Weekend Funnies: Chad Vader or I’ve Got Cabin Fever

The blog is closing up for the weekend as I’m off on a mini vay-kay to a cabin up north. When I say cabin of course I mean town home as I’m not really one for roughing it. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy camping every so often but if I had my druthers, camping or being outdoors, would always include an air conditioned condo with a full kitchen, indoor plumbing, and a mattress of some kind other then air. This weekend will consist of golf, lying by a heated pool, and fine food and drink. There might even be some Wii thrown in there which I’m sure upsets you outdoors folk no end. Anyway I’ve got menus, tans, and 4 irons on my mind so I bid you all a good weekend and invite you to enjoy a couple of webisodes of Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager. I’m guessing most of you have come across this but for the uninitiated this is a web show created by a couple of folks in my second home town of Madison that follows the life of Darth Vader’s lesser known brother Chad. The show manages to stay fresh without always falling back on tired Star Wars jokes although there’s plenty of geek cred in here too. I was going to feature the most recent ep but on the off chance you're new to it here's the first two (all eight eps are on youTube):

Minneapolis Restaurant Review: Brasa Premium Rotisserie

*Disclaimer: I realize this doesn’t do any of you folks outside of the Twin Cities any good, but I’m working with a friend on starting up a second food oriented blog so you folks get to be guinea pigs for my first restaurant blog, Regular blog programming will return shortly but in the meantime enjoy and if you’re in the area hopefully you’ll find it helpful. If you have any feedback please leave a comment as again this is my first go round*

I live in Northeast Minneapolis and as someone who lives alone I’m constantly looking for new takeout places. Currently we’ve got some great options from unique fast food like Chipotle and White Castle, to deli options like Lund’s and Surdyk’s, to two Neapolitan pizza places (Punch and Pizza Nea). However I’m a greedy guy and I want more, specifically more gourmet options. So it was great excitement that I went with a friend last night to Brasa Rotisserie on 600 E. Hennepin Ave.

Once we sat ourselves inside the warm golden interior of the former car garage, both the menu and our server informed us of the concept upon which the restaurant is based. To quote, “Our Menu is inspired by the diverse and wholesome home cooking found throughout North America, the Caribbean, and South America.” Chef Alex Roberts of the renowned Restaurant Alma has crafted a simple menu that offers the diner a chance to mismatch various sides with two meat options. In the interest of fairness my friend ordered the rotisserie chicken and I the slow roasted pork shoulder. Both meats are raised organically and as the menu points out, all the ingredients are produced locally. We both ordered the small individual plates, a fair bargain at $11 for a meat, two sides, and a cabbage salad.

First the good news, this is some of the best pork I’ve had this year. The meat melts in your mouth and has a mild Latin flavor to it that permeates the meat. My companion found the meat a bit fatty but still enjoyed it quite a bit. For my sides I chose the grits with cheddar cheese and some fried yuca. The grits were good but congealed on the plate quickly. The yuca was a pleasant surprise as the fried root had a quality that can best be described as an aerated French fry. My companion’s chicken was…well…chicken. It was moist and well cooked but the flavorful skin did not translate to flavorful meat and the quarter chicken was more work then it was worth. Along with the grits my friend ordered the collared greens which brought me back to the best southern cooking I’ve experienced in my life. Next to the pork this was the finest aspect of the meal I sampled as the greens strong flavor was cooked to perfection without letting the bitter flavor dominate. There were 8 other side dishes ranging from black eyed peas with bacon, to sweet plantains, to pickled veggies, so the number of combinations seems endless however this is where I think Brasa fails. While the South American and Caribbean flavors are well represented the North American menu is strictly limited to southern cooking. My friend thought an interesting mashed potato would fit the menu while I thought a mac and cheese would fit perfectly. Getting away from the US even, I would have loved to see an option to order a couple of tortillas in which to place my pork and the delightful cabbage salad. In short, I wanted more from the menu then I was given. What I had was good but not in a manner that will demand a high volume of repeat business and while they offer many different family and individual take out options I really can’t imagine ever stopping there for a quick take out meal.

Best Item: Slow roasted pork shoulder that is both flavorful and moist.
Worst Item: Rotisserie Chicken that while well cooked lacked any flavor once you got beyond the skin.
Service: Fast and quick although my plate quickly went back into the kitchen when it emerged with chicken and not pork. Thankfully when you only have two choices it was a quick switchover.
Prices: $11-13.50 for individual plates with two sides. $5-$14 for family sized servings of meats and sides separately.
Booze: Wines by the glass for $7. Beer by the bottle for $4.

Mid Week Thoughts

•Take note media, I’m about to compliment you. It appears my fear of media leaked Potter spoilers was unfounded, now that I’m finished and exploring the web, TV and what not, I’m pleased to say that rampant spoilers have stayed relatively hidden. It’s nice to know that some things can still be left as actual surprises.

•Talk about back to back wishful thinking, one week after praying that Deathly Hallows would be a satisfactory send off for Harry, I’ll now be spending the next week or so thinking positive thoughts about The Simpsons Movie. So many hopes yet so much dread that the long wait wasn’t worth it.

•The news that an NBA ref accused of point shaving may come out and implicate other refs and even players is the most scandalous sports story in years. Not only does it reflect incredibly poorly on commish David Stern but it also could irreparably damage the league and pro sports themselves. It would finally give the nutballs out there that think refs are out to get their teams a factual background upon which to base arguments. I’m surprised the story is not getting the consistent coverage it deserves.

•Speaking of sports or rather the legal side of sports (which unfortunately gets about equal coverage), lets all countdown the days together until the season premiere of SNL where I’m counting on an new edition of Really with Seth and Amy addressing Michael Vick. I think it might go something like this:"Really Michael Vick, you thought that holding illegal and morally bankrupt activities like dog fighting in your own home would reflect well on you and the Atlanta Falcons organization…really?" "Michael Vick, really, you decided you needed a new codename for this operation and ditched your classic of Ron Mexico for Ookie…really?"

•Anyone else thinking this is the age of the true British invasion? Spice Girls reunion, Posh and Becks in LA, Potter #1 at the box office and the bookstore, Rickey Gervais, Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen etc., etc. Meanwhile the best thing we’re exporting overseas is Kathy Griffin.

•Speaking of Kathy, last night was the season finale of My Life on the D List and once again I found it surprisingly entertaining. Griffin herself is a bit abrasive but the trials and tribulations of her “celebrity” are both sad and funny with an emphasis on the later. The only real failures are when the show is too contrived like Kathy’s celebrity dates with Nick Carter, some guy from Footballer’s Wives, and rocker turned motivational speaker Andrew WK.

•As a rule I don’t “hate” reality reunion shows but I think I’m going to have to draw the line at a midseason reunion. That’s right, in an attempt to string out ratings winner Top Chef for an extra week, tonight’s installment is a reunion show featuring cast members from all 3 seasons. If that wasn’t enough get this, they claim they’ll be showing unseen footage. Oh my god that’s so exciting! I hope its something funny like an overweight chef trying to dance! Maybe afterward you can post blog from the reunion guests so I can totally get the inside scoop on what I just saw. Come on Bravo! you’re better then this.

•This edition of Big Brother is beginning to come into its own. The America’s Player bit is turning out to be fun and a good way to keep people from fast forwarding to the nominations, vetoes, and evictions. Last nights task of vandalizing America’s least liked player was quite the voyeuristic pleasure. Watching the self absorbed Jen manage to stay in the house is a study in absurdity. The whole house hates her yet I’m sure quite sure had she not won the veto last night she would’ve have managed to stay any way. Careful you don't keep her around too long houseguests.

See Ya Harry: A Non Spoiler Goodbye to Potter and Company

First let me pat myself on the back for being able to survive my self imposed media blackout created to avoid book 7 spoilers. Of course it helped that I finished the book less then 24 hours after picking it up and spent a total of about 8 hours reading it. From excitement to sorrow to joy to resignation, I’ve crossed the gamut in the last few days and here are some impressions.

Friday 4:10pm- Get an email from my friend James discussing the plans for a night on the town. Although I was planning on this and ended up having a great and even somewhat productive night, I must admit a wave of disappointment flows through me as I realize I won’t be picking up the book at midnight…unless I show up tanked and scare the children.

Saturday 9:10am- With a hangover that I equate to having too much fire whiskey, I arrive at Border’s to pick up my reserved copy with James in tow screaming “nerds” at the top of his lungs. Way to encourage the kids to read Jimmy. Anyhoo, I must admit I got a little giddy upon arrival. The store was fairly empty but there was still a palpable buzz in the air as I gave my name and received my book and gigantic free poster. $22 later and I was out the door.

Saturday Noon- After filling my belly with alcohol absorbing grease for breakfast and depositing my “anti-Potter” friend at home, I crack the spine for the first time and start by reading the dedication. Immediately my hangover and everything else around me fades away from me and I’m once again back in Harry’s world.

Saturday 2pm- About 200 pages in my eyes begin to betray me and I’m forced to take a short nap. My initial reaction to the book is that not only is it great but also very rewarding in that JK Rowling is not waiting until the last 50 pages to reveal secrets and plot danglers. Already I feel a sense of closure to many lingering questions I had coming in.

Saturday 3pm- Waking up I immediately dive back in to the book. I have a BBQ to go to in the evening but I put off showering as long as possible and even after that I’m literally reading as I get dressed. I’m finding that book 7 is every bit the reading experience the previous 6 books were in that once I start it keeps me completely engrossed.

Saturday 5:30pm- Having shed tears of joy and pain I stop at page 356 as my chariot arrives to whisk me off into the night. The growth of the characters strikes me and I’m once again reminded of why I love this series. Rowling not only tells a tale of wizards and witches but she clearly understands the adolescent mind and gives one of the best representations of “growing up” I’ve ever seen in print.

Saturday 11pm- After spending a wonderful but low key (read, low alcohol content) evening at my friend’s BBQ, I return home after promising my friend Nikki that we can read together Sunday at a coffee shop and as such, I have every intention of going to bed. However after talking to my lady on the phone and trying to watch some Extras on DVD, I decide it wouldn’t hurt to read another 44 pages so I can even out at 400 going into Sunday.

