Broken Mirror

New Blog

2007-05-07T02:21:00.000-07:00

I have started up a new blog that will focus exclusively on film criticism. It will have full length movie reviews with some film festival coverage and perhaps some interviews as well. I'll still keep this one up as a more personal blog, with snippets of stuff every now and then.

Link to the new blog: Tracking Shots

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Nine

2007-04-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

After some major disappointments over the past few days, it was nice to wrap up the festival with a nice trio of films that could not possibly be more different.

Up first was MONTCLAIR, which tells a typical indie story about thirtysomething adults living in the small suburban town of Montclair. Nothing new about the plot but I like the filmmakers decision to mix in the story with footage of actual Montclair residents. The individual stories are fairly basic stuff: Jay and Amy struggle when Jay's work demands get in the way fo their future family planning, Suzanne and Joel have difficulty connecting during her pregnancy, Vaclav hides behind his reclusive nature to cover up an old tragedy, and Bruce is a divorced slacker with dreams of being a comedian. These stories certainly don't burst off the page, but the director tells it with so much empathy and the actors (for the most part) invest so much warmth in their characters that it becomes hard to resist. The standout performance comes from Jeremy Schwartz as Vaclav, a character that threatens to become a stereotype but instead becomes the most winning performance in the film. Interesting trivia note: Bruce is played by Bruce Sinofsky, co-director of acclaimed documentaries BROTHER'S KEEPER and PARADISE LOST.

And next we have BLOOD CAR. This is the movie that led to a pitiful protest by a right winger who stole the festival blimp. It was one of the most anticipated films of the festival, and the buzz during the sold out screening was palpable. Thankfully the movie delivers. BLOOD CAR is set in the future, at a time when gas prices are so high that people refuse to drive. (The first laugh comes when the opening narrator tells us this is only two weeks in the future.) Vegan kindergarten teacher Archie Andrews has plans to make a car that runs on wheat grass, but during an accident eventually discovers that his engine runs on human blood. Sure the political analogy is absurdly direct, but this is actually a solid movie that keeps a consistent comic tone throughout and fits right into the grind house style that Tarantino and Rodriguez just recently paid tribute. The film loses some momentum toward the end as Archie goes off the deep end and director Alex Orr starts using spastic camera movements to convey this. Sure the technique makes sense, but it's not very funny. Other than that, this is a hilarious film that is every bit as crazy as its title suggests. Catch it at a festival near you, because I doubt it will get released, or if it does it will be severely edited. The cut I saw will definitely get an NC-17.

My festival week closed on a strong note with Jeffrey Blitz's ROCKET SCIENCE. Blitz burst onto the scene with SPELLBOUND, a superb documentary about the national spelling bee. Once again, Blitz tells the story of kids with offbeat personalities that participate in school competitions. The only difference is that this one is a fiction film. ROCKET SCIENCE follows Hal Hefner, a kid with a stuttering problem who decides to join the debate team and falls for his teammate. This seems like a typical three act underdog sports drama, and the first act certainly plays out that way. But Blitz has a few surprises in store for us. What's great about this film is that Blitz keeps you guessing every step of the way. At almost every point of the narrative, he avoids doing the obvious and ends up with a real original. The film is certainly quirky, especially with regards to the supporting characters, but in his first fictional film Blitz shows a good talent for making sure that quirkiness never threatens to overpower the film. The only problem is some contrivances with the events in the 3rd act, especially a scene with a cello that is left dangling the rest of the movie. Despite that, this is a smart, funny, and winning fiction debut for Jeffrey Blitz.

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Eight

2007-04-30T00:12:00.000-07:00

Great news to start off the day. My favorite film of the festival, GREAT WORLD OF SOUND, has been announced as the Grand Jury Prize Winner and will get an encore screening on closing night.

Bad news: I was unable to see RESERVATIONS or LA VIE EN ROSE, both films I had been anticipating. Also, the films I did get to see were not very good.

The first was AMERICAN FUGITIVE: THE TRUTH ABOUT HASSAN, a fairly stale documentary that talks about David Belfield, a man wanted for murdering an associate of the Shah of Iran in 1980. He immediately fled to Iran where he remained in hiding until 2001. That was when Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Mahkmalbaf cast him in his film KANDAHAR. The American press picked up on his appearance, and director Jean-Daniel Lafond travelled to Iran to interview the man now known as Hassan Abdulrahman. This is certainly a very interesting subject for a documentary and that carries the film a long way. Hassan is a very interesting and intriguing person, and is very candid in the interview segments. Unfortunately the film is very dry, rarely rising above the level of a decent episode of Dateline NBC. The moments that stand out the best are when the filmmaker interviews Hassan's family and the victim's brother. This is the only time the film explores the human effects of the murder. The rest of it is just a series of scenes where Hassan and others spout off on American foreign policy in the Middle East. There's nothing wrong with that, but such a unique subject deserved a more original treatment.

The next film was THE INSURGENTS, a film so bad that I was infuriated that I had arranged my festival schedule so I could see both it and BLOOD CAR. THE INSURGENTS is about a group of left wing radicals who plot to blow up a building. The group is led by Robert, a college professor played by John Shea. He recruits the group, which we see develop through a non-chronological narrative structure. These scenes are pretty painful to sit through, particularly when Robert indoctrinates Hana. As played by seemingly medicated Juliette Marquis, Hana comes across as a very stupid woman who is easily manipulated by Robert, and when she spouts off political stuff it comes off as something she's memorized. Mary Stuart Masterson shows up as a government operative who has a past with Robert. Given the ending, her character is supposed to have some importance to the story, but she only appears in a handful of scenes and Masterson seems pretty bored. The connections between the characters that are supposed to set up the ending do not come across at all during the film. Writer-Director Scott Dacko is particularly terrible with actors, unable to even coax decent performances from veterans Masterson and Shea. His (award winning, he will tell you) screenplay contains some pretty awful dialogue and lame attempts at political debate. This is one of the worst films I saw at the festival.

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Seven

2007-04-28T02:21:00.000-07:00

After the misery of yesterday, it was nice to see three decent films today. First up was ELECTION DAY, a documentary that followed various individuals during the presidential election in 2004. Among the stories followed are an ex-convict voting for the first time; an elections supervisor checking up on various precints; a racially charged sherriff's race in Florida; and an international rights group noting several flaws with the process. The film takes an interesting look at the process, showing how small mistakes can cause problems for tons of voters. Director Katy Chevigny is an experienced documentary filmmaker, and this film comes off with much more technical precision than your average festival doc. She clearly has an agenda, as this film takes a leftist view most of the way, which is certainly not a problem when you can back it up. Chevigny weaves the several stories together expertly, leading to one of my favorite moments. A right wing precint captain is interviewed and denigrates the voting problems in 2000 by blaming the voters and suggesting if you can't work the machine then maybe you shouldn't be voting in the first place. Hilariously, a few scenes later we witness the Republican elections supervisor having trouble with a sample ballot, declaring it a malfunctioning ballot until the Democratic poll watcher shows him how to properly work it. The strongest part of the film was the sherriff's race in Gadsden County, FL. In a town that is 70% black, they haven't had a black sherriff since the 1800's. We don't really hear much about the race, but Chevigny gives us a good view of how important it is to the community and as the night wears on the results are very close, providing us with suspense in a film where we didn't expect it. While everyone else is focused on a nasty Presidential election, these citizens are determined to make an important change in their local community. I would have preferred a documentary that followed only this race, but this one will have to do.

PRETTY IN THE FACE is certainly the lowest budget film I saw at this year's festival. Writer-Director Nate Meyer also handled the cinematography, production, and editing duties. Most of it was shot on a handheld camera leading to very distracting shaky photography, and the sound was inaudible for most of the scenes. However, Meyer has an interesting story to tell and for the most part he does a good job in getting it across with his financial limitations. The film is about 26 year old Maggie and 14 year old Daniel. Both have very low self-esteem and get constantly crushed by other characters throughout the course of the film. Maggie must deal with her live in boyfriend's cheating, while overweight Daniel is embarassed by his extremely overweight mother. When Daniel's mother falls ill, Maggie agrees to watch over Daniel while his mom is in the hospital and both begin to bond over their shared grief. For a film with such a low budget, the cast was surprisingly good. As Maggie, Meagan Moses gave a beautifully reserved performance, reaching moments of inner depth that most Hollywood actresses couldn't hope to approach. It's a strong debut that powers the film through the poor technical work. Meyer's ending is a bit weak, as the solutions for each of the characters is fairly simplistic, particularly for Daniel's mother. Still it's an interesting piece of work that should make a good run at the festival circuit, and hopefully someone will give Meyer some money for his next film.

The last film I saw today was the sold out screening of LAST DAYS OF LEFT EYE, a documentary that follows the last few days of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' life. Working with her family, the director utilizes footage that Lopes shot herself while on a spiritual cleansing trip to Honduras. For such an emotional subject, the doc at first seems pretty straightforward, chronicling the path of her career by hitting all the major stuff (notably the Andre Rison house burning incident). It actually feels right at home in the hands of VH1, who produced the film. However, the film is unique because of the bittersweet structure of the events. During the retreat, Lisa talked openly about many of the events in her life and career, and the film uses these segments to have e=her narrate her own life story, using archival footage to supplement her own discussions of each moment. This gives the film the bittersweet feel of a person narrating their life story after their own death. This is mixed in with footage of the retreat, showing Lisa's connection to a doctor that sells natural remedies, her charitable work, frank discussion of her fears, and taking us right up to the moment of the tragic accident. At times the film threatens to approach the level of a True Hollywood Story episode, but the sensitive material is mostly produced with class. If anything, the film relies too much on outside footage, when it's the Lopes footage that really captures her strong spirit and unique personality.

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Six

2007-04-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

I had to skip Monday's screenings due to work commitments, but had a pretty busy Tuesday at the festival. Unfortunately, it was not a good day, as most of the films stunk it up, displaying the kinds of flaws that would scare most people away from a festival.

The first film was PARK, which shows what happens when twelve very different individuals all go to a remote location in Los Angeles. There are various reasons for the trip, some have gone for suicide, some have gone for sex, some have gone to skip work. Some of them eventually cross paths as the day goes on and each reaches their own epiphany by film's end. This is one of those comedies that goes overboard trying to be quirky and ends up being annoying. The entire film is played as a joke, even the suicide, and there's no reason to care about any of these people. The director is thoroughly incompetent, with awful musical montages and a ridiculously banal ending for each of the characters. The ensemble cast is mostly awful, with William Baldwin achiveing a level of annoyance that surpasses even his previous accomplishments. This will probably get an unceremonious DVD release soon, but skip it and instead watch previous fest hit ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, which shows how quirky can be done.

A film I had been looking forward to was KAMP KATRINA, a documentary about a unique charity effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A New Orleans 9th Ward resident known as Ms. Pearl opens up her backyard to 14 homeless individuals. They erect tents and have access to electricity and running water. There are rules, including the prohibition of alcohol or drugs (but curiously a pregnant woman may smoke), but these eventually get broken and relief support in the city begins to break down. The film is well intentioned, but the filmmakers just don't have the skill to tell the story correctly. With 14 people in the backyard, they're only able to really let us get to know two of them, a married couple with a baby on the way but a crack and alcohol addiction getting in the way. One by one, people leave the camp for various reasons, but it's hard to care about people you haven't really met. Ms. Pearl and her husband are very interesting personalities, but we only learn a little about them, most of it is in reaction to the efforts in their backyward. This film needed either more focus on them or to get inside some of the other tents and let us know about these sad, desperate people.

Thankfully the day brightened up considerably with GREAT WORLD OF SOUND, a very entertaining effort from Craig Zobel, a former associate of David Gordon Green, who made a smashing debut at the 1999 festival with GEORGE WASHINGTON. Zobel's film is about Martin (Pat Healy), a man who takes a job for a record company as a talent scout. He teams up with cocky, energetic Clarence (Kene Holiday) and travels the country looking for the next great talent, but eventually learns they may be part of a scam. We are treated to a series of hilariously bad audition scenes as the pair have to sit through some really awful nonsense. These scenes threaten to become repetitive, but Zobel is able to keep them lively and varied enough to prevent that from happening. As opposed to cynical and self-conscious indies such as ALL THE DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW or PARK, Zobel's film is filled with nothing but pure, unadulterated love for his story and characters. Zobel doesn't use any filmmaking tricks to show you how clever he is. Instead, he fills every frame of this film with a low-key sensitivity that rings true, from the opening shot of a record being painted gold to the way Martin is moved by a young girl's rendition of a "New National Anthem". He's found a memorable duo in Healy and Holiday, who create a natural chemistry as a mismatched pair of friends. GREAT WORLD OF SOUND is exactly the type of memorable indie film you look for at a film festival.

SOMEBODIES was a popular sold out showing (twice) at the festival. It was filmed in Athens, Georgia and contains plenty of local talent. It's a comedy about a college student in Athens and his offbeat friends and family. The film borders on the offensive, as all of the characters fit into tired stereotypes. If a racist was going to make a film about black people, then I imagine this would be close to it. Except that the film also fails to contain one positive white character. All are portrayed as one-dimensional buffoons wuthout any sense of dignity. The film features almost every stereotype in the book and treats everything on a comic level including the death of a major character that plays like an SNL skit, but then suddenly asks us to care. This is all pretty bad, but I should note that there is some funny material in here. There are some amusing comic situations, such as a scene where the main character's girlfriend wants to re-enact her favorite scene from MONSTER'S BALL. This has been picked up by BET as a regular television series, which will probably only strengthen Aaron McGruder's complaints about the network. Can't wait for the first Boondocks cartoon that talks about this show.

Unfortunately the night had to close out with one more stinker. THE ELEPHANT KING is a fairly generic film for something appearing in the World View series. It's about a shy, depressed young man who goes to Thailand to persuade his brother to return to the states, but he eventually gets caught up in the Thai nightlife to the point where he wishes to stay. This is like so many other movies where a character travels to a foreign land and finds romance with a native woman, but intrigue and violence eventually get in the way. Worst of all is the elephant of the title actually does appear. I mean, they actually own an elephant, who spends time with them at the pool. See above re: cynical, self-conscious indies. It's not a poorly made film on a technical level and Tate Ellington is decent in the lead role, but it lacks imagination throughout. Ellen Burstyn is in the film as the mother, but she is relegated to a series of repetitive phone scenes where she cries and begs her sons to return. If there were a new reality show called "Who Will Waste Ellen Burstyn's Talents the Most?" then writer-director Seth Grossman is sure to go pretty deep in the competition.

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Four

2007-04-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Big news at the festival. Some idiot stole the Atlanta Film Festival blimp to protest the screening of BLOOD CAR and posted the video on YouTube. He said he would only return the blimp if the festival would drop Blood Car from the program. The result:BLOOD CAR has now sold out its Friday screening and is well on the way to selling out its Thursday screening and the blimp has recently been returned. This really just shows that conservatives are terrible at protesting. Stick to talk radio, fellas.

The only film I saw today was DRIFTING ELEGANT, based on a play by Stephen Belber (who also wrote the play and screenplays for THE LARAMIE PROJECT and TAPE). The film deals with race relations in a post-9/11 world, telling the story of an unhappy white married couple, their African-American businessman friend, and an Arab-American who has just been released from jail after his rape conviction was overturned. It's easy to see that this was originally theatrical production, as most of the film takes place in a few small spaces. Director Amy Glazer's idea of translating this to a film is bridging the scenes with shots of the city, speeding up the frame to show cars whizzing by. There are also constant flashbacks that show the relationship between one of the characters and the rape victim. Neither of these add to the film very much, so Glazer should have probably stuck with the claustrophobic atmosphere of confined locations. The film is also thematically problematic. As we witness racial tensions heat up throughout the course of the film, what's really at stake is a white couple's marriage. There are a few other flaws, including a stupid ending, but the film does have some good material, with pretty strong dialogue and a surprisingly solid cast of unknowns.

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Three

2007-04-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

ALL THE DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW is a drama about the evolving relationship of two twentysomething friends who clearly want more from each other, but allow complications to prevent any romance. The film boasts some good scenery (using easy shots of the Grand Canyon), but is a complete mess in so many ways. The worst aspect of the film are surreal black and white dream segments where Richard Roundtree shows up as El Doctor, a character that gives advice to the male lead. These scenes are completely unnecessary and feel like a bad student film. The main romance is obviously inspired by Linklater's BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET but the main difference is that the characters in this film are incessantly annoying and we could care less what happens to their relationship much less spend 100 minutes listening to them yap about it.

The day gets back on track with THIRD MONDAY IN OCTOBER, a very entertaining documentary about middle school students campaigning for student class president. Director Vanessa Roth follows races in four different schools across the country, and for the most part comes up with some very exciting elections to watch. There is deceit, unfairness, heated emotions, and even a recount. These elections took place in 2004 and Roth attempts to present the Bush-Kerry election as a backdrop, but does not really spend enough time with that to be successful. The quality and structure are both very basic. You won't confuse this with the technical excellence a Kirby Dick or Errol Morris doc. Still, it avoids the problem of MAD HOT BALLROOM which failed to really capture the stories of individual kids. Several of these students do stand out, particularly Kayla Bacon and her rivals at Inman middle school.

The last film I saw today was AWAY FROM HER, Sarah Polley's impressive directorial debut. It tells the story of an older married couple (Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie) and how they deal with separation when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She is sent to a permanent care facility, and her husband must deal with loneliness and grief, especially when he finally visits her and she not only barely remembers him but has turned her affections to another patient. It is an accomplished debut for a director so young, and the cast is very strong. Julie Christie is sure to be a part of the Oscar race, but it would be a shame if Pinsent doesn't get his due recognition for his powerful and heartbreaking performance. There are a few faults, including a stupid scene involving mention of the Iraq war, but for the most part Polley stays on track, telling an honest and mature story about love and loss.

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Two

2007-04-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

I skipped this year's opener Last Days of Left Eye because I plan to see it later in the week. I also skipped the secret screening at 11pm, mainly because I didn't have the guts to try it. They were very tight lipped about the film and I just wasn't willing to take the chance of wasting my money on what could have been a miserable film. However, the two films I did see today got my festival week off to a strong start.

THE TV SET (Jake Kasdan) is a comedy about a TV writer (David Duchovny) trying to get a pilot picked up by a network, but continually finds himself butting heads with a nasty airheaded network executive (Sigourney Weaver). This is a funny comedy with several knowing jabs at Hollywood, and will probably be funniest to those familiar with how the industry works. Duchovny pulls off an amusing slow burn throughout the movie, Weaver is over the top but hilariously demented, and it's a pleasure to see Lindsey Sloane (from another TV industry spoof GROSSE PONTE). The film loses its way with an unnecessary subplot involving a British executive and his homesick wife (Lucy Davis whose considerable talents are completely wasted.) and the abrupt ending., but it's still a pleasantly entertaining comedy.

KING OF KONG (Seth Gordon) is another in a long line of recent documentaries that follow the quirky contestants of unique competitions. Previous entries in this genre include the brilliant SPELLBOUND and the not quite as brilliant MAD HOT BALLROOM and WORD WARS. Gordon's follows a couple of people dedicated to setting the world record on the classic arcade game DONKEY KONG. The film surprisingly becomes rather one sided, although Gordon does have video evidence to support this. Still, he piles it on a bit high to make his favored subject look like a saint, eventhough we see him with some questionable parenting skills early on in the film. The most interesting personality in the film is Walter Day, a man who dedicated his life to classic video games and set up a central organization to judge and verify high scores for all video games. I would have preferred it followed him a bit more than the two competitiors.

In the Land of Women

2007-04-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

Before the Atlanta Film Festival started, I decided to check out In the Land of Women, an interesting film starring Adam Brody, Meg Ryan, and Kristen Stewart. The film comes from Jonathan Kasdan, son of Lawrence and brother to Jake Kasdan (whose film The TV Set I saw directly after), and it shares his father's focus on character development. Kasdan is patient and spends time developing his three leads, for the most part refusing to let standard plot devices dictate things. Unfortunately the film has a few flaws, include some poorly conceived supporting characters and subplots that were mysteriously dropped. It still works mainly due to strong performances. Brody and Ryan are both terrific and surprisingly develop strong chemistry together. The revelation is Kristen Stewart whose astonishing screen presence will certainly lead to big things in the future.

Atlanta Film Festival

2007-04-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

It's time again for the Atlanta Film Festival. This year will be the 31st edition and has some promising entries. While not one of the most prestigious festivals by any means, Atlanta has put together some very fine lineups in the past. Great films I've seen in the past include Getting to Know You, Lovely & Amazing, George Washington, Me and You and Everyone We Know, and Twist of Faith. They've also shown notable films such as Hustle & Flow, Run Lola Run, and Lilya 4-Ever before they broke it big on the indie scene. Among notable films showing up this year are Last Days of Left Eye, a documentary that edits together footage by the late R&B star herself; The TV Set, a hollywood insider comedy featuring David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver; Away From Her, a film directed by none other than Sarah Polley and starring Julie Christie in a bittersweet story about Alzheimer's; Rocket Science, the fiction debut of acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jeffrey Blitz; and Fay Grim, featuring Parker Posey in Hal Hartley's followup to Henry Fool.

I'll be posting a day by day summary of the films that I see, and then later do full reviews for each of them. I plan to see all the movies mentioned above except for Fay Grim. There will be about 10 or so additional movies that I will check out, including Blood Car, featuring the now grown up Anna Chlumsky (My Girl) in a story about a car that runs on human blood. How can I pass that up?

For those interested in the festival check out www.atlantafilmfestival.com

It's About Time

2007-04-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

After seeing a series of well received flms that I did not like one bit (The Illusionist, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Blades of Glory, Disturbia), the world finally starts to make sense again. I saw Grindhouse and The Host, and both are as good as advertised, although The Host loses its way at the ending. I also finally saw Borat, which is as extremely disturbing as it is funny. It's amazing how much people will reveal about themselves in front of a camera.

I have linked to my review of The Host, and reviews for Grindhouse and Borat are forthcoming.

Huh?

2007-04-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

Disturbia has somehow managed to get a 67% fresh rating, garnering positive reviews from AO Scott and David Edelstein. What do people see in this movie? Sure, the updated Rear Window premise is a clever high concept idea, but the third act is such a jarringly bad transformation that David Morse should have just put on a hockey mask. This continues an uneasy trend of empty, mass audience films (ex. Blades of Glory) getting rave reviews.

Note: I have edited the template to now include links to my most recent epinions reviews in each category.

Where Have I Been?

2007-03-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering where I've went, I've been writing reviews over at Epinions lately.

I will still show up here from time to time, but most of my writing will be over there.

Here's a link of some of my recent film reviews. Note: The rating provided here is different than the Epinions rating, which uses a different system.

300 (2007) - B-
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) - B
Casualties of War (1989) - A
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - A
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) - A
The Heart of the Game (2006) - A
Midway (1976) - C
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) - B+
SherryBaby (2006) - A

Return of the Oscar Formula

2007-01-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

Eventhough this blog has been semi-retired, I decided to briefly come back for some Oscar nomination predictions.

Just like last year, I have used a formula to predict nominees, and then made adjustments to come up with my own predictions. Last year, the formula correctly predicted 26 out of 30 nominations. I made three adjustments to the formula and was correct on two of them, which left me with a 27 out of 30 correctly predicted nominations and my best ever performance. Here are this year's picks:

BEST PICTURE

The Formula Says:

The Departed 5.47
Babel 4.52
Little Miss Sunshine 4.09
The Queen 3.92
Dreamgirls 3.42

Letters From Iwo Jima 2.70
United 93 1.54
Little Children 1.45
Bobby 1.32

Adjustments: None

Here the formula comes up with the five most likely nominees. These films all received DGA and PGA nominations, and I'd be surprised if they don't mathc Oscar's five. I suppose Letters or United could surprise. It wouldn't be a major shock, but I see no reason to go against the formula here.

