Thursday, May 31, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
My Must See Again Movies-Part Deux
Finally,
AS I stated before, these are movies that I've seen and loved and will stop everything to see again if I'm surfing Dish Network and one of them is showing.
Grosse Point Blank
From Dusk Till Dawn
Eight Men Out
Miami Blues
Random Harvest
Shane
Malice
The Grifters
Body Double
Body Heat
Office Space
A Few Good Men
and....Anything by the Coen Brothers
That's it for now. I'll add as I remember more.
AS I stated before, these are movies that I've seen and loved and will stop everything to see again if I'm surfing Dish Network and one of them is showing.
Grosse Point Blank
From Dusk Till Dawn
Eight Men Out
Miami Blues
Random Harvest
Shane
Malice
The Grifters
Body Double
Body Heat
Office Space
A Few Good Men
and....Anything by the Coen Brothers
That's it for now. I'll add as I remember more.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Lost vs. Heroes
Very interesting article from CHUD comparing the LOST finale to Heroes.
Last night’s episode of Lost threw down the gauntlet for all of American television, daring other shows to shake up their status quo in as major and exciting way as they did. But coming a couple of days after the finale of Heroes – a finale that even the show’s zombified fans must see as wildly disappointing – the finale of Lost reads like a major fuck you to the sorry attempts at serialized storytelling it has inspired.
Tim Kring’s Heroes has often been seen as an answer to Lost – where ABC’s show is all about the mysteries and teasing things out for as long as possible, NBC’s superhero spectacular is unwilling to leave its viewers in the lurch for more than a couple of episodes. It’s part of the show’s basic modus operandi: where Lost has faith in your intelligence and stamina, Heroes knows that its audience isn’t that bright. Never mind Lost’s ambitious literary and philosophical references (‘You’ve always been a hero!’ is about as philosophical as Kring’s hunk of junk gets), Heroes wants to keep frustration levels at a minimum. To be fair, that isn’t just because the producers know their program appeals to people who hate to think – they’ve watched Lost’s trajectory and understand that it’s easy to lose the luster of being the hot new show in a blink of an eye. It’s good business sense to keep things as simple as possible on Heroes.
But that’s where the show failed in its finale. Well, it’s one of many places. Lost’s finale had more action, excitement and tension in its first twenty minutes than Heroes’ last three episodes had in their entirety. The final battle between Peter Petrelli and Sylar, which has been building for months, was a complete letdown that ended up being a quick fist fight in the street. It’s mystifying that the show didn’t spend more money on those climactic moments (let’s just forget how badly written and directed the finale was – that’s a given with Heroes. Compare how Heroes looks with how Lost looks, just from a cinematography point of view); Heroes is one of NBC’s big hits, and you would think that a couple of extra bucks would be freed up for the big finish. Hell, we’ve seen how other shows deal with limited budgets – shows like Battlestar Galactica set up episodes that can be filmed on the cheap, allowing them to splurge on terrific sequences like the Galactica’s atmospheric drop and rescue in the opening arc of the third season. Instead we get a couple of punches and Hiro dropping into an ancient Japan populated by a handful of people. (PS, they’re ripping off the end of Evil Dead II there)
Still, budgets are a reality. One of my favorite TV shows of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, would run headfirst into the budget wall all the time (although almost every season finale of Buffy was more spectacular than the finale of Heroes, and that show was on third rate networks) – you just hope that the writing and acting can make up for the cheesy snake monster or whatever failed effect is highlighted that week. But Heroes, being one of the most consistently poorly written and directed shows on network TV, doesn’t even have that going for it. The finale sucked from a production value point of view, but it also sucked when looked at as a climax of any sort. Most of the characters we’ve been following all year end up together… for no good reason. Rather than having most of these people actually play roles in the finale, Kring and company have them stand around uselessly. By the time the final minutes of the show happen, Kring and his writers have had all the characters do whatever little bits they had to do – kill Linderman, help Horned Rim Glasses Man find a floor in a building (easily the lamest role a ‘hero’ has ever played in an epic), etc – but because of the show’s incredibly poor pacing we’re left with a paradox: all of these events took too long to happen, and occurred only after the show spent hours and hours spinning its wheels, but at the same time they all happened too early. So while it seems like the show slapped about three episodes of filler in there at the end, it still ends up feeling like the non-Peter and Sylar stories blow their loads too early. Instead of having a massive climax where all these stories wrap up in a short time span, we get trickles of wrap up and then a final fight where most of the characters – including at least one character IN the fight – are utterly useless.
That’s to be expected, though. I am not giving in to hyperbole when I say that Heroes is one of the worst written shows I have watched (just look at the episode before, when Hiro learns to be a swordsman in an afternoon and yet doesn’t bother popping into the other room to tell his friend that he’ll be working for a couple of hours, thus giving the writers a cheap excuse to send that friend into some half-assed danger), so having the finale be not just filled with badly conceived narrative but also bad dialogue (see the entire exchange between Shaft and Peter Petrelli) is no surprise. What’s most annoying is how the Heroes finale sums up the show’s contempt for its audience, and how it’s completely different from how Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse approach Lost’s viewers.
The anti-climax of Heroes comes not just from the cheap and boring final confrontation, but from the fact that the events of the last minutes – the ‘How to Stop An Exploding Man’ of the episode title – are so transparently obvious to anyone who has watched the show. Heroes has spent most of the season building to this ending, and when the writers got there they chose the single most predictable way to pull it off (despite the thing being full of plot holes. For instance, if Cheerleader shot Peter in the head, he would die but get better as soon as they pulled the bullet out, so that seems like a good way to stop him from blowing up). I think they did this for the simple fact that it makes the fat-headed fans of Heroes feel smart – ‘I called that ending!’ Of course you did… so did anyone who watched any previous episodes and had a concept of basic storytelling clichés.
Meanwhile Lost went the absolute opposite direction, delivering a finale that was a complete mindfuck, an ending that no one could have guessed six weeks ago. That’s because the producers know that the fans of Lost – intelligent, literate people, mostly – love the sense of excitement that comes from having expectations challenged, not met. The crowd that loves Heroes is the same crowd Robert Zemeckis cuts his trailers for – the people who want to know exactly what they’re getting when they walk into a theater, the people who choose McDonalds over local food when traveling for that same reason. These people are the lowest common denominator, and Heroes shovels its shit into their happily gaping maws on a weekly basis.
There are other ways in which the Lost finale spanked Heroes – for one thing Lost has characters that feel three dimensional, who have contradictions and hidden depths, quite the opposite of Heroes’ cheap carboard cut-outs (the character who got closest to having anything resembling depth was Nathan Petrelli, and he got blown up… although I’m sure he’ll get better next year), and these characters evolve and change in interesting – and not predictable (hello, Peter Petrelli and Hiro Nakamura arcs of gaining confidence) – ways. Lost has a more exciting and intriguing concept and set up as opposed to Heroes’ Comic Books’ Greatest Hits stories. But when the dust settles at the end of this week, the truth is that the biggest difference is how the two shows treat their fans. I’d rather have Lindelof and Cuse think of me as so smart that they can throw in tiny hints and also little bits of disinformation to keep me guessing over Kring thinking his fans are too stupid to be able to deal with actual shock or excitement.
Source: CHUD
Last night’s episode of Lost threw down the gauntlet for all of American television, daring other shows to shake up their status quo in as major and exciting way as they did. But coming a couple of days after the finale of Heroes – a finale that even the show’s zombified fans must see as wildly disappointing – the finale of Lost reads like a major fuck you to the sorry attempts at serialized storytelling it has inspired.
Tim Kring’s Heroes has often been seen as an answer to Lost – where ABC’s show is all about the mysteries and teasing things out for as long as possible, NBC’s superhero spectacular is unwilling to leave its viewers in the lurch for more than a couple of episodes. It’s part of the show’s basic modus operandi: where Lost has faith in your intelligence and stamina, Heroes knows that its audience isn’t that bright. Never mind Lost’s ambitious literary and philosophical references (‘You’ve always been a hero!’ is about as philosophical as Kring’s hunk of junk gets), Heroes wants to keep frustration levels at a minimum. To be fair, that isn’t just because the producers know their program appeals to people who hate to think – they’ve watched Lost’s trajectory and understand that it’s easy to lose the luster of being the hot new show in a blink of an eye. It’s good business sense to keep things as simple as possible on Heroes.
But that’s where the show failed in its finale. Well, it’s one of many places. Lost’s finale had more action, excitement and tension in its first twenty minutes than Heroes’ last three episodes had in their entirety. The final battle between Peter Petrelli and Sylar, which has been building for months, was a complete letdown that ended up being a quick fist fight in the street. It’s mystifying that the show didn’t spend more money on those climactic moments (let’s just forget how badly written and directed the finale was – that’s a given with Heroes. Compare how Heroes looks with how Lost looks, just from a cinematography point of view); Heroes is one of NBC’s big hits, and you would think that a couple of extra bucks would be freed up for the big finish. Hell, we’ve seen how other shows deal with limited budgets – shows like Battlestar Galactica set up episodes that can be filmed on the cheap, allowing them to splurge on terrific sequences like the Galactica’s atmospheric drop and rescue in the opening arc of the third season. Instead we get a couple of punches and Hiro dropping into an ancient Japan populated by a handful of people. (PS, they’re ripping off the end of Evil Dead II there)
Still, budgets are a reality. One of my favorite TV shows of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, would run headfirst into the budget wall all the time (although almost every season finale of Buffy was more spectacular than the finale of Heroes, and that show was on third rate networks) – you just hope that the writing and acting can make up for the cheesy snake monster or whatever failed effect is highlighted that week. But Heroes, being one of the most consistently poorly written and directed shows on network TV, doesn’t even have that going for it. The finale sucked from a production value point of view, but it also sucked when looked at as a climax of any sort. Most of the characters we’ve been following all year end up together… for no good reason. Rather than having most of these people actually play roles in the finale, Kring and company have them stand around uselessly. By the time the final minutes of the show happen, Kring and his writers have had all the characters do whatever little bits they had to do – kill Linderman, help Horned Rim Glasses Man find a floor in a building (easily the lamest role a ‘hero’ has ever played in an epic), etc – but because of the show’s incredibly poor pacing we’re left with a paradox: all of these events took too long to happen, and occurred only after the show spent hours and hours spinning its wheels, but at the same time they all happened too early. So while it seems like the show slapped about three episodes of filler in there at the end, it still ends up feeling like the non-Peter and Sylar stories blow their loads too early. Instead of having a massive climax where all these stories wrap up in a short time span, we get trickles of wrap up and then a final fight where most of the characters – including at least one character IN the fight – are utterly useless.
That’s to be expected, though. I am not giving in to hyperbole when I say that Heroes is one of the worst written shows I have watched (just look at the episode before, when Hiro learns to be a swordsman in an afternoon and yet doesn’t bother popping into the other room to tell his friend that he’ll be working for a couple of hours, thus giving the writers a cheap excuse to send that friend into some half-assed danger), so having the finale be not just filled with badly conceived narrative but also bad dialogue (see the entire exchange between Shaft and Peter Petrelli) is no surprise. What’s most annoying is how the Heroes finale sums up the show’s contempt for its audience, and how it’s completely different from how Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse approach Lost’s viewers.
