Casualty of Fall: Chuck

TV viewing is a weird thing, at least for me. I sit here on a Wednesday and I honestly can’t give a compelling reason as to why I’m still watching the miserable limp dog that is Heroes and yet I’m giving up Chuck. Perhaps it’s the fact that when Heroes was at its high point, it was sky fucking high, while Chuck at its best is merely solid entertainment. Either way as of today I’m saying gone to the staff at Buy More with little more then a shrug.

Chuck started out with a great premise. Nerd gets government secrets downloaded into brain and is thrust into the life of a secret agent. Good premise and for the most part good delivery. The cast has been strong over the first season and a half, and the stories have been entertaining but it just feels like they’ve played themselves out. I remember when the show launched, creator Josh Schwartz (OC, Gossip Girl) said he wanted to avoid getting bogged down in an overarching mythology. Come on Josh you gotta have some in order to keep a show like this moving forward. Without it, the show has become an action version of Everybody Loves Ray. Sure you don’t mind if it comes on at 10pm why you’re lying in bed, but episode 110 is no different then episode 510. Ray is insensitive to Debra, his parents are wacky, and Robert is depressed. With Chuck you can be sure the Buy More staff is up to something under the nose of Big Mike, Chuck is out of his comfort zone on a mission, and his CIA watchers want to kiss him or kill him. The show carries off this formula with great precision and effectiveness but it hardly makes for must see TV. The back story with former Sarah paramour and Chuck buddy Bryce Larkin had potential but was quickly snuffed out. I expect the same will occur with newly arrived Jordana Brewster as Chuck’s ex. Again I want to reiterate that this is not a bad show, it’s just not a great show and in today’s world that’s what I need from my TV. Unless you’re Heroes, then apparently I give you endless chances to disappoint me.

First Impressions: Guitar Hero World Tour

My Wii has become a tool for two things, rhythm music games and the Wii Fit. I know it can do so much more but truth is that’s all I really want or have time for when it comes to my video game experience. When it was revealed that the latest installment of the mother of all music games was going to feature multiple instruments, ala Rock Band, you best believe I stood up and took notice.

Yes, Guitar Hero World Tour has arrived in all its glory. To prepare for its arrival I traded in GH3, GH Aerosmith, and my American Idol Karaoke. I cashed in my change jar and if I had a child, I’m pretty sure I would have raided their college fund. Why such a mad dash of cash collection? The hefty price tag of the complete band set is $189.99. So now the question is, was it worth it? I’ve spent about a day with my new BFF and so far so good god that’s amazing!

Obviously, the biggest selling point on this version of GH is the addition of other instruments. As I wobbled in at midnight Saturday with the 30lb. box of equipment, I questioned whether this was truly worth the money or the trouble. After all, I already live in a two guitar household and who really wants to drum and sing anyway. That question faded as I assembled the set in my living room. First of all, the revised guitar offers some great new features and is not simply a retread. The designers have added a Star Power button so that folks who like to play seated don’t have to jerk violently to get the bonus points. In addition, they’ve added a slide neck that allows you to play different notes without strumming. I took the tutorial and these and understood it perfectly but was completely lost when it came to actual game play. I believe I’ve got more studying to do. The microphone and vocals are similar to any Karaoke Revolution game you’ve ever played. Pitch and rhythm are the keys and not so much the words. On our third song as a band, we got an old Oasis song that we couldn’t remember so there was a lot of “la la la”. Then of course, there are the biggums, the drums. Three drum pads, two cymbals and a kick pedal make up the set and it does so in a very contained space. The six options are all color coded like the guitar and come with a pair of wooden drumsticks. Being that we are new to the world of fake drums, my partner and I took turns at the drum tutorial on the game and the drums are certainly no throw away addition. The combos and rhythms that the drums demand make it a challenging addition to any GH vet or newcomer. The drums themselves are relatively quiet, so don’t worry about the neighbor folks. Location and impact are the keys to hitting the right note. You can’t just bang anywhere on the pad to get the desired reaction, as even on easy you must hit the center of the pad with a decent amount of pressure. While the drums felt incredibly difficult at first, by the end of the night I was playing along with numerous tracks including the awesome drum line of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way”.

Speaking of music, Guitar Hero World Tour has taken the rhythm game genre to a new height once again. All the 86 tracks are master recordings so no more covers. The music spans many genres and decades as we played some Willie, Michael Jackson, 311, and Linkin Park yesterday. There are also some personal favorites like Motorhead and NoFX. Best of all for Wii owners, we finally have downloadable content. Already available are some Metallica tracks and a few oldies like “Jessie’s Girl”.

