The wrong con

I saw Duplicity last weekend, but with all the TV lineup news this week, I haven't had a chance to post my review for it until now.

This movie seemed to have all the ingredients in place. You had Tony Gilroy, hot off of Michael Clayton, writing and directing the film. You also had a superb cast led by Clive Owen and Julie Roberts in her first starring role since 2003. Rounding out the cast were a pair of solid supporting actors; Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giammati. When you factor in that this is also a con man movie, I thought they couldn't miss. Unfortunately, it turns out that the con is on the audience.

The primary problem involves the relationship between Owen and Roberts. They play retired CIA/MI6 agents, respectively, who are now working for a pair of competing pharmaceutical companies. They're trying to use the companies' rivalry against them in hopes of stealing millions of dollars from them. Through a series of flashbacks we learn how these two con artists met and developed a romantic relationship while working on their con. Being a pair of liars, however, they never trust each other. So in each of these flashbacks we get the same basic scene over and over again. One accuses the other of doing something, the other denies it before eventually coming clean that they were conning the other and then they make out.

This banter between the two leads is meants to be coy and funny but I found it to be redundant and annoying. It's abundantly clear that these two can't trust each other, so I don't understand the need to continually remind us of that. There is no real payoff to these clues either in terms of the reveal of the big con at the end. It seems like you should have a rooting interest in seeing the leads get away with their scam, but I found myself completely ambivalent to their plan.

More interesting is the rivalry between the companies that Wilkinson and Giammati work for. The scenes which involve the steps these men will take to not only succeed but make sure the other fails miserably is where the film scores. It's a nice insight into corporate espionage. Having Wilkinson and Giammati playing the heads of these companies only adds to the allure of these scenes.

While this may not have much to do with the plot, I must say that Julia Roberts still looks amazing here. She is as beautiful as she was when she began in acting and she remains as charming as ever. I know she is more drawn to motherhood these days, but I certainly hopes she continues acting in some capacity. Clive Owen is also fine here. It's nice to see a more relaxed, humorous personality from him as opposed to the dour look he usually has on his face in his film.

It ends up being the script that truly fails this talented cast. I liked the actors, I liked the scenery, I liked the concept, yet I found myself completely bored by the whole endeavour. I had no interest in seeing who would win out, even though it did surprise me how the film ended.

Maybe my high expectations ruined this film for me. After Tony Gilroy did such a great job reinventing the legal thriller with Michael Clayton, I was anticipating a fresh take from him on the con genre. Instead, we got circular dialogue and a plan that never became engaging. Duplicity should be arriving on DVD shortly and I would only recommend it if you're out of other options. With a less talented cast, this movie would be a complete dud. But thanks to their shining stars, this one may be tolerable as a rental. Grade: C+

CBS fall lineup

What's been cancelled: Eleventh Hour, The Ex List, Game Show in my Head, Harper's Island, The Unit, Without a Trace, Worst Week
New shows added: Accidentally on Purpose, Arranged Marriage, The Bridge, The Good Wife, Miami Trauma, NCIS: Los Angeles, There Goes the Neighborhood, Three Rivers, Undercover Boss

Fall schedule:
MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (NT)
8:30-9:00 PM ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (N)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (NT)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES (N)
10:00-11:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE (N)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
8:30-9:00 PM GARY UNMARRIED
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST (NT)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GHOST WHISPERER
9:00-10:00 PM MEDIUM
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS

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

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE
9:00-10:00 PM THREE RIVERS (N)
10:00-11:00 PM COLD CASE (NT)

Some interesting moves from the most stable of the major networks. Moving The Big Bang Theory to 9:30 is odd, but probably won't be a big deal. It seems like they would want to showcase The Mentalist on its own night, but Thursday at 10pm isn't bad. Taking Medium from NBC is interesting and should fit in nicely with the rest of their Friday lineup. I don't get the need for the NCIS spinoff, but clearly I'm in the minority on that one. Let's hope having the original and spinoff back to back isn't overkill.

Midweek funnies

My apologies if I've ever posted this before. I love game show bloopers and this is a hilarious montage of goofs from Password. The best are the ones who gives their 'clues' with such conviction.

NBC fall lineup

What's been cancelled: America's Toughest Jobs, Chopping Block, Crusoe, Deal or no Deal, ER, Howie Do It, Kath and Kim, Kings, Knight Rider, Life, Lipstick Jungle, Medium, Momma's Boys, My Name is Earl, My Own Worst Enemy, Superstars of Dance
New shows added: 100 Questions, Breakthrough with Tony Robbins, Community, Day One, The Jay Leno Show, The Marriage Ref, Mercy, Parenthood, The Sing Off, Trauma, Who Do You Think You Are?

Fall Schedule:
MONDAY
8-9 p.m. – "Heroes"
9-10 p.m. - "TRAUMA"
10-11 p.m. – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. – "The Biggest Loser" (two-hour edition)
10-11 p.m. – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. – "PARENTHOOD"
9-10 p.m. – "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
10-11 p.m. – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. – "SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY" (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. – "Parks and Recreation"
9- 9:30 p.m. – "The Office"
9:30-10 p.m. – "COMMUNITY" (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run "30 Rock" returns)
10-11 p.m. – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. – "Law & Order"
9-10 p.m. – "Southland"
10-11 p.m. – "THE JAY LENO SHOW"

SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. – "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. – "TRAUMA" (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. – "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY
7- 8:20 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:20-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

The best news isn't reflected in this schedule - Chuck got renewed! It'll return midseason for 13 episodes. 30 Rock also return in the winter. I still don't get how this network is struggling. They have plenty of shows I watch and they also have the best crop of new shows that I've seen thus far. Best of the bunch is the sitcom Community, starring The Soup's Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. Having Leno every night at 10 is a big gamble, but if it helps the other shows earn better ratings, I'm all for it.

Season finale report card pt. 2

The only show still not done yet is Reaper, which won't finish up until next week. Since that's likely the series finale also, I'll do a short report for it then that will also serve as a eulogy for the show.

Survivor: About as decent of an outcome as you could have hoped for this season. Everybody loved JT and he played hard throughout, so I have no problem with him winning. I was hoping for a bit more fireworks during the jury questions, but I'm sure it was tough considering it was virtually all Timbira people asking two Jalapao people the questions and they couldn't really be bitter since it was their own stupidity that eliminated them from the game. Overall the season was a mixed bag, but would have been lousy without Coach. Love him or hate him, he certainly made things entertaining. As for the tease for next season, Samoa seems fine as a location, but I was disappointed there wasn't more said about any sort of twist or novel concept for the season. Grade: B+

CSI: Not much of a finale here. This could have easily been a midseason episode. Every finale doesn't have to big and/or shocking, but it would have been nice had this show done a little bit more, especially considering the drop in ratings the show has seen ever since the departure of Grissom. I really like Laurence Fishburne, but they haven't done much to make the shows interesting since he came on. Hopefully they can rectify that next season and also decide where they want the 'lab rats' to be. One week people like Wendy and Hodges are in the lab, the next their out in the field. Make up your mind already. Also, do yourself a favor and get rid of the dreadfully dull Riley. Grade: C+