The anti-climax of Heroes comes not just from the cheap and boring final confrontation, but from the fact that the events of the last minutes – the ‘How to Stop An Exploding Man’ of the episode title – are so transparently obvious to anyone who has watched the show. Heroes has spent most of the season building to this ending, and when the writers got there they chose the single most predictable way to pull it off (despite the thing being full of plot holes. For instance, if Cheerleader shot Peter in the head, he would die but get better as soon as they pulled the bullet out, so that seems like a good way to stop him from blowing up). I think they did this for the simple fact that it makes the fat-headed fans of Heroes feel smart – ‘I called that ending!’ Of course you did… so did anyone who watched any previous episodes and had a concept of basic storytelling clichés.
Meanwhile Lost went the absolute opposite direction, delivering a finale that was a complete mindfuck, an ending that no one could have guessed six weeks ago. That’s because the producers know that the fans of Lost – intelligent, literate people, mostly – love the sense of excitement that comes from having expectations challenged, not met. The crowd that loves Heroes is the same crowd Robert Zemeckis cuts his trailers for – the people who want to know exactly what they’re getting when they walk into a theater, the people who choose McDonalds over local food when traveling for that same reason. These people are the lowest common denominator, and Heroes shovels its shit into their happily gaping maws on a weekly basis.
There are other ways in which the Lost finale spanked Heroes – for one thing Lost has characters that feel three dimensional, who have contradictions and hidden depths, quite the opposite of Heroes’ cheap carboard cut-outs (the character who got closest to having anything resembling depth was Nathan Petrelli, and he got blown up… although I’m sure he’ll get better next year), and these characters evolve and change in interesting – and not predictable (hello, Peter Petrelli and Hiro Nakamura arcs of gaining confidence) – ways. Lost has a more exciting and intriguing concept and set up as opposed to Heroes’ Comic Books’ Greatest Hits stories. But when the dust settles at the end of this week, the truth is that the biggest difference is how the two shows treat their fans. I’d rather have Lindelof and Cuse think of me as so smart that they can throw in tiny hints and also little bits of disinformation to keep me guessing over Kring thinking his fans are too stupid to be able to deal with actual shock or excitement.
Source: CHUD
Friday, May 25, 2007
Too Cool
From Variety:
'Family Guy' meets 'Star Wars'
Toon kicking off season with approved spoof
By JOSEF ADALIANThe Force is with "Family Guy."
Fox's animated hit will kick off its fifth season this September with an hourlong episode that retells the "Star Wars" saga using "Family Guy" characters.
Lucasfilm has blessed the event, which will have the Griffin family acting out all the key scenes and narrative from "Star Wars: A New Hope," the first installment of the franchise. "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane is a major "Star Wars" fan and was personally involved in getting Lucasfilm on board, an exec from 20th Century Fox TV said.
Not surprisingly, family patriarch Peter Griffin will play the role of Han Solo, while mom Lois will appear as Princess Leia. Evil baby Stewie will be Darth Vader, natch.
Brian the family dog will serve as Chewbaca, while son Chris is Luke. Robots R2-D2 and C-3PO will be handled by Cleveland and Quagmire, respectively, while creepy old guy Herbert gets the Obi- Wan character.
Plot of the episode has the Griffin family stuck at home during a blackout. With no TV to entertain them, Peter decides to tell a story --- leading to the "Star Wars" flashback.
Planning for the seg began more than a year ago, with the "Family Guy" execs getting Lucasfilm on board. MacFarlane is set to show off footage from the episode at this weekend's Star Wars mega-convention in Los Angeles.
MacFarlane and the "Family Guy" writers have shown a strong interest in "Star Wars," serving up several mini-spoofs of the franchise in years past.
In addition to the "Star Wars" tribute, "Family Guy" will also mark its 100th episode next season, with a two-part special set to air in November.
'Family Guy' meets 'Star Wars'
Toon kicking off season with approved spoof
By JOSEF ADALIANThe Force is with "Family Guy."
Fox's animated hit will kick off its fifth season this September with an hourlong episode that retells the "Star Wars" saga using "Family Guy" characters.
Lucasfilm has blessed the event, which will have the Griffin family acting out all the key scenes and narrative from "Star Wars: A New Hope," the first installment of the franchise. "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane is a major "Star Wars" fan and was personally involved in getting Lucasfilm on board, an exec from 20th Century Fox TV said.
Not surprisingly, family patriarch Peter Griffin will play the role of Han Solo, while mom Lois will appear as Princess Leia. Evil baby Stewie will be Darth Vader, natch.
Brian the family dog will serve as Chewbaca, while son Chris is Luke. Robots R2-D2 and C-3PO will be handled by Cleveland and Quagmire, respectively, while creepy old guy Herbert gets the Obi- Wan character.
Plot of the episode has the Griffin family stuck at home during a blackout. With no TV to entertain them, Peter decides to tell a story --- leading to the "Star Wars" flashback.
Planning for the seg began more than a year ago, with the "Family Guy" execs getting Lucasfilm on board. MacFarlane is set to show off footage from the episode at this weekend's Star Wars mega-convention in Los Angeles.
MacFarlane and the "Family Guy" writers have shown a strong interest in "Star Wars," serving up several mini-spoofs of the franchise in years past.
In addition to the "Star Wars" tribute, "Family Guy" will also mark its 100th episode next season, with a two-part special set to air in November.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Lost Finale Review by Tim Goodman
"Lost" season finale: No one gets out of here alive.
Coming out of story hell and a long night with a sick kid, so you'll have to cut me some slack for the slight delay in getting to Matthew Fox as Jim Morrison and the rest of the hijinks that happened on the two-hour "Lost" season finale last night.
I loved it. I picked up immediately that it was a fast-forward situation with Jack in a full beard, all gone to hell and hooked on pills, discovering he couldn't live life off the island. That's right, off the island. It was a great twist and a good tease to a series that has been a lot more assured the last month or so and began moving with real confidence. Last night there was an assured swagger to the finale. Not only was the pace fast, the teases taut, and the answers plenty, the writers took a compelling gamble (though one not too difficult to unravel or further complicate). They told viewers that in the future, all (or maybe all) of the people on the "Lost" island get off. They get their wish. But in Jack, our guide through this series, the writers definitively say, "Be careful what you wish for."
Again, it can't be said enough that this is a series that at least tries, it swings the bat. After meandering a bit and getting spanked for it, "Lost" has been one very motivated series. The question, though, is was this finale a good idea? We know they get off the island (or, just to be safe, that SOME of them get off). How much drama does that suck out of the coming seasons? I'm willing to bet that there's plenty of smart ways to tweak the drama and keep fans captivated. So don't sweat it.
Getting off the island, as seen through the looking glass, was the major twist. But Charlie also died - with some dignity, no less. (Of course, I'm not totally convinced he had to go out that way. If he could get to the hatch door before Desmond - and trying to save Desmond seemed to be the point - couldn't he have just closed it from the other side? Weren't there enough wet suits? And let's say that a grenade CAN explode underwater, because I guess that makes some sense, didn't Charlie think both he and Desmond could withstand the blast and get out alive? Would the substation fill up that fast? Just thinking out loud here.) Oh, a lot of Others got all blowed up. That was fun. Hurley ran some dude down in a VW Van. Jack beat the bejesus out of Ben, which was loooooong overdue. Rousseau and Alex were united and tied up dear old dad. Penny's still out there (which hopefully means more Desmond next season, brother). Walt showed up (and growed up). Locke couldn't walk, then could walk. In the future, someone is in a casket and nobody shows up for the funeral. Who is it? Oh, much happened. (And yes I used blowed and growed in this paragraph on purpose.) Much happened indeed.
"Lost" returns in January of 2008. I'm actually all for that. No reruns. No "Day Break" breaking things up. And it will be fun to muse about what happened. Starting now.
Posted By: Tim Goodman (Email) | May 24 at 01:58 PM
Listed Under: Lost | Permalink | Comments (63) : Post Comment
Coming out of story hell and a long night with a sick kid, so you'll have to cut me some slack for the slight delay in getting to Matthew Fox as Jim Morrison and the rest of the hijinks that happened on the two-hour "Lost" season finale last night.
I loved it. I picked up immediately that it was a fast-forward situation with Jack in a full beard, all gone to hell and hooked on pills, discovering he couldn't live life off the island. That's right, off the island. It was a great twist and a good tease to a series that has been a lot more assured the last month or so and began moving with real confidence. Last night there was an assured swagger to the finale. Not only was the pace fast, the teases taut, and the answers plenty, the writers took a compelling gamble (though one not too difficult to unravel or further complicate). They told viewers that in the future, all (or maybe all) of the people on the "Lost" island get off. They get their wish. But in Jack, our guide through this series, the writers definitively say, "Be careful what you wish for."
Again, it can't be said enough that this is a series that at least tries, it swings the bat. After meandering a bit and getting spanked for it, "Lost" has been one very motivated series. The question, though, is was this finale a good idea? We know they get off the island (or, just to be safe, that SOME of them get off). How much drama does that suck out of the coming seasons? I'm willing to bet that there's plenty of smart ways to tweak the drama and keep fans captivated. So don't sweat it.
Getting off the island, as seen through the looking glass, was the major twist. But Charlie also died - with some dignity, no less. (Of course, I'm not totally convinced he had to go out that way. If he could get to the hatch door before Desmond - and trying to save Desmond seemed to be the point - couldn't he have just closed it from the other side? Weren't there enough wet suits? And let's say that a grenade CAN explode underwater, because I guess that makes some sense, didn't Charlie think both he and Desmond could withstand the blast and get out alive? Would the substation fill up that fast? Just thinking out loud here.) Oh, a lot of Others got all blowed up. That was fun. Hurley ran some dude down in a VW Van. Jack beat the bejesus out of Ben, which was loooooong overdue. Rousseau and Alex were united and tied up dear old dad. Penny's still out there (which hopefully means more Desmond next season, brother). Walt showed up (and growed up). Locke couldn't walk, then could walk. In the future, someone is in a casket and nobody shows up for the funeral. Who is it? Oh, much happened. (And yes I used blowed and growed in this paragraph on purpose.) Much happened indeed.
"Lost" returns in January of 2008. I'm actually all for that. No reruns. No "Day Break" breaking things up. And it will be fun to muse about what happened. Starting now.
Posted By: Tim Goodman (Email) | May 24 at 01:58 PM
Listed Under: Lost | Permalink | Comments (63) : Post Comment
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
One Last Word (or 2) About The Heroes Finale
from http://tomthedog.blogspot.com
Two things about Heroes, one very spoiler-filled
This is not the spoiler-filled one.
Lisa Schmeiser over at Teevee writes about how serialized shows like Lost and Heroes have driven away viewers -- including herself -- with long mid-season hiatuses.
What I think is funny about the article is that she uses her background as a comic book fan to illustrate why she won't wait for Heroes to take seven weeks off. Comic books, she says, keep a regular schedule, and wouldn't dare lose readers by taking hiatuses.
