Media Menace

Post-Pilot Update

2011-10-05T21:35:00.001-04:00

Terra Nova's second episode was worse than the pilot by way of boring me to tears. Prehistoric birds terrorize the colony... riveting.

Person of Interest got marginally better in it's sophomore episode. They may be able to make something of it.

Hawaii Five-O's new season is pretty good. They picked up Terry O'Quinn (John Locke from LOST) as a semi-regular cast member. I still only watch this part-time, though.

I tuned in to House because I thought they would have something new to show as he's in prison for being crazier than usual. However, they still did the EXACT SAME THING that they do in EVERY episode. That's right, he actually solved a mysterious medical case... IN PRISON!!! That show has a rut it can't shake. Oh, well.

And, post-finale update, Doctor Who answered many questions but posed new ones. Not too bad of a cliffhanger. The Christmas episode will be here before you know it.

Also, Warehouse 13 literally ended in a "bang" of sorts. Going to have to wait for 6 months 'til next season on that one (although, they will also have a Christmas episode, but it will be out of continuity with the rest of the story-line like last year's).

Well, that's it. Short and sweet. Bon appetite...

To Blog or not To Blog....

2011-09-26T23:33:00.004-04:00

...That's not really the question. It's a matter of time and... (glances at TV: Woa! David Letterman is looking old! ...looks back at computer) ... where was I? Whatever, never mind. And speaking of Nirvana, 20 years? Well, I've stated my very unpopular opinion that they are one of the most overrated bands to ever wear flannel. Anyway, if you're still reading, I'm obviously all over the place here.

Just watched the premier of Terra Nova. A future Earth is overpopulated and over-polluted. A discovered rift in space-time offers a gateway to a prehistoric past and a chance to start over. The story, though not completely original (See author Julian May and the Saga of Pliocene Exile), has potential. Some of the dialog is forced and cliche' and, from a technical aspect, the editing has some annoying glitches. All of these things can be worked out over time, if the network allows it. Unfortunately, Brannon Braga is involved with the production. He is one-half of the "creative" team that is responsible for the downfall of the Star Trek TV franchise. Hopefully the other 12, count 'em 12 producers will keep him in check. He co-wrote the pilot episode and is probably responsible for most of my gripes. I'll still give it a try, however, since there is a shortage of good speculative fiction programming on right now (really, any good programming at all). I almost forgot, Steven Spielberg has his name on it too, but it's in really small letters. He'll probably turn his back on it like he did with SeaQuest.

Person of Interest got off to a rocky start. Another good premise held down by poor dialog and very dry acting. Sorry, James Caviezel. Oh, and Michael Emerson is just playing Benjamin Linus from Lost again, but as a good-guy this time (his character name in this is actually John Reese, not Ben Linus. Sorry for the confusion). The pilot seemed very rushed and things fell in to place a bit too conveniently. I have a feeling they intended it to be a 2-hour episode instead of 1. And Jim's beard was soooo fake looking. I hope this show gets better because I had high hopes for it.

Doctor Who will be wrapping up it's sixth season (or should I say "series") this week. It looks like it will be a major cliff-hanger. The show is still going strong. Big Bang Theory is back with a, well you know, ..bang and Fringe is back for another mind-bending season.

Saw a few movies over the summer, but missed more. Captain America was pretty awesome, by the way. Didn't see Green Lantern, but I heard that might be a good thing. Didn't see Cowboys or Aliens and didn't get to go "Ape" ;) The new Conan took a dirt nap with the new Fright Night, but still didn't see those either. Well, there's always the video releases to look forward to.

Just finished Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's book, Hellhole....finally, and reading A Game of Thrones (I know, I'm late to the party. Haven't seen the series yet either.) DC Comics kicked off the New 52. Re-launching 52 popular or new titles with number one issues. Re-inventing or re-invisioning or re-gurgatating. We'll see how that goes.

New music out by Lindsey Buckingham, Yes and a group I just discovered, Rival Sons. Check it out.

Well I think I've recovered some of the ground I lost blogging over the summer. We'll see if I can get back on here again before Christmas....

'PIRATES' SAILS & 'FIRST CLASS' IS FIRST-RATE

2011-06-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm cheating by rolling both reviews in to one, but this summer entertainment season is hoppin'.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides set sail in the U.S. on June 20th but was already a success overseas. It is well on its way to being one of the biggest money-makers of all-time. To date it has made over $800 million world-wide. So, the question remains, is it really any good. The answer is...yes. While parts 2 & 3 of the franchise were basically a single (and kind of dark) story shot and released back to back, part 4 is a welcome return to light-hearted adventure more in line with the first film. Some are making comparisons to an Indiana Jones style as the crew is off on a quest for the legendary Fountain of Youth. And, I must say that the way they approach it is quite clever if sometimes a bit tedious. If you are a fan of the Jack Sparrow character you will be well rewarded as this is definitely ALL about him. Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane (as Blackbeard) are along for the ride but it's Johnny Depp that carries this story. This is a good and a bad thing. Depp, as always, is very good, but a change of focus to another character now and then would have provided a better pace for the movie. Instead, it's everyone pretty much reacting to whatever Jack Sparrow does and with a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes it begins to run just a bit thin toward the end. Also, being shot in 3D, the visuals really work well as opposed to a 3D conversion. However, I didn't really see how it enhanced the movie that much. I think a 2D viewing would provide just as much enjoyment. Overall, I think this is a good re-launch and, if they can keep up the momentum, they may be able to get a few more nautical miles out of it. The door is left open but it doesn't leave you hanging. Time will tell...

X-Men: First Class was quite a pleasant surprise. I purposefully stayed away from previews and spoilers for this as I wanted to go in fresh. I didn't even know who was playing the main villain until just a couple of weeks ago. I think that this approach paid off and allowed me to really experience the story as it unfolded rather than waiting for it to unfold. Most people had a bad taste left over from part 3 and I think that explains the slow start at the box-office. My advice to them is to go ahead and give it a try. It is a period piece, taking place almost entirely in 1962. The writing, casting, acting, effects and pacing are all well done. There is plenty of action mixed with some humor and quite a bit of drama, mostly involving the primary leads of James McAvoy (as Professor Xavier) and Michael Fassbender (as Erik/Magneto). So far, it's being well-received overall with the primary complaint being January Jones' performance as Emma Frost. Let me just say that this is where the nitpickers are focusing. There is nothing wrong with her acting in this and I'm not sure what people are expecting from a comic book-based movie. This isn't Shakespeare! Anyway, look for a few cameos and nods to other characters of the X-Men universe.

THOR HAMMERS IT HOME...

2011-05-04T12:33:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the privilege of viewing an advanced screening of THOR. The theater was packed, of course, and everyone was into it. It was one of the best theatrical experiences I've had in a while, despite a few technical glitches.

To my surprise, we were presented with a 3D version of the film. Now, this can really make or break a movie, in my opinion, especially if the film was not shot in 3D, and this one falls into that category. While some of the scenes worked, others were dark and the action was too fast paced in some instances that you couldn't get any real benefit from it. Also, one must take in to account that you are basically wearing polarized sunglasses while watching. If the scene is dark and/or not originally intended for 3D viewing, it just looks dim or blurry. Many shots of the intended bright and shiny city of Asgaard came across with a soft-focus-at-dusk look to them.

The 3D debate aside, the movie itself was solid. I was concerned about how they would meld the real-world story with what would be gods and mythology. Their solution was quite ingenious. I won't give spoilers here, but I'm sure the purists and fanboys will probably complain, as they always do.

The cast is outstanding. Chris Hemsworth holds his own in scenes with Anthony Hopkins. The casting of Natalie Portman was great as scenes with her 5'3'' frame standing next to Hemsworth's 6'4'' really did make him look ginormous. Tom Hiddleston, Rene Russo, Colm Feore and Stellan Skarsgard round out the main cast. Watch for cameos from Stan Lee, of course, as well as Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), writer J. Michael Straczynski and, wait for it, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

No real spoilers here, but the action is divided fairly evenly between present day Earth and the other "realms". CGI mixed with real sets and actors looked good in most instances, but some of the Destroyer character footage was a bit lacking. This is a loud, action packed movie with witty banter, cool psuedo-science, drama and some truly funny moments. In all, a very well-rounded kick-off to the 2011 summer blockbuster season.

Be sure to stay through the credits!!! ;)

THOR opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, May 6th. Look for Captain America on July 22nd!

SPLICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CUT

2011-02-14T10:43:00.001-05:00

Adrien Brody makes some strange choices when it comes to deciding which movie roles to take on. He should have passed on this one. Splice is 111 minutes of garbage. I am usually able to find some redeeming quality in a movie so as not to over-simplify a bad review with just one word, but "garbage" is being nice. I am happy, however, that I was not one of the 7 people who saw this in the theater. I would have asked for my money back.

The premise is a blatant rip-off of Species; a new life-form raised in a lab, becomes intelligent, strong and, well let's face it, sexually mature - so to speak. Brody and co-star, Sarah Polley are a couple who also happen to be some kind of genetic scientists that spend their days creating said life forms. There are other scientists who work there too, like Brody's on-screen brother, but they don't really do anything but sit around and listen to bad music. So, the scientific dynamic-duo are left alone to do whatever they want until their corporate sponsor shows up and actually demands some results from their funding... how unreasonable.