BEST DIRECTOR

Martin Scorsese, "The Departed 4.86
Stephen Frears, "The Queen" 2.92
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel" 2.67
Jonathan Dayton Valerie Faris, Little Miss Sunshine 2.17
Bill Condon, Dreamgirls 2.03

Clint Eastwood, "Letters from Iwo Jima" 1.89
Paul Greengrass, "United 93" 1.56

Adjustments: None

Again, I see no reason to second guess my formula when it comes up with the five most likely nominees. At least four of these five were nominated at the DGA, SAG, and PGA. Clint Eastwood's early awards season success likely inflates his numbers, but I could see him knocking out the Sunshine duo or Condon. Still, I'll stick with the formula here.

BEST LEAD ACTOR

Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland" 5.94
Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat" 1.97
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson 1.57
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond" 1.49
Peter O'Toole, "Venus" 1.49

Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness" 1.49
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Departed" 0.67

Adjustments: Will Smith is in. Sacha Baron Cohen is out.

The formula breaks here. We have a three way tie for the last spot. Forest Whitaker was so dominant during the awards season that he didn't leave many points to be scored for the others. This left a three way tie among people who shared Golden Globe and SAG nominations. In the interests of coming up with a final five for the formula, a tiebreaker is used giving the nod to the person with the most previous Oscar nominations. This puts Peter O' Toole (7) and Leonardo DiCaprio (2) over Will Smith (1). In the interests of coming up with my final five, I kept all three and took out Sacha baron Cohen, who failed to score a SAG nomination (an 82% predictor in this category).

BEST LEAD ACTRESS

Helen Mirren, "The Queen" 6.19
Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada" 2.41
Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal" 2.25
Penelope Cruz, "Volver" 2.03
Kate Winslet, "Little Children" 1.47

Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Sherrybaby" 0.62

Adjustments: None

One of the easiest categories to predict. There wasn't much movement in this category during the awards season, aside from Gyllenhaal's surprise Golden Globe nomination. But her failure to score a SAG nomination and the strong competition doom her chances. She would have to beat out Streep or Winslet (I consider the other three locks), but I don't see that happening.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls" 2.6
Djimon Honsou, Blood Diamond 1.6
Ben Affleck, "Hollywoodland" 1.32
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children 1.3
Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed" 1.26

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed 1.045
Jack Nicholson, "The Departed" 0.73
Brad Pitt, "Babel" 0.73
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine 0.71

Adjustments: Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Arkin in for Djimon Honsou and Ben Affleck.

The toughest category to predict this year. Murphy seems to be the only surefire lock. I really think the other four nominees could be any of the remaining 8. When in doubt, go with SAG. Therfore I put in DiCaprio and Arkin. I will vomit if Affleck gets in, which is much worse than missing an Oscar prediction. Honsou got in at SAG, and I'm probably making a mistake keeping Wahlberg on instead, but it's a gut feeling. This worked last year with Knightley.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls" 3.92
Adriana Barraza, "Babel" 1.31
Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal" 1.31
Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel" 1.31
Catherine O Hara, "For Your Consideration" 1.3

Shareeka Epps, "Half Nelson" 0.86
Emily Blunt, "The Devil Wears Prada" 0.67
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine 0.64

Adjustments: Abigail Breslin in for Catherine O Hara

The formula likes Catherine O' Hara mostly on the basis of critics awards (which will be somehwat de-emphasized in next yea'rs calculations, eventhough it helped pick William Hurt last year). O Hara failed to get a Globe or SAG nomination, and Breslin is riding the unexpected Little Miss Sunshine tidal wave.

Note: Some of these picks might not match my picks in Oscar contests, which were made at different times and depend on the rules of the contest. For instance, one contest provided bonus points for guessing less likely nominees and offered two points for Djimon Honsou. I couldn't resist picking a SAG nominee for two points.

Thanks Rush!

2006-11-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

Looks like the Dems will win both House and Senate control. Included in that is a victory in Missouri which seemed unlikely until Rush Limbaugh decided to open his big fat mouth and trash Michael J. Fox. Suddenly the race got more attention and the GOP looked really bad when Limbaugh was proven wrong on his assumptions and McCaskill (who Fox campaigned for) ended up winning.

Oh, and the Missouri stem cell intitiative ended up passing. Eat that, Patricia Heaton.

What a great day!

Why You Should Listen to Your Parents...

2006-10-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

"Had we gone into Baghdad -- we could have done it, you guys could have done it, you could have been there in 48 hours -- and then what? Which sergeant, which private, whose life would be at stake in perhaps a fruitless hunt in an urban guerilla war to find the most-secure dictator in the world? Whose life would be on my hands as the commander-in-chief because I, unilaterally, went beyond the international law, went beyond the stated mission, and said we're going to show our macho? We're going into Baghdad. We're going to be an occupying power -- America in an Arab land -- with no allies at our side. It would have been disastrous."

George Bush Sr., 1998 speech to Gulf War Veterans

Thoughts on the 2006 Fall TV Season

2006-10-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

It's finally time for me to share my thoughts on this year's fall TV premieres. After a weak fall season last year which saw only one decent show survive to a 2nd season (Everybody Hates Chris), the 2006 fall slate has several shows with the potential to be great and many more that are solid in their own right.

The best of the year is Ugly Betty, a risky adaptation of a popular telenovela. This original comedy turned into one of TV's most stylish and witty shows and doesn't look like it will slow down. Stepping into a very difficult lead role that could have easily been a dumb caricature, America Ferrara has been brilliant so far. Even better are the fantastic ratings in a competitive time slot. Good ratings for this show will hopefully lead to more original pilots next season, although that was unfortunately not the case following 2004's great fall season.

Heroes is the other great success of the fall season and has already been given a full 22 episode order. What makes Heroes great is the patience it displays in developing it's characters and storylines. Boasting a large cast of ordinary people with extraordinary powers, the show has kept the ensemble apart, slowly showing us how each of the individual heroes learn to deal with their powers. At times the show is slow moving, but you always get he feeling that it is buolding to something great, and there hasn't been something quite like that since the first season of Lost.

Other promising shows include Aaron Sorkin's dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, easily the most hyped show of the fall. While it does not quite rise to the level of Sorkin's previous work, it is definitely a watchable show with witty dialogue and a terrific cast. Ratigns have been unimpressive, but it will likely finish out a full 1st season before a deciusion is made on it's fate. The Nine is ABC's drama following nine survivors of a hostage crisis. The stunning pilot episode was my favorite of the season, but week two's overreliance on flashy directing tricks shows a lack of confidence in the story and will get old very soon. Stick to the interesting characters and leave the Michael Bay directing handbook at home. Also problematic are the terrible ratings, which could spell an early exit for the show. Brothers & Sisters is a serious family drama with one of the best casts on TV. Calista Flockhart leads the ensemble and her instant likeability is one of this show's great charms. ABC expected better numbers for this show, but if it maintains it's current level I think a 2nd season will be in store.

There's also the Tina Fey's 30 Rock, a wild comedy about a late night TV show; The chessy, but fun sci-fi drama Jericho; and the charming romantic comedy Men in Trees. It says alot about this TV season that even the disappointing shows (Six Degrees, Friday Night Lights) have hteir own merits and aren't completely unwatchable. Having said that, I chose not to see Justice, Happy Hour, Til Death, The Class, 20 Good Years, or Shark; any of which could have easily fit that description.

Television is currently owned by lame procedurals and endless reality shows. Two years ago, we saw the premiere of three very original shows (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Veronica Mars) and at least two of them were extremely successful. Unfortunately, that did not lead to much creativity in 2005's fall slate. Ugly Betty and Heroes are victories for original, creative programming. Let's hope that the networks take notice and give us more. Sure, the procedurals are easy money but so is prostitution.

This is what it took?

2006-10-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

So the Democrats are on the bring of taking one or both houses of Congress in the November elections. Sadly, this is not happening for any of the following reasons:

1) No WMD's were found in Iraq.
2) Rumsfeld has horribly mismanaged the War in Iraq.
3) The numerous scandals in Iraq, including the Haditha massacre.
4) Bush and the GOP's numerous illegal dealings with Abramoff.
5) Bush's inept management of the Katrina disaster.
6) Bush's failed attempt to destroy Social Security.
7) Bush's veto of the Stem Cell bill.
8) Karl Rove and Scooter Libby leaking the name of a CIA agent.
9) Gas prices, budget deficit, No Child Left Behind, The Patriot Act
10) The GOP's successful attempt at blocking the minimum wage increase.
11) The recent relevations that Bush's team did not properly heed warnings about 9/11.
12) Bill O'Reilly.

Nope, it's none of that. And it's not for many of the other scandals that have happened under the Bush administration.

No, the Democrats will take control of Congress because a random Republican congressman tried to screw 16 yr old pages and GOP leadership tried to cover it up. While that's certainly bad, it isn't nearly as awful or dangerous to our country as the 12 items I listed.

The only reason this worries me is that the Democrats will need to keep control in 2008. I'm certain that the GOP will continue their fraudulent ways, but as we have seen, that alone is not enough. It takes a big juicy sex scandal to do anything. And how many Republican pedophiles can there be in Congress? 5-6 tops?

This Political Party Will Self Destruct in 10 Seconds

2006-10-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been....

1) GOP Congressman Mark Foley is a real life sexual predator. (Gene Shalit, take note.)
2) Dennis Hastert and other GOP Congressman likely covered it up.
3) A combined intelligence report states that the Iraq war has increased the terror threat, despite Bush's claims that we're now safer.
4) Bob Woodward written a book about Bush's mishandling of the Iraq war, which points out several Bush lies and coverups.
5) Bill Clinton tore GOP Campaign worker (Or FOX News reporter, it's hard to tell) Chris Wallace an asshole for challenging the actions he took to capture Osama Bin Laden.
6) George Allen continues to lie himself into a corner about his racist past.

This has all taken the wind out of my sails. Hard to be outraged when the people you're pissed at are destroying themselves. It's like kicking a sick, rabid dog. That's just cruel.

So instead, I will turn my attention to Fox News reporter Brit Hume. In a discussion about the Foley scandal, Hume invoked the Clinton ex machina (n. device used by Republican politicians to make excuses for their own mistakes.) and made the observation that Mark Foley is a total disgrace to his party while Bill Clinton is still in good standing with Democrats.

Do we really live in a world where one of the top journalists for a news organization (insert joke here) will compare infidelity to pedophilia? I mean, what the fucking fuck? Does Hume honestly think that there are no Republicans that have had extramarital affairs? Mark Foley asked an underage kid if he was making him horny. Bill Clinton got a blowjob from an adult. I think any reasonable person can see that these two are wildly different situations.

The question is, how many reasonable people are there? With Fox News doing it's usual spin job for the conservatives, will enough people be outraged by this scandal (in conjunction with all the other shit I listed above) to have an effect on the November election? We all know that there are people so misguided that they would still vote for Mark Foley today as long as he promised to cut their taxes and put another pro-life justice on the court. How many of them are there? I guess we'll find out in November.

Speaking of the Lewinsky scandal, here is a interesting quote given by a GOP Congressman in 1998:

"It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction."
-Mark Foley

TV Awards: 05-06

2006-09-28T02:56:00.000-07:00

And here are my picks for the best performances and episodes of last season. Winners in bold.

Tomorrow, I'll start writing my thoughts on the new shows that have debuted the past two weeks. And soon? Political Rants!

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Thomas Cavanaugh as Tom Farrell, Love Monkey
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
Michael C. Hall as David Fisher, Six Feet Under
Peter Krause as Nate Fisher, Six Feet Under
Edward James Olmos as Commander William Adama, Battlestar: Galactica

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Lauren Ambrose as Claire Fisher, Six Feet Under
Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars
Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher, Six Feet Under
Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano, The Sopranos
Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin, Battlestar: Galactica

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Naveen Andrews as Sayid Jarrah, Lost
Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars, Veronica Mars
Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars
Terry O' Quinn as John Locke, Lost
Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman, The West Wing

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Ginnifer Goodwin as Margene Henrickson, Big Love
Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki, The L Word
Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra, ER
Julianne Nicholson as Sara Finn, Conviction
Katee Sackhoff as Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, Battlestar: Galactica

Writing in a Drama Series

Alan Ball, Six Feet Under - "Everybody's Waiting"
David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, Battlestar: Galactica - "Downloaded"
Dayna North, Veronica Mars - "Plan B"
Rob Thomas and John Enbom, Veronica Mars - "Not Pictured"
Mark Verheiden and Anne Cofell, Battlestar: Galactica - "Lay Down Your Burdens"

Directing in a Drama Series

Alan Ball, Six Feet Under - "Everybody's Waiting"
John T. Kretchmer, Veronica Mars - "Plan B"
Martha Mitchell, Veronica Mars - "I Am God"
Kimberly Pierce, The L Word - "Lifeline"
Michael Rymer, Battlestar: Galactica - "Lay Down Your Burdens"

Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Sharif Atkins as Dr. Michael Gallant, ER
Michael Cera as Dean, Veronica Mars
Michael Emerson as Henry Gale, Lost
Richard Jenkins as Nathaniel Fisher, Six Feet Under
Chris Messina as Ted, Six Feet Under

Guest Actress in a Drama Series

L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Lost
Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas, Veronica Mars
Tina Majorino as Mac, Veronica Mars
Katey Sagal as Helen, Lost
Alia Shawkat as Stacy, Veronica Mars

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
Zach Braff as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, Scrubs
Steve Carell as Michael Scott, The Office
Fred Goss as Cameron Walker, Sons & Daughters
Tyler Williams as Chris Rock, Everybody Hates Chris

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp, Desperate Housewives
Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls
Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives
Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Desperate Housewives
Mary Louise-Parker as Nancy Botwin, Weeds

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Will Arnett as George "Gob" Bluth II, Arrested Development
Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth, Arrested Development
John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, The Office
John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, Scrubs
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, The Office

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Tichina Arnold as Rochelle Rock, Everybody Hates Chris
Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesley, The Office
Paula Marshall as Regina Barnes, Out of Practice
Judy Reyes as Nurse Carla Espinosa, Scrubs
Alia Shawkat as Mae "Maeby" Fünke, Arrested Development

Writing in a Comedy Series

Bill Callahan, Scrubs - "My Fallen Idol"
Steve Carell, The Office - "Casino Night"
Greg Daniels, The Office - "Conflict Resolution"
Dean Lorey and Chuck Tatham, Arrested Development - "Fakin It"
Aaron McGruder, The Boondocks - "Return of the King"

Directing in a Comedy Series

Zach Braff, Scrubs - "My Way Home"
Ken Kwapis, The Office - "Booze Cruise"
Charles McDougall, The Office - "Conflict Resolution"
Lev L. Spiro, Arrested Development - "Fakin It"
Richard Alexander Wells, Scrubs - "My Urologist"

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Thomas Cavanaugh as Dan Dorian, Scrubs
Paul Dooley as Addison Prudy, Desperate Housewives
David Koechner as Todd Packer, The Office
John Larroquette as Chef Gerard, Kitchen Confidential
Michael Vartan as Michel, Kitchen Confidential

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Elizabeth Banks as Dr. Kim Briggs, Scrubs
Loretta Devine as Maxine, Everybody Hates Chris
Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson, The Office
Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, Desperate Housewices
Charlize Theron as Rita, Arredted Development

Finally: TV Top 10 2005-06

2006-09-28T02:42:00.000-07:00

It's about time, isn't it?

Honorable Mentions

Big Love - HBO's highly publicized polygamy drama had it's ups and downs, mostly suffering from the weak central performance from Bill Paxton. The show was helped by the strong supporting performances from Ginnifer Goodwin and Jeanne Tripplehorn and it offered a very interesting look into an rare family dynamic.

Out of Practice - Few shows were treated worse by a network than Out of Practice, which was pulled, yanked, and put on hiatus over and over again. This traditional farcical sitcom had a strong ensemble cast (particularly the awesome Paula Marshall) and a smart writing staff that set up classic situations that let the cast shine. There is no reason this should still not be on the air.

The Sopranos - The high quality mob drama was never one of my favorites, but I could never deny that it was an extremely well made television show. This season was no different. After dispensing with a silly dream thread, the series occassionally transcended itself with several excellent storylines and set itself up for a grand finale.

The West Wing - The 7th season of this once great show displayed continued improvement after the disaster of the 5th season. This allowed the show to go out on a graceful note. There was even time for one more superb episode, "Here Today", a superbly dark theatrical episode which featured some of the best acting of the year. Sadly, John Spencer died before the conclusion, but even in the final episodes without him, his enduring presence was definitely felt.

10. Love Monkey

This short-lived dramedy probably never had a chance, but I'm glad they gave it a try. This charming show followed A&R rep Tom Novak (Tom Cavanaugh), one of the few good guys in the music industry. As Tom moves to an indie label and battles the big name hacks (personified wonderfully by Eric Bogosian), his friends deal with their own careers and love lives. Best of the bunch was Judy Greer as a News Producer and Tom's platonic best friend. Cavanaugh did his usual schtick, which was fine with me, and the entire ensemble had terrific chemistry. This show only lasted 8 episodes but I smiled through all 8.

9. The L Word

This drama centered around a group of lesbian friends has been one of my favorite ongoing shows. Now in it's third season, it probably had one it's weakest season to date. After a dynamite start to the year, culminating in a standout episode from director Kimberly Pierce, the show seemed to lose it's way. Creator Ilene Chaiken took a daring creative choice by killing off a beloved character, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the awful material given to two of the show's best actresses, Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman. Beals in particular suffered and quickly became my least favorite character (after an amazing 2nd season). The season finale was extremely problematic as well. Still, this show was still consistently compelling even at it's worst and the great Leisha Hailey had an amazing year.

8. Sons & Daughters

This is a case of a show where the ads didn't do justice for the finished product. The network ads for this show made it look like a smug and mean comedy filled with unlikeable characters. The actual show was so much different. Following a dysfunctional extended family with ad-libbed dialogue, this show was one of the wittiest comedies of the year. At the center of the show was the wonderful Fred Goss, excelling at the sort of nebbish character that Woody Allen made famous. The surrounding ensemble was also superb, most notably Alison Quinn as Goss's sister, trapped in a loveless marriage. Shows like this require you to be able to laugh at the numerous problems that these characters while rooting them on at the same time. On this count, Sons & Daughters was more than successful.

7. Arrested Development

And now we have THE dysfunctional family sitcom. Arrested Development may have been killed before it's time, but it did get a three year run, finishing with it's best season ever. The over the top screwball moments were mostly reined in this season (goodbye Ben Stiller and Martin Short) and the season mostly focused on the nutty habits of the various characters. The main thing that really worked this season was the father-son dynamic between Jason Bateman and Michael Cera. The two had their strongest season yet. Alia Shawkat also had a great running storyline as a studio executive, and the great Will Arnett provided most of the laughs once again. By the end I was rooting for all of the character, but mostly Bateman and Cera as they sailed away for good.

6. Scrubs

It's hard to believe that Scrubs has now been on for five seasons. Despite strong critical support the ratings have always been a disappointment (even when put in good timeslots) and the last two seasons have been downright awful. This was partly due to NBC's inability to find hits to replace their aging shows. Well NBC's struggles provided a great treat for the fans of this wonderful comedy. While this last season did show some age at certain parts, there were still plenty of inspired moments to keep it going. The show particularly had a fantastic 2nd half, with some of John C. McGinley's most brilliant work as the cantankerous Dr. Cox and a superb guest starring performance from Elizabeth Banks. Scrubs once again proved that you can mix oddball comedy with genuine pathos and the stunning cliffhanger has me looking forward to season 6.

5. Battlestar: Galactica

Proving that not all remakes are a bad idea, Battlestar: Galactica took the premise of the 80s version and turned it into a fascinating political drama. After a solid first half which built on last season's fantastic cliffhanger, the show lost its way for a few episodes in the 2nd half. The worst was an attempt to do film noir with Apollo as the central character. All this did was prove how weak Jamie Bamber was. Another episode focusing on a hostage situation, which provided great material for guest star Dana Delany but did nothing for the overall story arc. Thankfully, the producers got things together for a tremendous finish. The season finale was a sensational hour of television, featuring one of the gutsiest moves I've ever seen on a show.

4. Six Feet Under

The final season for this brilliant series certainly wasn't perfect. Some of the arcs for the characters, particularly Peter Krause's Nate, could have been better handled. Still, Six Feet Under had one of the most talented casts in all of television and they all turned in great performances this year, including an expanded recurring performances from Tina Holmes. Six Feet Under was a show that had a distinct vision, and through all 5 seasons, it stayed true to that style thanks to it's talented creator Alan Ball. The lovely series finale, which featured a stunning closing montage depicting the final deaths of everyone in the ensemble, ended the series on a perfect note.

3. The Boondocks

The Boondocks has been the very best comic strip for the past few years, mixing hilarious character moments with biting political satire. After hearing of an animated series being planned, I was certainly worried. There were so many ways it could go wrong, especially if they decided to water down the politics and focus on the zany characters. There were a few episodes that definitely felt that way, but for the most part the 1st season of The Boondocks proved to be one of the best shows of the year. The controversial "Return of the King" episode, which depicted what might happen if Martin Luther King awoke from a coma today and saw what was going on, was a bold and insightful look at modern racial issues. It was the single best episode of any show on television during the 2005-06 season.

2. Veronica Mars

One of the most baffling mysteries of the past two television seasons is why people seem to stubbornly refuse to watch this show. This is not a situation where the network can be blamed. UPN was extremely faithful to the show, promoing it heavily and keeping it on the air even during crucial sweeps periods. People really don't know what their missing. Going into it's second season, the major question was whether or not Veronica MArs could come up with a mystery nearly as compelling as the central premise fromt he 1st season. Desperate Housewives faced a similar challenge and failed miserably. Veronica Mars passed this test after the 1st episode, which effortlessly set up two new season long mysteries. The show also displayed continued growth for it's varied ensemble, particularly Jason Dohring as the troubled Logan Echolls. Veronica Mars once again proved to be the true heir to Buffy, being the only show to match the mix of comedy, drama, and suspense of that great show. Now that it moves to the CW, maybe people will start watching.

1. The Office

This was the show that nobody that would work. After the disaster of the Coupling remake, everyone thought the US remake of legendary Bitcom The Office was doomed to failure. After a weak series premiere, which copied the pilot of the UK version scene for scene, things didn't look up. Even after a strong 2nd episode, things weren't much better because the ratings started to fall apart. Surprisingly, NBC (especially Kevin Reilly) had faith that this show could be successful. It's one of the best decision the struggling network has made in a long time. The Office debuted season 2 with an episode called "The Dundies", which completely set a new tone for the show (much brighter, more focus on Jim and Pam), and the show never looked back. Steve Carell continued to show why he is one of the funniest comic actors in Hollywood, Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski created the best sexual tension in a comedy since Cheers, and the expanded focus on the supporting cast allowed each of them to shine. The Office is a show that has the screwball moments that people love, but it wraps them around a completely human setting. The humor may sometimes be painful, but that's just because it's so real.

Blogging Plans

2006-09-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies to my reader(s) for the long delay. Work/school commitments have made it difficult to update this blog in a while. Now I have a little bit more free time, and plenty of stuff to blab about, you should see a few more updates. Also, I will be changing the direction of the blog a bit. There will be some political/current events posts mixed in with the entertainment. I figured this would be easier than starting a whole new blog for politics.

First things first, I will complete last season's TV top 10 and update my Last 10 lists.

Awards: Writing/Directing in a Comedy

2006-06-23T01:21:00.000-07:00

Writing in a Comedy Series

Bill Callahan, SCRUBS - "My Fallen Idol"
Steve Carell, THE OFFICE - "Casino Night"
Greg Daniels, THE OFFICE - "Conflict Resolution"
Dean Lorey and Chuck Tatham, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - "Fakin It"
Aaron McGruder, THE BOONDOCKS - "Return of the King"

Directing in a Comed Series

Zach Braff, SCRUBS - "My Way Home"
Ken Kwapis, THE OFFICE - "Booze Cruise"
Charles McDougall, THE OFFICE - "Conflict Resolution"
Lev L. Spiro, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - "Fakin It"
Richard Alexander Wells, SCRUBS - "My Urologist"

TV Season 2005-06: The Good

2006-06-23T01:14:00.000-07:00

Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives was faced with a tremendous problem for season two. Season 1 was carried along by a compelling mystery. While the performances of the main four actresses were brilliant, the narrative was carried along by the circumstances surrounding Mary Alice's death. Unfortunately, season 2 failed miserably at coming up with any sustainable narrative arc. We were introduced to the Applewhite family, and the beginning of the season teased us that this might develop itno something far more interesting. And with Alfre Woodard, it should have been. Sadly, this story went nowhere. I have rarely seen an actress as talented as Alfre Woodard so poorly used on a show. None of the other stories ever developed any momentum. Sure, there were some fun side plots, such as Lynette navigating her return to work and Bree dealing with a several family crises. But the stories for Susan and Gabrielle were inconsistent and poorly developed. The season never really gained any momentum and suffered through a very weak season finale that failed to set up interesting possibilities for season 3. The reason this show is ranked as high as it is is due to the performances of Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross, who turned in brilliant performance after brilliant performance. They made this season much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise.

