Let's talk 'Chuck vs. the Beard': Awesome!
Below are some thoughts on Monday's "Chuck" episode, "Chuck vs. the Beard."
Continue reading "Let's talk 'Chuck vs. the Beard': Awesome!" »
Below are some thoughts on Monday's "Chuck" episode, "Chuck vs. the Beard."
Continue reading "Let's talk 'Chuck vs. the Beard': Awesome!" »
Posted at 8:02 PM in Chuck | Permalink | Comments (9)
"No one wants to do it alone," Neil Patrick Harris sang at the start Sunday's Oscar telecast on ABC.
Maybe Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did need each other for moral support, but you have to wonder, why not just let Harris emcee next year's Oscar broadcast solo? It'll cost half as much, and as he's proved at so many other awards shows, there is nothing Harris cannot make more awesome, especially when he's surrounded by high-kicking showgirls.
Martin and Baldwin are of course gifted comic actors in their own rights, but they're used to the spotlight. Doing a double act requires an easy chemistry that the duo lacked at first. As they loosened up, their opening routine, in which they lobbed softball jokes at the famous people in the first few rows, became more effective (Martin: "There's that damn Helen Mirren." Baldwin: "That's Dame Helen Mirren." Martin also noted that "Precious" was "the one film that really lived up to its videogame.")Much of the evening consisted of waiting to see which awards "Precious," "The Hurt Locker" or "Avatar" would win next. The only truly unexpected moment came when one of the winners for Best Documentary Feature unfurled a banner that said to text the word "dolphin" to a certain number. The winning film, "The Cove," depicted the mass killing of dolphins in Japan.
A few of the most entertaining, spontaneous moments were associated with "The Hurt Locker," especially when Kathryn Bigelow won as the first female Best Director and a few moments later, when the film got the best-picture award. The producers' and actors' stunned, joyous reactions to the latter win made it worth sitting through the whole broadcast.
We count on the Oscars to bring us not only a couple of surprises, a lot of thanked agents and a dance routine or two: There also has to be some deeply sincere fatuousness or some of us feel a little cheated. Introducing each Best Actor and Best Actress nominee was a famous colleague from a past film; according to every glowing speech, each nominee was a selfless, amazing, funny, kind, ego-less and warm-hearted human being.
Because we all know that A-list actors and actresses are all totally down-to-earth, humble role models, right? (And you know, after Sandra Bullock's winning acceptance speech for "The Blind Side," I almost want to believe it.)
Oh, sure, it's the height of awards-season silliness, but that's why we tune in to the Oscars -- to see the pretty dresses, to see worthy films and filmmakers and actors occasionally get recognized, and to see the residents of the least real place on Earth talk about how kind, sweet and unpretentious they all are.
Hollywood is all about the fantasies, after all, right?
Posted at 11:09 PM in Awardsfest Mania! | Permalink | Comments (21)
Posted at 11:05 AM in General television | Permalink | Comments (29)
Don't forget you can also subscribe to "Orientation: Ryan Station" on iTunes.
I've put a final batch of really cool items up on eBay -- you simply must check them out if you're a fan of "Mad Men," "Fringe," "Breaking Bad," "Project Runway" or any of the other shows mentioned below.
Here's what's being auctioned on eBay right now (and the current beneficiaries are Partners in Health and Doctors Without Borders -- the latter charity has ongoing efforts to aid those in need in both Haiti and Chile):
It's all here, folks -- at least for a few more days. And don't forget, you can still get swag via this Partners in Health page too!
My deepest, deepest thanks go to everyone who helped administer this effort, to everyone who donated items to the auction and the PIH page, and to everyone who gave money or bid on eBay.
Posted at 11:51 PM in Lost, Watch Us Care | Permalink | Comments (3)
Thoughts on Tuesday's episode of "Lost," "Sundown," are below.
