So, you think you’ve got a weird relationship with your parents? Well, how about if you woke up on your 21st birthday to find out Mom and Dad sold your soul to the Devil before you were even born? Your Mom’s nagging suddenly doesn’t seem so bad, does it?
That’s the premise of Reaper, a freshman dramedy from the CW network. Early hype about the show stemmed from the Pilot episode, which was directed by Kevin Smith (of Clerks fame), who helped tweak the original script and is listed as a show consultant. His humor works well with the levity of the storylines and dialogue, and some of the characters could easily have been in his mockingly reverent religious piece Dogma. But the writers needed little direction with this increasingly fun romp spit from the bowels of Hell.
We follow Sam, the layaway soul in question, as he learns of his parents’ dark secret. Suddenly things make a little more sense, though – Ma and Pa always cut him a little too much slack, letting him skip college, get a dead-end job at the Work Bench (a kind of mash-up of Home Depot and Best Buy) and generally become a slacker layabout. It’s like they were guilty about something… Well at that 21st birthday marker, the Devil (played by the perfectly cast Ray Wise – who brings a wonderful blend of smarmy glibness and unimaginable evil to the mix) carjacks Sam to let him in on his new part-time gig. As it turns out, not all evil souls are content staying in Hell. As they escape, Sam will now get tasked to bring them back. He is equipped each time with a vessel to collect the soul – ranging from a Dirt Devil to a radio-controlled truck.
That’s a lot for one guy to handle. Enter the sidekicks: Sock (the goofball best friend and slacker mentor) and Ben (the most studious of the bunch, and a reverend’s son). These two (who conveniently work with Sam) are quickly let in on the secret, and end up as Sam’s backup and researchers. Since none of the trio really knows what they’re doing (and the Devil sure isn’t going to help), hilarity ensues. The gang is completed by Andi (a fellow Work Bench-er, and Sam’s from afar love interest), Sock’s ex-girlfriend Josie, and assorted family members, demons and annoying managers. Two of the most welcome recent additions are two gay "reformed" demons who live next to the main trio – played by two former members of the comedy troupe “The State” (Michael Ian Black and Ken Marino).
Does it all sound a bit silly? It is - but in the best of ways. Critics seem to be saying that the show has strayed from the original promise of the Pilot episode, getting a bit goofy. Well, I think that the show started with comedic overtones, and continues to improve. And the underlying mythology grows weekly – we know that there is something more to the deal for Sam’s soul that the Devil isn’t sharing, that Sam’s father is hiding something, that Sam may be dating the Devil’s daughter – and leaves you wanting more.
Current Status : 50/50. The CW liked the show enough to order a batch of post-strike episodes, which is more chance than a lot of shows got. But then again, The CW doesn’t have much in the way of scripted programming, so that could have influenced the decision. No word on a fall pickup yet.
What Can You Do? : Start watching the show! It’s pretty easy to jump onboard if you haven’t been watching – plenty of “Previously on…” recaps at the start of most episodes, with the new batch starting up on April 22. Plus, the CW offers some past shows streamed on their web site, or you can download episodes on iTunes. If these last few get a bump in viewership, things could look much more rosy for Sam and the crew – and we wouldn’t want to see rabid fans sending scythes to the network to get their point across…
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Save My Fictional World Take 1 - Friday Night Lights
“Reality” TV – I’m sick of it. I mean that ill feeling starting way down in the toes, coupled with an anger that may lead me to throttle a network exec. I mean, seriously, how many more shows do we need about “Bachelor Midget-Throwing Nanny Swappers” or the like? Well, do you know how to stop the madness? START WATCHING GOOD SCRIPTED SHOWS! Don’t say, “Hey that Scrubs shore do look funny”. To save shows from the chopping block, people actually need to watch them. Then tell a friend. And tell that friend to choke a network exec for me – trust me, it’ll all work out in a circle of life kind of way.
