Good Lord that was a long last post. It wasn't even that much-- looks like I'll have to get used to blog formatting.
Well, I'm off the hook and can give nice, short "reviews" this time around.
Dave Chappelle's Block Party. Maybe it's because I didn't care about the block party part, but I thought this movie was pretty pointless. Sure Chappelle had his moments, but I've seen his stand-up and his work on TV. Nothing new here. I didn't even watch the last half-hour; I just let it play while I was web surfing.
The Aristocrats was one I was looking forward to. I really like the creative process, seeing how artists of all types think. But I didn't get much out of this.
The idea behind the movie was to give non-comics an idea what comics do in their spare time, when they're with other comics. One thing they do is tell a joke called "The Aristocrats". It starts with someone (either a member of the act or a manager) entering an agent's office and describing the act, and then when the vile act has been described, the agent asked what the act is called, and the punchline is: "The Aristocrats!"
The beginning and the end are the same (mostly), no matter who tells it, so comics look to outdo each by going into the most grotesque details of the act. Bodily fluids, depraved sexual acts, anything goes. The more outrageous the better.
Now, I'm no prude. I can actually stomach a lot more than the average person, but it wasn't the vileness of the details that rubbed me the wrong way, it was the fact that film was wasted on a joke that each comic said was bad from the outset. The punchline isn't even funny; most of the times the telling of the joke isn't funny. So why should I hear the joke dozens of times? I don't know... But I watched to see what the point was. There just wasn't one.
Movie upside: I also watched Layer Cake. Not groundbreaking, but certainly one of the better things I watched all weekend. I can't see Daniel Craig as James Bond, but I'm no playa hater. I, actually, haven't seen a Bond movie in the theatres before, so what do I know anyway?
Saturday, August 05, 2006
What a disappointing weekend Pt 1: TV
So, I have a whole weekend to myself. I love my wife & kids, but I'm a major introvert. I need quiet, alone time to recharge, and my sainted wife was kind enough to let me have it.
So what did I do: try to catch up on my TV/DVD watching.
First disappointment: I've been taping Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis for two years now. I tried SG-1 a few years back, and it just wasn't for me. But two years ago, they added the fantastic Ben Browder to the cast. Dude ruled in Farscape, so I was happy to finally see him back to work in a major role. Only, the show was still pretty basic. I know it's got a big fanbase-- and is also the longest running science fiction show EVER-- but I just wasn't enthralled. It happens: but I've got about 20 shows on tape I haven't gotten to yet, so I can't spend it on either Stargate series.
I just wish I wouldn't have recorded the show for TWO FREAKIN' YEARS before I started watching it. My bad.
The second disappointment: ECW on Sci-Fi. Okay, I was P.O.ed that rasslin' was on the Sci-Fi Channel in the first place, but the channel has been rapidly getting rid of the Sci-Fi for years now.
Now that I don't think wrestling is a waste of time. I was into it pretty well until two-three years ago. I stopped watching completely a year ago. But I decided to give ECW a try since it was only an hour long-- and The Olympic Champion, Kurt Angle, had defected to ECW (which is still owned by the WWE-- don't ask). Plus, it was EC-F'in-W; who knows what'll happen?
But the things I stopped liking about the WWE were there on this show, too. Constant promos of the PPVs and other shows, recaps of earlier events of the night. The show is ONE HOUR LONG! How many people would have forgotten that RVD got jumped by Edge in the span of a half-hour? They trot out their super-hardcore 5-time champ Sandman every episode to wail on a guy no one's ever heard of (who is also the "comedy relief"-- just not funny). The jobber (a guy destined to lose) comes out, Sandman appears in the crowd, slams a beer, comes to the ring, whacks the jobber with a stick for 30 seconds, pulls another beer out of his pocket, slams it, and then leaves-- to the raucous cheers of the sheep in the audience.
And while I'm a raging heterosexual, I just don't get off on seeing the valets/divas/ECW's vixens stripping on TV. Maybe it's because I know I'll never see "anything" since it's basic cable, or maybe it's just because the WWE has forced titillation on fans since Sable. You've only got an hour, why not have another match?
And my favorite wrestler of all time: Kurt Angle? He doesn't get any promos, and certainly not any of the comedy bits he excelled at just a few years ago.
Ah well, one less show to record every week...
Disappointment number 3: Bravo's Outrageous and Contagious Viral Videos. How cool is that? I don't have the time to scour the web for them myself, so it's cool to have them in a handy TV format. Only, it's not that cool. The narration sucked, hardly any web addresses were mentioned (just in case you may want to see it again), and many videos were cut. I watched four episodes/ two hours. Blah.
Upside to the weekend: I started watching Deadwood Season Two. Now that's good TV. It's not for everyone due to the crazy amounts of vulgar language and the no-holds-barred violence, but it has restored my faith in television.
The other big show of the year I fell in love with, Prison Break has its first season DVD set drop on Tuesday. Check it out. Preposterous at times, but a heck of a ride...
So what did I do: try to catch up on my TV/DVD watching.