Posted at 1:14 AM in Lost | Permalink | Comments (69)
Posted at 3:14 PM in General television | Permalink | Comments (3)
HBO has given a green light to "Game of Thrones," one of the most hotly anticipated shows the network has ever made. The network has committed to the pilot plus nine additional episodes.
The pilot for "Thrones" was shot in Northern Ireland and other European and North African locations in late 2009. Production will resume in June in Northern Ireland. It's expected that the show will arrive on HBO in the spring of 2011, but no firm date has been set.
HBO's description of the series: "Based on the series of books by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom."
Above is the first image from the series, which was shot in Belfast, Northern Ireland (presumably not in the city center).
Series regulars in alphabetical order:Also featuring:
Here's what Martin himself had to say on his Not a Blog site the day before the news was announced:
"From the start of this, I've told myself, 'Don't get too emotionally
invested in this, or you will be devastated if it doesn't go.' Wise
words, those. I'm a smart guy.
"But easier said than done. I've
failed. I am totally emotionally invested, and if HBO does indeed
decide to pass, for whatever reason, I will be gutted.
"So let's all hope I am soon doing the happy dance instead."
My own take? I do have a few thoughts, thanks for asking:
For my previous stories on "Game of Thrones," which I've written about several times in the past, look here.
To keep up with news of the show and the fan reaction to the pickup, these are some must-read sites:
The writing and producing credits for the "GoT" pilot are as follows:
Continue reading "HBO picks up 'Game of Thrones'; first picture, cast list" »
Posted at 1:44 PM in Game of Thrones | Permalink | Comments (33)
"This is the way I look and my life is happy and productive, so why have any more surgery?" Ebert said, before moving on to this year's Oscar race.
A note: Here's another piece on Ebert, a great one by Will Leitch.
Photo courtesy of Harpo Productions, George Burns.
Related:
Photos: Roger Ebert through the yearsPosted at 10:04 AM in Oprah | Permalink | Comments (20)
Posted at 9:09 AM in General television | Permalink | Comments (15)
Continue reading "Let's gab about 'Chuck vs. the Fake Name'" »
Posted at 8:00 PM in Chuck | Permalink | Comments (63)
Here's an exclusive clip of the memorable arrival of James Marsters ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Torchwood") in Friday's episode of Syfy's "Caprica."
In the increasingly compelling Syfy drama, Marsters plays an intense character named Barnabas. A plot summary for the episode, "Know Thy Enemy," is below the clip.
My most recent "Caprica" feature -- an interview with Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama) and Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Greystone) is here. For thoughtful recent writeups on the show's excellent Feb. 26 episode from other critics, look here and here.
More information about the episode is below. Spoilers ahead:
Continue reading "Exclusive video: First look at James Marsters in 'Caprica'" »
Posted at 3:40 PM in Caprica | Permalink | Comments (26)
"Glee" is taking the show on the road.
The Fox musical-comedy-soap, which returns April 13 on TV, kicks off a four-city "Glee Live!" tour starting May 18. The tour will bring the cast of "Glee" to Chicago May 25 and 26.
According to a Fox press release, "Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Mark Salling (Puck), Dianna Agron (Quinn), Naya Rivera (Santana), Heather Morris (Brittany), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike) and Dijon Talton (Matt) will perform in a singing and dancing celebration" of the show.
Tickets for the Chicago dates go on sale March 13.
The Fox release on the "Glee" tour is below.
Continue reading "'Glee' hits the road for four-city tour" »
Posted at 10:33 AM in Glee | Permalink | Comments (7)
Happy Monday, and welcome to your "Lost" and "Chuck" podcast briefing:
Ryan McGee, Zap2it.com's "Lost" blogger, and I have recorded another edition of "Orientation: Ryan Station," this time with special guest Todd Van Der Werff, who writes about television for the Los Angeles Times, the Onion's AV Club and his own site, South Dakota Dark.
As we do each week, we cued up the episode on our computers and came up with a freeform audio commentary for the episode. If you wish, you can cue up the episode yourself on Hulu (or below) and follow along as we talk about what's happening on the screen (and sometimes we just discuss our thoughts about the show in general).