Sunday 12:01am- Oops, I’m now up to page 424 might as well keep going.

Sunday 2:??am- I wake up on the couch with the book weighing upon my chest. I’ve only been out for a few minutes but at this point I’ve got about 150 pages to go and I’ll be damned if I don’t see this thru. After an energy drink and a Marb Light, I’m refocused.

Sunday 3:35am- It’s done. I’m done. JK’s done. Wow…I’m so wired. The thought of much needed sleep doesn’t even enter my mind. I reread the last chapter again. Yep that’s that. I wipe the tears from my eyes as I think about the conclusion and the journey. I break my media blackout and watch an episode of The Soup to try and lull me to sleep.

Sunday Noon- After having breakfast out, Nikki and I do head to the coffee shop as planned. I decide I need a little clarity and I want to back track to the area where I nodded off Sunday morning to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I reread the last 175 pages and I’m almost teary eyed again not because of the events of the book but because I’m thinking that this is really the end.

Monday 7pm- I start writing this blog and get depressed thinking this is the last Potter centric post I’ll ever leave. I head out to the interweb and realize how wrong I am. We’ve got two more movies to discuss and dissect, not to mention the indelible imprint on pop culture that the series has left. Potter is done and the journey has been more fufilling then any other series of books I’ve read other then Lord of the Rings (sorry Mr King but that last Dark Tower book really took me a back). It built and built to an ending I truly believe the author plotted out long ago. I hope JK resists the urge to write about this world again because the closure the book provides really leaves me with no further questions. Kudos for a job well done, Ms Rowling and good luck in the future as heat your house by burning money.

Ranking the Potter Books
7. Chamber of Secrets
6. Philospher’s Stone
5. Prizoner of Azkaban
4. Order of the Phoenix
3. Goblet of Fire
2. Half Blood Prince
1. Deathly Hallows

Potter Induced Pop Culture Isolation and Whoring

Just a couple of quick housekeeping items before I head off into the weekend. Of course at midnight tonight Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hits the shelves and while I probably won’t get mine until tomorrow I must admit I’m terrified. No not of Harry dying or anything like that, I’m terrified that some web site, TV show, or magazine will ruin the book before I get a chance to finish it. As such I’m cutting myself off from the majority of media that I tend to frequent which is like a meth head going cold turkey. Web wise, I’ll just be checking email. TV will be limited to sports and DVDs. Magazines and newspapers will have to pile up. Of course the biggest threat is me because if I came across any of these things, I might be tempted to dig further to read or watch the secrets revealed. Also there’s the possibility that some smart ass kid will be sitting in Border’s yelling out the ending when I pick up my copy and if that happens I might just have to go all Bad Santa on the kid. I’m hoping to finish the book off by Sunday night but in the meantime the blog will be a little quiet.

Second thing to address are the eye popping ads you might have noticed to the left of this. That’s right in an attempt to make a few extra cents, I’m whoring Amazon. If you click on the item it will open up Amazon in a separate window and give you more details on the item. I promise that the ads will stay off to the side and not pop up or anything like that. Plus the merchandise advertised will center on things I’m talking about or just some of my old favorites so you’ll not be seeing ads for CSI or Murder She Wrote, season 1. That’s all for now folks have a great weekend whether you’re a muggle, witch, or wizard!

Emmy Nominations or When Will I Ever Learn?

Year after year I watch the Emmy nominations come out and year after year I rant about how the show is reaching Grammy like levels of cultural obscurity. The same shows dominate year in and year out and while there’s an occasional recognition in writing and directing, the really quality shows on television are often ignored in the major categories. Lost gave me hope a couple years ago when it stormed the castle and took home best drama but it has since been shut out of even a nomination and it’s the nominations that are really the problem here. I’m not expecting Veronica Mars to take home the best drama trophy put a nomination would not only be deserved but would feel like a victory. For example when I see writers and directors of the ilk of Wes Anderson or David Lynch get Oscar nominations that thrills me and while I know the Oscar would never be awarded to a doofus hipster or a box office maverick, the nomination is recognition enough. So with that in mind, here’s a brief look at some of the noms:

Outstanding Comedy Series- Here’s my biggest joy…30 Rock is nominated for best comedy! Seriously I’m really happy with 3 of the nominees, (30 Rock, The Office, and Entourage) but where the hell is Extras? Ricky Gervais is all over the other comedy nominations (acting, writing, directing) but the show isn’t nominated? Worse yet as excited as I am about the 3 shows I am pulling for, I know that either the painfully dull Two and a Half Men (how is this still on the air?) or America’s darling Ugly Betty will walk home with the trophy.

Outstanding Drama- Big question here is whether or not The Sopranos are going to go out as big winners. I wouldn’t be surprised but in the meantime this is a mess of a category. You’ve got a show that hasn’t been good since it was called The Practice (Boston Legal), and a show that’s more famous for its gossip then its quality (Grey’s Anatomy). Now I thought 24 had a sub par year but its still leaps ahead of these two and don’t even get me started on Lost which after a slow start turned in a really strong season. It is nice to see Heroes get a nod but I’ll crap my pants if they walk away with the prize and besides the more I think about it, Friday Night Lights was really the best new drama of last year.

Lead Actress Comedy- Good news:Tina Fey from 30 Rock is nominated. Bad news: America Ferrera from Ugly Betty is nominated. Oh well maybe Maria Menudos will insult her after she wins ala the Golden Globes.

Lead Actor Comedy- Alec Baldwin is nominated for 30 Rock and I think he’d have been a shoe in if not for calling his daughter an ignorant pig. I’d love to see Gervais take it home and Carrell is always good but with Charlie Sheen, who apparently blackmailed himself to another nomination, and the stale act of Tony Shaloub (who seems to win every year), my hopes are not high.

Lead Actress Drama— Who are all these people and who watches their shows!

Lead Actor Drama- Eh I just don’t care. Good for Keifer, I guess.

Supporting Actor/Actress Comedy- Glad to see Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer get the nods from The Office and they both deserve to win but with Jeremy Piven (Entourage) and Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) in their respective categories I’ll doubt we see that happen.

Supporting Actor/Actress Drama- Oh hey look, Lost does exist as both Michael Emerson (Ben) and Terry O’Quinn (Locke) are up. I would love to see either of them or Heroes’ Hiro win but I’ve got a feeling The Shatner (Boston Legal) will take this one or maybe TR Knight (Grey’s) will get the sympathy vote. On the women’s side of things I would hope to see the immensely talented Lorraine Bracco take one last Emmy for The Sopranos even though her role was somewhat smaller this last season.

Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program- This year Stephen Colbert loses to Tony Bennett although that should be easier to take then Barry Manilow.

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series- Is it sad that this is one of the few categories I look forward too? I look forward to seeing someone deserving of an Emmy win every year whether it be The Daily Show, Conan, or Letterman.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program- Could this be the year that The Amazing Race finally loses? I doubt it but I’m glad to see both Top Chef and Project Runway up there to challenge. If Idol or Dancing with the Stars wins then I’m off the Emmy’s for life!

Writing and Directing Shout Outs- As I stated at the top, the really good shows only seem to get their props in the Writing and Directing categories and looking at the nominations this year that has certainly been born out. On the drama side, Battlestar Galactica and Lost both got writing and directing nods. Studio 60 and Friday Night Lights both got directing nods. On the funny pants side, 30 Rock, The Office, and Extras dominated both writing and directing and Scrubs even squeezed out a directing nomination.

Now we’ve got a couple of months before the ceremony and after the brief excitement of today most of us will go back into Emmy apathy, Maybe I’ll do some more serious picks the week of, but really, just wake me up when The Golden Globes are announced.

Trump Card

Just when you thought the Donald had used “You’re fired,” for the last time NBC announced this week that yes The Apprentice will return to their schedule. I stopped watching after the second season as Trump’s arrogance and the lame corporate shill challenges had become routine and boring so I wondered how in the world are they going to spice up a tired show? Two words: Celebrity Edition. If you’re remotely a fan of reality TV nothing gets you more excited then the words celebrity or all star…at least on paper. The problem is that these “celebrity” editions usually wind up having people like Joey Lawrence, Downtown Julie Brown, or a Baldwin not named Alec as their stars. Still your mind races a bit between the time you hear the announcement and the realization that most likely it will suck. So without further ado here’s my dream list of contestants for The Apprentice: Celebrity Edition.

Steve Jobs- Yeah I know he’s not much a celebrity but wouldn’t you love to see the mind behind the Mac and the iPod tackle some of these challenges.

Jessica Simpson- I’d love to see a slime like Trump go into complete melt down as he simultaneously tries to make Jess his 32nd wife while at the same time he becomes annoyed to the point of strangling her over her complete lack of smarts. Plus Paula Abdul is actually making me long for the days of watching Jess by mean and vapid.

Alec Baldwin- Wouldn’t it be fun to see him enter the competition in his persona from Glengarry Glen Ross. For my money lets kick Trump out of the host chair and but Baldwin in charge. New catchphrase: “First place, one million dollars. Second place a set of steak knives.”

Michael Jordan- The guy was the greatest athletic performer I’ve ever seen but let’s face it, aside from endorsements he’s not a great business man, ask anyone in Washington or now Charlotte about that. Maybe the show would give him some focus other then the blackjack tables.

Jay-Z- Here’s a guy who turns everything he touches into gold. It might be fun to see Hova out Trump, Trump.

Beyonce- It would be fun to see Bonnie and Clyde either team up or face off or both and see which one really wears the pants in that household.

Kelly Clarkson- Miss Independent just got done feuding with her own record label so she might need some good business experience in a hurry.

Rickey Gervais- Ok this one is just because you’ve got to have some laughs (and I just started watching the genius of season 2 of Extras) and I have to believe Gervais would skewer the whole show and cast every week.

Dame Judi Dench- Another contestant from beyond the pond but one that would add class to a show that routinely lacks it, plus it would be priceless to see her put Trump in his place.

