brunch seating. We made reservations for 11:30 and when we arrived at 11:15 it appeared we had over anticipated Maude’s daytime popularity. Our host quickly sat us at a table in the sun drenched restaurant. The design of the place belies the fact that the restaurant is stuck in a quiet neighborhood. The deep colors on the wall and the beautiful bar make one think of a downtown hipster joint rather than a place across the street from a seamstress and a ranch style home.

Our server came over to take our drink orders and here is where Maude left a permanent imprint on my culinary mind. Since brunch was the word of the day we started out with two Bloody Marys. My companion opted for the traditional interpretation which was the perfect mix of vodka and tomato juice with a nice but not overpowering kick to it. It did not come with a beer back which was the first of many service missteps. However before I let the service issues get the better of me, I must discuss the Bloody Homer. Yep the Bloody Homer is an ode to everyone’s favorite Simpson (sorry Maggie fans). The watch word here is bacon; bacon infused vodka, the thickest slice of bacon I’ve ever seen as a stir stick, and yes, a bacon mini donut on the rim. The mini donut was the perfect blend of sweet and savory and if I were Maude’s chef I’d make a plate of these available as a brunch option. The bacon didn’t overpower the drink but instead raised the flavor levels of everything around it and it definitely popped more than the traditional interpretation. Oh and I almost forgot the Velveeta stuffed green olives and “Duff” beer back that truly made this the complete drink experience.

Of course this was brunch and being it was the weekend after Thanksgiving we had to get some food in our bellies to do some holiday shopping. The brunch menu is a combination of breakfast items, salads, soups, and sandwiches. On the menu there was no indication of any cut off time for any of the options but when we began our order our server asked us what time it was as apparently only the breakfast items are available prior to 11. He proceeded to mention that he’s been yelled at before for putting in orders prior to 11 for sandwiches. A note to management, perhaps it would be a wise investment to invest in time pieces for your staff. After getting that confusion out of the way we settled on an order of the already legendary house cut fries with cheese fondue to start and they did not disappoint. The fries themselves rival The Bulldog NE in cut and taste. There was a hint of truffle oil on these fries and the golden brown potatoes packed incredible flavor into each small bite. The fondue was an acquired taste as at first I felt it overpowered the fries themselves but after that initial reaction my companion and I found ourselves trying to get every last bit of melty goodness. Since we were doing fries we decided to split a couple of sandwiches. I went with the crab cake sandwich which featured two silver dollar sized cakes on a brioche-like bun with a tangy remoulade. In a town where my complaint is often about crab cakes with too much filler, Maude has somehow managed to error in the opposite direction. Each cake was almost 100% crab and sub par crab at that. I prefer to see some onions or peppers mixed in there as these left an overpowering fishy taste in my mouth. Also, if you’re going to serve these as a sandwich it might be a good idea to make one larger cake to fit the bun. I found myself eating it open faced as the bun, while quite tasty, was just too much. My companion opted for the vegetable Panini and here the kitchen hit another home run that matched the fries. The mix of eggplant, red pepper, zucchini, and onions was cooked perfectly with a hint of balsamic vinegar and a subtle pesto. Again the bread here was amazing and clearly baked goods are a strength of this kitchen.

Unfortunately bread played a role in exposing the relatively new restaurant’s biggest weakness, service. While we suffered at the hands of a server who didn’t know what time it was, it appeared we were the lucky ones. While my sandwich was missing the promised mixed greens and my companion missed her aforementioned beer back at least we weren’t left without sides for out entire meal. As I mentioned when we arrived the place was busy but by no means full, but by the time we left each table was full and most of them were waiting on bread. The tables had gone from ordering omelets (which I overheard raves about from many tables especially the smoked salmon with brie option) to soups and salads. However as these orders came out the accompanying bread items were missing. I overheard server after server promise that it would be right out but I saw at least three tables finish their dish before the bread made its way out. While I heard great things about the bread once it arrived, a restaurant that has been this busy since it opened should anticipate the lunch crowd and adjust their baking schedule as needed. There were also two cases of dirty flatware around us which is also a disturbing comment on the organization of an establishment.

