Wanna get high???

So i watched this week's episode of Mad Men with both my parents. This was a first this season, and hopefully not indicative of an evolving trend (need my own place!). Anyway, I liked tonight's episode. There was a lot going on, strange for this show, and it was pretty funny. Without further ado, let's dive in...
After watching a lot of True Blood and The Wire, I have a fond appreciation for opening theme songs and credits. Mad Men definitely offers a unique and entertaining opening credits, even if I may not totally get it. The whole black and white thing definitely means something, as do the actions during the opening, but it goes way over my head. Regardless of whether i get it, I definitely enjoy it. It's like part of the show and I couldn't imagine skipping it.
Some other memorable openings include Scrubs. When i used to watch the show on DVD, i wouldn't skip over this part, as it felt like part of the process. Fans agreed, since when they altered the opening in season two there was a mass protest amongst fans who were put off by the elongated version. The song is appropriate, the splicing works well and the joke at the end with the backward x-rays is amusing enough for a throwaway gag i've seen over and over.
The Simpsons has a widely recognized theme, which underwent a major overhaul. I can't remember why, and you can look it up on wikipedia if you want, but the Simpsons recently changed their opening. The clip is longer and tweaks the original actions too. I like the change. My brother doesn't. Too bad the show itself isn't as debatable now, because everyone can agree it basically stinks...
Both of these sons are in sharp contrast to Lost's opening, which is short and abrupt, but somehow very poignant and meaningful. Can't explain it beyond that, except to say I love it.
Oh yeah, but True Blood has the best opening song of anything on television right now. Except maybe Burn Notice, which I think is the biggest joke ever. First of all, they explain the show every time in the opening credits. Second of all, "a trigger happy ex-girlfriend" is an amazing line. Finally, there's an inside joke with me and my friends from school where i butcher one of the lines from the opening. "MICHAEL! Someone needs your help." (I guess you have to be there...)
But to the actual show we go...
Love how much the pregnant ladies smoke and drink. Kids were tougher back than because it was an endeavor just to make it out of the womb alive. Now kids are coddled. No wonder my generation is full of pussies.
The ladies in this episode steal the show. Primarily Peggy and Joan. First is Joan, who has a silent war with a former secretary, hosts a dinner party and plays her squeeze box.
In regards to her tension with the now Mrs. Sterling, I'm totally in Joan's camp. Not sure why they're feuding still, but Joan is definitely in the right. Joan's dynamic with her fiance freaks me out. I'm literally afraid for her all the time when she's around her loose cannon of a fiance. This guy is just in love with his image of Joan and totally doesn't get her, so when he sees something he doesn't get he freaks out, which is when i get scared. I don't know how long she can keep him in check before he does something awful again.
As for Joan's playing of the accordion, i was very moved. Wasn't too confident she was actually singing though. Oh well, it doesn't really matter.
"I'm Peggy Olsen, and i want to smoke some marijuana." If i smoked weed I would totally say this all the time. Peggy, who stepped up her game in last week's episode, by having sex like a man, made furhter inroads into the man's world. She smoked some grass, put her secretary in her place and excelled at her job. So proud watching Peggy wage a one woman feminist movement on her own.
I real liked how accurately this episode captured the drug dealer and drug buyer dynamic. It was so awkward how that guy tried to be their friend, and how the Sterling Cooper employees had to pretend to want him around. Why do drug dealers think people like them? I mean this guy was pretty chill, but they just wanted drugs!!!
"Fred Armisen is the luckiest guy in the world." That was my mom's reaction after learning about Fred's relationship with January Jones, who plays Betty on Mad men. Not sure what she meant...
It blows my mind that Sally would have been about my dad's age when this story takes place. Speaking of Sally, I think a spin off is coming with her, Carla, Gene and the often seen, but rarely heard, Bobby. Sally reads to gene. Bobby plays with his toys. Carla yells, "dinner." If it's on AMC, I'd probably watch it...
The surprise of the night was the rug pete Campbell cut out on the dance floor with his wife.
I'll let my mom's description of events describe the scene, starting from shortly before he and the little lady start dancing.
"Pete has had some moments where he hasn't been a deuchebag... They took a class...Danceathon, class of 1961... the precursor to Greece."
Followed by my dad saying, "JUST WATCH THE SHOW!"
Don doesn't seem comfortable with anyone anymore. He and Roger used to have a pseudo friendship, which ran deeper than his doings with anyone else on the show, but it seems to have been exposed as the meaningless thing it always was. I'm worried about those two. they're normally so much fun to watch together, but after Don bitch slapped him tonight, I wonder...
Until next week...
Oh yeah, in a pitiful attempt to get comments, your thoughts???

