Hey All. The second semester of my graduate program started last week. So, like last semester, my posts on here will be few and far between.
I will post when I find time and actually have something decent to post. So, if I get a half-dozen in during my entire semester I will be lucky.
Hope to be back strong in the summer.
Adios for now.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
John From Cincinnati
Piggybacking off the wide acclaim of Deadwood the people at HBO allowed David Milch to do another show.
This one was not quite as good in my opinion, but there were certainly a lot of underlying themes happening in this show.
John From Cincinnati is about the Yost family, a family of surfers who were once pretty popular. Mitch Yost (Bruce Greenwood) is the father of the family, and a knee injury knocked him out of surfing for the most part. Butchie Yost (Brian Van Holt) is Mitch's son and an unbelievably popular surfer who flamed out and became hooked on drugs. Shaun Yost (Greyson Fletcher) is Butchie's son who was actually raised by Mitch and Cissy Yost (Rebecca De Mornay) because his father was a drug user and his mother, Tina (Chandra West), was an adult porn star.
As we meet the family they are already torn apart. Cissy is completely strung out and Mitch is trying his hardest to find something of meaning. Then we meet John Monad (Austin Nichols).
The people who meet John believe him to be slow as he is only able to take what he hears and use that in his everyday language. He seems to have no real ability to think or speak on his own. Butchie sort of takes John under his wing.
Linc Stark (Luke Perry) meanwhile is trying to sign Shaun to Stinkweed Surfing, the same guy who signed Butchie years earlier and allowed him to flame out and become addicted to drugs.
There is really far too many things going on in this show to list here. Which is pretty amazing since it only lasted one season and just 10 episodes.
I enjoyed the show, it was confusing yet also made you think to be able to follow everything that was happening. I enjoy shows like that, but I am not sure I even got everything out of the show that it was trying to portray.
This show came on the air just a few years after Deadwood completed. And just like Deadwood it had an abundance of characters. Many of which actually followed Milch over from Deadwood.
Because it was only one season and just 10 episodes I can't give this that good of a grade, but I feel there was way more to come out of everything that was happening that Milch just wasn't able to tell during those 10 episodes. The final episode, however, was sort of like an ending - I am not sure if it was meant to be a season or series finale though.
This one was not quite as good in my opinion, but there were certainly a lot of underlying themes happening in this show.
John From Cincinnati is about the Yost family, a family of surfers who were once pretty popular. Mitch Yost (Bruce Greenwood) is the father of the family, and a knee injury knocked him out of surfing for the most part. Butchie Yost (Brian Van Holt) is Mitch's son and an unbelievably popular surfer who flamed out and became hooked on drugs. Shaun Yost (Greyson Fletcher) is Butchie's son who was actually raised by Mitch and Cissy Yost (Rebecca De Mornay) because his father was a drug user and his mother, Tina (Chandra West), was an adult porn star.As we meet the family they are already torn apart. Cissy is completely strung out and Mitch is trying his hardest to find something of meaning. Then we meet John Monad (Austin Nichols).
The people who meet John believe him to be slow as he is only able to take what he hears and use that in his everyday language. He seems to have no real ability to think or speak on his own. Butchie sort of takes John under his wing.
Linc Stark (Luke Perry) meanwhile is trying to sign Shaun to Stinkweed Surfing, the same guy who signed Butchie years earlier and allowed him to flame out and become addicted to drugs.
There is really far too many things going on in this show to list here. Which is pretty amazing since it only lasted one season and just 10 episodes.
I enjoyed the show, it was confusing yet also made you think to be able to follow everything that was happening. I enjoy shows like that, but I am not sure I even got everything out of the show that it was trying to portray.
This show came on the air just a few years after Deadwood completed. And just like Deadwood it had an abundance of characters. Many of which actually followed Milch over from Deadwood.
Because it was only one season and just 10 episodes I can't give this that good of a grade, but I feel there was way more to come out of everything that was happening that Milch just wasn't able to tell during those 10 episodes. The final episode, however, was sort of like an ending - I am not sure if it was meant to be a season or series finale though.
Grade:
Monday, January 18, 2010
Deadwood
During the summer I took a literature course at college that was basically using television shows as a form of literature.
The teacher was great and constantly said, "What makes good television?" The course was amazing and I came away with a number of new shows that I had never seen, but was now interested in viewing.
The first of those shows that I watched were all five seasons of The Wire and I curse myself for never watching it. However, I was very happy to be able to watch all five seasons consecutively without having to wait.
The show focuses on the new town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the late 1800's and for the most part tries to be pretty close to true events. The shows characters are based on real life characters from that time frame, including well known characters that pop up like Wild Bill Hickock and Wyatt Earp.
