B: i'm filling in for mira again, so i decided to play my Man Card. what are your favorite cars from film?
burkie:
1. The Batmobile. the movie versions were interesting, but this will always be the batmobile for me.
2. The Mirthmobile. okay, maybe not man card worthy, but certainly memorable.
3. The red ferrari in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Not so much the car itself, but how it was used in the movie.
i can think of about a hundred honorable mentions; it was tough to narrow this down to three, and i'm not even a car guy!
Jennifer: Yikes, I really do not pay attention to cars...
1. The DeLorean from Back to the Future. Obvs.
2. The yellow VW bus from Little Miss Sunshine.
3. Sebastian's Jaguar from Cruel Intentions. Um, I remember Reese Witherspoon driving away in it at the end of the movie.
Showing posts with label guest blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest blog. Show all posts
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday Top Threes: Local Color
B: which three TV shows do the best job of featuring their setting, to the point that the show wouldn't work if it were set anywhere else, and you'd feel like you already knew the place if you were to visit there based on the show?
Burkie:
1. Friday Night Lights: so texas, so perfect. dillon, texas doesn't really exist, but it's as real as any texas town i've ever lived in, and so are the characters.
2. Memphis Beat: no suprise here, i suppose. this show captures the best of memphis (and, thankfully, leaves out the worst) and highlights what a truly unique city it is, including the music.
3. Gilmore Girls: while Stars Hollow, CT isn't a real town, it certainly came to life for fans of this show and, for me, was as much a star of the show as lorelei or rory or luke. i'd like to think that there are quirky new england towns like this with their goofy town hall meetings and colorful characters. the show certainly would not have worked had it been set in new mexico.
Jennifer:
1. Gossip Girl: Definitely not the New York City world that I grew up in so I can't speak to whether there are people who actually live like Blair and Serena but I love that the show actually films in the city. I can't stand the fake NYC of studio lot shows.
2. Wonderfalls: So many shows are set in California or big cities so I liked that this show was centered around the somewhat random but real location of Niagara Falls, NY. Again, not sure about accuracy but they seemed to feature some local mythology and such about the falls.
3. Roswell: Obvious choice but having a show about aliens in Roswell, New Mexico was definitely fitting.
Burkie:
1. Friday Night Lights: so texas, so perfect. dillon, texas doesn't really exist, but it's as real as any texas town i've ever lived in, and so are the characters.
2. Memphis Beat: no suprise here, i suppose. this show captures the best of memphis (and, thankfully, leaves out the worst) and highlights what a truly unique city it is, including the music.
3. Gilmore Girls: while Stars Hollow, CT isn't a real town, it certainly came to life for fans of this show and, for me, was as much a star of the show as lorelei or rory or luke. i'd like to think that there are quirky new england towns like this with their goofy town hall meetings and colorful characters. the show certainly would not have worked had it been set in new mexico.
Jennifer:
1. Gossip Girl: Definitely not the New York City world that I grew up in so I can't speak to whether there are people who actually live like Blair and Serena but I love that the show actually films in the city. I can't stand the fake NYC of studio lot shows.
2. Wonderfalls: So many shows are set in California or big cities so I liked that this show was centered around the somewhat random but real location of Niagara Falls, NY. Again, not sure about accuracy but they seemed to feature some local mythology and such about the falls.
3. Roswell: Obvious choice but having a show about aliens in Roswell, New Mexico was definitely fitting.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
The Hour Has Come
conceptually, The Hour is somewhat reminiscent of Mad Men and, strangely, 30 Rock (neither of which i watch). like Mad Men, it is a stylish period piece (London, 1956). the show revolves around the people involved in making a 60 Minutes-type television news program (called, appropriately, The Hour) that airs on the BBC, hence the resemblance to 30 Rock (an NBC show about an NBC show). the similarities end there, especially as regards 30 Rock. The Hour is definitely a drama, not a comedy. as regards Mad Men, i've only watched that show once and it struck me as slick and polished, whereas The Hour has a decidedly noir feel to it, and i loves me some noir.
The Hour (the show featured on the show...this is already getting confusing) is a brand new program on the BBC. it's risky, especially as the production reins have been handed to a woman (Bel Rowley, played by Romola Garai). she is ambitious and committed to delivering a hard-hitting news program with substance, but knows she needs the right face as anchor. she knows her brilliant yet stormy friend and colleague Freddie Lyon (Ben Whishaw) has the brains and investigative doggedness that the project will require to succeed, but not the face. she therefore pursues the charming, privileged, and shallow Hector Madden (Dominic West) as the show's lead anchor. when freddie is sacked from his job, he reluctantly accepts bel's offer to join the show as a correspondent. true to the time period, one of the program's early stories is Nasser's rise to power in Egypt and what that means both for the British Empire and the delicate balances of the Cold War.
you've probably already figured out how the characters feel about each other. a bit clichéd, but they pull it off. rowley and west deliver strong performances, but whishaw is terrific. i don't know him, but i read that he won acclaim on stage as Hamlet and i can well believe that. he's got presence. of course, the other star is the noir aspect of the program, down to the art deco look of the BBC's Lime Grove Studios, the costuming, and the intrigue surrounding a murder mystery that freddie is investigating on the side. give this show a try! The Hour may become the hour you look forward to most.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
White Collar, The Show That Had Me Conned
it's not about wall street crime. it's about art crimes and cons. i love art crimes and cons! you know why? because they're sophisticated crimes that are based on being more clever than your adversary rather than using guns or being mean. i can relate to that kind of crime!
the premise is that Neal Caffrey (matt bomer) was a notorious art thief and con man that FBI agent Peter Burke (tim dekay) finally captures. neal agrees to be a criminal consultant for peter (with a tracking device on his ankle) in exchange for serving time in prison. in order to help solve these crimes, he often has to resort to his old tactics (including a fondness for wearing fedoras), often with the aid of his nebbish/nerdy underworld partner Mozzie (willie garson).
the cons are cool, but what really makes the show great is the relationship between neal and peter. they genuinely like, admire, and respect each other and become friends, even trusting each other with their lives on occasion. however, they still neither one completely trusts the other, and it turns out that they both have reason not to do so. you really root for both in this show. the other great relationship in this show is that of peter with his wife Elizabeth (tiffani thiessen). now that Friday Night Lights is over, the Burkes may be the best married couple on TV. she's not as big a part of the show as Tami Taylor was on FNL, but her scenes really help flesh out peter's character.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Thursday Top Threes: Wasted Potential
Mira didn't have the brainpower to think of a question this week, so she passed the reins to the guestblogger.