True Blood reboot

So True Blood has officially taken over my life. Not only do i watch the new episodes multiple times, I have begun watching the show from the beginning with my friends Whitney and Alex, who are blood virgins.

We watched the series premiere and the second episode today. They both say they'll watch the rest of the season, although they couldn't articulate what they liked except to say they found it interesting. I thought Whitney, being a girl, would be into the love story, but she said that wasn't a compelling interest for her.
I'm struck by how different Bill looks compared to now. He seems more life-like and animated. Now he carries himself with a certain amount of experience and looks much grayer.
Also, the pacing of the show is a little different. Maybe it's not the pacing, but the focus of the show is different. It's much more mundane compared to the end of season one and all of season two. I think they did a good job introducing the characters and describing the world they operate in.
I am anxiously awaiting the introduction of Eric. He is such a fascinating character.
That's all for now. Broke my personal computer, so posts might be a little less frequent since i can't just bang out my thoughts. Maybe that's a good thing, though, and it will inspire more careful analysis.
What do you think? More randomness or more thought provoking think pieces? Comment please.

Top Chef: Las Vegas #2

In lieu of a running diary I’ll just be expanding on some of my thoughts during this week’s episode of Top Chef: Las Vegas. I’ll start topics and come back to them as they develop.
I will add that in my Top Chef pool, one friend has chosen Kevin (Sean) and another Jen (Bill). My horse is older brother Bryan. The other people haven’t picked theirs yet. Lame, I know. So here we go.

From the Makers of GLADWARE…
I love the promotions on this show. They should have to say things like, thank god I had my safe seal Tupperware or this duck would have spoiled or I only can roast my Lamb in a GE oven. Someone did say, it needs to be in Gladware and ready to go, so I guess that was close enough.

The Brothers McMullen
The seeds of the rivalry are already being sewn. Normally the producers don’t shamelessly push an angle, but this one will probably be prevalent. Can you imagine if one of these guys went home in like week #3? No way they would let that happen.
Looks like older brother has no balls. I like that he’s the calm and conservative one, while the younger brother is revolutionizing cooking. Classic dynamic.

Michael is pretty cool. He’s the bad ass younger one, and you can tell he’s bad ass, because he wears a backward hat and a t-shirt. Michael, the older brother, is lame because he wears collared shirts. Wonder if their outfits were chosen by the producers…. Of course Bryan is a family man. I bet Michael will bang Padma. Oh the potential for these two boys is limitless. I’m in love.
Really, Michael wants to take a risk and thinks risks are important. I bet he has sex without a condom too. Too much?
A brother head to head? Oh Gail, who told you to say that???

High Stakes Quickfires
These high stakes quick fires are making a mockery of the grand prize, which is like $100,000. The fact you can win $15,000 in one little challenge, seems to make light of the whole season. Although, I think Stefan would have loved this had it been done last year. He seemed to win every quickfire, but lost the big prize to Senor Deuchebag Hosea. Yeah, I hate Hosea. He was lame. He should have banged Leah. That’s just one of my many problems with him
Quickfire prizes should be lame. A cook book. A knife. A polish dildo. Whatever. Not huge amounts of money. I don’t find it anymore exciting, and I don’t care that the chefs care more. It’s not like they’re going to start trying harder now…

Fan Favorite
No idea who is going to be the fan favorite. Like Mateeeeen’s chances early on. He’s got personality, but it’s not really shaping up early on. In Mateen’s favor is the fact that he wants to flirt and has an accessory.
One of the hobits could do well, like Kevin. The hobit with glasses is annoying and has already secured my hatred. Although I guess that could be up in the air.

I’m Gay. -Ashley
Great, I don’t care that you’re gay. I care that you’re obviously going to stir shit, which I love. So stir away. I would say that you’re obviously a lunatic, but that’s for later. Ok, I’m developing an odd attraction to Ashley. I know she’ s gay, but that makes me wonder even more.
I think we can all agree that Padma should strip at the bachelor party and Tom should show his junk at the bachelorette party. Oh snap, Jen is mad about the team arrangements! I hope all the ladies confront Tom and Padma.
After all her bitching, Ashley better complain at some point. If she doesn’t, well I won’t know what to believe in. She’s getting riled up waiting to see the judges. If she doesn’t get called in she won’t get to vent, which will mean she’ll have to charge the judges room. I know what I’m rooting for. Not encouraged by her lack of rant!
A little disappointed she got called in, although it guarantees she’ll say something. And she says nothing! At least next week she can bitch about “don’t ask-don’t tell.”
The gay guy on the men’s team just sort of roles with his stereotypical role. At first he’s offended that he has to care for the flowers, and then six seconds later he acts like it is common knowledge that gay guys can tend plants better than straight guys. I totally agree, but I was surprised how fast he accepted this role. I want to learn this guy’s name, because he has grown on me throughout the episode.