Best Episode: "Next"
Worst Episode: "Remember"
Best Performer: Marcia Cross
Worst Performer: Eva Longoria
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 2nd/2

Alias

It's been a strange ride for Alias. What started out as a fun, fast paced action show with clever cliffhangers and a sexy lead reached it's apex in season 2 with an incredibly well planned season arc that brilliantly merged intense supenseful stunts and thoughtful emotional complexity. Unfortunately, Lena Olin left at the end of season 2 and the show went into a tailspin the next year. Saly it was a tailspin it would never really recover from. Things got better in season 4, with some interesting individual episodes, but the absence of a season long arc was upsetting. Still, it managed to close out the season with the finest single episode in the entire run of the show, thanks again to the return of Lena Olin. They tried to do some different stuff in season 5, bringing in a couple fresh faces (Amy Acker and Rachel McAdams were good, Balthazar Getty was not), but still suffered from some of the same post- season 2 flaws (idiotic fake deaths, inconsistent season arc). The season finale itself was a mixed bag in some respects, but did provide a nice conclusion to things. It was an extremely inconsistent show, but when it was on it's game, it wa sone of the most purely entertaining shows on television. I'll miss this show.

Best Episode: "Reprisal"
Worst Episode: "Prophet Five"
Best Performer: Victor Garber
Worst Performer: Balthazar Getty
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 4th/5
Season Grade: B

Conviction

I've never been a big fan of the Law & Order series. Despite the obviously high production values, the self-contained procedure-based format made everything feel pointless. While I don't necessarily need a continuing soap oepra storyline to capture my interest, I do like there to be some kind of minimal character development. Without that, there's little reason to care what happens. This makes the failure of Conviction all the more distressing. Conviction was a Law & Order spinoff that did not benefit from it's brand name and sharply departed from the structure. Instead of focusing solely on the procedure and arguments, conviction spent plenty of time developing its characters, following their journeys as young, idealistic, prosecutors. The most interesting were the lovely Julianne Nicholson as the nervous and shy newcomer, and Eric Balfour as a tough guy from the streets that decided to go to law school. The romance that slowly developed between these two was nicely played and it helped that they had terrific chemistry together. However, Conviction certainly wasn't a perfect show. The wooden Anson Mount basically functioned as the lead character and he was extremely dull. Some of the soap opera-ish elements were not well thought out, including an ill-conceived love triangle betwen Mount, Milena Govich, and Stephanie March. Still, there was plenty to enjoy here and it's a shame that viewers rejected this format. At least it ended with a beautiful closing shot of Balfour and Nicholson. Bravo.

Best Episode: "Hostage"
Worst Episode: "True Love"
Best Performer: Julianne Nicholson
Worst Performer: Anson Mount
Grade: B

Kitchen Confidential

One of the most promishing shows coming into this season was Kitchen Confidential. It had a fun, eclectic cast filled with Alias's Bradley Cooper, Buffy's Nicholas Brendan, Freaks & Geeks' John Francis Daley, and Grosse Pointe's Bonnie Sommerville. There was also alot of buzz due to it's fast-paced, quirky nature, and the fact that it was a workplace comedy about a workplace that we haven't seen much of lately. For the most part, Kitchen Confidential was a good show. The ensemble cast clicked just as expected, althoug Bonnie sommerville never completely fit in. There were some fun guest stars throughout, including John Larroquette as a dying chef, and Michael Vartan as a french rival. The problem is that the show never really found it's comic rhythm. The fast pace sped over many of the better jokes, and didn't stop enough to ground the show in any kind of narrative stability. I have no doubt that the show would have succeeded if given enough time. It had the potential to be great. Unfortunately, it needed some more time to do that, and the abysmal ratings prevented that from happening. In a world where Two and a Half Men is a hit, it's a shame that a fresh, inventive show like this never had a chance.

Best Episode: "Dinner Date with Death
Worst Episode: "Exile on Main Street"
Best Performer: Julianne Nicholson
Worst Performer: Anson Mount
Grade: B

Awards: Guest Actor/Actress in a Drama Series

2006-06-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Guest Actor

Sharif Atkins as Dr. Michael Gallant, ER
Michael Cera as Dean, VERONICA MARS
Michael Emerson as Henry Gale, LOST
Richard Jenkins as Nathaniel Fisher, SIX FEET UNDER
Oliver Platt as Oliver Babish, THE WEST WING

Guest Actress

L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, LOST
Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas, VERONICA MARS
Tina Majorino as Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie, VERONICA MARS
Katey Sagal as Helen, LOST
Alia Shawkat as Stacy Wells, VERONICA MARS

TV Season 2005-06: The Average

2006-06-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

24

Like last season, 24 opened with a very exciting and compelling story: Chloe, Tony, Michelle, and President Palmer were all the targets of assasinations. This led to a very exciting story about the possible release of nerve gas. We had some interesting side characters, including Jack's new girlfriend Diane Huxley and her son (whose kidnapping was one of the most tense moments of the year) and the return of Audrey Raines. This made the opening handful of episodes very exciting and tense. Unfortunately the writers lost control of their premise and everything fell apart. They were doing some interesting things with President Logan and his wife Martha. Then for some reason it was decided that Logan was corrupt and involved in the whole plan from the beginning. This twist really feels like it was made up on the fly, because Logan's earlier actions made no sense in retrospect. It was so much more interesting when he was just incompetent. That was actually far more frightening than he ever was as an actual villain. The show got so wrapped up in the Logan betrayal story that they dropped the nerve gas plot until the very end. It seemed like the show could close out on a strong note, but the finale once again was more about setting up season 6 than wrapping up this one. Still, I will never forget the image of Edgar's death scene. That's definitely one of the most unforgettable moments of the year.

Best Episode: "Day 5: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM"
Worst Episode: "Day 5: 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM"
Best Performer: Mary Lynn Raksjub
Worst Performer: Peter Weller
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 2nd/2 (I've only watched the past 2 seasons)
Final Grade: B-

ER

Last season on ER witnessed a surprising resiliency in the veteran drama. Recent cast additions Parminder Nagra, Shane West, and Linda Cardellini really breathed life into things. This year, they upped the ante by bringing in John Leguizamo and Kirsten Johnston. While both definitely stirred things up, their characters never really developed far enough to make them interesting overall. Kirsten Johnston's strict Nurse Eve Peyton was abruptly dropped at midseason in a way that makes it seem like the actress herself wanted to go, or the producers wanted her out. The writers never were able to find the right note for Leguizamo's Dr. Clemente, and while he pushed some interesting storylines this season, never become a fully realized character worth caring about. The show continued it's habit of doing self-contained special episodes that don't involve most of the main cast. This year we got a trip to the Sudan, where Noah Wyle's Carter was now working to save lives. They cared enough about this story to cast Mary McCormack as another Doctor. This stuff was well done, but I can't help but think that this would be better done as a tv-movie. ER has always been an ensemble show, and it's at it's best when it highlights the cast and lets them do their work.They achieved that goal intermittently this season, especially when the fantastic Parminder Nagra's Neela was highlighted. However, the writers wasted time with a season premiere all about Sam's runaway kid, and an atrocious season finale that featured a shootout, and a kidnapping of Sam's runaway kid. Please put this kid in a mental institution, or send him to the same place as Chip Cunningham and the younger child on Family Matters. Next year, we get a promising cast addition in John Stamos. Hopefully, they can avoid the same traps as season 12.

Best Episode: "Body and Soul"
Worst Episode: "21 Guns"
Best Performer: Parminder Nagra
Worst Performer: Scott Grimes
Season Grade: B-
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 9th/12

Lost

It's rare for a show to drop in quality from season to season at the same rate that Lost did. What was the most exciting show on television last season turned out to be a slow moving, poorly planned bore. After a decent start to the season that gave us the long awaited introduction to the hatch and some interesting backstories for Jack and Locke (Katey Sagal's appearance in Locke's backstories were definitely a highlight of the season), the show fell completely apart. There was very little narrative drive to any of the events going on, and characters were killed off for seemingly no reason whatsoever (other than lack of writer imagination to keep them useful). The season was fairly successful at the more human elements, thanks to the great ensemble cast that overcame the weaker writing. But what was missing was the excitement and suspense of season 1. Every episode seemed to follow a similar pattern of moving deliberately slow until the final couple minutes, where the writers came up with a shocking twist. This got very tiring by the end of the season. Then we were given a season finale that was completely devoid of suspense or intrigue and revolved around a peripheral character that nobody cares about. I'm not confident that things will get any better soon.

Best Episode: "Orientation"
Worst Episode: "Live Together, Die Together"
Best Performer: Terry O'Quinn
Worst Performer: Josh Holloway
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 2nd/2
Season Grade: B-

South of Nowhere

Certainly there was very little to expect from a teen soap on The N, and for the most part South of Nowhere did not really exceed those expectations. It has pretty much everything you'd expect from a low budget cable teen show. You've got one-dimensional characters, bad acting, intensely annoying camerawork, and ridiculously contrived writing. Still, South of Nowhere did manage to succeed on it's own terms with a thoughtful exploration of a teenage girl coming to terms with her own sexuality. The main reason this worked was the very engaging performance from Gabrielle Christian as Spencer, the new girl at school who is quickly befriended by Ashley, your typical "bad influence" girl (played with enough dignity by Mandy Musgrave to overcome the stereotype). The show's first season of 13 episodes followed their growing attraction, as Spencer tries to deal with her feelings for Ashley, while at the same time dealing with a disapproving family who is already suspicious. It's a shame that none of the other characters work in this show. I guess it's supposed to be edgy that one of Spencer's brothers is an African-American who was adopted. Unfortunately, the acting is so bad for this character, and the rest of the family, that they cannot really develop any consistent theme with this premise. The show was sucessful for The N and will return next season. It will be worth watching to see how the main relationship develops, but I'd recommend fast forwarding through everything else.

Best Performer: Gabrielle Christian
Worst Performer: Valery Ortiz
Season Grade: B-

Awards: Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy

2006-05-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Guest Actor in a Comedy

Paul Dooley as Addison Prudy, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Michael J. Fox as Daniel Post, BOSTON LEGAL
David Koechner as Todd Packer, THE OFFICE
John Larroquette as Chef Gerard, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
Michael Vartan as Michel, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

Guest Actress in a Comedy

Elizabeth Banks as Dr. Kim Briggs, SCRUBS
Loretta Devine as Maxine, EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson, THE OFFICE
Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Charlize Theron as Rita, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

TV Season 2005-06: The Bad

2006-05-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

How I Met Your Mother

One of the most maddening things about television is the umimaginative casting. Looking over the fall schedule, you can see very few daring choices were made. How I Met Your Mother is a perfect example of this. In coming up with the cast for a romantic comedy, the producers picked Jason Segel and Allyson Hannigan, both terrific comic performers with tons of potential. However, they were cast as supporting characters. Why? Oh I get it, they're not traditionally attractive enough. Instead we were stuck with the bland Josh Radner and Cobie Smulders (who? I don't know). Also, this was another case of a writer revealing way too much in the pilot. The story is told in flashback (with Bob Saget narration, which is actually a decent choice) as Ted (Radner) tells his children how he met their mother. The whole episode revolves around Ted falling in love with Robin (Smulders), a cute newscaster. At the end of the episode, the write rpulls a twist by having Ted reveal to his kids, "...and that's how I met your Aunt Robin." Well that's pretty clever, if you were only doing one episode, or if Robin wasn't a main character. However, the prime arc of the show deals with Ted and Robin's budding romance. But the writer has already ruined that by telling us the ending. If they could have been more patient, this would have made for a terrific reveal in the season finale. So why did I watch a whole season of this show? Well it was still fun to watch Hannigan and Segel (and Neil Patrick Harris) in supporting roles. Also, there was a terrific guest star turn by Ashley Williams as one of Ted's romantic interests, only showing what a bad choice Cobie Smulders was for the lead role. I may or may not suffer through a 2nd season.

Best Episode: "Drumroll, Please"
Worst Episode: "Nothing Good Happens After 2A.M."
Best Performer: Allyson Hannigan
Worst Performer: Josh Radner
Season Grade: C+

Gilmore Girls

Last season, Gilmore Girls put together one of it's best efforts ever, almost matching the quality of the freshman campaign. The season finale left us with some interesting story ideas for next season: Rory dropped out of college and was in legal trouble, and Lorelai proposed marriage to Luke. And wow, they really could not have done either of these stories any worse. The Rory storyline was dragged on for far too long, depriving us of the natural chemistry between stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, which had long been the show's chief pleasure. Instead, Rory was stuck in an irritating relationship with annoying preppy Logan, who shows very few redeeming qualities, andis a pale imitation of Chad Michael Murray's Tristan from the early seasons. Lorelai was stuck as the third wheel in Luke's life, as he discovered he had a long lost daughter. The writers completely forgot how to write for Luke and turned him into an asshole, and kept this dynamic through to the terrible season finale. Sookie had absolutely nothing to do all year. Lane was stuck in her own irritating relationship, with bandmate Zach. The writers clearly wanted us to care about this relationship, but at the same time they kept giving Zach idiotic things to say like "Now we get to have sex!" when talking about their impending marriage. Amy-Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino (who I've defended over the years against what I felt was unfair criticism) have left the show at the end of this season, and their final outing ended up being the very worst Gilmore Girls episode in all 6 seasons. Can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm glad they're gone. Now let's fix this mess.

Best Episode: "Friday Night's Alright For Fighting"
Worst Episode: "Partings"
Best Performer: Lauren Graham
Worst Performer: Matt Czuchzry
Final Season Grade: C
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 6th/6

The O.C.

Third seasons tend to be rough for high school television shows. 90210 really struggled at the beginning, with a ridiculous attempt at a racial tolerance episode and trying to spinoff a younger set of characters. Dawson's Creek struggled by trying to sex it up by adding femme fatale-wannabe Eve, one of the worst characters in television history. But both of those shows were able to fix those problems and finish the 3rd season on a strong note. Dawson's Creek gave us the Joey-Pacey relationship and 90210 gave us "Donna Martin Graduates!". The O.C. was a mess from beginning to end. Everything they tried went embarassingly wrong. We had Jeri Ryan as a potential/scam artist, Seth smoking pot, Eric Mabius as an evil headmaster, Marissa befriending/ loving/ dumping/ killing an idiot surfer, Marissa falling in love with bad boy Volchok, Kirsten's alcoholism barely addressed except when convenient, Sandy's idiotic "dark" corporate story arc, and much more. The one thing that did work was cast addition Autumn Reeser, whose one-dimensional Taylor Townsend ended up being the most entertaining character on the show. Thankfully, she will be back and Marissa won't. Maybe there is hope for season 4, but I'm not holding my breath.

Best Episode: "The College Try"
Worst Episode: "The Graduates"
Best Performer: Autumn Reeser
Worst Performer: Mischa Barton
Final Season Grade: C-
Rank Against Previous Seasons: 3rd/3

TV Season 2005-06: Year in Review

2006-05-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

The 2005-06 TV season has come to a close, and it's definitely been an interesting year. While the quality has dipped from last season, there were still some really good shows on the air, from both the networks and cable. Over the next week, I will be doing my annual top 10/Awards rush. Starting from the very worst, I will be doing writeups of all the shows I watched this year all the way through to my top 10. In between each writeup, I will present a different awards category.

Before I do that, I'd also like to ffer some brief notes on the year end Nielsen ratings.

*Shows with the Worst Demos: NCIS (16th, 43rd), Cold Case (20th, 43rd), 60 Minutes (26th, 64th), Commander in Chief (28th, 53rd) Close to Home (45th, 74th), Ghost Whisperer (47th, 70th), The West Wing (65th, 104th)

*Shows with the Best Demos: The Apprentice (38th, 17th), The Biggest Loser (48th, 28th), The Bachelor: Paris (53rd, 28th), Prison Break (55th, 30th), The Simpsons (56th, 25th), The Office (67th, 34th), Family Guy (69th, 34th), Four Kings (80th, 48th), American Dad (85th, 43rd), Scrubs (96th, 64th)

*Lowest Rated Renewed Shows of Each Network: UPN's Veronica Mars (145th, 142nd), WB's One Tree Hill (139th, 137th), Fox's The Loop (125th, 115th), ABC's What About Brian (99th, 67th), NBC's Scrubs (96th, 64th), The Amazing Race (56th, 48th)

*Biggest Year to Year Improvements: The Office (+48%, +60%), House (+30%, +31%), All of Us (+23%, +40%), 24 (+16%, +14%), American Idol Tuesday (+14%, +13%), American Idol Wednesday (+14%, +11%)

Biggest Year to Year Declines: Stacked (-54%, -54%), One Tree Hill (-35%, -37%), The Apprentice 4 (-32%, -36%), The Apprentice 5 (-31%, -38%), Joey (-30%, -33%), The Amazing Race (-30%, -34%), The West Wing (-27%, -33%), ER (-21%, -26%), Survivor Panama (-20%, -23%)

NBC says "No Mas"

2006-05-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, NBC surrendered as I expected, and moved Studio 60 out of the way of deadly competition on Thursday night. However, I'm not sure the new solution is really any better.
Studio 60 has moved to Monday at 10pm, following new superhero drama Heroes. This could be problematic if Heroes does not pan out at 9pm, leaving Studio with a weak lead-in. Also, Studio 60 will be competing with Monday Night Football. While ratings for that will certainly drop with the move to ESPN, it will still carry quite a deal of the male 18-49 demographic that I'm sure NBC hoped would watch Studio. To be fair, NBC didn't have very many options, but I don't think this was the best one.

With the change, NBC moves Deal or no Deal to the 9pm Thursday slot. Not a bad move, since it's a low cost way to compete against Grey's Anatomy and CSI. However, if Deal really struggles, it could doom ER and The Black Donnelly's in the 10pm slot. I'm glad they left Office/Earl alone, as I expect both of them to show improvement in the 8pm slot, without CSI standing in the way.

Other moves include the decision to shift it's wednesday comedy block to the 8pm hour. This is a smart move that gives these shows a chance to shine in a timeslot devoid of competing comedies. Law & Order takes over the Friday 10pm slot, sending Law & Order: Criminal Intent to Tuesday at 9pm (for a 2 hour L&O block) and Kidnapped being moved to at 10pm. The L&O moves should be fine, as the fans will likely follow those shows anywhere, but Kidnapped might struggle all by itself on Wednesday.

Obviously, NBC had to do something. They couldn't leave Studio 60 where it is. It would have certainly died a very early death. But this just shows the weakness of NBC overall. They really don't have any top notch show that could directly compete with Grey's Anatomy and CSI. This allowed the other networks to bully them out of the timeslot. And it's really a failure of development. Over the last decade, NBC has had hits such as Friends, Will & Grace, Frasier, ER, and three Law & Orders. They were incredibly inept at trying to use these shows to create new hits. Year after year, they put out an abysmal development slate (I mean, they put Union Square on the air!). Now their highest rated shows are also their oldest shows. It's going to be quite a while until NBC can right the ship.

Fall TV 2006: The CW's Fall Lineup

2006-05-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY

**7:00-7:30 PM EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
7:30-8:00 PM ALL OF US
8:00-8:30 PM GIRLFRIENDS
8:30-9:00 PM THE GAME (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICAS NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)

This should be one of the CW's better nights. Everybody Hates Chris was stuck leading in to underperforming comedies last season, but they've got a fairly reliable group here. The Game is a comedy about the girlfriend of a third string pro football player, her boyfriend and their friends. It comes from the same producers as lead-in Girlfriends and should fit right in.

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM 7TH HEAVEN
9:00-10:00 PM RUNAWAY (New Series)

I guess I can't blame The CW for keeping 7th Heaven alive. The ratings must have been too tempting to let go, and they made up for it with the Veronica Mars renewal. I can blame them for greenlighting the umpteenth conspiracy thriller Runaway. I'm not sure how they expect this to fit in with 7th Heaven. The rejected Aaron Spelling teen drama Split Decision sounded like a much better fit for this slot, but I haven't seen either of the pilots, so who knows.

TUESDAY

**8:00-9:00 PM GILMORE GIRLS
**9:00-10:00 PM VERONICA MARS

Gilmore Girls went into a serious decline in quality last season, and that may continue with the loss of the Palladino's (although I argue the reverse might be true). Still, the ratings continue to be strong, in the face of any and all competition. I don't expect that to change. The CW deserves alot of credit for keeping low rated, high quality drama Veronica Mars on the air. Hopefully they can figure out a way to get Gilmore fans to sample this show. Creator Rob Thomas's idea of doing three mini-arcs as opposed to one season long arc sounds like a good idea. I hope it pays off.

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAS NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM ONE TREE HILL

Top Model was a no brainer at 8pm, as it's one of the highest rated shows from WB/UPN last season. You know what else was a no brainer? Cancelling One Tree Hill. I can understand the decision to renew a high rated low quality show (7th Heaven) and renewing a low rated high quality show (Veronica Mars), but you're not supposed to renew a low rated, low quality show. The Split Decision pilot really must have sucked.

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

Smallville will continue to perform very strongly at 8pm, as the other networks are going for comedies or Survivor. At 9pm, Supernatural's specialized audience will probably not be affected by the increased competition on the big networks.

FRIDAY 8:00-10:00 PM FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!

Yeah.

MIDSEASON

The only midseason show listed in CW's press release is the midseason drama Hidden Palms, from creator Kevin Williamson. The show follows a 15 yr old who moves in with his mother (after father's suicide) to a close knit community in Palm Springs, where there are mysterious secrets (oh no!). Kevin Williamson hasn't done anythign watchable since Scream 2, but this does also have the involvement of Scott Winant (thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Cupid). Also rumored to be held back for midseason is returning sitcom Reba, which got a last minute reprieve. Not sure what in the world they plan to do with it, though.

Despite the baffling decision to renew One Tree Hill, The CW did make some decent moves in it's first season. They combined the best of both UPN and WB, got great press for renewing Veronica Mars, and with great clearance rates for their affiliates, they should be in excellent shape for a strong debut. The big drawback is their incredibly weak development slate. I honestly don't think any of them will be back next year.

Fall TV 2006: Fox's New Lineup

2006-05-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

**-This denotes show that I plan to watch next season. I have also edited that in for my coverage of the other network slates.

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM VANISHED

I'm not a big fan of the incredibly contrived Prison Break, but it provides solid demos for FOX, and they've wisely paired it up with new conspiracy drama Vanished, which should benefit from this slot. This was a death slot for Fox last season, but I think they'll make some strides here.

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM STANDOFF
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

Standoff has been described as a show with the dynamic of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, where the married couple are hostage negotiators. I don't see much promise in this setup, even if the cast does include Gina Torres, and even if I'm incredibly amused that Michael Cudlitz (Brenda's prom date!) has a regular role on a network TV series. This will likely be one of the first Fox cancellations.

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM JUSTICE

Bones was a solid performer for Fox last season, and it's only major competition in this slot is CBS's Jericho, as the other networks are throwing up comedies or reality shows. Leading out of Bones is Justice, a new lawyer show, because we can't have enough of those. This one does have an interesting central character played by the awesome Victor Garber. I might check this out just to see how he plays off of Dawson's Creek alum Kerr Smith. Probably not, though.

THURSDAY
8:00-8:30 PM 'TIL DEATH
8:30-9:00 PM HAPPY HOUR
**9:00-10:00 PM THE O.C.

