Friday, April 25, 2008
TV Euphoria
Man, it almost seems surreal to have so much new television on the air right now. If there was any silver lining to the writer's strike, it's that it forced these shows to cram as much goodness as they could into the few shows they could still do for this year. Let me share some thoughts on everything from this glorious week and be prepared for a long post:
Monday:
How I Met Your Mother - The return of Robin Sparkles! Need I say more? Probably, since most people I know don't watch this show. So, Robin is one of the five main characters on this show and we learned last season that she used to be a teenage pop sensation in Canada under the name Robin Sparkles. She was just like any U.S. pop star of the 80s (Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, etc.) except that her fame happened in 1993 because Canada is so behind the times. To see what I mean, check out the hilariously awesome music videos the show created (here's the first from last season, and the new one from this past week's episode). Seeing another song from her was great, but wasn't as shocking as the closing moment when we saw Barney and Robin making out. Totally torn on this issue, as there is some good chemistry between the two characters, but I like Ted and we he learns this, it's gonna kill him. Mark out moment of the episode, besides Robin's video was Ted wearing a Chief Wahoo t-shirt!
Big Bang Theory - I decided to give this another chance after it changed timeslots. It definitely has it's moments, but is also a notch below most of my favorite sitcoms (i.e. My Name is Earl vs. The Office). I think I would like this better if they made Sheldon just a little bit more likeable. He typically has the best lines of the show, but I don't like that he's egotistical to everyone. I can understand him having a superiority complex against dumb people, but I'd like him to be more friendly with his fellow nerds. This week's episode involving a Physics Bowl was entertaining enough to keep me around, but this hasn't yet been cemented as Must-See TV for me.
RAW - I'll just briefly touch upon this, since it was a special 3 hour show. I would be really excited about the fact that they made William Regal the new King of the Ring if it weren't for the fact that I'm pretty sure that this will lead to nowhere. I would love to see him get a push and they easily have enough Brits to create a nice stable for him, but I doubt it will happen. So while it was a cool moment to watch this past week, my cynicism prevents me from enjoying it more. On an unrelated note, +10 points to the WWE from scoring taped interviews from all three presidential candidates, which came off, as it should, as a big deal, but -100 for then still going through with their fake Hilary vs. Obama fight. Thankfully the fake Bill Clinton and an Umaga run-in saved it from being a complete disaster.
Tuesday:
Reaper - The show actually seemed like it was trying to move forward this week, but at the end of things we're really not that much further along. The Tony and Steve story arc (gay demons banished from Heaven, but not hellbent on destroying the devil) certainly had possiblities, but like everything else just seemed to ultimately be another con by the Devil to keep Sam frustrated. It was nice to see Sam and Andi heat up their relationship, but you know that if this show is going to last, that it will be a long time before those two have any true happiness. It just seems so contrived in a Hollywood way that the Devil would allow Sam to have Sock and Ben in on his secret but prevent him from telling Andi. Wouldn't everything just be more awesome if Andi knew and helped the guys kicking escaped souls' asses every week?
Wednesday:
Back to You - Meh. What can I say, Wednesday is a slow night for TV.
Thursday:
My Name is Earl - The whole story arc with Earl in his coma finally ended this week. While it didn't provide a lot in the way of laughs, it did offer some solid emotional moments. And while that's not the greatest quality in a sitcom, having it hear does a nice job of offsetting the raunchy hilarity found in some of my other favorite comedies. One thing that's been nice about this coma storyline is that it's allowed Alyssa Milano to be on for multiple episodes, which in my book, can only be considered a good thing. Hopefully now with this storyline over, they can go back to some solid episode involving the list.
The Office - A bit of a letdown after last week's spectacular episode, but solid nonetheless. I'm growing frustrated with so many episodes this season taking place outside of the actual Office. When the show began it did episodes that were hilarious takes on universal experiences of working in an office. Now there too focused on situations that are only specific to these characters; and depending on what those situations are the comedy has been more hit-or-miss. But despite this complaint about the direction of the show, let's point out the funny stuff from this episode. I can't say that I'm surprised by Ryan's coke addiction, as there have been signs of that since he took the job in NY. Dwight provided a number of great moments throughout this episode including his fascination with Ryan's hobbit friend/dealer (see the deleted scene for confirmation of that), his story about weevils, his refusal of a drink from a lady and then subsequent makeout with an 'Amazon' (member of the Jersey State basketball team), and then trying to help Ryan out once they were back at his place. As for the B-story, we once again saw Jim trying his best at taking charge and failing. One of the cool developments this season, has been seeing Jim unwittingly becoming more and more like Michael. A lot of his actions here after causing everyone to get locked in at the office seemed like stunts Michael would pull (not knowing the security guard's name, assuming the cleaning women only spoke Spanish, etc.). The other interesing moment involved Toby coping a feel on Pam. I'm not sure if he got caught up in the moment or decided to grow a pair. His subsequent announcement about going to Costa Rica was interesting as well. Was this just a throwaway line, or could he perhaps be the character that's leaving the show to start up the Office spinoff. Hands down the best part of this episode though was the staff meeting to talk about the failures of the company's website. It not only provided a number of laughs from the minor characters (Creed, Kelly, Phyllis) but it also made a great commentary on the typical corporate naivete when it comes to the implementation of technology.