Other comments
I wonder if Gordon Ramsey could eat food the way these judges do, in that they don’t have a temper tantrum every time they taste something. With him things are either the end of the world (most of the time) or he has just orgasmed in his mouth. The TC judges taste, contemplate and move on. They talk shit later, but at least in the quickfire they’re respecting the work of the chefs. Although, this might stem from the utter lack of talented people Ramsey has to deal with. It’s his own fault though, they recruit terrible people so he can go on his rampages. My friend from school, Sean, just made this revelation after recently losing his TC virginity and acknowledging there are talented chefs. He’s a devoted follower of Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen, which I have been too for the last two seasons, but bailed before this one.
JEN NEEDS A WORKER!!! What does that mean???
How are they never over when they go to the register? I call shenanigans!
What’s a sevichelle? How do you spell seviche? Am I getting closer? Seveche? I like the idea of an ‘l’ in there.
100% sure that Jesse is the fat chef from Gilmore Girls. I think her name was Sookie. And she’s crying! Just like Sookie. Any other week she would be out, but Eve is definitely gone. My brother enjoyed that Sookie grabbed a bottle of what looked like champagne when she finished at judges table. Like how I’m done calling her jesse?
They don’t do enough with the relationships in the house. I would totally support an additional half hour, or maybe even another hour, of tv sometime in the week to focus solely on house dynamics. Am I the only one who loves these people? They’re pretty normal, but interesting enough to make the viewing worthwhile.

Healthy Entertainment

For my money you can't do better for a free show than a health care town hall meeting. Granted it takes a pretty strong stomach to swallow it all, but if you can, then you get to enjoy some dark comedy at its finest. I'm talking stuff the Coen brothers dream up and then reject because it doesn't seem even remotely plausible.
Here's a little background for you. Like 49 million people don't have health insurance in this country and the rest pay too much for awful care. President Obama and his cohorts wanted to change this and decided to tackle health care reform. THis was met with a ton of angst and opposition, so to quell the growing storm they decided on town hall meetings during the recess to talk to the people. Well talks have gotten out of hand, and in the process become hilarious...
Case in point, the first question Rep. Paul Tonko received at his town hall last night, was from a constituent who asked the Congressman if he would follow the example set by the Samurais in Japan and kill himself if his health care plan ended up being a failure. Tonko tried to answer the question, I just laughed.
The crowd's energy ebbed and flowed, with the questions ranging from the inane (a person told everyone how high a trillion dollars would reach if it was made of thousand dollar bills) to the ridiculous (please explain the deficit to my children, in language they'll understand. They're 11 and 12).
Anyway, some people went to Bruce last night, but i got to see the real show. That is until i started feeling sick to my stomach and couldn't take it anymore (I mean this is the future of our country....)
I would recommend this for anyone with a dark sense of humor. Fans of torture porn in particular would like the gruesome nature of these events.

True Blood Transition

Anubis Bliss
I like the Anubis reference early in this episode with the company transporting Bill. According to Wikipedia, Anubis is the Greek name for the jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. There doesn’t seem to be a direct tie to Vampires there, but it would seem like the connection to the afterlife is the key. I hope this kind of mythology stuff gets teased out more. I had thought we’d get more tid bits in this vein with Godric, but alas, he is gone.

What about Carl?
Am I the only desiring a back story for Carl? What’s the deal with his eyes? How did he get in touch with this gang of lunatics? Is he like Eggs and Daphne or has his bald dome been around even longer?

The Blind leading the blind
I love Terry and Jason in leadership roles. They’re real life leaders. It’s not all John Locke’s and Jack’s like on Lost. Usually there is just the blind leading the blind, and these guys can’t see two feet in front of themselves. They’re relatable and I love them for their grounding in reality.
I especially like Jason’s choice of a sidekick, as Andy never ceases to kill me. The fact that he was too drunk to remember Sam’s explanation of the developing circumstances is so realistic that it became eerily familiar. I’m not saying I black out and completely miss out on important things when I get really drunk, but I hear that can happen… I mean if it was me, how could I remember?
Anyway, that whole blind leading the blind speech was pretty poignant by Andy. Just goes to show you that you should always listen to your nanny, even if she is named Annie…
I don’t know if it was appropriate for Sam, though. Sam is about as clueless as everyone else when it comes to the big stuff, it’s just that he’s not retarded about the little stuff.
Sam is more like Gary Cooper in High Noon. He’s a good guy who is in way over his head, but through purity and grit he comes out on top. Cooper had help from Grace Kelly, and in this instance Sam will get help from his Grace Kelly, Sookie.
Although, Sam did piece together Marianne’s plan: “I think to cut out my heart while a bunch of naked people watch.” “You did see a pig. And you were right, that pig was a part of all this.”
Oh yeah, and if Sam could see at all he would know that the thing at his bar was a trap. Although, maybe that just speaks to his purity, because he knew it was a trap. Once again this show, and Sam in general, blows my mind.