You can listen to it on this site or you can right click and do "Save Link As" to save it to your hard drive and listen to it later. If you're not keen on the functionality of the podcast below, check out the version on Ryan's site, you may find it more useful. (By the way, all previous podcasts and "Lost" coverage is here.)
We had various technical issues in trying to get this podcast done, and Todd's laptop was stolen on Saturday; we did start to feel like perhaps we were stuck in the Sideways universe and/or had been marked by a vengeful entity as Non-Candidates (dun-dun-dun!).
But we got it done and it must be noted that there was some good news earlier in the week on the podcast front: You can now subscribe to the weekly "Orientation: Ryan Station" on iTunes. Yay! Ryan has more info about that here.
Also, check out Todd's account for the Los Angeles Times of Saturday's "Lost" panel at the Paley Center, which featured several cast members and executive producers talking about the show. Todd's story has links to several other accounts of the gathering.
Speaking of podcasts, I had a lot of fun guesting on two different "Chuck" podcasts recently.
In both chats, I talked (in a non-spoilery way) about the next four episodes of the show and about "Chuck vs. the Mask" and Season 3 in general. I had concerns about "Chuck vs. the Fake Name," which I must admit is not a favorite episode of mine (I'll post a review with more detailed thoughts after it airs on Monday). However, the three episodes that follow it are quite strong, and the March 8 episode is one of my favorite "Chuck" episodes of all time. Of all time.
Do I think "Chuck" is worth sticking with? Absolutely. Let us be stoic and steadfast, John Casey-style, Bartowski Nation.
Lastly, before "Chuck" airs, why not check out this auction of items we are auctioning for Haiti relief? The lead item is a snazzy Wii game system with a matching bag signed by the "Chuck" cast, but there are also items from "Buffy," "Burn Notice," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office," "Farscape" and "Battlestar Galactica," among many other shows.
There are also "Chuck" swag bags available to those who donate $30 or more to this Partners in Health donation page. Spread the word, "Chuck" fans!
So far, between this Partners in Health direct donation page and the eBay auction, the Watch Us Care effort has raised $10,000 for Haiti relief. Thank you to everyone who has so generously participated!
Posted at 9:28 AM in Chuck, Lost | Permalink | Comments (1)
The following story contains thoughts about Syfy's "Caprica" and interviews with cast members Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama) and Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Greystone). On this post, there's also a video clip from Friday's episode and an exclusive video interview with Roiz and Torresani from their recent visit to Chicago.For other "Caprica" stories and interviews, look here.
Friday's "Caprica" (8 p.m. Central Friday, Syfy) may defy your expectations. You'd think an episode in which characters find themselves trapped inside a virtual world that resembles a videogame would be brightly colored and chaotic.
Not so. Michael Nankin, who directed several key episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" (the drama for which "Caprica" acts as a prequel), bathes the "New Cap City" game in warm sepia tones and uses sharp camera angles, retro clothes and beautifully composed visuals to recall the tense, melancholy world of film noir.
Over a recent lunch at a Chicago hotel, during which she bantered playfully with castmate Sasha Roiz (who plays Sam Adama), she exclaimed, "Bread overload!" when a waiter approached the table, and she later gleefully dug into a plate of French toast.
She also ordered a double espresso, though I've rarely met anyone who appeared to need caffeine less. But she may have wanted the energy boost for her trip to the Chicago suburbs later in the day; she couldn't wait to go see her 93-year old grandfather, one of many relatives in the Chicago area.
"Chicago is my favorite city," she exclaimed, and reminisced fondly about shooting an episode of "ER" with George Clooney in the Windy City when she was 10.
Suffice to say, Torresani (who Twitters here) is not even remotely robotic in person, despite playing at least two technology-derived characters on "Caprica." After Zoe's death in a terrorist bombing on the planet of Caprica, a virtual version of Zoe continued to exist in the "V-world," and her personality was also downloaded into an advanced robot that her industrialist father created.