Burkie: Top three TV or movie projects that had a great concept but failed to lived up to their potential.
Burkie:
1. Mystery Men. i love stories about lame superheroes and this one had it in spades: a guy who hurls silverware at people! a guy who hits people with a shovel! a guy who gets really mad! moreover, it had a great cast: william h. macy, geoffrey rush, janeane garofalo, peewee herman, ben stiller. alas, it just didn't deliver (actually, in my opinion, this whole category could probably be filled with ben stiller projects).
2. The Man Who Wasn't There. again, stuff & people i like: film noir, black & white, the coen brothers, billy bob thornton, frances mcdormand, and an interesting story about a nowhere man who schemes to get somewhere but it goes horribly wrong. it just didn't work for me. i didn't even finish watching it. i think the main problem was that nobody came across as very likable, which makes it hard to either root for somebody or feel much sympathy with them (again, i think coen brothers' projects could probably fill this list).
3. Life, Unexpected. is this CW show still on? jenn has blogged about it and mira & i were also initial fans, but it went downhill fast as it resorted to cliche after eye-rolling cliche storylines. waste of an engaging cast & premise.
Honorable mention: Photoblogged :)
Mira:
1. Beastly -- Only because this is fresh in my mind. I loved the idea of a Beauty and the Beast rewrite in modern, high school times; especially since it was one of my favorite Disney animations! But yeah, it sucked. So much.
2. I Am Number Four -- An interesting concept as far as this genre goes and I think it could've been so much more. Instead it was overly predictable as if the writers were just trying to take shortcuts in creating the story. Interestingly, both of my posts so far star Pettyfer, who I also really do not like.
3. Avalon High -- I thought this book was great fun! Once again, a rewrite of something old in modern, high school times -- King Arthur. Unfortunately the Disney Channel original movie version of it sucked. So much. They tried to make it slightly different from the book but completely ruined it. COMPLETELY.
Jennifer: I guess I'm going with only TV answers...
1. The Killing - I never reviewed this AMC series even though I watched the whole first season because it kind of went off the rails really fast and ended with one of the most frustrating and some might say, insulting, season finales ever. But it started off so promisingly. I initially found the lead character, Detective Sarah Linden, to be one of the more unique female characters on TV--quietly thoughtful and observant, strong but not overtly intimidating. Her partner and foil, Stephen Holder, was played by Joel Kinnaman in a truly interesting performance (the actor is Swedish but had these "urban" mannerisms and accent), and Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton were fantastic as the grieving parents of the teenage murder victim Rosie Larsen. But the story just did not serve these characters. Too many red herrings, dumb plot twists, bad policework...and the ending was awful. Let's just say that the showrunner had to give all these defensive interviews afterward about how they never promised the audience any answers. The show was renewed for a second season but I doubt I'll be back.
2. Running Wilde - Keri Russell + Will Arnett + creator of Arrested Development = success, right? So many people, including me, were so excited about this show, but it just fell flat. Really disappointing.
3. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - I actually loved its debut despite myself. I thought Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry were just fantastic together and the cast and world seemed so tight right from the beginning. But the show-within-the-show segments were just not funny and the ratings and writing started to tank at the same time. I gave up pretty early on, and NBC did too after the first season. Definitely wasted potential.
Burkie: Top three TV or movie projects that had a great concept but failed to lived up to their potential.
Burkie:
1. Mystery Men. i love stories about lame superheroes and this one had it in spades: a guy who hurls silverware at people! a guy who hits people with a shovel! a guy who gets really mad! moreover, it had a great cast: william h. macy, geoffrey rush, janeane garofalo, peewee herman, ben stiller. alas, it just didn't deliver (actually, in my opinion, this whole category could probably be filled with ben stiller projects).
2. The Man Who Wasn't There. again, stuff & people i like: film noir, black & white, the coen brothers, billy bob thornton, frances mcdormand, and an interesting story about a nowhere man who schemes to get somewhere but it goes horribly wrong. it just didn't work for me. i didn't even finish watching it. i think the main problem was that nobody came across as very likable, which makes it hard to either root for somebody or feel much sympathy with them (again, i think coen brothers' projects could probably fill this list).
3. Life, Unexpected. is this CW show still on? jenn has blogged about it and mira & i were also initial fans, but it went downhill fast as it resorted to cliche after eye-rolling cliche storylines. waste of an engaging cast & premise.
Honorable mention: Photoblogged :)
Mira:
1. Beastly -- Only because this is fresh in my mind. I loved the idea of a Beauty and the Beast rewrite in modern, high school times; especially since it was one of my favorite Disney animations! But yeah, it sucked. So much.
2. I Am Number Four -- An interesting concept as far as this genre goes and I think it could've been so much more. Instead it was overly predictable as if the writers were just trying to take shortcuts in creating the story. Interestingly, both of my posts so far star Pettyfer, who I also really do not like.
3. Avalon High -- I thought this book was great fun! Once again, a rewrite of something old in modern, high school times -- King Arthur. Unfortunately the Disney Channel original movie version of it sucked. So much. They tried to make it slightly different from the book but completely ruined it. COMPLETELY.
Jennifer: I guess I'm going with only TV answers...