In the end though the shortcomings in the service could not over shadow the quality of the products coming out from the kitchen and the bar. When the worst thing you eat is a crab cake that was still better than half of the ones in town then I think you have a winner. For a neighborhood that has long needed a hipster joint for young and old, Café Maude delivers on the promise on their signage, civilized leisure. I just wish it had been there 12 years ago when I could have used a late night snack and a decent drink.

Café Maude, 5411 penn ave. s. minneapolis 612.822.5411, cafemaude.com

Runway Roundup: Week 2

Hmmm in all my celebrity look alike pontifications from last week's Project Runway, I somehow managed to miss the most wonderful of them all...ladies and gentlemen, did anyone notice that French Stewart is in the house (aka Steven). I never thought much of French as an actor and after tonight I can't say his style rates much higher now granted it was not his design but this She-Ra/Cavewoman outfit (pictured above) was hands down the worse of the night. Seriously was that burlap being used as the fabric. Chris Kattan's 80's dress came off dated or as my friend Nikki put it, "Robert Palmer called and he wants his video girl back." Still it showed vision which for the second week in a row saved someone from elimination. Speaking of being saved how about crazy girl Elisa not only lasting for a week but excelling. Her sketch looked like a drawing of Violet Beauregard after she ate the everlasting gobstopper but in reality she and Sweet P (still hate that name) pulled off a nice little number. My favorite though was by Kit and Chris. The shirt dress with the design heavy pockets fit the challenge perfectly as anyone who's been to Steve and Barry's and see the Biten line can atest too. By the was how about that challenge. For the second week in a row the designers got treated like kings. As Tim Gunn pointed out in his own blog the PR contestants usually face tough challenges right out of the gate. This year they already got a carte blanche challenge in week one and in week two they're designing for a self proclaimed fashion icon in has been Sarah Jessica Parker. Did anyone else love the fact that Heidi and Tim kept pointing out that the winner MAY have their design included in SJP's Fall line. In other words don't get your hopes up. Either way the challenge while low on funds allowed contestants the chance to glam it up and really enjoy their time before they're sent packing. Next week looks like things toughen up which will give us a real look at this year's crop.

Quick Review- Angel: After the Fall #1

The success of the eighth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in comic form was bound to lead to similar tales. There’s talk of a Twin Peaks graphic novel overseen by David Lynch and a new season of Veronica Mars published by DC Comics and written by series creator Rob Thomas. Perhaps the most obvious choice though was a sixth season of Joss Whedon’s other vamp show, Angel. Cut down in its prime by a penny pinching network and a egotistical star, Angel left our screens with one of the greatest final eps in TV history. Unlike Buffy’s finale where there was a sense of closure, Angel left the fates of many of its heroes up in the air and seemed to scream for follow up. Well after Buffy season 8 started selling like hotcakes, publisher IDW has convinced Joss to open up the next chapter in the lives of the crew of Angel Investigations.

Like the show itself Joss is overseeing Angel but not directly writing it however the first issue still wreaks of his comic stench. Acclaimed comics writer Brian Lynch has stepped in and he does’t miss a beat. This feels like an authentic Angel story from front to back. I won't spoil too much but there has been some passing of the time between the last ep and this. Some of our heroes surface more or less in tact while others have changed their stripes so to speak. You can hear the dialogue as if the primary actors were reciting it and the characterizations are dead on. The art is the weakest aspect (similar to the Buffy book) but its still alright and when the biggest attraction to many of us is simply seeing what's next, it doesn't matter if the TV has a little static.

10 Things I’m Thankful For

10. Jon Stewart, despite his strike absence

9. Britney’s new CD- Wish I could say Britney but at least the kick ass album is a step in the right direction.

8. The truffle oil fries at The Bulldog NE.

7, Joss Whedon- From his comic work to the upcoming Dollhouse, with apologies to Depeche Mode, he’s like my own personal Jesus.

6. Geek Chic, which allows me to shine in all my geeky glory.

5. Project Runway- Thank you Bravo! for a ray of light during the writer’s strike..

4. George Clooney- Ocean’s 13 and Michael Clayton showed once again the Clooney two step as he does quality box office fluff and quality award-type work in the same year.

3. My Wii- One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

2. TiVo- While we have our disputes (recommending Prison Break) we still have our moments (remembering that I loved Dawson’s Creek).