What we need for scripted shows to survive is ratings, word of mouth and sometimes a good old-fashioned rally cry. There are a bunch of shows “on the bubble” right now – somewhere between renewal and cancellation. Don’t let more crap take their spots – in a world where an entire reality TV channel is a frightening truth, tell them from on high that you want your fake back! I’ve got a few shows worth saving – here’s my first:
Friday Night Lights - Okay, I’ll admit that I was reluctant with this one. I don’t love sports, and the Pilot episode was fairly centered on the big Dillon Panthers football game. But once you realize how well that one hour set up the characters and plot for the entire season, you begin to see how craftily these writers tell their tale. And soon after, you’re sucked in and actually giving a crap – it’s a really quick transition, so don’t get whiplash.
The basic plot follows Eric Taylor (new coach of this Texas high school team), his wife Tami (guidance counselor – yes, at the same school) and daughter Julie (smarty-pants cutie who certainly knows batter than to date an athlete. Hee-hee – yeah, that doesn’t last long). We are treated to (or frightened by, depending on your view) an inside look at how much small town football can mean when there’s nothing else around, and the politics surrounding that existence. Buddy Garrity embodies the ideals of the town, being a former football player, a current team supporter, a sleazy car salesman and father to cheerleader Lyla (who, naturally, is dating the lead quarterback). More deals are made or broken in Dillon, Texas because of football than nearly anything else.
And of course, there’s the team itself – ranging from Jason Street (aforementioned lead QB, who is quickly sidelined) to Matt Saracen (backup QB, with an Opie-caught-in-the-headlights kind of innocence) to the over-the-top “Smash” Williams (a mix between a southern rapper, a Baptist minister and a mama’s boy) to Tim Riggins (a drunk, a slacker, most likely to sleep with your girlfriend – but utterly likeable). And there are too many supporting characters to name – girlfriends, best friends, cute neighbor kids – who seamlessly blend into this tale. The writers give a real sense of community and how it all fits together. And you’ll even learn to forgive them for the occasional “Throwing dead bodies over a bridge” or “Wow, I’m suddenly a born-again religious nut” plotlines. Really, you will.
Current Status: Better than some – NBC is working to get a cable channel to help foot the bill for the show, much like they did with Law & Order and the USA Network (both are owned by the same parent company). This would likely give the cable net first airings, with NBC running the episodes shortly after. The biggest supporter for the show may be DirecTV actually looks to be a frontrunner in helping pick it up right now. The ratings that a show like this gets on a major net may not seem huge, but for a cable/satellite show, the ratings from a built-in audience could be a coup.
What Can You Do?: Buy the DVDs or download episodes from iTunes and get caught up with a great show and jump on now. The other route is to go to savefridaynightlights.tv – who are sending mini-footballs to NBC execs to get the renewal message across. Either way, hopefully you’ll be as excited as a neighbor kid exclaiming “Tim Riggins! Tim Riggins is bangin’ my Momma!”. If you watched the show, you may have already gotten that joke – see how behind you are.
See you soon for more picks…
What we need for scripted shows to survive is ratings, word of mouth and sometimes a good old-fashioned rally cry. There are a bunch of shows “on the bubble” right now – somewhere between renewal and cancellation. Don’t let more crap take their spots – in a world where an entire reality TV channel is a frightening truth, tell them from on high that you want your fake back! I’ve got a few shows worth saving – here’s my first:
Friday Night Lights - Okay, I’ll admit that I was reluctant with this one. I don’t love sports, and the Pilot episode was fairly centered on the big Dillon Panthers football game. But once you realize how well that one hour set up the characters and plot for the entire season, you begin to see how craftily these writers tell their tale. And soon after, you’re sucked in and actually giving a crap – it’s a really quick transition, so don’t get whiplash.