Fox leads off the night with it's biggest comedy gun, Til Death, which stars Everybody Loves Raymond alum Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher as a longtime married whose new neighbors are newlyweds. There's alot of comedy competing for this slot, but I think Garrett gives this show the profile it needs, and ABC's Big Day is the show most likely to suffer from the competition. Following it up is Happy Hour, a comedy that must have had a terrific pilot because the weak premise and lack of star power make this a puzzling addition to the lineup. I expect some dropoff here. Fox decides to keep The O.C. put. While I expect The O.C. to suffer due to the increased competition in this hour, I also think previous viewers may start to drift back if the rumors about Mischa Barton's departure (and the promising cast additions of Willa Holland and Autumn Reeser) are true. Fox will probably be happy if it can match last year's ratings.

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NANNY 911
9:00-10:00 PM TRADING SPOUSES: MEET YOUR NEW MOMMY

I don't watch reality shows, but I'm sure Fox will get exactly what they expect out of these. The combination of low budgets and serviceable ratings makes for nice profitability on Friday nights.

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA STRIKES BACK

Fox's mainstays on these nights are also very profitable shows and will probably continue for a very long time.

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
7:30-8:00 PM FOOTBALL OVERRUN (COMEDY ENCORES)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME

This is Fox's most consistent night and I don't expect much to change. There may be some slight erosion due to NBC's Sunday Night Football, but there already was football at the same time on ESPN in previous years, so I doubt it will have much effect.

MIDSEASON

Fox will shuffle their lineup a bit for midseason, to make room for American Idol and 24. Justice will take over for Bones at 8pm (in the unlikely event that Justice is actually still on the air), which will switch to Fridays at 8. Joining Bones on Friday is The Wedding Album, a dramedy starring Bruno Campos about a wedding photographer. Can you say early cancellation? The Loop returns in the prime 930 Wednesday slot. Someone at Fox really likes that show. Not sure why. Midseason comedy The Winner does sound promising, with a cast consisting of The Daily Show's Rob Corrdry, Lenny Clarke, and Julie Hagerty, even if the premise does sound ridiculous. On the Lot is a reality show (from Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett) where 16 filmmakers compete by making short films each week, until one of them is determined the winner and given a job with Dreamworks. It will likely be the only unscripted primetime series I watch next season.

It's quite a surprise that Fox has turned into one of the most boring networks on TV (althought he top prize still belogns to CBS for now). None of their new pilots are very ambitious and some of their renewals don't make much sense. I mean, what's the point of renewing The O.C. when you could probably get a new drama for much cheaper that could also pull a 5 share? They definitely have the weakest slate of the major networks. The only show that I think will get renewed is Brad Garrett's Til Death. Hopefully this is an aberration, and they'll bring us a more daring slate next year.

Fall TV 2006: CBS's New Lineup

2006-05-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLASS
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI

CBS wisely gets freshman hit How I Met Your Mother to lead off the night and try to help bookend their only new sitcom offering. The Class is (yet another) school reunion show, although this is for a group of people who shared the same 3rd grade class. Not sure about the rest of the case but Jason Ritter is an appealing comic lead, and the show should be a good fit for this hammock slot. The rest of this successful night stays put, including midseason Seinfeld cursebreaker The New Adventures of Old Christine. Gone from last season are Out of Practice and Courting Alex, two shows that had promising futures but CBS had no idea what do with them. I've rarely seen a show more abused by a network than Out of Practice.

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE UNIT
10:00-11:00 PM SMITH

New drama Smith sounds like a procedural that works from the other side of the law. It follows a criminal mastermind (Ray Liotta) and his group of friends as they go across the country on daring robbery missions. Not something I'm likely to go for, but it should fit in nicely with solidly performing lead-in The Unit.

WEDNESDAY
**8:00-9:00 PM JERICHO
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY

Jericho is the most interesting new show CBS has to offer. It follows the residents of a small Kansas town following a nuclear attack. Unfortunately, this is a timeslot that CBS has had trouble with lately and could doom Jericho to a quick demise. I wish CBS had found a hammock slot for this. Strongly performing snoozefest procedurals finish out the night.

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
**10:00-11:00 PM SHARK

It's not surprising that CBS stays pat in the face of ABC's challenge. There is enough room for CSI and Grey's Anatomy, but I have a feeling that Grey's will win the 9pm slot in the end. CBS still owns the 8pm hour although if Survivor continues to decline, their hold on it could significantly weaken (especially if NBC's comedy block shows continued growth). Shark is the most high-profile show on CBS's radar, with Spike Lee directing and James Woods starring as a flamboyant attorney. The show was given a big gift with the 10pm slot, and I expect it to be their highest rated new offering this season.

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GHOST WHISPERER
9:00-10:00 PM CLOSE TO HOME
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS

It will be interesting to see if ABC's ambitious push on this night will put a dent into CBS's plans. I certainly hope so, because this lineup puts me to sleep.

SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS: MYSTERY

Whatever.

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00 PM COLD CASE
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE

Jettisoning the movie of the week night is a good move. Cold Case and Without a Trace are both the type of shows that those viewers would be watching anyways. The Amazing Race might have trouble in the 8pm hour, but will manage to be respectable. CBS should finish 2nd or 3rd, depending on how Sunday Night Football does on NBC, with ABC keeping the ratings crown on this night for another year.

MIDSEASON

King of Queens will return to the network for a 13 episode order that accomodates Kevin James film schedule. Look for it to replace Class or Christine on Monday night or to team up with the Patrick Warburton midseason comedy Rules of Engagement to fill in for a failing drama (probably Jericho). They also have two new dramas on the bench. 3 LBS is a medical drama (uh, ok) starring Stanley Tucci and Waterfront is a very promising show about Joe Pantoliano as the quirky mayor of Providence, RI. I hope they give it a shot at 10pm on Sunday or Thursday.

CBS definitely has one of the dullest lineups on TV. They've played it safe for years, relying on tried and true formulas for churning out successful shows. Now they've got a ton of hour long dramas that get good overall ratings, but only decent demos. Because of this, they have very little room on their schedule to play with, leading to the inexplicable treatment of Out of Practice (performing well on Mondays, they put it on hiatus for a couple months, moved it to Wednesday and cancelled it after one airing.) CBS will have to clear up some of these aging, older-skewing shows or they will run into the same problem that doomed them in the mid-90s.

Fall TV 2006: Veronica Mars

2006-05-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

The CW doesn't announce until Thursday, but according to series creator Rob Thomas, Veronica Mars has been renewed for a 3rd season!!! This is one of the most remarkable runs for a low rated, critically acclaimed show, and we have Dawn Ostroff to thank for that. It makes absolutely no business sense to keep this show on the air, but she's determined, against all odds, to make this show work. I only wish that she had been running ABC in May 1995. Only drawback to this news is Veronica's 22 episode order could be reduced to 13 episodes depending on ratings. The way Veronica Mars deals with season long mysteries means the show could possibly be cut at a really inopportune time. But that's something to worry about for later. Now it's time to celebrate!!

There were some other baffling decisions made by The CW, but I'll get to those when they announce on Thursday.

Note: My source for this article comes from http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=700002002 although I'm sure it has also been heavily discussed on the TWOP forums.

Fall TV 2006: ABC's New Lineup

2006-05-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

MONDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Wife Swap"
9:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"/"Supernanny"
**10:00 p.m. "What About Brian"

Two hours of reality shows are a good low cost, decent ratings way of starting off the night. What About Brian's renewal was surprising, but it did pick up some steam in its final outing. ABC sees some potential, but I doubt how far this show can go.

TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"/"Set for the Rest of Your Life"
9:00 p.m. "Let's Rob..."
9:30 p.m. "Help Me Help You"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

Set for the Rest of Your Life sounds like an interesting game show concept, but I doubt will have enough broad appeal to last. ABc fills the 9pm hour with two new comedies to compete with NBC's new pair. They seem to be really high on Let's Rob, which features Donal Logue as a guy who recruits his friends for a robbery (of Mick Jagger). Help Me Help You features Ted Danson in a show about a group of people that meet in therapy. The cast also amusingly includes Jere Burns, from Dear John. I think the NBC pair will win this battle (in ratings and quality) but we'll have to see what else comes in at this hour.

WEDNESDAY

8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"/"George Lopez"/"According to Jim"
**9:00 p.m. "Lost"
**10:00 p.m. "The Nine"

ABC starts the night off with the popular Dancing With the Stars and in midseason brings in the two veteran sitcoms. They should perform at least as good as Alias did this season, but probably not better demos. Not sure how much life is left in those two, especially Jim. Lost stays put and leads in to The Nine, a promising new show that details how 9 people cope with the aftermath of a hostage situation. If they can keep Lost's audience awake long enough, this one could do very well.

THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m. "Big Day"
**8:30 p.m. "Notes from the Underbelly"
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Six Degrees"

This is where ABC makes it's stand. For so many years it was NBC that dominated this night, until CBS took over with Survivor and CSI. NBC has been scratching to stay in 2nd place, but it will be tough for them to do this season. ABc opens with two comedies to challenge the the My Name is Earl/Office combo. Big Day is (yet another) real time series, revolving around the intricate planning during a wedding day. Notes From the Underbelly is a more promising offering, mainly because it offers the brilliant Jennifer Westfeldt as the lead character in a show about a married couple dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. I'm not sure about the ratings potential for either of these, especially in this timeslot, but I will probably check both of them out. At 9pm, ABC really upended the balance of this night by moving Grey's Anatomy into the hour. They're not only trying to compete on Thursday, but they're trying to win it outright. Grey's has been so strong, I expect it to seriously compete with CSI. NBC has seriously got to consider moving Studio 60 at this point. There is no way it can survive this competition. ABC closes out the night with Six Degrees, another JJ Abrams ensemble show (with another strong cast) dealing with his favorite theme - destiny. The success of this wills depend on how well Grey's does, and if ER continues to decline.

FRIDAY:
**8:00 p.m. "Betty the Ugly"
**9:00 p.m. "Men in Trees"
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

ABC gives me a reason to watch network TV on Friday nights again, with a very promising offering of two new series. Betty the Ugly is an adaptation of a telenovela, and with a pair of great leads in America Ferrara and Eric Mabius, this show should be one of the most original and interesting offerings this fall. Men in Trees is less original, but with a strong cast led by Anne Heche and John Amos, could be a charming little show. ABC will really need to push these two so they don't get lost on Friday night, but that be difficult since their focus will obviously be Grey's Anatomy.

SATURDAY:
**8:00 p.m. "ABC Saturday Night College Football"

ABC brings in college football to partially make up for the loss of Monday Night Football. As with NBC's Sunday Night NFL offering, this is a good spot to advertise other shows, but college football is more regionalized than the NFL and there will be more variance in the ratings depending on the week to week matchup.

SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
**9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
**10:00 p.m. "Brothers & Sisters"

After the usual lead-ins, ABC sticks with hit Desperate Housewives, using it to launch another drama, hoping it can catch fire a la Grey's Anatomy. Brothers and Sisters is a setimental family drama led by Calista Flockhart and featuring a very eclectic cast (Betty Buckley, Ron Rifkin, Patricia Wettig, Rachel Griffiths). This sounds like the perfect fit for this timeslot.

Midseason

ABC has 6 new shows held for midseason, although three of them are variety/reality shows (AKA who cares). The only promising midseason offering is Day Break, an action series starring Taye Diggs as a cop trying to prove his innocence. The other scripted shows are the awful sounding conspiracy show Traveler, and the high school reunion show In Case of Emergency (I thought we were done with these), featuring Jonathan Silverman, Lori Loughlin, and David Arquette (I thought we were done with them, too).

Despite a disappointing fall season last year, ABC is still on a roll. They've got some of the most successful young series on the air, and should be in good shape for a long time. The move of Grey's Anatomy to Thursday night is the sign of a confident, aggressive network that think they can win anywhere. Part of the reason for ABC's success is their outstanding development department, and they've got a terrific slate this year that should keep them going strong..

Fall TV 2006: NBC's New Lineup

2006-05-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

Monday

8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
**9-10 p.m. "Heroes"
10-11 p.m. "Medium"

It'll be interesting to see how the lack of Monday Night Football on network TV will effect this night of TV. People will still tune in on ESPN, but will there be more viewers for network shows, now? We'll see. NBC leads off the night with it's hit game show for idiots Deal or No Deal, follows it up with a potential hit Heroes, which will need to succeed early because it's sure to be expensive. Medium will be here for a while.

Tuesday

8-9 p.m. "Friday Night Lights"
9-10 p.m. "Kidnapped"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

With mainstay SVU in the 10pm timeslot, NBC starts off this night with two new shows. Friday Night Lights is based on the incredible novel fo the same name, but is likely to be more influenced by the pedestrian film adaptation. It might garner some itnerest at first, but I wouldn't expect it to last. Kidnapped has more potential, in the era of Prison Break and 24. If the story is interesting enough, people will tune in for this one, and it makes for a good lead-in to SVU.

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "The Biggest Loser"
9-9:30 p.m. "20 Good Years"
**9:30-10 p.m. "30 Rock"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order"

More idiotic reality nonsense with The Biggest Loser leading off the night. At the 9pm hour, NBC offers up two sacrificial lambs to face off against Lost and American Idol audience. 20 Good Years pairs up John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor, and 30 Rock is Tina Fey's attempt at satirizing variety TV. Both of these shows are promising. As long as NBC is patient (like their admirable faith in The Office paid off last season), they might have something good, but it's probably best that they eventually find a better timeslot.

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. "My Name Is Earl" (new time)
**8:30-9 p.m. "The Office" (new time)
**9-10 p.m. "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"
**10-11 p.m. "ER"

Fans of The Office (which include me) are happy that their show keeps it's comfy post-Earl slot. Moving the pair up to 8pm is probably a good idea to lead off the night, but putting heavily hyped Studio 60 at 9pm opposite CSI is a huge mistake. Studio 60 does not have the obvious broad appeal of The West Wing, and is more analogous to Sorkin's Sports Night, which struggled for rating success. This is a show that needs some nurturing, and throwing it in the crossfire at the start could quickly kill it. NBC surprisingly kept ER at 10pm (which would have been a better spot for Studio), but oddly holds The Black Donnellys back until midseason, where it will take over this slot. ER has been declining for years now, but John Wells has done an amazing job keeping it afloat with some terrific casting additions, and this year is no different with John Stamos coming aboard (unless ABC screws him over again by renewing Jake in Progress.)

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. "Deal or No Deal"
9-10 p.m. "Las Vegas"
10-11 p.m. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"

Wow, what a boring night. NBC is sure to get exactly what they expect out of this lineup: a decent share of the people that are actually home.

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. "Dateline Saturday"
9-11 p.m. Drama Series Encores

I'm not sure what to think about Drama Series Encores. It's nice that they reserve a night to help out some of their struggling shows, but I'm wary of how much help that will actually do. UPN sometimes shows Veronica Mars three times a week and that doesn't seem to help. If anything, it might simply be diluting the ratinGs from the original night.

SUNDAY
**7-8 p.m. "FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA"
**8-11 p.m. "SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL"

It should be interesting to see what NBC gets out of this football night. They brought in some big guns to sit in the studio, most notably Bob Costas. They will actually debut with a Thursday night game, but the first Sunday nighter is sure to be huge. It features Payton Manning vs. his brother Eli Manning in what will be a massively hyped contest. It'll be a great start for this night and surely at least keep NBC in 2nd place (with some very nice demos) to ABC. The problem is what to do after football ends.

MIDSEASON

NBC has picked up veterans Crossing Jordan and Scrubs for midseason. The Scrubs pickup is pretty bizaare. The rumor is that ABC has been waiting for NBC to kill this show so they can pick it up. NBC's scheduling strategy led to disastrous ratings for the show's 5th season. So why do they not only want to keep it, but also use the same exact strategy?

New shows held for midseason include Raines, about an eccentric detective (Jeff Goldblum) that can communicate with the dead, and The Singles Table, about five single friends who meet at a wedding. Not sure about Raines. I already don't watch The Ghost Whisperer, and Goldblum isn't quite as hot as Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Overall, NBC has a pretty decent lineup this year. Sunday Night Football is sure to be huge for them, not only in ratings, but in advertising potential. And if there's any network that loves overhyped promos for their shows, it's NBC. Still, I fear that some scheduling mistakes might doom them at the start.

I'll have an overview of ABC's fall schedule tomorrow.

Conflict Resolution

2006-05-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in waiting so long to comment on one of the best individual episodes of TV in a long time. Last Thursday, The Office gave us an episode called "Conflict Resolution" that absolutely blew me away.

I've mentioned before that I tend to watch shows that have continuing storylines that build for more than one to two episodes. "Conflict Resolution" is a perfect example why. Everything that has happened in the past season (including the 6 episode 1st season) collided in a brilliant episode that was both painful and hilarious. The scene where Michael goes through the list of pranks Jim has played on Dwight shows how brilliantly complex this show is. It starts at as one thing, and becomes something completely different.

There was a great moment in the episodes final scene. Two major season long conflicts finally came to head, and in the most uncomfortable way possible. One of the supporting characters utters "oh dear" and it completely makes the scene. In a day when most sitcoms would prefer to end an episode with "oh no, you di'int", The Office is definitely very refreshing. This show has been so good this year that it's the best comedy on TV since, well, The Office. And this week we have a supersized season finale to look forward to, which was written by none other than Steve Carell.

Akeelah and the Bee

2006-05-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Um...I have so much to say on this movie, I'm going to have to do a full length review of it later. This movie definitely had some flaws (the stupid parent cheating scene is just AWFUL), but when it goes right, it REALLY goes right. This is mostly due to the cast, filled with unknowns and veterans. The lead girl Keke Palmer is absolutely brilliant. It is rare to see an actress of her age (13) to have so much confident screen presence. She shares several major scenes with Laurence Fishburne and matches him step for step. It is pure magic when these two are working together. Wow. The casting director is a genius, because all of the performers are strong, even the unknowns that portray her friends. There's not a weak one in the bunch. Still, this is Keke's movie and she deserves If Hollywood really wants to prove they're not racist, they should stop giving Oscars to movies like Crash (and nominations to...um, Matt Dillon) and make sure Keke Palmer has a long lasting career, something that is very difficult to achieve even for the most talented of black actresses.

Note: I'd also like to point out that this film shares more than a few similarities to Searching for Bobby Fischer (not to mention Spellbound), which also had Fishburne in the cast. Fishburne produced Akeelah, so it's likely he brought those ideas with him. Akeelah's actions late in the Nationals are very reminiscent of a similar scene in Fischer.

Fall TV 2006: The Most Promising Pilots

2006-05-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here's an overview of the most promising pilots for the 2006-07 TV season. I have not seen any of these pilots, so I'm basing this solely on the premise and talent involved.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)

Aaron Sorkin's (and Tommy Schlamme) return to primetime television alone would be enough to get me excited about a series. But then on top of that he's cast Bradley Whitford, Matthew Perry, and the amazing Sarah Paulson (along with others such as Timothy Busfield, Amanda Peet, and Carlos Jacott). The pilot script, about the behind the scenes politics of a late night variety show, is rumored to be brilliant. I can't wait for this.

Split Decision (CW)

I'm always up for a good teen series. This one has Aaron Spelling behind it and a very interesting premise. It follows two separate realities based on a decision the new girl makes on her first day in school. The lead is Jessy Schram, who was very good in a recurring role on Veronica Mars this season and the supporting cast features Jessica Lucas and Steven Eckholdt (poor Tina).

Notes From the Underbelly (CBS)

I have some mixed feelings on this one. It's a single camera (yay) comedy that follows the lives of a couple that just realized they're about to have a baby. The premise seems somewhat limited, so they'll have to make the characters interesting enough to follow after it wears down. This also has the involvement of Two and a Half Men scribes (yikes!). However, this one makes my list because the awesome Jennifer Westfeldt is the female lead. I'll watch anything she does.

A House Divided (ABC)

This one gets a spot on my list because it's the most ambitious concept for the upcoming fall season. It follows rising tension among a group of farmers defying taxation and other world events that point toward a new civil war. I have no idea how this concept will develop, and that's what's so great about it. The cast is an interesting mix of established vets (Dylan McDermott, Kathleen York) and lesser knowns that I've usually enjoyed (Shannon Lucio, Sarah Clarke, Bill Smitrovich).

Ugly Betty (ABC)

Another creative offering from ABC, this is their attempt to adapt a telenovela for American audiences. This follows an ugly duckling (the terrific America Ferrara) who is hired to be the assistant to the new owner of a fashion magazine (a perfectly cast Eric Mabius). The show naturally follows these two characters as they navigate a world of betrayal and deceit. I'm not sure if this will work, but if it's a failure, at least it will be an interesting one.

Other interesting pilots include:

The high concept action series Day Break (ABC), which features Taye Diggs and Adam Baldwin. Jericho (CBS) deals with the aftermath of a nuclear attack in a small Kansas town. The Black Donnellys (NBC) tells the story of four Irish brothers involved in the criminal underworld. Waterfront (CBS) is an interesting vehicle for Joe Pantoliano where he plays the quirky mayor of Providence, RI. And the comic drama Men In Trees (ABC) could be a strong vehicle for Anne Heche and a great supporting cast.

Friends With Money

2006-04-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

Every 5 years or so, the film viewing public gets a special treat; a Nicole Holofcener film. I'm absolutely ecstatic that 2006 happens to be one of those years, and Holofcener doesn't disappoint. The story follows the friendship between three married women (Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack, and Frances McDormand) and their single friend (Jennifer Aniston). The structure, like Holofcener's other films, is very loose. The beginning is particularly odd, as it basically amounts to a series of episodic scenes that don't seem to add up. However, by the middle of the 2nd act the film really comes into focus, and that's mostly because of Jennifer Aniston's terrific performance. While this is essentially an ensemble piece, it's Aniston's character that provides the film's central emotional core and the way she delivers her final line is incredibly moving. The rest of the ensemble is also wonderful, especially Holofcener vet Catherine Keener, who I still claim to be the most talented actress working in Hollywood these days. The journey of each of the main characters is touching, funny, and original. Nothing in this movie is trite or predictable. Friends With Money is further proof that Holofcener is a rare talent in Hollywood, and I can't wait for her next movie, even if it won't happen until 2011.

Inside Man

2006-04-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Inside Man was billed as a departure for Spike Lee. It's the story of a bank robbery and the match of wits between the mastermind (Clive Owen) and the detective (Denzel Washington) sent to stop him. It is true that the film fits into a genre mold moreso than most other Spike Lee films, but he still clearly leaves his stamp. The sequence that most comes to mind involves an Arab hostage complaining about his civil rights, and Denzel's character responds with what seems like a throwaway joke, but do you really think Spike's kidding? As with most of his films, Inside Man could not exist in any other city than New York. Even in this genre film, Spike plays up language barriers and racial prejudices. That makes this far more interesting than most films of this kind. It's not a completely successful affair, though. The prolonged ending really sucks some life from the film, and the characters could have used some more development (particularly Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was wasted in a supporting role).

Gilmore Girls

2006-04-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

This has been a most frustrating season for one of my favorite ongoing shows, Gilmore Girls. Coming off a terrific 5th season, the show's finest since it's freshman year, Gilmore Girls has fallen prey to some terrible choices in writing. The first half of the year revolved around the fractured relationship between Lorelai and Rory. While this was an interesting direction to go, it unfortunately deprived us of the show's most memorable quality; the brilliant chemistry between Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel and the strong bond developed between their two characters over the first 5 years. Exploring a rift in that relationship is fine (which they had done before, and never better than in the 1st season Christmas two parter), but they spent way too much time with this.

It seems like part of the reasoning for this split was an excuse to delay Lorelai and Luke's wedding, and this theory gains more strength when the show introduces a long lost daughter for Luke that causes problems right after the Lorelai-Rory rift was repaired. You'd think that a storyline involving Luke's daughter would be a massive mistake and cause the show to slide quickly downhill. You'd be wrong. It's actually not even much of a problem and has been handled fairly well. In fact, in the most recent episode, young actress Vanessa Marano really seemed to fit in nicely with show's fast paced dialogue style.