Marla Maples- Ok this might actually happen if she’s done with the latest season of The Two Ex-wives and One Baby Mama Club. Clearly the two are not on good terms and again I’m for anything that entertains and makes Trump miserable.

You might be asking yourself, what about the 400lb. Tom Cruise loving elephant in the room? Well honestly, the less Rosie I see the better and while the world might be a better place if Trump and Rosie somehow took each other out by say wrestling right off the roof of Trump Tower, I don’t think I could bare the incessant name calling by two of the worlds biggest egomaniacal windbags that would lead up to that. In the meantime I’m going to enjoy my list before they announce that the entire cast of The Surreal Life 3 are the “celebrity” contestants.

VH-1 Does It Again and Ah Crap VH-1 Has Done It Again

This weekend brought us the latest attempt by VH-1 to squeeze ratings out of the lives of C List celebrities and as usual the results were on the opposite ends of the entertainment spectrum. First the good new, Scott Baio is 45 and single. No seriously that’s the name of the show, although after watching it I think we can agree that the fact that he’s single and hasn’t procreated might be good news for all of us. That might be harsh because the man comes off as rather genuine and sincere. The show lacks the insanity of Breaking Bonaduce but that is actually quite refreshing. The premise of the show is that Baio is thinking of settling down with his girlfriend, so he hires a life coach to help him make sure he’s in the right place to do this. The 8 week journey features Scott confronting his numerous ex-girlfriends as well as his own celebrity and the lifestyle he leads. I gotta say I was not only shocked that I liked the show but that Baio is doing it. After a great run on Arrested Development as attorney Bob Loblaw I thought he’d be getting more work and that doing a reality show seems like a step back career wise, and in a great scene in the premiere his agent expresses that same fear. Nevertheless, it certainly seems to be shaping up to be an interesting journey. Meanwhile, VH-1 has also decided that they haven’t wrung out the last drop of success from Flavor of Love. That’s right after 2 seasons, I Love New York, and Charm School, the network decided to do the only thing left…they bleached it…blonde. Poison lead man and amateur porn star Brett Michael’s apparently has a hard time getting laid in his old age because, you guessed it, he’s on VH-1 looking for his “Rock of Love.” If you didn’t just throw up in your mouth a little then maybe this show is for you. I watch a lot of crap and even I couldn’t make it through the premiere. I’d say that the show is modeled after Flavor of Love but that would be an insult to the word modeled as this is an exact replica. Someone needs to get control at the network and put in some quality control standards. Hell I’m not talking about Shakespeare or anything but more shows like Baio’s and less revolting dating shows. By the way can a brother get some new Behind the Music? Now there was a show…

Boredom, Disgust, and Anger

Last night was puttering along in fine fashion. I got out of work on time, met some family for dinner and a Twins game, and after making a few phone calls I settled in for some quick TiVo catch up. BAD IDEA! First up was the first live eviction of Big Brother 8 which was rather boring but by far the best part of my TiVo night. Not much to say as the first couple of evictions are usually pretty tame. Next up was Hey Paula, on Bravo!. This show is absolutely horrible for one reason alone…Paula Abdul is the very definition of a worthless human being. She’s so full of herself and demands that everyone cater to her every whim all the while not realizing that she’s still at best a B list celebrity. Unlike Nick and Jessica, or Bobby and Whitney, or the multitude of other celebs who have done reality TV, there is not a single moment on this show where Paula comes off as anything other then a reprehensible human being. I swear they’ll be an upcoming episode where she yells at someone for mixing the blue and the red M&M’s in her candy dish. Being in such a foul mood I quickly turned on the latest 1st round ep of the World Series of Pop Culture. The first match featured a team that I’m going to pick to win the whole thing, Wocka Wocka. They mowed down their opponent and my spirits were once again bolstered especially when they announced the next match would feature returning champion El Chupacabra. Unfortunately here’s where my night went really sour as I witnessed one of the biggest frauds in the history of all competition be exposed. Last year I remember El Chupacabra having some real close calls on their way to victory and that their lone male team member really carried them. Well last night it was proven out that this team either got fat(er) on their victory or there really wasn’t anything there to begin with. I usually yell at contestants on the WSPC but last night I was YELLING! The defending champs were a disgrace to pop culture fanatics everywhere missing questions on 30 Rock, Rocky, Kevin Smith films, etc. etc. Seriously I know one of them is pregnant with twins but unless the babies are some kind of X Men style mutants that suck the pop culture smarts out of anyone within their vicinity then that’s no excuse. Worse yet the other team was almost as bad. When a defending champ goes down you want to see an up and comer beat them but this was just a case of one team sucking a little more then the other. Either do your best to avoid this ep in reruns over the weekend or do your best to catch it if you want to put a little anger salad in your weekend.

Quick Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the movie as opposed to the book, video game or lunchbox)

Talk about an appetite wetter, the 5th Harry Potter film might be the biggest tease in cinematic history and I mean that as a compliment. Remember Back to the Future 2 or god forbid the second Matrix film and how they were essentially holding pieces to get you to the next film and then the next one sucked as well? That’s the feel that this movie has but unlike those two it delivers an experience all its own while still raising the expectations for the next film to a new high. As a fan of the books I knew the story going in but unknown director David Yates does a great job of bringing the darkness, pain and internal conflict Harry feels out onto the screen. Daniel Radcliffe has really grown up as an actor right before our eyes and his performance this time round is pitch perfect as he walks the fine line between audience empathy and dislike. The usual supporting cast is back and while we don’t get as much of Alan Rickman’s Professor Snape as I’d like he makes the most of his time on screen. Cast newcomers Imelda Stanton and Ivanna Lynch both shine in their respective roles as Delores Umbridge and Luna Lovegood respectively. Umbridge was one of the most horrifying characters to me in the books and Stanton certainly does her justice with her evil grin of properness. Lynch feels as if she stepped straight out of the book and my imagination. This is exactly how Luna looked and sounded in my head. The movie is short compared to the previous films and as such some of the guts of the book have been taken out. As a huge fan of the books I must admit the 3 or 4 subplots that were missing really didn’t bother me because of the fine pace of the movie. Strangely my biggest complaint is also my favorite aspect. The final battle in the book takes place over multiple chapters and is quite lengthy. In the movie the final scenes were disappointingly short. On the flip side, the shorter ending still embodies what the Potter series is all about; drama, action, mythos, and does so with an excitement and tension that has the audience on the edge of their seat. Most of all, the ending leaves you wanting more and what higher compliment can a film receive then making you anticipate a sequel even if you have knowledge of what lies ahead.

El Dog's Super Amazing Donkey iMix

Album Review: Against Me!- New Wave
You know how people complain about bands selling out? Well if you know any Against Me! fans, get ready to put some ear plugs in. After years on small labels the band has finally graduated to the big leagues and their first major label release. I’m not one of those people who automatically expects the worst when a band signs big and in this case I actually put my fears aside when I heard super producer Butch Vig was spearheading the album. So how did it turn out? If you’re a fan of the band’s early work it might be a bit hard to embrace this album. Vig has ratcheted up the sound of the band even further then their last release on Fat Wreck Chords and their once trademark acoustic sound is a rarity. That being said, what stands in its place is a really decent rock and roll album that still puts the bands greatest attribute at the forefront and that’s Tom Gabel’s passionate vocals. Despite the horrible music video that’s out there White People for Peace is a great track that once again shows off the subversive dexterity of their lyrics. The closest track to their “classic sound” is Up the Cuts where Vig shows that he knows what makes these guys tick. My favorite track though on the first few listens is Thrash Unreal which combines the best “Vig sound” with the sheer ferocity that these guys play with. There are a few misses on tracks such as Animal and Stop! but overall it’s a really solid album. I think the question is not whether they sold out but how this album compares with past work and while I don’t think they’ll ever have an album as god as Reinventing Axel Rose (its on iTunes check it out), this is still a very enjoyable listen and one that will get heavy rotation from this fan.

Top 5 on My iPod
5. Better- Regina Spektor
She always seems to find a way into my iPod lately and this new release features more then just her trademark piano fever, in fact, it’s almost upbeat.

4. Tarantula- Smashing Pumpkins
I’m eager to try out a few more tracks from the new album after downloading this track which sounds and feels like classic Pumpkins updated for the present. Billy is still my favorite whiney rocker and the guitar work is solid.

3. How I Feel- Kelly Clarkson
I don’t think I highlighted this track when I gave the album a quick review but its quickly growing on me. While it lacks the “rock” aspect that makes Kelly so appealing it’s a classic pop tune that will infect your brain until you’re humming the chorus to yourself all day long.

2. The Gutterati?- The Fratellis
I’ve been talking these guys up since they had a track on an iTunes commercial back in winter and after completing their album a couple weeks back I can easily say this is my favorite new band of 2007. Punk mixed with bluegrass and a dash of English pop is the best and weirdest way to describe their sound and this track is a shining example. I defy you not to start jumping around after giving this a listen.