The basic plot follows Eric Taylor (new coach of this Texas high school team), his wife Tami (guidance counselor – yes, at the same school) and daughter Julie (smarty-pants cutie who certainly knows batter than to date an athlete. Hee-hee – yeah, that doesn’t last long). We are treated to (or frightened by, depending on your view) an inside look at how much small town football can mean when there’s nothing else around, and the politics surrounding that existence. Buddy Garrity embodies the ideals of the town, being a former football player, a current team supporter, a sleazy car salesman and father to cheerleader Lyla (who, naturally, is dating the lead quarterback). More deals are made or broken in Dillon, Texas because of football than nearly anything else.
And of course, there’s the team itself – ranging from Jason Street (aforementioned lead QB, who is quickly sidelined) to Matt Saracen (backup QB, with an Opie-caught-in-the-headlights kind of innocence) to the over-the-top “Smash” Williams (a mix between a southern rapper, a Baptist minister and a mama’s boy) to Tim Riggins (a drunk, a slacker, most likely to sleep with your girlfriend – but utterly likeable). And there are too many supporting characters to name – girlfriends, best friends, cute neighbor kids – who seamlessly blend into this tale. The writers give a real sense of community and how it all fits together. And you’ll even learn to forgive them for the occasional “Throwing dead bodies over a bridge” or “Wow, I’m suddenly a born-again religious nut” plotlines. Really, you will.
Current Status: Better than some – NBC is working to get a cable channel to help foot the bill for the show, much like they did with Law & Order and the USA Network (both are owned by the same parent company). This would likely give the cable net first airings, with NBC running the episodes shortly after. The biggest supporter for the show may be DirecTV actually looks to be a frontrunner in helping pick it up right now. The ratings that a show like this gets on a major net may not seem huge, but for a cable/satellite show, the ratings from a built-in audience could be a coup.
What Can You Do?: Buy the DVDs or download episodes from iTunes and get caught up with a great show and jump on now. The other route is to go to savefridaynightlights.tv – who are sending mini-footballs to NBC execs to get the renewal message across. Either way, hopefully you’ll be as excited as a neighbor kid exclaiming “Tim Riggins! Tim Riggins is bangin’ my Momma!”. If you watched the show, you may have already gotten that joke – see how behind you are.
See you soon for more picks…
Monday, March 24, 2008
It Came From The MP3 Vault – Volume 1
When you’re growing up, one of the choices that you make about the life ahead seems trivial: Are you a Music person or a Sports person? Few people seem to straddle that fine line between the two and exist in both worlds – one generally knows a lot about one or the other, and maybe enough to get by in a small-talk-by-the-water-cooler fashion on the second. Since I don’t know what end of a baseball to pick up, you can guess what category I fall under.
Yes, I’ve always had a passion for music, but not a damn bit of talent for playing it. So I like to listen to as much as possible – as many bands, across the spectrum, that I can get my greedy hands on. But there’s so much that I can barely fit it on my MP3 player anymore. And I’ve got a 30gb drive, so do the math on that…
In an effort to weed out the good from the bad and clear some space, I’m trying to crank through some of these albums. I’ll share my quick takes on these albums as I go through them, so that you might share in my pleasant surprises while avoiding the crap.
Here’s the first batch:
Operator – Soulcrusher – Do you remember when Chris Cornell wasn’t eating crepes at his new home in France (I Mean, FRANCE? Really?), or playing in the crappy supergroup that turned him into a pussified version of a rock star? There was that little band called that blew the doors off the joint? Yeah?
Well, the title track off of Soulcrusher came out shortly after Audioslave broke up, and I had this brief glimmer of hope that Cornell’s inner badass had resurfaced in some new project. The vocals could easily have been vintage Soundgarden, but the DJ would tell us otherwise. Operator, hmmm? I got the album in hopes that the rest of the songs could live up to the hype. It did.
Verdict: Rockin’ out mit der Schnitzel out (Keeper).
Citizen Cope – Every Waking Moment – Okay, I was looking for the album with the radio single “Bullet and a Target” on it. This isn’t the one - I just figured they were on their freshman effort. I can’t vouch for what the other disc sounds like, but I couldn’t even make it through this one. Slow and bland, not much holding it together.