These Eyes… Duh Duh Duh Duh (You know, from the Guess Who…)
Anyway, I like how Jason at least acknowledges there is something wrong with the eyes of all these people. He is on the ball, but I guess that what happens after you’ve been trained by the fellowship of the sun.
I love that Hoyt put the stories together for Sookie and Bill. There were a lot of loose ends that needed to be tied, which the viewer had already connected, and now ensures the main characters are taught up.
“It’s just something people say, party at Mariane’s.” Hoyt
I really like the relaxed nature of all these zombies. They know what they want, but they’re not in a hurry. We could all learn from them. They’re like Spaniards with their siestas. No rush here.

Mother –in-law Issues
Pretty happy with the three way dynamic between Hoyt, his mom, and Jessica. The events are completely insane, but the dynamic is grounded in reality.
It appears that Jessica will be feeding on Hoyt’s mom. I hope that doesn’t cause any undue tension in the relationship. I talked about why they might break up (http://reluctantadultperspective.blogspot.com/2009/08/jessica-and-hoyt.html ), and this seems like it could be a deal breaker for Hoyt.

My Own Personal Jesus
Lafayette never ceases to impress me. His performance in Tara’s intervention is riveting television. The depth and degree of his acting is powerful stuff, while also remaining grounded in the character’s eclectic background. This is illustrated best by this quote:
“Jesus and I agreed to see other people, but that doesn’t mean we still talk from time to time.”
The coed that shows up to buy V looks insane. Not sure why exactly she was framed like a Barbie doll, but I found it amusing.

Jumanji House
I love that Sookie and bill just sort of wander in the house. Am I the only one who scares easily? I mean I’m afraid of my normal house. A tree house would freak me out like something fierce.
But what happened in the house? What were these powers Sookie exhibited? I feel this will be the source of the resolution for the season and the start of next season’s story. There is more to Sookie than we currently know and I’m excited to find it all out.

Time OUT!
Terry really stepped up his game to save Arlene, which I think showed his real life devotion coming through. When they switch to this odd perspective of the zombies I think it’s because that’s their inner soul viewing things and trying to call the shots. We sort of saw it with Tara when her mom was praying, too.
“I threatened to shoot a bunch of nails into Arlen’s brain.” Jason
I think it all means that these people can still be saved, but then again I could be completely wrong…
“As for you Jason Stackhouse, not cool.” Terry

Mind Reading
The whole mind reading thing by Sookie was too ridiculous for me. Her Charles Xavier impersonation was fine, it just didn’t feel like the show. I mean it’s a show about vampires and the supernatural, but the show has never gotten hung up on this stuff before. Talking about the abyss and whatever is just annoying.

You Need Horns!
I think Marianne should be more explicit with her instructions in the future. The mob is easily swayed because she doesn’t leave behind careful instructions. Although in the mob’s defense, they weren’t easily convinced, as articulated by Terry…
“Bullshit! God has horns!”
Although, it seems like the mob’s fickleness and sheep like nature is a parable for our culture’s willingness to blindly follow any leader that claims to be authority. I think these people are more apt to be Republicans, because they usually have strong leaders to tell the morons, Republicans, what to do. TO be fair though, Democrats are a group of wandering sheep because they all want to be Sheppards and as a result they lack direction and get nothing done. Was that fair and balanced?
I think I’m right about the message here, especially since Bill even comments on how stupid people are and how susceptible they are too suggestions.

“I got to get Eggs!”
I mean really? Wouldn’t now be the time to cut your losses and forget about Eggs. I guess if her idiocy gets her killed, though, it wouldn’t be a total loss. I’m really hoping that Rutina Wesley becomes unhappy with her role or demands too much money, and gets written off the show. Maybe she could choke Dan Cokely and get fired from Five Towns or Five Brothers, whatever the show is called. Wait, did I just cross Entourage with True Blood???

The Queen, and I’m not talking about Lafayette
Oh Evan Rachel Wood. This is the role you were born to play. It’s why I assume you’ve been dating Marilyn Manson. Oh yeah, if you didn’t know, Evan Rachel Wood is the Vampire Queen of this area, in case you didn’t know.
She’s definitely pale enough to play a vampire and totally hot enough. She’s also really cool, which is a prerequisite for playing a vampire.
SO EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK!!!