My Name is Earl: It's no surprise this show got the ax by NBC. It had been gradually losing its charm with each season. This finale revolved around the paternity of Joy's kids, which isn't anything that the audience really cared to know. I loved seeing Norm Macdonald return as Little Chubby, but even his quasi-Burt Reynolds impression couldn't salvage this mess. Earl and Randy just became too one-dimensional. I hope Jaime Pressley and Eddie Steeples can find other work though as they continued to be the only interesting characters on the show. Grade: C

Parks and Recreation: This show seems to have so much potential that was not being realized in these first six episodes. I like most of the cast members, but aside from Amy Pohler, none of them have gotten to do much comedically yet. I particularly want to see Rashida Jones get to do more next season as she is really talented. I still have a lot of hope for this show though because the six episodes of the Office's first season weren't amazing either. The finale did have its moments like Leslie and Mark's partying at the pit and Chris Pratt rattling off the various names his band has had over the years. Just like the park Leslie hopes to build, let's hope the creators of this show see their plan come to fruition and produce another quality sitcom. Grade: B-

The Office: There weren't as many fireworks as I would have expected in this one. It appears that they're going to try and do a slow burn with Michael and Holly, which is probably smart since they can't guarantee to have Amy Ryan full time. As cute as the pregnancy reveal was, I was slightly disappointed. Being a traditionalist, I would have preferred they got married before having the baby. I liked how they planted the seeds for a Dwight/Angela reunion, but thought it was weird that they introduced that creepy new friend of Dwight's. There wasn't anyone else (Mose?) that could have served the same purpose that we had seen before. Overall, a fairly funny episode but they've certainly had better finales. Grade: B+

30 Rock: This show continues to frustrate me as it often is more funny than the Office but does a terrible job trying to create decent storylines. If it's not careful it's going to turn into Family Guy where each episode is a collection of funny pop culture references strung together by a flimsy plot. I hope they seriously cut back on the celebrity guest appearances next season. Their 'We are the world' spoof to encourage organ donation was funny, but I would rather see more focus on Tracy, Jenna, and the writing staff. Although I'll never complain when Dr. Spaceman (Chris Parnell) stops by. Grade: B

Animation Domination: The post is already getting too long for me to do seperate reviews for each, so let me lump them all here. The Simpsons continues to vary between very funny episodes with no story and well crafted stories that have hardly any humor. Their finale on border patrol did a nice story but wasn't overly funny. Still, the show has been better this season than the past few. Family Guy's founding of Quahog story wasn't particularly engaging. None of the gags felt new, although I still always laugh whenever they somehow depict Joe losing his legs. Finally, I was disappointed American Dad couldn't end on a stronger note. The guy's night out storyline was just disturbing. Also, I'm not sure if Steve was in the episode at all and he's my favorite character. Overall though, this show has probably been the most consistent in terms of quality each week. The Simpsons: B- Family Guy: C American Dad: B

How I Met Your Mother: Well, it wasn't much advancement, but at least we got somewhere with figuring out who the mother is. I'm not sure if most people agree, but I loved the fact that Ted took the professor job. His life continues to mirror mine more and more closely. It's scary. I'm still not sold on Barney and Robin, but it definitely seems like they're heading in that direction. Overall, the season was kind of hampered by both female leads getting pregnant. Once they return next season, hopefully the core dynamic will be back as well. And hopefully they'll revisit some of their best moments like Robin Sparkles and the slap bet. Grade: B

24: Man, what an emotional finish to a season that saw this show return to form. They did a nice job of tying up the immediate threat while also providing us with a number of loose ends to look forward to next season. You know the show is going well when even the presence of Kim Bauer doesn't ruin things. Much of the credit belongs to the fresh faces this season. Jon Voigt was great as one of the show's primary villains. And the addition of the Renee Walker character has been stellar. She works so well with Jack, it feels like she's been around since Season 1. Speaking of Jack, he did an awesome job this season portraying a gamut of emotions. This is already a beloved character and he continued to bring the awesome. I cannot wait for this to return next January. Grade: A-

ABC Fall Schedule

What's been cancelled: According to Jim, Boston Legal, Cupid, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Homeland Security USA, In the Motherhood, Life on Mars, Opportunity Knocks, Pushing Daises, Samantha Who, The Unusuals
New shows added: Copper, Cougar Town, The Deep End, Eastwick, Flash Forward, The Forgotten, Hank, Happy Town, The Middle, Modern Family, The Shark Tank, V

Fall lineup:
MONDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" (two-hours)
10:00 p.m. "Castle"

TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Shark Tank"
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "The Forgotten"

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Hank"
8:30 p.m. "The Middle"
9:00 p.m. "Modern Family"
9:30 p.m. "Cougar Town"
10:00 p.m. "Eastwick"

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Flash Forward"
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Private Practice"

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. "Supernanny"
9:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

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

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

Some shows like Better Off Ted, Scrubs (you're reading that right, it returns for a 9th season), and Lost won't return until midseason. I don't really care for much on ABC, so I don't have much to say about this lineup. Although a whole new slate on Wednesday is risky. And moving Ugly Betty to Fridays is surprising. I don't watch the show, but if I were a fan I'd be angry/worried about that move.

For more information on ABC's new shows, please visit The Futon Critic

NMR: What a croc!

I've got two more Netflix reviews that I'm combining with the weakest of connections; even though these films are wildly different, they both have scenes with killer alligators.

Eraser: One of Ah-nuld's attempts to keep himself relevant as the 90s were coming to an end. This one is just riddled with action movie cliches. I was spouting lines before the actors had a chance to save them. There are a few cool action sequences though, especially for the time, and the rail gun was neat. Perhaps the most preposterous thing in the movie is one of the final climatic scenes which involves 20+ guys shooting at Arnold, yet no one is able to hit him. Give me a break. I wish this movie was erased from my mind. The movie is 13 years old now, I'm allowed to make that pun again. Rating: **

Adapatation: The best way to describe this bizarre film is to say that if you saw and liked Being John Malkovich, you'll enjoy this film as well. This is a very meta-film about the process of screenwriting that used real people in a fictional story. This film can be equally engaging and frustrating. It produces a lot of interesting ideas, but you really have to stay focused to keep up with the story. I need to give special praise to Chris Cooper, who is just tremendous in this film and totally deserved the Oscar he won for this role. If you make the effort to watch this film, you'll be rewarded with a completely unique film experience. Rating: ****

Ya dig Holmes

It's not out until Christmas, but here's the first trailer for Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams.

FOX fall schedule

What's Been Cancelled: Do Not Disturb, Hole in the Wall, Osbournes Reloaded, Prison Break, Secret Millionaire, Sit Down Shut Up, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
New shows added: Brothers, The Cleveland Show, Human Target, Past Life, Someone's Gotta Go, Sons of Tuscon

Fall lineup:
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE
9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME

TUESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

Some FOX shows won't return until mid-season like 24 and American Idol, so if you don't see it on the lineup, don't worry. The biggest move here is Fringe to Thursdays at 9. Great, like I needed another show on during that time. I think FOX sees CSI as vulnerable now without Grissom and hopes Fringe can pull away some of their viewers. That strategy might work, because that's probably what I will do.

For more info on the new shows debuting, visit The Futon Critic

Suck it Trebek!

Last night's SNL season finale with Will Ferrell was great, especially the return of Celebrity Jeopardy. I was in tears watching this skit. I haven't laughed this hard at a SNL skit since, well, probably since Will was a regular cast member.

NMR: War is hellarious

Got a couple of films from the bizarre genre of war comedies...