Needless to say, the two go way off task by creating a new hybrid life-form using human DNA...gasp! Unfortunately, with the two main characters, what you see is what you get. We don't know anything about them, what their motivations are, what brought them together, etc. The result, you don't care. After the premise was set up, I spent the rest of the movie not caring about the characters, the new life form, anything. The few "surprises" they tried to throw in were so incredibly obvious, you could pick them apart the instant they tried to throw a hint at you, even before really. Also, toward the end of the movie, Brody and Polley's characters kind of switched places with their attitudes and actions. This didn't make any sense, and then things just got weird.... and not in a good way.

Finally, after all is said and done, they leave the door open for a sequel. Don't count on it. This movie had a budget of $30 million, really cheap for a sci-fi thriller. It did not make its money back in world-wide release! Unless the Sy-fy channel picks up a low-budget sequel, as they did with Lake Placid 2 and 3 or Species 3, this franchise should be finished (although if Sy-fy did pick up a sequel it would probably be an improvement over the original... no really). Also, my apologies to David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis), who was a supporting actor. I like his work, generally, but know that sometimes you just need a paycheck.

Bottom line - DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME on this film. Watch Species again, heck, even parts 2 or 3. You'll at least be entertained for a couple of hours.

ALL'S WELLS THAT ENDS WELLS

2011-01-25T09:16:00.000-05:00

The Martian War: A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Invasion As Reported by Mr. H.G. Wells by Gabriel Mesta
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Gabriel Mesta is Kevin J. Anderson. I'm used to just a little bit more from him I think. In 'The Martian War', Anderson builds a story around H.G. Wells and his "real" adventures much as he did with Jules Verne in 'Captain Nemo'. The story is told on two fronts from two different perspectives. One focuses on Wells and his companions, the other comes from entries in the journal of Dr. Moreau. While the story is interesting it fails to really expand on what we know from Wells' stories. It is kind of predictable but is a short, entertaining read.

View all my reviews

An Early Christmas Present

2010-12-21T08:23:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, Programs....

The 1982 Tron Holiday Special from Rip Taylor

Life Happens

2010-12-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been a while, I know. I've gotten caught up in the holidays, fall TV programming and movies, work's kept me busy, etc. All just lame excuses for not keeping up on the blog. And, even now, I'll probably make this short.

Box office reports for the holiday season have been disappointing. Only 'Harry Potter' has proven to be a success. Disney's 'Tangled' has only done "okay" while Narnia 3 has been a domestic disaster (though it's doing well overseas). 'Tron: Legacy' is off to a good start but we'll wait and see how it goes.

Very disappointed to hear that 'Stargate Universe' has not been picked up for a third season. The remaining 10 episodes will air, as planned, this spring but since they were filmed prior to cancellation, the second season will probably end with a cliff-hanger. I can only hope that they will give the fans a follow-up TV movie to wrap it up later. The 2011/2012 season will be the first in 14 years without a 'Stargate' show on the air.

A smattering of books and music has been released, just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, as usual. Nothing outstanding here. The only big news was iTunes getting The Beatles catalog, and depending on who you ask, it wasn't all that significant. I, however, can appreciate the legal navigation that had to take place to make it happen. Now if someone could just talk some sense into Angus Young and AC/DC...

Well, Happy Holidays and all that kind of stuff. If I don't catch up with everyone over the next couple of weeks, I'll see you in the New Year.

Fall TV (Part 2)

2010-09-24T16:58:00.000-04:00

Monday Leftovers

I caught up on Chase on NBC, Monday nights via the old DVR. The pilot was lackluster with no character development. I think the criminal-of-the-week had more screen time than any of the stars. It appears U.S. Marshalls, operating out of what looks like a giant museum rotunda in Houston, do not have to abide by any laws to get their man. This is evidenced by the amount of doors they busted in without a warrant and the damage they caused and just laughed about. Example: In the first three minutes they chased a suspect through crowded streets, caused a stampede (you heard me) which caused what they reported to be $17,000 in property damage. Their response to this news, “Ha, ha, ha!” Evidently, no one on the team has a personal life and their boss has no real authority over them as they just kind of ignore him and do their own thing. Using U.S. Marshalls in Texas, it just seems like the writers were trying to fill the void left by Walker: Texas Ranger, but not as well done (yes, really). Maybe this show could develop into something if it wasn’t up against Castle and the new Hawaii Five –O in the same time slot. Both of these shows are infinitely better. I’ll make a prediction, Chase won’t see a second season, at least not on Monday night.

Wednesday and Thursday

I know there’s a lot out there on Wednesday on network TV, and Syfy has new episodes of Ghost Hunters which is usually interesting, but the only show that I was truly wanting to check out was The Defenders. Starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell, it’s about lawyers in Las Vegas. It’s well done and plays out very much like Boston Legal. I guess calling it ‘Vegas Legal’ would have been too obvious. If people will switch the channel from one of NBC’s countless Law and Order programs, it may have a chance of making it.

Thursday night sitcoms were back starting with Big Bang Theory (now on its new night), and the premiere of $#*! My Dad Says (officially pronounced Bleep My Dad Says) starring William Shatner, Jonathan Sadowski, Will Sasso and Nicole Sullivan. ‘Big Bang’ was good, as always, but ‘My Dad Says’ got off to a rough start. The biggest problem for me was that Sadowski, portraying the son, seemed very uncomfortable with doing a comedic role. His delivery was rushed and choppy. The pacing was just off. Shatner, however, was pretty good. He has slipped in to a comedic persona over the past several years and I think it suits him well. Sasso and Sullivan, both MadTv veterans held up ok too. The writing needs to be tweaked a bit, but if they can find their legs, and Sadowski can loosen up, they may be OK.

Next was the long awaited return of Fringe. Transitioning between two “realities” this season should prove to be interesting as several actors will get to portray different personalities of their same characters. According to the writers, each episode will take place mostly in one setting or the other to avoid a lot of jumping around. The season premiere was good and I’m looking forward to see how it plays out. It’s one of the few ‘smart’ science fiction shows on right now.

Friday

The final season of Smallville returns to the CW in the 8 o’clock time slot. I’ve watched this off and on over the years and it’s generally ok, though they’ve taken the Superman story and turned it completely upside down. If you can ignore that, you’re fine. However, I’ll probably be tuning in to Fox’s Human Target whose first season turned out to be a surprise hit. A mid-season replacement, many people liked the smart, fun, action-filled show. Though it’s over-the-top most of the time, it is heads above most of the competition in terms of quality and acting. Medium returns to NBC in the same slot but, judging from the preview, it looks like it may be “jumping the shark”. The season premiere does a Freaky Friday storyline where mother and daughter switch bodies. Taking a supernatural-drama and turning it into a Disney comedy just doesn’t sound like it will work. Oh, well. I gave up on that show after the first season when I realized every week was the exact same story. Several other shows are returning or debuting on Friday, but there are only so many programs the DVR can hold…

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday doesn’t offer much in the way of compelling television programming and I think the same can be said about Sunday, though I’m sure one would argue that the Simpsons and Family Guy represent gripping social commentary. Most everything else is just stupid reality shows and the even more stupid Desperate Housewives which had its best storyline in season one and has been hanging around like an unwanted house guest ever since.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. Though I’ve covered quite a bit of ground on this it should be noted that my total television viewing really only amounts to about 5 or 6 hours per week on average. I pick the best-of-the best for my tastes and move on. I’d like to think I have a life….

'Tis The Season.... For Fall TV (Part 1)

2010-09-21T20:08:00.001-04:00

Monday and Tuesday

Well, Baseball season is closing in on its finale and Football season is kicking off (get it). It’s also time for all the new and returning Fall shows. I’ll be watching as many as I can to try to get an idea which ones to put on my (usually short) list of must-see-tv.

Monday night:

Started off with NBC’s Chuck. I’ve watched it on and off over its first 3 seasons and have always enjoyed it. That’s not to say I’ve gone out of my way to make it one of my staple programs but it’s a nice diversion when I have time. The writing and acting are always top-notch and the recent string of guest stars has been cool. Monday night was no exception. Both Dolph Lundgren AND Linda Hamilton were on the season premiere with Hamilton playing Chuck’s long lost mother. For the uninitiated, Chuck is about an electronic store clerk/geek who inadvertently gets drawn in to the world of spy vs. spy due to an accident that leaves him able to experience “flashes” of pertinent knowledge about the international intelligence agencies’ confidential data. Also, as of last season, he can tap into Matrix-like knowledge of martial arts to kick some butt. The show’s a lot of fun…

I stayed tuned into NBC for the series premiere of The Event. It has been described as a combination of 24 and Lost and that actually turns out to be a pretty accurate assessment. It has the mystery/thriller aspect of Lost with the pacing and action of 24 and just a touch of Sci-Fi thrown in for good measure. What is THE event? It appears that will be revealed as the story moves along and the writers have promised you’ll find out sooner rather than later. They reportedly have this mapped out to tell the story prior to, during and then after the event and there will be none of this “making it up as they go” B.S. It’s off to a good start and may be added to my list if they can keep up the good work.

At this point I switched over for the series premiere of the new Hawaii Five-O on CBS (I did DVR NBC’s Chase but haven’t watched yet). This show was a big surprise for me. My expectations were low due to all of the re-imagings and re-boots going on right now, most of which are bad. This show, however, was really good. It has a great cast that works well together, lots of action and humor. Plus, it’s in Hawaii, what more can you ask for! This one should make it if people can find it at 10pm on a Monday. I, personally, can see myself tuning in to a combo of The Event and H5-O on Monday night. I’ll just have to see how Chase turns out. From what I’ve seen, it looks like a female version of Walker: Texas Ranger.