Not Hot

Hilary Swank is not hot. If that seems like it came out of the blue, then you're not watching the Prince Family Paper episode of The Office.
She's just not hot and I know half of Dunder Mifflin agrees with me. I go so far as to question whether she is beautiful. She has a great body, but her face looks like a miniature horse. That being said, I don't have any delusions about my own face and body. I'm just saying that she is not unattainable for a reasonable attractive and well-off guy.
She is totally sexy, and I would totally, let's say romance her. But she's so hit or miss sometimes that it is hard to tell. Maybe if she would take a break from playing dudes, boxers and Amelia Earheart this could all be resolved.

For now, though, I'll let you decide. Hot or not? And while you're at it, what exactly is hot?

Bleeding out?

Has True Blood become too ridiculous? I totally loved the most recent episode, but i wonder whether or not it could be shedding its mass appeal.
Let me reiterate that I love the direction of the show.
There will be more on last night's episode after I rewatch it tonight.
Before I go though, I loved Jason's role as a hero. Of course the moron could defeat a huge army of even worse morons. Anyway, I'll be back later.

A funny Entourage????

After a season of boring, flat out bad episodes of Entourage (more like a couple seasons, but whatever), there was finally a funny one this past Sunday. The episode included the sexual deviancy of Bob Saget and the gun play of Turtle.
My favorite part of the episode was that it didn't include any of Gary Cole's terribly annoying storyline. The only way I'll be pleased with this story line is if he downs a bottle of sleeping pills or ends up working for Primatech (that's what it's called, right?).
Anyway, i almost died when Vince and Turtle are discussing their abilities with a gun with Ari. When Turtle posits that he would have good aim because he is a good free throw shooter I was reminded of why I love this show. It wasn't them making some hipster pop culture reference or a really forced gag that makes me want to gag, just friends hanging out, which is when Entourage thrives. The whole point of the show is that it's a group of friends dealing with success. SO when they all try to be stand up comedians it loses its appeal and becomes a vanity exercise for hollywood insiders.
But back to the joke, I totally could imagine one of my friends saying something as profound as this. I could also imagine us having a terrible accident on par with Drama shooting out the window. For instance, the first and only time my best friend fired a gun he ended up hitting himself in the face with it and requiring stitches.
It's these scenes, these plausible occurrences that make this show enjoyable.
Already I'm dreading next week when they look at hiring a security guard. This is something that could be done in a competent manner, in much the same vein of Rufus's character. But instead it looks like they're going some ridiculous route that makes the show feel more like a network sitcom than something airing on HBO.
As for story lines, I like the stalker angle. It has legs for another episode. But, I would also like to see something more develop with Vinny's career. I would also like a progress report on Lloyd's quest to become an agent.
I'm conflicted about Drama's story arc. I like that there is an exec with a bone to pick with him, but not sure I like how they're dragging it out. Would have liked to seen a bigger blow up and maybe more immediate ramifications.
Oh yeah, I love ERic in a work place environment. Really don't want things to work out for him. His job seems pretty easy, but since he's running out of celebs he is friendly with I see it becoming more trying.
Anyway, I'm holding out hope that there is an Entourage revival. Unfortunately I feel like we're in a dark age ever since the house lights went on in the theater at Cannes.

Top Chef Season 6 premiere!

Top Chef is back, and this time it's debuting its wares (right word?) in Sin City, Las Vegas! Apparently the setting is important, but i'm not really sure why, except for an awkward entrance by some show girls. So I guess what I'm saying is, unless they cook for some legal prostitutes i don't see the allure of Vegas over anywhere else that has ovens...

Anyway, I'm not in love with this season's cast of characters, but i'm sure they'll grow on me. I had an immediate connection with the two brothers, as that seems like a fun dynamic that could cause tension, spur a rivalry, and upset the dynamic of the competitors. They'll be in it for the long hall.
I'm happy there is a foreigner. Matteeeeeeeeen seems to have an adequate dose of personality, but not enough to eclipse Fabio and Stephen from last year. They set the bar pretty high with their accents, which Matteeeeen can match, and had personalities that this year's foreigner can't match (at least not yet). Matteeeeen is definitely a contender.
The rest of the cast and the show was kind of a blur for me, which makes me wonder if this might make a better running diary. Anyway, there appears to be a bunch of male habits, a gay guy who is constantly reminding us he's gay, some unattractive ladies and one deceptively hot girl (who my friend from college has chosen as his competitor. My horse is the older of the two brothers).
Glad to see Gail is back. She is looking hot as ever. Wolfgang made a good judge, even if i didn't think he was as funny as Tom did. It was awkward watching Tom fawn over the puckmeister. It appears Padma lost all the weight she claims that she gains every season, as she was quite attractive.