1. The Killing - I never reviewed this AMC series even though I watched the whole first season because it kind of went off the rails really fast and ended with one of the most frustrating and some might say, insulting, season finales ever. But it started off so promisingly. I initially found the lead character, Detective Sarah Linden, to be one of the more unique female characters on TV--quietly thoughtful and observant, strong but not overtly intimidating. Her partner and foil, Stephen Holder, was played by Joel Kinnaman in a truly interesting performance (the actor is Swedish but had these "urban" mannerisms and accent), and Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton were fantastic as the grieving parents of the teenage murder victim Rosie Larsen. But the story just did not serve these characters. Too many red herrings, dumb plot twists, bad policework...and the ending was awful. Let's just say that the showrunner had to give all these defensive interviews afterward about how they never promised the audience any answers. The show was renewed for a second season but I doubt I'll be back.
2. Running Wilde - Keri Russell + Will Arnett + creator of Arrested Development = success, right? So many people, including me, were so excited about this show, but it just fell flat. Really disappointing.
3. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - I actually loved its debut despite myself. I thought Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry were just fantastic together and the cast and world seemed so tight right from the beginning. But the show-within-the-show segments were just not funny and the ratings and writing started to tank at the same time. I gave up pretty early on, and NBC did too after the first season. Definitely wasted potential.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Summer TV Schedule
i know the resident blogstresses are fans of the CW, FOX, and the other big networks, but i've found that many of the shows i most enjoy these days appear on TNT (We Know Drama) and USA (Characters Welcome), and their primary seasons are during the other networks' off-season. jenn already blogged about the fall 2011 season; let's look at the summer 2011 season!TNT: We Know Drama
The Closer - my favorite show on TV, returns 11 July. Kyra Sedgwick's performance as Los Angeles Assistant Chief of Police Brenda Lee Johnson is the best part of the show: a girly-girl from Georgia out of her regional element and in a tough, traditionally male position, she wins the day in the interrogation room. and her wardrobe is terrific, too! the surrounding cast of characters are also well-developed. moreover, i think the show does the best job in recent memory of capturing LA's local color.
Memphis Beat - i've blogged about this show before. returns this tuesday, 14 june!
Rizzoli & Isles - returns 11 July. this is a buddy cop show, except that the buddies are women and only one is a cop; the other is a medical examiner. i like this show, but i don't love it. angie harmon is a good texan, so i always root for her. both stars are likable (the medical examiner is played by somebody i don't know), but the show needs to step it up conceptually this season in my opinion, to have any legs. in their favor is the fact that they're using this great Grace Potter & The Nocturnals song in their promos :)
Men of a Certain Age - already started. i understand what this show is about and i think the 3 leads are great, but i've only watched it a couple of times and haven't warmed up to it. maybe i identify too much with that demographic and would prefer not to see myself as pathetic as they are. the show gets great reviews, though.
Franklin & Bash - a buddy lawyer show, new this season and has already started. it's about two unorthodox lawyers (F. Lee Bailey meets Barnum & Bailey) working for a big law firm (malcolm mcdowell gets to ham it up as the firm's patriarch). i've seen the pilot and it's okay. not sure how much substance it will have.
Leverage - returns 26 June. a successful formula: a bunch of outcasts/outlaws team up to be do-gooders (think A-Team). i've only seen the show once. i prefer USA's take on this concept (see Burn Notice below) and Fox's (Human Target).
Falling Skies - a new show premiering 19 June. here's the concept: earth has been almost entirely wiped out by an alien attack, and this show focuses on a group of survivors who are trying to rebuild their part of civilization. Noah Wylie stars...i think he was in a hospital show. i've enjoyed books with an post-apocalyptic them (Alas, Babylon and The Stand, for two examples) but i'm not sure how it'll work in a TV format. we'll see.
USA: Characters Welcome
In Plain Sight - already started. i love this show about two US Marshals in the Witness Protection Service based in Albuquerque. i like the concept of what the Witness Protection Service does (i've used it in my stories), i like Albuquerque, and the stars are great. mary mccormack's character was perfectly described by somebody in a recent episode as "the snarky smirk in the leather jacket." she's all of that, and fun to watch. her partner, whimsically named "Marshall Mann," is the perfect foil: thoughtful, methodical, and full of arcane facts & trivia that drive his partner nuts.
Royal Pains - returns 29 June. this show is just a pleasant diversion. a nice doctor and his wacky brother playing concierge doctor to rich people in the Hamptons. not very deep, but entertaining.
Burn Notice - returns 23 June. a spy forced out of the business and forced to stay in Miami. like all the USA shows, there is a lot of good local color here. the cast is cool (you can never go wrong with bruce campbell, right?) and the show carries out the outcast-turned-samaritan concept well.
Covert Affairs - already started. season two of new CIA agent Annie Walker as she continues to adapt and excel in the spy business. kind of the exact opposite show of Burn Notice. i thought that season one was uneven and lacked substance, so we'll see what season two has in store.
Necessary Roughness - a new show, premiering 29 June. stars Callie Thorne as a psychotherapist whose new client is a professional football team in New York. haven't seen that before, so i'll give it a shot.
Suits - a new series, debuting 23 June. another lawyer buddy show. this time, only one is a real lawyer; the other is a savant who finds his skills useful in a law firm. to be honest, doesn't do much for me. i'm usually not a fan of legal shows (though i'm a big fan of USA's other legal show, Fairly Legal).
White Collar - returns tuesday, 14 June. i've never seen this show about a white collar criminal who now helps the feds solve other white collar crimes.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Thursday Top Threes: Biographies/Biopics!
B: guestblogger in da house! so, what are your favorite biographies or biopics?
Burkie:
1. Jim Thorpe: Indian Athlete by G. Van Riper. this was one of a series of juvenile biographies that i read. i read most of them, but the one about Jim Thorpe got me hooked on this series, on biographies, and on reading in general. i must have read it at least a dozen times.
2. Lawrence of Arabia. the 1962 movie starring peter o'toole. a stunningly beautiful movie starring a stunningly handsome actor (yes, i said it), about a fascinating man. if you've never seen it, i highly recommend it.
3. Shakespeare (The Illustrated and Updated Edition) by Bill Bryson. i love bryson's writing and i love shakespeare, so this is a no-brainer for me!
Jennifer: I don't really read biographies...not that I don't like non-fiction, I just don't have time. No biopics came to mind right away either, so these are sort of random.