Game modes also seem to be a huge improvement on this installment. So far we’ve only tackled a couple but the list seems almost daunting. I’ve mentioned them already but the tutorials are very helpful especially for the drums. We also started a career as a band and this mode seems to have expanded greatly, most likely due to the sheer volume of music. I also took a quick ride through the Quickplay mode, which now allows you to create set lists so you don’t have to play one song and then go back to the menu. The Wii version also features a Mii Freestyle mode, which I’m looking forward to sampling. Finally, there’s the Music Studio mode, which allows you to create your own music. This seems like the natural progression for the franchise and once we tackle it I expect I’ll be back with a further review.

That being said, there is already so much that I love about GH World Tour after only 1 day. This is clearly the start of a new relationship that will last a lifetime or at least until Wii Sports 2.

Early Bird Review: 30 Rock Season 3 Premiere

The season 3 debut of the best comedy on TV, 30 Rock, is now available online here. Imagine my surprise that NBC and the good folks at Sheinhardt Wigs are giving us a sneak peek a week early. So how does the show stack up against last year’s strong strike shortened year? In a word, passable. The problem with the third season opener is that it is weighed down with the messy job of righting the cliffhangers of last year (if you can even call them that). While I love Will Arnett’s Devon half of the episode is spent wrapping up his tenure as NBC president and it feels more like an obligation than an invitation to funny. On the other hand the guest appearance of Meghan Mullahy as Liz Lemon’s adoption worker is just perfect. Even annoying guest stars like Mullahy shine on 30 Rock. There are some great one-liners and a great definition of rumors. With all the guest stars the strong cast of supporting players take a back seat and miss out on the funny even when they’re on screen. I don’t mean to be such a negative nancy because truth is I laughed a lot and my overriding reaction was gratitude, gratitude that the best comedy on TV is back.

Quick Unbox Review: Baby Mama

Last Friday my partner and I sat down with nothing to do for the first time in months. With the knowledge that we both had to be out the door early in the morning we settled in and downloaded a flick off of Amazon Unbox and onto our TiVo. First of all I can’t say enough about this service. While the selection is somewhat limited, the downloads are quick and the picture quality is high. Sure a DVD from Netflix would look a little better but for instantaneous gratification, you can’t beat Unbox. That all being said, let’s move on to the flick itself.

Baby Mama is the kind of throwaway movie that makes you smile and laugh but breaks down if you think about it too much. In brief, anytime you have Tina Fey and Amy Pohler on camera together, you’ve got comedy gold. Unfortunately the two are often saddled with extra set pieces and a sappy dopey plot you see a mile awhile. Fey and Pohler did some rewrites on this script but it still feels like an old Meg Ryan or Debra Messing vehicle. You have the feeling if Fey had passed, this would have come out starring Katherine Heigl and Jessica Simpson. The two leading men could have been anyone, and while Greg Kinnear is his normal affable self, Dax Shepherd is quickly proving he’s only worthy of playing a variation on the white trash role he perfected on Punked. Fey and Pohler do provide the laughs especially when they’re riffing on each other. You have a feeling that might have been more on the cutting room floor but at over 90 minutes this film runs long enough. Final verdict is that this is a good movie for background entertainment and if you can get past the predictable ending and musical montage you’ve got yourself a passable Fey/Pohler vehicle. Onward and upward ladies.

Reality Check Up: The Amazing Race

Last month, The Amazing Race once again took home the Emmy for Best Reality Competition and after the first few eps of the new season I’m beginning to question why. I’ve always been a huge Race fan. While Survivor, The Real World, and The Apprentice tend to showcase the worst in humanity, Race has often highlighted some of the better qualities. Sure there’s always a couple of “ugly Americans” who say some horribly insulting things about other countries and their cultures, but for the most part you get to see people broaden their horizons while competing in a competition that rewards brains and brawn but not duplicity. I’ve also always complemented the show for their diversity of contestants and the limited tweaking they’ve given the format. That being said, like most great shows you get the feeling that Race has begun to fizzle out. Truthfully a big part of that is the lack of new places and challenges. There are only so many variations you can do on a needle in a haystack challenge, and only so many times Peru can seem new and wonderful. This season smells routine and while I’ve got my favorites (Ken and Tina or Nick and Starr), there just aren’t any personalities that grab you. I’m by no means advocating the show gets the ax but perhaps its time to take it off it’s pedestal. With Top Chef a few weeks from returning I don’t think there’s any doubt that it has now become the number one reality show, surpassing it’s former network brethren Project Runway. Meanwhile perhaps Race can look toward some minor tweaking. A second All Star challenge could be fun or even a strangers edition where the teams come in blind. In the end though I think its time for another show to start making room on their mantel for Emmy.