30 Rock - We had some wonderful returning guest stars back in this one as Will Arnett and Rip Torn were back in the ongoing storyline with Jack trying to become the new head of GE. Thinking he has the job, Jack appoints Liz to his old position, which allows us to see her becoming a 'suit' which has some hilarious results. The other storyline involved Tracy trying to invent the first pornographic video game, which Frank claims can't be done (hilariously explained using a graph to show how the more realistic a computer generated charcter becomes, the more creepy he also gets ala Tom Hanks in The Polar Express). Somehow this storyline then turns into a very funny Amadeus spoof. But clearly, the best part of the episode and the mark-out moments for me was the return of Dr. Spaceman (that's pronounced Spa-Che-Mun). Chris Parnell as the clueless doctor is always excellent and he added to his awesomeness this week by now sporting a cape. Of course, at the end of the episode, Jack didn't get the job, which should mean trouble for him, and more laughs for us.
Survivor - What an oddly frustrating season this has been. Each episode thus far has been solidly entertaining and should make it one of the best seasons ever, except for the fact that who's been ousted and who still remains is the complete opposite of what I want. Given who's left, there are very few that I want to see win and there are a couple that I will be very angry if they become sole survivor. Namely, Cirie and Natalie. In this episode, we saw Parvati have to do damage control for her masterminding of Ozzy's elimination last week. During this we hear Amanda naively (a recurring trait of hers) comment on how Parv has Cirie wrapped around her finger; which couldn't be further from the truth. Cirie remains smug as ever about he gameplay, yet no one seems to realize that she's been pulling the strings since very early on in the game. I don't see how everyone can be so blind to this. Then there's Natalie, who couldn't have spoken more than two words the entire season before this week's episode, yet just had this look of bitch about her. Well that look became manifested into an actual personality this week as she took such glee over her plan coming together to get rid of Jason. You know, Jason has been so stupid and self-centered this entire season that his blindside should have been a great moment, but when the people conducting the blindside are so gleefully evil about it, the moment is ruined. As a side note, I absolutely loved Probst's verbal beatdown of Jason when he told him that maybe this time he would find a real idol when going to Exile Island. Ha! Anyway, this season is starting to shape up like Vanautu with a girl alliance intending to go all the way to the end. Let's hope this one ends like that season did and one of the remaining males can somehow breaks things up and pull out a victory.
Whew, that's a lot of TV and I still have a new CSI and Mythbusters to go. All this, plus trying to keep an eye on the Indians has been daunting. It's a good thing I got as much work done before the strike ended in order for me to enjoy this now. And now that I've gotten a chance to say my piece on all my favorite shows, I turn the floor over to all of you. I've talked for long enough, so now you can have a chance to spout off on all of your returning favorites, if you like.
Monday:
How I Met Your Mother - The return of Robin Sparkles! Need I say more? Probably, since most people I know don't watch this show. So, Robin is one of the five main characters on this show and we learned last season that she used to be a teenage pop sensation in Canada under the name Robin Sparkles. She was just like any U.S. pop star of the 80s (Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, etc.) except that her fame happened in 1993 because Canada is so behind the times. To see what I mean, check out the hilariously awesome music videos the show created (here's the first from last season, and the new one from this past week's episode). Seeing another song from her was great, but wasn't as shocking as the closing moment when we saw Barney and Robin making out. Totally torn on this issue, as there is some good chemistry between the two characters, but I like Ted and we he learns this, it's gonna kill him. Mark out moment of the episode, besides Robin's video was Ted wearing a Chief Wahoo t-shirt!
Big Bang Theory - I decided to give this another chance after it changed timeslots. It definitely has it's moments, but is also a notch below most of my favorite sitcoms (i.e. My Name is Earl vs. The Office). I think I would like this better if they made Sheldon just a little bit more likeable. He typically has the best lines of the show, but I don't like that he's egotistical to everyone. I can understand him having a superiority complex against dumb people, but I'd like him to be more friendly with his fellow nerds. This week's episode involving a Physics Bowl was entertaining enough to keep me around, but this hasn't yet been cemented as Must-See TV for me.
RAW - I'll just briefly touch upon this, since it was a special 3 hour show. I would be really excited about the fact that they made William Regal the new King of the Ring if it weren't for the fact that I'm pretty sure that this will lead to nowhere. I would love to see him get a push and they easily have enough Brits to create a nice stable for him, but I doubt it will happen. So while it was a cool moment to watch this past week, my cynicism prevents me from enjoying it more. On an unrelated note, +10 points to the WWE from scoring taped interviews from all three presidential candidates, which came off, as it should, as a big deal, but -100 for then still going through with their fake Hilary vs. Obama fight. Thankfully the fake Bill Clinton and an Umaga run-in saved it from being a complete disaster.
Tuesday:
Reaper - The show actually seemed like it was trying to move forward this week, but at the end of things we're really not that much further along. The Tony and Steve story arc (gay demons banished from Heaven, but not hellbent on destroying the devil) certainly had possiblities, but like everything else just seemed to ultimately be another con by the Devil to keep Sam frustrated. It was nice to see Sam and Andi heat up their relationship, but you know that if this show is going to last, that it will be a long time before those two have any true happiness. It just seems so contrived in a Hollywood way that the Devil would allow Sam to have Sock and Ben in on his secret but prevent him from telling Andi. Wouldn't everything just be more awesome if Andi knew and helped the guys kicking escaped souls' asses every week?
Wednesday:
Back to You - Meh. What can I say, Wednesday is a slow night for TV.
Thursday:
My Name is Earl - The whole story arc with Earl in his coma finally ended this week. While it didn't provide a lot in the way of laughs, it did offer some solid emotional moments. And while that's not the greatest quality in a sitcom, having it hear does a nice job of offsetting the raunchy hilarity found in some of my other favorite comedies. One thing that's been nice about this coma storyline is that it's allowed Alyssa Milano to be on for multiple episodes, which in my book, can only be considered a good thing. Hopefully now with this storyline over, they can go back to some solid episode involving the list.