The real problem is that Rory and her best friend Lane are stuck in terrible relationships that just do not make sense. Rory's current boyfriend is Logan, a character that has been dragging this show down for quite some time. He wasn't able to do much damage last year, but has now been added as a full time cast member. He's an annoying preppie jackass and the writers have given us very little reason to like him. It didn't help matters when we see Jess reappear twice this season, reminding us of a couple that actually had some chemistry.

Meanwhile, Lane has been stuck in a terrible romance for the past two seasons with bandmate Zack. Similar to the problem with Rory's romance, the writers don't give us much reason to like Zack. He was a jerk when they started dating, a jerk when they broke up, and still they have him acting like an ass after he's proposed marriage to her. Sadly, she accepted. The season seems to be winding down to a Lane-Zack wedding, instead of, I don't know, A LUKE-LORELAI WEDDING. It's sad because given the history of Lane's character throughout the show, her wedding should be a rich, fulfilling moment. Instead, it might very well ruin her character forever.

I don't have much hope for the future. Previews for the next few episodes don't lead me to believe the Zack-Lane wedding will be called off, and the actor playing Logan has been locked up for next season. The Luke-Lorelai wedding angst will probably be carried out as long as possible (although I hope I'm wrong). It's going to be a while before this show gets fixed, and at the moment I'm not very confident that it will ever happen.

P.S. Didn't there used to be a character on this show named Sookie? Just wondering.

Thank You For Smoking

2006-04-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Thank You For Smoking is a satire about the tobacco industry and lobbyists. Aaron Eckhart is Nick Naylor, a Tobacco lobbyist who begins having moral quandaries about his job because he's worried what kind of message it will send to his son. At the same time, he gets involved with a reporter (Katie Holmes) whose doing a story on him, and initiates a plan with a Hollywood producer (Rob Lowe) to make cigarettes sexy again. Writer/director Jason Reitman is obviously very clever, and many of his satirical jabs hit the mark. One of my favorite lines ("thank god we invented the whatever device") actually comes at the expense of Hollywood. Reitman has populated the film with a plethora of strong performers. Unfortunately, Reitman doesn't have it in him to take the premise as far as it could go. He's more interested in nicely tidying things up than really going after his targets. It's a shame because there are few people in Hollywood as good as Aaron Eckhart in playing sleazy, corrupt men (witness his brilliant performance in In the Company of Men, a film that didn't pull it's punches). It's hard to deny Thank You For Smoking is a funny movie, but unfortunately it's writer/director doesn't have the nerve to make it a great one.

Slither

2006-04-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Slither is a horror/comedy written and directed by James Gunn. One of the great pleasures of Slither is the lack of cynicism. While most horror films in the last decade (since Scream) have felt the need to be self-referential and hip to distance themselves from the genre, Slither uses it's humor in a way to embrace it's predecessors. There's lots of campy humor, but it's easy to tell that Gunn is a big fan of classic zombie films and is honoring them, more than picking them apart. Gunn has a perfect eye for casting, with leads Nathan Filion and Elizabeth Banks both experts at sticking their tongue firmly in their cheeks. Also on hand is Gregg Henry, who gets some of the film's best lines, and Tania Saulnier, whose bathtub encounter with slugs is the film's most frightening moment. Slither is a fun horror movie that hits it's mark more often than not.

The Next Six Feet Under?

2006-03-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

There was a big void left in the TV landscape when Six Feet Under bowed out after five memorable seasons of unique family drama. This season there have been a couple new shows that threatened to take over, but neither were able to rise to the same level of consistent excellence.

The Book of Daniel had one of the more promising casts of the year, with Aidan Quinn and Susanna Thompson as the leads, and supporting roles for Ellen Bustyn, Dylan Baker, Christian Campbell, and the brilliant Garret Dillahunt. The show revolved around a minister, his troubled family, and his imaginary (or not) conversations with Jesus. The show was certainly clever, but the problem is that the people involved knew they were clever, and they weren't very good at hiding it. The overall smugness of the few episodes that aired annoyed me and likely turned most viewers away.

The more likely successor, particularly because it's from the same network, was HBO's Big Love. This show involves a mormon businessman (Bill Paxton) who has three wives (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin) and many children. Big Love is far more successful than Book of Daniel, mainly because the quirky aspects are merely used as a subset to genuine emotional conflicts. The supporting cast brings alot to the table, particularly Ginnifer Goodwin and Grace Zabriskie, but there is a huge gaping hole at the center with Bill Paxton. He is just not strong enough to carry such a complex show on his own. For instance, there's a scene at the end of the 2nd episode where he delivers a big speech to Goodwin's character and he is unable to sell it at all. It may be unfair, but it's inevitable that Paxton be compared unfavorably to the brilliant Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall. It's a comparison that Paxton and Big Love will lose every time.

Several times during Six Feet Under's run, people complained about how it had fallen apart or juimped the shark, or whatever trendy term people use to substitute for a normal argument these days. Now after seeing how hard it is to duplicate what Six Feet Under did, people should realize what a rare accomplishment it was. It was the perfect combination of talent, style, and tone. It also ended with one of the most satisfying finales in TV history. We won't see something like it again for a long time.

The Office

2006-03-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

When The Office premiered last season, I thought it was a pretty funny show with a nice ensemble cast. It had the promise to maybe be as good as the last great workplace sitcom Newsradio. I didn't think it would realize that potential because it seemed certainly destined for cancellation, if not last season then probably very early this season. However, the usually unimaginative NBC stuck with it, using creative ways to boost the ratings (the Itunes downloads have been immensely helpful) and it's now one of their most solidly performing offerings.

The Office didn't only improve it's ratings, it made an emormous improvement in quality during the 2nd season. The show's biggest asset is the cast, and with a longer season they have really had a chance to flesh out their characters. Steve Carell has been able to make Michael Scott into a three-dimensional character while still retaining his character's ridiculously wrongheaded attempts at humor. Rainn Wilson continues to push the envelope as the bizaare Dwight. There's also been terrific use of the minor supporting cast, with my favorite being Mindy Kaling as the talkative Kelly.

My favorite part of the Office, and the part that has really taken off in the 2nd season, is the relationship between Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer). Jim is the average guy, stuck in a dead end job with an annoying co-worker sitting across from him and an obnoxious boss. The only thing that gets him through the day is his friendship, and infatuation with receptionist Pam, who is unfortunately engaged. Together, they play practical jokes on Dwight and fumble around with their obvious affection for each other. The best gags involve Jim hiding Dwight's desk in the bathroom, putting all of Dwight's stuff in the vending machine, or making him think it was Friday instead of Thursday (causing him to miss work the next day). Because I work in an office environment myself and deal with many of the same things, Jim and Pam have become my heroes.

I only recently saw the UK version of The Office, but the Jim/Pam relationship is even more impressive when you see how difficult a task they had in recreating the amazing chemistry of Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) in the original version. For instance, how could they possibly recreate the heartstopping scene at the end of UK series 2 when Tim cut off his microphone and asked Dawn not to leave? Well, in one of the most famous episodes of the US version, "The Booze Cruise", there is a moment where Jim and Pam stare at each other for 27 seconds, without any dialogue whatsoever. Krasinski and Fischer did wonders with this memorable scene. Unfortunately, the open ended nature of the US version will make it more difficult to have the same kind of closure that we got to see for Tim and Dawn, but I'm confident that the writers can make it work.

It's a great feeling when quality shows seem to be doing well. Last season, I was upset when The Office was randomly renewed and Kevin Hill and Joan of Arcadia were cancelled. I certainly would have traded The Office to get either of them back, but now I'm ecstatic that NBC finally made a smart decision and stuck with this show. If you're a fan of the BBC version who hasn't seen this one, then I strongly suggest you check it out. Or if you were like me and enjoy the US version but haven't seen the original then I implore you to check that out as well. And if you're Tim, Dawn, Jim, or Pam, then keep fighting the idiots at work. I'll be cheering you on.

Midseason TV: The Unit

2006-03-09T03:17:00.000-08:00

The Unit is a CBS show involving a group of military special forces agents sent on secret missions. There's certainly nothing new about that premise. The one interesting twist is that The Unit also focuses on the wives of the agentsback home (There are sadly no ass kicking female agents on this show). Unfortunately, some pretty hokey writing cheapens that element and prevents The Unit from being a quality show.

The first episode focuses on the introduction of new agent Bob Brown (Scott Foley) into the group. While on a training mission with unit leader Jonas Blane (Dennis Haysbert), they stumble across an airline hijacking in Utah. Back home, Bob's wife Kim (Audrey Marie Anderson) struggles to settle in, as she learns that they'll be living on base and she won't be able to call her husband anytime she feels like it.

There is a major plot hole early on in the show. About 16 minutes in, Kim learns that she now has to adopt a cover. At this point, she has already interacted with dozens of people. There is no reason to believe that such a secretive organization would be so stupid to wait that long before making sure she kept her cover. The writing in general is pretty weak, with the dialogue hitting a low point when one of the wives (played by Regina Taylor) tells Kim "You're not in the Army, You're in the Unit."

The strong points about the Unit include Dennis Haysbert in a thoroughly commanding performance, some extremely well done action scenes, and the strong ensemble cast. The pilot hits a high point near the end with the exciting rescue of the hijacked passengers. Unfortunately, it then completely falls apart right after that with two awful twists that promise some ridiculous melodrama in upcoming episodes. I doubt I'll be sticking around to witness it.

The Wrong Upset

2006-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

I sat there all night waiting for an upset. Come on, we can get at least one upset. Amy over Rachel? Jake over George? Heath over Philip? Something?

The upset finally came. But it was at the wrong time. The worst possible time. In the worst upset since I've been watching the Oscars (yes that includes 1998), Crash won Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain. Is it racism? Is it stupidity? I don't know why and I don't care. It's bullshit no matter what.

This is the part where I'm supposed to say I'm boycotting the Oscars. But I know it would be a lie. I'll be back next year for more punishment.

Oscar Predictions

2006-03-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

Here are my Predictions for the 78th Annual Academy Awards

This list includes the nominees that I think will win, the nominees that deserve to win, and the best non-nominated performance/film from that category.

BEST PICTURE

"Brokeback Mountain"
"Capote"
"Crash"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"Munich"

Should Win: Brokeback Mountain moving tale of love, longing, and regret is far and away the best film of the year, and will go down in history as one of the classic films of this era.
Will Win: When they hand Brokeback Mountain the Oscar this year, it will be the third consecutive year that the Oscars got this category completely right.
Snubbed: Me and You and Everyone We Know was cute without being cloying, funny without being silly, and romantic without being sappy. It avoided every possible misstep that independent quirky romantic comedies usually make.

DIRECTOR

Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"
Bennett Miller, "Capote"
Paul Haggis, "Crash"
George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Steven Spielberg, "Munich"

Should Win: No need to separate director from movie here, as Ang Lee's fingerprints are all over his masterpeice.
Will Win: Lee is even more of a lock than his film. What I mean by that is if Brokeback has a 99.998% chance of winning,t hen Lee has a 99.999% chance.
Snubbed: Stephen Gaghan proved with Traffic that he could write complex multi-character political dramas. With Syriana, he also proved he can direct them, confidently moving through the various storylines and never once getting lost.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"
Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"
David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck"

Should Win: Heath Ledger's complex, introverted performance in Brokeback Mountain was an absolutely moving work of art. I'd also be extremely happy with a David Strathairn victory, though.
Will Win: Complex, introverted performances usually don't win Oscars (sorry Peter Fonda). It usually takes a showy performance and Philip Seymour Hoffman's admittedly strong work as Truman Capote certainly fits that bill.
Snubbed: Lots of great performances in this category got ignored this year (Ledger and Strathairn are the only nominees that made my personal list), but the biggest ommission was Viggo Mortenson's restrained, yet entirely convincing portrait of a killer-turned-family man. Steve Carell amd Eric Bana also should have been here.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
Keira Knightley, "Pride & Prejudice"
Charlize Theron, "North Country"
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"

Should Win: Keira Knightley's cheerful, winning portrayal of Jane Austen's heroine was the most purely entertaining performance of the year.
Will Win: Another one of the most purely entertaining performances was by Reese Witherspoon, who will surely walk away with an Oscar this year. Too bad it's for a terrible movie.
Snubbed: Miranda July not only wrote and directed the unfairly overlooked Me and You and Everyone We Know, but she gave the stunningly original performance at the heart of the movie.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

George Clooney, "Syriana"
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"
William Hurt, "A History of Violence"

Should Win: Despite an upset win at the BAFTA's, Jake Gyllenhaal's performance has been unfairly overlooked during Awards season and received some bewildering criticism. I don't quite understand. Without Jack, there is no Ennis. Ennis's final line is so powerful because Gyllenhaal has made Jack a character worth remembering.
Will Win: This is a tough category, and at least three people have a shot to win (Clooney, Giamatti, and Gyllenhaal), but George Clooney has won most of the pre-Oscar awards and I expect Hollywood to give their new king his first Oscar.
Snubbed: Chiwetel Ejiofor's calmly menacing performance in Serenity created the best villain of the year.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams, "Junebug"
Catherine Keener, "Capote"
Frances McDormand, "North Country"
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain"

Should Win: Keener gave the best performance of the year int his category, but that was for a different movie (The 40 Year Old Virgin). Therefore, I'd have to go with Amy Adams, whose emotional performance was so heartbreaking that you just want to give her a hug.
Will Win: I've been doubting her all along, but Rachel Weisz has won every major pre-Oscar award and I expect her to win the Oscar. Her main competitors are Amy Adams (who could be the MArcia Gay Harden indie darling of this year) or Michelle Williams (who could get carried along by Best Picture Brokeback Mountain).
Snubbed: The unfortunate snub of Maria Bello's performance in a History of Violence is even more annoying because the OScars decided to nominate co-star William Hurt's hammy 10 minute performance (which was only the 5th best performance in the movie). This is also the 2nd time she was overlooked, as she should have previously been nominated for The Cooler.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, "Crash"
George Clooney and Grant Heslov, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Woody Allen, "Match Point"
Noah Baumbach, "The Squid and the Whale"
Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana"

Should Win: Syriana
Will Win: Crash
Snubbed: Me and You and Everyone We Know

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, "Brokeback Mountain"
Dan Futterman, "Capote"
Jeffrey Caine, "The Constant Gardener"
Josh Olsen, "A History of Violence"
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, "Munich"

Should Win: Brokeback Mountain
Will Win: Brokeback Mountain
Snubbed: Pride and Prejudice

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

"Don't Tell" (Italy)
"Joyeux Noël" (France)
"Paradise Now" (Palestine)
"Sophie Scholl" (Germany)
"Tsotsi" (South Africa)

Will Win: Joyeux Noel

ANIMATED FEATURE

"Howl's Moving Castle"
"Tim Burton's Corpse Bride"
"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit"

Should Win: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Will Win: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Snubbed: Deciding to only nominate/honor one movie.

FILM EDITING

Mike Hill and Dan Hanley, "Cinderella Man"
Claire Simpson, "The Constant Gardener"
Hughes Winborne, "Crash"
Michael Kahn, "Munich"
Michael McCusker, "Walk the Line"

Should Win: Munich
Will Win: Crash
Snubbed: Um, Brokeback Mountain, YOU STUPID FUCKS

ORIGINAL SCORE

Gustavo Santaolalla, "Brokeback Mountain"
Alberto Iglesias, "The Constant Gardener"
John Williams, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
John Williams, "Munich"
Dario Marianelli, "Pride & Prejudice"

Should Win: Brokeback Mountain
Will Win: Brokeback Mountain
Snubbed: King Kong

ORIGINAL SONG

"In the Deep" from "Crash"
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow"
"Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica"

Should Win: Don't Care
Will Win: "In the Deep", Crash
Snubbed: Not deciding to abandon this category forever.

ART DIRECTION

Jim Bissell and Jan Pascale, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
Grant Major, Dan Hennah and Simon Bright, "King Kong"
John Myhre and Gretchen Rau, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, "Pride & Prejudice"

Should Win: King Kong
Will Win: King Kong
Snubbed: Sin City

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Wally Pfister, "Batman Begins"
Rodrigo Prieto, "Brokeback Mountain"
Robert Elswit, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Dion Beebe, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Emmanuel Lubezki, "The New World"

Should Win: Brokeback Mountain
Will Win: Good Night and Good Luck
Snubbed: A History of Violence

COSTUME DESIGN

Gabriella Pescucci, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Colleen Atwood, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Sandy Powell, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Jacqueline Durran, "Pride & Prejudice"
Arianne Phillips, "Walk the Line"

Should Win: Pride and Prejudice
Will Win: Memoirs of a Geisha
Snubbed: King Kong

MAKEUP

Howard Berger and Tami Lane, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
David Leroy and Lance Anderson, "Cinderella Man"
Dave Elsey and Annette Miles, "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"

Should Win: Uhhhhhh
Will Win: Uhhhhhh
Snubbed: Sin City

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

"Darwin's Nightmare"
"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"
"March of the Penguins"
"Murderball"
"Street Fight"

Should Win: March of the Penguins
Will Win: March of the Penguins
Snubbed: The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

SOUND MIXING

Terry Porter, Dean A. Zupancic and Tony Johnson, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges and Hammond Peek, "King Kong"
Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline and John Pritchett, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Paul Massey, D. M. Hemphill and Peter F. Kurland, "Walk the Line"
Andy Nelson, Anne Behlmer and Ronald Judkins, "War of the Worlds"

Should Win: War of the Worlds
Will Win: King Kong
Snubbed: Munich

SOUND EDITING

Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn, "King Kong"
Wylie Stateman, "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Richard King, "War of the Worlds"

Should Win: War of the Worlds
Will Win: King Kong
Snubbed: Serenity

VISUAL EFFECTS

Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney and Scott Farrar, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor, "King Kong"
Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra and Daniel Sudick, "War of the Worlds"

Should Win: King Kong
Will Win: King Kong
Snubbed: Serenity

Incredible

2006-02-17T22:49:00.000-08:00

Audrey Hepburn, FUNNY FACE

Something Old

2006-02-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

There's really not much "new" in Sanaa Hamri's romantic comedy "Something New". It's a pretty standard affair about two people who are attracted to each other and spend the entire movie breaking up and getting back together. The movie even sticks with the tired forced breakup formula. The only thing different here is the racial divide between the two main characters. And in a day when Ashton Kutcher has already covered that subject, I don't think it can really be considered groundbreaking.

The movie is about Kenya (Sanaa Lathan), a wealthy black female with a long list of demands for her Mr. Right. One day she gets set up on a blind date with Brian Kelly (Simon Baker), a man who doesn't meet any of those demands, starting with the fact that he's white. She chickens out, but eventually is convinced to hire him as her landscaper, and in the course of spending time together, they begin to fall for one another.

This presents problems for Kenya. Her family certainly isn't ready for her to date a white man, particularly her sexist brother (Donald Faison) or her materialistic mother (Alfre Woodard). She's also presented with another option in the form of Mark (Billy Dee..err Blair Underwood), who fits every criteria she has ever set for her ideal man, except there's no spark.

I can see the beginnings of an interesting film about interracial relationships. Some bits of dialogue here and there (discussions about hair and the "black tax") make me wonder if the screenplay was heavily edited to make this as generic as possible for a mass audience. There's a subplot where Kenya is dealing with a difficult client at work who is obviously uncomfortable with a black woman handling his account. There is some promise to this subplot, but it is only given a handful of very short scenes that lead to a ridiculously contrived conclusion (wow, it's that easy!) and seems designed only to lead to the 3rd Act breakup scene.

I will credit the main performers for making me care about the romance. Sanaa Lathan is incredibly appealing, adeptly portraying an uptight career woman while making her sensual and authentic at the same time. Baker isn't helped much by the script, but he does a good job playing a likeable working class man who knows what he wants. The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Alfre Woodard is wasted in a poorly written one-dimensional role, but Earl Billings steals several scenes as Kenya's supportive father. Donald Faison does his usual schtick, which is fine, but I can (and do) watch that for free 22 times a year. And Blair Underwood can't seem to decide whether to play his character straight or make him a buffoon. He leans a little to the latter at the end, and makes the film's resolution a fairly simple matter.

It's a shame they couldn't make this movie more interesting. Unfortunately, it seemed to be too focused on formula that it forgot to really explore the relationships between it's characters. Let's get a real resolution to a story about racism in the workplace. Yes, I'm certain it happens even for corporate attorneys, and I doubt it's ever been wrapped up as nicely as in this film. Considering the occassional visual flair that Hamri uses, and the sparse bits of interesting dialogue by writer Kriss Turner, I have a feeling the end product was heavily edited (or controlled) by the studio. Whoever is at fault, they took what could have been an interesting film about an interracial romance and turned it into something like ... Guess Who.

I Collect Your Head

2006-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

"As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is... I collect your fucking head. Just like this fucker here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!"

O-Ren Ishii, Kill Bill, Vol. 1

2005 Oscar Nomination Reactions

2006-01-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I broke my previous record by correctly predicting 27 of the 30 nominations in the major categories, missing only Terrence Howard, William Hurt, and Best Picture nominee Munich. I even beat the formula I created, although it still did well on it's own with 26 out of 30 and correctly predicting William Hurt's surprise nomination. (It also beat Smijen's formula).

Overall, this is one of the most satisfying years for nominations in a long time. Keira Knightley had been getting a raw deal throughout the awards season, but her charming performance finally got the recognition it deserved. Also excitinG were the nominations for Steven Spielberg and Munich. Common wisdom pointed to a Walk the Line nomination, and that would've been a terrible injustice. The only really annoying nomination was William Hurt for a History of Violence. There were at least four people in that movie more deserving than him, and two from the same category! (Ed Harris and Ashton Holmes).

Once again E! provided stellar coverage of the nominations announcement, with absolutely clueless hosts making inane statements. At one point they said "One of the biggest surprises is Crash". Yeah it was completely surprising that a film nominated for the DGA, PGA, and SAG Ensemble Winner was nominated for Best Picture! What a shocker!

2005 Oscar Nomination Predictions

2006-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

For this year's predictions, I devised a formula to predict the nominees. The formula is based on the nominatiosn and awards each nominee received from various Guilds and Critics Groups. Nominations for each group are worth a different score based on how well those groups have predicted nominees over the last 10 years.

While most of the predictions were solid, I wasn't completely happy with the formula. Therefore, instead of completely sticking to the formula, I decided to continue with my own personal predictions, and put the formula picks right next to it, and see which was more accurate.

BEST PICTURE

My predictions...

Brokeback Mountain
Good Night and Good Luck
Capote
Crash
Walk the Line

The first four all received the guild trifecta (nominations from SAG, DGA, and PGA). Only twice has that happened and a film not gone on to a Best Picture nomination (Almost Famous and Being John Malkovich). I feel pretty certain it won't happen this year. Walk the Line is competing with several other films for the final spot, but among those it is the most Oscar friendly. The formula agrees with me on this one.

Formula picks...

Brokeback Mountain 6.66
Good Night and Good Luck 4.48
Capote 4.06
Crash 3.66
Walk the Line 2.24

(History of Violence 2.23)
(Munich 1.65)

BEST DIRECTOR

My predictions...

Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis, Crash
Bennett Miller, Capote
Steven Spielberg, Munich

The films usually don't match up perfectly with the Picture and I think Mangold (deservedly) will be the Director left out. The formula likes Cronenberg, but I think the voters will respect Spielberg for his courage and give him the nod.

Formula picks...

Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain 5.65
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck 2.31
David Cronenberg, A History of Violence 2.28
Paul Haggis, Crash 2.09
Bennett Miller, Capote 1.69

(Steven Spielberg, Munich 1.38)

LEAD ACTOR

My predictions...

Russell Crowe, Cinderella Man
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck

The common wisdom in this category is that it comes down to Russell Crowe and Terrence Howard for the 5th spot. Logically, I have to go with previous winner Crowe in this scenario. The formula agrees with me.

Formula picks...