1. Bleed It Out- Linkin Park
I used to resist these guys like the plague but after they mashed up with Jay Z a few years back I started to seek out some of their stuff. While I certainly wouldn’t call myself a huge fan or anything I really do find some of their music to be completely addictive. Take this track off of what has been a critically and commercially disappointing album, it’s their trademark rap and sing with a beat that literally has me clapping as I drive, eat, talk, or pretty much anything I’m doing.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Well Deserved Hype

Can you feel it? There’s a certain electricity in the air. Adults and children seem to have a certain spring in their step whenever they pass a book store or a multiplex. Are people looking forward to reading the novel adaptation of Transformers after they’ve seen it in the theaters? Not likely. Are people reading up on Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne books before this August’s Bourne Ultimatum hits the screens? Nope. What’s going on is that Potter fever is about to hit big time. It started a couple of weeks back for me when I bought the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game for my Wii and became more involved in a video game then I have in years as I waved my “wand” and cast spells all over Hogwarts. Now I’m about to enter the second stage as the 5th Potter film hits screens tomorrow and you’ve guessed it, I already have my tickets (check back Thursday for a Quick Review). For me the Potter films are part of what prevented me from reading the books in the first place. I saw the first one and was so turned off by Chris Columbus’ train wreck of a film that I figured the source material could be no good. Of course I broke down eventually and read the books, and while I still think the 1st and 2nd films are an insult to JK Rowling, the 3rd and 4th were quite wonderful and I can’t wait to see the Ministry of Magic and Dolores Umbridge take center stage in the 5th. Then of course there is the big day, July 21st and the release of the 7th and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. I preordered my copy at Borders back in February and while I don’t plan on lining up at midnight to pick mine up I must say the offers of free posters, magic wands, and cookies sure makes it sound appealing. Thus we find the true magic of Harry Potter…somehow his story never feels forced or over hyped. Obviously Harry’s story appeals across generations and while we’ve seen that before, I’ve never seen it done without the hype turning one side away. Star Wars, Pirates, even Spiderman all have taken their fare share of consumer backlash over the past few years in large part to the consumer being oversaturated with hype. Somehow Harry doesn’t and I think a large part of that is that we know its coming to an end. Rowling has been clear that the 7th book would be her last even before Potter-mania hit with such ferocity. The movies likewise will have a similar end and the fact that the entire cast is committed to making all 7 books come to life on screen adds a bit of sincerity to an otherwise fake business. The other big factor is that Harry comes off with a sense that it’s above mass marketing. You can walk into any Target, toy store, or book store and find hundreds of licensed items based on either the movies or books but for whatever reason when people talk of the Harry Potter property its always with a sense that its above marketing itself crassly and that it does so cleverly. While that may be somewhat true in regards to the cleverness there is no doubt that Warner Brothers, JK Rowling, and Scholastic are all out to make a buck but I must admit even the video game just seemed like a natural outgrowth rather then an attempt to cash in on the property. Right now I’m rereading the 6th book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, to prepare for the release of the 7th book and I’m gripped with a similar excitement I felt when both as an adult when Stephen King’s final Dark Tower book was published and as a child when I went to read the last Lord of the Rings book. In short Harry captures both the child and the adult in me and does so in a way that harkens back to a less commercial time…now go buy your Harry Potter lunch boxes!

See This Blog? It Says Applesauce

I’ve been a Johnny come lately many a time. There was my resistance to cell phones and iPods, there was my refusal to watch Nip/Tuck and of course there was my complete and utter denial of the Harry Potter books. In all of these cases I’ve manned up and admitted pride and stupidity got in the way of me enjoying these pleasers earlier on in life. In the case of The Larry Sanders Show however, its really sheer laziness that has kept me away. If you’re even worse then me I’ll give you a quick run down on the genius that is The Larry Sanders Show. Created by star Gary Shandling, the show takes a behind the scenes look at a late night talk show (think Leno, Letterman, etc). The show alternately played between scenes on the soundstage and off stage and played host to a number of famous or soon to famous actors as both themselves and as characters. Shandling shined as a self deprecating comic who was addicted to working on his own show. The storylines were never too absurd but the characters often treated them as if they were which somehow made everything more real. Sanders was HBO’s first real consistent success. The critics hailed it as a breakthrough comedy highlighting the lack of laugh track and the seemingly single camera set ups. All this praise and I still didn’t watch. I didn’t have HBO but there were tapes to be had, then DVDs and even syndication. Still, I did not watch. Then last month I read about a new box set of the show, Not the Best of the Larry Sanders Show. Perfect now I didn’t have to involve myself in multiple seasons and sit through some lackluster eps. I immediately moved it to the top of Netflix and now like with many HBO shows I’m having Netflix remorse. This DVD set not only contains great episodes of The Larry Sanders Show, but it’s truly worth seeing for the extras. As I mentioned a lot of people got their start on the show (Jeanine Garofolo, Sarah Silverman), while others had a career renaissance (Jeffrey Tambor, Rip Torn). The extras feature interviews done with much of the cast and some are actually conducted by Shandling himself and these interviews are almost worth the price of purchase alone. Take for example Gary’s interview with Alec Baldwin while they box a few rounds. You can see how Alec developed into the comic actor he is today in large part due to his brief interaction with Gary and the show. The commentaries are great too and you learn things like how the show was really shot with 3 simultaneous cameras on 4 wall sets but that the style gave the impression it was single camera. I think shows are too often hailed as forerunners and comics too often hailed as geniuses but now whenever I watch an episode of Arrested Development, The Office, or 30 Rock I’ll think of Gary Shandling and how much of today’s comedy is in his debt.

Weekend Reviews: A Book, a Movie and a TiVo Alert

I Love You Beth Cooper- Larry Doyle
I continue to be fascinated by stories of coming of age even as I get older (insert pedophile joke here). Despite my advancing years nothing captures my attention more then the struggles of people coming of age whether it be in high school, college, or post college. Perhaps it’s the fact that I believe I’m still growing up and that I constantly see similarities between my life and world now and that which I faced at 16, 20, or 25. My point is that these types of fictional tales often grab my attention whether it be in film (Clerks), TV (Undeclared) or most recently literature.
“I Love You Beth Cooper” is an engaging tale of the awkwardness, friendship, pain and unrequited love that define high school (or at least it did for me). It’s set in modern times but shockingly it’s written by a 49 year old ex-Simpsons’ writer named Larry Doyle. In this book Doyle captures all sides of adolescence in a manner that is both funny and often times a little too close to home for any of us that still remember those days. The action in the book at times seems implausible until you remember some of the stories that you have or have heard from friends over the years. The pacing is quick and just when you figure it will go left it goes right. The humor is, well, funny and it certainly has a Simpsons sensibility. It’s the kind of book that screams movie yet I can’t imagine anyone other then maybe John Hughes doing it justice. Still I’m sure it’s already been optioned and fast tracked so do yourself a favor and read the book first.

Transformers
I love director Michael Bay for what he can be (The Rock, Bad Boys) and I often loathe him for what he is (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor). Transformers is the quintessential Michael Bay film. It’s a good movie and certainly entertaining but it leaves you wanting more. Bay is the best pure action director working today (sorry John Woo but I’m sick of doves and rainbows) and Transformers is visually breathtaking. I’m not usually one to compliment CGI work but the robots look amazingly real and the fight scenes are a whirling dervish of captivating action especially the final fight between Optimus Prime and Megatron.(Only complaint on the robots was a lack of color on the majority of them that sometimes made it hard to tell who was who.) Problem is Bay as always gets overwhelmed by story and plot. He introduces us to more characters then you can shake a stick at when really Shia LaBeouf (who is definitely a star in the making) is really the only human you need. Bay also gives our fighting boys a good salute by making the US military about the greatest thing in the whole world whether it be fighting robots or helping small Arab children. Gack! Then there is the self awareness he infuses the film with. Sure a couple of “more then meets the eye” jokes are ok but throw in an Armageddon joke and an obtuse unfunny reference to our Commander in Chief (he’s so dumb he likes snack cakes…hilarious) and your eyes will roll back into your head. Still the movie is good summer popcorn fare and if you loved the Transformers as a kid you’ll geek out for all the little things like the sound effects, the original Bumblebee homage, and the soothing original voice of Optimus Prime.

TiVo Alert!!
All you media whores out there remember tonight is the premiere of the second season of the World Series of Pop Culture (VH1, 8pm CST). As loyal readers know I attempted to make this year’s wild card team and fell tremendously short. Of course that won’t stop me from yelling at the idiots on TV when they can’t think of more then 1 Happy Days spin off. Looks like the defending champs El Chupacabra are back along with the soothing voice of the host that should never be shown. There was a sneak peak last night and I got around 38 of the first 40 questions right so guess who’s going to be playing the “what if: game this summer. Tune in and surprise yourself at how much you know and then angrily resent the contestants who are there instead of you.

Rockwell would be proud…the singer not the artist

Yes folks Big Brother is watching, wait, no, we’re watching Big Brother. It’s that time of summer for Julie Chen to stumble through live broadcasts and introduce us to the latest installment of Big Brother (it’s BB8 for those keeping score at home). Last night we met the 14 new houseguests and of course most of them are white and fit the general publics’ idea of good looking. Like all reality shows BB has gotten more and more about contestants that can make good eye candy instead of good players. Sure sometimes looks are the perfect cover for an evil mastermind (see Janelle from season 6 and last year’s All Star edition) but more often then not the prettier they are the harder they fall. Still BB is one show where I’ll give them a pass on this because it fits with their identity of mindless summer entertainment. Of course the big thing the Big Brother house is famous for is twists and last night we got two. In a call back to seasons past, Julie informed the original 11 people that entered the house that there were 3 more houseguests coming in and that they had ties to people already in the house. Enter the jilted lover, the high school mean girl, and the estranged rocker dad. The three enter the house with a disadvantage because the folks they have a connection to have already bonded with the other housemates but I’ll be interested to see how it plays out. The show does not have a great track record with this kind of stuff (remember Cowboy and Nokomis who found out they were brother and sister on the show…well now they don’t talk), but it should make for an interesting few weeks and probably a lot of tears. Oh and don’t be shocked if there are more connections between the houseguests that we haven’t seen yet as the producers always seem to have a mid season surprise. The second twist is something right up my alley and is almost as good as the twin ruse a few years back. This year one houseguest will have his game play dictated by America. CBS will have polls online and via phone to ask the audience everything from who the player should align with to who he should try to hook up with. The player still has free will and can choose his own path but for every 5 tasks he completes he earns $10,000 so that’s a fair amount of incentive. I must admit I’ve screamed at the TV many a times watching shows of Big Brothers ilk and while I’m so lazy I probably won’t get off my couch to vote the idea still tickles my fancy. Of course the guy sticks out like a sore thumb in this crowd of people as he looks like the dictionary definition of average Joe, so if the other players find out about this twist I’m guessing it won’t take long for them to figure out who it is and vote him out. Meanwhile the broadcasting of the show has taken on yet another twist. CBS already airs the show about 3 times a week and of course they also sell a live feed to folks over the internet. Well now get ready for Big Brother Pay Cable Edition. That’s right folks; Showtime will be airing too hot for TV footage of the house guests over the summer in an effort by CBS to titillate fans of the show and to lure folks flipping through their pay channels to head over to CBS to catch the regular broadcasts. Personally I think it’s nothing groundbreaking but I’m guessing it will be a moderate success. I always assumed no one would purchase the online feed but that has amassed a huge following the last couple of years. All that aside its time for predictions so I’m going to go with Carol, Nick and Dustin to make it to the end with Nick playing the nice guy card all the way to the bank.