Freudian Slip

Just realized in my rationale for Jessica and Hoyt's relationship ending, I already put the blame on Jessica. Not saying I feel like Hoyt, but I can totally relate to him to a certain degree.
For some reason I have complete faith in his loyalty to Jessica and their relationship. I have no reason to expect Jessica will end things, just a belief that guy's like Hoyt will get crushed in the end.
Now when I think about things ending for them, I'm more apt to assume they'll be tugged apart by circumstances outside their control.

Jessica and Hoyt

So I'm rewatching last week's True Blood and besides the developing story with Eric and Sookie, the thing i'm left contemplating the most is Jessica and Hoyt.
I'm a sucker for a good love story and this one pulls at every heart string I have. I love the fact that Hoyt always stands up for Jessica. He never wavers, not even for a moment. I thought by now his mom would have worn him down, but it appears that love will keep them together.

Although, there are a few obvious complications that could arise. For instance, this is Jessica's first love, so she could be stolen away by a smoother character, like a vampire for instance. I doubt this scenario, but in normal life, it seems to me like first loves are rarely lasting loves.
What's more likely to plague the romance is the fact that Jessica is a vampire and Hoyt is not. This would seem to make Hoyt a perfect candidate for the turning process, but I don't think they'll go that way with this. I think it's more likely that one of them will die, like in the upcoming turmoil. This doesn't make a boat load of sense, and I'm hesitant to make any predictions since the show always surprises me.
For now, though, I'll just sit back and soak it all up.
I can't mention my favorite couple without mentioning my least favorite couple, which is Eggs and Tara. First of all, Eggs? Really? Second of all, who would just blindly accept things the way these two morons do? I must have drank too much? Boy that was strange, but why question it? In a town that has vampires and every other cooky thing, wouldn't it make sense to immediately assume there is foul play at work????

Anyway, on a simpler level their relationship bothers me. They're both just annoying and I don't have fun watching them on screen.

Just Plain Cruel

So i started watching Cruel Intentions 3, but only made it about half of the way through. THe movie is essentially soft-core porn, and not even good soft-core porn.
As far as i can tell the movie is a sequel to first movie. It focuses on Catherine's cousin and some random guy as they mess with each other and the rest of the school.

Psyched for PSYCH!

It's back! It's back!! PSYCH IS BACK!!
I've been wasting my time with Royal Pains on USA, and didn't even realize Psych had returned. I'm a little embarrassed, but mostly happy the show is back. I'm about two minutes into the premiere and I'm very happy.
I'll have more when I'm done watching it, so for now I'll just say it's like watching a weird version of my best friend and me set to a cool soundtrack.
Oh! And they take a shot at the Mentalist. It's amazing!

You're just ok Man

What a terrible let down I Love You Man was the second time around. I should add the caveat that I slept through about twenty minutes in the middle, but that was only because I found myself pretty bored.
My problems with I Love You Man revolves around the fact the movie isn't that amusing. The one liners are just fair and the humor relies mostly on shock, which explains why it's not that funny when you know it's coming.
I would say the characters are ones people can relate to. There's the boy that won't grow up, which is played convincingly by Jason Segel. He knows the life he wants, and he's living that dream, but only because he has closed himself off to what else is out there. Also, Paul Rudd's awkwardness in his search for a friend reminds me of my own uneasy time trying to make friends in college. You know you need to make friends, but you're unsure of how strong to come on and whether the other guy is that in to you. If that sounds a little gay, it's only because making friends is a pretty gay process. I mean you have to like hanging out with the other guy and find him ok to look at, it's just that you stop short of kissing on the mouth.
On the whole, though, this movie is a snoozefest. It's better than 98% of the comedies out there, but you need a high bar when Rudd and Segel are involved. I'd say in the pantheon of these types of movies it somewhere below Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Role Models, but miles ahead of Drillbit Taylor.
I really enjoy Jon Favreau in this movie. The director of "Elf" and the Iron Mans, rarely disappoints when he gets on the other side of the camera. As long as he isn't doing formulaic comedy he can be a compelling actor that makes you laugh and makes you squirm about how well he captures real life. He is the everyman actor. A toned down version of Kevin James in both style and body type. Much credit is due to him and Jaime Pressly for their portrayal of a married couple in this movie. They capture the love/hate dynamic that I imagine characterizes many marriages.
This movie is definitely worth a watch, but rent it, don't buy it. Then maybe ten years from now you can try it again.

Yeah, that's Amy Adams...

So I'm going through the HBOs and i stumble across Cruel Intentions 2. Now the first movie is a classic. It's not amazing cinema, but for titillating sensation it totally delivers. The second one, which I've seen about three minutes of, is a far cry from the original.
Actually, the sequel feels more like an after hours Cinema production based on the quality of the production and the acting. But this is a all just a long winded way to get to the fact that in this 2000 masterpiece lies a special little gem, which is that AMY ADAMS IS IN THE MOVIE!