Tuesday night:

Not a lot on the agenda except for the season (or is it mid-season, I never can tell with Syfy) finale of Warehouse 13. I can’t say enough good things about this program. It just does everything right and it’s a lot of fun. Next Tuesday, however, is the season premiere of Stargate Universe. I’ve been waiting for this one. The first season was great and I’m looking forward to see where they will take the story next. This chapter of the franchise is a lot more serious than the past outings but it is very well done.

I haven’t tuned in to any of the new sitcoms yet, but I can only stand so much of that. Looking forward to the premieres of Big Bang Theory and $#*! My Dad Says with Shatner on Thursday, though.

Well, that’s all until I get to see a few more shows this week. Talk atchya later….

Hack Master...

2010-08-27T10:43:00.004-04:00

(Yes, it is time, once again, to comment on my favorite writing/directing/producing hack)

Joss Whedon-ites live in a bubble. They feed off of each other and have built up his body of work, in their social circles, to be some of the best entertainment ever created. Relying solely on the success of “Buffy”, Mr. Whedon has somehow networked with the right people in Hollywood to keep himself in business.

I recently read an article about what Sci-Fi sequels should be made and, sure enough, Firefly/Serenity was listed near the top. One person posting in the comments added that it was one of the few on the list that had a fan base to support a movie sequel. This comment is so inaccurate that it’s laughable. Let’s look at the facts:

The television series, Firefly, did not pull the ratings in for Fox to even run all 13 produced episodes. The show was CANCELED due to lack of viewership. Yes, it may have had 3 million viewers, but that doesn’t cut it on network TV. Then, somehow, Whedon was given a budget to make a motion picture, Serenity. $39 million is getting off cheap for a feature and yet it failed to make its money back over its WORLDWIDE theatrical run, making it a box office flop. My question, where is this fan base? They’re probably at home watching "Xena" reruns. It is a niche franchise and is not sustainable in the mass media.

Whedon’s follow up TV series, Dollhouse, suffered the same ratings fate and could not stay afloat on network television, despite all of the eye candy. Again, fan base anyone?

The Avengers is poised to be the make or break moment in Whedon’s career. He has taken on writing and directing duties that Marvel execs have graciously bestowed upon him based almost solely on his fan boy appeal. They should take note of "Scott Pilgrim’s" failure to perform at the box office. Its small but vocal audience just couldn’t fill up the theaters. If The Avengers does not make some major cash, Mr. Whedon may have to go back to riding his brothers’ coat tails as he did on "Dr. Horrible" (the songs, by his brothers, and acting made that good, not the writing). To its advantage, The Avengers has star power and character recognition, plus lead-in movies to help get it off the ground. My fear is that the movie WILL be a box office success and help perpetuate the career of one of Hollywood's all-time hacks (Ronald Moore not withstanding, but that's another story)!

Quick Review: "Death at a Funeral"

2010-08-19T23:50:00.000-04:00

Just expanding briefly on the Twitter post:

Most of the funny scenes were shown in the movie trailers. James Marsden was a surprise comedic addition. The cast was good and there were a few extra funny moments. Okay for a rental and I'm glad they kept it to 90 minutes. I haven't seen the 2007 version directed by Frank Oz. May have to check it out sometime to compare....

Four Hours at Gen Con

2010-08-12T11:16:00.001-04:00

(The following is best read in the voice of a 40's film noir detective)

I picked up my passengers and grabbed a donut at 8AM. Traffic was light on Interstate 74 to Indianapolis. A wrong exit put me 15 minutes behind schedule and I had to park somewhere just shy of the center of the Earth. A short hike later, we were badged and ready for the exhibit hall by 10:20. I thought I might catch the presentation “I’m Wil Wheaton, and I’m a Gamer” but the line was crazy long. Sorry, Wil, maybe next time.

Back at the exhibit hall things were starting to pick up. The costumed attendees sporting the standard backpack survival gear with bags of dice, rulebooks and the smuggled-in Mountain Dews were gathering around the various vendor booths. You could smell the money smoldering in their pockets.

That’s when I spotted Matt. He’d ditched the others and was ready to do a sweep of the room when he decided to bring me along for photo support. We talked to vendors, drank orange root beer, took pictures and drank more orange root beer, Root Jack I think it was. With Vitamin C. Sold by Pirates who claimed it would “fight scurvy”.

Stopping by Exile Game Studio’s Hollow Earth Expedition booth, I asked about the long delayed Mars book. “Not Yet, but soon” was the response. They directed me to check out All For One by Triple Ace Games. It uses their Ubiquity rules system and it’s Musketeers vs. Monsters in 17^th Century France. I didn’t know what to say to that, except “Thanks”.

Next, we came upon the Nexus Games booth. Typically distributed by Fantasy Flight, they had 3 soon-to-be-released board games with demonstrations going on. Magestorm, Dakota and Letters From Whitechapel all look excellent. I’ll keep an eye out for them this fall.

Moving on, we came across a booth that I recognized by the merchandise as Margaret Weis Productions and I said as much to Matt. Then I looked up. Margaret Weis was standing there smiling at me. We asked for a picture, which she graciously allowed us to take, and she asked Matt if he was part of the preferred retailer program. She directed us to her business manager and we proceeded to get more information.

After this encounter we picked up the pace. We went past the White Wolf booth but something was wrong. No merchandise or demonstrations. Their booth could only be described as a “Goth Lounge”. The only sign of a game tie-in was a banner with the words The Grand Masquerade, September 23-26. We puzzled over this but kept going.

We visited the booths for Mayfair Games, Fantasy Flight, Privateer Press, Wizards of the Coast and Paizo among many others. Matt greeted several acquaintances along the way and introduced me. I just kept smiling and taking pictures.

Finally, we reached the end. Independent game developers, authors and artists inhabited this area. From what we could see, there is potential for many good things on the horizon. Suddenly, a growl sounded nearby. We looked around but could not find its source. Then I realized it was my stomach. It was 2PM and I hadn’t had anything but that single donut and orange root beer all day. We rallied the troops and made our way to a local diner where we swapped stories of our encounters. Once we were finished, we launched the expedition to find my car and head back. It was 3PM and I had a 5:30 deadline to meet.

See you next year Gen Con.

Quick Review Roundup

2010-08-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

I've been lazy... For the past couple of months I have been firing off "Quick Reviews" on Twitter. Sooo, here is a compilation of the unedited (mostly) reviews in 140 characters or less...

Cadillac Records -A bit disjointed trying to cover 30 years of Blues recording at Chess Records. Acting and cast good.

Inception -Intelligent story that is remarkably complex for so little detail. Many things are "assumed". Cast is excellent.

Regarding The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, "a script clearly written on 50 index cards and shuffled at random", via Scifi Wire (now blastr). Website

Max Payne not too payneful. A-List actors meet B-List story and Director. Small shades of Punisher and Blade Runner mixed.

Devils Due is hands-down THE best 80's "Big Hair" cover band in Cincinnati. The look, the sound, the attitude! Website

Shutter Island -Psychological Thriller that's about 45 minutes too long. Story OK, acting good, editing VERY ANNOYING. Zzzzzz.

Shutter Island (continued) Predictable! Crappy editing draws you into the "psychosis" or Scorsese full of crap? You decide.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief -More fun than the last 2 'Potter' movies but similar in theme. Good cast. Story pacing seemed rushed.

Land of the Lost -Better than I thought it would be. Laughed out loud a few times. Effects are decent. Anna Friel is purdy.

The Book of Eli - Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman are great as usual in this post-apocalyptic, thinking-man's Mad Max.

Alice in Wonderland - Visually striking with interesting angle on the story. Great cast and voices. Burton's best in a while.

Whiteout ,with Kate Beckinsale, defies logic and is too long. Story is weak and good acting can't save bad dialogue.

There you have it. More to come my minions....

Wonder Woman Changes.... Her Clothes

2010-07-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

June 30th 2010: A day that will live in infamy.... At least it seems that way if you check out the initial responses to the "new" Wonder Woman. J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Spider-Man, Thor) takes over writing duties with issue #600 and is making several changes, most notably to the Amazon's look. A change in costume and story shrouded in a mystery doesn't really sound that bad. The character has been around since her first official appearance in All Star Comics in December of 1941. That's a long time for a lady to be wearing a one-piece bathing suit! But, let's be honest, after 68 years she needed a face lift.Of course, the controversy has fueled interest in a struggling comic and first run printings of issue #600 sold out easily. Wonder Woman comics haven't even been on the charts lately (which is why it is strange that she is considered one of DC's big three, alongside Superman and Batman) and the publisher saw a need to shake things up a bit. Enter Straczynski. Love him or hate him, he certainly generated sales when working on Spider-Man and Thor. Those also had their share of story line, costume and dare I say it, gender changes ( Loki as a woman). Straczynski is a talented writer and his work generally makes you think a bit. He's also working on Superman as well, though I don't think Supes will be trading in his tights just yet.

I say give it a try and always keep in mind that NOTHING is ever permanent in comics. It could have been worse, they could have kept the 60's Wonder Woman....

Feeling LOST....