1. My friends, family, and a certain someone who’s reminded me in the last six months just how fun and exciting life should and can be.

10 Things I’m Least Thankful For

Since we’re approaching Turkey Day, I thought I’d present my annual look at what I’m thankful for and what I’m not thankful for. Let’s start with the negativity first:

10. Distance (literal and figurative)

9. The term Va-jay-jay

8. Celebrity Apprentice (I know it’s not even on the air yet but I’m already despising the cast made up of retreads and has-beens like Omarosa, Tito Ortiz, and the lady from Taxi.)

7. Brad Childress and his “kick ass offense”

6. The resurgence of generic ringtones.

5. The effect the Writer’s Guild strike could and has had on the returning Lost and 24.

4. Viral Videos

3. Ellen

2. The redone Sizzler on Best Week Ever. (Talk about ruining a good segment.)

1. The Bush administration and their continued policies that manage to mix oppression and reckless abandon to terrifying new heights.

Runway Roundup: Week 1

Damn I hate to admit it but I’ve missed Seal clubbing, German robot, Heidi Klum. I mean I knew I missed Tim Gunn and the fabulous Michael Kors and even Elle Magazine fashion director Nina Garcia (I believe her title is officially part of her legal name now), but I never thought I’d miss Heidi. Imagine my surprise then at 9pm when I busted out just about the biggest smile ever as Heidi went into her usual blurb over the credit sequence. That’s just the magic of Project Runway and thank the TV gods its back.

Last night we got our first glimpse of what these 15 new designers can do and they did not disappoint on the runway or in the sewing room. As with all reality shows there are too many contestants right now to distinguish themselves (are Sweet P and Kit Pistol the same person?) but that didn’t stop a few standouts from making a splash. First off there was the jean designer who made sure we all knew he was straighter then an Idaho senator…no wait, straighter then a televangelist…no wait, straighter then a fashion designer…oh well you get the idea he really wanted to let us know he’s straight. Then there was Christian who looks like a bad Chris Kattan character from a late 90’s episode of Saturday Night Live. He clearly is this year’s child prodigy which means he’ll last a few weeks and probably cause a lot of drama while he’s there. His outfit was certainly…something. I applaud the judges for acknowledging the risks he took but really I thought it was hideous beyond words. We also met Chris the costume designer whose larger then life work matches his physique. He’s already my early fan favorite and his honest comments about his competitors was funny without being catty and his outfit was my second favorite.

Of course the best way to get to know the new designers, is in the judging and that’s were we saw the best and the worst this season might have to offer. With a challenge that left them with no other constraints then time, the contestants had an opportunity to wow the judges by showing them what they had. As I mentioned prior Christian dazzled them with his symmetrical/asymmetrical jacket ensemble that Tim worried about so much in the sewing room. Victoria, reminded the judges and me of Vera Wang (no not because she’s also Asian although…) with her simple and elegant gown but while it was well done it didn’t sparkle for me. Rami, whom I believe might be a nihilist, really hit the home run though with his toga inspired gown. It was truly an elegant piece that won him first place with the judges and with me too (not that I know what I’m talking about). Then there were the bottom three. First up was Ricky whose background as a lingerie designer failed him last night and made me think he might not have the creativity to last long. Then there was the marionette artist Elisa. From her taking a nap during the challenge, to reciting a story for her dress that had to be edited for time, this woman just screams crazy…and I love it. Her dress that vomited color from the back might have almost killed her model as she walked but it was so different and yes it was even well made. She certainly had something to say which is why she’s staying another week and Simone is head home. Simone’s outfit looked bad to me from the get go but sometimes these can excel once they hit the runway. Sadly for her this was not one of those instances.

So one down and 14 to go until we’ve got our new champion. I’ll be here every week with Runway Rundown and I’m sure we’ll have much to discuss from Tim’s witticisms to Heidi’s horrible outfits to mid season reunion shows. Either way this show will always be in…in my heart. Awwwww.