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote 5.98
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain 3.20
Russell Crowe, Cinderella Man 1.50
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck 1.50
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line 1.22

(Jeff Daniels, The Squid and the Whale 0.74)
(Terence Howard, Hustle and Flow 0.68)

LEAD ACTRESS

My predictions...

Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

Again, this one is down to the final spot, in a battle between Knightley and Ziyi Zhang. The formula tells me to go with Zhang, but I'm going with my own personal pick (almost always a mistake).

Formula picks...

Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line 4.00
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica 2.87
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents 1.59
Charlize Theron, North Country 1.53
Ziyi Zhang, Memoirs of a Geisha 1.53

(Vera Farmiga, Down to the Bone 0.90)
(Emmanuelle Devos, Kings and Queens 0.80)
(Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice 0.72)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

My predictions...

Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain

Globe and SAG victories for Weisz really surprised me. I'm still skeptical of her nomination chances, but no one in any category has won the SAG and failed to at least score an Oscar nomination. I'm not going to bet that this will be the first time. The formula and I agree on this one.

Formula picks...

Amy Adams, Junebug 3.09
Catherine Keener, Capote 2.30
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain 2.26
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener 2.00
Frances McDormand, North Country 1.31

(Maria Bello, A History of Violence 0.70)

SUPPORTING ACTOR

My picks...

George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
Frank Langella, Good Night and Good Luck

I have to say, I don't understand all the buzz with Dillon, but with Globe and SAG nominations, it's hard to pick against him. Cheadle surprised by getting in at the SAGs, but I think the Academy will go for Frank Langella, who will be aided by the success of Good Night and Good Luck in other categories. The formula likes William Hurt, who the critics groups fawned over for his hammy 8 minute performance.

Formula picks...

Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man 2.63
George Clooney, Syriana 1.68
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain 1.58
Matt Dillon, Crash 1.41
William Hurt, A History of Violence 1.28

(Frank Langella, Good Night and Good Luck 1.23)

And that's it. I didn't bother with nominations in the other categories this year, because I usually suck at them. Last year I went 26 of 30 and that is my best ever performance.

2005 Oscar Picks

2006-01-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is how the Oscar nominations would go if I was sleeping with someone from Price Waterhouse and got them to fix the ballots:

BEST PICTURE

Brokeback Mountain
Me and you and Everyone We Know
Munich
Syriana
King Kong

I could just as easily gone with Joss Whedon's Serenity or Cronenberg's History of Violence. Brokeback Mountain is one of the greatest films of the decade.

Director

Stephen Gaghan, Syriana
Peter Jackson, King Kong
Miranda July, Me and You and Everyone We Know
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Steven Spielberg, Munich

My directors all match up with their Pictures this year. This marks Ang Lee's first Best Director win from me (I've gone as far back as 1993).

Lead Actor

Eric Bana, Munich
Steve Carell, The 40 Year Old Virgin
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Viggo Mortenson, A History of Violence
David Strathairn, Good Night and Good Luck

Bana's portrait of a heavily conflicted character is the most underrated performance of the year and certainly better than soon-to-be nominee Joaquin Phoenix. Still, it's Ledger that gave the year's most deeply felt performance. It's something I will never forget.

Lead Actress

Marilou Berry, Look At Me
Miranda July, Me and you and Everyone We Know
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice
Emily Mortimer, Dear Frankie
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

Berry came out of nowhere to deliver one of the most sympathetic performances of hte year and just edged out Evan Rachel Wood (Pretty Persuasion), Elizabeth Banks (Heights), and Joan Allen (The Upside of Anger) to make this list. Keira Knightly takes home the win with her incredibly winning performance.

Supporting Actor

Gerard Butler, Dear Frankie
George Clooney, Syriana
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Serenity
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
Terrence Howard, Crash

Sadly, only two of the performances from this fine list will make the Oscar list. Terrence Howard is overshadowed by less deserving costars, no one has heard of Chiwetel Ejiofor, and no one cares about Dear Frankie. The Gyllenhaal critics can kiss Gene Shalit's ass.

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, Junebug
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Catherine Keener, The 40 Year Old Virgin
Thandie Newton, Crash
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain

This was a pretty easy list to compile, as these five stood well over the rest of the crowd, although I haven't seen In Her Shoes or the Family Stone yet. I love all of these performances, but I have to go with the wonderful Catherine Keener for playing the hottest grandma in movie history.

Original Screenplay

The 40 Year Old Virgin
Dear Frankie
Good Night and Good Luck
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Serenity

Miranda July's unique script for Me and You and Everyone We Know was funny without being ridiculous and touching without being saccharine. Too bad she has no chance at the Oscar.

Adapted Screenplay

Brokeback Mountain
A History of Violence
Munich
Pride and Prejudice
Syriana

The screenplay for Brokeback Mountain has the potential to be underrated. It's not as wordy as others that came out this year, but the powerful, economical use of dialogue reminds me of last year's Million Dollar Baby.

Film Editing

Brokeback Mountain
Good Night and Good Luck
King Kong
Munich
Syriana

For a serious, thoughtful movie set in the dreary west, Bokeback Mountain moved like a breeze.

Cinematography

Brokeback Mountain
A History of Violence
King Kong
March of the Penguins
Munich

Any of these five are deserving. There's some incredible stuff here, but Brokeback Mountain's cinematography is the most affecting.

That's about it. I didn't see enough in any other categories that would be worthy of honoring.

My Oscar Predictions will be posted tomorrow.

Top 10 Films of 2005

2006-01-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

It's finally that time. After what turned out to be a great year for movies, thanks in part to the best ever year from the Atlanta Film Festival, it's time to list the 10 best films I saw this year.

Among great films that did not make the cut were Kirby Dick's emotionally powerful catholic abuse documentary Twist of Faith, Judd Apatow's hilarious character comedy The 40 Year Old Virgin, the uplifting underdog story Saint Ralph, and George Clooney's unique and hard hitting docudrama Good Night and Good Luck.

Among acclaimed films that missed the cut were James Mangold's completely unimaginative biopic about Johnny Cash, the uneven Capote which featured a terrific central performance but not much else, Noah Baumbach's overly cynical The Squid and the Whale, and the poorly written small town drama Junebug which wasted a terrific performance from Amy Adams.

10. Pride and Prejudice

I certainly wouldn't have expected a Jane Austen adaptation to make my top 10 list, but this film is made with so much energy and joy that it's impossible to resist. Keira Knightly gives an absolutely delightful performance as Austen heroine Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman who is too wise to suffer through a loveless marriage, but also too stubborn to allow herself to fall for the one person she does love. A uniformly fine cast, all having a grand time, is on hand for this. One of the most purely entertaining films of the year. I was smiling throughout.

9. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

This one came out of nowhere. I only saw it because I belonged to a movie club which screened a film in secret every other week. I certainly wouldn't have gone to see a documentary about a homeless man feeding birds unless I had no choice. Well it turns out that this is one of the most unique and moving documentaries I've seen. The central subject, Mark Bittner, is more than just the simple "homeless" description would suggest. He's extremely wise and very personable. His devotion to the flock of parrots is admirable and his carefully recorded stories of their individual exploits are extremely impressive. The film has a couple of unforggetable cinematic moments and a surprise ending that completely works.

8. Dear Frankie

Here we have a movie with such a sappy storyline that it should have gone wrong on so many levels. See Pay It Forward for an example for how something like this can go so wrong. Or better yet, don't see that. Dear Frankie is definitely worth seeing, telling the story of a deaf boy who longs to see his father again and the efforts his mother (Emily Mortimer) goes through to prevent that from happening. There are so many times when this film could have derailed, but each and every time it takes the higher, more intelligent road and the result is a wonderful human drama. Emily Mortimer is every bit as good as her fantastic performance in Lovely & Amazing, and Jack McElhone gives a surprisingly perceptive performance from someone his age.

7. Serenity

Now, this was a blast. Joss Whedon's continuation of his underrated sci-fi TV series may have flopped at the box office, but it is nonetheless a smart and entertaining ride for most (ahem) of those that have seen it. With a bigger budget, Joss managed to amp up the action sequences while still retaining the witty dialogue that was the trademark of the series. The entire cast was back, and in great form (especially Nathan Filion and Jewel Staite), but particularly noteworthy is newcomer Chiwetel Ejiofor, whose calm, but ruthless villain is one of the greatest cinematic treats of the year.

6. A History of Violence

David Cronenberg is not one of my favorite directors, as his stylistic choices generally tend to alienate or bore me. But here he has found the perfect project for his sensibilities: an adaptation of a violent modern graphic novel. All of Cronenberg's strengths (offbeat sense of humor, gruesome violence, and dark exploration of sexual themes) are put to to best use here. He also manages to get career best performances out of Viggo Mortenson and Maria Bello. When I saw Cronenberg's Crash, I wondered how a movie could be about people getting sexually aroused by car crash wounds and be incredibly boring. Well, A History of Violence is anything but boring. If anything, it's over way too soon.

5. King Kong

This is what I love about Peter Jackson. He has the resources to do anything he wants. He could have made a King Kong film that was 2 hours long and filled mostly with action scenes. He probably would've made much more money and it would've been a much easier project to complete. However, Jackson decides to spend a full hour setting things up (much like he spent so much time concluding things at the end of Return of the King), and what a glorious set up it was. It's wonderful tribute to old time Hollywood, filled with poor vaudeville entertainers, maniacal movie directors, and a reference to an actress named Fay. It also sets up the characters beautifully and makes you care about the amazing action scenes to come. It's this hour that has received the most criticism, but for me it's what makes the film great.

4. Syriana

Stephen Gaghan's political drama about oil and politics is one of the most complex and rewarding films of the year. Obviously learning alot from Traffic (which Gaghan wrote) director Stephen Soderbergh on how to use unconventional narrative rhythms in telling a story, Gaghan handles the simultaneous plots and multiple character interaction like a master playing the piano. Syriana is a stirring drama that makes many incisive points. People point to the Tim Blake Nelson speech as the most compelling moment, but for my money, it's Matt Damon's riveting speech about the future of the Middle East. Politically charged cinema doesn't get any better than this...

3. Munich

...except for this. Steven Spielberg's haunting drama about the Israeli response to the Munich Olympics massacre is among his most accomplished works. And that's certainly saying alot, unless you're one of those people too cool to appreciate Spielberg. Spielberg has been attacked for taking the Palestinian side, for taking the Israeli side, and for not taking sides at all. The first two completely misunderstood the movie and the last is just full of shit. Spielberg uses a brilliant style (think the greatest 70's paranoia thriller that was never made) to explore a deeply troubling issue where there are no easy answers. The questions asked in this movie are important, and Spielberg presents strong justifications for all sides of the debate. Also don't forget the great cast (led by a terrific Eric Bana), which has been overlooked in the wake of the controversy over the film.

2. Me and You and Everyone We Know

Every once in a while, a new actress shows up in an independent film and completely blows me away with a fresh, intoxicating screen presence. In 1997 it was Frances O' Connor in Love and Other Catastrophes. In 2002, it was Jennifer Westfeldt in Kissing Jessica Stein. And here we have Miranda July, not only the star but also writer and director of Atlanta Film Fest closer Me and You and Everyone We Know. July's multi-character comedy/drama is a refreshingly original look at modern relationships. July carefully avoids the trap of excessiveness that plagues so many quirky indie films and expertly explores the lives of several interesting characters. None is more impressive than July herself, whose radiant offbeat sensibility perfectly fits the role she has written for herself. For a first time filmmaker, she also has a very impressive visual style and coaxes wonderful performances out of the ensemble cast. July's refusal to halt the film with a static ending, and instead leaving things in a more realistic state of limbo, is one of the chief treasures of this film.

1. Brokeback Mountain

This has been described simply as "the gay cowboy movie", which is a shame because this emotionally draining love story defies that simplistic description. Ang Lee's masterpeice is the most moving portrait of forbidden romance I have ever seen. I wish every film romance was treated with so much care and affection. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal give us brilliantly nuanced portraits of the main characters. It's really astonishing to watch how these two actors work together. One of the most brilliant things about this beautiful film is the way Lee handles the fate of Jack (Gyllenhaal). It's told in a flash sequence that makes it seem like Ennis (Ledger) is simply imagining the story, which is similar to a story told by his father. The reason Lee's choice here is so incredible is he correctly decides that it doesn't matter if this is what happened or not. What matters is Ennis thinks it's what happened. And that's the final, tragic consequence of his forbidden romance.

Walk the Line

2005-12-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

Looking on Rotten Tomatoes, I see that Walk the Line has received an 82% fresh rating. Checking last year's biopic Ray, I see it received an 81%. This doesn't surprise me at all, as they are basically the same exact movie; Boring, run of the mill biopics that should be on NBC and not in theaters. What surprises me is why critics keep eating this shit up.

Walk the Line stars Joaquin Phoenix as legendary musician Johnny Cash. The film follows Cash in typical biopic fashion: early childhood tragedy, struggling to make ends meet with a wife and kids, requisite scene where he begs someone to record his music, marital troubles, drug addiction, and big declaration of love. There is also very little artistry to the filmmaking. Everything is told in a bland, straightforward manner, without any visual flair and a noticeable lack of energy.

If one thing makes this film watchable, it is Reese Witherspoon's performance as June Carter. Reese confirms her status as one of the best actresses of her generation with her bright, vividly cheerful, soaring portrait of June. Almost everytime she appears on screen, the entire tone of the film changes and it becomes a joy to watch. But even her performance can't completely overcome the listless script.

It's true that last year I was a little more friendly to Ray. It may be because Ray Charles' death was a little more recent, maybe because Jamie Foxx's performance was a little more deeply felt, but it's most likely my annoyance at seeing the same exact thing in consecutive years. I guess I can't exactly blame the filmmakers. If the critics keep eating it up, and the Oscars keep awarding it, they'll continue to make it.

At the end of the film, there is the traditional scrawl to tell us what happened afterwards. We learn that Johnny Cash and June Carter were married for the next 35 years (until their death), moved into his home in Hendersonville, had a kid, and continued to tour together all over the world. Now, that's the movie I'd like to see.

John Spencer

2005-12-17T00:45:00.000-08:00

He may have got his start on the Patty Duke show, but I first noticed John Spencer in the opening scene of Wargames. As an airman who refuses to launch a nuclear missile, Spencer gave his all in a very brief appearance. You may not remember this scene, but I would suggest going back to see it and appreciate the effort that Spencer gives to such a small role. It's the same kind of effort that he would later put out as one of the most reliable character actors in Hollywood.

He was one of those guys you kept seeing in movies but never knew his name. Even in genre movies such as The Negotiator and The Rock, he brought so much life to characters that were thinly written and used mainly as plot devices. Some of his best work was on the last few years of LA Law. He got very little attention for it because the show's quality declined during his run, but it certainly wasn't his fault. If anything, he remained the most consistently watchable thing about the show at the very end.

In 1999, Spencer finally got a role completely deserving of his talents. Aaron Sorkin was casting for a Political drama about the White House and wanted a "John Spencer-type" for the Chief of Staff, showing that at least some people recognized Spencer's talents. Fellow exec producer Tommy Schlamme suggested the obvious route of casting John Spencer himself. Thus, Leo McGarry and The West Wing was born. Over the next 6 years Spencer ceated one of the most intriguing, humble, flawed, loveable characters on TV.

I write about all of this because John Spencer died of a heart attack yesterday. I should have written it earlier. Despite an Emmy win in 2001, Spencer never did fully get the credit he deserved. At 58, he had a bright future ahead of him with the likely end of The West Wing. I have no doubt that he would have won an Oscar within the next decade. We will never know, but at least we can appreciate what he has given us in the past. I suggest everyone browse his filmography and discover some really great hidden work.

Rest in Peace, John Spencer. You will be missed.

Recent Movies

2005-10-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty negligent in discussing movies and i don't want this to become solely a TV blog. Therefore, here are some brief thoughts on some recent movies I've seen:

Serenity

One of the most frustrating and disappointing things that happened in movies this year was the failure of Serenity at the box office. In a year when unimaginative fluff (say, Longest Yard or Mr. and Mrs. Smith) has made a ton of money, Joss Whedon's smart, funny, and exciting space opera has floundered at the box office just like it floundered on TV. The movie contains everything that made Joss Whedon great: humor that punctuates serious scenes, brooding anti-heroes, messages cleverly woven into the subtext of the plot, creative action scenes, and a fascinating overriding mythology. The movie logically picks up from where the TV show left off, but definitely makes use of it's expanded budget. There are several stunning action set pieces that thankfully don't resort to the Tony Scott/Michael Bay method of Attention Deficit Disorder filmmaking. Joss should be commended for taking a failed TV series and making it into a terrific motion picture. The general moviegoing public should be reviled for not making this into a hit.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

So what do we have here? An arranged marriage. Another woman, from a very different world, comes into the mix. What is the groom to do? That's about the extent of it. Apparently Burton and co. thought we would not notice the lack of a plot with the gimmick that the other woman is an undead woman. While there are some creative moments in this film, particularly involving the undead world (I particularly liked the return of the hero's dog.) It didn't work. I sat in stunned slence for most of this movie, waiting for something, anything to happen with the story. Even Danny Elfman was off his game as there wasn't one single memorable song. This is the 2nd animated film this year that was extremely disappointing. If this is better than Howl's Moving Castle, it's only because it's 45 minutes shorter.

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Finally! An animated movie that worked. I never did see the legendary short films about these two characters, and I think that may have hampered my enjoyment of things at the beginning. It all seemed rather cute but nothing mindblowing. Things definitely picked up once the plot kicked into gear.The film centers around a rabbit experiment gone awry, resulting in a gigantic rabbit terrorizing the town. The film works in some extremely clever horror movie references and it's ability to mine humor that relates to both adults and children is at times as skillful as the Toy Story films. What sets this apart from other animated movies this year is an interesting story that never loses focus, and fascinating characters. It's not quite as successful as Chicken Run, which came from the same creators, but it's still a blast.

Fall TV 2005: Commander in Chief

2005-10-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

The most successful of the new fall shows (as if ABC needed anoither hit) has been Commander in Chief. The show comes from creator Rod Lurie, who was responsible for the 2000 film The Contender, which revolved around the political battle over the confirmation of the first female vice president. It was a pretty good movie, with a resilient performance from Joan Allen and a great villain in Gary Oldman. Commander in Chief is not quite as good, but after a train wreck of a pilot episode, it has become very watchable.

The show stars Geena Davis as Independent PResident MacKenzie Allen, the former Vice President who ignored calls for resignation and assumed the Presidency when her predecessor died. Davis does a competentjob in the lead role, but her range is somewhat limited and some scenes where she's supposed to act tough come off rather laughable. Donald Sutherland clearly loves his scenery chewing role as Allen's biggest nemesis, Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton. Sutherland will probably get the most attention come Emmy time, but the show's best asset is Harry J. Lennix, as Allen's chief of staff. He plays the most interesting character; a man clearly not in line with the president's ideology but incredibly loyal to her. My other favorite is Ever Carradine as Allen's inexperienced, but determined press secretary.

The pilot to Commander in Chief stunk up the joint. The episode focused mostly on the show's weakest aspect - the family. The scenes with the children are particularly bad and border on 7th Heaven level of dramatic writing. The big confrontation scene at the end, probably trying to emulate Martin Sheen's kickass speech at the end of the West Wing pilot, didn't pay off well at all. The show has improved in the following weeks, particularly when focusing on the staff and the poilitical battle between Allen and Templeton. Series creator Rod Lurie has recently been replaced with Steven Bochco. I'm not sure what that means for this show, but I hope Bochco sees the same problems I do.

Fall TV 2005: Kitchen Confidential

2005-10-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

The show with the most promise of the 2005-06 Fall season is Kitchen Confidential. The quirky restaurant comedy has a great cast and a quirky, feel good style that reminds me of Judd Apatow. Unfortunately, the show has not yet been able to deliver on that promise. The pilot was a bit disappointing, trying to cram too much into 22 minutes. Still, it had plenty of style, enough laughs, and a fantastic cast.

Bradley Cooper leads the ensemble and after being underutilized on Alias, it's great to see him perform so well in a lead role. Other standouts in the group are Nicholas Brendan and John Francis Daley. The cast works so well together that it's disappointing the show doesn't slow down enough for us to enjoy that. I don't mind a fast pace, but Kitchen Confidential often zips from scene to scene so fast that the comic rhythm gets lost.

The last episode was the most interesting. A guest appearance by John Larroquette livened things up and added a touch of sentiment. A nice character arc is being built for both Cooper and Daley. If they can fix a few kinks, this could be a great show. However, I doubt FOX will keep it around long enough for that to happen.

Fall TV 2005: Out of Practice

2005-10-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

The fact that Out of Practice is one of the best new shows of the fall season says more about the weak fall lineup and less about the actual quality of the show. That's not to say Out of Practice is a bad show. It's actually pretty good for a generic sitcom set in the tired four camera format.

The show revolves around a dysfunctional family of doctors, including Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler as the bitterly divorced parents, Ty Burrell as the ladies man, Christopher Gorham as the poor luck underdog, and Paula Marshall as a lesbian (rumors that I created this show are completely unfounded.). Also on hand is Jennifer Tilly as Winkler's ditzy new girlfriend.

The strength of the show is the interaction between the cast members. They have a very easy chemistry with each other and the sharp timing provides most of the laughs. The show comes from the creators of Frasier, and the classy production values are apparent. Still, the storylines are all recycled from previous sitcoms. I think this is just a format that has too many limitations. However, it compares favorable to the numerous generic sitcoms still on the air (Two and a Half Men, Will & Grace, Hope and Faith, etc.), and therefore I hope it succeeds.

Fall TV 2005: Threshold

2005-10-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

After the success of Lost, the networks scrambled to find new fantasy/sci-fi themed shows to offer to the public. The most promising of the bunch seemed to be Threshold, about a team of scientists and government operatives investigating a possible contact with alien life. A bizaare alien pattern has infected people (possibly turning them into aliens?), and the team's job is to discover these threats and prevent an outbreak.

The premise of Threshold would not have even caused me to flinch had it not been for the cast. The wonderful Carla Gugino, an actress who deserves a hit, plays a contingency analyst whose own plan to deal with alien contact is activated. Also on board is the ever reliable Charles S. Dutton as the main government official running the operation, and the perfectly cast Peter Dinklage, Robert Patrick Benedict, and Brent Spiner as the quirky scientist trio. The one weak spot is the dull Brian Van Holt, who seems to have been found wandering the streets looking for a role after JAG was cancelled.

With a cast that strong, Threshold will be able to hold my interest for a few weeks. What worries me is the format of the show. I generally do not enjoy episodic, self-contained shows. So far Threshold seems to be playing as an alien threat-of-the-week format. If they don't make a concerted effort to develop the characters and start some interesting story arcs, it could get old very fast.

Fall TV 2005: Undeclared

2005-09-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

Before I get in to some of the newer shows this season, I thought I'd make a comment on one of the best fall shows of the past few years. The show was Undeclared and it has recently debuted on DVD with a set that is the very best I've seen for a TV collection yet. It came from the creative mind of Judd Apatow, who was responsible for the similarly short-lived gem Freaks and Geeks. Despite only lasting 17 episodes, Undeclared was one of the most endearing and original TV comedies I've seen.

Undeclared was a single camera comedy about life in a college Freshman dorm. Apatow's wonderful ability at creating characters and finding the perfect people to play them was once again evident from the very beginning of this show. Jay Baruchel was perfect as the awkward, rail-thin, extremely uncool Steven. Freaks and Geeks vet Seth Rogen is as good at ad-libbing as anyone (he was also one of the show's writers) and came up with some of the best off the wall one liners. Monica Keena had the best role of her career as the sexy, but often panicked Rachel. Timm Sharp was a bizaare, but brilliant addition as the goofy, sadsack Marshall. Also on board were Carla Gallo as the unbearable perky Lizzie, Charlie Hunnam as the womanizing Lloyd, Christina Payano as the sassy Tina, and Loudon Wainwright as Steven's bitter, recently divorced father Hal.