The Office - A bit of a letdown after last week's spectacular episode, but solid nonetheless. I'm growing frustrated with so many episodes this season taking place outside of the actual Office. When the show began it did episodes that were hilarious takes on universal experiences of working in an office. Now there too focused on situations that are only specific to these characters; and depending on what those situations are the comedy has been more hit-or-miss. But despite this complaint about the direction of the show, let's point out the funny stuff from this episode. I can't say that I'm surprised by Ryan's coke addiction, as there have been signs of that since he took the job in NY. Dwight provided a number of great moments throughout this episode including his fascination with Ryan's hobbit friend/dealer (see the deleted scene for confirmation of that), his story about weevils, his refusal of a drink from a lady and then subsequent makeout with an 'Amazon' (member of the Jersey State basketball team), and then trying to help Ryan out once they were back at his place. As for the B-story, we once again saw Jim trying his best at taking charge and failing. One of the cool developments this season, has been seeing Jim unwittingly becoming more and more like Michael. A lot of his actions here after causing everyone to get locked in at the office seemed like stunts Michael would pull (not knowing the security guard's name, assuming the cleaning women only spoke Spanish, etc.). The other interesing moment involved Toby coping a feel on Pam. I'm not sure if he got caught up in the moment or decided to grow a pair. His subsequent announcement about going to Costa Rica was interesting as well. Was this just a throwaway line, or could he perhaps be the character that's leaving the show to start up the Office spinoff. Hands down the best part of this episode though was the staff meeting to talk about the failures of the company's website. It not only provided a number of laughs from the minor characters (Creed, Kelly, Phyllis) but it also made a great commentary on the typical corporate naivete when it comes to the implementation of technology.
30 Rock - We had some wonderful returning guest stars back in this one as Will Arnett and Rip Torn were back in the ongoing storyline with Jack trying to become the new head of GE. Thinking he has the job, Jack appoints Liz to his old position, which allows us to see her becoming a 'suit' which has some hilarious results. The other storyline involved Tracy trying to invent the first pornographic video game, which Frank claims can't be done (hilariously explained using a graph to show how the more realistic a computer generated charcter becomes, the more creepy he also gets ala Tom Hanks in The Polar Express). Somehow this storyline then turns into a very funny Amadeus spoof. But clearly, the best part of the episode and the mark-out moments for me was the return of Dr. Spaceman (that's pronounced Spa-Che-Mun). Chris Parnell as the clueless doctor is always excellent and he added to his awesomeness this week by now sporting a cape. Of course, at the end of the episode, Jack didn't get the job, which should mean trouble for him, and more laughs for us.
Survivor - What an oddly frustrating season this has been. Each episode thus far has been solidly entertaining and should make it one of the best seasons ever, except for the fact that who's been ousted and who still remains is the complete opposite of what I want. Given who's left, there are very few that I want to see win and there are a couple that I will be very angry if they become sole survivor. Namely, Cirie and Natalie. In this episode, we saw Parvati have to do damage control for her masterminding of Ozzy's elimination last week. During this we hear Amanda naively (a recurring trait of hers) comment on how Parv has Cirie wrapped around her finger; which couldn't be further from the truth. Cirie remains smug as ever about he gameplay, yet no one seems to realize that she's been pulling the strings since very early on in the game. I don't see how everyone can be so blind to this. Then there's Natalie, who couldn't have spoken more than two words the entire season before this week's episode, yet just had this look of bitch about her. Well that look became manifested into an actual personality this week as she took such glee over her plan coming together to get rid of Jason. You know, Jason has been so stupid and self-centered this entire season that his blindside should have been a great moment, but when the people conducting the blindside are so gleefully evil about it, the moment is ruined. As a side note, I absolutely loved Probst's verbal beatdown of Jason when he told him that maybe this time he would find a real idol when going to Exile Island. Ha! Anyway, this season is starting to shape up like Vanautu with a girl alliance intending to go all the way to the end. Let's hope this one ends like that season did and one of the remaining males can somehow breaks things up and pull out a victory.
Whew, that's a lot of TV and I still have a new CSI and Mythbusters to go. All this, plus trying to keep an eye on the Indians has been daunting. It's a good thing I got as much work done before the strike ended in order for me to enjoy this now. And now that I've gotten a chance to say my piece on all my favorite shows, I turn the floor over to all of you. I've talked for long enough, so now you can have a chance to spout off on all of your returning favorites, if you like.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Indians Week in Review (Week 3)
With the Indians off yesterday, it slipped my mind to do this post then. Although with the way the week went, I wasn't really motivated to talk about them in general. The Tribe went 2-5 in another disastrous week.
It began with two losses against Boston where we had leads late in the game then coughed it up. That led to closer Joe Borowski (aka 'Joe Blow') to go on the DL, which is fine by me since he was doing nothing for us.
Then we had the two game series with the Tigers where we split and each game was a blowout. So that gave neither of the struggling Central division teams any sort of edge or momentum.
Finally, we had a three game set with the Twins that began promising with a masterful pitching performance by Cliff Lee and then ended with us losing the last two thanks to more of our inept performance.
At this point, I just can't figure out what's going on with this team other than we can't seem to get any momentum. Every day it seems like another facet of the team is letting us down. But if anything can help us get out of this funk, it's our favorite whipping boys, the Kansas City Royals. We've got a 4 game series there and we really need to take at least three of them to get back on track, especially because afterwards is a weekend series with the Yankees. We never seem to do well against NY, so we can't allow us to get too far behind before they arrive. Let's hope when I post next week, I'll have more positive results to report on. And as always, Let's Go Tribe!
