So I got a chance to watch the first two episodes of Bored to Death onight. I was really looking forward to it. Jason Schwartzman is really, really good, esp. in Rushmore and The Darjeerling Limited, which I thought was really underrated as a Wes Anderson movie. And Zach Gilifinakis is pretty much awesome in everything.
The show is quirky and almost funny. Once in a while, the jokes hit, but a lot of times, Schwartzman's deadpan delivery kind of takes a away from it. He's always got this way about him that makes you feel like he's in on the joke. He was so dedicated in Rushmore, and even in Slackers (which was terrible but he was dedicated) that you never thought he'd have this problem.
It's a very inside-baseball kind of show, almost like fellow HBO show Entourage. You're either in on the self-loathing nihilism or you're not. But it's not dark enough, really, to get into that world. New York can be gritty as hell, but this played as pseudo gritty. Like a bunch of college kids in Alphabet City trying to slum it for a night.
That being said, it has amazing potential. The cast is unbelievable, the premise is original, and it makes some interesting writing choices. When Schwartzman and Gilifinakis debate whose reference is more obscure, it brought a smile to my face. But it's almost so smart that you can see the words on the page, rather than as a production.
This happens to me a lot with new shows when I think writers are trying too hard and have had too much time to edit their work. They start thinking and stop letting the actors act.
Still... the cast. Ted Danson as the narcissistic media whore stoner is really, really good, and even the bit parts like Schwartzman's ex-girlfriend, the sisters, and Galifinakis's girlfriend are great.
By the way, Galifinakis' girl, Heather Burns, needs more parts in everything. She always plays that weird quirky sidekick that doles out the pearls of wisdom. But she's just so original, she can't help stealing scenes. She's perfect in this, with a nasally voice and uber tall, I really can't wait for more interaction between her and Galifinakis' character. The only scene she was in, he freakin cries in the middle of the street.
I'm not as desperate to see the show as I was to see the pilot, but, still, I'll continue to watch.
And now for my guilty pleasure -- Warehouse 13 on ScyFY. There's no real good reason to like this show. It rips off bad t.v. movies for crying out loud -- those Librarian flicks.
But, for some reason, I was excited to get home and watch it today.
The ledes are good, and Joanne Kelly has the best pair of lips on all of t.v. Whew. I'd put them up there with Angelina Jolie, personally. Artie and Claudia (played by Saul Rubinek and Allison Scagliotti) have fun with their parts and hit the right notes most of the time.
It's a show that doesn't try to do too much. It doesn't take itself too seriously. And when it's a fun lark about retrieving a random missing artifact, like Jack the Ripper's lantern, it's really a fun ride.
They've been slamming the character development down our throats, though, which I think is a mistake. It works less when they go for the big dramatic stuff than when they run around looking for stuff.
The more we learn about poor Myka's relationship with her dad, the less I care, really. I mean, I get it. He was hard on her (I did like the dad's Johnny Cash reference BTW -- very cool, but if you're going to do that, explain the name Myka, I mean it's not common). Leave it alone. It's not a drama. It's an action flick with bits of drama thrown in.
The funny thing is these shows have the exact opposite flaws. Warehouse 13 needs to keep it light, because the dramatic stuff really doesn't work too well. It comes out kitschy or ham-handed.
Bored, meanwhile, has the actors to pull off some really amazing stuff. I mean, Parker Posey guest stars in upcoming episodes. The writers need to stop writing perfect dialogue. There's already been too many shows that have self-obsessed hyper intelligent New Yorkers who analyze everything.
Oh, and another thing -- stoners don't come up with interesting witticisms. They spit really idiotic garbage and pass it off as intelligent banter. I hope they stop making Schwartzman's character look smart when he's on dope.
I've met some amazingly smart people in my life. And I've seen a few of them get stoned. And not once did they ever get smarter. They just thought they did. It's a big difference.
The show is quirky and almost funny. Once in a while, the jokes hit, but a lot of times, Schwartzman's deadpan delivery kind of takes a away from it. He's always got this way about him that makes you feel like he's in on the joke. He was so dedicated in Rushmore, and even in Slackers (which was terrible but he was dedicated) that you never thought he'd have this problem.
It's a very inside-baseball kind of show, almost like fellow HBO show Entourage. You're either in on the self-loathing nihilism or you're not. But it's not dark enough, really, to get into that world. New York can be gritty as hell, but this played as pseudo gritty. Like a bunch of college kids in Alphabet City trying to slum it for a night.
That being said, it has amazing potential. The cast is unbelievable, the premise is original, and it makes some interesting writing choices. When Schwartzman and Gilifinakis debate whose reference is more obscure, it brought a smile to my face. But it's almost so smart that you can see the words on the page, rather than as a production.