Everyone who reads comics is already laughing, I'm sure, but I'll explain what's funny to you non-comics readers. This comes a week after the release of new issues of two enormously popular comics, Mark Millar's Ultimates 2, and Frank Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder. The punchline: the previous issue of Ultimates 2 was released eight months ago, and the last All-Star Batman and Robin came out a full year ago.
Long, unscheduled, and mostly unexplained breaks between new issues of comics have become the norm for the industry. Ask anyone who has waited way longer than they should have for Wonder Woman, or Astonishing X-Men, or All-Star Superman. Or take Civil War, a massive crossover event, on which several other tie-in comics depended. Each issue of Civil War that was late impacted every other comic that connected to it, making them late as well. Basically, Marvel's entire roster of books was disrupted by Civil War's perpetual lateness.
Quite the contrary to Lisa Schmeiser's argument, comic book fans should be trained by now to be the most tolerant of hiatuses in TV shows. Ask anyone who is still waiting for Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, which has taken over a year between issues, with no sign of the next one in sight. Bonus punchline: Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk is written by Damon Lindelof... co-creator of Lost.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the spoiler-filled one. It talks about the end of the season finale.
Here are three other ways Peter Petrelli could have been stopped at the end of the episode, rather than having Nathan fly him away. Three ways which make me think the show's characters, and the writers, have not been paying attention this past season.
1. Hiro could've frozen Peter in time. Or teleported Peter to a safe distance, then teleported back out of the blast zone. Hiro has had all season to think about what he would do when the explosive crisis arrived. These things never occurred to him? And when Peter sees Hiro, does he ask him to use his miraculous powers to save the day? No, he asks him to kill him with his sword, which makes Hiro hesitate long enough for Sylar to attack. If either of them had a brain, they would've had it done before Sylar made his final move.
2. Claire could've just shot him in the goddam head already. We've already seen it demonstrated twice this season that a head wound only hinders the regeneration of either Claire (big stick) or Peter (shard of glass) until the foreign object is removed from their brains. Shoot Peter in the brain, then take the bullet out later either when they're sure the danger of Peter exploding has passed, or until they get Peter to an area of safety where he can explode without harming anyone else. [EDITED to note: of course, considering the size of the gun she was carrying, rather than lodging a bullet in Peter's brain, she might've blown half of his head off. Which might be slightly tougher to regenerate from.]
3. Or, duh, Peter could've flown away all on his own. Has everyone forgotten he's got the same power as Nathan?? It's so simple, so obvious, that it makes the writers look like chumps for not exploring it. Or it makes it seem the writers think the audience are chumps, and won't think of it. If Peter can't use his other powers while he's going nuclear, that has to be explained. (Maybe it has been, but I haven't seen it; we already know Peter can combine other powers, like invisibility and telekinesis.) The same goes for Peter using Hiro's powers. Maybe Peter hasn't mastered Hiro's powers, but I think we've seen him freeze time once. If he can use Hiro's powers, he could've teleported himself away.
And there's a fourth way this could've gone, which, for all I know, we'll find out next season is what happened:
4. Fine, have Nathan fly Peter away, so they can have their brotherly bonding moment. But when Nathan gets Peter out of harm's way, he lets him go and flies away from where the explosion's going to be. After all, Nathan knows Peter can regenerate, so why wouldn't Nathan just toss him in the air and take off to save himself? Maybe he did -- we'll have to wait and see.
P.S. In case you were wondering, I still really, really liked the episode (despite other quibbles I won't go into), and can't wait for season two.
Two things about Heroes, one very spoiler-filled
This is not the spoiler-filled one.
Lisa Schmeiser over at Teevee writes about how serialized shows like Lost and Heroes have driven away viewers -- including herself -- with long mid-season hiatuses.
What I think is funny about the article is that she uses her background as a comic book fan to illustrate why she won't wait for Heroes to take seven weeks off. Comic books, she says, keep a regular schedule, and wouldn't dare lose readers by taking hiatuses.
Everyone who reads comics is already laughing, I'm sure, but I'll explain what's funny to you non-comics readers. This comes a week after the release of new issues of two enormously popular comics, Mark Millar's Ultimates 2, and Frank Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder. The punchline: the previous issue of Ultimates 2 was released eight months ago, and the last All-Star Batman and Robin came out a full year ago.
Long, unscheduled, and mostly unexplained breaks between new issues of comics have become the norm for the industry. Ask anyone who has waited way longer than they should have for Wonder Woman, or Astonishing X-Men, or All-Star Superman. Or take Civil War, a massive crossover event, on which several other tie-in comics depended. Each issue of Civil War that was late impacted every other comic that connected to it, making them late as well. Basically, Marvel's entire roster of books was disrupted by Civil War's perpetual lateness.
Quite the contrary to Lisa Schmeiser's argument, comic book fans should be trained by now to be the most tolerant of hiatuses in TV shows. Ask anyone who is still waiting for Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, which has taken over a year between issues, with no sign of the next one in sight. Bonus punchline: Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk is written by Damon Lindelof... co-creator of Lost.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the spoiler-filled one. It talks about the end of the season finale.
Here are three other ways Peter Petrelli could have been stopped at the end of the episode, rather than having Nathan fly him away. Three ways which make me think the show's characters, and the writers, have not been paying attention this past season.
1. Hiro could've frozen Peter in time. Or teleported Peter to a safe distance, then teleported back out of the blast zone. Hiro has had all season to think about what he would do when the explosive crisis arrived. These things never occurred to him? And when Peter sees Hiro, does he ask him to use his miraculous powers to save the day? No, he asks him to kill him with his sword, which makes Hiro hesitate long enough for Sylar to attack. If either of them had a brain, they would've had it done before Sylar made his final move.
2. Claire could've just shot him in the goddam head already. We've already seen it demonstrated twice this season that a head wound only hinders the regeneration of either Claire (big stick) or Peter (shard of glass) until the foreign object is removed from their brains. Shoot Peter in the brain, then take the bullet out later either when they're sure the danger of Peter exploding has passed, or until they get Peter to an area of safety where he can explode without harming anyone else. [EDITED to note: of course, considering the size of the gun she was carrying, rather than lodging a bullet in Peter's brain, she might've blown half of his head off. Which might be slightly tougher to regenerate from.]
3. Or, duh, Peter could've flown away all on his own. Has everyone forgotten he's got the same power as Nathan?? It's so simple, so obvious, that it makes the writers look like chumps for not exploring it. Or it makes it seem the writers think the audience are chumps, and won't think of it. If Peter can't use his other powers while he's going nuclear, that has to be explained. (Maybe it has been, but I haven't seen it; we already know Peter can combine other powers, like invisibility and telekinesis.) The same goes for Peter using Hiro's powers. Maybe Peter hasn't mastered Hiro's powers, but I think we've seen him freeze time once. If he can use Hiro's powers, he could've teleported himself away.
And there's a fourth way this could've gone, which, for all I know, we'll find out next season is what happened:
4. Fine, have Nathan fly Peter away, so they can have their brotherly bonding moment. But when Nathan gets Peter out of harm's way, he lets him go and flies away from where the explosion's going to be. After all, Nathan knows Peter can regenerate, so why wouldn't Nathan just toss him in the air and take off to save himself? Maybe he did -- we'll have to wait and see.
P.S. In case you were wondering, I still really, really liked the episode (despite other quibbles I won't go into), and can't wait for season two.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Heroes Finale Review
from www.thetvaddict.com:
Holy Disappointment Batman!
Who else felt completely let down by last night’s season finale of HEROES? Who else thinks that creator Tim Kring has stretched himself too thin? Who else is nervous for the show’s future, when Kring throws quotes around like this to WIRED magazine, “My job has changed from being in the writing and editing room,” said Kring, with some surprise, “to managing a brand.”
Umm, memo to Mr. Kring. Following last night’s uber-disappointing HEROES season finale, you may wish to get your priorities straight. Take some time in the off-season to reflect on the HEROES spin-off [ORIGINS], video game talk, web content and endless marketing tie-ins. If last night’s finale proved anything, it’s that without good writing, you’ll quickly find yourself without a brand to manage come season two.
That said, here are a few reasons why last night’s HEROES finale was the most disappointing episode of the season.
• What happened to the scene Peter’s been having visions about all season long? Where was the exploding bomb? Our heroes frantically running along a crowded New York street? Holy budget cuts Batman!
• The epic battle between Peter and Sylar came down to that?
• From everything we’ve seen this season, Sylar’s almost unstoppable. How on earth did he get knocked over by Niki/Jessica? Should he not have heard her four inch heels coming a mile away?
• What was the deal with Peter’s out of character flashback vision/conversation with Charles? And where did all this ‘all you need is love’ stuff come from? Is this HEROES or HARRY POTTER?
• Speaking of uncharacteristic powers, what was the deal with shape-shifter Missy Peregrym’s secondary power. How convenient was it that Missy could seemingly create holograms at will [more specifically, her fake Micah]?
• Powers are a big issue in HEREOS and I don’t mean to come off like ‘comic book guy’, but should be some rules. It hurts the show’s integrity when the writers simply create powers out of thin air to fit the story. It’s almost like cheating, taking the easy way out.
• The Molly Walker character. Really, no offense to the little girl who’s obviously quite talented, but if she mentions the ‘boogeyman’ one more time. Well, let’s just say I’m hoping HRG finishes the job.
• And while on the subject of HRG. I can’t believe they gave him a name — how cheesy was that? Way to take the coolness factor away from HRG. Revealing his name is a series finale thing and doesn’t belong in the first season finale. At this point we might as well take away his glasses and give him contacts.
• Don’t get me wrong, I adore Greg Grunberg, but Matt Parkman needs to go. A seasoned police officer should have the smarts to realize he’s not about to take down Sylar with an ordinary gun. Same goes for Ando. Love him, but after witnessing what Sylar’s capable of all season long, what the Frak was he thinking going after him with a sword.
• Finally, if one more character utters the line “You’re my HERO”…
Please feel free to add anything I missed in the comments below. Love the finale? Defend yourself!
Holy Disappointment Batman!
Who else felt completely let down by last night’s season finale of HEROES? Who else thinks that creator Tim Kring has stretched himself too thin? Who else is nervous for the show’s future, when Kring throws quotes around like this to WIRED magazine, “My job has changed from being in the writing and editing room,” said Kring, with some surprise, “to managing a brand.”
Umm, memo to Mr. Kring. Following last night’s uber-disappointing HEROES season finale, you may wish to get your priorities straight. Take some time in the off-season to reflect on the HEROES spin-off [ORIGINS], video game talk, web content and endless marketing tie-ins. If last night’s finale proved anything, it’s that without good writing, you’ll quickly find yourself without a brand to manage come season two.
That said, here are a few reasons why last night’s HEROES finale was the most disappointing episode of the season.
• What happened to the scene Peter’s been having visions about all season long? Where was the exploding bomb? Our heroes frantically running along a crowded New York street? Holy budget cuts Batman!
• The epic battle between Peter and Sylar came down to that?