But better yet, she's not playing the sweet and innocent part you'd assume she'd be cast in based on her recent career trajectory. No, the star of Julie and Julia or Julia and Julie, actually plays the conniving, back stabbing trouble maker played so perfectly by Sarah Michelle Geller in the original.
Now I didn't stop long enough to compare the two performances, but the tiny bit i did see, during which Amy Adams tries to get out of gym and dance class left me thinking her version might not be at the same level. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the picture of her from the movie.

Mildly Manic Men

Season Three of Mad Men debuted with not quite a bang, much more than a whimper, and with enough intrigue to have even Pete's hair in a muss.

Season three begins at least 6 months after last year's finale, with Betty at least two thirds along in a pregnancy she revealed at the end of last season. The office, much like the show, is undergoing some serious turnover.
Duckey appears to be out, Sal is still in the closet (but might be out soon too), Pete is still a tool, Ken has a new attitude, Peggy is settling, Don is lost and Big Red is being mysterious.
The Brits are in charge and they're remaking the company. Apparently one third of the staff has been fired, as they're getting lean and mean. Beyond this, though, the first episode didn't really expose the new office dynamic except to reveal that most of the yanks don't care for the cousins across the pond and the way they do business (the feeling apparently is mutual).
The episode feels slow and lacks the punch of season one and two, but in many ways that's what you should expect from an episode that adequately paints a picture, albeit in broad strokes, of what to expect this season.
I'm not a die hard fan of Mad Men, most likely because i have a limited attention span and the show's development is too slow for me, but for the most part I was satisfied with the premiere.
The story lines I found most interesting were Sal's rendezvous with the hotel employee and basically everything Joan did. With regards to Sal i felt the development came out of nowhere, in that the advances from the young man seemed unwarranted.
I was devastated that Sal wasn't offered the release he so badly needed, and not just in terms of physicality, but in terms of cementing his identity. He seems like a man lost between worlds and this could have been a moment of self-identification for a man who seems to embrace the blind eye he has towards his true feelings.
I also found Don's handling of the affair to be curious. Does he not care? Is he turning a blind eye? Does he not have an opinion yet? There will obviously be more to come along this point and I'm worried that Sal will be a victim of his times.

As for Joan, her battle with the British male secretary and her candidness with Peggy was amusing and fun. She's not only easy on the eyes but a character everyone roots for. I'm not anxious to address her rape from last season at the hands of her fiance and i feel like we haven't heard the last of it. I just hope the ramifications aren't too damning and that maybe some good will come out of it.
The episode was totally lacking in John Slattery screen time, who in just two brief appearances steals every scene with just a handful of lines. I wish Sterling Cooper broke off and he got his own spin off. As a character actor Slattery is one of the best, but it seems he's finally found the character right for him.
I anxiously await the rest of this season of Mad Men, especially the battle between Ken and Pete, Joan's future, and the eventual murder of Sally Draper at the hands of Betty when she finally loses it.

Men Loving Men available

On Tuesday "I Love You Man," became available for purchase. The movie stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, as two dudes who are essentially on a quest towards becoming BFFs.
I haven't seen the movie since it came out, so i'll do a better review later, but for now i'll offer a few thoughts.
The movie is sweet, but still violently funny. There are some parts that don't make sense, like Rashida Jones' insane mood swings, but whatever. The film drags at parts, but that's an acceptable consequence of these Apatow-esque films.
J.K. Simmons is hilarious as Rudd's dad and Andy Samberg is amusing as Rudd's gay brother. Samberg actually spurs a hilarious storyline early on, when Rudd is trying to find a best friend, by setting him up on a man date that is much more romantic than Rudd planned.
This is an unrelated side note, but once again Simmons confirms the fact that he can excel in any role. Actually, his wife is pretty funny too, former SNL star Jane Curtin.

Best line; Sydney Fife (Segel): This is my nightmare!

Mad Men is coming!