The main characters of the show are Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), Sol Star (John Hawkes), Charlie Utter (Dayton Callie) and Alma Garret (Molly Parker). The show, however, is very eclectic with its characters as they stretch out almost as much as The Simpsons.
This show only stretches three seasons of 36 shows. It is very unfortunate that the show was canceled after the third season. Deadwood was amazing right from the start, however, the third season really was a gem and was building to something special - but it ended without a real conclusion. I feel season four would have been epic.
It is kind of fun to watch a town build out of nothing with no real rules, but some of the men around camp take it upon themselves to police the town - as long as it is in their own best interest.
There were rumors of a pair of Deadwood movies coming out, but that report has been squashed and it now appears that the show is finished as it is. It saddens me now that I have seen all of the episodes because like I said, the final season was building to an all-out battle between the Deadwood camp and George Hearst.
The teacher was great and constantly said, "What makes good television?" The course was amazing and I came away with a number of new shows that I had never seen, but was now interested in viewing.
The first of those shows that I watched were all five seasons of The Wire and I curse myself for never watching it. However, I was very happy to be able to watch all five seasons consecutively without having to wait.
Well, I tossed in the second series that I found interesting during the course and that was Deadwood. I have never been a huge western fan, but I have to say I was immediately drawn to the characters in this show. And there were plenty.
The show focuses on the new town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the late 1800's and for the most part tries to be pretty close to true events. The shows characters are based on real life characters from that time frame, including well known characters that pop up like Wild Bill Hickock and Wyatt Earp.
The main characters of the show are Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), Sol Star (John Hawkes), Charlie Utter (Dayton Callie) and Alma Garret (Molly Parker). The show, however, is very eclectic with its characters as they stretch out almost as much as The Simpsons.
This show only stretches three seasons of 36 shows. It is very unfortunate that the show was canceled after the third season. Deadwood was amazing right from the start, however, the third season really was a gem and was building to something special - but it ended without a real conclusion. I feel season four would have been epic.
It is kind of fun to watch a town build out of nothing with no real rules, but some of the men around camp take it upon themselves to police the town - as long as it is in their own best interest.
There were rumors of a pair of Deadwood movies coming out, but that report has been squashed and it now appears that the show is finished as it is. It saddens me now that I have seen all of the episodes because like I said, the final season was building to an all-out battle between the Deadwood camp and George Hearst.
Grade:
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Quick Rant: Steroids
Well, it has happened again. Another high-profile athlete has admitted to using steroids. And, yet again, it is the story of the week.
There is only one problem: I DON'T CARE!!!
Mark McGwire, former Oakland Athletic and St. Louis Cardinal, admitted using steroids during his playing career. The only real reason McGwire finally came clean is because he is coming back to baseball as St. Louis' hitting coach this season. Instead of this being an ongoing distraction, McGwire came clean and hopes the story would go away.
So do I.
It appears that every month now another athlete (mostly baseball players) are coming clean or getting caught using steroids. The glamor of these stories, however, has just plain wore off.
When the first stories came out, sure I was interested, it had never happened before and the athletes that we have been watching were proven to be cheaters.
Now, there is just no real story. It doesn't surprise me anymore. I just don't care. I watch sports to be entertained, just like I watch movies and television. Actors and actresses continually have plastic surgery or modify their looks so they can be in the game longer or get certain parts. Are steroids any different?
I don't plan on having any plastic surgery soon, nor do I plan on shooting up steroids in my bathroom tonight. But, some people choose to live that way - more power to them.
As far as sports, I watch because I enjoy the game. Most of these athletes, if not all, are professional athletes anyway, without the drugs. There are just some that look for a little more edge. They look to get back into the game from an injury, or perhaps prolong a career.
The problem is the media. Any time anyone of any importance is even mentioned in the same breath as steroids it is the news for a month. I can't take it anymore. This is not news to me, I want to hear about next weekends playoffs. I want to hear about the basketball games from last night and if Kobe Bryant's injury is significant - I don't care about a baseball player who used steroids but hasn't been in baseball for over seven years. It is not a story.
I will never get my wish. Especially because 103 players tested positive for steroids back in 2003 and ever so slowly, like nails to a chalk board, the names will get released and we will back here talking about it for another month.
There is only one problem: I DON'T CARE!!!
Mark McGwire, former Oakland Athletic and St. Louis Cardinal, admitted using steroids during his playing career. The only real reason McGwire finally came clean is because he is coming back to baseball as St. Louis' hitting coach this season. Instead of this being an ongoing distraction, McGwire came clean and hopes the story would go away.
So do I.