First disappointment: I've been taping Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis for two years now. I tried SG-1 a few years back, and it just wasn't for me. But two years ago, they added the fantastic Ben Browder to the cast. Dude ruled in Farscape, so I was happy to finally see him back to work in a major role. Only, the show was still pretty basic. I know it's got a big fanbase-- and is also the longest running science fiction show EVER-- but I just wasn't enthralled. It happens: but I've got about 20 shows on tape I haven't gotten to yet, so I can't spend it on either Stargate series.
I just wish I wouldn't have recorded the show for TWO FREAKIN' YEARS before I started watching it. My bad.
The second disappointment: ECW on Sci-Fi. Okay, I was P.O.ed that rasslin' was on the Sci-Fi Channel in the first place, but the channel has been rapidly getting rid of the Sci-Fi for years now.
Now that I don't think wrestling is a waste of time. I was into it pretty well until two-three years ago. I stopped watching completely a year ago. But I decided to give ECW a try since it was only an hour long-- and The Olympic Champion, Kurt Angle, had defected to ECW (which is still owned by the WWE-- don't ask). Plus, it was EC-F'in-W; who knows what'll happen?
But the things I stopped liking about the WWE were there on this show, too. Constant promos of the PPVs and other shows, recaps of earlier events of the night. The show is ONE HOUR LONG! How many people would have forgotten that RVD got jumped by Edge in the span of a half-hour? They trot out their super-hardcore 5-time champ Sandman every episode to wail on a guy no one's ever heard of (who is also the "comedy relief"-- just not funny). The jobber (a guy destined to lose) comes out, Sandman appears in the crowd, slams a beer, comes to the ring, whacks the jobber with a stick for 30 seconds, pulls another beer out of his pocket, slams it, and then leaves-- to the raucous cheers of the sheep in the audience.
And while I'm a raging heterosexual, I just don't get off on seeing the valets/divas/ECW's vixens stripping on TV. Maybe it's because I know I'll never see "anything" since it's basic cable, or maybe it's just because the WWE has forced titillation on fans since Sable. You've only got an hour, why not have another match?
And my favorite wrestler of all time: Kurt Angle? He doesn't get any promos, and certainly not any of the comedy bits he excelled at just a few years ago.
Ah well, one less show to record every week...
Disappointment number 3: Bravo's Outrageous and Contagious Viral Videos. How cool is that? I don't have the time to scour the web for them myself, so it's cool to have them in a handy TV format. Only, it's not that cool. The narration sucked, hardly any web addresses were mentioned (just in case you may want to see it again), and many videos were cut. I watched four episodes/ two hours. Blah.
Upside to the weekend: I started watching Deadwood Season Two. Now that's good TV. It's not for everyone due to the crazy amounts of vulgar language and the no-holds-barred violence, but it has restored my faith in television.
The other big show of the year I fell in love with, Prison Break has its first season DVD set drop on Tuesday. Check it out. Preposterous at times, but a heck of a ride...
Ads? ADS?
I know what you're thinking: "WTF? He's got a freakin' ad in his blog. Sell out!"
What can I say? Please , please, please click on it once in a while. I have no clue how many fractions of a penny each click is worth, but I will promise you this: if, in a few years, I raise enough money to warrant a check from adsense, I will use it for this blog. Whether it be for content or for upgrades, I promise to reinvest it into this blog.
See, I'm not a total sell-out...
What can I say? Please , please, please click on it once in a while. I have no clue how many fractions of a penny each click is worth, but I will promise you this: if, in a few years, I raise enough money to warrant a check from adsense, I will use it for this blog. Whether it be for content or for upgrades, I promise to reinvest it into this blog.
See, I'm not a total sell-out...
Welcome to my blog.
My intentions for this site are to compile all the entertainment news I find interesting and post them all in one place. I may add my thoughts on the subject, and I hope you'll add yours. I also will review the various things I watch/read-- probably in a very short manner.
I'm a VERY active television watcher. It's sick when I think about it, but that's what I enjoy. I've counted all the different shows I've watched since May 2005, and came up with more than 150. So I've got some knowledge on the subject.
I've also found myself reading a ton of books lately as well (libraries are a good thing). I probably knock out a book every ten days or so.
I used to be an avid comic book reader, and I still read a number of titles a month. Since I've gotten married and had kids, I've found it harder to afford them (not that I ever could afford all I wanted).
And, lastly, I'll probably also comment on movies from time to time. That's been the biggest fun thing I've dropped. Not enough time, and not enough money.
Hopefully, with my varied interests, you'll find something worth checking my blog regularly for.
teameck
My intentions for this site are to compile all the entertainment news I find interesting and post them all in one place. I may add my thoughts on the subject, and I hope you'll add yours. I also will review the various things I watch/read-- probably in a very short manner.
I'm a VERY active television watcher. It's sick when I think about it, but that's what I enjoy. I've counted all the different shows I've watched since May 2005, and came up with more than 150. So I've got some knowledge on the subject.
I've also found myself reading a ton of books lately as well (libraries are a good thing). I probably knock out a book every ten days or so.
I used to be an avid comic book reader, and I still read a number of titles a month. Since I've gotten married and had kids, I've found it harder to afford them (not that I ever could afford all I wanted).
And, lastly, I'll probably also comment on movies from time to time. That's been the biggest fun thing I've dropped. Not enough time, and not enough money.
Hopefully, with my varied interests, you'll find something worth checking my blog regularly for.
teameck
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)