This happens to me a lot with new shows when I think writers are trying too hard and have had too much time to edit their work. They start thinking and stop letting the actors act.
Still... the cast. Ted Danson as the narcissistic media whore stoner is really, really good, and even the bit parts like Schwartzman's ex-girlfriend, the sisters, and Galifinakis's girlfriend are great.
By the way, Galifinakis' girl, Heather Burns, needs more parts in everything. She always plays that weird quirky sidekick that doles out the pearls of wisdom. But she's just so original, she can't help stealing scenes. She's perfect in this, with a nasally voice and uber tall, I really can't wait for more interaction between her and Galifinakis' character. The only scene she was in, he freakin cries in the middle of the street.
I'm not as desperate to see the show as I was to see the pilot, but, still, I'll continue to watch.
And now for my guilty pleasure -- Warehouse 13 on ScyFY. There's no real good reason to like this show. It rips off bad t.v. movies for crying out loud -- those Librarian flicks.
But, for some reason, I was excited to get home and watch it today.
The ledes are good, and Joanne Kelly has the best pair of lips on all of t.v. Whew. I'd put them up there with Angelina Jolie, personally. Artie and Claudia (played by Saul Rubinek and Allison Scagliotti) have fun with their parts and hit the right notes most of the time.
It's a show that doesn't try to do too much. It doesn't take itself too seriously. And when it's a fun lark about retrieving a random missing artifact, like Jack the Ripper's lantern, it's really a fun ride.
They've been slamming the character development down our throats, though, which I think is a mistake. It works less when they go for the big dramatic stuff than when they run around looking for stuff.
The more we learn about poor Myka's relationship with her dad, the less I care, really. I mean, I get it. He was hard on her (I did like the dad's Johnny Cash reference BTW -- very cool, but if you're going to do that, explain the name Myka, I mean it's not common). Leave it alone. It's not a drama. It's an action flick with bits of drama thrown in.
The funny thing is these shows have the exact opposite flaws. Warehouse 13 needs to keep it light, because the dramatic stuff really doesn't work too well. It comes out kitschy or ham-handed.
Bored, meanwhile, has the actors to pull off some really amazing stuff. I mean, Parker Posey guest stars in upcoming episodes. The writers need to stop writing perfect dialogue. There's already been too many shows that have self-obsessed hyper intelligent New Yorkers who analyze everything.
Oh, and another thing -- stoners don't come up with interesting witticisms. They spit really idiotic garbage and pass it off as intelligent banter. I hope they stop making Schwartzman's character look smart when he's on dope.
I've met some amazingly smart people in my life. And I've seen a few of them get stoned. And not once did they ever get smarter. They just thought they did. It's a big difference.
No one reads this anyway, (except you Abs, so ignore this please), so... I just cut off part of my eyebrow trying to trim it. It looks really weird and stupid, but I bet people don't notice because there's hair all around it. I hate hair. I have hair everywhere. And now it's turning gray. I get on my head... but my nose hair? Really? That has to turn gray now?
I will put this out to the universe (and too all on SG apparently) -- my first thought always is "I'm tired of being single" but I'm not even sure if that's the case anymore. Really, I think I want to have lots of sex with multiple women and not get any diseases. And then still be single. So there. I said it. I want to be a man slut. The problem is, I'm not good looking enough (you gotta be really good looking to pull it off) or very smooth (I'm totally not), rich (nope), or have sex with people you're not attracted to (umm not lately). Plus I hate dating and mostly unwilling to put in an effort. So I will instead stay single, appreciate my simplistic life, and hope that whatever this burning in the gut is -- probably some need for companionship -- goes away soon.
The funny thing is, I always thought of myself as the guy who was going to get the girl, learn how to be a couple, grow into marriage, get a bunch of kids, become a great dad, grow old with the same woman in the family, and then die at 93 with kids, grandkids, and my great wife of 60 years by my side. Then I got the girl and she ruined me. Twice.
It could still happen, but, right now, unemployed and bored shitless, I'm not sure if that's even what I want anymore (Thanks Lindsey). Lately, I see myself more as the lone bachelor surf bum, working steadily but unimpressively, showing my (supposed) genius to my friends when I want attention, and then hanging out with my dog and playing all the time. Either that, or sitting on the couch.
Who fucking cares, really? No one does. I don't even care. Because it's a bunch of bullshit that I have no control over anyway. I have no idea what the future will bring. And there's nothing as unpredictable as a relationship. You can manipulate, control, beat, coddle, stalk, and do all the rest, but you can never totally be sure what another person is going to do at any given moment. That's what makes this world so fucked up, And not boring.
So if I'm bored. It's my fault.
"I will survive. It's your fault."