It began with two losses against Boston where we had leads late in the game then coughed it up. That led to closer Joe Borowski (aka 'Joe Blow') to go on the DL, which is fine by me since he was doing nothing for us.
Then we had the two game series with the Tigers where we split and each game was a blowout. So that gave neither of the struggling Central division teams any sort of edge or momentum.
Finally, we had a three game set with the Twins that began promising with a masterful pitching performance by Cliff Lee and then ended with us losing the last two thanks to more of our inept performance.
At this point, I just can't figure out what's going on with this team other than we can't seem to get any momentum. Every day it seems like another facet of the team is letting us down. But if anything can help us get out of this funk, it's our favorite whipping boys, the Kansas City Royals. We've got a 4 game series there and we really need to take at least three of them to get back on track, especially because afterwards is a weekend series with the Yankees. We never seem to do well against NY, so we can't allow us to get too far behind before they arrive. Let's hope when I post next week, I'll have more positive results to report on. And as always, Let's Go Tribe!
Monday, April 21, 2008
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go Kart!
Here's the IGN review for the first Mario Kart title for the Wii:
I'll probably end up getting this regardless, but it sure would be nice if some of my friends would get a Wii so we could take advantage of this game's online play (hint, hint).
I'll probably end up getting this regardless, but it sure would be nice if some of my friends would get a Wii so we could take advantage of this game's online play (hint, hint).
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Got the munchies?
Happy 4/20 everyone. In honor of the day, here's a list of 20 of the Craziest Breakfast Cereals ever made. Looking over the list, it looks like most of them were made by stoners for stoners. So everyone grab a bowl and enjoy!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Deleted scenes from 'The Chair Model'
Here are the deleted scenes from this week's episode of The Office, which I thought was just fantastic. Even better than last week's Dinner Party episode. I would have liked for them to have included clip one into the actual episode as it tells us how much time has passed between the Dinner Party episode and this one (6 weeks!) Enjoy!
NMR: Quiz Show
Had I been older when this was released, I likely would have seen it then. As it is, I'm just now getting around to seeing this film dealing with the Twenty-One game show scandal of the late 1950s. This is a very well-made film on a subject that I find fascinating. I particularly am struck by the fact that Charles Van Doren became the scapegoat in the whole scandal and the network escaped from the situation virtually unscathed. I really like Ralph Finnes' portrayal of Van Doren as he does a good job of making you understand his actions in this complicated situation.
As good as this film is, I can't help but think how much better, or perhaps more authentic, this movie would be if it were made today. While it is an enjoyable film, I was always cognizant of the fact that it was a movie. I never felt like I was taken back to the 1950s with this film. I think with today's visual effects and perhaps a more visionary director (this was directed by Robert Redford), this could have been even more impressive. Still, this is a film that is a must see for anyone who is interested in this subject and highly recommended for those who simply enjoy good films. Netflix rating: ****
As good as this film is, I can't help but think how much better, or perhaps more authentic, this movie would be if it were made today. While it is an enjoyable film, I was always cognizant of the fact that it was a movie. I never felt like I was taken back to the 1950s with this film. I think with today's visual effects and perhaps a more visionary director (this was directed by Robert Redford), this could have been even more impressive. Still, this is a film that is a must see for anyone who is interested in this subject and highly recommended for those who simply enjoy good films. Netflix rating: ****
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
NMR: Double Feature
I've got nothing in terms of an intro, so let's get to this...
No Country For Old Men: This is probably the last movie from 2007 that I wanted to see. And as you probably know this won Best Picture this year. While I enjoyed this, I'm not sure if I would agree with giving it top honors. For the first 2/3rds of the film, this was phenomenonal. I can't remember the last time I was this consistently tense while watching a film. Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh is one of the creepiest movie villains in a long time and was well deserved of his Oscar for Supporting Actor. In addition to being a great thriller, the film is gorgeous looking and does a good job of capturing the Texas landscape.
It's in the final third of the film that they lost me and, as I've read, a lot of the audience. The Coens decide to start playing fast and loose with the narrative, which makes things very confusing. Although I'm not sure if they should be faulted since it seems that they remained pretty faithful to how the story unfolds in Cormac McCarthy's novel. By the end, I guess I understood everything that had happened and I could see the symbolism that they were going for, but it felt unnecessarily unconventional. Knowing how everything played out, I may want to watch it again and see if I see the whole film differently. With a second viewing, this has a chance at being part of my top ten for 2007. But for right now, it just misses the cut. And since this was the last film I needed to see from last year, I'll officially call my Top Ten list finalized. Netflix rating: ****
This Film is Not Yet Rated: I was recommended this documentary by one of my students who felt it was applicable to a lot of the topics we're dealing with in my Media History and Theory course. This film takes a hard look into the MPAA and how ratings are given to films. This process has been under scrutiny for sometime, so it was nice to see a film finally made on this subject.
While I enjoyed a lot of the information that was addressed in this film, I felt the film itself wasn't really that well made. The director is really all over the place here and doesn't provide a strong narrative. At times he wants to expose the hypocrisy of the MPAA in the way they focus too much on sex and not enough on violence. At others times, he'd rather be playing junior detective in trying to find out who the secret members of the ratings board are. While it's clear that changes to the MPAA's methods need to come, the film doesn't provide a strong enough attack on them. If you know nothing on this subject, but are interested in it, then I'd recommend you give it a look. Otherwise, you'll just end up being frustrated at being reminded how pointless the ratings system truly is. Netflix rating: ***
No Country For Old Men: This is probably the last movie from 2007 that I wanted to see. And as you probably know this won Best Picture this year. While I enjoyed this, I'm not sure if I would agree with giving it top honors. For the first 2/3rds of the film, this was phenomenonal. I can't remember the last time I was this consistently tense while watching a film. Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh is one of the creepiest movie villains in a long time and was well deserved of his Oscar for Supporting Actor. In addition to being a great thriller, the film is gorgeous looking and does a good job of capturing the Texas landscape.