• From everything we’ve seen this season, Sylar’s almost unstoppable. How on earth did he get knocked over by Niki/Jessica? Should he not have heard her four inch heels coming a mile away?
• What was the deal with Peter’s out of character flashback vision/conversation with Charles? And where did all this ‘all you need is love’ stuff come from? Is this HEROES or HARRY POTTER?
• Speaking of uncharacteristic powers, what was the deal with shape-shifter Missy Peregrym’s secondary power. How convenient was it that Missy could seemingly create holograms at will [more specifically, her fake Micah]?
• Powers are a big issue in HEREOS and I don’t mean to come off like ‘comic book guy’, but should be some rules. It hurts the show’s integrity when the writers simply create powers out of thin air to fit the story. It’s almost like cheating, taking the easy way out.
• The Molly Walker character. Really, no offense to the little girl who’s obviously quite talented, but if she mentions the ‘boogeyman’ one more time. Well, let’s just say I’m hoping HRG finishes the job.
• And while on the subject of HRG. I can’t believe they gave him a name — how cheesy was that? Way to take the coolness factor away from HRG. Revealing his name is a series finale thing and doesn’t belong in the first season finale. At this point we might as well take away his glasses and give him contacts.
• Don’t get me wrong, I adore Greg Grunberg, but Matt Parkman needs to go. A seasoned police officer should have the smarts to realize he’s not about to take down Sylar with an ordinary gun. Same goes for Ando. Love him, but after witnessing what Sylar’s capable of all season long, what the Frak was he thinking going after him with a sword.
• Finally, if one more character utters the line “You’re my HERO”…
Please feel free to add anything I missed in the comments below. Love the finale? Defend yourself!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Nest Season on 24?
From TV Guide, after the jump …
Here's the release:
This week, TV Guide magazine asks 24’s co-executive producer Manny Coto the burning question: “Where’s Jack Bauer going to start Hour 1 of next season on 24?” Coto reveals exclusively to TV Guide, “It’s a pretty radical shift” next season, “a totally different context with a totally different villain…there may even be a plot thread that doesn’t take place on U.S. soil.”
He tells TV Guide, “In a sense, it’s a reboot – in location and personnel. We’re going to be introducing a new stable of characters, along with a couple of old ones. Jack’s not living under an alias. He’s found a place he thinks he belongs and a job he enjoys doing that doesn’t involve the government.
“What’s also refreshing is the choice of villain: It’s not a Muslim terrorist. In fact, it’s not a terrorist at all. And the character is fascinating, someone with a supremely dark past who’s done something horrific.”
And what about the fate of CTU? Coto drops this bomb on TV Guide, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no CTU next year…We’re pulling the rug out from under our characters.”
For the full story, pick TV Guide magazine’s May 28 issue (on newsstands Thursday, May 24).
Here's the release:
This week, TV Guide magazine asks 24’s co-executive producer Manny Coto the burning question: “Where’s Jack Bauer going to start Hour 1 of next season on 24?” Coto reveals exclusively to TV Guide, “It’s a pretty radical shift” next season, “a totally different context with a totally different villain…there may even be a plot thread that doesn’t take place on U.S. soil.”
He tells TV Guide, “In a sense, it’s a reboot – in location and personnel. We’re going to be introducing a new stable of characters, along with a couple of old ones. Jack’s not living under an alias. He’s found a place he thinks he belongs and a job he enjoys doing that doesn’t involve the government.
“What’s also refreshing is the choice of villain: It’s not a Muslim terrorist. In fact, it’s not a terrorist at all. And the character is fascinating, someone with a supremely dark past who’s done something horrific.”
And what about the fate of CTU? Coto drops this bomb on TV Guide, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no CTU next year…We’re pulling the rug out from under our characters.”
For the full story, pick TV Guide magazine’s May 28 issue (on newsstands Thursday, May 24).
My Heroes
Terrific finale tonight, although it dragged in a few spots. I was satisfied with the ending. It was nic e to see a certain step up to save the world (or at least the city), Special effects were great, as usual. The acting was exceptional.
3 1/2 Hiros out of 4
I didn't get to see the 24 finale. Grrrrrrrrrrr. The local Fox afilliate had some technical problems yesterday and today. When I called, they were waiting on a part to come in so they could fix it. At least they didn't say their batteries ran out or something like that. I also missed the 24 crossover on the Simpsons Sun. night. Double Grrrrrrrrrrrr. So, I won't get to see 24 till Friday. Won't be easy trying to avoid all reviews till then.
Lost finale Wednesday. Be there. Aloha
3 1/2 Hiros out of 4
I didn't get to see the 24 finale. Grrrrrrrrrrr. The local Fox afilliate had some technical problems yesterday and today. When I called, they were waiting on a part to come in so they could fix it. At least they didn't say their batteries ran out or something like that. I also missed the 24 crossover on the Simpsons Sun. night. Double Grrrrrrrrrrrr. So, I won't get to see 24 till Friday. Won't be easy trying to avoid all reviews till then.
Lost finale Wednesday. Be there. Aloha
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Good News for Jericho?
CBS May Wrap Up Jericho
CBS, which canceled the post-apocalyptic series Jericho last week, posted a statement in response to fan outcry that the show ended on a cliffhanger and promised it would wrap the show up in some fashion.
In a statement on the official show bulletin board, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler told fans: "We truly appreciate the commitment you made to the series, and we are humbled by your disappointment. In the coming weeks, we hope to develop a way to provide closure to the compelling drama that was the Jericho story."
In the season-one finale of Jericho, the denizens of Jericho, Kansas, were preparing to go to war with a neighboring town. The episode ended with the sound of gunfire over a black screen. After the episode aired, CBS announced that the show would not be returning for a second season in the fall, leading fans to send a raft of e-mails to the network. (SyFyPortal reported on some of the fan reaction.)
"We have read your e-mails over the past few days and have been touched by the depth and passion with which you have expressed your disappointment," Tassler wrote. "Please know that canceling a television series is a very difficult decision. Hundreds of people at the network, the production company and the incredibly talented creative team worked very hard to build and serve the community for this show—both on-air and online. It is a show we loved, too. Thank you for supporting Jericho with such passion."
CBS, which canceled the post-apocalyptic series Jericho last week, posted a statement in response to fan outcry that the show ended on a cliffhanger and promised it would wrap the show up in some fashion.
In a statement on the official show bulletin board, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler told fans: "We truly appreciate the commitment you made to the series, and we are humbled by your disappointment. In the coming weeks, we hope to develop a way to provide closure to the compelling drama that was the Jericho story."
In the season-one finale of Jericho, the denizens of Jericho, Kansas, were preparing to go to war with a neighboring town. The episode ended with the sound of gunfire over a black screen. After the episode aired, CBS announced that the show would not be returning for a second season in the fall, leading fans to send a raft of e-mails to the network. (SyFyPortal reported on some of the fan reaction.)
"We have read your e-mails over the past few days and have been touched by the depth and passion with which you have expressed your disappointment," Tassler wrote. "Please know that canceling a television series is a very difficult decision. Hundreds of people at the network, the production company and the incredibly talented creative team worked very hard to build and serve the community for this show—both on-air and online. It is a show we loved, too. Thank you for supporting Jericho with such passion."
TV Season Finales
I watched the season finales for Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters tonight. they were both very good, well written and well acted. No life or death cliffhangers, just a few things to ponder over the Summer, especially DH, but, that's no surprise. I just can'r figure out who the acter was who played Milo on B & S. Anybody out there wh can help?
Can't wait till tomorrow night season-enders. 24 has a 2-hr finale and hopefully, it'll end a somwhat diappointing season on a high note. Heroes should be amazing, just to see how many more people get killed.
Watching True Lies now. I thought I'd seen this before, but apparently just bits and pieces. Great "comic book" movie with terrific action sequences. I've never been a big Arnold fan, but he's perfect in this. Might actually finish watching this.
Can't wait till tomorrow night season-enders. 24 has a 2-hr finale and hopefully, it'll end a somwhat diappointing season on a high note. Heroes should be amazing, just to see how many more people get killed.
Watching True Lies now. I thought I'd seen this before, but apparently just bits and pieces. Great "comic book" movie with terrific action sequences. I've never been a big Arnold fan, but he's perfect in this. Might actually finish watching this.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Smallville Finale
Tonight's season finale was sort of 'been there, done that". It was very derivative of previous finales. Everyone has either died or is in peril of dying.
To recap this year's edition:Lois was stabbed to death trying to get revenge on Lex for killing her soldier friend last week. Chloe came along and brought Lois back to life with a tear (her long dormant meteorite power), but she might have died performing the deed. Lois was apparently killed in a car bomb blast. Lex was arrested for the previous deed. Lana was going to divorce Lex, which didn't make him very happy. Clark told Lana his full secret (again). And, at the end, the Phantom Zone baddie was possessing a person a day, looking for a Kryptonian (!). He escaped in Lex's lab, somehow got hold of some of Clark's DNA and became a Bizarro-Clark (but not the horribly disfigued one we all know and love). So, we'll get a battle royal to start next season, I'm assuming.
Continuity Stomp:The creation of Bizarro was bad enough, but who knew that Martian Manhunter worked for Jor-El? Jeeeeez.
To recap this year's edition:Lois was stabbed to death trying to get revenge on Lex for killing her soldier friend last week. Chloe came along and brought Lois back to life with a tear (her long dormant meteorite power), but she might have died performing the deed. Lois was apparently killed in a car bomb blast. Lex was arrested for the previous deed. Lana was going to divorce Lex, which didn't make him very happy. Clark told Lana his full secret (again). And, at the end, the Phantom Zone baddie was possessing a person a day, looking for a Kryptonian (!). He escaped in Lex's lab, somehow got hold of some of Clark's DNA and became a Bizarro-Clark (but not the horribly disfigued one we all know and love). So, we'll get a battle royal to start next season, I'm assuming.
Continuity Stomp:The creation of Bizarro was bad enough, but who knew that Martian Manhunter worked for Jor-El? Jeeeeez.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Lost-The End is Near-Next Week in Fact
Poor Charlie. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire. Bambi and Thumper live (see Diamonds Are Forever). Looking Glass hatch looks big enough to hold a sub, don't you think? Next week's title is "Through the Looking Glass". I'm sure there's a reason for that. Good to see Bernard and his wife again. Actually, this felt a little like a set-up for next week, but that's ok. They did it so well.
I'm having problems with Jack lately. He was more likable when he didn't want to be the leader. Now, he's a bit testy and secretive. He has always put Sayid down and one of these days, I'd love for Sayid to bitch slap Jack. IMHO, of course. Speaking od Sayid, it was nice to see his old g-friend Nadia being saved by Charlie in that alley.
I think next week will be an awesome finale. Bad news is the long wait till next Jan or Feb for season 4.
I'm having problems with Jack lately. He was more likable when he didn't want to be the leader. Now, he's a bit testy and secretive. He has always put Sayid down and one of these days, I'd love for Sayid to bitch slap Jack. IMHO, of course. Speaking od Sayid, it was nice to see his old g-friend Nadia being saved by Charlie in that alley.