Hot Shots: Part Deux: I saw the original on Netflix a few weeks ago, so I figured I'd catch the sequel as well. Some of the humor holds up very well in this one. It was also nice to see the two main leads return and also mock this idea. A lot of the Gulf War humor though feels extremely dated. Still, for a parody sequel this is one of the better efforts out there. Rating: ***

Dr. Strangelove: I know, I know. I should have seen this classic a long time ago, so sue me. This is one of those teflon films that is immune to criticism. Some people don't get why this is funny and I can understand that. I'll admit that there were some things that I didn't get. I also think that some of the material in this film is dated. However, there are moments of sheer brillance in this film, particularly any of the war room scenes. I'm also a fan of any film that makes use of 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home' in its score. Peter Sellers gets the most adulation for his three character performance in this film, but personally, I thought George C. Scott was fantastic in his role. If you're the one person amongst your friends who hasn't seen this film, watch it because it's a great film for prompting discussion and analysis. Rating: ****

Company Picnic deleted scenes

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Season finale report card Pt. 1

I haven't done a whole lot of discussion on my thoughts on TV shows lately, so to make up for that, I'll give my thoughts on how each of my favorite shows have ended...

Chuck: The show really came into it's own this season and delivered a great finale. Bringing in Chevy Chase and Scott Bakula into the mix was a nice touch. As for the end moment where we learn that Chuck has a more powerful Intersect in his head, I'm mixed. If they play it right, it could be really cool. If they don't, all they'll be doing is adding unnecessary drama to the show. I really hope this show returns, because they had a wonderful option to tie up everything and end it leaving the fans satisfied. But they opted for a cliffhanger ending, which means it better return or else there will be a lot of angry Nerd Herders. Grade: A-

Heroes: Wow, what to say about this show. How the mighty have fallen. This show just can't seem to regain the momentum they had from season 1. While the show improved in the second half of this season, it's still terribly flawed. And despite their efforts to address fans' complaints, the finale seemed so much like a retread. Once again, Nathan is apparently dead, but they found a way to keep the character around. I'm so ready to be rid of so many characters from this show. Let's hope some new blood (and not Claire's deus ex machina blood) can be infused into this show and help it become watchable again. Grade: C+

The Big Bang Theory: The finale played like a greatest hits album in a way as we got to see a lot of great gags return: Shelon's knocking, Howard's mother, etc. This show has quickly moved up to one of my must see comedies and I look forward to seeing some more antics from these guys at the North Pole next season before they return. I also love Penny, but din't have any real urgency to see her together with Leonard, so that aspect of the storyline didn't do much for me. Aside from that, this was great. Grade: A-

House: The bait and switch that they pulled certainly didn't endear me to this show anymore. Yes, I felt sorry for House now that he's been sent to the loony bin, but I never thought the point of the show was to make me empathize with him. This is a show that has tried to do too much, when it wasn't necessary. We didn't need a new team for House, we didn't need forced relationships, we didn't need psychoanalysis of House. Just give us strange medical mysteries and witty one-liners and I'm content. Yes, the formula may get tiring for some, but the formula works for a reason. For the most part, this finale did not. Grade: B-

Better Off Ted: Not much of a season finale since the season only consisted of about 6 episodes, but I still wanted to mention it. Currently the show is on the bubble, but I felt this show continued to grow with each episode and deserves a second season. If they keep expanding the cast like they started to in the final episode, it has a chance to be quirky and fun. Grade: B

Fringe: Man, this episode blew me away! If you're not watching this show, you should. They did everything right here. They wrapped up some storylines with the gruesome death of David Jones. And they also opened up a whole new can of worms with this alternate universe storyline. Not only did we find out Peter is really dead, but then we get that awesome shot of Olivia standing inside the World Trade Center building. Very cool stuff! This has been the most satisfying finale thus far. Grade: A

Lost: Last night's finale left me equally enticed and frustrated. You mean to tell me they couldn't give us one small scene to let us know what happened to the castaways once the bomb went off? Come on. The Jacob stuff was really interesting, but it once again opens up a whole new set of questions. I just keep worrying with only one season left of this show how they can possibly answer everything we want to know. There were a lot of cool small moments last night like Rose and Bernard, Ben at his most vulnerable to date, and our first look at the whole statue. Still it's going to be tough to truly evaluate this episode until we see it in the context of next season for now. One way or another I think we've said goodbye to time travel, which I'm happy about. Even I was starting to get nose bleeds from it. Grade: B+

The Amazing Race: In reality, the better episode was the one before the finale where a team's pee break cost them a chance to be in the final three and compete for the million dollars. That was truly stunning. This final episode did have a come from behind finish, which is always impressive; it's just a shame I didn't like the winning team more. Tammy seemed nice enough, but I couldn't stand Victory. He showed no growth whatsoever throughout the race and maintained a superiority complex over his sister. On top of that, both of them are Harvard law grads, so they probably weren't hurting for money. A lackluster finish to what had been one of the better races in recent years. Grade: B-

More to come in part 2 including NBC's Must-See TV comedies, Animation Domination, How I Met Your Mother, 24, CSI, and Survivor.

One for The Road

Here's the first trailer for one of the films I put on my top 30 list. The Road is based on a Cormac McCarthy novel (same guy who wrote No Country for Old Men). The Road is set to come out Oct. 16.

Is Sin-dication the answer?

Some news today about the possibility of Reaper seeing a third season from the Hollywood Reporter:

Thought "Reaper" was dead?

Well, think again. Like some of the undead creatures on it, the quirky CW dramedy with a rabid fan base is refusing to die.

Sources said show producer ABC Studios is in talks with CW affiliate stations about continuing "Reaper" as a syndicated series for Sunday night.

The law-rated "Reaper" has been pretty much canceled at the CW. But most stations are said to love the series starring Brett Harrison as the Devil's bounty hunter.

So when the network recently decided to give Sunday night back to its affiliates, they started preliminary conversations with ABC Studios about possibly continuing the show with original episodes.

Sources said that ABC Studios also is exploring a possible afterlife for the cult series on cable.

Both scenarios are considered a longshot.

First, there is the economics issue as a syndicated series is generally produced on a lower budget than a network series.

Secondly, "Reaper" creators/executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have moved on, recently inking an overall deal with 20th TV.

And then there's Tyler Labine, the actor who plays Herrison's sidekick. He is set to star in the newly picked up Fox comedy series "Sons of Tucson." There are conflicting takes on whether Labine would be contractually obligated to "Reaper" if it changes formats from a network to a syndicated show.

But even if he is still tied to "Reaper," Labine headlines a new series, and if he is brought back to his old show against his will, that would be unfortunate for him and a big blow to "Tucson."

Since its midseason return for a second season, "Reaper" has averaged about a 1.0 rating in 18-49, ranking as the network's lowest-rated drama.

But with the network's current programming on Sundays consisting of "Jericho" returns and MGM library movies, averaging below a 0.5 in recent weeks, "Reaper" could potentially improve the slot.

Given all that's been said, I still think the show is dead in the water. That's a real shame too because there has been no signs of urgency throughout this season to tie up everything and give us a satisfactory conclusion to a show that started out with a clever idea unlike most other shows on TV. What will happen to this show? Only God, or perhaps the Devil, knows for sure.