It's in the final third of the film that they lost me and, as I've read, a lot of the audience. The Coens decide to start playing fast and loose with the narrative, which makes things very confusing. Although I'm not sure if they should be faulted since it seems that they remained pretty faithful to how the story unfolds in Cormac McCarthy's novel. By the end, I guess I understood everything that had happened and I could see the symbolism that they were going for, but it felt unnecessarily unconventional. Knowing how everything played out, I may want to watch it again and see if I see the whole film differently. With a second viewing, this has a chance at being part of my top ten for 2007. But for right now, it just misses the cut. And since this was the last film I needed to see from last year, I'll officially call my Top Ten list finalized. Netflix rating: ****
This Film is Not Yet Rated: I was recommended this documentary by one of my students who felt it was applicable to a lot of the topics we're dealing with in my Media History and Theory course. This film takes a hard look into the MPAA and how ratings are given to films. This process has been under scrutiny for sometime, so it was nice to see a film finally made on this subject.
While I enjoyed a lot of the information that was addressed in this film, I felt the film itself wasn't really that well made. The director is really all over the place here and doesn't provide a strong narrative. At times he wants to expose the hypocrisy of the MPAA in the way they focus too much on sex and not enough on violence. At others times, he'd rather be playing junior detective in trying to find out who the secret members of the ratings board are. While it's clear that changes to the MPAA's methods need to come, the film doesn't provide a strong enough attack on them. If you know nothing on this subject, but are interested in it, then I'd recommend you give it a look. Otherwise, you'll just end up being frustrated at being reminded how pointless the ratings system truly is. Netflix rating: ***
Happy Anniversary!!
Adam's Sound Blogic in this current incarnation turns 1 year old today. A lot has gone down in the past year and I've done my best to document it all. Here's hoping to many more prosperous years of ranting and raving about everything that's on my mind. Although, if I'm to believe the scholars at the conference I attended last weekend, I should shut this site down right now because I have no chance of ever getting tenure if I'm a blogger. I try to tell myself though that they are just old fashioned and need to catch up with the times.
Anyways, happy anniversary to the blog and I'll drink a beer to that. And with the way the Indians are playing tonight, I'll probably could use more than one. Ugh.
Anyways, happy anniversary to the blog and I'll drink a beer to that. And with the way the Indians are playing tonight, I'll probably could use more than one. Ugh.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Indians Week in Review (Week 2)
A thoroughly frustrating and depressing week that saw the Indians only go 2-4. In those 4 losses, absolutely nothing went right. The starting pitching was terrible and our offensive continued to struggle to score runs.
Tops on the list of concerns right now is the starting pitching, particularly C.C. and Paul Byrd. Neither man has had good control of their pitches and the end result was short starts for both of them. Then Fausto added to the worries with a shaky performance himself (he gave up a career high 8 walks!). These guys have been around long enough to know what it takes to pitch well, so hopefully they can work through these mechanincs issues and get back on track. Thankfully, we've had a saving grace in Cliff Lee, who had another stellar outing yesterday. It's weird that the biggest question mark coming into the season has been our most consistent performer thus far.
On the offensive side of things, I'm worried, but not as concerned as I am with the pitching. I think a lot of the problems we're dealing with stem from the fact that Wedge keeps tinkering with the lineup. I don't know if we've had the same lineup in back to back games yet this season. If we're to expect consistent hitting, we need a consistent lineup. The Tribe finally showed some sparks of offense yesterday by scoring 7 runs, but it's not enough to convince me that our problems are over with. We really need to start scoring more in the first few innings, something we did so well last year. It's amazing what getting out to an early lead will do to both your offense and defense.
The one bright spot this week was the signing of Fausto Carmona to a new 4 year deal at a super cheap price. Locking him up long-term and not having to pay that much could make this the steal of the century if he consistently pitches like he did last year.
Despite our performance and subpar record, we're only 2.5 games out of first place, so it's not like anybody is going to be running away with this division. I don't want to push the panic button yet, but this will be a critical week for us as we have a short two-game series with Boston and then a couple of series with division rivals, Detroit and Minnesota. Getting wins off of each of those teams will be critical in helping us get back on track and reaffirming our status as the team to beat in the Central Division. Until then, Let's Go Tribe!!
Tops on the list of concerns right now is the starting pitching, particularly C.C. and Paul Byrd. Neither man has had good control of their pitches and the end result was short starts for both of them. Then Fausto added to the worries with a shaky performance himself (he gave up a career high 8 walks!). These guys have been around long enough to know what it takes to pitch well, so hopefully they can work through these mechanincs issues and get back on track. Thankfully, we've had a saving grace in Cliff Lee, who had another stellar outing yesterday. It's weird that the biggest question mark coming into the season has been our most consistent performer thus far.
On the offensive side of things, I'm worried, but not as concerned as I am with the pitching. I think a lot of the problems we're dealing with stem from the fact that Wedge keeps tinkering with the lineup. I don't know if we've had the same lineup in back to back games yet this season. If we're to expect consistent hitting, we need a consistent lineup. The Tribe finally showed some sparks of offense yesterday by scoring 7 runs, but it's not enough to convince me that our problems are over with. We really need to start scoring more in the first few innings, something we did so well last year. It's amazing what getting out to an early lead will do to both your offense and defense.