I think next week will be an awesome finale. Bad news is the long wait till next Jan or Feb for season 4.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
More Heroes Good News
From www.bobgreenberger.com:
How to Exploit a Hit
Last week, I babbled on about ways to retain audiences when you only have twenty-two episodes of a series to spread across a season measured by thirty-nine weeks. Yesterday, NBC was the first network to make their announcements and they came up with something novel for their smash hit Heroes.
For those who missed the news, a six-part series called Heroes: Origins was announced. The miniseries, promised to run on consecutive weeks, will introduce viewers to a half-dozen new potential heroes. Viewers would then be able to vote for the one they like best who would then be featured on the main series’ third season.
What’s neat is that this pod of shows can be dropped in between storylines as a breather or run at either end of the season. Regardless, whenever the main show needs a break, NBC can then schedule this series so viewers for thirty of the thirty-nine week season will have a show called Heroes on Monday nights. Pretty nifty if you ask me.
Regulars from the main series have been hinted as making cameo appearances on some of the Origins episodes so viewers don’t feel totally alienated from new people and settings.
In addition, to keep people interested between seasons (and Mondays), NBC Digital Entertainment has announced Inside Heroes which will be an eight-part web-only miniseries that goes behind-the-scenes and shows what it takes to make each episode. This begins next Monday, timed to the season finale’s airing, and new chapters will turn up throughout the summer.
On the same day, the website will also offer up Heroes Character Profiles which should help explain the background of each principal participant in linear fashion. Peter Petrelli gets the first slot and others promised include Claire Bennet, Hiro Nakamura, Nathan Petrelli, Niki/Jessica Sanders, Matt Parkman and Mohinder Suresh.
The online only graphic stories will also continue and if you haven’t been following these, you’re missing some neat stories and artwork. In some cases, we get introduced to characters before they show up on air, and other bits of business get explored. Talent announced for the new summer chapters include Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle and Joe Casey.
And, the DVD box set for Season One was announced for August 28.
This will no doubt become the model for maximizing exposure of a hit series, extending the brand and retaining control of the content. ABC, for example, was slow to exploit Lost and missed a bet when someone else launched the Lost-pedia.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 12:23 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
How to Exploit a Hit
Last week, I babbled on about ways to retain audiences when you only have twenty-two episodes of a series to spread across a season measured by thirty-nine weeks. Yesterday, NBC was the first network to make their announcements and they came up with something novel for their smash hit Heroes.
For those who missed the news, a six-part series called Heroes: Origins was announced. The miniseries, promised to run on consecutive weeks, will introduce viewers to a half-dozen new potential heroes. Viewers would then be able to vote for the one they like best who would then be featured on the main series’ third season.
What’s neat is that this pod of shows can be dropped in between storylines as a breather or run at either end of the season. Regardless, whenever the main show needs a break, NBC can then schedule this series so viewers for thirty of the thirty-nine week season will have a show called Heroes on Monday nights. Pretty nifty if you ask me.
Regulars from the main series have been hinted as making cameo appearances on some of the Origins episodes so viewers don’t feel totally alienated from new people and settings.
In addition, to keep people interested between seasons (and Mondays), NBC Digital Entertainment has announced Inside Heroes which will be an eight-part web-only miniseries that goes behind-the-scenes and shows what it takes to make each episode. This begins next Monday, timed to the season finale’s airing, and new chapters will turn up throughout the summer.
On the same day, the website will also offer up Heroes Character Profiles which should help explain the background of each principal participant in linear fashion. Peter Petrelli gets the first slot and others promised include Claire Bennet, Hiro Nakamura, Nathan Petrelli, Niki/Jessica Sanders, Matt Parkman and Mohinder Suresh.
The online only graphic stories will also continue and if you haven’t been following these, you’re missing some neat stories and artwork. In some cases, we get introduced to characters before they show up on air, and other bits of business get explored. Talent announced for the new summer chapters include Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle and Joe Casey.
And, the DVD box set for Season One was announced for August 28.
This will no doubt become the model for maximizing exposure of a hit series, extending the brand and retaining control of the content. ABC, for example, was slow to exploit Lost and missed a bet when someone else launched the Lost-pedia.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 12:23 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Monday, May 14, 2007
Tonight's TV
Hi, all. This is for all the 24 and Heroes fans out there. The penultimate episodes were on tonight and were great.
I know a lot of vtewers have written 24 off this year, saying that it was derivative of past years and too predictable, among other things. I don't totally agree, but, then again, I'm a die-hard fan and have been since Day 1. I do have some gripes. Too little Kiefer, too much CTU soap opera, not enough snarky Chloe (no, I did not want her to be more "mature";what's the fun there?). I could probably done without the Bauer Family Saga too. However, Peter McNIchol (Tom Lennox) was excellent all season long and, after being a weasel at the start, became quite likable as the season has come to an end. After watching the previews for the Finale, it looks like they're throwing in everything but the kitchen sink (and I might have seen that fly by in one of the explosions). And, stay tuned till the very end. There's supposed to be a 'shocking' cameo appearance from someone in Jack's past. I won't spoil whu it's rumored to be, but if it's true, that will rock.
Heroes, on the other hand, has been a fan favorite all year long (and the critics to a smaller degree). It has been amazing all year, with great cliffhangers, above-average performances, terrific special effects and an almost perfect overall storyline. Nothing changed tonight. The plot rocked and never stopped. I don't think there was a dull moment. My favorite scenes were Micah in the polling booth, Nicki finally becoming Nicki (I hope. I know not a lot of people don't like and/or her plotline, but I have, so there....lol)and becoming aware that Molly was the system HRG abd Matt were wanting to destroy. Sent chills up my spine. I wasn't expecting Thompson to be killed. Next week's Finale should be awesome.
I know a lot of vtewers have written 24 off this year, saying that it was derivative of past years and too predictable, among other things. I don't totally agree, but, then again, I'm a die-hard fan and have been since Day 1. I do have some gripes. Too little Kiefer, too much CTU soap opera, not enough snarky Chloe (no, I did not want her to be more "mature";what's the fun there?). I could probably done without the Bauer Family Saga too. However, Peter McNIchol (Tom Lennox) was excellent all season long and, after being a weasel at the start, became quite likable as the season has come to an end. After watching the previews for the Finale, it looks like they're throwing in everything but the kitchen sink (and I might have seen that fly by in one of the explosions). And, stay tuned till the very end. There's supposed to be a 'shocking' cameo appearance from someone in Jack's past. I won't spoil whu it's rumored to be, but if it's true, that will rock.
Heroes, on the other hand, has been a fan favorite all year long (and the critics to a smaller degree). It has been amazing all year, with great cliffhangers, above-average performances, terrific special effects and an almost perfect overall storyline. Nothing changed tonight. The plot rocked and never stopped. I don't think there was a dull moment. My favorite scenes were Micah in the polling booth, Nicki finally becoming Nicki (I hope. I know not a lot of people don't like and/or her plotline, but I have, so there....lol)and becoming aware that Molly was the system HRG abd Matt were wanting to destroy. Sent chills up my spine. I wasn't expecting Thompson to be killed. Next week's Finale should be awesome.
What Makes 100%?
Fraom Gaetan's Site:
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K is
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E is
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E is
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
And,
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T is
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%
AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G is
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%
So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass kissing that will put you over the top.
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K is
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E is
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E is
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
And,
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T is
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%
AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G is
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%
So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass kissing that will put you over the top.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
An Apology
I'd like to apologize for the lack of postings lately. I know that when I started this little venture, I said that I'd post every day, otherwise there was no reason to be here. I should explain that in the "real world", I work 12 hour days , Thu, Fri, Sat and every other Sun in a factory. Therefore, sometimes, on those nights, it's all I can do to keep my eyes open at Midnight-1 am, let alone try to to put a series of coherent words together, both here and at the MySpace blog too. Plus, I get a little discouraged at the lack of feedback from anyone and wonder if anyone reads this at all. But, I'll keep plugging away for a while and see what happens.
On the positive side, this is the next-to-last season finale week for 24, Heroes and Lost, and Smallville's season finale is Thurs. Can't wait.
On the positive side, this is the next-to-last season finale week for 24, Heroes and Lost, and Smallville's season finale is Thurs. Can't wait.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Lost Review from Mania.com
Television Review
LOST: "The Man Behind the Curtain" By: Stephen Lackey, Columnist
Date: Friday, May 11, 2007
Scene from LOST: "The Man Behind the Curtain" (2007).
©ABC
Mania Rating
Grade: AStarring: Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Mathew Fox, Michael Emerson, Elizabeth Mitchell
Created By: JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof
0 bang
del.icio.us Digg It! Reddit ( 0 Comments )
Email This! One of the things that saved this series from its first six episode run this season is that the writers understood that there should be a balance between the Others, or individual stories, and the beach. This episode definitely lost, no pun intended, that balance. In the episode’s defense, Locke and Ben had a lot of story to get through. On the beach, Sawyer returned with the tape and revealed to everyone on the beach that Naomi was in the camp and he played the tape for them. He and others revealed their distrust of Jack fully to the rest of the camp, well you know, the ones that matter anyway. The whole beach segment was nothing but a tease for next week, which really irritated me, one: because I wanted more of that story and two: because the tease worked, as I can’t wait for next week’s episode. Jack and Juliette walk up while the castaways are listening to the tape and as where they got that tape. Jack tells them “it’s time for us to catch up.” Finally next week we get to hear what Jack believes is his endgame. I knew he had been acting out of character for some time and if the tease pays off next week, we’ll finally learn his plans. It’s still a bit surprising that he wouldn’t include any of the castaways in his plan in advance though.
The bulk of the story this week was focused on Locke and Ben. Ben finally returns to the Others carrying Cooper’s body and he is not happy. Locke is determined to get paid back for what he’s been put through. The Others have begun to shift their support from Ben to Locke and it’s the most obvious when the eye patch man returns and takes a heck of a beating from Locke. No one steps in to stop the fight even when Ben orders them too. I was disappointed to see eye patch man return after being killed by the sonic fence with no explanation. This week we get a throw away one line explanation of the fence not being set to kill. Seems like a bit of a stretch since his death looked pretty convincing but who cares, I like the character and am glad he’s back and the writers gave us a reason for his return.
So, Locke confronts Ben about the promised answers he was to be given. As usual, Ben sidesteps giving these answers but he does reveal the name of the man he answers too; Jacob. Locke demands to see Jacob and Ben is forced into taking him to Jacobs’s technology free cabin in the woods. During the trip, we are treated to a flashback that finally reveals Ben’s back-story. It’s interesting that Ben pretends to have been born on the island when he really wasn’t. He was born in the forest 32 miles outside of Portland. His mother died due to complications from the birth. Could this be connected to Ben’s obsession about births on the island? Also, it’s interesting that Ben was born in the same place that the company that hired Juliette is supposedly located. Why is a 7 months pregnant woman hiking? There’s more to this story that I’m sure we’ll get in future flashbacks. Anyway, Ben and his Dad are taken in by two people who pull over to help them when Ben is being born. After Emily’s death, Ben and his dad head to the island where Ben’s dad takes a job working for DHARMA as a “Work Man”. Ben hardly speaks, and Ben’s dad constantly treats him bad and makes him feel bad about celebrating his birthday, the day he killed his mother. Ben’s birthday is what ties the flashback and current time together.