Reality Complex

Last week while I bemoaned the effect the writer’s strike will have on our TV viewing, I quaked in anticipation of an increase in reality programming. A few days later I’m still mortified of things like Celebrity Apprentice and Who’s Your Daddy 2, but after taking a step back maybe things won’t be so bad after all. I mean we’ve got books, theatrical films, and DVDs to occupy our attention and you know what there are still some oldie but goodie reality shows that just might keep us entertained. Of course the big one is season 4 of Project Runway debuting Wednesday night (9pm CST, Bravo!, review to follow Thursday) but there’s hope in a few others as well…

Survivor
This season set in China has brought the show back from a week spring season. All the contestants remaining feel like viable candidates to win and the intrigue outside of the challenges has been top notch. I’ve said it many time on this blog that there is a reason that Survivor is the longest running and most successful reality competition and it lies in the fact that the producers are never afraid to make subtle twists and tweaks. The duo immunity idols made for interesting preliminary rounds and now that one player has both, watch out from here on. Plus this season produced one of the most outlandish scenes in Survivor history when 2/4ths of a team blatantly threw a competition. While this season begins to wind down I think we can have faith that the spring edition should help ease our lack of scripted TV.

The Amazing Race
While Survivor might be the most successful show over the years, The Amazing Race has been consistently stellar. While Survivor seems to emphasize the dark side of human nature, this season of the Race has already provided some moments showing both sides of human nature as teams and players bond and compete together while still having some nasty flare ups. In a nutshell, that is why the show remains constantly gripping. It also doesn’t hurt that the casting folks on this show have a knack for finding unique couples such as past contestants like the hippies, the hicks and even convincing Romber to slum it from Survivor. This season they’ve done it again with a Goth couple I’m loving to cheer for, a father/daughter team that’s almost painful to watch, and sadly an already departed team of lesbian ministers. The challenges are still fresh and while Survivor tends to patronize the culture around them I always feel like the Race is trying to celebrate and honor the traditions of whatever land they’re in. CBS had originally left the Race off its schedule but thanks to the strike and the failure of some of their new scripted shows, I’m betting we’ll have another installment lined up after this.

The Hills
I know some of the stuff is staged. I mean I can buy that Heidi and LC could run into each other at a party but literally missing each other by a few feet or seconds prior to meeting just smacked of a staged tension builder. Still I could care less. Last night’s latest installment was a perfect reminder of why this vapid show is so damn enticing. While Audrina finally took a step forward in her career by getting out from behind the reception desk and working with actual musicians, you could tell she was more preoccupied with continuing to attempt to date JustinBobby, a guy that wouldn’t know the word commitment if it slapped him in the face. Meanwhile in between a series of wonderful comments and looks from Whitney we finally had the LC/Heidi showdown and it didn’t disappoint. You can just see Heidi slowly realizing that she’s dug herself into a hell hole with devil spawn Spencer and thankfully LC is smart enough to let Heidi stay there. New episodes are supposedly still being filmed so I imagine we’ll have a wedding in our future before we know it.

Which Side Am I On?

Oh labor strikes, how I adore and detest you? While I support the unions and the worker I hate when their disputes inconvenience my life. Take the recent Writers Guild of America strike as an example.

The writers are fighting for a piece of the new media pie which is something they deserve without question. Downloads, streaming videos, DVR recordings, are all new revenue streams for the networks/studios and as of now they’re frolicking in those streams all by themselves. There is no doubt in my mind that the writers, actors and directors all deserve some kind of residual pay from these new broadcast alternatives much the same way DVD and VHS sales are handled. The company heads are preaching a policy of ignorance with such lines as, “We’ve yet to figure out an economic model on these new media and are unable to determine if they are profit making ventures.” When was the last time a multi-million dollar corporation sunk money into a new enterprise without having some idea if it was going to be profitable? That would be like a pro sports owner saying he’s building a new stadium for the fans and not for profit (sorry Vikings fans). The common argument against the strike by the general public seems to be that the rich are just trying to get richer. Sure there are writers that have bucket loads of money like Paul Haggis, M. Night Shama-Lama-Ding-Dong, and JJ Abrams but for each of those there’s some kid straight out of school trying to milk laughter out of Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer every week. Writing in entertainment is a 9am-3am job for many and unless you’re able to hit it big and head up your own show or film, you’re pretty much doomed to working on other peoples crap for the entirety of your career…hopefully its good crap. I know we’re not talking the tough life of a steel worker here but these men and women have families and not all of them are signing million dollar development deals.