NMR: Hackman double feature

For some reason, I've been on a Gene Hackman kick lately. He is just a tremendous actor and brings a great amount of energy to the screen whenever he's on it. It's a shame he's retired now. It's an even greater shame that his last film will be Welcome to Mooseport.

Enemy of the State: This is one of those films where I've seen bits and pieces of it numerous times, but never actually sat down and watched all the way through until now. This is a tense thriller that seems outdated because of the technology, but still remains relevant in terms of its themes. You really began to see Will Smith morph into a legitimate leading man in this film. Hackman comes in a little too late for my liking into the story, but the few scenes he does have are great. The film also features a lot of well known people who were nobodys when this movie was made. A good popcorn movie that makes you think too. Rating: ****

Heist: The film really doesn't bring anything new to the Heist genre with the exception of writer/director David Mamet's unique dialogue, which I can take or leave. However, despite the lack of freshness to the story, the actors do such a good job with their roles, that you can't help but get into the story. Aside from Hackman who is once again great, there are fine performances from Delroy Lindo, Ricky Jay, Danny Devito, and Sam Rockwell. This is probably one heist film that most people haven't seen yet, so if you enjoy the genre, give it a look. Rating: ****

Cafe Disco deleted scenes

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NMR: Virtuosity

I'm out of newer movies for the moment, so it's back to older ones that slipped through the cracks. This time it's the 1995 computer thriller, Virtuosity, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in one of his first roles in an American film. I remember when the film came out that I thought the trailer made this film look really cool. However, because it was rated R, I never got a chance to see it. Now, nearly 15 years later the film definitely has an outdated feel to it. While nanotechnology is still being developed, the idea of a virtual reality serial killer becoming a real person seems ludicrous now. Crowe has a lot of fun as the maniacal Sid 6.7, but Denzel actually turns in an understated performance. The movie actually has a pretty familiar story that's shined up with the technological spin. A fun diversion but nothing really special here. Might have recommended this back in '95, but no need now. Rating: ***

The Wrath of Trekkies

Looks like not everyone is enamored with the new Star Trek film. ;)


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

The sweet political science

After months of waiting, I finally got to see the one Oscar film I had the most interest in; Frost/Nixon. And after weeks of watching underwhelming Oscar films, I've now seen one that was worthy of the praise and acclaim it received.

Based on the play by the same name, Frost/Nixon examines the multi-part interview British TV personality David Frost had with Richard Nixon after his resignation. Unlike Doubt, which felt like a slightly more elaborate version of the stage performance, this film takes a play and gives it a true cinematic film. While the story may be narrow in scope, director Ron Howard does a great job of fully fleshing out the characters and everything around them as they prepare for this interview.

Helping the cause is having the original stage actors, Michael Sheen and Frank Langella reprise their roles as Frost and Nixon respectively in the film version. Both men are just tremendous at capturing who these men were. Langella doesn't necessarily look exactly like Nixon, but is able to still embody this complex man in his performance. While not as flashy, Sheen's take on Frost is equally worthy of praise. He provides us with a look into the nuances of Frost, which reveal a more complex person than you may assume. By now, both of these actors are very familiar with these people they portray and it shows.

Not surprisingly, I liked this film more for what it revealed to us about the media rather than its political statement. Both staunch republicans and democrats will be interested to see how the most controversial president of recent time is portrayed, but that wasn't of great importance to me. I wasn't alive during that time, so I don't have a real vested interest in that. However, seeing the way both men prepared for this interview was extremely fascinating to me. These men don't just prep for this interview in order to get their agenda across; they specifically examine each other in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the other.

There's one specific mention by a character in the film where he likened the interview to a boxing match. This is apropos because there are several other allusions to this throughout the film, which I just thought were excellent. It truly becomes a fight between these two and in order to win they can't just go out there firing punches. It becomes a cat and mouse game to see who can corner the other in order to make that knockout blow. Even though you may know the outcome, the film does a tremendous job of making you become invested in seeing how it all plays out.

One recommendation I would make however is that you should see this movie before watching the actual interview. While the script does an amazing job of boiling down everything that they covered into this two hour movie, this is not a true reenactment. The film naturally makes certain parts more dramatic than they appear to be in the actual interview. If you watch the interview first, you may have a more difficult time appreciating the film. Do watch the interview afterwards though if you can because it is rather remarkable how this interview went down.

As much as I love this film, I can understand why it didn't win best picture. The film is very much a snapshot of one particular point in American history. This story is not grand in nature, which is something that the Academy tends to reward. I'm ok with that though because I wouldn't have wanted this film to attempt to be any broader than what it was. Sure, I would have loved for there to be an additional hour of material, there's certainly enough there to do it. But that may have been overkill. So as it is, this is just a tremendous film that has great acting and an interesting subject matter. It's tough to write reviews for good films because you feel like you're just repeating yourself over and over again. So simply put, go check out this movie, you won't be disappointed. Grade: A

NBC newbies

Network fall lineups will be unveiled this week and NBC was first up today. While most of were interested in hearing whether or not Chuck would be back, it appears we're going to have to wait longer. NBC execs said they wouldn't make an announcement on the fate of Chuck, Medium, My Name is Earl, Law & Order, or Life until May 19th. Aarrgh! Why must they continue to torture us.

Anyways, here's the descriptions for the 6 new shows that NBC has picked up for the fall. See if any of them look like a show that will help NBC's struggling ratings.

PARENTHOOD
From the executive producers of the box-office hit "Parenthood" -- Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for "A Beautiful Mind"), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights") -- this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family -- four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney, "ER"), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Mae Whitman, "In Treatment") and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER"), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson, "Family Stone," "Coach"), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia, "Heart Like a Wheel"), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings -- sister, Julia (Christensen, "Traffic"), and brothers Crosby (Shepard, "Baby Mama") and Adam (Krause, "Six Feet Under") -- all struggling with issues of their own, it's clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life.

TRAUMA
Executive producer Peter Berg (NBC's "Friday Night Lights") delivers "Trauma," the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, "Trauma" is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives -- and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring in "Trauma" are Derek Luke ("Notorious"), Cliff Curtis ("10,000 B.C"), Anastasia Griffith ("Damages"), Aimee Garcia ("George Lopez"), Kevin Rankin ("Friday Night Lights") and Jamey Sheridan ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent").

MERCY
"Mercy," a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best -- its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling, "Dark Matter") returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq -- and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, "Rescue Me") and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, "Gossip Girl"), Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper ("Men in Trees") as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff ("Supernatural") as Mike Callahan, Veronica's husband; and Guillermo Diaz ("Weeds") as Nurse Angel Lopez.

DAY ONE
From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander ("Heroes," "Lost," "Alias") and director Alex Graves ("Fringe," "Journeyman"), "Day One" tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world's infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors -- played by Adam Campbell ("Date Movie"), Catherine Dent ("The Shield"), Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone"), David Lyons ("ER"), Derek Mio ("Greek"), Carly Pope ("24"), Thekla Reuten ("Sleeper Cell") and Addison Timlin ("Cashmere Mafia") -- strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories -- and heroes are born every day.