1. Bright Star. I'm not really into poetry either but I loved this film about the last few years of John Keats' life. Abbie Cornish is fantastic as Keats' fiancée Fanny Brawne.
2. Amadeus. It's been a long time since I've seen this but I still remember quite a lot of it, especially Mozart's ridiculous giggle.
3. Becoming Jane/Miss Austen Regrets. Mostly fictionalized but people love to speculate on what Jane Austen was like and I'm happy to join in.
Mira: Somehow my edits disappeared. :(
1. Shakespeare in Love: A fictionalized rendition of Shakespeare's life but oh-so-good. Plus I love how they mixed in the storylines/characters of the plays into his supposed "real life."
2. Walk the Line: Did not really know much about Johnny Cash, his music, or his life. But I really enjoyed the powerful story told here and thought that the actors chosen to play Johnny and June were fantastic!
3. Remember the Titans: I'm a sucker for feel good sports movies. And you make it based on a true story? Even better! Plus, I love how they show you what happened to the different kids afterward. A close fourth was Miracle.
Jennifer: I don't really read biographies...not that I don't like non-fiction, I just don't have time. No biopics came to mind right away either, so these are sort of random.
1. Bright Star. I'm not really into poetry either but I loved this film about the last few years of John Keats' life. Abbie Cornish is fantastic as Keats' fiancée Fanny Brawne.
2. Amadeus. It's been a long time since I've seen this but I still remember quite a lot of it, especially Mozart's ridiculous giggle.
3. Becoming Jane/Miss Austen Regrets. Mostly fictionalized but people love to speculate on what Jane Austen was like and I'm happy to join in.
Mira: Somehow my edits disappeared. :(
1. Shakespeare in Love: A fictionalized rendition of Shakespeare's life but oh-so-good. Plus I love how they mixed in the storylines/characters of the plays into his supposed "real life."
2. Walk the Line: Did not really know much about Johnny Cash, his music, or his life. But I really enjoyed the powerful story told here and thought that the actors chosen to play Johnny and June were fantastic!
3. Remember the Titans: I'm a sucker for feel good sports movies. And you make it based on a true story? Even better! Plus, I love how they show you what happened to the different kids afterward. A close fourth was Miracle.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday Top Threes: Asian Characters on TV
*tips hat* howdy, y'all. burkie's in the house offering up this week's Thursday Top 3. in honor of our regular blogstresses here, who are your top 3 all-time favorite Asian characters on TV?
Burkie:
1) Lane & Mrs. Kim from Gilmore Girls. yes, i'm sure at least one of these characters may show up again on this post...not that i ever watched this show, of course. i'm a guy, after all. still, given what i've, uh, heard about this show, i have to put the two characters together. they're good characters on their own, but neither would have been able to reach number one on my list if the other one hadn't also been in the show. they enhanced & defined each other's character even more than the gilmores, i think.
2) Kwai Chang Caine from Kung Fu. a controversial choice, since he's an asian character played by a non-asian (david carridine). however, this is not like mickey rooney playing a japanese in Breakfast At Tiffany's (one of the most offensive things i've ever seen). caine was actually a half-asian character in the show, raised in a shaolin temple in china, then had to leave china, and wound up wandering from town to town in America's wild west. i love westerns, and this was a most unique western. Kung Fu popularized the spirituality behind martial arts. it was good stuff.
3) Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro from Bones. i had to come back and edit this because i remembered that i had forgotten her (i originally had Divya from Royal Pains in this spot). i love the show and all the characters on it. angela is the most free-spirited. she's half-asian, and the coolest thing about her? this is her father (as himself) on the show :) ((trivia: Pearly Gates is also the name of billy's guitar!))
Mira: What a fun question!
1. Mrs. Kim from Gilmore Girls. Yeah, yeah. Burkie knew his "blogstresses" well and Mrs. Kim is undoubtedly one of the best Asian characters on TV ever in my book. She represents the craziness of Asian moms in such a great and funny and lovable way.
2. Nikita from Nikita. She's only half-Asian but she's so good at kicking ass! This was a surprise show for me this season. I had little to no expectations of it but wound up really enjoying it. And well, she's my present-day Sydney (Alias)!
3. "The Other Asian" from Glee. I think mostly I just loved that he was called "The Other Asian" for so long. And I think he's cute. And I liked that I had "discovered" him on Twitter as Lil' C's roommate before Glee started.
Jennifer: By the way, I wrote a post on Asians on TV almost exactly 5 years ago.
1. Miles from Lost. I know Sun and Jin would be more popular picks but I loved Miles and his sarcastic quips. The flash-sideways episode with him and Sawyer as LAPD partners was fantastic...I'd watch that spinoff!
2. Hiro from Heroes. The show went downhill fast and I stopped watching during the second season but Hiro was a bright spot from the beginning. He was the only one who saw his power as a positive thing and was excited by it. I was also pretty amused by his ridiculous sidekick, Ando. "Yatta!"
3. Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation. I just think Aziz Ansari is hilarious, and I'm so happy the show is finally returning tonight!
Burkie:
1) Lane & Mrs. Kim from Gilmore Girls. yes, i'm sure at least one of these characters may show up again on this post...not that i ever watched this show, of course. i'm a guy, after all. still, given what i've, uh, heard about this show, i have to put the two characters together. they're good characters on their own, but neither would have been able to reach number one on my list if the other one hadn't also been in the show. they enhanced & defined each other's character even more than the gilmores, i think.
2) Kwai Chang Caine from Kung Fu. a controversial choice, since he's an asian character played by a non-asian (david carridine). however, this is not like mickey rooney playing a japanese in Breakfast At Tiffany's (one of the most offensive things i've ever seen). caine was actually a half-asian character in the show, raised in a shaolin temple in china, then had to leave china, and wound up wandering from town to town in America's wild west. i love westerns, and this was a most unique western. Kung Fu popularized the spirituality behind martial arts. it was good stuff.
3) Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro from Bones. i had to come back and edit this because i remembered that i had forgotten her (i originally had Divya from Royal Pains in this spot). i love the show and all the characters on it. angela is the most free-spirited. she's half-asian, and the coolest thing about her? this is her father (as himself) on the show :) ((trivia: Pearly Gates is also the name of billy's guitar!))