Tuck the kids in bed, get out your menthols and pour yourself a stiff drink, because MAD MEN IS COMING BACK ON SUNDAY!!!!!!
(We'll have more previewing this season before and after the premiere)

Truly Ugly

The Ugly Truth is not just bad, it's boring. Bad would at least be compelling and maybe interesting, but Truth fails to reach even that pinnacle.
Twice during the movie I actually tried to go to sleep. This is after an exciting trailer that promised some edgy comedy. What ended up being delivered was stereotypes, masturbation jokes and cliche after cliche after cliche.
Katherine Heigel seems fake with her canned personality in this movie. Yes, there are women who search for men by a check list, but she never seems like that woman. She seems like a woman who wants to believe in the check list, when she actually believes in a holistic approach.
Gerard Butler is even worse. His tougher outer shell is neither tough or genuine. He breaks like an egg when you look at him wrong and therefore his character seems completely fake. You want to think this is some suave guy, but he apparently falls apart when he meets a woman who can string 2 sentences together.
Oh yeah, his accent sucks balls too.
This movie feels like a mish mash of scenes with no real direction. THe ending is probably the worst offender of this and when the movie was over i wasn't sure what had just happened.
Don't see this. Don't ever see this.
If you need a Heigel fix watch "Knocked Up." For Butler watch "Rock'n'rolla." For a similar type of rom-com, which is done well, try "Pretty Woman." You've got completely different people, with contrasting views, who fall in love and don't make me want to die. Ok, it's not a great comparison, but i kind of want to see it...
Wait, better comparison.. Enchanted!! Cynical divorcee and optimistic princess. Boom.

Do you Hulu?

If you own a computer with respectable bandwidth and a quality screen you should be watching television at www.hulu.com .

You can take your shows on the move and organize them with all the ease of a DVR or Tivo, but for free! Granted, you can't see everything that's on the tv. Almost everything, but not quite. For your HBO I'd recommend getting HBO on Demand. It's cheaper than real HBO and convenient.
But back to Hulu....
There is also exclusive web content, which is pretty neat on shows like The Tonight Show, The Office and the deceased Battlestar Galactica.

Still not funny...

I've been thinking about Funny People for part of the day while i was at work and i have a good comparison for the movie. Here's my weird and possibly inappropriate analogy.
1. When I saw 40 Year Old Virgin I was blown away by the movie. Didn't know what to expect and I totally loved it. I thought it would be fun, but had no idea what to expect. The whole experience is just overwhelming positive and more than you originally expected. I had never heard of Apatow and my love affair developed there.
That's just like when you hook up with a random girl at the bars and its awesome. She's the friend of a friend, sort of like how I should have known Apatow from Adam McKay (Anchorman), and you really hit it off. You end up having a wild, really unforgettable night, except for the parts you forget because you were drunk, and you're left wanting more. I mean you're just meeting this girl and you think maybe you score a number, but instead you leave without your shirt. In both cases you want more.
2. I had very high expectations for Knocked Up. Wasn't wild about the premise, but i had faith. Just like when you hang out with that first girl again you're super excited to rekindle the magic. For me, Knocked Up was a bit of a let down but flew very high. It was different from 40 Year Old Virgin, but only because it could never be exactly the same. Just like with the girl, the second experience can be awesome, except you can't recreate that first time and maybe you're a little less drunk so you remember it a little more realistically.
3. You hang out with that girl on a date and she falls way short. Maybe it's all the pressure this time around, because by the third time you wonder where things are going or maybe it's just because you're both not drunk. Well like that awkward date, Apatow's Funny People was a festering turd that failed to meet expectations. Granted the bar was set high.
Possible 4. After failed expectations Apatow rises to the occassion. I could foresee the girl and guy hitting it off again if they got back in their comfort zone. Have to wait and see
(Disclaimer: I know nothing about women)

Some Funny People, but eh...

I wanted to love Funny People. I thought I would love it. I had no reason to doubt I would love it.
Boy I did not like Funny People.
Parts were particularly hilarious, but they were out weighed by the constant dribble in the movie that led to me attempting, not once, but twice, a nap in the movie theater.
The movie has an interesting premise, like everything Apatow creates, but the story falls flat. The plot meanders around aimlessly and halfway through the movie you begin to doubt you'll end up anywhere meaningful. Hold on to that feeling, because it's the right one.
As George Simmons, Adam Sandler creates an interesting enough character. Unfortunately, though, he is beyond saving. There is no final redemption for Simmons, and maybe this darker turn was Apatow's intention, but it makes for an unappealing dramedy.
Seth Rogen seems very restrained in his role, and I wonder if he was the best actor for his part. As for the his roommates, played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman, they steal basically every scene they're in.
The movie is over 2 hours and 20 minutes long, and it feels that long. At least 45 minutes could have been cut out and the film wouldn't have lost anything.
Also, I had some big problems with Leslie Mann's character. You watch the movie and you can tell that something is off. She's not a real person. She speaks like a real person and articulates the ideas of a real person, but her actions are fake. This is a shame for Apatow, who normally creates realistic characters that the audience can easily relate to.
I'm not saying I was hoping for the Fifty year old virgin or anything like that, as I was excited for a more complicated story from Apatow, but this movie falls way short. It definitely swings for the fences, and parts of the film ar hilarious, but on the whole it's a waste of time.