DHARMA appears to be a pretty peaceful community but they are in constant conflict with the “hostiles” the original inhabitants of the island. One night when Ben had his fill of his father, he sees his mother and chases her to the sonic fence where she tells him not to follow and further. The next day, Ben returns to the fence with the unlock code and he steps beyond it into the forest searching for his mother who he knows logically is dead but he has to search anyway. This is when he meets one of the hostiles. The hostile he meets is Richard Alpert looking exactly the same as he does in current time. This begs many questions, the most obvious of which is was this a relative of Alpert’s or as one of the island’s original inhabitants has he learned to control the power of the island to the point of using to stop him from aging? Anyway, Ben asks to join the hostiles and his wish is granted after he helps them gas the entire DHARMA camp. As Ben grew up he gained a place of authority among the island’s original inhabitants that is currently being threatened by Locke.
Back in current time, Ben and Locke make the trip to see Jacob and when they finally arrive inside the cabin Ben is speaking to an empty chair. Locke is at first perplexed and then angry that Ben is playing with him. Ben is a master manipulator and he does nothing without personal motive. His motive this time was to see if Locke could hear Jacob and just as Locke is about to storm out of the cabin he apparently does hear him utter the words “help me”. When Locke turns and ignites his flashlight the room explodes with energy, Ben is thrown across the room, windows are broken, and a fire is started. Locke was warned by Ben to shut off the flashlight before entering the cabin and now we know why. There was one quick payoff though, within the beam of the flashlight a silhouette of a man appears for just a scant few seconds. When Locke and Ben leave the cabin, Ben takes Locke to see one last thing on the island; an open grave full of the skeletons of the DHARMA people. It’s at this location that Ben puts a bullet in Locke’s chest sending Locke flailing back into the grave. Ben asks Locke what Jacob said to him and Locke tells him Jacob said “help me.”
I absolutely don’t believe Locke will die in that open grave. If the island can cure Locke of his paralysis, I have no doubt it can cure him of a gunshot wound. I think Ben knows this too; maybe he’s just trying to buy some time to reestablish his leadership role with The Others while Lock is out of commission. Here’s my question, why did Jacob utter the words “help me?” Did Ben do something to him to trap him in this invisible condition in order to get him out of the picture so he could become the leader of The Others? Ben had a rough childhood and he was apparently made ruthless by it early on, as he killed everyone he knew including a little girlfriend. In an early scene of the episode he is looking at a couple of wooden dolls the girlfriend made for him when he was a boy. The fact that he still has them, and he looks at them on his birthday to remember tells me that he has just the smallest amount of regret.
One final thought; how do you think the volcano on the island will eventually play into the story? In Ben’s flashback, we see him in a class being taught about the volcano that’s on the island and how it’s dormant and in current time Locke discovers some volcanic ash on his way to meet Jacob. LOST is finally delivering answers in an almost weekly basis and still building more questions and mystery. The only complaints I have about this week’s episode is the lack of Hurley, Sawyer, Charlie, and Jin. Sure they were standing around for a few minutes but they didn’t get anything meaningful to do.
LOST: "The Man Behind the Curtain" By: Stephen Lackey, Columnist
Date: Friday, May 11, 2007
Scene from LOST: "The Man Behind the Curtain" (2007).
©ABC
Mania Rating
Grade: AStarring: Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Mathew Fox, Michael Emerson, Elizabeth Mitchell
Created By: JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof
0 bang
del.icio.us Digg It! Reddit ( 0 Comments )
Email This! One of the things that saved this series from its first six episode run this season is that the writers understood that there should be a balance between the Others, or individual stories, and the beach. This episode definitely lost, no pun intended, that balance. In the episode’s defense, Locke and Ben had a lot of story to get through. On the beach, Sawyer returned with the tape and revealed to everyone on the beach that Naomi was in the camp and he played the tape for them. He and others revealed their distrust of Jack fully to the rest of the camp, well you know, the ones that matter anyway. The whole beach segment was nothing but a tease for next week, which really irritated me, one: because I wanted more of that story and two: because the tease worked, as I can’t wait for next week’s episode. Jack and Juliette walk up while the castaways are listening to the tape and as where they got that tape. Jack tells them “it’s time for us to catch up.” Finally next week we get to hear what Jack believes is his endgame. I knew he had been acting out of character for some time and if the tease pays off next week, we’ll finally learn his plans. It’s still a bit surprising that he wouldn’t include any of the castaways in his plan in advance though.
The bulk of the story this week was focused on Locke and Ben. Ben finally returns to the Others carrying Cooper’s body and he is not happy. Locke is determined to get paid back for what he’s been put through. The Others have begun to shift their support from Ben to Locke and it’s the most obvious when the eye patch man returns and takes a heck of a beating from Locke. No one steps in to stop the fight even when Ben orders them too. I was disappointed to see eye patch man return after being killed by the sonic fence with no explanation. This week we get a throw away one line explanation of the fence not being set to kill. Seems like a bit of a stretch since his death looked pretty convincing but who cares, I like the character and am glad he’s back and the writers gave us a reason for his return.
So, Locke confronts Ben about the promised answers he was to be given. As usual, Ben sidesteps giving these answers but he does reveal the name of the man he answers too; Jacob. Locke demands to see Jacob and Ben is forced into taking him to Jacobs’s technology free cabin in the woods. During the trip, we are treated to a flashback that finally reveals Ben’s back-story. It’s interesting that Ben pretends to have been born on the island when he really wasn’t. He was born in the forest 32 miles outside of Portland. His mother died due to complications from the birth. Could this be connected to Ben’s obsession about births on the island? Also, it’s interesting that Ben was born in the same place that the company that hired Juliette is supposedly located. Why is a 7 months pregnant woman hiking? There’s more to this story that I’m sure we’ll get in future flashbacks. Anyway, Ben and his Dad are taken in by two people who pull over to help them when Ben is being born. After Emily’s death, Ben and his dad head to the island where Ben’s dad takes a job working for DHARMA as a “Work Man”. Ben hardly speaks, and Ben’s dad constantly treats him bad and makes him feel bad about celebrating his birthday, the day he killed his mother. Ben’s birthday is what ties the flashback and current time together.
DHARMA appears to be a pretty peaceful community but they are in constant conflict with the “hostiles” the original inhabitants of the island. One night when Ben had his fill of his father, he sees his mother and chases her to the sonic fence where she tells him not to follow and further. The next day, Ben returns to the fence with the unlock code and he steps beyond it into the forest searching for his mother who he knows logically is dead but he has to search anyway. This is when he meets one of the hostiles. The hostile he meets is Richard Alpert looking exactly the same as he does in current time. This begs many questions, the most obvious of which is was this a relative of Alpert’s or as one of the island’s original inhabitants has he learned to control the power of the island to the point of using to stop him from aging? Anyway, Ben asks to join the hostiles and his wish is granted after he helps them gas the entire DHARMA camp. As Ben grew up he gained a place of authority among the island’s original inhabitants that is currently being threatened by Locke.
Back in current time, Ben and Locke make the trip to see Jacob and when they finally arrive inside the cabin Ben is speaking to an empty chair. Locke is at first perplexed and then angry that Ben is playing with him. Ben is a master manipulator and he does nothing without personal motive. His motive this time was to see if Locke could hear Jacob and just as Locke is about to storm out of the cabin he apparently does hear him utter the words “help me”. When Locke turns and ignites his flashlight the room explodes with energy, Ben is thrown across the room, windows are broken, and a fire is started. Locke was warned by Ben to shut off the flashlight before entering the cabin and now we know why. There was one quick payoff though, within the beam of the flashlight a silhouette of a man appears for just a scant few seconds. When Locke and Ben leave the cabin, Ben takes Locke to see one last thing on the island; an open grave full of the skeletons of the DHARMA people. It’s at this location that Ben puts a bullet in Locke’s chest sending Locke flailing back into the grave. Ben asks Locke what Jacob said to him and Locke tells him Jacob said “help me.”
I absolutely don’t believe Locke will die in that open grave. If the island can cure Locke of his paralysis, I have no doubt it can cure him of a gunshot wound. I think Ben knows this too; maybe he’s just trying to buy some time to reestablish his leadership role with The Others while Lock is out of commission. Here’s my question, why did Jacob utter the words “help me?” Did Ben do something to him to trap him in this invisible condition in order to get him out of the picture so he could become the leader of The Others? Ben had a rough childhood and he was apparently made ruthless by it early on, as he killed everyone he knew including a little girlfriend. In an early scene of the episode he is looking at a couple of wooden dolls the girlfriend made for him when he was a boy. The fact that he still has them, and he looks at them on his birthday to remember tells me that he has just the smallest amount of regret.
One final thought; how do you think the volcano on the island will eventually play into the story? In Ben’s flashback, we see him in a class being taught about the volcano that’s on the island and how it’s dormant and in current time Locke discovers some volcanic ash on his way to meet Jacob. LOST is finally delivering answers in an almost weekly basis and still building more questions and mystery. The only complaints I have about this week’s episode is the lack of Hurley, Sawyer, Charlie, and Jin. Sure they were standing around for a few minutes but they didn’t get anything meaningful to do.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Tonight's TV
2 of my favorites are careening toward their finales in 2 weeks; here's what happened tonight.
24:I was spoiled on a couple of the plot points tonight(the CTU raid and the return of Papa Bauer). Not sure I would've guessed them. But, the episode was a cut above the previous episodes and I still am holding out hope that the season will redeem itself. They kept the CTU soap to a minimum, which was good. Milo died (I guess someone had to). Now, I can't wait till next week, when Jack kicks Cheng's gang's asses single handedly and takes names. My Score:8 Bauers out of 10
Heroes: Excellent. Awesome. Fantastic. And, to me, this was a set up show for the next 2 weeks. Not filler, just a set up. Get everyone to NYC, stir briskly and cook. The next 2 weeks should be mind-blowing. And no, I don't know which of the 3 are going to blow up Manhattan. I would assume if it's Sylar, then Ted would be dead, true? IMHO, a set up epi of Heroes is better than a good epi of Jericho (which I like). My Score:10 Hiros out of 10
24:I was spoiled on a couple of the plot points tonight(the CTU raid and the return of Papa Bauer). Not sure I would've guessed them. But, the episode was a cut above the previous episodes and I still am holding out hope that the season will redeem itself. They kept the CTU soap to a minimum, which was good. Milo died (I guess someone had to). Now, I can't wait till next week, when Jack kicks Cheng's gang's asses single handedly and takes names. My Score:8 Bauers out of 10
Heroes: Excellent. Awesome. Fantastic. And, to me, this was a set up show for the next 2 weeks. Not filler, just a set up. Get everyone to NYC, stir briskly and cook. The next 2 weeks should be mind-blowing. And no, I don't know which of the 3 are going to blow up Manhattan. I would assume if it's Sylar, then Ted would be dead, true? IMHO, a set up epi of Heroes is better than a good epi of Jericho (which I like). My Score:10 Hiros out of 10
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Lost-The End is Near
The end is in sight for ABC's acclaimed island mystery Lost, but fans will have to wait until 2010 for all the answers.