2010-05-24T11:23:00.002-04:00

Wow! The highly anticipated series finale of LOST is over and the heated discussions have begun. You have to expect a big division of opinion on something like this, though. After the build up of six long seasons, there is no way that anyone could satisfy everybody with the resolutions. Let me begin by stating that I realize this is a television show and that over-analyzing it is a bit silly. I should also add that this post will contain spoilers. Having said that, let's move on...

It began with a plane crash. Survivors stranded on a strange island with little hope for rescue (according to the pilot, who didn't last long, they were nearly 1000 miles off course). Everyone quickly turns to Jack Shephard, a doctor, for leadership and he does his best to get them home. Through a series of flashbacks we learn about the main characters and what they were facing in their lives before the plane crash. Some characters came and went, most notably Walt (a boy with some interesting abilities).

This is probably the first of the storylines that did not have a clear resolution. The viewer got the impression that Walt was intended for something more, but for unknown reasons, the writers let him leave the island without much follow up (we see him in a couple of visions and a "flash forward" but that's it). His father, Michael, however does show back up to try to atone for some of his mistakes.

Another character that was developed and let go was Mr. Echo. A man with a violent past, he also attempts to make up for his past transgressions by helping the survivors, fighting The Others and facing down the Smoke Monster. His character is killed off and almost never mentioned again.

Along the way we learn a little more about the mysterious island, The Others that inhabit it, the DHARMA initiative, Jacob and the Man In Black/Smoke Monster. There is time-travel, the metaphysical, forces of good and evil, drama, action and mystery.

So how does this all come together? Well some say, not very well. Let's take a look. The final season is the one where we really start to see some questions answered, in a fashion. First, what is the island? What is its purpose? According to Jacob, the island is a stop-gap for a gateway to "hell". He has been protecting the island for generations and keeping the "cork in the bottle" to use his analogy. His brother is the Man In Black who we later learn is the Smoke Monster.

Which leads us to the next question. What/who is the Smoke Monster? Unfortunately, he is never given a name. His motivation is to leave the island, no matter the method or consequences. Jacob, through a momentary lack of judgement, is actually responsible for MIB's transformation into the Smoke Monster, after which MIB can take on the form of anyone who as died or is dead on the island. This becomes very important to his plans toward the end. This is because the two brothers, through a mysterious set of rules are not allowed to harm one another. MIB vowes to find a loophole which will allow him to kill Jacob and leave the island.

Next, The Candidates. Jacob is seen through flashbacks interacting with the main characters in earlier times of their lives. He speaks to them and touches them in turn, which supposedly protects them and sets things in motion that will lead them to the island. The purpose of this is so that one of them can replace Jacob as the protector of the island as he knows his time is almost up. MIB is not allowed to kill any of The Candidates himself. He finds his loophole when John Locke's dead body is returned to the island. MIB can now take on the persona of Locke, a former candidate, thereby circumventing some of the rules. He is able to manipulate the character of Benjamin Linus and the two of them kill Jacob (though Jacob is able to hang around a little longer in "spirit" form to pass the torch... more on this later).

At one point, Jack is able to leave the island with some of The Candidates. They go back to their old lives for three years but come to realize, for various reasons, that they need to find a way to return to the island. During this time the other survivors have been transported to 1974 and are forced to join the DHARMA initiative. This is a group that have come to the island to study its unique properties and try to live in a "utopian" type of community. For these characters, three years also pass.

When they are re-united, it is in 1977 and physics genius Daniel Faraday has an idea about how to change the timeline and effectively negate the plane crash and the hardships that followed for the survivors. He wants to detonate a hydrogen bomb near the source of the island's power in hopes of neutralizing it. Evidently the island was a post World War II bomb test facility and they happen to have an un-detonated bomb at their disposal. This plan appears not to succeed and we lose some characters in the process.

This is where we begin to see what appears to be a parallel timeline. I think this may be the sticking point for a lot of people as it turns out to be something completely different. In this reality, the island and Jacob never existed. The characters land at LA X safely but their lives appear to be just a little different. Eventually the characters in this existence come together and realize that they know each other and "remember" their time together on the island. More on this in a bit...

Meanwhile, back at the island, the characters have to deal with the aftermath of the failed bomb attempt. After some more hardship and some soul searching by the survivors, "dead" Jacob brings the remaining Candidates together to explain his search for a replacement and what the island represents. Jack volunteers and Jacob performs a short ritual which makes Jack "like him"(presumably immortal). This is Jacob's swan song and the survivors agree that Locke/MIB/Smoke Monster needs to be stopped.

Everyone ends up at the "heart of the island" and it's main source of power. Jack and Locke agree to extinguish its light as they both think it will serve their separate purposes. They utilize the character of Desmond as he is evidently immune to the intense electromagnetic properties of the islands power. Desmond succeeds in neutralizing the power but with disastrous effects. Earthquakes begin to shake the island and Locke runs for his getaway ship. We find that Locke/MIB/Smoke Monster and Jack are no longer immortal and they proceed to begin a fight to the death. Locke loses and he is now no longer a threat to the island. However, Jack is severly wounded and faced with the realization that he has to re-ignite the power source or the island will be destroyed and, possibly, the rest of the world.

In the mean time, the rest of the characters, minus Hurley and Benjamin Linus (who decide to stay with Jack), race to a downed plane that has been repaired and is ready to leave. They all board the plane and manage to take off just as the runway crumbles beneath them. Six people manage to escape on the plane.

Jack finds a way to save the island but he is critically wounded and does not expect to survive. He passes the guardianship of the island to Hurley who asks Ben Linus for help. Desmond also survives.
Jack wanders out to the spot where he first awoke on the island back when it all began. He lays down and dies.

In the alternate reality we find that all of the characters have gathered in a church. Jack is there as well as his father, who had passed away. We find that this reality is a type of "pocket purgatory" (I came up with that myself) and that they have created this place themselves so that they could experience a life without the island and re-unite before they move on....

This in no way cancels out the experiences that were had on the island nor is it a "Dallas-type" dream sequence. The events on the island happened in "reality" and Hurley moves forward as its' protector for who knows how many years. The characters who were able to leave on the plane move forward with their lives from there, but that is all a different story...?

Are all of the questions answered? No. It would be impossible to address the specifics of all the storylines raised. This was a big undertaking with an epic feel to it. We do not know the answers to all of the metaphysical, quasi-religious themes. But then, we do not know these in real-life either. Whether you like the ending or not; whether you found it satisfying or it left you wanting more; it was smart, thought provoking television (something that is sorely lacking these days). And, it was one hell of a ride....

Don't Mess With the Crazy Heart.....

2010-05-18T12:42:00.001-04:00

I recently screened 2 movies on video. The newly released Crazy Heart and the Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess With the Zohan. As you can see, I don't necessarily watch movies in any particular order.... just whenever I get around to it. Keeps people guessing.... Let's begin with the new, and much more respectable, Crazy Heart.
Starring Jeff Bridges (who won the Academy Award for his performance) and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart is the story of an all but washed-up country singer and his attempt to come back from the brink of obscurity and alcoholism. Bridges as "Bad Blake" is perfect for the role and well deserving of the Oscar. You really believe that he is the character. He's kind of reminiscent of Kris Kristofferson's character in A Star is Born and looks quite a bit like modern day Kris in some scenes. Coincidentally, Bridges and Kristofferson are good friends and they reportedly had a good laugh about the similarities. Bridges performs all the original songs himself and does a pretty good job. The story is solid and has great character development for the most part, but they were a little lite on Gyllenhaal's motivations (then again it wasn't about her). The movie ran just a bit longer than it needed but, overall, the pacing was good. I recommend this one for anyone seeking a lite drama.

Next, Adam Sandler's You Don't Mess With The Zohan. Sandler tends to do one of these stinkers every other film... One good mainstream movie, one silly, etc. Zohan is not without merit. It has some genuinely funny moments and his supporting cast that includes John Tuturro and, of course, Rob Schneider are good. However, in the "it's so stupid it's funny" category, this one leaned a little bit more on the stupid side. Sandler got all of his friends together to make another movie (under his own production company, Happy Madison) and they just wanted to poke a little fun at the terrorism paranoia and the racial stereotypes that go along with it. I think he succeeded but you have to wade through all the sexual innuendo and crotch jokes first. There are too many cameos to mention here, suffice it to say there seems to be one in about every scene! All-in-all it's a fun way to waste about 90 minutes if you so choose...

Iron Clad Sequel...

2010-05-11T22:26:00.007-04:00

Iron Man 2 opened Friday to an enthusiastic movie-going public. Kicking off the summer blockbuster season, the movie managed to pull down over $128 million in its opening weekend (5th highest opening ever). With an all-star cast and non-stop action, the movie manages to capture the fun of the original without becoming stale.
Actor roll call:

Robert Downey Jr.
(Tony Stark / Iron Man)
Samuel L. Jackson
(Nick Fury)
Gwyneth Paltrow
(Pepper Potts)
Scarlett Johansson
(Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow)
Sam Rockwell
(Justin Hammer)
Mickey Rourke
(Ivan Vanko / Whiplash)
Don Cheadle
(Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine)
Jon Favreau
(Happy Hogan)
Garry Shandling
(Senator Stern)

The action picks up 6 months after the events of the first movie. All of the fall-out from Tony Stark revealing he is Iron Man is catching up with him, as well as the side-effects of having a small nuclear reactor in his chest! Enemies and competitors are chomping at the bit to take Stark down while he tries to deal with it all. Favreau, again, directs and writes himself a bigger role in front of the camera too (come to think of it, most of his scenes are with Scarlett Johansson.... way to go Jon!).