Of course when we talk about strikes there is always the effect they have on the public at large. When the transit union strikes our buses are late, when the coal workers strike our energy prices go up, but when our entertainers go on strike, that’s when we truly suffer. Take a look at the effects the strike has already had:
*The Daily Show, Colbert Report and Saturday Night Live all shut down immediately and for those of you over 50, Letterman and Leno went into reruns as well.

*New shows in development have come to a screeching halt which normally wouldn’t be a big deal but with a new Joss Whedon show on the horizon that’s about the worst thing ever.

*Many shows have ceased production immediately, most notably The Office where over half the cast are also WGA members in good standing.

*The two most anticipated premieres of mid-season have been put in an unwinable situation. While 24 and Lost both have about 8 episodes in the can and a few more scripts, neither show has the entire season scripted. Fox has decided Jack will not be back when he can only tease the audience for only half a day so Evil Soul Patch will have to bide his time. Meanwhile, ABC desperate for anything to grab ratings during the strike is preparing to air all the episodes that Lost has finished even though it could result in a season momentum killer like last year’s “air 6 then wait 3 months” plan.

*Every horrible reality pitch is now being green lighted so the networks have fresh programming. From Farmer Needs a Wife to Celebrity Big Brother we could soon be awash in a swamp of terrible reality shows we haven’t seen since the days of Temptation Island and Celebrity Mole.

*Worst of all what the hell am I going to blog about? 80% of this blog is dedicated to my love/hate relationship with TV yet even I have my limits when it comes to reality TV. Thank god the movie studios stockpiled scripts and for Netflix and for my Wii but I’m warning you people, it’s just not the same.

At the end of the day though I’ll stick with the union until every battle’s won. This strike is important not only because of the principals involved but also because the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America have contracts that expire this summer and essentially the WGA will be setting the precedent for those negotiations. For the sake of all of us let’s hope they succeed and fast.

Quick Review: American Gangster

The first time I laid eyes on the trailer for this flick, I was in love. Denzel, Russell, and Ridley Scott collaborating to tell the true story of crime boss Frank Lucas sounded like gold…Oscar gold. I’m distressed to report however that the results fall far short of the hype I and others had created around the film. American Gangster is a fine movie and that’s about the biggest praise I can give it. A tale this grandiose needs time to tell its story and while the film already runs at over two and a half hours, it feels as if it has chopped out too much story in favor of pleasing lazy audiences. Nowhere is this more evident then in the swift final 30 minutes of the film. The downfall and wrap up of Washington’s Lucas ends up playing like the last 5 minutes of an episode of Law and Order where all the pieces snap into place. The biggest mistake here is that it appears director Ridley Scott got caught up in the hype of Crowe and Washington and forgot that this is truly an amazing story that deserves to be seen and not recapped with titles. Of course I can see how Ridley could get caught up in that hype as Crowe and Washington both dazzle. I especially appreciated the dichotomy of Crowe’s portrayal of a good cop who’s not necessarily a good person and Washington’s portrayal of an evil criminal who might be a good person underneath. While the two share very little screen time I must admit I didn’t feel cheated by that as each actor carries their own half of the film in majestic fashion. Add in Chiwetel Ejiofor who after great turns in Children of Men, Serenity and Inside Man once again provides another award worthy supporting performance and a surprisingly good performance by Josh Brolin and you’ve got an acting tour de force. In the end though the acting wasn’t enough to fully satisfy me and the film just left me wanting more.