Two Quick Reviews or Why I’m Still Pale After the 4th

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Video Game
As I’ve written before, I’ve never been much for quest/adventure games like Zelda. However since I’ve bought my Wii that has started to change. My first game was The Godfather, which became entirely too engrossing a game for someone like myself who’s a huge film buff and enjoys waving the Wii’s motion capture controllers in the air. Now comes Harry and his friends and the results are even better. The game follows the 5th book/movie to a tee and opens with Harry ending yet another horrible summer with his “family” in rather terrifying fashion. Soon you’re off to meet up with The Order and Sirius Black walks you through how to use the Wii controller as a wand. After that it’s on to Hogwarts which is where the game takes off. I bought and played the game pretty much all day yesterday with a good friend of mine who like me isn’t much of a gamer but we picked up the basic controls in a hurry. The school and its ground are huge and expansive but at the same time there are not a lot of empty rooms or fake doors (something The Godfather has way too many of). Graphically it’s a great looking game and all the characters except for poor Ron Weasley look just like the actors who play them on the big screen. My friend and I played on the easy level so there were never any time tables or limits which really allowed us to ease into the game although we still found many challenges. The spells are fairly easy to use except for the targeting feature which seemed rather difficult especially when in a duel. The other shortcoming would have to be that it’s a one person game. Now again I’m not a video game geek so maybe that’s not possible but since you walk around the whole game with Hermione and Ron why not have an option for one or both of them to be playable. I understand logistically it might be a nightmare but it would be better then the two of them getting in your way and repeating themselves over and over again. Still it’s a top notch game that makes good use of the Wii and just makes me want to consume the new movie and the final book even more.

The Good German
Let’s get two things out of the way; one, this is not the movie with Matt Damon, that’s The Good Shepherd, and 2 there are many words to describe this movie but good is not one of them. George Clooney and Cate Blanchett are two of the few actors who I’ll pretty much see anything of. Usually I’m more faithful to directors especially say one Steven Soderbergh. So it is with great great disappointment to report to you what a dreadful mess of a movie The Good German is. I know you’ve probably already been scared away by the low box office and lack of critical success but I seriously thought this was one of those films that would shine on DVD. The only thing that shines on this DVD is the underside of the disc when you eject it. Clooney and Soderbergh made one other troubled film a few years back called Solera but even that still had redeeming qualities. Designed as an ode to old films like The Third Man, German comes off more like a parody where no one is laughing. Tobey McGuire gives a performance that should have told us he couldn’t pull of the evil Spiderman parts of Spidey 3. Blanchett and Clooney truly seem to be going in circles and neither is doing it well. The mix of news footage and the old film stock Soderbergh shot on, sounds like a great idea on paper but comes off looking cheap. I love black and white for its black blacks and its white whites but here so much is overexposed it detracts from any enjoyment of the black and white experience. If you like Clooney, Blanchett and Soderbergh, stay away from this movie at all costs, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Burned on the 4th of July

With the holiday approaching I realized how unimportant this day is to me. Our country’s birthday? Is that really worth celebrating? Next thing you know we’ll be celebrating the birthday of some guy people think was god. Point is, I really like holidays but for a number of reasons the 4th just doesn’t do it for me, hear are just a few in random order.

Reason #37- Worst holiday movies
Christmas has It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and so on and so on. Easter has The Ten Commandments. Memorial Day has more war movies then you can shake a stick at. Halloween has…well…Halloween. What does the 4th have? Born on the 4th of July…bad Cruise acting and Stone’s weakest Vietnam film. Yankee Doodle Dandy…with all due respect to my girlfriend who loves it, the film is pretty lousy as far as old musicals go. Independence Day…ummm…please don’t even get me started on how a movie that starts so strongly finishes by uploading a computer virus to beat the bad guys. If you’ve got one I’ve missed let me know.

Reason #81- Moving day of the week
While I’m no uber-patriot and I don’t belong to any union, I do love me some Memorial and Labor days. Why? Because they are guaranteed 3 day weekends. The 4th floats around and sometimes that can have horrible results like say this week where it lands on a Wednesday and offices around the country loose millions of work hours as employees stretch their weekend to 5 days if not longer. Let’s just have a set day like say the 1st Monday of July and let it be.

Reason #21- Personal fireworks
I love a big fireworks show. I love the synched up music, the vast array of explosions and the oooooh-ing and ahhhh-ing of the crowd. I hate however the weak little fireworks that people pick up from the road side stands. Now part of this could go back to when I was 12 or 13 and my fellow Boy Scouts shot me with Roman Candles from about 6 feet away while they yelled, “Run fatty!”, but I choose to believe its more the annoyance and the noise. Since normal folk can’t buy anything that blows up real good (especially in my home state of Minnesota) the best you can buy are the loudest ones. Also its not as if people just buy them over the 4th…no I think I heard my first one in April this year and I’m sure they’ll be a nightly occurrence until Halloween…or are those gunshots.

Reason #42- Lack of signature food
Thanksgiving equals turkey. Halloween equals candy. Easter equals ham. Arbor Day equals ants on a log. The 4th equals…grilling. Again like fireworks I love grilling but grilling is not a specific food. On a 4th BBQ you could be having hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chicken, corn, potatoes, fish…the list goes on. Grilling is not a food it’s a style of preparation so let’s come up with a staple food for the 4th. My vote is for a burger stuffed with hot dogs and pork shoulder, served on a bun made of funnel cakes. Too much?

Reason #1- Patriotism
I love the US really I do. I like our food, our TV, our movies. I’ve had a very good life that only seems to get better and a great deal of that is probably owed to the country to which I was born in. However there is nothing I hate more about the 4th then the act of wrapping one’s self in the flag and pretty much shouting to the world, “We’re #1! We’re #1!” Actually as a country we do that almost everyday but on the 4th it’s a lot louder. We’re an imperfect state that is currently involved in two unwinnable wars and has neglected its own citizens for so long that a state of apathy and defeat has settled in our great land. For some people the 4th is a chance to escape that reality by talking in grand terms about the founding fathers and Uncle Sam but for me the 4th just reminds me how much better we should be as a country and as a people. Speaking as someone who has both burned a flag and raised a flag, we need more days that celebrate the change we can make in the country and fewer days patting ourselves on the back.

Whew…with all that said, I’m hoping you all have a great 4th. I’m kicking the holiday off in excellent style as tomorrow night I’m off to gorge myself on various fatty foods while enjoying fireworks and the funky sounds of Morris Day and the Time. For you youth out there who aren’t familiar please to enjoy Morris pimping the hell out of Leno’s stage many moons ago.

Tube Lube…What to Watch Thursday Night

What better way for me to slip back into my happy zone then to gorge myself on TV and tonight we’ve got some doozies.

NBA Draft- 6pm CST, ESPN
The NBA draft used to be the best non-sporting sporting event around. I can remember watching it every year back in the late 80’s and early 90’s because unlike football the NBA draft had real drama. Of course my fascination with the draft was largely due to the fact that the NBA was in it’s hey day. We were all looking for the next Jordan in the draft and in the meantime we enjoyed all the crazy trades that commish David Stern would shuffle out to tell us about. The NBA has more or less lost my interest in the post Jordan era but one semi successful playoff run by LeBron James and I must admit my interest has been raised. Tonight’s draft may not feature the next Jordan but it has 2 ready made superstars at the top and a bunch of intrigue around some horribly dysfunctional teams. Perhaps the most dysfunctional is my home town squad, the Minnesota Timber-pups as they attempt to trade all world and future hall of famer Kevin Garnett for…well…at this point I’m scared they’ll trade him just to trade him. Either way to see that drama play out will make for good TV plus it’s a New York crowd so that’s always fun especially when they mock David Stern.

Hey Paula!- 9pm CST, Bravo!
For the 865th time I don’t watch American Idol, but except for Sanjaya and Prince’s appearance on last year’s finale, the only reason I’ve ever been tempted to watch is to observe the crazy that is Paula Abdul. I’ll admit there have been times watching Best Week Ever and The Soup that I’ve said to myself, why don’t they just cover Paula all the time? Well from my lips to the execs at NBC Universals ears. Tonight we get Paula in her own “reality’ show. It looks to be in the same strain as Kathy Griffin’s show My Life on the D List (which is surprisingly good by the way), in that the cameras follow Paula and her assistants around as she goes from public appearance to public appearance. If the previews are an indication we’ll get Paula in all her pill popping glory as she says the darndest things and gives us plenty of physical comedy (do you think they got Paula tripping over her dog a few months back?). So is this worth watching? Hell no in fact I’m guessing those of us that do will have a special little area of TV Hell all to our own but at least we’ll have fun getting there. Oh and speaking of TV hell, if you want to see perhaps the greatest best/worst reality show of all time Bravo! is running a marathon of Being Bobby Brown this afternoon. Damn, I miss Whitney and B Brown…

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip- 9pm CST, NBC
Well here it is the final episode of the rally story of the season. The previous 3 episodes have been this show’s finest hour and tonight we finally get to see Danny, Jordan, Matt, Tom, Simon and Harriet’s horrible day/night come to an end. I’ve talked this show to death so tonight its time to sit back and see if Aaron Sorkin was able to give us any closure as these characters sail off in to the sunset.