Mira: What a fun question!
1. Mrs. Kim from Gilmore Girls. Yeah, yeah. Burkie knew his "blogstresses" well and Mrs. Kim is undoubtedly one of the best Asian characters on TV ever in my book. She represents the craziness of Asian moms in such a great and funny and lovable way.
2. Nikita from Nikita. She's only half-Asian but she's so good at kicking ass! This was a surprise show for me this season. I had little to no expectations of it but wound up really enjoying it. And well, she's my present-day Sydney (Alias)!
3. "The Other Asian" from Glee. I think mostly I just loved that he was called "The Other Asian" for so long. And I think he's cute. And I liked that I had "discovered" him on Twitter as Lil' C's roommate before Glee started.
Jennifer: By the way, I wrote a post on Asians on TV almost exactly 5 years ago.
1. Miles from Lost. I know Sun and Jin would be more popular picks but I loved Miles and his sarcastic quips. The flash-sideways episode with him and Sawyer as LAPD partners was fantastic...I'd watch that spinoff!
2. Hiro from Heroes. The show went downhill fast and I stopped watching during the second season but Hiro was a bright spot from the beginning. He was the only one who saw his power as a positive thing and was excited by it. I was also pretty amused by his ridiculous sidekick, Ando. "Yatta!"
3. Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation. I just think Aziz Ansari is hilarious, and I'm so happy the show is finally returning tonight!
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Thursday Talk: Guest Question!
Burkie: Congratulations! You've become a big celebrity for some reason and you're appearing on Letterman & Leno and presenting at the big awards shows! That means you need a theme song that has to be played every time you're introduced and walk out onto the stage. What would your theme song be?
Jennifer: Um, I don't really know what criteria should be used in choosing a walk-in song...I figure it should be kind of upbeat and at least represent my taste in music? So my pick is Stillness is the Move by the Dirty Projectors. It's got kind of a quirky sound, and I mean, obviously I'm not going to pick something mainstream. The video is weird even for me though...
Mira: I'm going with a song that makes me happy and makes me want to walk with a happy beat. Okay, no, not walk with a happy beat, it darn makes me want to dance to it. And I'm not a dancer. :) "Photograph" by Weezer!
Jennifer: Um, I don't really know what criteria should be used in choosing a walk-in song...I figure it should be kind of upbeat and at least represent my taste in music? So my pick is Stillness is the Move by the Dirty Projectors. It's got kind of a quirky sound, and I mean, obviously I'm not going to pick something mainstream. The video is weird even for me though...
Mira: I'm going with a song that makes me happy and makes me want to walk with a happy beat. Okay, no, not walk with a happy beat, it darn makes me want to dance to it. And I'm not a dancer. :) "Photograph" by Weezer!
Friday, August 13, 2010
"The Beast" Goes Home
On Top Chef, each chef is judged for his or her work on that episode alone...this is a somewhat controversial rule, but I think it makes the competition that much more fierce, because it reduces the chance of someone weak from continuing on. But wait!!! you say...then how the heck do ppl like Alex and Lisa from season 6 stick around so long?!?! I guess the system has holes as well especially with Team challenges where someone can coast through. Which incidentally, creates a whole lot of drama for better or worse.
Besides, if one actually looks at the data...one sees that Kenny simply has not been delivering on his massive swagger. According to the handy dandy wikipedia chart, he has only 1 win and 1 high. He's had 3 "ins" and 3 "lows." This is not stellar by any means.
Anywayz... I'm not sure who I'm rooting for this season. Maybe Kevin? He is from Philly...
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose.
This is Burkie, guest blogging about Friday Night Lights. Jenn & Mira have written quite a bit about this show already (as you'll discover if you click on the tag below), and it was because of one of these posts that Jenn convinced me to give the show a try. I watched some of Season 4 (On-Demand) and liked it. Then Jenn--through Mira--loaned me Seasons 1-3 on DVD. Now that I've finished watching, I'd like to post some comments from my perspective.
And what is my perspective, you may ask? Well, I'll tell ya. I'm a Texan, and I went to high school in a Texas town of about 15,000 with a single high school. We had a huge (compared to HS football fields around here), rock-front stadium built by the WPA. I was on the field for every single varsity football practice and game of my sophomore, junior, and senior years. Actually, I was on the sideline, not the field. I was the student trainer. The (adult) athletic trainer & I taped ankles and knees, provided first aid & physical therapy to players during practices and games, etc. I was there during all the pre-game, post-game, and half-time speeches. I spent more time with the coaching staff than I did the players. So...I know a little about what FNL is supposed to be about.
In case you were wondering, I can confirm the following:
1. Yes, high school football really is that big and that important. Our football team was not that great; we never made the playoffs. Our baseball team my junior year made it to the state finals (and lost), but the baseball games were never the event that football games were, nor garnered the attention that our football games and teams and players got. Fair? No. Reality? Yes. In fact, I was only required to be the student trainer for the football team, not for any of the other teams.
2. Yes, boosters like Buddy Garrity and Joe McCoy really do exist, and they really do have more influence than they should, to include securing starting jobs for kids that don't deserve it. The football team had a customized, Greyhound-type bus that we traveled on; no other team in the school got to use it.
3. Yes, despite the separation between church and state that should exist, team prayers are not only led in the locker room and on the football field, but there is always an invocation read over the PA at the beginning of the game. It happens at graduation ceremonies, National Honor Society induction ceremonies, team banquets, etc.
