Firefly

I've never been more happy that I never saw a show during it's original broadcast. Firefly was a quality show from the creative mind of Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel). Unfortunately, FOX decided to screw around with the show by airing episodes out of order. Particularly damaging was their decision to skip the two hour pilot that introduced the story and start with episode two. This isn't even the first time they've done this to a quality show.

The problem with this is Firefly is a heavily character based show, with a total of 9 regular cast members in the group. The two hour pilot, while it does move somewhat slow, does a very good job of setting up the characters for the rest of the show. While Joss and his writers carefully worked the exposition into the next few episodes, without the pilot it still would have been very confusing to completely understand what was going on.

Thankfully, the Firefly DVD set has the episodes listed in the order they were originally intended. While the show's fusion of sci-fi and western themes certainly wasn't very appealing to me, Joss Whedon made it work with his strong characterization and trademark wit. Things especially pick up with the 2nd disc in the set, which contains an episode called Our Mrs. Reynolds, a comedy episode that is among the funniest things Joss has written. The beginning of the third disc features the show's best episode, called Out of Gas, which has a creative narrative structure that uses numerous flashbacks to tell several different stories at once.

The show only lasted 15 episodes, but they are 15 very good ones. I didn't find one bad one in the bunch. The DVD package itself is one of the best I've ever seen, with 7 episode commentaries, 4 deleted scenes, an extremely well done behind the scenes documentary, and several other extras. Thankfully, the DVD sales were so strong that a feature film has been made, set to release in September. I'd recommend getting this DVD set before the movie comes out. Firefly was a very good television show.

Note: Since I watched the Firefly episodes so fast, I didn't want them to take over my Last 10 TV Episodes list, so just below that I created a temporary list for my grades of Firefly episodes.

Stick With Netflix

I've been with Netflix for almost a year now and have been almost completely satisfied with the service I've received. I always like to try out new things to see if they could even be better. Therefore, I signed up with Blockbuster Online and gave it a try for a period of three months. During that time, I have had several issues that forced me to cancel my Blockbuster account depite the few positives that it provided.

The main thing Blockbuster has over Netflix is cost. For the standard 3 movie account, you only have to pay $14.99 as opposed to $17.99 for Netflix. Furthermore, each month you get two free movie passes for in store rentals. At first, This sounds like a much better deal than Netflix. But how is the service?

Shipping speed is the most important thing for me in choosing an online movie rental service. With Netflix, I can put a movie in the mail and receive the next one within 2-3 mailing days. For most movies, Blockbuster takes 3-4 mailing days and on some movies it could take even longer. This is far more important than price, because an extra day waiting for a movie cuts down on the amount of movies I can rent per month.

Obviously the other important factor is movie availability. Currently on Netflix, I have 238 movies in my queue and only one is marked with "Short Wait". Everything else is available to be shipped. BEfore I cancelled my BLockbuster account, my queue had 40 movies in it and an astonishing 35 were marked with a "Short Wait" or "Long Wait". For both services, this is a mixture of new movies, classic movies, and TV shows. The difference in this regard is staggering.

I strongly urge those currently on Netflix to ignore the lower price offered by Blockbuster. The slower turnaround time and lack of availability makes it a much less satisfying service. Blockbuster has a great deal of work to do before they can offer a worthwhile product.

Great TV Development News

Janeane Garofalo has signed on to the NBC pilot ALL IN. The comedy is loosely based on the life of poker player Annie Duke. It will be interesting to see what kind of format this will be. Hopefully it won't be a sitcom. Garofalo is as good a comic actress as there is in Hollywood, and if done right this premise has alot of potential.

Aliens, Apes, and Former Elves, But No Jedi

The following is a list of the 10 most interesting movies coming out in 2005:

1. ELIZABETHTOWN (Cameron Crowe)

Cameron Crowe has directed some of my favorite films (JERRY MAGUIRE, SAY ANYTHING, ALMOST FAMOUS). His last film, VANILLA SKY, was a decent departure but it will be nice to see him getting back to form with this personal drama about a man (Orlando Bloom) travelling back home after his father's death. Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, Judy Greer, Alec Baldwin, and Jessica Biel are also in the cast. Opens October 14th.