100 QUESTIONS (fka "100 Questions for Charlotte Payne")
Emmy winner James Burrows ("Will & Grace," "Friends") directs "100 Questions," a new comedy series written and executive-produced by Christopher Moynihan ("For Your Consideration") that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne (Sophie Winkleman, "Peep Show") is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals -- but she has yet to meet Mr. Right. When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi (Amir Talai, "The Ex List") – who requires her to take a 100-question compatibility test. The questions aren't easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends Leslie (Elizabeth Ho, "Women's Murder Club"), Jill (Joy Suprano, NBC's "Law & Order"), Mike (Christopher Moynihan "For Your Consideration") and Wayne (David Walton "Quarterlife"). The test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship.

COMMUNITY
From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about higher education -- and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, "Community" focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin' lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), who form a study group and end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work. In addition to McHale, the series also stars: Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel"); Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement"); Danny Pudi ("Greek"); Alison Brie ("Mad Men"); and comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Saturday Night Live").

Grand Theft Daughter

The summer movie season is underway, but I'm still slumming it at the budget theater for the time being. This time, I caught this past January's surprise hit, Taken.

The film centers around Bryan (Liam Neeson), who has recently retired from being a government agent in order to spend more time with his 17 year old daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). While talking to her father from Paris, Kim is abducted. Hearing everything, Brian suddenly goes back into agent mode in his quest to recover his daughter.

The setup to this film is its weakest element. None of the family moments really work, primarily due to the film's casting. Neeson doesn't come off particularly fatherly and Grace is too old to be playing an immature teenager. Even though it's not meant to be a surprise, the film beats you over the head that something terrible is going to happen to Kim as a result of the naivety of so many of the main characters.

However, once Kim is grabbed the film kicks into high gear. Neeson transforms into a badass using all of his skills to find out who is behind the abduction and where they have taken her. The plausibility of how he obtains some of his information is somewhat suspect, but the film doesn't dwell on it, so you just go along with it and enjoy the ride. Even if it isn't realistic, you enjoy the ingenuity shown in order to track Kim down.

As Neeson tracks down the abductors, the film suddenly becomes a real life video game. You get a little bit of story set-up followed by Neeson kicking ass and killing anyone in sight. This is first movie I've seen that has blended that point and shoot mentality into a sophisticated adult thriller. This direction has me torn, however. It's makes for an exciting film, but also seems a bit cold and callous. Neeson kills anyone and everyone in his sight with reckless abandon, making it difficult to sympathize with the character. Yet, there is something primal about the way he goes about hunting these guys down that you can't help but enjoy. While you're not sure how to feel about Neeson's character, the film makes sure that all of the people involved in this abduction are depicted as European scum. It may not be right, but you can't help seeing these slimy characters get some comeuppance.

There is a lot of action in this film and all of it is well done. The fight scenes look good without dragging on for too long. However, there's no real meaning behind them because of the film's failure to do a better job of establishing that connection between father and daughter. The violence just becomes senseless after a while, which can be entertaining but doesn't have a lot of merit.

In an odd way, the film felt very similar to 24, which like this movie also happens to be produced by FOX. On that show, Jack Bauer senselessly kills a lot of terrorists for the sake of his country. He also has a daughter that he has a strained relationship with, yet would do anything to protect her. Just like on that show, it seems that Taken tries to use fatherly love as a mask for that desire to hurt bad guys. No matter how much they claim they want to be away from that lifestyle neither Jack Bauer nor Neeson's character can help themselves from getting involved whenever evil threatens us.

While it makes the effort, this is not a moving film. You don't really get any joy or appreciation out of seeing Neeson rescue his daughter. By the time it happens, it's practically an afterthought. When the film ends, you'll likely have one of two responses. Either you'll have really enjoyed it for it's non-stop barrage of action or you'll feel ambivalent because there was nothing satisfying to you about seeing one fight scene after the other. This is not a great film, but it's surprisingly entertaining given that it was released in the dregs of January. As it comes onto DVD in a couple of weeks, it may be worth a look if you're seeking for some mindless action. Neeson is a capable actor that gets to show off his badass nature on the side of good for once. Enjoy this action thriller for all its mindlessness and don't go hunting for any deeper messages. Grade: C+

Toy stories

Here are the new trailers for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, respectively:

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Island hopping

From EW.com:

Rather than canceling the struggling serialized murder mystery Harper's Island, CBS announced today it will move the show from Thursdays at 10pm to Saturdays at 9pm, starting May 2. According to a network release, the 13-week limited series showed improvement in DVR and online viewership, an indication that it had enough of an audience to sustain the show through the end of its run.

It's a shame it's getting shunted to the weekends, but at least we can hopefully take this as a sign that CBS is determined to keep this on the air all the way through. So if you're a viewer, make sure to adjust your DVRs accordingly.

Good luck Chuck

As we get closer to network's announcing their fall schedules, most of the news hasn't been good regarding the fate of NBC's Chuck. However, there was a glimmer of hope today when this story broke: Best Bet That Chuck Will Come Back

The article mentions the Subway campaign that's going on today to help fans show their support for the show. If you enjoy Chuck and would like to see it come back for a third season, please do yourself a favor and buy a Subway sandwich today. And then please tune in for tonight's season finale.

I hate begging, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The Nerd Herd needs you!

Aging beauty

The temperature has begun to rise here lately, so I decided to take a few hours to cool off by watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button over at the budget theater.

This was a film that I was highly anticipating when it came out late last year. It had a pedigree cast, a superb director and an interesting story. Obviously the film did something right as it managed to score quite a few Oscar nominations. However, it scored only a few actual wins and I think the Academy like me, felt there was just something missing that prevented it from being better than what it was.

Given all of the elements I listed, it seems like this is a can't miss yet somehow it didn't quite make it's mark. In many ways this a great film. Most of the credit belongs to director David Fincher. Fincher continues to get more ambitious and daring with his projects and succeeds each time. This is a beautiful looking film, which is doubly impressive given the scope of the story. Fincher properly conveys the varying times depicted in the film and also adequately handles all of the genres that make up this complex narrative. Fincher, along with Christopher Nolan, is quickly becoming one of the greatest directors of the modern era.

A seperate mention is deserved for the visual effects that depicts Brad Pitt from 80s to his 20s. It is truly remarkable how they were able to do that and make it seem realistic that we were watching a senior version of Pitt on the screen. I have no doubt we'll being to see more of this technology used in other films in lieu of the ridiculous makeup currently used to try and convey age in actors.

Speaking of the actors, both Pitt, who plays the titular Button and Cate Blanchett, who plays Button's love interest, Daisy, turn in great performances. Neither actors tries to do much with their characters, when it could have been easy to make them over-the-top; Pitt, in particular. They also have a good chemistry, which is important to the story. You also have excellent supporting work from people like Tilda Swinton and Taraji P. Henson, who was nominated for her role as Button's adoptive mother.

What bothered me about the film is that I didn't feel more after it was over. At close to three hours, this films tells a long story about Button's interesting life but it never really drags. Yet, when it was finally over I wasn't sure how to react. Without spoiling too much, Button lives a full life and gets to enjoy love and adventure. Despite the oddity of aging in reverse, Button doesn't seem to suffer too many setbacks from it. It ends up the problems you have when you're very young are similar problems when you're very old. The way the story plays out, Benjamin Button could have led the exact same life had he aged like a normal person.

If the film had a larger metaphor, then that was lost on me. The film is structured so that we learn about Button's life through a diary that is being read by Daisy's daughter while Daisy is on her deathbed. There could have been potential for some grander meaning to come from this, especially since that part also involves a unique clock and Hurricane Katrina. But I never really got the importance of any of that and it seemed to simply be a narrative device.