Runway Roundup: Finale

And so here we are, the first three-way dance between an all lady group of contestants. There was little drama in the last days leading up to the show (except for surprise judge Tim Gunn) so let’s get right to the collections.

Kenley
I think my partner captured Kenley’s collection best when she mentioned that despite the amazing effort put in by painting the fabric she could have found those fabrics pre-made. A little more time put into the design and not the fabric could have pushed her collection from good to great. While I did not swoon over any one piece I also wasn’t turned completely off. The closest was the blue/green Sean Young Blade Runner dress (pictured above) which seemed like she stole it off the Warner Brothers lot. Perhaps the biggest complaint I can give is that she had a rather poorly paced show. There was certainly cohesion in the looks but I thought the flow just wasn’t there and that’s so important when winning over the judges. I think it was predictable that she was the first one out.

Korto
No one this season did pants or color better then Korto and her show certainly proved that. Unfortunately neither of them met in her collection. I loved the white pants suit (pictured above) and the way the top looked but I wish it had been in the vibrant green color that made up the dazzling evening gown she finished the show with. I thought she edited her looks but they were still a bit overworked. Her beadwork was too distracting at times. The show did run at an amazing pace. The color transitions were top notch and for a moment I thought she might have pulled off the upset, but then we had…

Leanne
Even though I was rooting for her, I must say Leanne had the best show hands down. Her concept intrigued me the most when Tim visited the finalists last week and she did not disappoint. Right from the top she dazzled with her first look (pictured above). The pedal skirt that was repeated in other variations was an eye catcher as was the structured top. The wave architecture truly stood out and carried over every piece. Her variety of pants, skirts, jackets, and gowns made the lack of color virtually unnoticeable. Perhaps the best example was the vest and pants look pictured above. It completely personified the finer qualities of Leanne as a designer. It was impeccably made, featured beautiful structure, and grabbed your attention with every step down the runway.

While I’m sure the judging was close, it was clear the Leanne deserved the title because she has so much to offer. With Runways status in doubt thanks to lawsuits and channel switching, this finale leaves the show’s legacy in good stead.

Madison Restaurant Review: Liliana’s

As a self-confessed foodie, I must admit I usually plan my restaurant attack meticulously. That being said there are times when I allow myself to fly by the seat of my pants (or be pushed by my partner). Sunday night was probably the best result of such an effort as I discovered Liliana’s in Fitchburg. Stuck next to a local chain, restaurant Liliana’s exterior doesn’t stand out but upon entering, you’re immediately drawn in to the décor. The smells of the Creole menu jump out at you right away while the walls adorned with images of jazz and the city, individually illuminated with accent lighting. The drink menu is a bit crazy but I was very pleased with my Tidal Wave Hurricane made with blue curaco, vodka, and lemon/lime.

I tend to love my New Orleans cuisine spicy hot which is certainly one way to go. Liliana’s on the other hand opts for a spice that hits quickly and then fades to a blend of flavors.

Up first was a pair of starters. An order of hushpuppies was near perfect. The corn meal was speckled with bits of cranberry and jalapeno and fried perfectly. Better yet was the cheddar cheese at the center of the hushpuppies although every nugget varied greatly in how melted it was. I would have preferred to see the inside match the consistency of the perfectly fried outer shell. Our second dish was the soup of the day, a butternut squash with pumpkin accents. My partner found the soup to be completely satisfying yet I thought the pumpkin oil and roasted seeds overpowered the sweetness of the squash.

The two entrees we picked grabbed out attention immediately and we were not let down. My shrimp and crawfish etoufee had a great kick as it hit my tongue but that faded to a bouquet of flavors. The shrimp and crawfish were as fresh as could be. My partner had the pasta Liliana that was composed of blackened shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage in a red pepper cream sauce. The pappardelle that this was all laid over was some of the finest fresh pasta I’ve had in months. Again, the spice had a nice initial burst and then mellowed to a nice complex flavor.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the evening came as we got the bill and discovered that this somewhat extravagant meal was less then $30 a person. Liliana’s is quite the suburban gem and a much-needed addition to the chain filled Fitchburg.

Liliana’s, 2951 Triverton Pike, Fitchburg, WI (608) 442-4444

It's Official...Britney's Back

A couple of weeks ago I unofficially lifted my moratorium on the Britney dance but after listening to last year's stellar album and the new single out this week, I'm officially ready to say Britney's back y'all. Enjoy the second coming.