While maybe not having the depth and character development of the original, IM2 delivers top-notch acting and a good story. There's a lot going on here because Favreau is trying to keep things running smooth within the Marvel Comics universe. They want to make their current crop of movies cohesive so that they will line up and come together in The Avengers, slated for summer 2012. Iron Man began the story, so to speak, and evidence in IM2 suggests that its events coincide with the what happened in The Incredible Hulk movie (the Edward Norton version, not Ang Lee). Thor and Captain America are set to debut next summer. All of these characters are expected to come together in said Avengers movie. That said, be sure to stay after the credits again this time for a "secret scene".

All-in-all a great summer movie for the minions.....

Hot Tub Time Machine Is Not "All Wet"

2010-04-25T21:12:00.000-04:00

It's been out for 5 weeks, but I finally saw Hot Tub Time Machine last night. What a fun movie (if you don't mind the constant barrage of F bombs). The title pretty much sums it up. Four guys travel back to 1986 by way of an energy drink supercharged hot tub (yes, you read that right). John Cusack is the 'star' but the real lead role goes to Rob Corddry (Old School, Semi-Pro) as Lou.
Lou is a Lou-ser (get it?) and after what appears to be a suicide attempt his buddies whisk him off to a dilapidated ski resort for a weekend getaway where they proceed to do the said time traveling. Queue the 80's music and movie spoofs! There are some neat cameos by Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) and William Zabka (The Karate Kid). There's even a performance by Poison (not really, it's a bunch of look-alikes up on stage lip-syncing).
All-in-all it was a good way to spend 90 minutes. It's not blockbuster material but I'd recommend it for a matinee or video rental. Rated R for language, drugs, nudity and 80's fashions ;-). Check it out....

Who Watches the Watchers?

2010-04-23T22:58:00.011-04:00

There are seven television shows, total, that I'm currently watching. They're not necessarily the best or most popular but they entertain well enough and that's all I'm looking for. As I've stated in the past, I'm not a reality show fan. You'll find none of those on my list. Nor do I watch a lot of sports. I do not find most very exciting in a spectator role. That being said, this is what I have:
Currently, Monday is occupied by 24. This, I think, is my guilty pleasure. It is over-the-top, preposterous action and I've watched it loyaly for the past 5 of its 8 seasons. It's about to wrap up its run (at least on Fox), so I'll be freed up on Monday nights before long.

Tuesday is LOST and V. The former is coming to a close as well, and it has been a wild ride. Did not miss an episode of this one and I hope the finale' is satisfying (2 hrs. on Sunday, May 23rd). V, however, is just 'meh'. Having watched the original series, I'm not seeing anything new here. Once LOST is done and the new Syfy Tuesday lineup kicks off, I won't be going out of my way to watch. It's catching me with its LOST lead-in right now.
Wednesday is Ghost Hunters. While some list this as a "reality show", it is more of a documentary style investigation as opposed to the standard competition/drama. As long as they remain legitimate, I'll continue to follow these guys. Sometimes I catch Destination Truth afterwords, but I consider it to be the National Enquirer of paranormal investigative shows (all flash and no substance). It can be fun, though.

Thursday, of course, is Fringe. One of the most intellectual speculative fiction dramas on television right now. Created by the team that gave you Alias, LOST and the new Star Trek movie, how could it not be good?
Friday is Stargate Universe. Quite a change from previous incarnations of the franchise, this show is very dark and gritty. Some of the most humor I've seen displayed was on tonight's episode "Human" and it was mixed with its fair share of drama.

Saturday is now occupied by the new season of Doctor Who on BBC America. The resurrection of this franchise has been quite a spectacle. I enjoyed it back when it was hokey rubber costumes and cardboard sets. Now it's top-notch science fiction. I'll check out a Syfy original movie on Saturday night from time-to-time but it really depends on the subject matter (not as big on their disaster-of-the-month story as others).
Sundays are usually wide open. Kind of a TV wasteland for me. I used to watch Desperate Housewives but they were really, really finished after season 1. I tried to watch more but it just got predictable and stupid.
Well, I think that's it for now. This list will change when the off-season series start back up this summer. Shows like Warehouse 13 (definitely) and possibly the new series Haven may draw me in. We'll have to see. Until next time my minions...

Take Me to the River....

2010-04-19T08:42:00.004-04:00

Last night's Syfy Re-make of RiverWorld turned out to be pretty decent. Better than their first attempt a couple of years ago anyway. Based on Science Fiction author, Philip Jose' Farmer's series of books, the story poses the question; What if everyone who had ever lived on Earth were thrown together on a world at the same time? Five books tried to answer this question, but Syfy thought they could do it in a 4 hour television movie. Ambitious to say the least. Of course, they left it open for a possible series if they feel the viewership is there.
The pacing was good through the first three quarters of the movie but the ending felt rushed and convenient. The acting was decent featuring former cast members of such shows as Battlestar Galactica, Highlander: The Series, Smallville and the X-Men. The on-location scenes were refreshing after so many 'green-screen' environments. One word to Syfy, though, everything is really starting to look like Canada ;-)
Characters and storylines have been thrown about to accommodate a TV audience I suppose. The main 'hero' of the first book, To Your Scattered Bodies Go, ended up being the bad guy and a brand new hero was introduced. While the basic story was based on the first 2 books, elements of all were thrown in.
If they do try to make this into a series, they may have already given away too much information. Part of the 'mystery' was the Caretakers of RiverWorld. What were they doing and why? The movie revealed much of this. I'm not sure where they can go with a possible series now.
At any rate, if you get the chance check it out, I'm sure Syfy will repeat it many times for your viewing pleasure.

Awards and Stuff...

2010-03-08T23:18:00.005-05:00

So, The Hurt Locker pulled it out. People were expecting the Avatar sweep but you can always count on the Academy to mix things up a bit. Kathryn Bigelow also won for her Direction of the movie (ironically, she's one of James Cameron's exes, if you didn't know). Anyway, I'm not really surprised by that since it was a "serious" movie and not some silly sci-fi epic (that has made more money than any other film in history!). Avatar and Star Trek did win some technical awards, however (can you say "consolation prize"?).
Other winners were Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Bastards), Mo'Nique (Precious) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side). Sandra is also the proud recipient of this year's worst actress Razzie Award for her performance in All About Steve. Moving on....

This weeks box office has Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland coming in at $116 million, breaking a few records. It has been getting mixed reviews, but money talks. And, yes, Avatar is still at number 5 after twelve weeks in the theaters. Brooklyn's Finest, Shutter Island and Cop Out were numbers 2, 3 and 4 respectively. New this Friday will be Matt Damon's Green Zone. New on video this week; Up In The Air, Precious and Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

Watched 2012 the other night. Completely over-the-top action, but a lot of fun (in an end-of-the-world kinda way). I've stated before that you have to give Rolland Emmerich (Director/Producer) credit for being the new Disaster Movie King and this generation's Irwin Allen (creator of such gems as Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure). His next big project is to take on the Isaac Asimov's Foundation story. A difficult task to say the least.

Just found out today that J. Michael Straczynski will be taking over the writing for Superman and Wonder Woman comics in July starting with issues 701 and 601 respectively. JMS is the creator of Babylon 5 and has numerous other writing credits to his name including Changeling (with Angelina Jolie) and most recently Ninja Assassin. Haven't done the comic book scene in a while, might have to check it out. One of his next projects is a remake of the Sci-Fi classic, The Forbidden Planet.

No update on Recession Proof as of yet. The local indy film that I am associated with is still in post-production. Editing should be complete soon...

And now I leave you with the latest Iron Man 2 trailer...

Something Old, Something New...

2010-02-24T22:15:00.003-05:00

I finally watched Clerks 2. I wasn't expecting much, but it was actually pretty good. Kevin Smith is clever, albiet raunchy as hell. Most people either love his stuff or hate it. There's usually no middle ground. His new movie, Cop Out with Bruce Willis, starts this Friday, 2/26/10. Some say he's a Sell Out but, in this economy, you've got to get the work where you can.

New to video is Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell. Saw this the other night and it is pretty amusing. Laughed out loud a few times. My only complaint is that it was nearly 2 hours long. That's fine for some movies but, for a comedy, it was about a half hour too long.

Finally, finally, almost done with the Dan Brown book. It's lived up to all the hype. This one should make a good movie.

I've recently been re-discovering Led Zeppelin. I know...I know...Its really old school, but I'd forgotten how good they really were. They only released 9 studio albums but every one has some great music on it. You don't realize how many hits they had until you really start to dig into their library.

Ugh! American Idol preempted Human Target tonight! Glorified karaoke and its still on the air after all these years. Does anyone even care what Randy or Simon have to say anymore? Turned to the Olympics and what were they covering? Cross-country skiing. The announcer even said out loud (this is absolutely true) "This is a boring race". I'm not sure if he knew his microphone was on or what. For a network that admitted that they stood to lose millions on this deal, you'd think NBC would try to liven it up a bit!

Everything is...like 3D, man.