The movie is similar in a lot of ways to Tim Burton's Big Fish. But I felt that story did such a better job of providing an emotional punch and expressing the importance of life, happiness and familial bonds. Benjamin Button strolls along telling one unique event after another in his life with no real payoff. You keep waiting for these moments to matter, but it never occurs.

I still want to stress that this is a very well made movie. Oddly enough, however, I thought the best scenes in the film were the few action-oriented scenes. Moments like Button fighting during World War II or even the imminence of the hurricane are very cool and well done. Having seen them here, I would be really interested in seeing Fincher attempt a war film. And that's coming from a guy who typically doesn't appreciate that genre. But back to this film, I credit it for being a technical masterpiece, but fault it for failing to move me.

This movie comes out on DVD next week and it may play better on the small screen. Watching such a long film from the comfort of your own home may allow you to better connect with the characters and story. I know it certainly didn't help me having a screaming infant behind me and a need to pee starting about halfway through the film while I sat in the theater. Maybe without those diversions I could have enjoyed this too. But I don't know for sure, so I just have to report what I felt. Marvel at the film's style, but don't worry about having a box of kleenex nearby. Grade: B+

Tragic action figure

So after several aborted attempts, I finally was able to see The Wrestler last night through Netflix. The Wrestler gained a lot of mainstream attention during awards season thanks to Mickey Rourke's comeback performance. I, of course, had a vested interest in it due to my nearly 20 year love of "sports entertainment".

All of the praise centered around Rourke's portrayal of Randy "the Ram" Robinson is warranted. This is a gritty, emotional, and realistic performance of a professional wrestler who's still out there performing despite the fact that his heyday was 20 years ago. Even though his body is broken down and he's playing in front of only a couple hundred people, he still wants to be out there.

The tragedy of the film is that despite opportunities to live a normal life outside of the ring, he cannot help but toss it all aside in favor of continuing to wrestle. In theory it works, but I felt like the film could have done so much more to emphasize why this would be a difficult decision for someone like The Ram. Near the end of the film, he gives a speech where he tells the fans that he continues to do this for all of them, yet there are not enough scenes which show the fans reciprocity. They had opportunities to show fans' appreciation of the pain Randy puts himself through, but didn't capitalize on them. Scenes involving Randy wrestling or attending autograph signings are either too short or focus on other aspects of the story.

Perhaps being so closely connected to pro wrestling was a detriment for me watching this film. Because I am so familiar with the industry, the film didn't really reveal anything new to me. All it did was depict the rise and fall of a wrestler and I've unfortunately seen that all too often in real life to appreciate it here. I give director Darren Arrenofsky credit for accurately portraying the industry from the wrestler's perspective, but he didn't show enough from the fan's side of thing to make Randy's desire to perform understandable. Yes, those independent shows may draw small crowds, but the people that attend them are die-hard fans who want to continue watching their idols perform.

Despite being called The Wrestler, the film spends a lot of time outside of the ring. We see Randy attempt normalcy through his relationship with a stripper (Marissa Tomei) and his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). The subplot with his daughter isn't very developed, but does enough to establish how Randy continually puts his career before his her. The more interesting part of the story is Randy's relationship with Tomei. Tomei, despite being naked for the majority of her screen time, turns in an excellent performance that makes you just as interested in what will happen to her by the end of the film. The film does a very good job of creating parallels between their lives and showing the difficulties they have of breaking free of their jobs. I have no problem with Tomei receiving a nomination for her role here; a performance that's certainly more Oscar-worthy than My Cousin Vinny, which she actually won for.

One final point I'll make is in regards to the overall look of the film. On one hand, I credit Arronofsky for giving this film a gritty look as I feel it sets an appropriate tone for the film. However, that grittiness made it difficult to see and appreciate some of the smaller part of the film. For example, after a hospital stay Randy receives a note from the promoter, yet you could barely read it. Something like that could have gone a long way to creating that emotional tie Randy has to the profession, but the audience doesn't get a good chance to appreciate it. I'm sure if I went back I could see what it said, but that kind of defeats the purpose.

I'll recommend the film based on the strong performance by Rourke. He absolutely steals the show with his portrayal of Randy the Ram. It's nice that he was given this chance to remind the world of his talent as an actor. And I shudder to think how this film would have been had Nicholas Cage, who was originally set to play the role, played The Ram. I would be interested to hear from someone who isn't a pro wrestling fan and see how they react to this film. It very well could be that this film works on a completely different level for them. As for me, the film is too tragic to be enjoyable, yet not tragic enough to make me empathatic. A solid film, but I was certainly hoping for more. Grade: B+

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NMR: Being John Malkovich

After enjoying Malkovich in a couple of recent films, I decided to go back and check out this trippy film from 1999 directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufmann. This film still seems ahead of it's time and it's now ten years old. All of the acting is decent, but I particularly enjoyed Catherine Keener's work. Cameron Diaz, who's practically unrecognizable here, turns in a nice, understated performance. It's a shame she hasn't taken on more roles like this recently. I found the film's dark subject matter to be a bit disturbing at times. However, this is a dense, layered film that really explores a lot of interesting topics and makes you think, which I always appreciate. It's also very funny at times, particularly Malkovich himself who wasn't afraid to poke fun at his image. If you're looking for a more complex film, I'd recommend this one to you. Rating: ****

Too little, too late

FOX's latest cartoon Sit Down, Shut Up was created by Mitch Hurwitz, who also created Arrested Development. The show also features the voice work of Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. In an effort to promote the show, FOX made this promo video where they apologize for cancelling Arrested Development. A cute trick, but it didn't work on me. I would have watched this show (which debuted last night), but the ratings are terrible and I wasn't impressed with the animation, so I decided to skip it. The only way FOX can truly apologize is if that Arrested Development movie ever gets made. Otherwise, they'll have to continue admitting they made a huge mistake by taking that show off the air.

TV death watch

It's that time of the year again where television's grim reaper begins to rear his ugly head. Here's an article from Hollywood Reporter indicating which shows are on the bubble and which you can already wave goodbye to:

With the broadcast networks' upfront presentations less than a month away, it's do-or-die time for bubble series.

Not all shows that haven't been renewed yet are in jeopardy: For such series as CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," which traditionally gets picked up at the last minute, and ABC's "Ugly Betty," the orders are just a formality.

But that can't be said for a dozen or so other series anxiously awaiting their fate.

CBS has the most, including a quartet of long-running procedurals -- "Without a Trace," "Cold Case," "Numbers" and "The Unit" -- along with freshman drama "Eleventh Hour."

For all of them -- especially the two oldest, Warner Bros. TV/Bruckheimer's "Trace" and "Case" -- the decision is tied to the shows' economics, as the network pays most or all of the production costs at this point.

The odds for "Trace" and "Case" are considered 50/50 right now, with one of the two expected to come back.

The CBS Par-produced "Numbers" looks good to return for a sixth season, as does that series' Friday night companion, ABC Studios' "Ghost Whisperer," which would enter its fifth cycle.

The prospects for "Hour," meanwhile, do not look good. The military drama "Unit" also had been considered unlikely to come back, but in a hopeful sign, executive producer Shawn Ryan has been asked by the network to present ideas for a fifth season.