It appears that every month now another athlete (mostly baseball players) are coming clean or getting caught using steroids. The glamor of these stories, however, has just plain wore off.When the first stories came out, sure I was interested, it had never happened before and the athletes that we have been watching were proven to be cheaters.
Now, there is just no real story. It doesn't surprise me anymore. I just don't care. I watch sports to be entertained, just like I watch movies and television. Actors and actresses continually have plastic surgery or modify their looks so they can be in the game longer or get certain parts. Are steroids any different?
I don't plan on having any plastic surgery soon, nor do I plan on shooting up steroids in my bathroom tonight. But, some people choose to live that way - more power to them.
As far as sports, I watch because I enjoy the game. Most of these athletes, if not all, are professional athletes anyway, without the drugs. There are just some that look for a little more edge. They look to get back into the game from an injury, or perhaps prolong a career.
The problem is the media. Any time anyone of any importance is even mentioned in the same breath as steroids it is the news for a month. I can't take it anymore. This is not news to me, I want to hear about next weekends playoffs. I want to hear about the basketball games from last night and if Kobe Bryant's injury is significant - I don't care about a baseball player who used steroids but hasn't been in baseball for over seven years. It is not a story.
I will never get my wish. Especially because 103 players tested positive for steroids back in 2003 and ever so slowly, like nails to a chalk board, the names will get released and we will back here talking about it for another month.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Bolt
I should be ashamed of myself, but I was completely unaware that Bolt was a Disney film. What was I thinking? The movie stars Miley Cyrus, of course it has to be a Disney film. Don't they own her?
Anyway, over the weekend we finally decided to watch this film. My son had seen it about a dozen or more times now, so he already knew everything that was going to happen. It was almost easier to watch that way, without the millions of questions he is accustomed to asking during movies - especially those I have never seen before.
So, Bolt stars Miley Cyrus as Penny a young girl who happens to make it big on a television series. Her co-star happens to be a dog named Bolt (John Travolta).
The Director (James Lipton) has managed to do every single shot of this television series in one take. As far as Bolt knows, he truly does have super powers and Penny continuously is getting in trouble and is now kidnapped by Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell).
At the conclusion of each day, Bolt is taken to a trailer with Penny and fed until it is time to shoot again the next day. On one day, however, the Director leaves the audience with a cliffhanger, as Penny is kidnapped. Bolt is taken to his trailer, but busts out in order to save Penny.
He accidentally gets shipped across the country to New York where he kidnaps/befriends Mittens the cat (Susie Essman), who begrudgingly volunteers to help Bolt get across the country and meet up with Penny. Along the way, Bolt still believes he holds his television powers. They meet up with a hamster named Rhino (Mark Walton) and the trio set out to finish their trip across country and rescue Penny.
This was a pretty cute movie. I was definitely surprised by the lack of voice talent, however. In these types of films I love going in not knowing who is voicing the characters so I can try and guess who each one was. I didn't even know who half of these stars were. With the exception of Travolta, Cyrus and McDowell the cast is a bunch of no names, and the inclusion of Lipton really threw me.
Overall, another great family film that had a handful of laughs, thanks to Rhino, and some adventure as well.
Anyway, over the weekend we finally decided to watch this film. My son had seen it about a dozen or more times now, so he already knew everything that was going to happen. It was almost easier to watch that way, without the millions of questions he is accustomed to asking during movies - especially those I have never seen before.So, Bolt stars Miley Cyrus as Penny a young girl who happens to make it big on a television series. Her co-star happens to be a dog named Bolt (John Travolta).
The Director (James Lipton) has managed to do every single shot of this television series in one take. As far as Bolt knows, he truly does have super powers and Penny continuously is getting in trouble and is now kidnapped by Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell).
At the conclusion of each day, Bolt is taken to a trailer with Penny and fed until it is time to shoot again the next day. On one day, however, the Director leaves the audience with a cliffhanger, as Penny is kidnapped. Bolt is taken to his trailer, but busts out in order to save Penny.
He accidentally gets shipped across the country to New York where he kidnaps/befriends Mittens the cat (Susie Essman), who begrudgingly volunteers to help Bolt get across the country and meet up with Penny. Along the way, Bolt still believes he holds his television powers. They meet up with a hamster named Rhino (Mark Walton) and the trio set out to finish their trip across country and rescue Penny.
This was a pretty cute movie. I was definitely surprised by the lack of voice talent, however. In these types of films I love going in not knowing who is voicing the characters so I can try and guess who each one was. I didn't even know who half of these stars were. With the exception of Travolta, Cyrus and McDowell the cast is a bunch of no names, and the inclusion of Lipton really threw me.
Overall, another great family film that had a handful of laughs, thanks to Rhino, and some adventure as well.
Grade:
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