2. WAR OF THE WORLDS (Steven Spielberg)

Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise team up for a sci-fi action film. That's all that needed to be said for me. The last time that happened ended up in one of my favorite films of 2002. Miranda Otto and Tim Robbins are also on hand. I don't see how this could possibly go wrong. I hope I don't have to eat those words. Opens June 29th.
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3. BATMAN BEGINS (Christopher Nolan)

A darker, less campy version of the story. I didn't really hate any of the Batman films (though I have major problems with all but the first), but this one looks to be a huge improvement over recent entries. Christopher Nolan as director is a perfect choice for the material. Christian Bale is a wonderful choice to play Batman. I expect him to be the best of the bunch. The supporting cast (Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Tom Wilkinson, and Katie Holmes) is outstanding. I only worry that with so many people it could lose focus, but I trust Nolan to make this work. Opens June 17th.

4. KING KONG (Peter Jackson)

I was a Peter Jackson fan well before LORD OF THE RINGS came out. HEAVENLY CREATURES is a masterpeice and THE FRIGHTENERS is an extremely underrated horror-comedy, so I have no reason to expect this will fail. With co-writer Fran Walsh on board once again, and a cast consisting of Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, and Jack Black, I expect Jackson to be in top form. Opens December 14th

5. SYRIANA (Stephen Gaghan)

The writer of TRAFFIC and director of ABANDON (eh) presents a timely political drama about the Middle East, set right after the Cold War. ABANDON was at least an interesting failure, and he's definitely a great screenwriter. With George Clooney, Matt Damon, and a ton of other people on board, this should be one of the year's most thought provoking films. Opens September 16th.

6. HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (Garth Jennings)

I've been a fan of this series of books ever since I played the text adventure games back in the 80s. This one has definitely been a long time coming. I'm a little worried that it's coming from first time filmmaker Garth Jennings, but man is the casting inspired. I particularly like Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Alan Rickman as Marvin the Paranoid Android. The trailers and clips I've seen so far are really impressive. Opens April 29th.

7. CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Tim Burton)

It's hard to argue with Tim Burton teaming up with Johnny Dep and Freddie Highmore. I loved the original with Gene Wilder, but Burton plans to make this more like the book, which I haven't read. I'm curious to see how different it will be, but with such strong talent behind it, I'm sure it will work wonderfully on it's own terms. Then again, I didn't like this or this, so you never know. Opens July 15th

8. HAPPY ENDINGS (Don Roos)

Don Roos and Lisa Kudrow reteam for this complex comedy that tells several overlapping stories at once. THE OPPOSITE OF SEX was a terrific film, and this one boasts a delicious cast including Jesse Bradford, Laura Dern (yay!), Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Ritter, David Sutcliffe, and many others. This one could totally fall apart, but if it does, I'll likely be there to see it. Opens July 15th

9. SHOPGIRL (Anand Tucker)

Is this the film that could finally be the breakout for Claire Danes? I certainly hope so. Danes stars with Steve Martin, who adapted his own novel, in a story about an aspiring artist caught between a wealthy older man (Martin) and a musician (Jason Schwartzmann). Doesn't sound like box office gold, but hopefully it will be good enough to get Danes the recognition she deserves. Opens October 21st.

10. THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN (Judd Apatow)

Newcomer Steve Carell stars as a 40 yr old man who never had sex, and his friends conspire to finally make that happen. This is the film debut for writer/director Judd Apatow, who was behind the unjustly shortlived TV series FREAKS AND GEEKS and UNDECLARED. Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, and Seth Rogen (yay!) also star. It will be interesting to see if Carell, who has been around for a while but never made an impression on me, can carry a film. Opens August 19th.

Cable TV Taking Over?