In a highly unusual move, the network announces plans today to end the show after three more shortened seasons of 16 episodes each. The episodes will air consecutively, repeat-free, from February to May.
COMPARE: See how 'Lost' and 'Heroes' match up in weirdness
ABC's bold step marks a response to the show's producers, who have been eager to set a finish line to better plot out their convoluted mystery of plane-crash survivors and to placate fans who are frustrated that the show seemed to be vamping its way to a conclusion.
"Among fans there was an unease that they were making an investment in a show that's complicated without any sense of where that's going to lead them," co-creator Damon Lindelof said in an exclusive interview. "From the very beginning, fans and even critics have been saying, 'Are you making it up as you go along?' " which was "a legitimate question."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: ABC | Lost | Damon Lindelof | Sawyer | Carlton Cuse | Josh Holloway
Now, with a still far-away ending in sight, Lindelof says he and executive producer Carlton Cuse have "specific designs for ending the next two seasons" and promises that with the answer-filled season finale May 23, viewers "will begin to get an idea of what that design will be, and it will not be at all what they expect."
The finale completed filming in Hawaii on Saturday, a day after Lindelof and Cuse signed new contracts that will keep them working on Lost exclusively for the duration. With 48 more episodes due, the show will have completed 60% of its planned six-season run.
"It's practically unprecedented in network TV to announce the end of a show this far out," Cuse says.
ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson says the unusual long-term commitment is "a unique situation" he would be unlikely to repeat for other series. "It's one of the best shows that's ever been on," he says. "It's got brilliant storytelling, incredible character work, and takes chances beyond anything that's on the air now."
With Desperate Housewives, Lost re-energized ABC in fall 2004 and became a top 10 series. But after two time-slot switches, interruptions for low-rated repeats and a mystery that tried the patience of some fans, Lost has lost some steam. Ratings are down about 14% this season, though Lost still ranks highly among young adults and is the most heavily recorded show on DVRs.
McPherson concedes that splitting the current third season in two "was not the best for the show" and says the network also is discussing a return to an earlier time slot to draw more family viewership.
Shorter seasons will allow plots to be more tightly constructed and "will make it a real event," Lindelof says. "We won't have to do episodes where people are standing on the beach looking at the water and wondering what's going to happen next."
Will Lost risk losing fans' interest with an eight-month lag? "People wait longer than eight months for the next books and films in the Harry Potter story and they don't seem to lose interest," Cuse says. "We have faith that our audience, knowing exactly how much of the story we have left, is going to be with us for the rest of the ride."
But, Lindelof says, "the last five minutes of (this month's) finale are going to seal our fate."
In a highly unusual move, the network announces plans today to end the show after three more shortened seasons of 16 episodes each. The episodes will air consecutively, repeat-free, from February to May.
COMPARE: See how 'Lost' and 'Heroes' match up in weirdness
ABC's bold step marks a response to the show's producers, who have been eager to set a finish line to better plot out their convoluted mystery of plane-crash survivors and to placate fans who are frustrated that the show seemed to be vamping its way to a conclusion.
"Among fans there was an unease that they were making an investment in a show that's complicated without any sense of where that's going to lead them," co-creator Damon Lindelof said in an exclusive interview. "From the very beginning, fans and even critics have been saying, 'Are you making it up as you go along?' " which was "a legitimate question."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: ABC | Lost | Damon Lindelof | Sawyer | Carlton Cuse | Josh Holloway
Now, with a still far-away ending in sight, Lindelof says he and executive producer Carlton Cuse have "specific designs for ending the next two seasons" and promises that with the answer-filled season finale May 23, viewers "will begin to get an idea of what that design will be, and it will not be at all what they expect."
The finale completed filming in Hawaii on Saturday, a day after Lindelof and Cuse signed new contracts that will keep them working on Lost exclusively for the duration. With 48 more episodes due, the show will have completed 60% of its planned six-season run.
"It's practically unprecedented in network TV to announce the end of a show this far out," Cuse says.
ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson says the unusual long-term commitment is "a unique situation" he would be unlikely to repeat for other series. "It's one of the best shows that's ever been on," he says. "It's got brilliant storytelling, incredible character work, and takes chances beyond anything that's on the air now."
With Desperate Housewives, Lost re-energized ABC in fall 2004 and became a top 10 series. But after two time-slot switches, interruptions for low-rated repeats and a mystery that tried the patience of some fans, Lost has lost some steam. Ratings are down about 14% this season, though Lost still ranks highly among young adults and is the most heavily recorded show on DVRs.
McPherson concedes that splitting the current third season in two "was not the best for the show" and says the network also is discussing a return to an earlier time slot to draw more family viewership.
Shorter seasons will allow plots to be more tightly constructed and "will make it a real event," Lindelof says. "We won't have to do episodes where people are standing on the beach looking at the water and wondering what's going to happen next."
Will Lost risk losing fans' interest with an eight-month lag? "People wait longer than eight months for the next books and films in the Harry Potter story and they don't seem to lose interest," Cuse says. "We have faith that our audience, knowing exactly how much of the story we have left, is going to be with us for the rest of the ride."
But, Lindelof says, "the last five minutes of (this month's) finale are going to seal our fate."
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Friday, May 4, 2007
More Lost (Loster?)
from USA Today:
The future of 'Lost'
The end may be in sight for Lost. E! is reporting that ABC and the producers have decided on an end date - after two more seasons - and they are expected to announce it in the next two weeks. Also in the works, says E!: ABC is planning to push back Lost's return date to January of next year in order to air new episodes back-to-back. And, look for Lost to move to an earlier hour.
The future of 'Lost'
The end may be in sight for Lost. E! is reporting that ABC and the producers have decided on an end date - after two more seasons - and they are expected to announce it in the next two weeks. Also in the works, says E!: ABC is planning to push back Lost's return date to January of next year in order to air new episodes back-to-back. And, look for Lost to move to an earlier hour.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Buffy Season 8 Reviews of #1 & 2 by Tony Isabella
From www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony:
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
It's good to have Buffy Summers back with us, especially when her new adventures are being guided by creator/writer Joss Whedon. Dark Horse's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight [$2.99 per issue] takes place several months after the TV series came to its city-swallowing conclusion. I've read the first two issues of the new comics series - Whedon is writing the first arc - and I'm eager to read many more issues.
The Jo Chen covers are outstanding. Though Buffy and Xander don't look like actors Sarah Michelle Geller and Nicholas Brendan, Chen has created comparable visuals for those characters and they work well. Penciller Georges Jeanty, who delivers solid drawing and storytelling inside the book, could follow the Chen visuals for Buffy a tad closer, but I generally like how he draws Xander. His Dawn and Willow are terrific while my jury-of-one is still out on Amy, Andrew, and Giles. Kudos should also go to inker Andy Owens and colorist Dave Stewart.
Whedon deftly explores what things are like since the planet went from one Slayer to 1800...with 500 of them working with Buffy and her crew. Buffy is having some difficulty being in charge of an army and even more difficulty connecting and guiding her sister Dawn. Though it doesn't look like Dawn plays a major role in this first arc, Whedon does allow her to steal every scene in which she appears. For all her abilities and accomplishments, Buffy remains insecure on many levels. It's a good humanizing touch.
Xander is Buffy's "Nick Fury" and doing a fine job of it. His competence and loyalty contrasts nicely with the bumbling fear and hidden agenda of the American general determined to take Buffy and the larger-than-ever Scooby Gang down. I can't blame him entirely. If a young woman strong enough to have saved the world a few times suddenly became an army of thousands, I might get a touch nervous, too, though I probably wouldn't deal with my concerns by recruiting a clearly crazy, vengeful witch who has somehow managed to survive for months in the hole where Sunnydale used to be.
Crazy Amy is one of the characters I'm not entirely sure of in this new series. She puts Buffy in harm's way easily, but doesn't seem much of a threat otherwise. On the other hand, she wasn't in that hole alone and the identity of her "boyfriend" could prove to be interesting.
My guess? I'll give you a hint: "Madam, I'm..."
The rest of the old cast? Giles is something of a cipher so far. Andrew gets a two-page scene that drags. But these are minor blips in an otherwise fun ride. Neither is enough to keep me from awarding Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #1 and #2 the full five out of five Tonys.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
It's good to have Buffy Summers back with us, especially when her new adventures are being guided by creator/writer Joss Whedon. Dark Horse's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight [$2.99 per issue] takes place several months after the TV series came to its city-swallowing conclusion. I've read the first two issues of the new comics series - Whedon is writing the first arc - and I'm eager to read many more issues.
The Jo Chen covers are outstanding. Though Buffy and Xander don't look like actors Sarah Michelle Geller and Nicholas Brendan, Chen has created comparable visuals for those characters and they work well. Penciller Georges Jeanty, who delivers solid drawing and storytelling inside the book, could follow the Chen visuals for Buffy a tad closer, but I generally like how he draws Xander. His Dawn and Willow are terrific while my jury-of-one is still out on Amy, Andrew, and Giles. Kudos should also go to inker Andy Owens and colorist Dave Stewart.
Whedon deftly explores what things are like since the planet went from one Slayer to 1800...with 500 of them working with Buffy and her crew. Buffy is having some difficulty being in charge of an army and even more difficulty connecting and guiding her sister Dawn. Though it doesn't look like Dawn plays a major role in this first arc, Whedon does allow her to steal every scene in which she appears. For all her abilities and accomplishments, Buffy remains insecure on many levels. It's a good humanizing touch.
Xander is Buffy's "Nick Fury" and doing a fine job of it. His competence and loyalty contrasts nicely with the bumbling fear and hidden agenda of the American general determined to take Buffy and the larger-than-ever Scooby Gang down. I can't blame him entirely. If a young woman strong enough to have saved the world a few times suddenly became an army of thousands, I might get a touch nervous, too, though I probably wouldn't deal with my concerns by recruiting a clearly crazy, vengeful witch who has somehow managed to survive for months in the hole where Sunnydale used to be.
Crazy Amy is one of the characters I'm not entirely sure of in this new series. She puts Buffy in harm's way easily, but doesn't seem much of a threat otherwise. On the other hand, she wasn't in that hole alone and the identity of her "boyfriend" could prove to be interesting.
My guess? I'll give you a hint: "Madam, I'm..."
The rest of the old cast? Giles is something of a cipher so far. Andrew gets a two-page scene that drags. But these are minor blips in an otherwise fun ride. Neither is enough to keep me from awarding Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #1 and #2 the full five out of five Tonys.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wednesday Night
Jericho:Pretty good tonight. Shit is gonna hit the fan next week in the finale.