2010-02-18T23:06:00.003-05:00

Thought I better chime in for 2010. And I say twenty-ten, by the way, but that's another discussion.
Well if you haven't heard about Avatar, you've been hiding under a rock on Pandora. 3D is now becoming the standard with studios standing in line to make all of their movies in the format. Why? I'm fine with 2D for most features. 3D should be reserved for the eye-popping epics that deserve it. I don't really need to see something like The Hangover 2 in 3D and, what's this, George Lucas wants to transfer the Star Wars flicks to the format. The dude has totally wigged out (he's going to be remaking them till he dies).

Well, enough of that. Avatar was great, as was Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr. has really turned his life around in recent years. I always knew he could do it. Just check out Chaplin sometime.
Watched Moon with Sam Rockwell. Excellent job on that low budget gem. Saw Funny People and it didn't live up to its name. Viewed a handful of others over the past couple of months, but nothing too memorable.
The Wolfman is out with underwhelming reviews, but Percy Jackson looks to be doing well. Funny how Chris Columbus launched both Harry Potter and Percy. Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will open soon. He needs a hit under his belt. I haven't been too impressed with him lately. Summer blockbusters will be here before you know it. Only 77 more days until Iron Man 2!
24 is back on the air and is another good season so far. Things really picked up when Manny Coto took over daily operations on the production a couple of seasons ago. Production has been halted for a week or so while Kiefer Sutherland undergoes an elective surgery to clean up a small ruptured cyst (Eww!). Also, LOST has returned for its final season and is starting to answer some questions. The new Fox action series, Human Target, is not bad and more new episodes of Fringe will be aired starting April 1st.
Still trying to make it through Dan Brown's new Book, The Lost Symbol. It's really good, trying to find the time to read it is the problem.
Well, hope all is well with you, my minions. Let me know if there is anything you'd like to hear me chat about. Later...

What's New?

2009-12-16T22:44:00.004-05:00

Looking forward for the next couple of weeks at Ye Olde Movie House. Avatar and Sherlock Holmes hit the big screen in time for Christmas. I hope to post some reviews and look back at 2009.

Stay tuned...

Teaser Trailer....

2009-11-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

Here it is! Months in the making.... A cast of several....

Recession Proof

Recession Proof Teaser Trailer

Recession Proof Film | MySpace Video

Let me know what you think my media minions!

I'm Baaack...

2009-10-27T22:56:00.001-04:00

Hello, Minions. Long time, no blog. Oh, well. A Media Menace’s work is never done. How have you been?

The new TV season has been rearing it’s ugly head. Just more of the same stuff, different day. Still, there are a few standouts. The successor to the LOST throne, Flash Forward is off to a roaring start. There is even talk of a possible LOST tie-in. We’ll see. Stargate Universe is quite good. Different in tone and attitude than the previous incarnations. More dramatic and dark. Check it out. Fringe is back for season 2 and is better than ever. Keep it coming…

A bona fide Dracula sequel novel has been released by none other than Dacre Stoker, descendant of Bram, and Ian Holt, noted Dracula historian. Dracula The Un-Dead picks up twenty-five years after the original events and is based on Bram’s own hand-written notes, plot threads and characters. Should be interesting…

In the “blood from a stone” category, Robert Jordan’s supposed final Wheel of Time book had to be completed by author, Brandon Sanderson due to Jordan’s untimely death. In the hands of Sanderson and Jordan’s widow (and editor), they have taken what he fully intended on being THE final chapter and turned it into, not two, but three books. “The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book” is the official statement when, in reality, they want to make a ton more money, of course. I hope its worth it to the fans.

This fall has been a dead zone at the theaters so far with only a few exceptions.

The Amelia Earhart biopic, Amelia, which looked to be a very good A-List movie with top actors, failed to break the top ten at the box office in it’s opening weekend. On the other hand, Paranormal Activity , the surprise hit of the season, has only grown immensely in popularity since it’s initial release. Produced for a reported fifteen thousand dollars (that’s right, only a five digit budget) it has raked in over 63 million. The movie going audience is so fickle.

And speaking of low budget, Recession Proof nears completion. Our Hollywood talent has come and gone and I think we might have a decent little movie on our hands. Two short scenes to shoot, then off to the editing suite. Here’s a few pics for you to peruse.

Bon appétit….

Martian Media

2009-09-09T00:24:00.000-04:00

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Much better than the first book, The Sky People, the action takes place entirely on an inhabited Mars. We gain more insight into "The Lords of Creation" and the ending is wide open. Hoping to see Stirling wrap up this story but he has nothing listed yet as far as a third book is concerned.

View all my reviews >>

Dinosaurs on Venus.....

2009-08-16T22:26:00.003-04:00

The Sky People by S.M. Stirling

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Interesting 'alternate reality' story where life is found on Venus and Mars, and the space race became a competition to lay claim to the territory. First half moves slowly but picks up. The author tends to get carried away with too much detail. This story concentrates on Venus, which resembles a prehistoric Earth. The follow-up book, focusing on Mars, looks to be pretty good.

View all my reviews >>

Movies and TV and books...Oh My!

2009-08-12T23:01:00.009-04:00

It appears as though the guest vocal spot in the other band is not going to happen. Schedules did not match up. Oh, well.

Should get a new Recession Proof shooting schedule any day now. Trying to wrap this month but will probably go in to September at this point. We'll see....

Saw the chick flick, New in Town and the Kevin Spacey film, 21.

New in Town starred Rene Zelwegger and Harry Konick Jr. It was a romantic comedy about a corporate executive (Zelwegger) sent to a small Minnesota town to lay-off workers at a factory. It was kind of Fargo meets Gung Ho (Michael Keaton, look it up). Predictable, but entertaining.

21 was about smart college kids going to Vegas and counting cards in Black Jack. Good acting, decent story but too long. Question: If you were an MIT mega-genius with an IQ off the chart, would you keep $300 thousand dollars cash in the tile ceiling above you dorm room bed? I think maybe not. Again, predictable, but entertaining.

Read the final (?) Dean Koontz Frankenstein book. Disappointed.... Two good books building it up with the third book coming to a screeching halt with a very short and very convenient resolution. Character development kind of dwindled away, and the Frankenstein monster, prominent early on, became a small side story. He barely showed up until the end and then just kind of stood around with nothing to do. Koontz had co-authors on the first two books. Think he could've needed some help on this one.

Been watching Warehouse 13 on Syfy channel. Not bad. Check it out if you get the chance. First episodes are online and Syfy repeats them every other day...
Also watching Defying Gravity on ABC. It's LOST in space (get it?). Weird LOST-formula storyline about a crew of astronauts on a six year mission around the solar system. Underlying mystery about some entity called "Beta" that's calling all the shots telepathically. Is it me or does their mission boss look like young James Cameron? It's moving reeeaally slow so far.....

That's all for now minions.....

Manic Media.....

2009-07-26T22:40:00.009-04:00

It's been a while, but things are happenin'. Work continues on the independent film, Recession Proof. We're well over half-way through production. Things are looking pretty good. Probably a couple more days to schedule for some studio shoots, then we bring in the big talent for two full days and wrap.

On the music front, I have been approached to fill in on vocals for a band that is in-between lead singers. I'll post more on this as new information becomes available. Suffice it to say, August is starting to look pretty busy....

Most recent movies viewed on video, Knowing and Fanboys. Knowing was different than I had anticipated and I wasn't sure how to take it at first, but the more I think about it, the better I like it. It's worth checking out. Fanboys was funny, but then I can relate to it. I got a lot of the in-jokes and recognized some cameos that most people won't catch. I haven't had time to get to the theater, so I'm missing some of the summer blockbusters. Oh, well....

Finished up a James Rollins book, Deep Fathom. I like his stuff. Good , fun Action/Adventure. Looking forward to Dean Koontz' third, and final installment of his modern Frankenstein series that will be released this Tuesday, July, 28th. Been waiting for a few years on this one. It was delayed due to the fact that it takes place in New Orleans and Mr. Koontz basically re-wrote it to incorporate the hurricane.

Looking in to the Sci-Fi/Fantasy sub-genre known as Steampunk. It's been around for a while. Think League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as a reference. Any thoughts on this my minions? Let me know. Until next time.....

Books and Movies...

2009-06-23T23:21:00.008-04:00

What's going on? Well, James Rollins' new book, The Doomsday Key, hit the shelves today, June 23rd. He writes good adventure/thriller stuff. Very cinematic. I'd like to see a movie based on one of his books. Also, saw a new title at the bookstore I'm just going to have to check out:

Pride and Prej ud ice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen (Author), Seth Grahame-Smith (Author)

This has just got to be one of the craziest ideas I've seen. It just might work....

I saw two movies over the weekend. The first was Punisher: War Zone. Much more violent than previous incarnations, Ray Stevenson's portrayal of the gritty vigilante is probably the best. Not a bad action flick, but they couldn't seem to decide on whether to go for realism or comic book style. The harsh action and drama supported the realism, the Joker-like villian, Jigsaw (not to be confused with the Saw movies), came right out of the comic book. All-in-all not too bad.

Next up was The Reader. This is so completely at the other end of the spectrum from Punisher it's almost funny. I couldn't have picked more of an opposite. Nominated for several awards this past year, though I think Slumdog Millionaire won most if not all of them, it stars Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. This was an odd story that moved from a romance in the 50's to a court case about Nazi war crimes in the 60's culminating in a lot of depression and guilt by the ending time frame of 1995. Wow, not the lighter drivel I normally prefer. This is what I consider an Art-House flick. Great acting and cinematography, worthy of award nominations, just kind of heavy for my tastes. Oh, and despite what the cover of the box says, this is by no means a "thriller". It is a flat-out drama.