The concept behind Undeclared is extremely simple. It's certainly not the first show about college life. But Judd Apatow (as he also demonstrated in this year's film The 40 Year Old Virgin) is a genius at lowbrow comedy. Undeclared had plenty of outrageous moments, especially things that were done to Steven while he was a Fraternity pledge. However, what made the show truly excel were the little bits of genuine emotion that were sprinkled throughout each episode. Even as you laughed at how pathetic and vulgar these characters were, you were still also rooting for Steve to win over Lizzie, for Marshall to win Rachel, for Ron to win anyone, and for the entire gang to defeat the frat house.

The DVD set is truly something to behold. There is audio commentary on all 17 episodes, and every single member of the cast gets to participate, including most of the writing staff and a few of the guest stars. The commenataries often stray from actual discussion of the episode, but are extremely entertaining. Each episode comes with three to four deleted scenes, many of which show several different takes that give you some insight into the influence of ad-libbing in the show's creative process.

Undeclared was cancelled after only 17 episodes, an all too brief run for such a promising show. While the show did get very low ratings, part of this can be attributed to an insane timeslot (Gilmore Girls and Buffy both on at the same time) and network idiocy (changing the order of episodes). FOX's mismanagement may have prevented you from seeing this show the first time around, but now there is no excuse. You absolutely must grab this excellent DVD set.

The Atlanta Film Festival, Two Months Later

2005-08-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm extremely late with this, but it's finally time to write about my experience at the 2005 Atlanta Film Festival. I have been going to the festival for five years now, and have seen some excellent films (GETTING TO KNOW YOU, GEORGE WASHINGTON, DEAD DOGS, and LOVELY & AMAZING), but this year turned out to be the best lineup yet.

Saturday, June 15th

I skipped this year's opening film (HUSTLE & FLOW). Atlanta doesn't necessarily have the best track record with opening night films, but their closing night showcases are always a treasure. The opener for me was PRETTY PERSUASION, which was written by Skander Halim (one of my favorite internet film critics before he gave it up to write screenplays). It's a high school satire in the vein of HEATHERS. While it doesn't quite match up to that (despite what some numbskulls were saying as we walked out of the theater), PRETTY PERSUASION was a smart, funny film that is dominated by the brilliant presence of Evan Rachel Wood. She owns every scene she is in and carries this film to much greater heights than it would've got on it's own. The film has a nice script, solid direction, and good supporting performances, but it's Evan's movie and she makes it a wonderful pleasure to watch.

Sunday, June 16th

Unfortunately, due to work obligations, I did not get to see Sally Potter's YES, something I was looking forward to. What I did get to see today was a shorts collection called OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. Most of the shorts were slightly amusing, but mostly mediocre. The two that did stand out were DEAD END JOB, about a suicidal obituary writer and THE ACT, which featured a dynamic performance from Debra Jo Rupp as a stand up comic who has a difficult personal life. The next film I saw was SEOUL TRAIN, a documentary about an underground network that transports refugees out of North Korea. The film tells a chilling story of the nightmare that these people go through and there are a few memorable moments (particularly an attempt to make it inside the Japanese assembly.) Unfortunately, the film feels too much like a PBS documentary and doesn't have the same narrative drive that you see in better documentaries (especially this year's gem THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL). I would still recommend it as an interesting story that msot people don't know about.

Tuesday, June 18th

I started today off with LOVE, LUDLOW, one of those quirky romantic comedies that always show up at film festivals and then end up on the bottom shelf at Blockbuster. This is among the worst of that genre, with a jarring mixture of nauseating cuteness and overblown melodramatic moments. The nicest thing I can say is Alicia Goranson obviously cared about this project and gave it her all, and she deserved credit for that. Brendan Sexton and David Eigenberg also appear in this, and provide no useful support whatsoever. The following film was DUCK SEASON, a spanish language film from Mexico. It follows a simple day in the life of two teenage friends who are stuck at home without much to do. Their day is livened up by a sexy girl who comes over to use their kitchen as an attempt to practice baking, and their adventures in trying to get a pizza without paying the delivery man. The film perfectly captures the simple comic moments of an average day, and the three young leads are extremely appealling. While it doesn't have much to say and doesn't really go anywhere, the films still work son the strength of it's individual moments and appealing characters. I wrapped today up with another shorts program, ANIMATION EXTRAVAGANZA. Like the previous shorts program, this is mostly a mixed bag, but does have a few memorable moments, including a rendition of OEDIPUS done by vegetables and CATCHING KRINGLE, about Santa Claus running afoul of national security.

Wednesday, June 19th

I got an early start today and caught the noon screening of JOSH JARMAN, which is the type of witty romantic comedy that Hugh Grant used to excel in. It's about a playwright caught in a love triangle with his next door neighbor and the daughter of the man producing his play. It's extremely light material, but it boasts a remarkably winning cast including Marcus Graham in the lead, and Daniella Farinacci and Kestie Morassi as his two love interests. The next film was ON THE OUTS, a a drama about teenage girls in the inner city struggling with drugs, prison, violence, and motherhood. It's not a particularly original film, but it's yet another movie that is pulled along by strong performances. Of particular note is Judy Marte (from RAISING VICTOR VARGAS) who shines in a tough, powerful performance much unlike her previous work. Stephen tobolowsky was in attendance for this one, and even asked a question during the Q&A. The night closed out with an interesting documentary called THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX. It's about a very religious Southern Baptist girl who also has very liberal political views, particularly in the realm of sex education. The film follows her involvement with a community youth organization that promotes a more open form of sex education than the abstinence only policy of her school system. The film is pretty straightforward, but Shelby and her parents are extremely interesting individuals and this film talks about a very important topic.

Friday, June 21st

Today started off Kirby Dick's TWIST OF FAITH, a powerful documentary about Tony Comes, a firefighter who was sexually abused by his priest many years ago. Comes is forced to confront his past when he discovers that the priest who abused him now lives six houses down. What's interesting about this film is the filmmakers gave Comes his own camera, allowing him to film the most intimate, private moments while he is dealing with his crisis. The scenes that really struck me are the ones where Comes attemtps to explain the incident to his preadolescent daughter and the scene with Comes wife, where she reveals some very troubling thoughts about what is going on. The best documentaries show us moments and feelings that we wouldn't normally witness in everyday life. As Comes and his wife, deal with this experience, they reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings, things that most of us have never experienced or understood. This has been a great year for documentaries and TWIST of FAITH is among the best. Unfortunately, I followed this up with HOOLIGANS, a film I had been anticipating because of advanced word and an interesting cast. It focuses on a group of obsessive soccer fans who constantly get into fights with with fans from their rival team. Elijah Wood is the Ivy League dropout who gets involved with the clib and gets to prove his manhood (Whatever). I could not get into this one at all. It's all very violent ands repetitive and I'm sure it will appeal to the Fight club crowd, but I found it extremely monotonous and dull. Wood is not very convincing in this role, and the only actor that truly stands out is Charlie Hunnam with a very charismatic performance that I have not seen him give before. I look forward to seeing more from him and less movies like this. Perhaps my disappointment led to me liking the next film a little too much. SAINT RALPH follows a troubled teenage boy who hopes for a miracle that will get his sick mother to come out of a coma. His goal is to win the Boston Marathon, which he feels is the task he needs to accomplish for the miracle to happen. It's your standard underdog miracle story (see RUDY), but has the added complexity of dealing with religious themes (which RUDY dealt with only sparingly). Adam Butcher shines in the central role and there is wonderful support from Campbell Scott as the priest who mentors the young boy. The film is well written and directed, with some particularly nice musical choices, and builds to a wonderful climax. Sure it was sappy, but what can I say? It worked for me in every way imaginable.

Saturday, June 22nd

Atlanta usually saves it's best for last. In previous years, festival closers such as GETTING TO KNOW YOU, GEORGE WASHINGTON, and LOVELY & AMAZING ended up being my favorite films of the festival. That trend continued this year with Miranda July's ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW. The film is a multi-character comedy/drama centering on Richard, a recently divorced father who moves to a new place with his two sons, and the romance that slowly develops between him and Christine, a struggling performance artist. It's really difficult to describe the movie in a way that gives it justice, because this film works on so many different levels. It's very interesting to watch the insightful and comical ways in which the various characters interact. The standout performance is clearly Mirana July, also the film's director. She brings a very unique, quirky presence to this film that perfectly suits the unpretentious and idealistic nature of the film. July's film is about various people desperate to find a special connection (or in some cases, any kind of connection) with another person. Her memorable film provides that kind of connection for anyone that has the pleasure to watch it.

This was easily the best year I ever had at the Atlanta Film Festival. There were at least three films that I absolutely loved and plenty of other movies that had considerable merit. One thing I found interesting was that many of the indies had straightofrward storylines, but they worked because of a strong cast. In the past, it used to work the other way around with uinique plots and really bad acting. It's nice to see that talented actors are willing to give it a go on the indie scene, but I also think it has to do with studios willing to spend more money on indies. This may end up stifling the creativity of these films, but it allows us to see more interesting performers than the often bland leads in big budget, Hollywood films.

#1 Lost

2005-07-29T02:23:00.000-07:00

The 2004-05 TV season was one of the best in a long time. There were several great new series (LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, VERONICA MARS, KEVIN HILL, BATTLESTAR: GALACTICA), strong holdovers from last season (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, DEADWOOD, THE L WORD), and some veteran shows that put together their finest seasons in a while (GILMORE GIRLS, SIX FEET UNDER, ER).

Picking my #1 show was therefore very difficult. In the end, it came down to DEADWOOD and LOST. While DEADWOOD is one of the most beautifully written shows on television, with it's elegant mixture of elegant prose and colorful vulgarity, LOST was the show that truly got my heart racing on a weekly basis.

The pilot episode of LOST was an incredibly tense and fast paced tale of desperation and survival. Depite the strong start, the show still needed to develop characters to succeed in the long run. Abrams made the smart decision to use a flashback technique in each episode to let us get to know the various characters. The 2nd episode, focusing on the character of Kate, was a nice way to get that going. However, it was the third episode, entitled "Walkabout" that made me fully confident that LOST was gonna be a wonderful show.

"Walkabout" focused on the show's best character, John Locke (brilliantly played by Terry O' Quinn). It was an extremely well written piece of character development, showing us how sad Locke's life was before the plane crash and introducing us to a striking dilemma: the plane crash is the best thing that ever happened to Locke. Why would he want to leave? That dilemma makes his character far more suspicious and complex than we get from major characters on any other show. After this, the show did have a couple rough spots, but there were more great episodes to come, including "..In Translation" which finally provided some strong development for Sun and Jin's characters, and "Do No Harm" which had the tragic death of Boone.

What makes LOST such a great show is not only the acting (which I haven't given enough justice to, unless you read my awards) and the technical production, but the open ended storyline. The constant mysteries surrounding the island, the beast, the numbers, the hatch and I'm sure many more to come, provide constant interest in even the weakest episodes. When the writers rise to the challenge of taking this concept to a new level, LOST reaches a spellbinding originality that you'll never find in a DA's office.

TV Award Winners

2005-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Drama Program: LOST
Outstanding Comedy Program: GILMORE GIRLS
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Jennifer Beals as Bette Porter, THE L WORD
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Ian McShane as Al Swearengen, DEADWOOD
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore, GILMORE GIRLS
Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series: Taye Diggs as Kevin Hill, KEVIN HILL
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Terry O' Quinn as John Locke, LOST
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Lauren Ambrose as Claire Fisher, SIX FEET UNDER
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kelly Bishop as Emily Glmore, GILMORE GIRLS
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Scott Patterson as Luke Danes, GILMORE GIRLS
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series: David Fury, LOST for "Walkabout
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series: Michael Cuesta, SIX FEET UNDER for "That's My Dog"
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Amy Sherman-Palladino, GILMORE GIRLS for "A House is Not a Home"
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Adam Bernstein, SCRUBS for "My Life in Four Cameras"
Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama: Ossie Davis as Melvyn Porter, THE L WORD
Outstanding Guest Actress, Drama: Lena Olin as Irina Derevko, ALIAS
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy: Henry Winkler as Barry Zuckerkorn, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy: Heather Graham as Dr. Molly Clock, SCRUBS

#2 Deadwood

2005-06-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

The 1st Season of DEADWOOD caught me off guard. I generally have very little use for westerns, with the rare exceptions such has UNFORGIVEN. However, with so much critical acclaim and word of mouth, I decided to give it a try and was able to catch up via Comcast ON Demand. It took a while for the show to get going, but soon I was caught up in it's brilliant dialogue, fresh characters, and compelling stories.

The 2nd season was just as strong as the first, and in some ways it was better. My favorite character, Al Swearengen, was put through the ringer this year. At the beginning of the season he suffered from a series of medical ailments, particularly a gallstone problem that threatened his life. This actually caused the show to start off slow, since Al was incapacitated for a few episodes, but it set up great things for him the rest of the season. Al had to deal with his ruthless competitor Cy Tolliver, who was bringing business interests into town that Al wanted nothing to do with. The battle between Al and Cy drove most of this season's storylines and it was a great battle to watch.

There were some new characters introduced this season, and my favorite was Garret Dillahunt's Francis Wolcott. Wolcott was a truly disturbing individual, with bizaare sexual fantasies and cutthroat ways of doing business. The arc of his character was the most fascinating this year. In fact, the one downside to DEADWOOD is that there are so many fascinating characters that it's impossible to give each of them enough to do in the course of only 12 episodes. Particularly underused was the brilliant Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane. Every time she was on screen, she stole the show fromt he other actors, but there were several episodes that she didn't even appear in. I hope they give her more to do next season.

However, this is a good complaint to have. Most shows don't have enough interesting characters, or have several annoying characters. Deadwood is a unique show in that it contains a longh list of fascinating characters, whether they show up for a few minutes every episode or if they are the center of the show. I'm looking forward to seeing them continue that trend next season.

Outstanding Drama/Comedy Program

2005-06-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Drama Program

DEADWOOD (HBO)
JOAN OF ARCADIA (CBS)
THE L WORD (SHO)
LOST (ABC)
SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
VERONICA MARS (UPN)

Outstanding Comedy Program

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (FOX)
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
GILMORE GIRLS (WB)
KEVIN HILL (UPN)
SCRUBS (NBC)

#3 Six Feet Under

2005-06-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

After suffering through it's weakest season yet (albeit still a strong season overall), SIX FEET UNDER rebounded with an incredible year of heartbreak and turmoil. The fascinating and extremely dark season premiere started the season off in great fashion. The show continued brilliantly from there, with strong story threads created for each of the main characters. Also, the 4th season of SIX FEET UNDER contained one of the most incredibly disturbing episodes of television I have ever seen.

The episode was called "That's My Dog" and it's central feature was an extremely long sequence in which David is mentally and physically brutalized by a crazed moron. The brilliance of the episode was partly due to it's structure. It started off as a normal SFU episode, with different story arcs for each of the Fishers. When David gets kidnapped, we keep expecting to have the tension relieved by cutting back to one of the other character. But it doesn't happen. Everything stays with David's horrible, nightmarish experience. This gives the audience some sense of what David must be going through. There is no turning back. Michael C. Hall and guest star Michael Weston (who I loved in Getting to Know You) both acted the hell out of this sequence.

I enjoyed the story arcs for the rest of the characters, too. Claire had an interesting storyline that at first sounded like it could be trite (lesbian infatuation), but I loved the way they handled it. Her ventures as a serious artist and the confusing entanglements of her love life were constantly fascinating to watch. Keith and David sometimes get on my nerves, but this was by far their best season, particularly because of the episode I mentioned above. Nate continued to bounce between wanting to live a normal life and going back to his carefree days. The cast was as strong as ever, and special credit must go to each of the actors playing the Fisher family (Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, and Lauren Ambrose). I hope the final season sends this great show out on a strong note.

Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in a Drama

2005-06-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Beals as Bette Porter, THE L WORD
Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars, VERONICA MARS
Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher, SIX FEET UNDER
Mia Kirshner as Jenny Schecter, THE L WORD
Katee Sackhoff as Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, BATTLESTAR: GALACTICA
Amber Tamblyn as Joan Girardi, JOAN OF ARCADIA

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard, LOST
Michael C. Hall as David Fisher, SIX FEET UNDER
Peter Krause as Nathaniel Fisher, SIX FEET UNDER
Ian McShane as Al Swearengen, DEADWOOD
Timothy Olyphant as Seth Bullock, DEADWOOD
Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, 24

#4 Gilmore Girls

2005-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

When GILMORE GIRLS premiered 5 years ago, I certainly had no idea that it would still be on today. The success of this little show is one of the great things that has happened on TV in a long time. It's refreshing that you can have a successful family show that does not condescend to it's audience (like, say 7TH HEAVEN). What's even more refreshing is that this show has remained remarkably consistent over it's 5 year run. Sure, there have been some weaker seasons and some stronger seasons, but there have been no absolute disaster seasons like the 3rd season of Alias. That being said, the 5th season of GILMORE GIRLS was the very best since the original season.

The best thing about this season was the Luke-Lorelai relationship. Usually when a show finally puts its central couple together, it begins a long decline in quality. Instead, this reinvigorated a show that was running out of storylines for these two characters. How many times can Luke and Lorelai's relationship be interrupted because one or both are suddenly involved with a new person. Over the years I have enjoyed some of these characters, particularly Scott Cohen as Max Medina and Chris Eigeman as Digger Stiles, but enough is enough. It was clear from the start of this show that Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson had terrific chemistry and it was time to finally utilize that. Graham has been the best comedic actress on television for the last 5 years, and even with the inclusion of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES this year, the incredible season she had cemented that status for her. This was also Patterson's best year. We were able to see his character in more vulnerable situations than ever before, and Patterson knew how to perfectly balance that while still retaining the old, grumpy Luke that we love.

Another interesting aspect to this season was the changes that Rory's character went through. The beginning of the season saw the usually "perfect" Rory involved in an affair with her married ex-boyfriend Dean. It was different territory with her character, but it finally allowed Alexis Bledel to showcase more of her range and it turned out to be one of her best seasons in a while. This was despite the fact that I hated her new love interest Logan, who was pretty much a ripoff of Chad Michael Murray's Tristan fromt he early seasons, except Tristan was far mroe interesting. While I disliked Logan's character, the overall effect the storyline had on Rory's character worked, and the controversial season finale promises to take her character in an even new direction. I'm not sure what I think of where theyre going, but I'm very interested in finding out.

Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in a Comedy

2005-06-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore, GILMORE GIRLS
Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore, GILMORE GIRLS
Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series

Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Zach Braff as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, SCRUBS
Steve Carell as Michael Scott, THE OFFICE
Taye Diggs as Kevin Hill, KEVIN HILL
Eric McCormack as Will Truman, WILL & GRACE

#5 Veronica Mars

2005-06-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

One of the most surprising things about this last fall season was that two of the most mature new shows came from UPN. The network that once gave us THE SECRET DIARY OF DESMOND PFEIFFER now brought to us a mature show about a single father adopting and raising his cousin's child (KEVIN HILL), and this hip, smart show about a teen detective trying to solve her best friend's murder. What's even more impressive is that UPN stuck by this show, despite low ratings, and even renewed it for a full season.

VERONICA MARS had one of the most interesting and diverse casts on TV this season. Kristen Bell is an incredibly strong actress and she carries this show with her wonderful mix of quiet rage and powerful vulnerability. She is ably assisted by Enrico Colantoni, a character actor that I have enjoyed for a long time. This is the best role he has had to date, and there is a strong father-daughter chemistry created between Colantoni and Bell. There is an incredibly touching moment between then in the season finale. Other cast members include Percy Daggs (a weak actor but one that fits perfectly within the parameters of the show) as Veronica's best friend, the smarmy but surprisingly appealing Jason Dohring as her arch nemesis, and the charismatic Francis Capra as the local hoodlum who helps Veronica out.

VERONICA MARS had one of the most interesting season long story arcs on TV. Not only did it deal with Veronica trying to solve her friend Lily's murder, but she was also determined to find out who raped her at a party, and she was trying to salvage not only her own reputation but also her father's, who was ostracized as the town sherrif after he dared to investigate Lily's father. Each episode gave us a little more information to work on, and the eventual result of the mystery was surprising and credible. The only question is where do they go from here? I'm sure they will come up with somethign interesting for next season, but I'm extremely curious as to what exactly that will be.

Awards: Supporting Actor/Actress in a Drama

2005-06-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Naveen Andrews as Sayid Jarrah, LOST
Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars, VERONICA MARS
Garret Dillahunt as Francis Wolcott, DEADWOOD
Brad Dourif as Doc Cochran, DEADWOOD
Victor Garber as Jack Bristow, ALIAS
Terry O' Quinn as John Locke, LOST

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Lauren Ambrose as Claire Fisher, SIX FEET UNDER
Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki, THE L WORD
Laurel Holloman as Tina Kennard, THE L WORD
Paula Malcomson as Trixie, DEADWOOD
Becky Wahlstrom as Grace Polk, JOAN OF ARCADIA
Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane, DEADWOOD

#6 Joan of Arcadia

2005-06-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

My #1 show from last season took a little bit of a dive this year, but it was still one of the best shows on television. No other show mixed teen drama and thoughtful religious themes, without ever sounding preachy. Despite a season long arc that enver really developed, the writing of Barbara Hall and performances from the cast kept the show going strong.

Amber Tamblyn leads the ensemble, and she is one of the best young actresses in Hollywood. Even when an episode was weak, she made things consistently watchable with her sensitive and powerful performances. She was ably assisted by a great ensemble cast. Becky Wahlstrom and Michael Welch were especially good this season, and Constance Zimmer and Sprague Graydens were terrific additions as recurring characters.

What went wrong? Well the first half of the season suffered because of the incredibly annoying performance of Annie Potts as Will's scheming new boss. Then when they finally dump her, the show decides to bring in Hilary Duff for one episode, and follow it up with her sister Haylie Duff in the next three episodes. Hilary and Haylie aren't the worst actresses I've ever seen, but when sharing the screen with Amber Tamblyn they sure seemed to be. They probably would've been fine on something like One Tree Hill. The show was able to rebound after this, closing with a strong series of episodes featuring Wentworth Miller (seemingly as the Devil or someone working for him). These episodes proved that Joan of Arcadia was still a quality show, but CBS decided to replace it with a show where Jennifer Love Hewitt talks to ghosts. Fuckers.

Awards: Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series

2005-06-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Kelly Bishop as Emily Glmore, GILMORE GIRLS
Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, THE OFFICE
Kate Levering as Veronica Carter, KEVIN HILL
Christina Hendricks as Nicolette Raye, KEVIN HILL
Judy Reyes as Nurse Carla Espinosa, SCRUBS

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Will Arnett as George Oscar "Gob" Bluth II, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Patrick Breen as George Weiss, KEVIN HILL
Edward Herrmann as Richard Gilmore, GILMORE GIRLS
John C. McGinley as Dr. Perry Cox, SCRUBS
Scott Patterson as Luke Danes, GILMORE GIRLS

#7 The L Word

2005-06-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

One of the most provocative and interesting shows last season, The L word continued in fine fashion with a strong sophomore season. Last season's incredible season finale (one of the best I've seen for a show) really powered most of this season, and created my two favorite story threads. The first involved the deconstruction of Bette's character after her breakup with Tina. This story was a showcase for the talent of Jennifer Beals. She turned in an incredible performance this season, making her character far more interesting, complex, and likeable than in the first season. The other interesting storyline involved the developing romance between Alice and Dana, two of my favorite characters from last season. After they finally got together midway through the season, the stories written for them were a refreshing mix of silliness and subtle melodrama. They are one of the most interesting couples on TV right now.

The season was not perfect, though. Although they wisely got rid of Karina Lombard's character from the 1st season, they added Rachel Shelley in a role that functioned essentially the same as Lombard's, except far less likeable (although arguable better acted). Shelley never fit in and I'm not even sure there was an attempt to do that. The other problem was the addition of Eric Lively as the token straight male. Lively's character was a terrible mess at first, and the fact that the network basically forced the show to bring him on did not make it any better. However, much credit must go to creator Ilene Chaiken, for turning this character around. By the end of the season, he was at least a likeable addition and nowhere near the annoyance that Shelley's character provided.