Not that Zoe, a technology whiz like her father, was necessarily in favor of the limitless possibilities of cyberspace. She secretly allied herself with a group called the Soldiers of the One, a terrorist group devoted to furthering monotheism on the polytheistic Twelve Colonies.
"You can see the attraction [STO] has for the younger generation, because you can see how the [adult] generation has gone off the rails, morally," Roiz said. "There's a whole movement by the younger generation to create a new world and a new moral code."
Continue reading "'Caprica's' first Cylon and chief enforcer talk about the Syfy show's future" »
Posted at 5:19 PM in Caprica | Permalink | Comments (14)
What is it to "want answers" when it comes to "Lost"? And is saying that someone "just wants answers" a way to shrug off real concerns that some have about the final season of the show?
Even though, in my review of Tuesday's episode, I stated that I don't have a "Questions that must be answered" checklist for Season 6, a reader took issue with my thoughts on "Lighthouse," and our exchange is below. I thought it important to post that conversation more prominently because I think it goes to the heart of a debate I'm seeing in various online forums (and I want to thank Robin, the commenter, for contributing to the conversation; he or she had many good points and it's these kinds of civil exchanges that make it enjoyable to do this blog).
In any case, it seems that there is something of a split developing among those still watching "Lost." Of course, there have always been dozens of different "Lost" camps and fandoms, but in this final season, there seems to be a growing divide between those who say that others simply "want answers" to lingering mysteries and those who are willing to "go along for the ride."
I should note that Robin didn't say I should "go along for the ride," but others have, and it's great that they have faith in the show's creators to come up with a satisfying ending over the course of the next 13 hours. I have faith too, but I have some mild doubts and I think they're worth expressing (we're not quite at the point where I need to invoke Moff's Law, but I wonder if it will have to be invoked at some point). Those doubts might evaporate as the season progresses, or they may harden into disappointment. Unlike various characters on the ABC drama, I don't know the future.
In any case, in the "want answers" versus "just go with it" debate, I'll declare myself as having a foot in both camps. But maybe they're the same camp. Because it's not that I "want answers," though some would be nice and they can be an enjoyable part of the show (and part of the structure of "Lost" is to set up questions then give answers weeks or years later; it's part of the show's DNA).
But as I wrote about "Lighthouse," maybe it' s not about wanting answers as much as it is about wanting fewer questions.
As James Poniewozik of Time asked today on Twitter, "Serious 'Lost' question: What, now, is the objective? What, exactly, are we rooting for Jack et al to do?"
Exactly. How are we supposed to care about what the characters want if we don't know what a number of them want? Or why they want it? (As James later said on Twitter, "I'm concerned by the [amount] of answers that Jacob-vs-Smokey is the endgame. I didn't sign on to cheer a fight b/w magic Island deities.")
UPDATE: James wrote a post expanding on this question here; I highly recommend it. He puts his finger on a lot of the issues and reactions I've been having too. As he put it in the title of the post, "What's the Objective?"
For more on my thoughts on motivation and character and how the "answers" play into that, I thought it would be good to post this exchange between myself and a commenter from earlier today:
From Robin:
I liked the episode, including Jack's sideways world.