I will put this out to the universe (and too all on SG apparently) -- my first thought always is "I'm tired of being single" but I'm not even sure if that's the case anymore. Really, I think I want to have lots of sex with multiple women and not get any diseases. And then still be single. So there. I said it. I want to be a man slut. The problem is, I'm not good looking enough (you gotta be really good looking to pull it off) or very smooth (I'm totally not), rich (nope), or have sex with people you're not attracted to (umm not lately). Plus I hate dating and mostly unwilling to put in an effort. So I will instead stay single, appreciate my simplistic life, and hope that whatever this burning in the gut is -- probably some need for companionship -- goes away soon.
The funny thing is, I always thought of myself as the guy who was going to get the girl, learn how to be a couple, grow into marriage, get a bunch of kids, become a great dad, grow old with the same woman in the family, and then die at 93 with kids, grandkids, and my great wife of 60 years by my side. Then I got the girl and she ruined me. Twice.
It could still happen, but, right now, unemployed and bored shitless, I'm not sure if that's even what I want anymore (Thanks Lindsey). Lately, I see myself more as the lone bachelor surf bum, working steadily but unimpressively, showing my (supposed) genius to my friends when I want attention, and then hanging out with my dog and playing all the time. Either that, or sitting on the couch.
Who fucking cares, really? No one does. I don't even care. Because it's a bunch of bullshit that I have no control over anyway. I have no idea what the future will bring. And there's nothing as unpredictable as a relationship. You can manipulate, control, beat, coddle, stalk, and do all the rest, but you can never totally be sure what another person is going to do at any given moment. That's what makes this world so fucked up, And not boring.
So if I'm bored. It's my fault.
"I will survive. It's your fault."
I like tv.... a lot. And now that I have more time than I know what to do with, here's a bit of my ramblings on t.v. and what's good on there.
OK, so Chuck.... I have to start with Chuck, although if you haven't seen the series finale, believe me, your life is a little less bright because of it. Yeah, probably not.
Chock full of more pop culture references than Joyce's Ulysses, like the famous Irishman said, there's enough there to keep scholars busy for decades. Yeah, once again, probably not, but Chuck was full of 80's puns and inside jokes that it warrants at least two watchings.
I pray that those morons over at NBC please keep this show around for another year, just to see what Schwartz and his merry band of nerds will think of next.
How I Met Your Mother is the best ensemble comedy on t.v. since Mash. There, I said it. Yeah, it had got the "Friends" style romantic subplot, but without the overt corniness, and then it stood the old cliches on their head. I mean, the Robin and Ted have more sex than Rachel and Ross ever did, but without the drama because we all know the endgame -- Ted winds up with someone else. Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious. Barney is an iconic character that should be remembered with the best of the genre -- Kramer, Al Bundy, etc. And the women are bright, multi-faceted, and real, unlike so many (even good) sitcoms in the past.
The last episode was classic. They do something my writing teacher always yelled at me for doing -- using the same repeated phrase over and over until you pick up on it subconsciously. Like "Or...." or Wait for It''' They do it in such an intelligent way, though, that keeps it fresh and funny every time. That's some talented writing for ya.
I was wondering, as the odd homoerotic friendship thing came up between Ted, Barney, and Marshall, how uncomfortable would it be for a gay guy playing a straight guy to talk about something that's just this side of homophobic. Made me think, at leat.
What else? NCIS and the Mentalist have become a bit boring, I have to say. For Christ sake, it's just the same formulaic stuff on NCIS over and over. It's time to shake the cast up again, and not for that spinoff it looks like they're trying with the West Coast crew. I will still watch the Metnalist for Robin Tunney only from this point forward. The stories have become ridiculous and Patrick Jane is completely unbelievable as both a character and crime fighter for a while. But Robin Tunney's in it... Did I metnion Robin Tunney?
For a better cop show with a strong male lead with a little more insight than the average detective, go with Castle. This show is getting to the point of near-perfection. The dialogue is utterly hilarious, a mix of old-school pulp noir and crisp banter. The whole hold 'em subplot was a bit stupid last night, though, and they're not using the background characters nearly enough, nor developing them properly.
But Nathan Fillion, with that half-arched eyebrow, always seems to be perpetually winking to the audience. What makes it interesting, though, is whether the audience is the television one or his book readers, or the people around him. The female lead "beckett," played by Stana Katic, the "hold 'em" conversation aside, is developing into a really interesting, well-rounded character. The previous week's show really clinched it, especially the last three minutes.
As for the mystery part, really, it was a bit unoriginal and obvious, at least this week. Of course the "supposedly dead one" did it, Who couldn't see that coming?
I find that the new mystery shows just have to keep the mystery out of the way of the characters to make a successful show. There's so many who-dun-it's on t.v. these days, can writers really come up with something we haven't seen before? As long as the suspense is there, I'm on board.
I mean, all those shows have become a bit formulaic. Bones has been really disappointing this season for the same reason, as well as Bones has become softer than she was in the first season, and, therefore marginalized.