Lost:Friggin AWESOME. I know I keep using that adjective over and over regarding this show, but it's true. I don't know who deserves an Emmy more, Josh Holloway or Terry O'Quinn. As usual, answered a couple of questions and asked a cuople more. Most Important:Where the hell was Danielle going with that dynamite?
Buffy:Excellent comic. So true to the TV show. So well drawn and written. Viva Whedon.
Lost:Friggin AWESOME. I know I keep using that adjective over and over regarding this show, but it's true. I don't know who deserves an Emmy more, Josh Holloway or Terry O'Quinn. As usual, answered a couple of questions and asked a cuople more. Most Important:Where the hell was Danielle going with that dynamite?
Buffy:Excellent comic. So true to the TV show. So well drawn and written. Viva Whedon.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Heroes Review from Entertainment Weekly
TV Watch
Double Your Pressure
On ''Heroes,'' both present and future Hiro have to work to prevent the destruction of New York City; meanwhile, Parkman and Nathan have gone evil
FUTURE TENSE Hiro won't be his usual jolly self in five years
Heroes: Trae Patton
All AboutHeroes By Gilbert Cruz
I'm just going to tell you in advance that this will be a shorter post then usual, because I'm typing this in the lobby of a supposedly nice hotel in El Paso while on vacation. (I'm not actually spending my vacation in El Paso, but it's on the way to the Grand Canyon.) I love this show — and y'all — so much that I spent a good while trying to figure out when they air Heroes in the Mountain time zone and what hotel in El Paso had 24-hour Internet connectivity. So please excuse me if this is not my typical thousand-word recap-analysis. It might be closer to 925.
In chapter 20, ''Five Years Gone,'' we jumped half a decade into the future to see what could come to pass if our heroes do not prevent half of New York City from being incinerated. As many of you have mentioned, this conceit bears a striking resemblance to the 1980s X-Men story line ''Days of Future Past,'' in which a future Kitty Pryde allows her mind to travel back in time to her younger self in order to prevent an event that unites the world against mutants. We've heard many a time (or at least you might have if you've read any interviews with show creator Tim Kring) that Heroes is not based on comics and that the story line is produced independently of anything that it might resemble — like ''Days of Future Past'' or Watchmen or Rising Stars. As time goes on, though, I honestly find that hard to believe, especially given the fact that Hiro specifically mentioned Kitty Pryde in an earlier episode. So either somebody else is slipping these things into the show, or Kring has subconsciously soaked up all these influences (like Peter, but with comics!), or he's lying. I don't like calling anyone a liar, so let's just assume for now that it's the first or second choice.
And what a dark future it was. There's so much to write about that it necessitates the use of bullet points.
· Peter was the bomb, and he went off, earning his wicked scar; half of New York City was destroyed; and Nathan rose to the presidency, charging the Department of Homeland Security (apparently under the auspices of Parkman and the Haitian) to hunt down those with powers. He is protecting his brother (who's shacking up with Niki, ickily sleeping with her second Petrelli brother) by blaming the whole thing on Sylar.
· Except that Sylar (having killed and absorbed Candice, the hot Catholic-schoolgirl-skirt-wearing woman) has killed Nathan, assumed his identity, and moved into the White House.
· Ando has died, and Hiro, afflicted by guilt and sadness, has lost his joie de vivre and become a ''terrorist.'' (Remember, one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.)
· H.R.G., in an agreement with Parkman, is working to turn in dangerous individuals who possess powers while providing harmless ones with new identities.
· Claire is hiding in plain sight in Midland, Tex., ready to marry some local busboy.
But then time-traveling not-future Hiro showed up and all hell broke loose. Parkman killed H.R.G. and future Hiro and Hana Gitelman; Mohinder killed the Haitian; Sylar killed Claire....Luckily it's all like a dream, because for all this not to happen, said future Hiro, not-future Hiro has to go back in time and kill Sylar, stopping him from setting off the bomb. Thing is, as far as we know, Sylar doesn't explode — Peter does. So is Hiro going to have to kill Peter? (I don't care what healing powers Peter has, you chop his head off and he's a goner, right?)
The metaphors and political parallels at play in this episode were out of hand. There were the ongoing 9/11 references, such as Nathan/Sylar giving his speech in a Ground Zero-like hole in New York City, the way that Nathan/Sylar's administration tries to use fear and the memory of tragedy to its own ends (''At first the world will mourn,'' says Nathan/Sylar about his genocidal plan. ''They'll be united in grief. Then they'll just be united''), and the co-opting of Homeland Security to wreak havoc on American lives. I was also pleased and shocked by Nathan/Sylar's line acknowledging that he's both president and something more: ''I'm the leader of the free world....I'm the most special person there is.'' If that isn't a damning critique of unchecked executive power and arrogance, I don't know what is.
When Hiro and Ando and Peter walked into that office building all badass-like, I thought, ''It's going to be like that scene in The Matrix,'' i.e., awesome. Except it wasn't really. Save for some bloodless sword slashing and a guy flying through the air, Peter's ''I haven't had a good battle in a long time'' statement didn't live up to its promise. What's with that? I mean, can't they give us a little more action? I'm not asking for 24 here, but a few seconds of not really intensely acted or staged fight scenes don't really stir the blood. Let's have some blood stirring!
What do you think? Was this episode nothing more than a gimmick? (If Hiro knows what he has to do now and can travel back and forth in time over and over, isn't the whole future we just saw null and void?) Does Parkman really have that evil and anger in him after years of being ignored and passed over? And did Nathan/Sylar really have to call Mohinder ''the Professor?'' I mean, just make him bald and put him in a wheelchair already.
Posted May 01, 2007
Double Your Pressure
On ''Heroes,'' both present and future Hiro have to work to prevent the destruction of New York City; meanwhile, Parkman and Nathan have gone evil
FUTURE TENSE Hiro won't be his usual jolly self in five years
Heroes: Trae Patton
All AboutHeroes By Gilbert Cruz
I'm just going to tell you in advance that this will be a shorter post then usual, because I'm typing this in the lobby of a supposedly nice hotel in El Paso while on vacation. (I'm not actually spending my vacation in El Paso, but it's on the way to the Grand Canyon.) I love this show — and y'all — so much that I spent a good while trying to figure out when they air Heroes in the Mountain time zone and what hotel in El Paso had 24-hour Internet connectivity. So please excuse me if this is not my typical thousand-word recap-analysis. It might be closer to 925.
In chapter 20, ''Five Years Gone,'' we jumped half a decade into the future to see what could come to pass if our heroes do not prevent half of New York City from being incinerated. As many of you have mentioned, this conceit bears a striking resemblance to the 1980s X-Men story line ''Days of Future Past,'' in which a future Kitty Pryde allows her mind to travel back in time to her younger self in order to prevent an event that unites the world against mutants. We've heard many a time (or at least you might have if you've read any interviews with show creator Tim Kring) that Heroes is not based on comics and that the story line is produced independently of anything that it might resemble — like ''Days of Future Past'' or Watchmen or Rising Stars. As time goes on, though, I honestly find that hard to believe, especially given the fact that Hiro specifically mentioned Kitty Pryde in an earlier episode. So either somebody else is slipping these things into the show, or Kring has subconsciously soaked up all these influences (like Peter, but with comics!), or he's lying. I don't like calling anyone a liar, so let's just assume for now that it's the first or second choice.
And what a dark future it was. There's so much to write about that it necessitates the use of bullet points.
· Peter was the bomb, and he went off, earning his wicked scar; half of New York City was destroyed; and Nathan rose to the presidency, charging the Department of Homeland Security (apparently under the auspices of Parkman and the Haitian) to hunt down those with powers. He is protecting his brother (who's shacking up with Niki, ickily sleeping with her second Petrelli brother) by blaming the whole thing on Sylar.
· Except that Sylar (having killed and absorbed Candice, the hot Catholic-schoolgirl-skirt-wearing woman) has killed Nathan, assumed his identity, and moved into the White House.
· Ando has died, and Hiro, afflicted by guilt and sadness, has lost his joie de vivre and become a ''terrorist.'' (Remember, one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.)
· H.R.G., in an agreement with Parkman, is working to turn in dangerous individuals who possess powers while providing harmless ones with new identities.
· Claire is hiding in plain sight in Midland, Tex., ready to marry some local busboy.
But then time-traveling not-future Hiro showed up and all hell broke loose. Parkman killed H.R.G. and future Hiro and Hana Gitelman; Mohinder killed the Haitian; Sylar killed Claire....Luckily it's all like a dream, because for all this not to happen, said future Hiro, not-future Hiro has to go back in time and kill Sylar, stopping him from setting off the bomb. Thing is, as far as we know, Sylar doesn't explode — Peter does. So is Hiro going to have to kill Peter? (I don't care what healing powers Peter has, you chop his head off and he's a goner, right?)
The metaphors and political parallels at play in this episode were out of hand. There were the ongoing 9/11 references, such as Nathan/Sylar giving his speech in a Ground Zero-like hole in New York City, the way that Nathan/Sylar's administration tries to use fear and the memory of tragedy to its own ends (''At first the world will mourn,'' says Nathan/Sylar about his genocidal plan. ''They'll be united in grief. Then they'll just be united''), and the co-opting of Homeland Security to wreak havoc on American lives. I was also pleased and shocked by Nathan/Sylar's line acknowledging that he's both president and something more: ''I'm the leader of the free world....I'm the most special person there is.'' If that isn't a damning critique of unchecked executive power and arrogance, I don't know what is.
When Hiro and Ando and Peter walked into that office building all badass-like, I thought, ''It's going to be like that scene in The Matrix,'' i.e., awesome. Except it wasn't really. Save for some bloodless sword slashing and a guy flying through the air, Peter's ''I haven't had a good battle in a long time'' statement didn't live up to its promise. What's with that? I mean, can't they give us a little more action? I'm not asking for 24 here, but a few seconds of not really intensely acted or staged fight scenes don't really stir the blood. Let's have some blood stirring!
What do you think? Was this episode nothing more than a gimmick? (If Hiro knows what he has to do now and can travel back and forth in time over and over, isn't the whole future we just saw null and void?) Does Parkman really have that evil and anger in him after years of being ignored and passed over? And did Nathan/Sylar really have to call Mohinder ''the Professor?'' I mean, just make him bald and put him in a wheelchair already.
Posted May 01, 2007
A Few Random Thoughts
Wasn't Heroes pretty awesome last night?
I'm watching the Brando docu on Turner Classic Movies right now. Fascinating man and actor.
Can't wait for Lost tomorrow night.Some of these shows (Lost, 24, Jericho, Heroes) are building up to pretty explosive (literally) season finales. I guess I might have more time for blogging this summer unless I'm watcjing the Cardinals or catching up on my reading.
Buffy Season 8, #3 is out tomorrow (woohoo)
I'm watching the Brando docu on Turner Classic Movies right now. Fascinating man and actor.
Can't wait for Lost tomorrow night.Some of these shows (Lost, 24, Jericho, Heroes) are building up to pretty explosive (literally) season finales. I guess I might have more time for blogging this summer unless I'm watcjing the Cardinals or catching up on my reading.
Buffy Season 8, #3 is out tomorrow (woohoo)
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