An Open Letter To Obama

Dear Senator,
When you gave that fiery speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention I was one of the many Americans who felt an immediate draw to you. You spoke with integrity, command, and with a certain type of charisma that I’d classify as presidential. Two years later when you announced your intentions to run for the Oval Office I was little disappointed. Why the rush I thought, better to get more experience before taking a run but then again I was excited to see where your candidacy would lead. Now it’s a year before the election and your campaign is in such disarray it makes John Kerry’s campaign look good. In the last few weeks you and your campaign have fallen victim to believing the media hype. Just because Hilary has a large lead in the polls now, doesn’t mean the race is over. The media should not dictate your campaign yet you’ve let it do just that. First you let your handlers leak reports to the press that you were going to take the gloves off and really go at Senator Clinton in the latest round of debates. Well either your handlers did this without you knowing, which would speak badly to the command of your campaign, or you changed your mind at the last second. Either way, the fact that you’ve gone along with business as usual at the debates makes you look weak and conciliatory after the promise of a more aggressive version of you. Just to be clear I’m not advocating a more aggressive attack on Hilary but if you’re going to say “attack” then damn the torpedoes and attack. Meanwhile the stench of desperation in your candidacy reached an all time high this week as your whored yourself out on national TV. The first misstep came as you got jiggy with it on Ellen. Senator, please tell me you at least questioned this idea before giving in. You’ve already got a strong base with both women and the GLBT community so why pander to an audience you already have. All this did was make you look like an attention starved pet who wants some cuddling from people he knows will give it to him. Then you made the big misstep of coming on Saturday Night Live. Again, you’ve got a strong presence in the youth camp so to waste your time on SNL is really inexcusable. Furthermore, other candidates and the media will use these clips to make you look like a joke to those undecided folks out there who question your experience and your presidential presence. It seems like you’re giving up to me and while I’m not even sure if I’d vote for you if the primary was today, I do know that a serious run by you in this election would be good for the Democratic party and be good for the country. Get your act together O!

DVD Review: Twin Peaks-The Definitive Gold Edition

Back in April I devoted a whole week on the blog to the release of the second season of Twin Peaks on DVD. At the time I wrote the following: “The rumor going around these days is that is this set sells well; CBS will release a box set of the entire series including the long lost pilot late this year… I know I’d drop $150 bucks for a complete set and a Twin Peaks Sherriff’s department coffee mug.” Well six months later I pretty much got my wish as Tuesday saw the release of Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Edition. The set includes both seasons and the both versions of the pilot episode which has not been on any previous DVD release in the U.S. Thankfully the $150 price tag I guesstimated was wrong and the set will run you around $80-$100 and let me tell you its soooooo worth it for any Peaks fan.

When I lauded the season 2 DVD I did have some quibbles with extras, writing: “maybe a box set would allow Lynch and CBS to give us more extras like commentaries or a documentary on the Twin Peaks festival that’s still going strong” and “I wasn’t expecting Lynch himself to make an appearance but some new stuff with Mark Frost would have been nice.” On the new set we’re still missing commentaries but we get the other things I requested and then some! First up is a nice documentary on the 2006 Twin Peaks Festival. As a die hard fan I’ve often thought of making the trip to this and while I’m not sure if the doc sells it any further, it does provide a wonderful window into the passion and camaraderie a show that’s been off the air for over 15 years still embodies. There’s also an interactive map for any explorers wanting to make their own trek out to some of the locations. Next up is a new documentary on the show that runs nearly 2 hours. The doc is broken up into four parts: making the pilot, season 1, the music, and season 2. Perhaps the most attractive thing about the doc is the participation of co-creator Mark Frost. Absent from the first two sets for the most part, Frost provides insight and candor into the creation of the show. The music section is another winner as longtime Lynch collaborator Angelo Baldamenti gives the viewer a peak into their creative process. Finally the section on season 2 is well done and disheartening to say the least as you hear the cast and crew basically tear apart their sophomore effort. There is clearly some bitterness by some of the folks for having a chance at lengthy employment ripped from them due to the network and the absence of the show’s creators. I actually found myself getting a bit peeved during this because I love season 2. Sure of the side stories were a little too off the path the show had paved but the first few episodes and the last few are some of the best in TV history. Anyway, the crowning jewel of the extras is a “roundtable” discussion with Kyle MacLachlan, Madchen Amick, and the man himself David Lynch. As someone who tends to shy away from interviews and commentaries this 20 minute discussion is something rare indeed. While Lynch doesn’t reveal anything groundbreaking like what happened to the good Cooper in the lodge, watching him interact with his cast is truly something. I recommend selling your previous sets for this set just for this segment alone. There are more extras like excerpts from MacLachlan hosting Saturday Night Live (look for the tall red haired Irish guy in the sketch) and a series of promotional items including a series of Japanese coffee commercials that a bunch of the cast took part in. The video and sound are great except for the fact that once again the optional Log Lady introductions have not been cleared up. The packaging is great once you get past the gold color which is growing on me already. Inside the discs are enclosed in a book like case and there are a set of Twin Peaks postcards that are fun to have. All in all this is well worth the upgrade if you have either season or both on DVD already and if you don’t have any then snatch this up post haste.