Quick Review: Kelly Clarkson- My December

We’ll try to return to regular programming today with a brief look at Miss Independent’s return to the charts. Clarkson’s 3rd album dropped yesterday and I admit I preordered it on the basis of faith in her last work and the single “Never Again”. Not to pat myself too hard on the back here, but that was a pretty risky move if you’ve been reading any of Kelly’s press lately. At the center of everything was an apparent battle with label head Clive Davis over the albums content and even its release. Good old Clive was worried that the darker tone on the album would scare away the teeny boppers who still think of Kelly as American Idol’s Kelly Clarkson. Truth is Kelly stopped being that on the last album. With the success of that disc she vaulted her self out of the teen pop princess world and into an artist that appealed across genres and generations. Anyway the worry is for nothing here as once again Kelly finds the perfect mix of pop and art. As a co-writer the lyrics Clarkson pens are a bit darker but the music is still guitar laced pop. There might not be a “breakaway” hit on this disc like “Since You’ve Been Gone” but I’ve got to admit after 3 listens that the only weak tracks on the disc are 2 remixes of “Never Again”. The best track on the album is “Haunted”, which except for a sound effect gimmick at the beginning and end of the song, is a perfect example of how much soul Clarkson’s voice has and how she pours all of it into every note. Also of note are “Maybe”, “Yeah”, and “Can I Have a Kiss” but then again like I said the whole album really shines.

Last Words on Benoit

Monday I praised him, Tuesday I despised him and today I’m moving on. While Chris Benoit was my favorite in ring performer of all time I can no longer stomach watching his matches. Maybe that will change someday but I doubt it. Many people still cringe when highlights are shown of OJ Simpson or Rae Carruth. Last night I packed away my Benoit DVD along with the rest of my wrestling DVDs. I’ll not throw them out but speaking as someone who has become much more of a causal wrestling fan these last couple of years, this tragedy might have turned me off for good. Between the WWE airing a tribute show to a murderer Monday night (given the news at the time I don’t blame them for doing it however it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I actually enjoyed it), to them returning to business as usual on their ECW broadcast last night (having two men choke each other in the ring days after one of their stars choked his son to death shows amazingly poor judgment even for Vince McMahon), WWE and wrestling itself has lost themselves a fan, at least for now and I’m guessing I’m not alone. I’m sure the industry will endure like it did through the steroid scandal in the early 90’s, and the deaths of Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero, and there’s a chance I might pull out the DVDs or catch a show down the line but in the meantime this unthinkable crime has taken any joy that pro wrestling gave me and twisted it into something horrible.

I hate this

Last night I wrote about my initial reaction to the death of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel. I used words like best and favorite, and I was not alone. After writing that column I settled in to watch a 3 hour tribute to Benoit on WWE Monday Night Raw. Wrestler after wrestler appeared and talked about how Chris was the greatest performer in the ring and the most moral and honest man outside of it. I cried, I drank, I even called my mother just to tell her I love her because some guy that usually wears a crown at ringside told me it would be a good idea. Then the show was over and I went back online and my worst fears were realized. When a whole family is found dead in a house in this day and age you expect the worst and from all reports the worst is what happened. It appears a guy who was the closest thing I had to a hero in the world of pro wrestling killed his 7 year old son, his wife and then himself in the span of 3 days. How the fuck does that make any sense what so ever? This is so confusing on so many levels. Why do I care about a guy who plays a fake sport? How can I feel this way when someone close to me is going through a real life tragedy involving brain tumors and hospitals? Was Benoit a horrible person or was he mentally ill? How can a guy who took such good care of other people not take care of himself and his family? As I write this WWE has taken down all the tribute videos that the wrestlers gave on Raw last night and its rumored they’re going back to regular programming for their Tuesday and Friday night TV shows. I guess you don’t want to pay tribute to a murdering coward which I get but I also don’t know how the people who last night seemed to know Chris so well and in such a good light will be able to lace up the boots, don the tights, and step in the ring without collapsing in grief and confusion. I’m having a hard time typing; I can’t imagine how those guys are going to be able to safely work in the ring together. Hopefully tomorrow we can get back to nonsense like Kelly Clarkson’s new album, drunken hotel heiresses and the wholly engrossing crap hole that is the world of entertainment but right now I'm just lost in a world of suckity suck suck suck.

RIP Chris Benoit 1967-2007

I don't know how this is going to read as I'm actually in a bit of shock right now. Last night I watched a DVD on The Four Horsemen the original clique if you will in professional wrestling started by Ric Flair. Over the years the group had many incarnations but the one I was exposed to the most was one of the later line ups that featured the Canadian Crippler Chris Benoit. Benoit was simply the best in ring performer I've ever seen. Every move was crisp and had meaning, there was no wasted motion. Benoit was only 5'11" a size that many higher ups saw as a disadvantage but Benoit used his compact size and speed to create a bezerker effect which led to his other nickname the Rabid Wolverine. At Wrestlemania 20, Vince McMahon finally rewarded Benoit's 18 years of complete dedication and professionalism by giving him the World Heavyweight Title. The victory is my favorite wrestling match of all time as Benoit bested two legends in the industry in HBK Shawn Michaels and Triple H. At the end of the match Benoit cried as he clutched the title and then was joined in the ring by his longtime friend and fellow champion Eddie Guerrero. As the two friends embraced I cried and still tear up to this day when I watch the match. When Eddie passed in November 2005 I was devastated, watching Chris pay tribute to his friend by working his ass of in the ring during a tribute show truly touched me. Eddie should not be meeting his friend in the afterlife this soon. There is much more to this tragic news I'm sure. The fact that not only Chris but his wife Nancy and their seven year old son Daniel were also found dead leads one to believe some sort of foul play but right now I just want to remember Chris as the great man he was inside the ring and by all accounts outside of it.

Weekend Wrap Up: Quick Thoughts

I was out of town this weekend and am still playing catch up with my TiVo but here are some brief observations I gleamed from the weekend:

I’m afraid John Cusack is in for another rude career awakening. While I’m happy to see his new movie 1408 open so strongly I’m afraid some studio knucklehead is going to once again try and make base a film’s success on him, (Serendipity anyone?). Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge Cusack fan and it irritates me that the guy has taken a great deal of undeserved abuse for never becoming a huge star after the success of Gross Pointe Blank and High Fidelity. Truth is he’s a good actor but he’s not a movie star.

If you liked seeing a wannabe chef cry on Hell’s Kitchen (i.e. Aaron the Asian Cowboy), then watch a repeat of last nights Next Food Network Star and catch not one, not two, not three, but four, four crying chefs. You’d think after chopping all those onions these guys and gals would be made of sturdier stuff.

Is mixed martial arts becoming the new poker? After watching the finale of the Ultimate Fighter this weekend I was struck with just how much MMA programming is on and it reminded me of when poker began to become overexposed. Between the new show on Versus, the team vs. team syndicated show, and all the various UFC programming its hard to keep track of what’s important much like all the satellite tourneys being televised detracted from the main event at the World Series of Poker. What’s next Celebrity Ultimate Fighter?

Let’s all thank the execs behind Evan Almighty for guaranteeing that Steve Carrell won’t be leaving The Office anytime soon to do movies full time.

Is it just me or is Transformers looking better and better with each passing ad? Could Michael Bay have pulled it off or is this Pearl Harbor part deux? Either way I’m getting super hyped.

On the opposite end of the spectrum there’s Live Free or Die Hard which looks worse and worse with each passing ad. Can’t believe he’s doing the “yippee ki yay” line again….

Another movie I'm dreading is Hairspray. I love the original film that spawned the musical which has now spawned this remake and the idea of John Travolta doing Devine's role is sacrilegious to me. If you like musicals, how about looking forward to this fall's upcoming flick Across the Universe. I don't know much about it but I'm loving the trailer below.

Let's Make a List and Tear it Apart (Updated: Now with 21 ins and outs)

Last night the American Film Institute (AFI) presented the 10th anniversary of their 100 Greatest Movies list. This time around they added films from the last 10 years and allowed Institute members a chance to revote. The result was a minor shuffling but overall the list remained the same. Now I’m not going to rip apart what ranked where. In truth, I couldn’t name my 100 favorite movies if you held a gun to my head especially if I had to place them in order. Hell I can’t even place my top 10 in any order. Anyway while I won’t pick apart the ranking I did find 20 films I don’t think belong on the list, some because they outright suck, some because they’re good but not great, and some simply because I haven’t seen them. Of course to keep things even I also came up with 21 films I thought should be on the list to replace them.

21 I’d Take Out
West Side Story- A classic but one that just doesn’t evoke enough passion from me. This was the last one I took off. (AFI Rank #51)

The Gold Rush- Haven’t seen it. (AFI Rank #58)

Sullivan’s Travels- A very good movie but again not “100 greatest ever” good. (AFI Rank #61)

Cabaret- Sucks so hard. I don’t care if it was a spectacular show on Broadway, it’s a craptacular film. (AFI Rank #63)

Unforgiven- One of the least deserving Best Picture winners ever. It exemplifies why Eastwood films are more often then not, tedious exercises in overstating the obvious with over the top performances. (AFI Rank #68)

Saving Private Ryan- The opening scene on the beach is incredible filmmaking but after that this picture bores and like later Spielberg works the artistry of quality filmmaking is tossed outside the window. (AFI Rank #71)

The Sixth Sense- Maybe I’ve got M Night burnout with his pretentious, self important films but even looking beyond the Signs and Villages of recent years I’ve got to admit that Sixth Sense does not age well. The movie got lost in the shadow of the plot twist something M Night masterfully avoided in his best film Unbreakable. (AFI Rank #89)

Swing Time- Never seen it. (AFI Rank #90)

Yankee Doodle Dandy- Seen it, forgot it. (AFI Rank #98)

Toy Story- I get why this is on the list since it’s the film that revolutionized the animated film but seriously we’ve had so many better films since then including the sequel to this one. (AFI Rank #99)

Singin’ In the Rain- Really… #5 all time. I could justify throwing this out just for the fact that it was ranked that high. In the end though it’s a cute musical but nothing great. Sure there’s that one scene in the rain but speaking as someone who wanted to love it when viewing it the first time, it’s just an average flick. (AFI Rank #5)

Schindler’s List- Never seen it. I know, I know, it’s a crime I haven’t seen it, but after missing it in the theaters there has never been a moment when I’m in a video store and think, “You know what I want to see tonight, I brutally heart wrenching portrayal of the holocaust.” (AFI Rank #8)