Of Fox's two bubble series, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Dollhouse," sophomore "Terminator" is considered all but gone, while freshman "Dollhouse's" chances are 50/50.

Along with Fox's sci-fi duo, the most discussed bubble show online is NBC's "Chuck," which finally showed a ratings uptick this past week but is still performing marginally despite a strong fan base. The dramedy's chances also have been hurt by the promising start of NBC's police drama "Southland," as the network will have only few hourlong slots in the fall when Jay Leno takes over the 10 p.m. hour every night.

Another NBC Monday series, the modestly rated but reliable procedural "Medium," is said to have slightly better odds to return than "Chuck," while the quirky cop drama "Life" is expected to join "Kath & Kim" on cancellation row.

Meanwhile, the original "Law & Order" series is expected to return for a record-tying 20th season, matching the run of "Gunsmoke," though its order will probably not for a full 22-episode season.

Neither of ABC's midseason entries have broken through, but while "Cupid" has been pretty much written off, the comedy "Better Off Ted" and the dramas "The Unusuals" and "Castle" are still in consideration as ABC brass is said to be happy with the them creatively.

"Unusuals" has a major test this week: To boost its chances, the network has scheduled a second original episode of the show after the "Dancing With the Stars" results show in addition to its already prominent regular airing after "Lost."

Over at the CW, "Reaper" is gone, while the prospects for "Privileged" have improved, and the show is now considered for a possible midseason order.

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NMR: Uncle Buck

I love John Candy movies and I used to watch them all when I was kid, however my parents would never let us watch this one. I always wondered what could be so bad about this seemingly innocent family comedy. Well I found out quickly when I saw the opening 10 minutes basically composed of a profanity-laced rant by children. How was this movie PG? A people complain about the ratings board now! Anyways, I wasn't only protected from adult material, but I was also protected from a lousy movie. I just did not enjoy this at all. It tries to present the usual John Hughes schmaltz with an undertone of dark humor that doesn't work at all. Most of the characters were loathesome and I was just waiting for it to end. John Candy tries his best and his presence is the only salvageable thing in this otherwise lousy movie. Once again I thank my parents for showing keen judgment by preventing me from seeing this for so long. Rating: **

RIP keyboards?

Apparently this video is more than a year old, but it was new to me. It's a guy describing Dasher, a one finger user interface that allows text entry without a keyboard. I don't think I could see myself using this, especially not for my dissertation, but it's interesting nonetheless. Check it out...

Mr. Sand(ler)man

I took a brief respite from the heavy Oscar films and caught Adam Sandler's most recent film, Bedtime Stories through Netflix. Despite the fact that it had the taint of "Disney family film", I was still interested in seeing this as I tend to still enjoy Sandler's films.

I don't know if I just caught this one at the right time or what, but I ended up really enjoying this one. Yes, the humor isn't as crass as it is in most of his previous films, but I found myself still laughing quite a bit throughout the film. A handful of Sandler's regular sidekicks (i.e. Rob Schneider) appear here, but the film is really helped by some of the additional cast, namely Aisha Tyler and Russell Brand, who plays Sandler's friend.

If you didn't see the commercials, the film's premise is that Skeeter Bronson (Sandler) is asked to babysit his niece and nephew. Every night he tells them a bedtime story and the following day the events of the story end up coming true. The film does a nice job of coming up with a variety of cliched bedtime stories (cowboys and indians, fairy tale, outer space tale, etc.) and weaving in elements that will work with the events in Skeeter's life.

As we see the bedtime stories unfold, everyone in the cast gets a chance to have fun playing characters in the story. This gives the film an added level of energy that prevents the film from ever becoming boring even if the plot is pretty familiar. Unlike Night at the Museum, this film has a liveliness to it that makes it more appealing to a wider audience. I never found myself embarassed that I was watching a "kids film" because it never felt like I was.

Yes, Bedtime Stories employs some tired plot devices and has a deus ex machina conclusion, but I didn't mind it here. Those are the things you tend to absolutely loathe when the film is bad, but also tend to ignore when you're having a fun time. In this case, I was able to look past those flaws.

I should mention once more how refreshing Russell Brand was in this film. He steals the show with his usual bag of wackiness that fits right into this movie. I also enjoyed Keri Russell, who plays the potential love interest. She doesn't do a lot of films, but I'd like to see her do more, especially in these 'girl next door' type of roles. I'd be neglectful if I forgot to also mention Guy Pearce. Here's another actor who isn't in a lot of films (outside of one my favorite all time films, Memento) but works nicely as Sandler's foil here.

I wouldn't say that you need to rent this immediately, but if you stumble across it, you may want to give it a look. It's a fun film that's likely to be enjoyed by people of all ages. I certainly hope that this doesn't mark Sandler's permanent move into family films, but on this occassion he showed he can do nice just as well as naughty. Grade: B+

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Yet another reason to hate Texas

Wow, could this opening series have gone any worse for the Indians? Getting swept by the average Rangers? Unacceptable. Our starting pitching just looked dreadful and our offense was pretty anemic until it didn't matter. It seems insane to think everything is over already, but I really need to see a drastic change in this weekend series against Toronto if I am going to believe we have any chance of being contenders this season. As if I didn't have enough reasons to want Eric Wedge fired, this start just fueled that fire even more. I just pray we turn things around because I do not want to have to go through this summer having nothing to enjoy. Go Tribe!

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Lacking faith

The Oscar parade continues this week as I just got Doubt through Netflix.

Doubt boasts an impressive cast of Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, all of whom were nominated for their work here along with Viola Davis. It's important to note though that even with these four acting nominations, the film did not receive a nomination for Best Picture. After seeing the film it became abundantly clear why that was the case.

The film, set in the 1960s takes place at a Catholic church where the pastor (Hoffman) is suspected by Sister Aloysius (Streep) of innapropriate acts with the only African-American boy attending the church's school. Already leery of the priest's modern attitude, the nun begins a witchhunt in order to take him down. As a result we get some really good, intense scenes between the actors as they debate the story's key points and try to make the other crumble.

If you didn't already know, as you watch the film, you'll quickly pick up on the fact that this story was originally designed for the stage. The film is very dialogue-heavy, which is fine given the story. However, the few artistic touches that the director adds seem heavy-handed and unnecessary. They detract from the film rather than add anything, which makes me question why they bothered turning this into a film in the first place. There's nothing here that film medium adds to this story.

Perhaps though this was the only way to get top notch actors involved with the story. And if that was the case, well then I'm thankful because they are all great here. Streep is perfect as the prim and strict Mother Superior. As for Hoffman, here's a guy who I couldn't stand for a long time, but have recently begun to appreciate his talent and he shines again here. He plays this role in such a way that makes it so easy for you to understand why someone would be suspicious of him, despite the lack of evidence proving anything. And while I think Amy Adams can be too precocious for her own good at times, that works in her favor with the naive nun she plays here. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Viola Davis too, who may turn in the best performance of everyone, even though she's really only in one extended scene. Playing the victimized boy's mother, she runs through a gamut of realistic emotions while discussing the situation with Sister Aloysius.

While I may not have been alive during the 60s, so much of this film felt realistic to me. Having grown up Catholic and attended a Catholic grade school, I saw a lot of similiarities that rang true to me. It probably helped that nothing was new in my school and the building looked like you were still living in the 60s. I'm getting away from the point though. I just wanted to commend the film for giving such an authentic feel to the church and school scenes.