The one bright spot this week was the signing of Fausto Carmona to a new 4 year deal at a super cheap price. Locking him up long-term and not having to pay that much could make this the steal of the century if he consistently pitches like he did last year.
Despite our performance and subpar record, we're only 2.5 games out of first place, so it's not like anybody is going to be running away with this division. I don't want to push the panic button yet, but this will be a critical week for us as we have a short two-game series with Boston and then a couple of series with division rivals, Detroit and Minnesota. Getting wins off of each of those teams will be critical in helping us get back on track and reaffirming our status as the team to beat in the Central Division. Until then, Let's Go Tribe!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Blue Hawaii
Last Monday, they had a special advanced screening of the new Judd Apatow produced comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, at NC State's campus theater and I was lucky enough to check it out. I'm just sorry that it's taken me so long to write up my review for it. At this point, it's barely an early review (the film opens this Friday).
If you haven't seen the ads for this yet, the movie stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Knocked Up) as Peter,who's recently broken up with his girlfriend of five years, the titular Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Heroes). Depressed over the break-up, Peter tries to find solace by going on vacation to Hawaii, but ends up staying at the exact same place that Sarah is staying at with her new boyfriend, a British, pretty-boy rocker named Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). And awkward hilarity ensues.
Now while the set-up may sound cliched or sitcom-y, the humor is anything but. This is a flat-out hilarious film. Virtually every scene that is intended to be humorous scores. Segel and Bell play well off each other as the exes who can't seem to get away from each other. But a number of the film's funny scenes come from a whole host of side characters, many of whom are Apatow regulars. Guys like Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Jack McBrayer all show up and bring the funny. Jonah Hill, who I find to be very hit and miss, also has a few good lines as well (although he once again plays a character that gives off homosexual vibes, for some reason).
Mila Kunis, who's no stranger to comedy (That 70s Show, Family Guy) plays a hotel worker, who Peter begins to fall for. Looking tan-tastic in this film, she has very good chemistry with Segal and plays a nice romantic foil. And I have to give credit to relative unknown Russell Brand. He easily could have played the character as the Euro-trash boyfriend that everyone hates, but he provides a number of funny scenes as well that actually make him quasi-likeable.
While all the actors I have listed above are funny, their inclusion in the film makes things a bit crowded. I would not consider any of these people to have cameo roles. Each have developed characters and have several scenes devoted to them. Unfortunately, many of these characters are completely unnecessary and really do nothing to move the plot along. Aside from the four characters involved in the love rectangle, no one else in the film has a bearing on the primary storyline. They are just there simply to add laughs.
This brings us to the film's primary problem. With each scene I found myself laughing hysterically at what's happening and then when it ends, I think, 'wait, what did that have to do with anything?' I felt that maybe these side characters and subplots would have some callback as the film reached a conclusion, but that never happened. When the film reaches it's conventional conclusion, it comes as somewhat of a disappointment because I expected something more outrageous given the oddball scenes that preceded it.
So what Forgetting Sarah Marshall ends up being is your standard cheesy romantic comedy wrapped in the raunchy humor you've come to expect from an Apatow production. Now some will say that this is true of all his films, but there is definitiely a difference in quality in his films. This movie doesn't hold a candle to the The 40-Year Old Virgin (an unfortunate comparative burden that Apatow will now have to face with each new movie he produces and/or directs). While Virgin was consistenly funny, it also had a story that logically flowed from scene to scene, whereas this movie is consistently funny but meanders around for a while before reaching its conclusion. As has been typical of most Apatow films, this one could have used to lose a few minutes from its runtime.
I would be remiss if I also didn't give everyone a fair warning that this film certainly earned its R rating as there are multiple full frontal shots of Jason Segal in this movie. Are they funny scenes? For the most part, yes. Could I have done without them? Absolutely. You may be best served with having your hand shield your eyes, particularly in the film's opening moments.
If you are looking to laugh, then I whole heartedly recommend this film. You will not be disappointed. And really, this film wouldn't be seen as a disappointment at any level if it didn't have the Apatow name attached to it. Unfortunately at this point, the bar has been set so high that it will be tough to match, let alone surpass it. If you can allow yourself to watch it without making those comparisons, you'll likely do yourself a favor and really enjoy this movie.
One final disclaimer...please make sure you watch through the credits as there is one final scene somewhere in there that is especially funny and includes a cameo from one of my favorite comedic actors. Grade: B
If you haven't seen the ads for this yet, the movie stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Knocked Up) as Peter,who's recently broken up with his girlfriend of five years, the titular Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Heroes). Depressed over the break-up, Peter tries to find solace by going on vacation to Hawaii, but ends up staying at the exact same place that Sarah is staying at with her new boyfriend, a British, pretty-boy rocker named Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). And awkward hilarity ensues.
Now while the set-up may sound cliched or sitcom-y, the humor is anything but. This is a flat-out hilarious film. Virtually every scene that is intended to be humorous scores. Segel and Bell play well off each other as the exes who can't seem to get away from each other. But a number of the film's funny scenes come from a whole host of side characters, many of whom are Apatow regulars. Guys like Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Jack McBrayer all show up and bring the funny. Jonah Hill, who I find to be very hit and miss, also has a few good lines as well (although he once again plays a character that gives off homosexual vibes, for some reason).
Mila Kunis, who's no stranger to comedy (That 70s Show, Family Guy) plays a hotel worker, who Peter begins to fall for. Looking tan-tastic in this film, she has very good chemistry with Segal and plays a nice romantic foil. And I have to give credit to relative unknown Russell Brand. He easily could have played the character as the Euro-trash boyfriend that everyone hates, but he provides a number of funny scenes as well that actually make him quasi-likeable.