Psycho- A good film but when compared to all of Hitchcock’s works it comes in below some films that didn’t make this list like The Birds and Spellbound. (AFI Rank #14)

City Lights- Never seen it…I think. (AFI Rank #11)

The General- Never seen it. (AFI Rank #18)

Some Like it Hot- Funny but dated and remarkably forgettable. (AFI Rank #22)

The Grapes of Wrath- We get it, it’s dry and the crops won’t grow. Geez, move on or something. (AFI Rank #23)

ET- Aside from the fact that this movie led to years of personal taunting, and the fact that I have grown to despise Spielberg, this movie has no business on this list because its just not that good, not horrible but not good. (AFI Rank #24)

High Noon- Never seen it. (AFI Rank #27)

The Best Years of Our Lives- Never seen it. (AFI Rank #37)

Forest Gump- This list was orginally a neat and clean 20 films I'd take out and swap until a friend mentioned that they couldn't believe I left Forest Gump on the list. My apologies to every person reading this as I would never want to be considered a Gump backer. If I wanted to watch 3 hours of right wing propaganda I'd watch Fox News. If I wanted to watch Tom Hanks give a good performance I'd watch Splash. I'm so upset with myself for leaving this in the first time, I'm in my own personal hell. (AFI Rank #74)


21 I’d Put In
Usual Suspects- Perhaps one of the finest acted films of all time and that’s saying something when a Baldwin not named Alec is in the cast. A movie where the audience is prepared for a twist ending but when it finally comes it still blows you away.

Kill Bill Volume 1- I had a hard time choosing between the two Kill Bills but I went with 1 because the set pieces are just so staggeringly beautiful. Tarantino gets ripped a lot for his personality and antics but his films are truly love letters to cinema of the past.

Blazing Saddles- How can one of the greatest American comedies not make the list? It’s a commentary on the western and Hollywood itself. Mel Brooks and his muse Gene Wilder do their best work here….or do they…

Young Frankenstein- The black and white…genius. Wilder, Garr, Kahn and Boyle….hilarious. The jokes…timeless and perfect. Ok this is Brooks’ finest.

The Straight Story- A David Lynch film that on paper is unlike any other yet one that perfectly fits into his catalogue of work. Lynch captures the Midwest in a way I thought only people who grew up here could do. The story is so simple but the struggle of the journey is complicated in both physical and spiritual ways.

Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet- Definitely one of my favorite films of all time. It is the definition of flawless. The scope and grandeur take your breath away but the performances keep you close and intimate. The screenplay came from a pretty good writer too.

Children of Men- I’ve spent the last 6 months thinking of no film more then this one. The best film of 2006 and a film that I guarantee will be on everyone’s best list in another 100 years…that is if anyone’s still around to make a list.

Slap Shot- The greatest sports movie ever and no not just the greatest sports comedy ever, just greatest ever, period. Paul Newman gives the first of many performances where he plays a middle aged man turning the corner on the productive years of his life. The hockey is ridiculous but shot well and the film holds a constant place in our cultural lexicon some 30 years later.

Out of Sight- I love George Clooney and I love Steven Soderberg. The two of them together has proven to be the best actor/director combo of the last 15 years. Out of Sight starts from great source material by Elmore Leonard and then Soderberg crafts the film with a deftness and attitude we now take for granted in his films. From the changes in film stock and lighting in the different locales, to the masterful editing that plays with our inner clocks, he creates a film that’s entertaining as well as a piece of art.

Fight Club- David Fincher’s masterpiece. Brad Pitt and Ed Norton’s finest hour. Meatloaf’s man tits. I mean come on this film is freaking awesome in every way. It’s the rare case where both the book and the film stand as separate but equally great works of American fiction.

The Exorcist- A thinking person’s horror film that broke boundaries and scared the bejeezus out of all of us.

Touch of Evil- Ok this one is in my top five. Orson Welles may have made a perfect film in Citizen Kane but it’s his flawed work here that I hold dearest. Watching the obese Welles transform from a film icon into one of the vilest villains in cinematic history is a treat. Of course there’s the magnificent and often imitated opening tracking shot and the fact that Charlton Heston plays a Mexican but its Welles on screen performance that makes this film so wonderful.

The Third Man- Here’s a Welles film that’s not a Welles film in the sense that he did not direct it. Orson and his longtime acting buddy Joseph Cotton star in this espionage tale that has more red herrings then a Tony Snow press conference.

The Incredibles- Forget great animated film, this is a great film. Brad Bird followed up his stunning debut Iron Giant with this tale of a super family living in a world without heroes. Pixar does its best work to date and the visual stunners keep pace with the clever one liners that appeal to old and young audiences alike.

Rushmore- Wes Anderson’s second film is one that truly speaks to absurdity of growing up and growing old. Remembered by some for its catch phrases, Rushmore is an emotionally dark film that allows its characters to grow in a natural fashion that is rare in cinema.

Raising Arizona- It’s so hard to say which Cohen brothers’ film is my favorite so instead I’ll say this is my favorite Nick Cage movie. His standard overacting fits perfect in this Preston Sturgis style comedy that has you laughing with tears from the outset.

Ed Wood- One of the most beautiful black and white films I’ve ever seen. Tim Burton packs in enough crazy to make you believe in and cheer with all your heart for Ed and his misfits. A film that made me want to make films.

Moulin Rouge- Baz Luhrman’s surreal musical is a roller coaster ride that ends before you know it. The use of modern songs was a brilliant stroke and the cast performs them with equal brilliance.

Mullholland Drive- Hard to believe a film that started out as a TV pilot would turn out to be one of the 100 greatest films. However I think this is Lynch’s greatest work. A film with so many layers you’ll never be able to peel them all way and one where you’ll always find something new. Naomi Watts gave a debut performance for the ages.

Empire Strikes Back- Hey I love Star Wars and I’m glad its ranked #13 but we all know the greatest of the trilogy is Empire. The darkness that permeated the film was mind-blowing for me a child and even today I marvel at just how George and company where able to get the studio to ok it. Sure the acting’s not great but the dialogue is exponentially better then the other films. And talk about twist endings…really who saw that whole Vader/Luke thing coming.

Magnolia- Self indulgent filmaking is a negative term. I think I've even used it in a negative way on this very site. However this time I'm using it to compliment Paul Thomas Anderson and his flick Magnolia. The first time you watch the film you realize he had no filter or outside editing influence. he just lays everything right out there for you. In fact the brillance might be that we, the audience, become active editiors in a way chosing how the stories intertwine and what we will take from them. A love it or hate it film I can understand why it didn't make the list but it will always be near the top of mine.

El Dog's Super Amazing Donkey iMix

Yes its time again for that column that many of you dread, as I dip my toes into the world of music. Today we’ll hit on a new album from Jack and Meg, Diddy’s return to TV, and of course the top 5 songs I’m currently listening to.

Album Review: The White Stripes- Icky Thump
Do you like to rock? That’s the question the Stripes are asking listeners on their latest release. Thump is a clear cut rock and roll album that evokes memories of a wide array of bands from Skynard to Foreigner. Yes I said Foreigner check out I’m Slowly Turning Into You. If you’re a fan of the Stripes blue grass material don’t despair as the southern rock is in full effect on tracks like Baby Brother and Catch Hell Blues. There’s a playfulness that permeates the album whether it be in lyrics, music, or the banter on tracks like Rag and Bone. I’ve always been a fan but this is the first complete Stripes album I’ve bought and my decision to purchase it was based on the rockin’ title track that came out a couple months back. If you liked that track I guarantee you’ll love this album. (Note any guarantee made by me is not related to money or reimbursement of money)

What’s New in Music Television: Making the Band 4
I don’t watch American Idol. In fact I tend to avoid all reality shows that revolve around music competitions. With that said, I’m pleased to say that Diddy is back y’all. I don’t like Diddy in fact I kinda despise him but the man knows how to make a competition to get a spot in a corporate packaged musical act into compelling TV. I skipped the first edition of MTB when the fat guy that ate half the Backstreet Boys made O-Town (now relegated to jokes that were funny 5 years ago) but I jumped on board for season 2 when Diddy took over and created the hip hop act Da Band. True confession time, I am one of the 13 people who actually bought their album. Diddy might be evil but some of those kids had a nice flow and MTV had hypnotized me into making the purchase I swear. Despite my poor purchase the show itself was great TV. Diddy made these kids do work and lots of it. From the conflict to the triumph the show really excelled. Season 3 stretched into 3 mini seasons as Diddy struggled to put his all girl group Danity Kane together. Sure as a man age 18-35 there was plenty of eye candy but once again the real reason the show was worth watching was to see Diddy and his crew put these girls through the ringer and explain to them the cost and dedication it takes to be a fly by night pop star (in case you’re wondering I did have will power enough to resist purchasing their album). Now Diddy’s kicking off season 4 (MTV, 9pm CST Mondays) and he’s looking for a boy band in the tradition of New Edition, N*Sync, and the Temptations (his words not mine). The hour long premiere featured Diddy’s advisors scouring the nation to bring back 58 finalists who Diddy then reduced to 20. Now these guys will continue on until Diddy whittles them down to a group or blows it up and starts over again like he did in season 3. There’s already some cats to cheer for like Chubby Danny, plenty of drama on the horizon, and of course Laurie Ann Gibson, who as Diddy’s choreographer provides the show with many of its best moments.

Top 5 on My iPod
5. Coin Operated Boy- Dresden Dolls: I’m a big visual association guy when it comes to music, meaning that if I hear a song in a film or TV show that I enjoy then that song will take on a greater importance to me. Here’s a case of that to the extreme. Flashback a couple of weeks ago to the mighty Buffy Sing A Long and the pre-show entertainment made up of clip packages. Far and away the best one was set to this song and featured the 3 great loves of Buffy’s life. The song itself is great as it changes tones midstream and then back again but I gotta believe the reason I have this track on repeat is the visual stimuli I associate it with.