I was really into this movie until the very conclusion. The final scene (not unlike this year's Wrestlemania) completely negates all of the goodwill that the film had built up. Regardless of who you side with in the film, you won't feel satisfied by the conclusion. It's ambiguous and completely undercuts several of the film's main characters. The final line of the film sounds so hacky, like it came from the screenwriter of a bad off-Broadway show. It's meant to be profound and powerful and instead it's cringeworthy.

I hate not recommending the film, because the performances here deserve to be seen. I'll just say don't have anything loose lying around as you watch this because you'll likely want to throw something at the TV as the film concludes. Go ahead and see this movie because it can produce a lot of good discussion, even if it is just to debate how bad the finish is. Though not a perfect film, it's a good one to enjoy watching great performers do what they do best. Grade: B

Office Space part deux?

Check out the trailer for Mike Judge's latest workplace comedy, Extract that stars a lot of familiar, funny faces...

Good news, bad news

First, the good...reports came out today that two new Michael Crichton books are set to be released this year, even though the author passed away last year.

From comingsoon.net:

HarperCollins is readying for publication two new novels written by the late author, who was behind the hit Jurassic Park films and "ER."

The action adventure "Pirate Latitudes," set in Jamaica in 1665, hits store shelves Nov. 24, while a yet-to-be-titled technological thriller will bow late next year.

"Pirate Latitudes" was written before Crichton's death last year and discovered in his files by an assistant, while the untitled book will be completed based on the writer's notes.

"Latitudes" revolves around plans by a notorious pirate named Hunter and the governor of Jamaica and to raid a Spanish galleon filled with treasure.

As for the bad news...a story was published today indicating that Reaper may not make it past this season.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

The CW's devilish TV show, Reaper, is starting to show signs of atrophy. News leaked out today that the show's producers have inked a deal with another studio, so is Reaper headed for the pit?

According to the trades, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butter are in a two-year deal with 20th Century Fox TV. So is it back to the salt mines for the good looking and sometimes funny cast? Most likely.

If Fazekas and Butter take this deal, they would have to leave Reaper for Fox, and seeing as no one else is stepping up to the plate, we're betting against Reaper. Under the seven-figure pact, the duo will join a Fox TV series and develop projects for the studio.

NMR: Crimetime live

A pair of crime movies to review today based on my recent Netflix viewing...

Entrapment: This was a fun, albeit forgettable heist thriller starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery. It's nice see Connery still trying here (I still believe that was a robot that looked like Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and he has a lot of fun as the aging thief. The film has a lot of twists and turns, but a lot of it already feels dated; particularly the Y2K subplot. I didn't quite get the film's end due to some scratches on the disc preventing me from seeing everything, but I got the gist of it. A fun diversion, but nothing more. Rating: ***

Once Upon a Crime: A 1992 mystery comedy starring John Candy and directed by Eugene Levy. Given those two names, I thought this would be fun, but I was wrong. Like the far superior Clue, this is about several characters being possible suspects in a murder. Unlike Clue, all of the characters here are shrill and unlikeable. You end up wishing they all were the killer so they could all be locked up for good. Candy does his best to milk some laughs out of this dud, but it's not enough. Rating: **

Easy money

So the 2008 Best Picture winner decided to skip the budget theater and go straight to DVD. Luckily for me, I was able to snag a copy quickly through Netflix and can still do a normal review for it.

Slumdog Millionaire is certainly one of the most unlikeliest films to win top honors at the Oscars, but that certainly doesn't make it a bad film. I'm hard pressed to say it was worthy of the award since I haven't seen any of the other nominees yet. However, I can see how a lot of people got caught up in this movie. It has a theme the resonates in our economically troubling times. It's also an uplifting film that is presented in a unique style.

If you've lived under a rock for the past few months, I'll tell you that the film is about a young Indian boy who grew up in the slums of Mumbai. Through a series of events in his life, he winds up on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire with a chance to win the big prize. Before he can answer the final question, he's accused of cheating and we learn how he came to be on the show via flashbacks and he's interrogated.

Let me get out of the way my biggest complaint about the film, which may sound like an odd nitpick. For some reason, director Danny Boyle chose to display the film's subtitles in a rather small font and have it randomly displayed on the screen instead of fixed at the bottom. With my glasses, I have fine eye sight, but I struggled trying to read everything. I was able to get the jist of most of the story, but it would have made things a lot better had I been able to follow along with the dialogue. While this may seem like a small thing, it made it difficult for me to get lost in the story, which is not a good thing.

Though I didn't care for the font, almost everything else from a visual standpoint works. The film provides you with a very close look at the slum lifestyle that so many people in that country must endure in real life. Boyle also has a lot of cinematic flare that prevents the film from ever getting dull. In many ways, it's shot in a way unlike most films, which gives it that something special that you would want in a best picture nominee.

As for the acting, the cast is made up of mostly children so it's hard to really evaluate. None of the performances were bad, nor were any of them amazing (as proven by the fact that the film didn't receive any acting nominations). What I can say is that the actors did enough to have you maintain your interest in the story.

And while the story is engaging, I still felt somewhat detached from it all. That may have to do with the film's central theme of destiny. I hate to use the word crutch, but in a sense destiny is used that way here. It's a plot device that I'm not fond of because there's no appealing end result. You either try to prove that destiny does not exist, which is depressing. Or if you stick with destiny well then the outcome is obvious because you've had your characters say what will happen throughout the film because "it's our destiny!". I suppose depicting that destiny exists is the lesser of two evils, which is what this film opts for. It may not be the most surprising of conclusions, but it should make you feel good nonetheless.

I personally would have liked more scenes to have taken place while Jamal (Dev Patel) was on Millionaire. The game show has worked in real life because of the tremendous drama that is built into it. The film wisely tapped into that by making it a part of the story, but I thought it could have been used more to provide some added drama. The best scene of the film for me is when he uses his phone a friend. I won't go into details on it, but it perfectly captures the drama of the show while also paying off so many of the plot points that had been developed over the course of the movie.

I'm not sure how this movie will be remembered down the line. It's a wonderfully appealing movie, but I think a lot of the connections people have with it are rooted in our present time. I don't know if it has that universal quality to it that will have people looking at it fondly 10 or 20 years from now. I definitely recommend the film though as it's well done and enjoyable to watch. And for most, it's a film unlike many you've probably seen, so it works as a nice change of pace. Too many of the Best Picture winners are either too dark or too cerebral to be appreciated by a wide audience, so it's nice to see a film win that is so accessible and easy to appreciate. Grade: B+

Back to reality

Hope everyone enjoyed my April Fools' Day reviews and anti-On Notice board. Everything's back to normal today. To get things back on track, here's a couple new trailers for two summer releases.

NMR: Best movies ever!!!!

Got a couple of great movies I recently saw...

Sex and the City: Wow, usually movies based on TV shows aren't very good but this one was just fab-u-lous!! All of the witty banter and stylish outfits from the show are here and then some. I was in tears during the breakup scene, but I knew it couldn't last. I cannot wait for the sequel!! Rating: *****

Twilight: Talk about perfect casting. All of the actors are perfect in their roles. I really felt the tension when the girl had to choose whether or not to date a vampire. The themes of the film really spoke to me. Watching the movie just makes me want to read the books over and over again. Rating: *****

Two weeks deleted scenes

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