While all the actors I have listed above are funny, their inclusion in the film makes things a bit crowded. I would not consider any of these people to have cameo roles. Each have developed characters and have several scenes devoted to them. Unfortunately, many of these characters are completely unnecessary and really do nothing to move the plot along. Aside from the four characters involved in the love rectangle, no one else in the film has a bearing on the primary storyline. They are just there simply to add laughs.
This brings us to the film's primary problem. With each scene I found myself laughing hysterically at what's happening and then when it ends, I think, 'wait, what did that have to do with anything?' I felt that maybe these side characters and subplots would have some callback as the film reached a conclusion, but that never happened. When the film reaches it's conventional conclusion, it comes as somewhat of a disappointment because I expected something more outrageous given the oddball scenes that preceded it.
So what Forgetting Sarah Marshall ends up being is your standard cheesy romantic comedy wrapped in the raunchy humor you've come to expect from an Apatow production. Now some will say that this is true of all his films, but there is definitiely a difference in quality in his films. This movie doesn't hold a candle to the The 40-Year Old Virgin (an unfortunate comparative burden that Apatow will now have to face with each new movie he produces and/or directs). While Virgin was consistenly funny, it also had a story that logically flowed from scene to scene, whereas this movie is consistently funny but meanders around for a while before reaching its conclusion. As has been typical of most Apatow films, this one could have used to lose a few minutes from its runtime.
I would be remiss if I also didn't give everyone a fair warning that this film certainly earned its R rating as there are multiple full frontal shots of Jason Segal in this movie. Are they funny scenes? For the most part, yes. Could I have done without them? Absolutely. You may be best served with having your hand shield your eyes, particularly in the film's opening moments.
If you are looking to laugh, then I whole heartedly recommend this film. You will not be disappointed. And really, this film wouldn't be seen as a disappointment at any level if it didn't have the Apatow name attached to it. Unfortunately at this point, the bar has been set so high that it will be tough to match, let alone surpass it. If you can allow yourself to watch it without making those comparisons, you'll likely do yourself a favor and really enjoy this movie.
One final disclaimer...please make sure you watch through the credits as there is one final scene somewhere in there that is especially funny and includes a cameo from one of my favorite comedic actors. Grade: B
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Deleted scenes from this week's The Office
I enjoyed finally seeing my favorite Dunder Mifflinites back for the first time in 5 months(!!), but I think I actually laughed harder at the stuff in these deleted scenes than I did anything in the episode. If more get posted over on NBC's site, I'll be sure to add them here.
NMR: Double Feature
Greetings from Rochester!! If you're unaware, I'm up here for a conference this weekend. As April continues to be a hectic month for me, it appears the 'double feature' aspect of my Netflix reviews is here to stay for a while. So let's take a look at what I've caught recently in my limited spare time.
The Terminal: This is one of those movies that just kind of slipped through the cracks with me when it initially came out. The fact that a summer movie with Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg slipped through the cracks, just goes to show you what an awesome crop of movies there was in the summer of '04. Given that this underperformed at the box office indicates I wasn't the only one who let this slide. Now having seen it, I see why it didn't do as well. While it's a pleasant film, it's also kind of meaningless. A simple (albeit unconventional) story that you'll easily forget the next day.
Initially, I thought Hanks' non-descript foreign accent would be grating to hear for an entire movie, but his 'man without a country' grows on you throughout the film and you do want to see him have a happy ending. Most of the other characters are find additions that provide some flavor to the mix, although I felt Hanks' companionship with some of the airport employees could have been developed further. The weak spot is probably Catherine Zeta Jones character, who has no chemistry with Hanks. I felt he actually had more of a connection with Zoe Saldana, who played an airport cop. In the end, there's little to complain about this movie except for the fact that it's utterly forgettable, which should never happen when Hanks and Spielberg team up.
Glengarry Glen Ross: I've heard it argued that this is a classic film that does not get enough recognition. After seeing so many references/parodies of the film (the Alec Baldwin elves skit on SNL, the Gil character on the Simpsons, etc.), I felt I needed to check out the actual movie. This film boasts one of the most impressive casts ever, even if they weren't all big names when the film was made. You have Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, and Jonathan Pryce. In a word, wow. Netflix rating: ***
So now that I've built it up, how is it. Oh so close to being perfect. On top of that great cast given great performances, it has a unique story about struggling, sleezeball real estate agents who are put into a sales content where the man who sells the least will be fired. There are two flaws that I see with the film, however. At times, the David Mamet dialogue can get a little annoying (rapid fire conversations where no one ever completes a sentence). Also, the ending is a little frustrating. While the events do make sense, I felt there could have been one or two scenes added in, to make it more logical. As it is, the film expects you to fill in too many gaps to figure out how it reached its conclusion. Despite these flaws, this is a powerkeg of a movie filled with tenion and drama that is very entertaining. Check it out if you haven't done so already. Netflix rating: ****
The Terminal: This is one of those movies that just kind of slipped through the cracks with me when it initially came out. The fact that a summer movie with Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg slipped through the cracks, just goes to show you what an awesome crop of movies there was in the summer of '04. Given that this underperformed at the box office indicates I wasn't the only one who let this slide. Now having seen it, I see why it didn't do as well. While it's a pleasant film, it's also kind of meaningless. A simple (albeit unconventional) story that you'll easily forget the next day.