4. Umbrella- Rihanna: I know I said I hated this song and that I wouldn’t be turned by it but what I can say I’m weak willed. I still hate how she sings individual syllables but damn it if the song doesn’t lodge itself in your head.

3. Catch Hell Blues- White Strips: I’ve only had the album for a day and already I’m having a hard time not listening to this track over and over again. As I said earlier, pure southern hard rock and roll.

2. Lip Gloss- Lil’ Mama: I have sunk to new lows in my appreciation of pop music. This song is about exactly what the title says….lip gloss. On the flip side though, Lil’ Mama has one of the best flows I’ve heard from a woman in a while and the simple beat construction allows her to shine. Also check out her work on the remix of Avril’s Girlfriend. If you got burnt out on that song like I did, Lil’ Mama freshens it up and then some.

1. Real Love- Regina Spektor: Wow. That’s really all you can say about this song. While I’m not a huge Beatles or Lennon guy I can appreciate their works and Real Love is one song that I’ve always enjoyed. Released on the Darfur fundraising album, Spektor’s cover takes this song to new heights with its operatic overtones and classical piano work. Her voice is as captivating as ever and I honestly believe she makes this classic her own.

iWant

I never thought I’d be thankful for the iron clad inescapable contracts that cell phone companies make us sign, yet here I sit thanking my lucky stars that I’m locked into Verizon for the next year and a half. Why am I so content to be stuck in a devil’s pact with this Jekyll and Hyde company? Simple, it prevents me from jumping ship to AT&T so I can get my greasy little fingers on the iPhone.

When the iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs I was excited and awed. These feelings subsided though as the cost and functionality of the iPhone brought me back to Earth. Sure the specs seemed cool. Internet, email, photos, music, video all in one device but then again my current cell can do most of that and at a fifth of the cost. I don’t even use the music functions as I’m quite content to leave all those functions to my trusty iPod. All in all I was impressed but the consumer in me was not raging, until now.

The iPhone hits the market in just over a week and they hype is reaching a crescendo. Ads seem to be everywhere and most news outlets are covering the device’s debut as if it were the release of a flying car. Apple is adding to the hype by announcing some last minute improvements to make it the most perfectly awesome god-like handheld device ever. They’ve gone ahead and extended the battery for longer talk time and the glass screen is more scratch resistant. As I’ve taken all this in I’ve come to one conclusion…I want it, I want it, I want it!!!!!! Sorry, just needed to get that out of my system. Truth is no one should really want this edition. As much as I love Apple, like all tech companies, it takes them some time to work out the kinks in their new products. Many argue that the iPod didn’t reach its potential until the video editions came out. My great hope is that in another year and a half we’ll be talking about the iPhone Verizon edition that has unlimited battery life, high speed wireless internet, and a cappuccino maker. In the meantime, despite all the above rational about the cost, bugs, and performance, the consumer in me will rock back and forth in the fetal position longing for the coolest new gadget in years.

Belated RIP: Frankie Abernathy (Real World: San Diego)

Somehow I missed this last week but I wanted to take a quick moment to remember Frankie from the Real World: San Diego cast. Its hard to believe when watching Real World: Key West and Real World: Denver that it was just a few years ago when MTV still tried to fill their cast with diversity. Frankie was one of the last true freak cast members. From her hair, clothing and attitude Frankie certainly was a shock to her roomates and hopefully to many of the white washed suburban kids who watch the show. While the girl didn’t fit today’s Real World standards for beauty or appearance she did bring plenty of drama which culminated in her leaving the show partly due to her battle with cystic fibrosis, a battle she lost earlier this month at the all too young age of 25. While most of us only knew Frankie through a few brief weeks of reality TV she certainly made an impact on her castmates and us viewers.

Find more info on the battle against cystic fibrosis here.

Quick Review: Ocean’s 13 and A Quick Apology

Before I get into Ocean’s 13 I wanted to offer a quick apology on last Friday’s post about Robot Chicken’s Star Wars special…actually 2 apologies. Apparently the YouTube link didn’t work for some of you so sorry about that. However what I’m really sorry about is steering anyone over to watching the show itself. Like I wrote Friday I have not enjoyed the show in the past but then again with Star Wars involved you’d figure it would be better. Wrong on all accounts, Except for a sketch where Jar Jar follows Anakin around after he’s become Darth Vader the whole thing was boring, unfunny, and left a bad taste in my mouth. So sorry about that.

Meanwhile I’m happy to report that my #1 most anticipated movie of the summer lived up to my own hype. Ocean’s 13 isn’t a ground breaking film but its solid summer fluff made by excellent filmmaker and an ensemble cast that is truly impressive. I’m in the minority when it comes to Ocean’s 12 in that I loved the constant winks and inside jokes but I also understand why that irritated other people and came off as self indulgent. This time around Steven Soderberg has struck the perfect balance with those jokes as well as the off the wall character moments he featured heavily in the original. My favorite example of the “in joke” comes as Matt Damon’s Linus character chats it up with the gang via cell while strolling the streets of Europe in a style that seems awfully reminiscent of another series of films that Damon has participated in. Casey Affleck meanwhile benefits from the completely superfluous storyline surrounding the working conditions in the Mexican dice factory. Every cast member has their shining moment in this one which is something that 12 lacked and 11 excelled in. Damon though particularly shines as he has truly given an arc to Linus’ development throughout the trilogy. Seeing the character grow in all 3 films almost feels out of place in films that are more style then substance but it’s a welcome addition. Damon’s transition from the self conscious son of famous criminal parents into a smart, dare I say leader, in the 3rd film is worth the price of admission especially considering he provides a majority of the laughs in the film. Meanwhile, Steven Soderberg is on his game here and as always he shines in the editing room. From the hard edged lines and split screens to the whimsical graphics he uses sporadically in the film, Soderberg keeps a film that is essentially a series of talking heads, visually arresting. The call backs to the previous 2 installments are both appreciated and enjoyable and probably too numerous to catch in one viewing. Of course the real reason these films work is the ease at which our core characters function together. As an audience member you want to be in that room and hang with Brad, George and the boys. They just exude cool but in a much more accessible way then say the Sinatras or Martins of the past. I know the key players have sworn off any future adventures but as long as these guys have fun making them I know I’d have fun watching them.

Side note: George and Brad are re-teaming for a new Cohen brother’s comedy so we’ve got that to look forward too…which is nice.

Attention Geeks!

This Sunday at 9pm CST Adult Swim's Robot Chicken airs a whole edition dedicated to Star Wars. For those of you unfamiliar, Chicken is a skit show where the actors voice various toys filmed in stop action. I find it tiresome most of the time but come on this is Star Wars and Lucas gave his blessing so it should be pretty sweet. Check out the trailer below.

3 Quick Reviews: Summer of Food

Well we’re smack dab in the middle of summer TV and I’m freakin’ starving! Between Hell’s Kitchen, The Next Food Network Star, and Top Chef: Miami, my stomach is in a perpetual state of growling. Here’s a quick review of each to wet your appetites.

Hell’s Kitchen- Mondays 8pm CST, FOX
Season 3 of “Gordon Ramsey’s 60 Minutes of Yelling”, or “Hell’s Kitchen” as the network would like you to call it, is off to a slow start. In previous seasons, it seemed you could pick out the potential winners after the first 30 minutes of TV. This time…not so much. While in the past the eventual winners have struggled this cast has collectively struggled all together and straight from the starting gate. The show itself is beginning to show its age as well. Gordon’s yelling is nothing new and honestly the man seems to have a relatively limited pallet for a world renowned chef. His lack of interest in anything spicy or peppery strikes me as downright perverse. Still the food looks good and the challenges are fun. Plus, this season features the breakout reality star of the summer: Aaron the fat Asian Cowboy who cries. Seriously if you watch 3 minutes of the show you’ll see this guy either faint or breakdown or both and somehow he’s managed to stay through 2 weeks.

The Next Food Network Star- Sundays 8pm CST, Food Network
One of the highlights of my trip to New York last weekend was strolling past Iron Chef Morimoto’s restaurant as well as Mario Batalli’s new place, on my way to the Chelsea Market. The market is home to butcher shops, food stores, and many of the bakeries that supply the New York restaurant scene. It’s also home to the Food Network and as I walked through I couldn’t help but picture Emeril, Giada, Paula, Alton, Mario, Giada, Rachel, Guy, Bobby, and Giada, all making their way through the storefronts. It’s the accessibility of their stars that has made the Food Network such a success and that appeal also translates into a feeling that the audience can do it too. That’s the premise behind The Next Food Network Star also now in it’s 3rd edition. The show features some of the best food challenges on TV and of course a heaping helping of celebrity chefs. Did I mention Giada stopped by in the latest episode? The contestants come from kitchens in both restaurants and homes and all seem to have an interesting take. The only complaint is that the show tends to focus too much on the TV and not enough on the food which is a problem that often occurs on the network itself. Still its more food then entertainment unlike Hell’s Kitchen.

Top Chef: Miami- Wednesdays 9pm CST, Bravo!
Another food show entering its 3rd season is Bravo’s Top Chef. A food version of Project Runway, the show has grown out of its parent’s shadow and has become the most entertaining food competition show on TV. This season the show has added Ted Allen. who gained fame as one of the Queer Eye guys and frequently has been a judge on Iron Chef America, as a permanent judge joining host Padma, the Food & Wine editor, and of course Chef Tom Colicchio. More so then any other reality show, these judges have deliberations that truly discuss the merit of each contestant or in this case meal. The challenges are decent and the cast of season’s past have produced many a character and no lack of reali-drama. Last night’s premiere episode continued to show how this series has hit its stride. Allen was absent from the premiere but instead we were treated to the crazy ranting of Anthony Bourdain. The elimination challenge was right up his alley as the chefs had to create a surf and turf meal with some rather unique ingredients. Rattlesnake and gooey duck anyone? Whenever a show like this starts its tough to keep up with the large number (15) of contestants but so far Hung who has ties season 2 bad boy Marcel looks to be a stand out both cooking and drama wise. Between the challenges, judges, and contestants, this is the summer food show to binge on.