4. Yes, women wear cowboy boots with skirts and guys wear cowboy hats at weddings. And everywhere else, for that matter.
I'm just as confused as anybody else about the following:
1. Where the hell in Texas the made-up town of Dillon is supposed to be and how big it's supposed to be. At times, they make it seem like a really small town. Everybody goes to the same church. Everybody in town, it seems, went to Billy & Mindy's wedding (even though they are minor characters who happen to be siblings of more central characters). Yet, it is (beginning in season 3), large enough to have to have 2 high schools and it apparently has a Marriott. They seem to run to Austin quite a bit as if it's not too far away, but in one episode when Buddy wanted to meed Coach Taylor halfway between Austin & Dillon, they picked a spot about 2 hours away from each, making Dillon 4 hours from Austin. It's also close enough for Coach Taylor & Smash to make a day trip to College Station (Texas A&M) 2 hours east of Austin, though he admitted they drove a long way. Yet, in another episode, they were apparently close enough to the oil wells in West Texas for Tyra to run off on a field trip with a guy who was investing in them or something. Yet, they're also close enough to Dallas for Coach & Mrs. Coach (as Matt calls her) to run up there to rescue Tyra one night. I'm stumped.
2. How is a kid like Tim Riggins able to buy so much beer, even in his sophomore year? He drank more beer in high school than I did, and that's saying a lot! Not that I was a teenage drunk or anything, but the drinking age was 18 when i was in high school; it's 21 for Riggins. Also, where does he get the money for the beer? Or the truck he drives? Or the house he lives in? He has no job, and his brother Billy, with whom he lives, is constantly losing one low-paying job after another.
3. How do Tim Riggins & Tyra manage to skip school seemingly every other day and never get expelled? Also, Riggins made several multi-day trips out of town, missing days of football practice even during the playoffs, and only once did Coach Taylor enforce some kind of punishment.
4. Where is the student trainer?!?! Those ankles don't tape themselves!
5. Rally girls. We didn't have them. That I know of.
There are other questions, but those keep coming to mind. They don't matter, though. This show is consistently entertaining despite those things. The characters are genuine. Does that mean I like all of them? No, just like I don't particularly like every genuine person I know. They make the show compelling though. Mostly. Most of them. My take on some of the characters:
Coach (Eric) & Mrs. Coach (Tami) Taylor. As wonderful as some of the other characters are, this pair makes the show what it is. Quite possibly the best married couple in the history of television, which is a saying an awful lot as there is probably at least one married couple in over 90% of every television series ever produced. I stand by it, though. It's hard for me to say whether it's because the characters are so well developed or because Kyle Chandler & Connie Britton do such a great job portraying them. I guess it's both. If I'm a football player, I want to play for him; if I'm a student, I want her as my guidance counselor or principal. If I'm a parent, I want him to be my kid's coach, and I want my kid to go to her school. If I'm married, I want a relationship like they have.
Julie Taylor & Matt Saracen. The coach's daughter & his quarterback are sweethearts during Seasons 1 and 3; not so much in Season 2. They are much more likable and interesting when they are a couple, especially Julie. Matt is someone you root for no matter what: hardworking, humble, respectful, never quite sure of himself, underdog--all the attributes you could want in a good kid. Julie is also a good kid, except when she's being a brat. And she was a brat throughout Season 2 and, at times, in Season 3. Every teenage girl is entitled to be a brat at times, but her character was bratty more often than required, I thought.
Smash & his mom. Smash is the great high school running back who knows how great he is, embraces it, and is his own biggest fan, yet still comes out as incredibly likable. You just shake your head at his excesses and accept him. As much as I like Smash, though, I like his mama even more. I wish they could've found a reason for her to remain on the show after he left for college. The phrase "keeping it real" has become trite, but she embodies that sentiment.
Tim Riggins. After seeing Riggins in a few episodes in Season 4 and the first several episodes of Season 1, I told Mira that he was unlikable in every episode I'd seen him in and, in my opinion, not even that good-looking. She disagreed with me a bit about the latter part, and said that he has his moments. I can finally agree with her on that. Despite the problems I mentioned with him above, most of the time he's either playing football, drunk/getting drunk, or just being broody & sullen. Riggins is the guy who never catches a break. His best moments are not when he's with a girl or trying to accomplish something, but when he's interacting with other people. As Jenn mentioned in one of her posts, he was funny when he's forced to be involved with girl's volleyball or the powderpuff football game. Some of my favorite scenes in the series have been when Riggins and some of the other guys are on the football field in the middle of the night, drinking & talking & playing.
Landry Clark and Tyra Collette. Landry is my favorite character after Coach, Mrs. Coach, and Smash's mama. I liked him most when he was just Matt's best friend and not on the team or even interested in football. His being on the team has added nothing to either his character or the show, in my opinion. I like how the coach always thinks his name is Lance, though. He is the character I most identify with; they should've made him the student trainer! He's the funniest character on the show. He's self-deprecating and can say funny things that are critical but not disparaging to other people. I like how his thoughts are always so convoluted that he's always talking or explaining things even after the person he's talking to has walked away. He wears funny shirts; he's kinda funny looking. He's smart and dorky. He has a rock band. Yeah, I can relate :) Guys like him never get the girl, though. I love him & Tyra together, I really do, but that just doesn't happen. Tyra is a good character, in that I've known a Tyra or two. She's genuine. However, I really only like her when she's interacting with Landry either as a friend or a girlfriend.
Jason Street & Lyla Garrity. I've never warmed to either of these characters. I can sympathize with what happened to Street. I remember playing Weatherford the first game of my junior year and the coaches called a play for our best player--running back Cleo White, one of the fastest sprinters in the state at that time. They were waiting for the perfect time to call the play; I remember it distinctly. We were probably on our own 40 and the coaches started calling "Run it!" down the sideline. The play went in, they got the ball to Cleo on the outside with open space in front of him and he took off. No way was anybody going to stop him. Somehow, impossibly, Weatherford had a player--Number 11--run Cleo down from behind and tackle him. And break his leg. I helped carry him off the field, and he was out for the season. Not as tragic as what happened to Jason Street, I know, but I know what it's like to suffer a serious injury to your star player in the first game of the year. That was a good way to start this series off, but I think they kept his character around a couple of seasons too long. And Lyla Garrity...I felt bad for the circumstances she found herself in over the years, but never really cared enough for her to root for her.