Jack, Kate, Locke, and Sawyer have always been the primary characters in this huge multi-character drama. It seems like a lot of dissatisfaction is coming from this fact, and that S6 is focusing so tightly on Jack and Kate (everyone loves Locke and Sawyer it seems). The show has always been about them, and even though we really really really want to see Des and Penny, and we love Miles, and we like Lapidus's wisecracks, and we want to know Richard's back story, the show has never been about those characters (Des and Penny are debatable I guess). It seems only natural that the final season would pull the story back to the main characters (while hopefully tying up some loose ends like, ahem, who the heck is Richard??), and leave the secondary characters in the background. I'm afraid that people who are not happy with the direction that the show has gone for the first 4 episodes are going to be overwhelmingly disappointed in the season as a whole, since S1 was always primarily about those 4 characters and S6 is definitely mirroring that (hey! another instance of mirrors! :-)Mo here:
A couple of responses:
To say that it's natural for the show to focus on Season 1 characters now doesn't quite ring true for me. "Lost" has evolved a lot since Season 1, and part of the reason it's hooked me as a viewer is that it has regularly introduced new characters that spice up the drama and the comedy and are just interesting to follow. I'd expected that we'd get some shoutouts to Season 1 and of course revisit and expand on key points of Jack and Kate's journey in the final season -- it's only fitting -- but I don't feel there's anything strange about me having shifted my loyalties over time.
At this stage, Desmond, Penny, Alpert, Ben and various other characters are as interesting or even more integral to the show as the old-school ever were, in my opinion. Speaking for myself, I am invested in a mix of old-school and new-school characters, and in some cases the stories of newer characters are far more interesting than what's going on with Season 1 characters, who've had plenty of chunks of their story told over the last six years.
As for your second point...Posted at 1:56 PM in Lost | Permalink | Comments (41)
NBC's "Chuck" returns on Monday, and to whet your appetite for more spy adventures and Buy More antics, below is an interview I conducted on the show's set last year with two cast members, Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay. They play the Buy More's Jeff and Lester, a.k.a. Jeffster, which is the name of their awesome band.
In this somewhat more serious third season of "Chuck," Jeff and Lester often shoulder much of the comic-relief load, but Krinsky and Sahay always pull off the Jeffster shenanigans with demented flair. I frankly can't imagine "Chuck" without Buy More antics -- and Jeffster in particular -- to balance out the more ambitious elements of the show.
Below, the actors talk about the formation of Jeffster, their musical experience prior to rocking out as Buy More's finest band and what it was like to play Comic-Con. And as you can tell in this 5-minute clip, in real life Krinsky does not possess the unhinged and/or crazy eyes of Jeff Barnes.
A few notes before we get to the Jeffster magic:
Below is a transcript of some of the highlights of the interview:
Continue reading "Video: Let Jeffster from 'Chuck' rock your world (plus: swag alert!)" »
Posted at 12:09 PM in Chuck | Permalink | Comments (8)
Below are some thoughts about "Lighthouse," Tuesday's episode of "Lost."
UPDATE: I've posted some further thoughts on Season 6 of "Lost," based on an exchange I had with a commenter named Robin, here.
Posted at 1:26 AM in Lost | Permalink | Comments (60)
From left: John Park, Jermaine Sellers and Lee DeWyze try out for "American Idol" Season 9.
The three Chicago-area contestants in "American Idol's" Top 24 have a couple of things in common: They're all guys and they're all in their 20s.
However the musical styles and influences of Lee DeWyze, John Park and Jermaine Sellers couldn't be more different. In recent phone interviews, the Chicago competitors talked about what to expect from their "Idol" performances (which continue 7 p.m. Central Wednesday; the Top 12 female contestants compete 7 p.m. Central Tuesday on the Fox talent show).Parting words: "Thanks for all the support -- and vote for me!"
Check out photos of the top 24 contestants on "American Idol" season nine.
Posted at 4:25 PM in American Idol | Permalink | Comments (9)
Zap2it.com's "Lost" blogger, Ryan McGee, and I have done a third podcast -- this time with a special guest, Star-Ledger TV critic Alan Sepinwall.
We cued up the show on Hulu, re-watched it and talked about our thoughts about the Feb. 16 episode, "The Substitute." The whole thing was a great deal of fun and I hope you enjoy it. (Ryan and I hope to line up other special guests for these weekly "Orientation: Ryan Station" podcasts. Our previous podcasts and my other "Lost" stories can be found here.)