I used to be all about Network TV, but lately these three cable shows have really caught my attention:

Deadwood (HBO)



I usually can't stand Westerns, but this historical drama about the town of Deadwood really grabbed me. It started off a bit slow, but by the 4th episode, the characters had finally been fleshed out and some major events really started driving the story arcs. The deep cast of fascinating characters is what makes this show work. The brutal saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) and foulmouthed cowgirl Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert, pictured above) are my favorite characters. Throughout the course of the season, they become fully realized characters, as does the rest of the cast. I had never seen Weigert or McShane in anything before this, but they are two of the best actors working on television right now. The other notable thing about the show is the stunning dialogue. Characters swear left and right, but thanks to the amazing delivery of the cast, it never feels unnecessary. In fact, the creative use of certain swear words is one of the most entertaining things about the show. Deadwood is currently two episodes into it's 2nd season, but the 1st is available on DVD and through Comcast On Demand.

The L Word (Showtime)



Yes, this is the "lesbian" drama, and that's probably how it will always be known, but it deserves so much more than that. The L Word is about a group of friends and their various relationships, both personal and professional. The cast of characters is very deep and interesting. There is Jenny (Mia Kirshner), a writer who begins to question her sexual identity. Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) are a married couple trying to find a sperm donor so they can have a child. Dana (Erin Daniels) is the professional tennis player who is afraid coming out to the public. Shane (Katherine Moennig) is the hairdresser who sleeps with tons of women, but never wants to commit. Probably my favorite is Alice (Leisha Hailey, pictured above), a bisexual who has been constantly mistreated by her female lover and decides to go after men for a while. The show built so many interesting throughout the course of the 1st season that it led to an amazing season finale. There is a scene in that episode between Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman that is one of the most disturbing moments I've ever witnessed on a TV show. The L Word is now 4 episodes into the 2nd season, but the 1st season DVD is available. If you don't want to shell out for the whole set, you can rent them at most Blockbusters, or through Netflix.

Battlestar: Galactica (Sci Fi)



I like Sci Fi shows only slightly more than I like westerns. You'll never catch me watching Stargate or Mutant X or whatever else is on these days. Even the various incarnations of Star Trek could never completely get my attention. The difference between Battlestar: Galactica and most other sci fi shows is the storytelling structure. Most sci fi shows tend to a single self contained episode structure that focus more on the individual stories than the characters involved in them. Battlestar: Galactica has several different story arcs going on at one time and the focus is mainly on the characters. Laura Rosslyn (Mary McDonnell) is the former Education Secretary who quickly moves up the chaion of command to President when the human race is nearly wiped out. There's the grizzled Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) and his son Apollo (Jamie Bamber), who worries about what his father thinks of him. My favorite is the cocky, gung ho pilot Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff, pictured above). The one character I really do not like is Number Six (Tricia Helfer), the leggy blonde Cylon who is too much the stereotypical fanboy wet dream (see Jeri Ryan). Battlestar: Galactica is midway through it's 1st season, but not available on DVD, except for the two part miniseries which I actually didn't see. I'd suggest catching up via epguides, and jumping right in.

Other interesting shows on cable networks include Unscripted, Six Feet Under, and The Sopranos, all on HBO. Cable is not perfect, though. I have not been able to get into Curb your Enthusiasm (HBO) or Monk (TNT), and Tilt (ESPN) is just a mess, but they each have their fans. The plethora comes along just as Network TV is in the midst of one of the best seasons in a long time with wonderful new shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, Veronica Mars, and Kevin Hill, plus the return of shows like Joan of Arcadia, Scrubs, 24, Gilmore Girls, The O.C., and a rejuvenated ER. Network TV still continues to hold most of my attention, but Cable TV is definitely catching up.

Kung Fu Hustle

This martial arts comedy from Stephen Chow, director of Shaolin Soccer, was the latest film screened as part of the Key Sunday Cinema Club. I really didn't like it at all. This is the 2nd Key Sunday film in a row that I haven't liked. I'm hoping this trend ends soon and we either get to screen a big film (in the past they screened Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, and Sideways) or find another surprise like WIld Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Then again, the results of the audience poll for Walk on Water was released, and 95% of the club liked the movie, so apparently I'm just an asshole.

