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.