Reality Check Up: Top Design

Halfway through and the long wait between seasons hardly seems worth it for Bravo's Top Design. Todd Oldham is seen far too infrequently. Kelly Wearstler has been keeping her insane sense of style relatively in check (except for the hair pictured above). The challenges have been bland and the new host India Hicks seems to have gone to the Donald Trump School of voiceover hosting. Thankfully, the designers have kept the show afloat. Sure, we just lost opera singing Whizzit but there’s still a worthy cast of characters. Nathan and Martha Stewart minion Eddie certainly appear to be the most talented. Mrs. Ricky Schroeder is holding on for dear life but is certainly entertaining as is 12 year old (as Jonathon Adler describes her) Natalie. No matter which designer you’re pulling for they are all delivery, some top designs. Still I need some drama mixed with my quality design otherwise, I’d just watch HGTV.

Runway Roundup: Week 13

If you read last week’s installment, you know that I was pretty fed up with Project Runway. The final challenge felt lackluster and the gimmick of delaying the final elimination until the finale left me bored and disinterested. In short, the 2-part finale had some work to do in order to make this season memorable. After last night’s first hour, I’d say there’s still plenty of work to do.

The two final twists last night went a long way towards restoring my faith in Heidi and company. Asking the designers to include a wedding dress in their collections is downright ballsy. Wedding dresses are the bane of a designer’s existence (unless you’re Vera Wang). Then on top of that, they threw a bridesmaid dress at the designers upon their return to NYC. Now that’s a twist I can get behind.

As Tim visited the designers, you got the idea that some were fairing better then others. My girl Leanne already had a great start on her collection and the wave inspiration fits her architectural leaning and her usual color palette. Kenley made me look like Nostradamus as she unveiled to Tim a stunning lineup. I hate the girl but I must say I was impressed. Jerrell on the other hand realized my worse fears. His collection looked sloppy and costumey. Poor Korto looked to be on the right track but her wedding dress, even in its early stage, raised a huge red flag.

The eventual runway show bore all these estimations to be true. Leanne not only made a stunning wedding dress but also the best bridesmaid dress of the group. Not only that but it certainly wet my appetite for seeing her entire collection as it tied into her them perfectly. Kenley made a dress that was a bit Bjork at the Oscars but was undeniably beautiful. Her bridesmaid dress was nice but I didn’t love it as much as Michael or Nina. Korto really shocked me with her wedding gown. Not only did the color choice scream prom dress but also the fit was downright horrible. While I certainly appreciate that Korto designs for every woman, this dress was not wearable by any woman. Her bridesmaid dress looked like an after thought and I thought for sure she was out. Then of course, there was Jerrell. His love of quirky headpieces finally got the best of him as he was sent home. His wedding dress (pictured above) was too much look. It’s as if he lost the eraser that was helping him edit so well over the last few weeks. So in the end Jerrell sucked more then Korto and I’m happy about it. While ideally I would have like to see Kenley get the ax, Korto has much more potential at Bryant Park then Jerrell does. That being said, here are my odds:

5 to 1: Korto
Her style and taste have been flawless since week 3 except for the wedding dress. She certainly will give the crowd something different but I’m concerned it will alienate the judges.

3 to 1: Kenley
Clearly, the judges love her aesthetic even if they don’t like the girl. Kenley has been a one trick pony for the most part but that one trick can be fabulous. Given the time and budget of the final collection, I would not be shocked if she pulls off the win.

3 to 2: Leanne
I’m not just putting Leanne as the favorite since I picked her as a winner early on or because she’s my favorite. However let’s face facts folks; I’ve picked the winner early on for the last 2 seasons. Simply put Leanne makes beautiful clothes that are different and classic at the same time. Her clean lines are breathtaking. My only concern is that her pieces for Fashion Week turn out too casual.

Quick Audiobook Review: The Ricky Gervais Show- Season 5

If you have not listened to seasons, one through four of the Ricky Gervais Show I can utterly and wholeheartedly recommend that you do not purchase this audiobook. If you have listened to the ramblings of Ricky, longtime creative partner Stephen Merchant, and the shaven ape that is Karl Pilkington, then I must demand you purchase this worthy finale to their podcast odyssey. While this new season lacks the formula of Monkey News or Karl’s diary it’s still a delightful mix of jackassery, cruelty, and comradely amongst men. It never gets old to hear Ricky describe the perfect orange shape of the Karl’s head or to hear about Karl’s obtuse thoughts about science. My complaints on this installment are two fold. First, the run time on this is right around two hours and you can tell the guys struggled to fill even that. The previous seasons ran at much greater length and never felt as forced. Second, this seems to be the last run by Ricky, Stephen and Karl. While we’ve heard that before and the gang has come back, this time around it smacks of finality as the material is slightly below their standards and they just seem ready. That being said, we can at least say they are going out on a high note.