What I really appreciate about the L Word is it's originality. There are things constantly happening on this show that you won't see anywhere else. That often leads to cancellation for most shows. However, Showtime has already renewed this for a 3rd season. It's really great to be able to watch such an original show without worrying that each episode might be the last. I look forward to seeing if The L Word continues it's mix of strong acting and original storylines next season.

Awards: Drama Series - Writing/Directing

2005-06-06T02:44:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof, LOST for "Pilot"
Scott Buck, SIX FEET UNDER for "That's My Dog"
David Fury, LOST for "Walkabout
Ellie Herman, JOAN OF ARCADIA for "The Book of Questions"
Ted Mann, DEADWOOD for "Boy the Earth Talks To"
Rob Thomas, VERONICA MARS for "Pilot"

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

JJ Abrams, LOST for "Pilot"
Jack Bender, LOST for "Walkabout"
Michael Cuesta, SIX FEET UNDER for "That's My Dog"
Michael Fields, VERONICA MARS for "Leave it to Beaver"
Steve Shill, DEADWOOD for "Something Very Expensive"
Lawrence Trilling, ALIAS for "Before the Flood"

#8 Scrubs

2005-06-06T02:09:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about and saw ads for this show five years ago, I was not interested at all. The ads made it look like a stupid comedy that ripped off the fantasy technique from Ally McBeal. The only reason I watched was because of Zach Braff, who I had previously seen in a couple of independent films. What really surprised me about Scrubs was how it balanced it's wacky humor with slight touches of drama. As crazy as the sight gags are, I always care about what's gonna happen to each of the people on this show. The 5th season of this show was as strong as ever, thanks to interesting storylines and a terrific recurring performance by Heather Graham. Graham fit into the cast so well this season that I hoped she could be added as a regular. Her timing with the rest of the cast, particularly Braff and Sarah Chalke was impeccable. I actually look forward to her upcoming sitcom, whereas before I probably would not have bothered. The main cast also had a fine season. This was probably the best year for Donald Faison and Judy Reyes, as their characters went through marital difficulties and both actors handled the touchy subject very well.

The 5th season also showcased the finest episode of Scrubs to date. The episode was called "My Life in Four Cameras", and mixed the single camera and four camera TV formats in a story about J.D.'s sitcom hero who is dying of cancer. The first half was done in Scrubs usual single camera style but switched to four camera (and a laugh track) for the 2nd half. This episode came along at a perfect time. With the four camera style dying a slow death, this episode poked fun at the format while also showing how much fun it can be. Even a cameo by Clay Aiken was perfectly fit into the episode. This great episode in a very strong season just shows how original and inventive Scrubs can be. It's one of the most enjoyable shows on television, and I hope it keeps going for a while.

Awards: Comedy Series - Writing/Directing

2005-06-02T01:51:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Writing in Comedy Series

Marc Cherry, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES for "Pilot"
Debra Fordham, SCRUBS for "My Life in Four Cameras"
Lisa Randolph, GILMORE GIRLS for "So... Good Talk"
Amy-Sherman Palladino, GILMORE GIRLS for "Wedding Bell Blues"
Amy Sherman-Palladino, GILMORE GIRLS for "A House is Not a Home"

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

Jamie Babbitt, GILMORE GIRLS for "So... Good Talk"
Adam Bernstein, SCRUBS for "My Life in Four Cameras
Charles McDougall, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES for "Pilot"
Joe Russo, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT for "The Immaculate Election"
Amy Sherman-Palladino, GILMORE GIRLS for "A House is Not a Home"

#9 Desperate Housewives

2005-06-02T01:20:00.000-07:00

Desperate Housewives was one of the biggest, and most surprising hits of the fall season. I have to say it's really pleasing that this refreshingly original show has been so successful. The only unfortunate thing is that it did not completely live up to the promise of it's terrific pilot. Somne episodes in the middle half of the season really dragged, as they seemed to slow down the plot development a bit. Still, it was one of the funniest shows of the year and contained a mystery plot that kept me constantly interested in what was going on.

The best thing Deperate Housewives has going for it is the cast. Chief among the four regulars is Teri Hatcher, an actress on the brink of career obscurity until this show saved her. Her character was put through the most humiliating moments, but Hatcher's sympathetic portrayal never made her pathetic. As the uptight Bree, Marcia Cross brings the same energy and spunk that she did on Melrose Place. While Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria's characters had the weaker storylines, they still created very interesting characters and their performances made up for the flaws in their stories.

I'm really looking forward to what's gonna happen next season. While the season long mystery was wrapped up (in an admirably dramatic and logical fashion), there are still plenty of story threads left hanging. I'm particularly interested in the appearance of Alfre Woodard. She's only had a minor part in the last two episodes, but both scenes hinted at something very suspicous going on. I can't wait to see how much fun they have with the always terrific Woodard.

Awards: Guest Actor/Actress in a Drama Series

2005-05-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama

Franklyn Ajaye as Samuel Fields, DEADWOOD
Sharif Atkins as Dr. Michael Gallant, ER
Ossie Davis as Melvyn Porter, THE L WORD
Tony Goldwyn as Burr Connor, THE L WORD
William Mapother as Ethan Rom, LOST
Michael Weston as Jake, SIX FEET UNDER

Outstanding Guest Actress, Drama

Alice Krige as Maddie, DEADWOOD
Mira Furlan as Danielle Rousseau, LOST
Sprague Grayden as Judith Montgomery, JOAN OF ARCADIA
Kathryn Joosten as God, JOAN OF ARCADIA
Cynthia Nixon as Ellie Shore, ER
Lena Olin as Irina Derevko, ALIAS

#10: Battlestar: Galactica

2005-05-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Of all the shows that will appear on my top 10 this season, Battlestar: Galactica is probably the most unlikely. I ocassionally watched the older version when I was younger, but only have vague memories of it. Also, I had never been impressed with productions on the Sci-Fi network or sci-fi productions in general. Even shows like X-Files and Star Trek: The Next Generation did not completely interest me, though I definitely acknowledge their quality. The problem with most sci-fi shows is a self-contained episode structure that is my least favorite form of TV storytelling. What separates Battlestar: Galactica from msot shows of it's sort is the willingness to create an ongoing story arc and spend time developing the many varied characters in the story.

The ongoing story arc, about a group of human survivors trying to fight off extinction, was very compelling. The writers also wisely added several smaller storylines, including the ongoing troubles of the new female President the relationship between Adama and his son, Balthar's general craziness, Starbuck's emotional issues, and much more. There were interesting themses of spirituality and some surprisingly interesting political maneuvering that made things very interesting by the season finale. Of course, the most entertaining aspect is the space battles, and they really deliver. With the limited budget, they don't come as often as some sci-fi fans might expect, but they definitely deliver on their promise when it happens. All of this culminated in a brilliant two part season finale which had one of the greatest shocking twists of the season (at least until the Alias finale). I eagerly await the new season, which is right around the corner.

Awards: Guest Actor/Actress in a Comedy

2005-05-27T01:48:00.000-07:00

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy

Roger Bart as George Williams, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Zach Braff as Philip Litt, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Bobby Cannavale as Vince D'Angelo, WILL & GRACE
David Sutcliffe as Christopher Hayden, GILMORE GIRLS
Henry Winkler as Barry Zuckerkorn, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy

Kristin Davis as Nadine, WILL & GRACE
Heather Graham as Dr. Molly Clock, SCRUBS
Harriet Sansom Harris as Felicia Tillman, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Molly Shannon as Denise, SCRUBS

TV Shows: The Top 10 of 2004-05

2005-05-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

Over the next week and a half, I will be counting down my top 10 TV shows for the 2004-05 season. In between each listing, I will present a different awards category, because I'm just that insane. The following shows are ones that I watched regularly this year but did not quite make the cut for my top 10:

24 - With a plot dealing with the kidnapping of the Secretary of Defense and the meltdown of nuclear reactors across the country, the first half of 24's 4th season was some of the most suspenseful and action-packed stuff I've seen. Unfortunately, once the nuclear reactor threat was shutdown, 24 lost all momentum and descended into an inconsistent mishmash of rightwing hysteria and overdone soap opera. Not only that, but they got rid of some of the most interesting characters, including the Araz family and tech expert Chloe (though she would return to kick some ass in one of the few highlights in the 2nd half). The season was best summed up in the anticlimactic finale, which shoved the main plot off to the side and focused on stupid political and personal soap opera not even worthy of 5th season West Wing nonsense. What a shame.

Alias - It cannot be said in mere words how valuable Lena Olin is to this show. Her arrival in the 2nd season energized the show and made it the most entertaining hour on television. Her sudden departure at the end of that season led to an inconsistent 3rd season marred by weak characters and predictable plot twists. And then she returns at the end of Alias's 4th
season to pump some life into a show that was sputtering without direction for most of the season. Despite some entertaining individual episodes, Alias never gained any momentum this season thanks to a nonexistent story arc. Most of the episodes were self contained, which is my least favorite method of TV storytelling. Still, it was clear that there was a dedication
by the writers/producers to make this season more watchable, and the story arc problems were fixed by the end, which was just in time for an extremely strong final 3 hours. The shocking cliffhanger certainly left me very interested in what will happen next season.

Arrested Development - Of all the shows the cut from my top 10 list, this was probably the hardest. This was the first full season of the show I watched, and it contained some of the funniest material on TV, thanks to smart writing and a terrific ensemble cast. My only problem with this show is it's tendency to to go way over the top. Buster's hook storyline, the Martin Short cameo, etc. were all examples of how the show can get just a bit too silly. Also, the show does not have a dramatic hook, which makes it all the more troublesome when the jokes ocassionally fall flat. I don't expect a show to be completely dramatic, but just a small bit of drama would help. Scrubs, a show very similar in style to Arrested Development, is far more successful for this very reason. Still, this is a very funny show and I can't get enough of the splendid cast, particularly the brilliant Will Arnett.

ER - How does John Wells keep doing it? Over the years, ER has had it's ups and downs, but somehow Wells has always been able to right the ship. His wonderfull skill at casting is probably the main reasons. Recent additions Parminder Nagra, Linda Cardellini, and Shane West have reenergized this show much in the same way Maura Tierney and Goran Visnjic kept things
afloat when they joined many years ago. This was the most consistent season in a long time. There was a standout pair of episodes focusing on the romance between Parminder Nagra's Neela and the recently departed Sharif Atkins as Dr. Gallant (now bring him back for good!!). The show also did a much better job than usual with their showcase episodes, which included a
unique appearance by Cynthia Nixon and Frances Fisher showing up as Kerry Weaver's mother. Another recent casting coup was Thandie Newton as the love interest for Noah Wyle's Carter over the last two seasons. They had really great chemistry together and it provided a perfect reason for Carter to leave the show. He will be missed, but he's leaving behind a strong
ensemble cast to continue the show.

Grey's Anatomy - The biggest surprise of this TV season was the breakout success of Grey's Anatomy. That was big news for ABC, who already had big hits this season with Lost and Desperate Housewives. Unfortunately, this show proved to be a huge disappointment. I was looking forward to it because the star was Ellen Pompeo, who was incredible in the film Moonlight Mile. While it's nice to see a show that focuses on it's female characters, it bugs me so much that it demeans them sexually. In one episode, Pompeo's character had to carry around a
severed penis, and the writer of that episode had plenty of penis jokes to share with us. Both Pompeo and Sandra Oh's characters became involved in inappropriate relationships with their supervisors, and Katherine Heigl is stuck with a backstory where she was a (gasp!) lingerie model to pay her way through med school. Pompeo is the only person breathing some life into this, although TK Knight manages to do something every now and then with his cliche'd lovelorn nice guy character.

Kevin Hill - It's tough to write about this show not too long after it's cancellation. Kevin Hill was a refreshing show in the prime time landscape. It was a show with a black male lead, but A) the show didn't revolve around him being black and B) It wasn't an all black cast. ALso, the storyline about a playboy who is challenged when his late cousin gives him custody of his baby dredges up bad memories of Three Men and a Baby. Alas, there were no stupid "oh no she peed on me" jokes. The show seemed to really want to deal with the real world implications of this situation. Taye Diggs is always a welcoms presence, and he did a great job at carrying this show with his usual mix of casual charm and lightly played drama. Patrick Breen and the underutilized Christina Hendricks led a fine supporting cast. Unfortunately, the show ended on a downer. The show was cancelled just as Kevin lost custody of the baby to the birth mother. And that's the end of it.

Life As We Know It - Now this was an interesting show. Life As We Know It was an ambitious and visually interesting teen drama that focused on the sexual pressures faced by high school boys (and to a lesser extent, girls). The show sputtered along at first, thanks to cliche' storylines like a parental affair and a teacher/student relationship (my biggest pet peeve in teen shows). However, once they ended the teacher/student nonsense and began to develop some of the other characters, things really began to take off. I particularly loved the developing relationship between Ben (Jon Foster) and Sue (Jessica Lucas). Unfortunately, the show's ratings were very low and it ended after only 11 episodes. It's too bad it had to end early, but it was a nice show anyways.

The O.C. - Many people have criticized the 2nd season of The O.C. as being a pale imitation of the 1st. While that may be true to some extent, I think most fans are being a little harsh. The 2nd season of O.C. had many things going for it. Some of the new characters were very interesting, particularly Shannon Lucio's Lindsay and Michael Cassidy's Zach. The season really took off when we found out that Lindsay was actually Caleb's illegitimate daughter, and Seth and Summer began to inch closer to getting back together. The high point was a midseason episode called "Rainy Day Women", one of the best The O.C. episodes to date, which culminated with a Seth-Summer homage to the Spiderman kiss. Incredibly cheesy, yet incredibly satisfying. The weak points of the season involved an ill-advised lesbian storyline for Marissa and the wasted talents of Kim Delaney and Billy Campbell, neither of whom were able to overcome their bland characters. I was disappointed with some aspects in the finale, but it should bring up some interesting stuff for next season. In the end, I have to agree this was a weak season, but it wasn't a terrible one.

The Office - I have to confess to never seeing the original BBC version of this sitcom. Having said that, I think this show was very original and worked very well on it's own terms. The hilarious Steve Carell headlined an interesting and mostly humorous cast of oddballs who toiled in an office environment. Despite being a remake of a britcom, the show this most reminded me of was Newsradio. While it doesn't quite match that show's greatness, there is still plenty to enjoy here. I really enjoyed most of the supporting cast, particularly the bizaare Rainn Wilson and the adorable Jenna Fischer. Some of the episodes were hit and miss, but they seemed to be finding a rhythm by the end of the season, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

Catching Up

2005-05-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything to this blog. Here are some brief thoughts on movies I've seen in the last few weeks:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy didn't completely live up to expectations, but it was still an entertaining film. The adaptation of one of my favorite books was faithful enough to the source material and the added stuff worked really well. However, the best jokes are from the original novel and they have already been spoiled for me. It was still nice to see a very diverse cast do a great job with these oddball characters.

Look At Me is a very entertaining French multi-character comedy/drama. It centers on the relationships between a self-conscious overweight girl, her father, her music teacher, her father's mistress, and various other characters. The films was directed and written by Agnes Jaoui who also co-stars, and I was really impressed with the job she did in all three roles. She has a comfortable screen presence, a nice sense of pacing (particularly for this kind of movie), and wrote some wonderfully entertaining dialogue.

Mad Hot Ballroom: I never thought I'd see a ballroom dancing version of Spellbound, but that's what we got here. This documentary doesn't quite reach that brilliance, but it is still a very interesting piece of work. It follows underprivileged kids from New York City who compete in ballroom dancing competitions. the drive for success and the bond between students and the loyalty and care shown by their teachers is extremely touching. The one thing that prevents it from reaching the heights of Spellbound is that it follows so many different kids that none of them completely stand out. There is no moment like in Spellbound when Ashley tried to spell lycanthrope (one of the most intense moments I've seen in a film), but there are still some standout moments, particularly when a teacher tries to comfort her group of kids that just lost, but ends up breaking down herself.

Fathers and Daughters, Mothers and Sons

2005-04-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

Brief Thoughts on a Couple of Independent Films I saw this weekend:

The first was The Ballad of Jack and Rose, from director Rebecca Miller. It tells the story of the intense relationship between a dying father and his daughter, and how the father's new girlfriend upsets the balance of that relationship. This is an extremely well acted and beautifully shot film. Unfortunately, the film never completely comes together. Uneven pacing hurts the film's attempts to build emotional momentum and a tacked on epilogue ending does not end this film on the right note. I would still recommend this film. The interesting exploration of some difficult themes and the performances of Daniel Day-Lewis, Camilla Belle, and especially Catherine Keener make it a worthwhile experience.

The next film was Dear Frankie, from director Shona Auerbach (That's two films from female directors this weekend. Can we get more of these please?) It tells the story of a mother and her deaf son, who have been on the run from her husband for several years. The mother has been writing fake letters from the boy's father, telling stories of his adventures at sea. However, she is faced with a difficult choice when the boy wants to meet his father. Dear Frankie is a fairly simple story, but it gets everything right. There are so many moments where this film could have gone wrong, but it avoids them every single time. I'm particularly fond of the lovely ending that avoids extending itself too far. There are strong performances from the entire cast, but Emily Mortimer shines in the central role. Her beautifully expressive performance carries the movie.

A Minor Miracle?

2005-04-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. Veronica Mars has been renewed for a 2nd season! This was really surprising to me, although others had speculated this would happen. The ratings are extremely low, and I don't know how they can justify this from a purely fiscal standpoint. In the announcement, UPN president Dawn Ostroff said, "This is the type of smart, compelling show we want viewers to expect from UPN." It appears that UPN is serious in reworking it's image, even if that requires renewing such a low rated show. This is probably a bad sign for Kevin Hill, but it hasn't been written off yet. If UPN somehow manages to renew that one as well, they will have my eternal respect for their decision to promote quality television even in the face of ratings disaster.

UPN's Dilemma

2005-04-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

This has been one of the best TV seasons in recent memory, thanks to the emergence of creative shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives. One of the most interesting aspects of this season has been the plight of two shows on fledgling network UPN. UPN is a network that has had a very poor track record with original fictional programming. In the early days, they had a decent sitcom in Moesha, but other than that there was Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise which came with established fan bases. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the best show they've ever had, but that was bought from the WB and began a downward slide in ratings and quality under UPN's watch. The network is known more for it's disasters (a prime example being the horribly ill-conceived slavery sitcom The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer) than it's successes. Finally, UPN found two quality shows and added them to it's fall lineup. Unfortunately, no one is watching them.

Veronica Mars is a stylish show about the teenage daughter of a detective who starts helping her father out with cases. The main case Veronica is interested in is the death of her best friend Lilly Kane. This completely changed her life, as her father (who used to be the sheriff) was ostracized in the community for investigating Lilly's father. This also led to Veronica's life being turned upside down at school. The once popular Veronica was raped at a school party and is now treated as an outcast. Also, her mother left town without notice, adding to the mystery of Lilly's death. The show is very dark and creative, but adds plenty of humor and moves at a frenetic pace. It's chief asset is the amazing Kristen Bell (pictured above) in the lead role. She plays Veronica with the right amount of extreme confidence with enough vulnerability thrown in so she doesn't come off as conceited. The supporting cast is a mixed bag as far as talent goes (Enrico Colantoni is the best, Percy Daggs is the worst), but they are all entertaining in their own way. Veronica Mars airs Tuesdays at 9pm and has 5 episodes left in this season. It will be very interesting to see how the mystery is wrapped up.

Kevin Hill is a show that could sound very bad on paper. It stars Taye Diggs (pictured above) as a bachelor lawyer whose cousin passes away and leaves him custody of a newborn baby. When I heard this, I was dreading a bunch of Three Men and a Baby style jokes and an overall juvenile attitude. I was surprised to find this to be one of the most mature shows I've ever seen dealing with a young baby. The show focuses on Kevin's attempts to balance his bachlor lifestyle with his new responsibility. It's a charming show that focuses on light humor and subtle dramatic moments. Nothing on this show is overwrought. The supporting cast is very strong, particularly christina Hendricks as a fellow lawyer at Kevin's new law firm. In an age where most shows targetted at African-Americans focus on low brow humor, it's refreshing to see such a quietly charming show on the air. Kevin Hill airs on Wednesdays at 9pm.

Apparently, UPN can't win, though. Both shows are doing very poorly in the ratings, and it's not for a lack of trying. UPN has admirably advertised the heck out of these shows but people still haven't been watching. Conventional wisdom is that UPN will probably keep one of these shows and cancel the other, but the recent ratings I've seen makes it look like both will be cancelled. It's a shame that quality shows like Veronica Mars and Kevin Hill can't find an audience, but I have to give UPN credit for giving these shows a home and trying their best to get people to watch them. I'll be crossing my fingers in hopes that one or both of these fine shows will be renewed in May.

Sin City

2005-04-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have a great deal of admiration for any movie that can make me like Mickey Rourke. That is quite an accomplishment. Sin City is an imaginative movie that that has some of the most stunning cinematography I've seen in a long time. It tells three separate stories based on graphic novels by Frank Miller, and the cinematography perfectly captures the atomsphere of the source material. The movie is filled with exciting action set pieces, wicked humor, and a strong ensemble cast (Rosario Dawson, Carla Gugino, Bruce Willis, and the aforementioned Rourke being my favorites). So why didn't I love this movie more?

The main problem with Sin City is the filmmakers have spent so much time capturing the look and excitement of the graphic novels, they failed to make the individual stories compelling enough for us to care about. I would have actually preferred if they had picked an individual story to flesh out instead of telling us three separate stories that really don't come together except for brief moments. As it is, the stories are too short for us to really care about what's going on and we're left with repetitive scenes of destruction. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it doesn't make it a great movie.

Firefly

2005-03-27T03:56:00.000-08:00

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

2005-03-25T01:48:00.000-08:00

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

2005-03-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

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

2005-03-19T22:33:00.000-08:00

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?

2005-03-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

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

2005-03-14T00:12:00.000-08:00

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

2005-03-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

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

2005-03-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

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.

Broken Mirror

New Blog

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Nine

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Eight

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Seven

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Six

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Four

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Three

Atlanta Film Festival: Day Two

In the Land of Women

Atlanta Film Festival

It's About Time

Huh?

Where Have I Been?

Return of the Oscar Formula

Thanks Rush!

Why You Should Listen to Your Parents...

Thoughts on the 2006 Fall TV Season

This is what it took?

This Political Party Will Self Destruct in 10 Seconds

TV Awards: 05-06

Finally: TV Top 10 2005-06

Blogging Plans

Awards: Writing/Directing in a Comedy

TV Season 2005-06: The Good

Awards: Guest Actor/Actress in a Drama Series

TV Season 2005-06: The Average

Awards: Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy

TV Season 2005-06: The Bad

TV Season 2005-06: Year in Review

NBC says "No Mas"

Fall TV 2006: The CW's Fall Lineup

Fall TV 2006: Fox's New Lineup

Fall TV 2006: CBS's New Lineup

Fall TV 2006: Veronica Mars

Fall TV 2006: ABC's New Lineup

Fall TV 2006: NBC's New Lineup

Conflict Resolution

Akeelah and the Bee

Fall TV 2006: The Most Promising Pilots

Friends With Money

Inside Man

Gilmore Girls

Thank You For Smoking

Slither

Recommended Reading

The Next Six Feet Under?

The Office

Midseason TV: The Unit

The Wrong Upset

Oscar Predictions

Incredible

Something Old

I Collect Your Head

2005 Oscar Nomination Reactions

2005 Oscar Nomination Predictions

2005 Oscar Picks

Top 10 Films of 2005

Walk the Line

John Spencer

Recent Movies

Fall TV 2005: Commander in Chief

Fall TV 2005: Kitchen Confidential

Fall TV 2005: Out of Practice

Fall TV 2005: Threshold

Fall TV 2005: Undeclared

The Atlanta Film Festival, Two Months Later

#1 Lost

TV Award Winners

#2 Deadwood

Outstanding Drama/Comedy Program

#3 Six Feet Under

Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in a Drama

#4 Gilmore Girls

Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in a Comedy

#5 Veronica Mars

Awards: Supporting Actor/Actress in a Drama

#6 Joan of Arcadia

Awards: Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series

#7 The L Word