Initially, I thought Hanks' non-descript foreign accent would be grating to hear for an entire movie, but his 'man without a country' grows on you throughout the film and you do want to see him have a happy ending. Most of the other characters are find additions that provide some flavor to the mix, although I felt Hanks' companionship with some of the airport employees could have been developed further. The weak spot is probably Catherine Zeta Jones character, who has no chemistry with Hanks. I felt he actually had more of a connection with Zoe Saldana, who played an airport cop. In the end, there's little to complain about this movie except for the fact that it's utterly forgettable, which should never happen when Hanks and Spielberg team up.
Glengarry Glen Ross: I've heard it argued that this is a classic film that does not get enough recognition. After seeing so many references/parodies of the film (the Alec Baldwin elves skit on SNL, the Gil character on the Simpsons, etc.), I felt I needed to check out the actual movie. This film boasts one of the most impressive casts ever, even if they weren't all big names when the film was made. You have Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, and Jonathan Pryce. In a word, wow. Netflix rating: ***
So now that I've built it up, how is it. Oh so close to being perfect. On top of that great cast given great performances, it has a unique story about struggling, sleezeball real estate agents who are put into a sales content where the man who sells the least will be fired. There are two flaws that I see with the film, however. At times, the David Mamet dialogue can get a little annoying (rapid fire conversations where no one ever completes a sentence). Also, the ending is a little frustrating. While the events do make sense, I felt there could have been one or two scenes added in, to make it more logical. As it is, the film expects you to fill in too many gaps to figure out how it reached its conclusion. Despite these flaws, this is a powerkeg of a movie filled with tenion and drama that is very entertaining. Check it out if you haven't done so already. Netflix rating: ****
Monday, April 7, 2008
Indians Week in Review (Week 1)
I would prefer something better than a 3-3 record to start the season, but hey, at least we're not the Tigers at 0-6 (Ouch!).
It's tough to truly assess our performance since we only had our true lineup for one game. Victor Martinez's injury on opening day seemingly put our offense into a funk as we had back-to-back games where our guys had 10 strikeouts. Victor is set to return to the lineup tonight, so let's hope that sets everything back in order and allows us to start producing runs again because we won't get as lucky as we did yesterday in winning with only two runs.
From the pitching side, it was another mixed bag. Fausto, Westbrook and (surprisingly) Cliff Lee all had strong outings. Byrd, however, was very erratic on Friday, which is atypical of him. My guess is that it was a one time thing and he'll be back to his normal stuff in his next start. And then there's C.C. who had two lackluster starts. I know he's got the goods, so he better start showing them soon. Then again, if he keeps pitching this way, his asking price may plummet and we may actually be able to resign him next season.
This week we've got the Angels for a three game set in LA and then back home for another series with the A's starting on Friday. The Angels are facing injury problems and the A's aren't very good (despite just taking two out of three from us). If we get back on track, we should have a very good week. Until next week, let's go Tribe!
It's tough to truly assess our performance since we only had our true lineup for one game. Victor Martinez's injury on opening day seemingly put our offense into a funk as we had back-to-back games where our guys had 10 strikeouts. Victor is set to return to the lineup tonight, so let's hope that sets everything back in order and allows us to start producing runs again because we won't get as lucky as we did yesterday in winning with only two runs.
From the pitching side, it was another mixed bag. Fausto, Westbrook and (surprisingly) Cliff Lee all had strong outings. Byrd, however, was very erratic on Friday, which is atypical of him. My guess is that it was a one time thing and he'll be back to his normal stuff in his next start. And then there's C.C. who had two lackluster starts. I know he's got the goods, so he better start showing them soon. Then again, if he keeps pitching this way, his asking price may plummet and we may actually be able to resign him next season.
This week we've got the Angels for a three game set in LA and then back home for another series with the A's starting on Friday. The Angels are facing injury problems and the A's aren't very good (despite just taking two out of three from us). If we get back on track, we should have a very good week. Until next week, let's go Tribe!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Never to early to start thinking about Fall TV
In an unprecedented move, NBC made its upfront presentation last week. Typicaly, networks unveil their fall lineups during the first week in May, but because of the craziness that the strike brought about, things aren't normal this year. NBC's big thing this year is their whole "52-week programming plan" where they intend to have original content being shown all year round. Below, I'll list the important points from their schedule, but if you want to learn more you can read about everything they announced here.
- Chuck and Heroes will each begin the fall season with 13 straight new episodes and will remain in their previous timeslots (Mondays at 8 and 9pm).
- The planned Heroes: Origins has been scrapped.
- SNL will have three live half-hour specials on Thursday nights that will be particularly focused on the upcoming presidential election.
- The coveted post Super Bowl spot will go to The Office AND the upcoming spinoff to The Office.
- No word yet as to who or what The Office spinoff will be about, but it will air after The Office on Thursdays starting in January.
- Knight Rider will become a weekly series in the fall airing Wednesdays at 8.
- They have 7 new drams that will debut at some point over the next year including ones about Robinson Crusoe and Merlin.
- Season 2 of American Gladiators is schedule for Summer '09.
- Chuck and Heroes will each begin the fall season with 13 straight new episodes and will remain in their previous timeslots (Mondays at 8 and 9pm).
- The planned Heroes: Origins has been scrapped.
- SNL will have three live half-hour specials on Thursday nights that will be particularly focused on the upcoming presidential election.
- The coveted post Super Bowl spot will go to The Office AND the upcoming spinoff to The Office.
- No word yet as to who or what The Office spinoff will be about, but it will air after The Office on Thursdays starting in January.
- Knight Rider will become a weekly series in the fall airing Wednesdays at 8.
- They have 7 new drams that will debut at some point over the next year including ones about Robinson Crusoe and Merlin.
- Season 2 of American Gladiators is schedule for Summer '09.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
How to win a million dollars in under 10 seconds
I really need to head out to California for a taping if that's all it takes to win.
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