HOLY CRAP! WHEDON BACK TO TELEVISION and sayonara Heroes: Origins

Two huge stories broke today in TV Land, one which makes me literally squeal in delight and the other bums me the fuck out. Let’s break down the two biggest geek stories of the week.

Story #1: Joss Whedon returns to TV with Faith in tow
When Joss Whedon closed up shop on Angel a few years back TV fans everywhere thought they saw the last glimpse of a master at work. After the success of Buffy and Angel, Joss seemed to be ready to trade in the boob tube for the silver screen. After reviving his other short lived show Firefly on the big screen, word started circulating that Whedon had been tapped to make a big screen version of Wonder Woman. It seemed that our boy Joss had hit it big. Fast forward a couple of years and Whedon has been booted from Wonder Woman and his other film project Goners is stuck in development. That’s not to say that Joss hasn’t been busy. There’s the amazing season 8 of Buffy that he’s written and overseeing…in comic book form. There’s word that he’ll be overseeing the production of Angel season 6…in comic book form. Finally there’s the award winning writing he’s been doing on the Astonishing X-Men and Runaways…again both comics. I love comics but god damn I want to see living breathing folks saying the words the Joss pens again. Even the two episodes of The Office that he’s directed (the second airs tonight 8pm CST, NBC) leave me without Whedon satisfaction. Despite the film business moving slowly for Joss, it’s hard to believe he’d go back to TV after Fox screwed him on Firefly and The WB axed Angel rather unceremoniously. That’s why when I opened my web browser this morning I nearly fell off my chair. Joss is reuniting with Eliza Dushku (Faith the Vampire Slayer) for a new show on Fox called Dollhouse. The show has received a 7 episode commitment from Fox which is pretty unheard of. That means that instead of creating a pilot and hoping it gets picked up, this show already has life. Here’s the Fox description:
Echo (Eliza Dushku) [is] a young woman who is literally everybody's fantasy. She is one of a group of men and women who can be imprinted with personality packages, including memories, skills, language—even muscle memory—for different assignments. The assignments can be romantic, adventurous, outlandish, uplifting, sexual and/or very illegal. When not imprinted with a personality package, Echo and the others are basically mind-wiped, living like children in a futuristic dorm/lab dubbed the Dollhouse, with no memory of their assignments—or of much else. The show revolves around the childlike Echo's burgeoning self-awareness, and her desire to know who she was before, a desire that begins to seep into her various imprinted personalities and puts her in danger both in the field and in the closely monitored confines of the Dollhouse.
The other great news is that Joss is bringing longtime collaborator Tim Minear (Angel, Firefly, The Inside, Drive) along for the ride. Of course this is Hollywood and not everything can be great news. The upcoming Writer’s Guild strike could delay this for quite some time. Also is anyone else worried that this is happening at Fox where Whedon, Dushku and Minear have all had shows killed off before their time? Oh well, screw it, for today I just want to bask in the glory that is Joss Whedon’s return to TV. Click here for an interview with Joss and Eliza.


Story #2: Heroes: Origins, we hardly knew ya…
While one TV mastermind rises another begins their fall. Last year this time the world was a buzz with “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” Now we might have to begin to chant “Save Heroes.” In an ominous sign about the shows health, the proposed spin-off Heroes: Origins has been cancelled. The show was intended to introduce us to other super powered folk in stand alone stories that might have eventually crossed over to season 3. Even more enticing the show was going to feature celeb writers and directors and give them their crack at the Hero-verse, starting with Kevin Smith. Now we hear that it’s off the books. Of course the strike is again one reason for this but I think it has more to do with the status of Heroes itself. Not only has the fan base become dissatisfied but it’s beginning to show in the ratings. Secondly, a lot of the dissatisfaction is due to boring new characters. I’m sure the suits at NBC are a little concerned about an entire spin off of new characters. This does not bode well folks for the future, Peter, Hiro and the gang better get it together or we may be looking at the rise and fall of a franchise before it really gets going.