I've now watched all of Seasons 1-3 and part of season 4. I will definitely watch all of Season 5, which NBC has already announced is going to be the last. The developments of Season 4--namely that Coach Taylor was forced to leave Dillon High School and become the head football coach at East Dillon High School, presented some fresh directions for the series to explore, but I think it will become way too contrived if they continue to find ways for characters to linger around when they should be gone. Thanks for recommendation and the loan, Jenn! And thanks again to you & Mira for letting me play in your sandbox here :)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Memphis Beat--It's Catchy!
Burkie's guestblogging again! And, unless there is an outcry, I may be doing it a bit more frequently. Not that Jenn & Mira aren't doing a great job--they are! But there's a lot of TV out there; have you noticed? Hundreds of channels! Even with all their DVR & On-Demand gadgetry at hand, the ladies can't cover it all!I'm going to concentrate on shows from two particular networks that I've become a fan of: TNT & USA.
Memphis Beat is only four episodes old and I've already proclaimed elsewhere that it may be the best TV show ever! Okay, that may have been an exaggeration. Full disclosure, though: I'm biased. I have a special relationship with Memphis and the things associated with Memphis--Elvis, the blues, BBQ, etc. And, I've always liked both Jason Lee & Alfre Woodard, who both star in this quirky series.
Detective Dwight Hendricks (Lee) is a good cop whose success is based largely on his knowledge & love for his hometown. Memphis is not a large city, but it's very unique. On the banks of the Mississippi, it's named after a city on the Nile in ancient Egypt. It was the home of Elvis, and the home of BB King, who has a club on Beale Street, the touristy strip of music joints, bars, and restaurants there. It's the home of Sun Records, which launched the careers of not only Elvis but also Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and others. It's the home of Stax Records, which helped put great soul stars like Isaac Hayes, the wicked Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, and others into the spotlight. The great soul singer Al Green retired from music to become a preacher, and still preaches in Memphis. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. Memphis dry rub ribs are legendary. I'm just saying, there's a lot things that make Memphis special. It's long overdue that a TV show is based there, and the producers are doing a great job of making Memphis as much of a character in the show as Dwight is. ((and yes, it's glorified or idealized or even Disneyfied; Memphis has more than its share of problems as well, but this is TV, so don't worry about that!))
Back to Dwight. As I said, he's a good cop and has built up a good rep in his precinct, but then he gets a new boss: Lt. Tanya Rice (Woodard). It's your basic clash of styles. She's sassy & businesslike; Dwight is cool & easygoing. She's a single mom struggling to balance work & home; he moonlights as a crooner. And he croons well, too (remember, Lee played the lead singer for Stillwater in Almost Famous). Elvis songs, but not as an Elvis Tribute Artist (the politically correct term for Elvis impersonators, for those of you who didn't know). There are other colorful supporting characters, too, including Dwight's mom, his ex-wife, and the other cops in the precinct.
And that brings me to my only complaint about this show: it's on the wrong network. I like TNT (as you'll see). It has built a nice niche for itself with its catchphrase: We Know Drama. But, I think the USA network has also built a nice niche for itself with its catchphrase: Characters Welcome. This show is a cop show, but (so far, at least) the procedural stuff has been more small-time stuff, not Law & Order stuff. It's Memphis and the characters who shine here. This show belongs on USA!
I realize that not everybody will enjoy this show as much as I do, but I think it has a lot going for it and wouldn't be surprised if it attracted a strong fan base. Memphis has probably been mentioned in more great songs than even New York, so it's about time it got some TV time!
Sunday, July 04, 2010
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
hello. it's burkie! i'm here today to talk about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. i know, i recently commented that nobody here blogs about manly shows or movies, and here i am guestblogging about what is decidedly not a manly show. so why did i watch it and decide to blog about it?
first off, full disclosure: i'm a fan of the books by alexander mccall smith, even though i've never read them. i have listened to them on CD. they are read by an actress from South Africa and she really brings Botswana alive. yes, Botswana. i knew next to nothing about Botswana until i started listening to these books; now, i'm in love with it.
i don't have HBO, so i had to wait for the DVDs to watch the television series. the series is shot entirely in Botswana, and the first episodes were directed by anthony minghella (best known for directing & winning an oscar for The English Patient, which is one of the most beautifully shot films i've ever seen) before he passed away.
so, back to it. the protagonist (Precious Ramotswe) is played by american singer Jill Scott, who does a very fine job indeed as Botswana's first and only lady detective, but the secondary players shine as well: Anika Noni Rose as Grace Makutsi, Lucian Msamati as Mr. JLB Matekoni, and Thabo Malema & Tau Maserumule as Mr. JLB Matekoni's apprentices. these are gentle mysteries--also called cozies--that do not feature violence or sex. soft-boiled, as it were. it's not surprising that when i go to the HBO homepage for its series, this show doesn't even appear on it. this is not the Sopranos. given that, and the fact that it's about a country in Africa that few people know about, and that it doesn't feature vampires, i guess even HBO doesn't expect it to do well. i've heard that it's been picked up for a second season, though, so hopefully word of mouth is helping out.
as fine as the performances are, the real star in this series is Botswana in particular, and Africa in general. we hear/read so much that is negative about Africa--civil wars, exploitation, famine, poverty, etc. this series really exposes the heart of an African country, and it makes you care. perhaps it is a little idealized, but that's okay. the series doesn't shy away from some of Africa's problems, either. domestic violence and the AIDs epidemic are treated with gravity and heartbreak.
so, do yourself a favor and check out this series. it is not only entertaining TV; it is important TV.
first off, full disclosure: i'm a fan of the books by alexander mccall smith, even though i've never read them. i have listened to them on CD. they are read by an actress from South Africa and she really brings Botswana alive. yes, Botswana. i knew next to nothing about Botswana until i started listening to these books; now, i'm in love with it.
i don't have HBO, so i had to wait for the DVDs to watch the television series. the series is shot entirely in Botswana, and the first episodes were directed by anthony minghella (best known for directing & winning an oscar for The English Patient, which is one of the most beautifully shot films i've ever seen) before he passed away.