The problem with Kung Fu Hustle is it's inconsistent tone. The film tries to mix outrageous Looney Tunes style slapstick with very violent fight scenes. Unfortunately, the humor only works intermittently, and when it fails it only manages to distract from the action scenes. The director himself is the most appealing performer in the cast, but for some reason he limits his own contribution to the film and focuses too much time on the supporting characters. That's about all I have to say now, but I'll link to my full epinions review, which should be up in a couple days.

Thoughts on a Dead Show

The ABC show LIFE AS WE KNOW IT is no longer amongst the living, although there are 2 unaired episodes remaining. I can't really argue with the cancellation. The ratings were extremely low. It was still unfortunate to see happen, because the show was finally hitting it's stride.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT was a stylish and well acted show from the beginning. Unfortunately, it featured way too many cliches. There was a teacher-student romance and parental infidelity, both of which were elements of the DAWSON'S CREEK pilot. Also, the two characters with the most focus, Dino (Sean Faris) and Jackie (Missy Peregrym) were self-centered and unappealing.

It's amazing what you can do in only 11 episodes, but LIFE AS WE KNOW IT fixed problems and developed characters much faster than other television shows. The show began to develop Dino and Jackie's characters. By the end, they became very interesting characters and I enjoyed every minute of their on screen time. Their relationship became very interesting and mature, a long way from the joke that it was portrayed as in the pilot.



Even better was how the show handled the characters Ben (Jon Foster) and Sue (Jessica Lucas), pictured above. Ben was the one stuck in the cliche'd teacher romance for the first few episodes, but then the writers did something really smart. They got rid of the most annoying aspect of the show and used it to create the most entertaining aspect by pairing him up with Sue. Sue was given nothing to do in the first few episodes, and mainly existed as Jackie's bitchy friend who gave her really bad advice. But then they decided to (gasp!) develop her character, and when she was paired with Ben, they struck gold with the chemistry between Foster and Lucas. They became my two favorite characters and were the focus of the last few episodes aired.

So the show is now dead after finally finding it's way. It's too bad that it had to end, but I'm glad they were smart enough to fix some of the problems before it died. Even if it was only on for 11 episodes, I'll always remember Dino, Jackie, Ben, and Sue.

Ok Fine, I'll Watch It

A recent addition to the upcoming shows I find promising:

THE UNIT (CBS)

This is about the members of an elite special forces unit and their families. It already had a good cast with Dennis Haysbert and Regina King, but that still wasn't enough to get me past the premise. But now they've added Scott Foley (FELICITY) and Amy Acker (ANGEL). With these four in the cast, plus David Mamet as Exec Producer, I'll have to at least check it out.

These Sound Interesting

Here are some of the more promising TV projects in the works for the next fall season:

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF (ABC)

Geena Davis stars as the nation's first female president. When I first heard about this, it sounded awful. However, this is being done as a drama and Rod Lurie is the creator. I really liked THE CONTENDER (the Joan Allen movie, not the new reality series) and if this show is as good as that, I'll be pleased. Interesting supporting cast includes Ever Carradine and Harry J. Lennix.

UNTITLED TOM FONTANA/BARRY LEVINSON (WB)

Fontana and Levinson teaming up for a WB college drama certainly sounds interesting. So far the only cast members I recognize are Milo Ventimiglia and Matthew Modine, but that's a good start.

HALLEY'S COMET (WB)

I vowed never to give David E. Kelley another chance after the way he ruined good shows like Ally McBeal, Boston Public, and The Practice. However, he cast Audrey Anderson in the lead role, who I really liked in a recurring role as Grace's friend on ONCE & AGAIN. Also, it looks like he's not quite as involved in this as his other stuff, but I'm still afraid he'll get his greasy fingerprints all over it.

BLUE SKIES (NBC)

Nothing notable about this sitcom project other than Anna Faris in the lead role. She stars as a former stockbroker who is now a YMCA lifeguard and will be dealing with her eccentric family. If the writing is good, this could work.

SOCCER MOMS (ABC)

I don't know about this premise. Two suburban housewives team up to be private investigators. I wouldn't even consider this except the two housewives in question are Kristin Davis and Gina Torres.