For a completely original t.v. show, my bet's on "Better off Ted." Yeah, it's a bit like "The Office," but with four times the ridiculousness. I mean, they flew jetpacks last week, and had an eight legged chicken. That's quirky with a capital "Q."
I love Portia de Rossi. She could have gone the easy way and fallen back on Lindsay, her character on Arrested Development. People froth about that show, and since her character is shallow, cold, and self-centered, she could have made it with Lindsay. Instead, shes got this crazy cold psycho with just a little bit of a dark undertone. She walks completely differently, acts stiff, sticks her nose up in the air, has not one facial expression, almost the opposite of Lindsay in a lot of ways. Thats some talent. And then, on last week's episode, she has a heart underneath . Hmmm.
So there's my take on t.v. for April 29.
OK, so Chuck.... I have to start with Chuck, although if you haven't seen the series finale, believe me, your life is a little less bright because of it. Yeah, probably not.
Chock full of more pop culture references than Joyce's Ulysses, like the famous Irishman said, there's enough there to keep scholars busy for decades. Yeah, once again, probably not, but Chuck was full of 80's puns and inside jokes that it warrants at least two watchings.
I pray that those morons over at NBC please keep this show around for another year, just to see what Schwartz and his merry band of nerds will think of next.
How I Met Your Mother is the best ensemble comedy on t.v. since Mash. There, I said it. Yeah, it had got the "Friends" style romantic subplot, but without the overt corniness, and then it stood the old cliches on their head. I mean, the Robin and Ted have more sex than Rachel and Ross ever did, but without the drama because we all know the endgame -- Ted winds up with someone else. Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious. Barney is an iconic character that should be remembered with the best of the genre -- Kramer, Al Bundy, etc. And the women are bright, multi-faceted, and real, unlike so many (even good) sitcoms in the past.
The last episode was classic. They do something my writing teacher always yelled at me for doing -- using the same repeated phrase over and over until you pick up on it subconsciously. Like "Or...." or Wait for It''' They do it in such an intelligent way, though, that keeps it fresh and funny every time. That's some talented writing for ya.
I was wondering, as the odd homoerotic friendship thing came up between Ted, Barney, and Marshall, how uncomfortable would it be for a gay guy playing a straight guy to talk about something that's just this side of homophobic. Made me think, at leat.
What else? NCIS and the Mentalist have become a bit boring, I have to say. For Christ sake, it's just the same formulaic stuff on NCIS over and over. It's time to shake the cast up again, and not for that spinoff it looks like they're trying with the West Coast crew. I will still watch the Metnalist for Robin Tunney only from this point forward. The stories have become ridiculous and Patrick Jane is completely unbelievable as both a character and crime fighter for a while. But Robin Tunney's in it... Did I metnion Robin Tunney?
For a better cop show with a strong male lead with a little more insight than the average detective, go with Castle. This show is getting to the point of near-perfection. The dialogue is utterly hilarious, a mix of old-school pulp noir and crisp banter. The whole hold 'em subplot was a bit stupid last night, though, and they're not using the background characters nearly enough, nor developing them properly.
But Nathan Fillion, with that half-arched eyebrow, always seems to be perpetually winking to the audience. What makes it interesting, though, is whether the audience is the television one or his book readers, or the people around him. The female lead "beckett," played by Stana Katic, the "hold 'em" conversation aside, is developing into a really interesting, well-rounded character. The previous week's show really clinched it, especially the last three minutes.
As for the mystery part, really, it was a bit unoriginal and obvious, at least this week. Of course the "supposedly dead one" did it, Who couldn't see that coming?
I find that the new mystery shows just have to keep the mystery out of the way of the characters to make a successful show. There's so many who-dun-it's on t.v. these days, can writers really come up with something we haven't seen before? As long as the suspense is there, I'm on board.
I mean, all those shows have become a bit formulaic. Bones has been really disappointing this season for the same reason, as well as Bones has become softer than she was in the first season, and, therefore marginalized.
For a completely original t.v. show, my bet's on "Better off Ted." Yeah, it's a bit like "The Office," but with four times the ridiculousness. I mean, they flew jetpacks last week, and had an eight legged chicken. That's quirky with a capital "Q."
I love Portia de Rossi. She could have gone the easy way and fallen back on Lindsay, her character on Arrested Development. People froth about that show, and since her character is shallow, cold, and self-centered, she could have made it with Lindsay. Instead, shes got this crazy cold psycho with just a little bit of a dark undertone. She walks completely differently, acts stiff, sticks her nose up in the air, has not one facial expression, almost the opposite of Lindsay in a lot of ways. Thats some talent. And then, on last week's episode, she has a heart underneath . Hmmm.
So there's my take on t.v. for April 29.