so, back to it. the protagonist (Precious Ramotswe) is played by american singer Jill Scott, who does a very fine job indeed as Botswana's first and only lady detective, but the secondary players shine as well: Anika Noni Rose as Grace Makutsi, Lucian Msamati as Mr. JLB Matekoni, and Thabo Malema & Tau Maserumule as Mr. JLB Matekoni's apprentices. these are gentle mysteries--also called cozies--that do not feature violence or sex. soft-boiled, as it were. it's not surprising that when i go to the HBO homepage for its series, this show doesn't even appear on it. this is not the Sopranos. given that, and the fact that it's about a country in Africa that few people know about, and that it doesn't feature vampires, i guess even HBO doesn't expect it to do well. i've heard that it's been picked up for a second season, though, so hopefully word of mouth is helping out.
as fine as the performances are, the real star in this series is Botswana in particular, and Africa in general. we hear/read so much that is negative about Africa--civil wars, exploitation, famine, poverty, etc. this series really exposes the heart of an African country, and it makes you care. perhaps it is a little idealized, but that's okay. the series doesn't shy away from some of Africa's problems, either. domestic violence and the AIDs epidemic are treated with gravity and heartbreak.
so, do yourself a favor and check out this series. it is not only entertaining TV; it is important TV.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Blizzard, a Guestblogger, and a Movie Called Adam
gavin cardigan walked into jenn & mira's blog and said, "whoah! i don't think we're in Poor Yorick's Pub anymore!"
"go back to the Pub, gavin. i've got this one covered," burkie waved off his protagonist.
yep, burkie's in the hizzy! i , like mira & jenn, have been stuck in the hizzy for days waiting out 2 blizzards. yesterday was the one day i could get out, so i went to blockbuster® and picked up a bunch of movies. mira suggested this would be a good opportunity for me to guestblog.
so here i am. i watched Adam tonight. mira is the one who told me about this movie, which is a love story about a girl who meets a boy who has Asperger's syndrome. that's a formula that immediately sounds like, well, a formula. i think the writer/director (Max Mayer) did very good job of not falling into that trap. this is not a Lifetime movie of the week (not that there's anything wrong with that!), and it's not a gimmick movie. it's a movie about two people in a relationship and how they have to learn to manage that relationship with all that both parties bring to the table. it just so happens that one of them brings Asperger's to the table.
the performances were good. i'm not familiar with either of the leads (hugh dancy & rose byrne), but they were both charming and compassionate in their roles. too much so, of course, but this is hollywood after all (yes, even indie films are considered hollywood). i'm no expert on Asperger's. i have known a few people with Asperger's and i've read mark haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. i would think that those who have Asperger's or who have loved ones with Asperger's would be favorably disposed toward this film. you get to see adam's idiosyncrocies, his gifts, his struggles to manage social situations, his failures & successes, and his humanity. you really get to know adam himself rather than a person with Asperger's.
as for beth (rose byrne's character), she's an alarmingly pretty school teacher and aspiring children's book author, rebounding from a failed relationship with some pond-scum guy, and has just moved into adam's building. she is also dealing with some family drama (parents played by amy irving & peter gallagher). she meets adam while doing laundry and finds him "sweet and interesting." and while her character is probably a little too...everything...to be true, you can't help but like her.
as the relationship progresses, there are ups and downs, humor and anger, compassion and misunderstandings. the audience is being groomed for a desired outcome, but whether they get it in the end, well, you'll have to watch the movie yourself to get that answer. i will say that the movie did a good job of stirring my emotions at several points, but i was surprised that i never actually, um, suffered an allergy attack. i was expecting it and, when the movie ended and i never had such an attack, i felt almost cheated. i watched the alternate ending and the deleted scenes to see if an of them would trigger an attack. pretty pathetic, huh? still didn't work. overall, a good, sweet, and compassionate film and is certainly worth watching.
"go back to the Pub, gavin. i've got this one covered," burkie waved off his protagonist.
yep, burkie's in the hizzy! i , like mira & jenn, have been stuck in the hizzy for days waiting out 2 blizzards. yesterday was the one day i could get out, so i went to blockbuster® and picked up a bunch of movies. mira suggested this would be a good opportunity for me to guestblog.
so here i am. i watched Adam tonight. mira is the one who told me about this movie, which is a love story about a girl who meets a boy who has Asperger's syndrome. that's a formula that immediately sounds like, well, a formula. i think the writer/director (Max Mayer) did very good job of not falling into that trap. this is not a Lifetime movie of the week (not that there's anything wrong with that!), and it's not a gimmick movie. it's a movie about two people in a relationship and how they have to learn to manage that relationship with all that both parties bring to the table. it just so happens that one of them brings Asperger's to the table.
the performances were good. i'm not familiar with either of the leads (hugh dancy & rose byrne), but they were both charming and compassionate in their roles. too much so, of course, but this is hollywood after all (yes, even indie films are considered hollywood). i'm no expert on Asperger's. i have known a few people with Asperger's and i've read mark haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. i would think that those who have Asperger's or who have loved ones with Asperger's would be favorably disposed toward this film. you get to see adam's idiosyncrocies, his gifts, his struggles to manage social situations, his failures & successes, and his humanity. you really get to know adam himself rather than a person with Asperger's.
as for beth (rose byrne's character), she's an alarmingly pretty school teacher and aspiring children's book author, rebounding from a failed relationship with some pond-scum guy, and has just moved into adam's building. she is also dealing with some family drama (parents played by amy irving & peter gallagher). she meets adam while doing laundry and finds him "sweet and interesting." and while her character is probably a little too...everything...to be true, you can't help but like her.
as the relationship progresses, there are ups and downs, humor and anger, compassion and misunderstandings. the audience is being groomed for a desired outcome, but whether they get it in the end, well, you'll have to watch the movie yourself to get that answer. i will say that the movie did a good job of stirring my emotions at several points, but i was surprised that i never actually, um, suffered an allergy attack. i was expecting it and, when the movie ended and i never had such an attack, i felt almost cheated. i watched the alternate ending and the deleted scenes to see if an of them would trigger an attack. pretty pathetic, huh? still didn't work. overall, a good, sweet, and compassionate film and is certainly worth watching.
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