BOOK OF DANIEL (NBC)

This is a very ambitious show and I hope it works out. Aidan Quinn, Susanna Thompson, and Christian Campbell (yay!) are in this show about an Episcopalian minister who talks to Jesus. Thompson is his wife, Campbell is the conservative gay son, and Alison Pill is the drug dealing teenage daughter. This could be the best show of next season, or it could be a complete disaster. I'll definitely be watching to find out.

LOVE MONKEY (CBS)

Drama about four male friends and their love lives, told from the point of view of a record executive played by Tom Cavanaugh. Jason Priestley, Larenz Tate, and Judy Greer also star. Very generic premise, but I really like that cast.

THRESHOLD (CBS)

Scientists and military personnel team up to investigate/fight/whatever a mysterious alien lifeform. Another show I wouldn't even be considering if not for the cast. This one has Carla Gugino and Charles S. Dutton. Yeah!

REUNION (FOX)

This one sounds interesting. It follwos six close friends from their graduation to their 20th high school reunion. And it does so in one season. I'm not sure what happens after that, though. The cast is filled with people with former TV experience, but the only ones I'm familiar with are Amanda Righetti from THE O.C. and Sean Faris from LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. That says alot for the kind of TV I watch.

DANTE (NBC)

From the creator of FRASIER and um, JUST SHOOT ME is a sitcom about a self-centered NFL superstar worried that his career is ending. It sounds a little sillY as part of the show will focus on the relationship with his three foot tall uncle (Tony Cox). However, the indispensable Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein) plays his agent. That's enough reason to check this one out.

And last, but not least....

1/4 LIFE (ABC)

Now this is a show I'd probably watch no matter what the cast or premise was. It comes from Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick, who produced THIRTYSOMETHING, MY SO-CALLED LIFE, and ONCE & AGAIN. Those are some of the best television series ever created. This one is about a group of twentysomething friends. The cast includes Shiri Appleby (yay!) and Rachel Blanchard. Sign me up.

A Gem From Vern

From Vern's review of Catwoman:

"Just once I want to see a movie where a dude is researching mysterious supernatural happenings or whatever on the internet, but the search engine brings up some similarly titled porn sites, and he ends up wasting two hours looking at porn and jerking off, then figuring out what he needed to figure out. Some day, maybe. Until then, we just have CATWOMAN."

Read the whole review here

Where's the Action?

Last season was definitely a step back for Alias, and JJ Abrams promised to get things back on track this season. I will admit that the writing is generally better, and it's nice to see Syd and Vaughn back together. However, JJ seems to have forgotten what was so great about the 2nd season. No longer do we have intense, non-stop action scenes. There are no more deliciously ludicrous plot twists. Also, we have been missing a compelling ongoing story arc. It's not a good sign that some episodes have been aired out of order. That would be impossible in previous seasons.

Last night's episode was a good example. I can see JJ is trying. Not only has he brought back Sark, but also Anna Espinosa (Sydney's nemesis from way back in Season 1) has returned. There was nothing particularly bad about the episode, but it was still lacking the constant tension and action from earlier seasons. There is a little bit of a story arc involving Syd's sister Nadia and her attempts to find out who murdered he rmother, but they've barely touched on it. They've also made some noise with Sloane and Dixon, but that has been shuffled to the side as well. There's still plenty of time left in the season for improvement, but I hope it happens soon. At this rate it will become a secondary show for me.

Marry Me, Jean Arthur

If only I was alive 70 years ago and had a chance with a movie star.

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I have watched three Frank Capra films in the past couple weeks: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and You Can't Take it With You. Jean Arthur was in all three of them and not only was she very beautiful, but she has a delightful voice which is just slightly squeaky and a wonderful sense of comic timing.

I am looking forward to seeing her in The More the Merrier, which is supposedly her best performance (and only Oscar nomination). However, the film that I am most anticipating is A Foreign Affair, a Billy Wilder film with Arthur and Marlene Dietrich. Unfortunately, it is not on DVD and no longer in production for VHS, so I'm trying to track it down. If anyone knows where I can find it, please let me know.