Anyway, the clock on the wall is telling me to wrap it up. I must rest and be refreshed so that I may be ready for another day. Rest well my media minions.....

Mixed Media

2009-06-15T22:45:00.006-04:00

Watched The Spirit last night. The simple review; it was a very uneven movie. Some scenes worked, some...not so much. Samuel L. Jackson, as The Octopuss, was purposefully over-the-top, and that was cool. The rest of the cast was decent considering some of the material they had to work with. The exception, Eva Mendes. While she is eye-candy, she can't act. I'm not sure who told her she could. I have not seen her in a role yet where she could keep up with the other talent on screen. The movie was a decent rental. If you liked Sin City then you will be able to forgive the shortcomings of this flick and waste away a couple of hours. Note: this film did tank at the box office, so don't look for a sequel any time soon.

A few discoveries over the past couple of weeks... First, Pandora.com. A cool streaming music web site that you can customize virtual "radio stations" to fit your tastes. Great concept. I've been listening to it quite a bit lately. Second, Goodreads.com. For the book enthusiast, this is a social website, book club, personal library tracker and book review. Quite cool.

Next up, you knew it was coming.... The return of Captain America! For the uninitiated, the good Captain was a long running character in the Marvel Comics universe and he was recently...killed. You heard it, just like the current B.S. going on in the DC Comics arena where they have now killed off Batman! (What a load of crap!!!) Oh well, they've got a big name writer working on it and circulation is up, so who cares, right. Anyway, just in time to start the wheels moving on the media machine for the 2011 release of the big-screen Captain America movie that was recently announced, they appear to be resurrecting the original stars and stripes crusader himself. I'm sure Batman will be back in the comics as soon as Bale is ready to do another movie. See how this marketing thing works. I'll make a prediction... Angels and Demons will be released on DVD and Blue-Ray within two weeks of Dan Brown's new book due in September. Watch and wait my minions......

The Movie Title Is....

2009-06-02T22:50:00.003-04:00

Here's an updated production schedule for the new movie, Recession Proof, from MSW Films and Artistic Vision Productions. As posted previously, the first day of shooting was on May 3rd. The cast is now scheduled for rehearsals in June as set construction/prep continues. All principal photography is due to be completed by the end of July. Post production is to be finished for an early fall release date. You can visit the official site at http://www.myspace.com/recessionprooffilm

Later minions....

Here's Johnny......Connor that is!

2009-05-23T23:53:00.006-04:00

I just saw Terminator Salvation and I must have seen a different film than some of the critics. I read that you don't see John Connor until 20 minutes into the movie...WRONG. I heard a review that stated it didn't have much action....WAY WRONG. I really can't understand where they get this stuff. Do they even watch or do they send text messages to their dogs or something while the movie is playing?

Anyway, Christian Bale shows up as John Connor, right away, and the almost non-stop action begins (don't let the PG-13 rating throw you off. There's plenty of violence and mayhem for everyone). This is the future that the first 3 movies talked about. Skynet has taken over and the human resistance fights to reclaim the planet. Keep in mind that this storyline is consistent with the movies...It does not recognize the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv show as part of the mythology.

Along the way, there are a few surprises with the plot, but the biggest one for me is the fact that John Connor is not the focus of this movie. Yes, Christian Bale is the star, but this film really concentrates on the character of Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington. This is Marcus Wright's story. Also, Anton Yelchin plays young Kyle Reese. You may remember Anton as Chekov in a little movie called Star Trek that opened a couple of weeks ago. I hope he's paying his agent well!! The story is solid, the action and effects are great and I look forward to the next installment.

On a side note: Don't get sucked in to this whole 'Christian Bale is a hothead' thing that's going on. I've heard that people aren't going to see this movie because of his little tantrum he through on the set. Listen, this kind of thing goes on all the time. This one just got made public. They're actors, they tend to have ass-like tendancies from time to time. Move on.

Until next time minions.....I'll Be Baaaack!!!

Lights, camera.....Action!!!

2009-05-20T21:27:00.008-04:00

Principal photography began on May 3rd for the new independent movie I'm involved with from MSW Productions. We had 2 locations and several scenes to shoot that day. The weather cooperated so we were able to get the outdoor shots we wanted. The rest of the day progressed pretty much on schedule. We're off to a good start. The next shoot date is TBA. The production schedule is spread out due to the fact that we all have "day jobs".

More to come my media minions......

Boldly Go....See This Movie

2009-05-20T12:09:00.006-04:00

I saw the new Star Trek on it's opening weekend. Despite the apprehension of what this film might render, It turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. They just did everything right. The story was clever and handled the balance of drama and humor very well. The directing and acting were superb. The young talent they picked to re-create these iconic characters was perfect, and they all actually had their time to shine on screen.

The story opens with a singularity event (which in Trek Speak means it involves time travel). Don't worry, this is handled much better than in the past (trying to incorporate time travel in Star Trek eventually contributed to it's near demise, in my opinion). Anywho, a Romulan with revenge on his mind comes back from a future where something has gone terribly wrong and he blames The Federation and Spock in particular. Unfortunately, there just happens to be an early Federation starship waiting for them on this side. In the first five minutes of the movie there is a flurry of action and some real dramatic moments so unlike what you've seen in Star Trek before, that you know right away this is going to be a fresh take on the mythology.

Flash forward a few years and we are introduced to a young, rebelious James T. Kirk as well as young Spock back on Vulcan. Flash forward again and we see a slightly older, slightly more rebelious Kirk, and Spock with some life changing decisions before him. Finally, we get up to speed with Starfleet Academy and are introduced to most of the rest of the major players. Hats off to these actors for being able to take the characters that we have known for 40 years and making them their own.

Soon the Romulan resurfaces to cause some major trouble and the Enterprise is off to try to save the day. Keep in mind that the course of events have changed from what we know. Things are unfolding differently due to the Romulan's appearance in this timeline. So.....all bets are off. This was an ingenious way to manipulate the story so that the writers now have the freedom to move around in an established universe without stepping on any toes or creating any inconsistancies. It is almost a blank canvas now. And, judging by the box office reports, is sure to have a sequel on the way at warp speed (sorry, had to do it).

Go see this movie on the big screen!!! It is a big, glorious, sci-fi, adventure, drama with plenty of humor and it deserves a viewing in the theater. In a summer full of blockbusters this year, this one will definitely be one of the best.

So go...go now....Sit Long and Prosper.....

It's a Movie, Bub!

2009-05-16T22:07:00.009-04:00

Okay, so I'm way behind on my posts. I'll start back up here with a movie review for Wolverine. Saw it opening weekend after reading several unfavorable things about it. The recurring theme was, "The studio is trying to milk the franchise", or something like that. My response is, what's your point. Of course the studio is going to try to get every last dime out of a property...that's what studios do. And for some reviewer to suggest that no one wants an origin story for Wolverine just goes to show how the critics are uneducated about what they are reviewing (not naming names but one can be found somewhere with the initials CNN). What I'm talking about here is the Weapon X comics that told some of Wolverine's background. This series was one of the best selling at the time. So yes, Virginia, people do want to see this. The question should really be, is the creative team trying to make a good movie despite the studio's marketing machine. In this case I would say yes. I know they've altered the origin story a bit and changed up some of the characters, but the fanboys need to quit crying about it. How many times must it be explained how stories don't play the same across different types of media. Accept it and move on.

And now, the review. The movie opens with the Wolverine character as a child. It gives a year and we actually get a sense of how old he is (this was always a question since his regenerative powers would, presumably, slow his aging). Then through a montage, ala Watchmen, we see time progress to a latter 20th Century time period where he has joined up with a paramilitary group conducting some covert operations over seas. He decides he wants to live a normal life and walks away. Flash forward a few years and we find that his past just won't leave him alone. He gets dragged back in to all of it and ,driven mostly by revenge, decides he needs to go kick some major butt so that he can finally find some peace. Along the way he agrees to an experiment that alters him in a way that makes him virtually indestructable and the afore mentioned butt kicking ensues.

Going in to the movie I was concerned how they were going to fit all the characters into the story that they had been showing in the previews. They did this well and it actually fit in the context of the plot. He is pitted against several other mutants along the way such as Sabertooth, Gambit and Deadpool. The latter seems to be the source of the most controversy, primarily because they changed him quite a bit for the movie. I think, though, they may get a chance to redeem themselves in a proposed sequel to the prequel. That's right, a Wolverine 2 is already in the works, and seeing how Hugh Jackman's production company is involved again, and how this first film is making some major cash, I don't see why it wouldn't happen.
I say bring it on... The story, characters, acting and effects are all done well. I'd love to see another one, Bub!

Next up, I'll boldy go where this blog hasn't gone before....

Come Sail Away....