Election 08: Win, Lose, or Draw (without the win option)

As I sat through about three quarters of last night’s VP debate, the sick feeling in my gut grew. Now as I wake up in a world of “Palin holds her own” headlines, I’m downright nauseous. While just about every plain speak word out of that small minded (literally and figuratively) former weatherperson makes me sick, it was the whole spectacle of last night’s event that has left me feeling extra cynical to my stomach.

In my 25 years of observing political campaigns (yes my folks started me young) I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed a more depressingly staged race. Not only could you literally see Palin waiting for her next words to be fed through her earpiece, but you could also see Biden’s strings pulled as well. Clearly, the attitude of the Obama/Biden campaign was "just don’t make the girl cry." Instead, we got a weeping Biden (probably the only genuine moment of the night) and the largest pair of kid gloves I’ve ever seen.

Worse yet both Obama and Biden have missed the chance over the last two weeks to really differentiate themselves from their opponents. Except for a pledge to end the war, Biden, and Obama the week before, gave answers that sounded exactly like their counterparts. I like Joe Biden and I enjoyed him on the campaign trail when he was a candidate himself, but clearly, he’s had his balls cut off by the middlemen of the party. Last night, Palin served up a softball and asked if he thought it was class warfare to tax the rich. He gave a softball right back to her and mumbled for about two minutes. Hey buddy how about just saying straight up, yes its class warfare because our lower and middle class folks just can’t afford to live right now so lets tax the shit out of those that can afford McMansions and Hummers. How about you attack Palin on her belief that women who are raped by their fathers can’t have abortions? How about, god forbid, you actually take a real stand for LGBT marriage and rights?

There was a lot of talk going into this election about McCain and Obama breaking down partisan lines. I think these two and maybe all the pundits need to learn what partisan is. What we are getting are party lines drawn in carefully worded flexible ideologies and not actual issues. Why are we so scared to have a real discussion of issues?

Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden do you know why John Kerry lost to a man who will go down as one of the worst Presidents ever? He didn’t separate himself enough from W and ended up sounding just about the same. You two can talk about change until the cats come home, but until you actually share some ideas that actually challenge America you run the risk of suffering defeat to the shriveled peanut that is McCain and that scary ass Bible thumper Palin.

Runway Roundup: Week 12

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, and I might just claw my eyes out. Someone needs to tell the Project Runway producers how to create a true roller coaster show. Tonight’s anticlimactic snooze fest of a penultimate episode had deep ravines of dullness but never rose to much more then an anthill of excitement.

Perhaps the problems started with the challenge. When we are talking about a final challenge you expect something that allows the designers to really wow us, but tonight it was anything but. I can’t blame the producers wholly as the designers certainly did their part by making gowns that underwhelmed. The idea of creating an evening gown based on inspiration from a botanical garden was too similar to the earlier challenge where they created a look inspired by New York City scenes. Too many camera based challenges this season. Once the designers started working, there was an equal lack of excitement. Sure Kenley lost a Mood bag but we all knew she’d get a replacement. The show just dragged as we watched all four designers sleep walk while they worked on their garments.

The one high point of the show came at the end but it was quickly swept aside. As we watched the gowns come down, it seemed clear who was going to Bryant Park. Leanne made a good dress that was a bit outside of her comfort zone. The tacked on finishes dragged it down but it was clear she was safe. Jerrell got a bit sloppy and failed to connect to his picture. However, the gown was exciting so you figured he was safe. Korto failed miserably but as always showed the best construction. I would have been worried that she was going home but then we got Kenley. Yes, it seemed as if the last few frustrating weeks were finally going to pay off as Kenley walked out the door. Her lizard queen dress (pictured above) was something out of Whoreville USA. Then she finally went completely psycho as she insulted all the judges. Seriously, there was no finer moment than seeing Heidi shoot daggers through Kenley. Then inexplicably Kenley was still there. Yes, once again we’ve adopted tee-ball rules where everyone is a winner. Now on the plus side we’ve milked two weeks more of show but on the flip side we get stuck with more Kenley. It’s stunts like this that don’t make so sad that we have to wait for Lifetime and Bravo! to settle their legal dispute until we get season 6.