The 49-minute "Orientation: Ryan Station Part 3 -- The Sepining" is below. You can listen to it on this site or you can right click and do "Save Link As" to save it to your hard drive and listen to it later via iTunes. (If you want to listen and watch the show as well, I recommend doing so at Ryan's "Lost" site.)
Also, "Lost" fans really should check out the new items in this raffle of rare "Lost" merchandise, which now includes mint-condition Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk comics signed by "Lost" executive producer Damon Lindelof.
If you donate $10 or more at this Watch Us Care Partners in Health page, email that receipt to Jo of Get "Lost" with JOpinionated and leave a comment on her site, and she'll enter you for the prize drawing she's holding Feb. 26. (And if you donate $25 or more via that PIH page, you get a fun Dharma pin as well.)
Here are the items in Jo's raffle:
Check out Jo's site for pictures of this fine loot. Thanks, Jo!
There are also plenty of new items in the eBay auction to benefit Partners in Health, and watch for yet more stuff to be added to the auction next week.
Posted at 7:09 PM in Lost | Permalink | Comments (3)
What to do if you're not in the mood to watch the Olympics? Below are a few programs you may want to check out if you aren't obsessed by the doings in Vancouver.
Actually, regardless of the Olympics, these are just a few overlooked gems (and one revitalized veteran) you may find entertaining:
1. "Life Unexpected," 8 p.m. Central Monday (reruns 7 p.m. Central Wednesday), CW: This freshman drama is doing all right by the CW's standards but it still needs (and certainly deserves) an assist. The premise has teenager Lux reuniting with her birth parents, who gave her up for adoption in high school. Ignore the fact that Lux (Brittany Robertson) is so adorable you can't believe no one ever adopted her and instead, focus on the fact that, like the best WB dramas of the yore, this winning family drama has a very talented cast, a good deal of wit and a great deal of heart. If you've missed "Gilmore Girls" and "Everwood," this promising show could well fill that gap in your life. In Monday's episode (which is not a repeat), Lux's father, Baze (Kristoffer Polaha), is a guest on the radio show hosted by Lux's mother, Cate (Shiri Appleby) and her fiance, Ryan (Kerr Smith).4. "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," 9 p.m. Central Fridays, Starz: When I tell people who've seen the "Spartacus" pilot that I'm enjoying this Starz gladiator drama, they look at me as if I might be insane. But I contend that people who bailed after the pilot are missing out on a pretty enjoyable swords-and-sandals melodrama, one that is not nearly as derivative and clunky as the show's first couple of episodes. Yes, it's violent, sex-drenched and looks a lot like a budget version of "300," but "Spartacus" is also a sexy, canny soap about the travails of Batiatus (the wonderful John Hannah), the desperate but cunning owner of the gladiator school, and his scheming wife, Lucretia (the always enjoyable Lucy Lawless).
It may all be an escapist romp about naughty Romans and fierce warriors, but it's an increasingly well-written and assured romp. My favorite character may actually be the fearsome Doctore (Peter Mensah), the head instructor of the gladiator school, but star Andy Whitfield is doing a credible job as the title character, who has a quiet nobility, not just rippling abs.
5. "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains," 7 p.m. Central Thursdays, CBS: It was smart of CBS to schedule a new season of "Survivor" against the Olympics -- and an all-star season at that. I used to be addicted to this reality warhorse but grew tired of it after a dozen seasons; all the scheming started to feel rote and predictable. But this outing, which collects some of the best players from the show's past 19 seasons, is all about pure game play and strategy, and the personalities and machinations are interesting enough to keep me watching -- for now, anyway. We'll sees if "Heroes vs. Villains" keeps me glued to the set when Thursdays are crowded again with fresh episodes of scripted comedies and dramas.
A note: Check the video player at the right side of this page for clips from these and other programs; new clips are added daily.
Finally, I asked readers for their suggestions for overlooked gems that people should be watching, and here were their nominees (and feel free to leave more suggestions in the comment area):Posted at 12:17 PM in General television | Permalink | Comments (28)
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