2009-04-29T23:08:00.007-04:00

So I went to see classic rockers Styx this past weekend, well at least the current incarnation anyway. They only have one full-time member that is from the original band and one that has been with them since their fifth album tour in 1975. Their original bass player still sits in when he can and was there for this show.
At any rate, they still got it. After about 38 years, 15 studio albums, several live albums and numerous line-up changes, they still put on a great show. Lots of energy, and always fan-friendly. Of course the length of their set has gone from well over 2 hours down to about 90 minutes. I guess they're starting to show their age a little bit.
I could go on for quite a while as this is my favorite band and I know way to many trivial factoids about them. However, I will keep it brief. Suffice it to say, we had a good time. They played most of the hits, we were hooked up with great seats (courtesy of their PR guy and Road Manager...Thank You), and we made it back home before midnight. I'll throw some grainy camera phone pics on here for your perusal.
It is a shame that I have to find these classic bands that are still touring just so I can see a great show with talented performers who can write good music. We're missing that in this current generation. I doubt anyone will be going to see many of today's bands in concert 30 years from now, but that is a discussion for another time.....

Joss Whedon Is Not God

2009-04-22T09:19:00.011-04:00

(Warning: The following opinons are not favorable to Mr. Joss Whedon. Read at your own Risk)

Ok, I'm not a fan, so sue me. I've tried to get into his work, but cannot seem to find the appeal. Mr. Whedon became a television writer on the coattails of his father and grandfather. Both wrote for credible shows over the years. He has managed to gain a ridiculously large fan-base due mostly to what can be summed up in one word, Buffy.

Writing the screenplay to the original movie, Mr. Whedon was not satisfied with the finished product. One has to wonder if this was before or after it was not well-received by the critics and movie-goers. Somehow, though, he was able to convince someone at Warner Brothers to pick it up as a TV series. Over seven seasons and a network change, he managed to win awards and an almost religious following. When Angel and Firefly came along, nobody cared whether or not the shows were any good, just that they had his name on it.

I have been able to sit through the train wreck that was Ishtar, and the critically acclaimed, but most boring movie ever made, Passage to India. However, as hard as I tried, I was never able to sit through an entire episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I felt my IQ, as well as my will to live, being drained by the minute. The plots were boring and predictable (except when they didn't make any sense at all) and the characters were written completely with no depth at all. The tongue-in-cheek dialogue was stupid and rarely funny. I had high hopes for the episode in which she finally came up against Dracula. I thought, cool, she's going to fight the king of all vampires. Instead, they portrayed him as a bumbling fool and Buffy was able to take care of him easily in a final showdown that lasted all of 3 minutes. After that, I really lost interest. I know she returned from the dead, gained a sister that never existed before, blah, blah, blah. This show was just written for fan-boys who wanted to watch Sarah Michelle Gellar every week and for the girls who wanted to be her. At least I hope that's it. Because if someone was watching this for story content…….

Next was Angel, a superior show to Buffy with a campier feel. However, this was not the sole creation of Mr. Whedon. Established TV writers David Greenwalt and Tim Minear helped. Still, the show was mediocre at best. This idea had been done before, with Rick Springfield no less (Forever Knight), and has been done since (Moonlight) by David Greenwalt, go figure. Still, the show managed to limp through five seasons, mostly on the momentum and fan-base of Buffy.

Then came Firefly. What can I say. I had high hopes for this one. A change of pace for the writer, trying to tackle a purely sci-fi premise. Unfortunately, it was ill-conceived. Set in a solar system with hundreds of habitable worlds (what?), it told the boring story of a boring captain whose boring resistance fighters lost some boring war. He became a boring freighter pilot with a boring crew. Did I mention the show was boring? The only bright spots were Adam Baldwin's character, and the mystery surrounding Summer Glau's character's past. It was nice to see Ron Glass again, too. Once again, most of the characters were completely one-dimensional. Suddenly, though, the religious zealots of the Church of Whedon, could not keep the show on the air. Fourteen episodes were filmed before the show was canceled, only eleven of which were aired until syndication.

But, miraculously, Mr. Whedon and his fun-bunch found a way to resurrect this bore-fest from the ashes like the legendary Phoenix, and turn it into a major motion picture entitled Serenity. I couldn't believe it! I did watch this big budget stinker once it made it to video (I borrowed a copy from someone. I couldn't bring myself to pay money for a rental.). Let me say that it was fun watching Miss Glau kick butt (even though this was the scene that aired in every preview) and I'm glad she's continued the tradition in the new Terminator series (which, in contrast, is really well written). Mr. Whedon directed this and tried to bring some closure to the ill-fated series for the fans. In doing so, he managed to kill off Ron Glass' character and fan-favorite, Serenity pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne played by Alan Tudyk (the latter for no apparent reason other than for the supposed "drama").

Mr. Whedon is currently working on several other projects, such as Dollhouse, and recently walked away from the Wonder Woman movie after eighteen months of work and several rewrites. He cited the reason as being that he and the studio had different ideas of where to take the story. Yeah, the studio actually wanted a story and that's not Mr. Whedon's strong suit. In the midst of all this is the one bright spot, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. This online show was done as a “video blog” with music and singing, and starred Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion (I won’t hold Firefly against him). This show is actually kind of funny. I have to give a lot of the credit to Joss’ brothers, however, who helped write and produce the story and the songs.

But, finally, I heard an interview with Joss Whedon on NPR about his stint as a comic book writer and received the quote that made all of this fall into place. He said (paraphrased slightly)"No one wants a 3 dimensional character anymore". That explains a lot if this is his writing philosophy. It does not explain, however, why so many people like his stuff. Maybe he's right. Either way, I'll take my chances with the crowd who expects a good story and characters you can feel something for.

At this point, some may ask why I know so much about Mr. Whedon if I am so loathsome of his body of work. My answer is simple. I like to know what I'm talking about if I'm going to criticize something. Most critics today could take a lesson from that. Too many times I've read reviews that miss the mark so completely because they didn't take the time to learn anything about what their criticizing. I'll admit my lack of knowledge of the entire Buffy mythology, but I bet someone could write me up a summary in less than a paragraph. That's probably the amount of good story telling content seven years of episodes amount to.

Note: I posted this a while back on MySpace and it appears that an Admin somewhere deleted it. I think I may have offended a Whedon disciple at MySpace.com

Makin' Movies...On Location

2009-04-19T23:04:00.005-04:00

Hello, All. I was on location at a production meeting for an independent short film today (more info to come later). It never ceases to amaze me, the eagerness that people have to be involved in something creative. There were some talented people assembled ready to work with little or no budget. The crew was back from a previous venture or two, more seasoned from the experience. There is a named actor that has committed to being involved. It looks like this might be pretty cool. We shot some 'screen test' type footage so that the actors could try to get into character. Stay tuned........

In Theaters This Week...

2009-04-16T22:12:00.008-04:00

Well, the summer blockbusters haven't quite kicked in so if you're tired of Hannah Montana being on top at the box office, here's what's coming out 4-17-09:

Crank: High Voltage
Probably the pick of the week for sheer mindless entertainment value.
Starring: Jason Statham

State of Play
For all-out star power, this would be the one to see.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright Penn, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels

17 Again
In the "been there, done that" category for this week. How many times can they remake the same movie?
Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry

Reality TV vs Good TV

2009-04-15T23:50:00.013-04:00

Yep, Reality TV has given networks a cushion for these tough economic times. Pennies to produce and high ratings make executives salivate. The problem is, these shows have taken away from good, solid, entertaining, escapist television. People watch this stuff because it does not challenge them. They do not have to think, and contrary to what current Hulu commercials say, Reality TV is what is turning American viewers' brains to mush.
Now, that's not to say there are not creative islands in the sea of mindless drivel that has become our Prime Time viewing selection. There are still some writers working in Hollywood who care about telling a story. Unfortunately, most of these have reduced themselves to being very formulaic in nature. Shows used to be amusing, thought provoking....you know, fun. Now all we have to look forward to is to see if our favorite singer or Survivor got voted off this week. Sad state of affairs.
I used to succumb to the allure of the Reality show myself. I saw singers, survivors, dancers, apprentices, big brothers, moles....all of it. But no more. I will pass on these in favor of a documentary or occasional "dramedy". I can no longer support programming that bumps good shows off the air. If you want my attention for your advertising dime, hire some actual writers!
I want a story, plot, acting, drama, comedy, action....fantasy, not reality! I live reality every day. I watch TV to get away from it. If you want me to tune in to these shows, you better go over the top with them. Bring back Richard Branson and the Rebel Billionaire show. Now that was something! It was like Apprentice Extreme International. They flew all over the world solving business challenges and performing actual death defying stunts.....Awesome! You want me to watch Survivor? They better be in Antarctica really trying to survive instead of laying out on some beach somewhere!
Anywho...my network fix is down to about 4 or 5 non-reality shows per week. I don't have the presence of mind, time, or inclination to try to keep up with much more than that. And, I definitely don't want to waste any more time watching other people stab each other in the back for their pot of gold.
And now, my marvelous media minions...maul my message over in your minds and feel free to make musings manifest themselves here if you wish. I will return after a word from our sponsors....

And so it begins....

2009-04-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

Hello my new media minions. Welcome to my menacing media blog. Thoughts and opinions will be addressed regarding music, movies, books, etc. It is no longer easy to separate these different forms of media in today's electronic world. Books are movies, music is video, plays are musicals that were once movies and are re-made again into new movies....well, you get the idea. Hopefully I will be able to produce the volume of commentary to generate a blog of continuous streaming consciousness for readers to peruse at their leisure. Whew! That was a bit wordy. But, it is a blog after all! Well, I will set about to determine a topic while continuing to construct the overall atmosphere of this page. I will return after the commercial break :-)