Verdict: Stinks like bad cheese.
Lyle Lovett And His Large Band – It’s Not Big It’s Large – This one was for my girlfriend originally. Never cared one way or another about the man – just knew he was an odd looking bird with tall plumage. But giving this a listen – a mixed bag of up-tempo big band sounds and some slow churners - the man does have style. I may just be a convert after all.
Verdict: Oh, it’s large (Keeper).
Papa Roach – The Paramour Sessions – Liked these guys when they first came out, but their first efforts seemed a little disjointed. Lost track of what they were doing, just assuming they were defunct. But heard “Forever” from this disc on the radio, and I was surprised at their growth. I’m sure some would say the noise level has been too toned down, and now they whine about love and loss too much. But it’s nowhere near the degradation that Staind saw between releases, not do they suffer from any kind of emo-whining. Overall, a solid rock disc.
Verdict: Devil horns up high (Keeper).
This was fun - I think you'll be seeing these more often...
Yes, I’ve always had a passion for music, but not a damn bit of talent for playing it. So I like to listen to as much as possible – as many bands, across the spectrum, that I can get my greedy hands on. But there’s so much that I can barely fit it on my MP3 player anymore. And I’ve got a 30gb drive, so do the math on that…
In an effort to weed out the good from the bad and clear some space, I’m trying to crank through some of these albums. I’ll share my quick takes on these albums as I go through them, so that you might share in my pleasant surprises while avoiding the crap.
Here’s the first batch:
Operator – Soulcrusher – Do you remember when Chris Cornell wasn’t eating crepes at his new home in France (I Mean, FRANCE? Really?), or playing in the crappy supergroup that turned him into a pussified version of a rock star? There was that little band called that blew the doors off the joint? Yeah?
Well, the title track off of Soulcrusher came out shortly after Audioslave broke up, and I had this brief glimmer of hope that Cornell’s inner badass had resurfaced in some new project. The vocals could easily have been vintage Soundgarden, but the DJ would tell us otherwise. Operator, hmmm? I got the album in hopes that the rest of the songs could live up to the hype. It did.
Verdict: Rockin’ out mit der Schnitzel out (Keeper).
Citizen Cope – Every Waking Moment – Okay, I was looking for the album with the radio single “Bullet and a Target” on it. This isn’t the one - I just figured they were on their freshman effort. I can’t vouch for what the other disc sounds like, but I couldn’t even make it through this one. Slow and bland, not much holding it together.
Verdict: Stinks like bad cheese.
Lyle Lovett And His Large Band – It’s Not Big It’s Large – This one was for my girlfriend originally. Never cared one way or another about the man – just knew he was an odd looking bird with tall plumage. But giving this a listen – a mixed bag of up-tempo big band sounds and some slow churners - the man does have style. I may just be a convert after all.
Verdict: Oh, it’s large (Keeper).
Papa Roach – The Paramour Sessions – Liked these guys when they first came out, but their first efforts seemed a little disjointed. Lost track of what they were doing, just assuming they were defunct. But heard “Forever” from this disc on the radio, and I was surprised at their growth. I’m sure some would say the noise level has been too toned down, and now they whine about love and loss too much. But it’s nowhere near the degradation that Staind saw between releases, not do they suffer from any kind of emo-whining. Overall, a solid rock disc.
Verdict: Devil horns up high (Keeper).
This was fun - I think you'll be seeing these more often...
Monday, March 17, 2008
Modest Mouse Possess Virginian Woman, Make Beautiful Music
Okay, raise your hand if you thought there was a new Modest Mouse song playing on the radio lately? Don’t be shy, raise those arms. Well, I was along for that ride, but I never knew the song title – and of course the DJs would never actually say what the song was. So in search of a title, I went to the WRSI web site looking for the playlist. And there it was – “Bag of Hammers” (as in “dumb as a…”) by Modest… no, really? Not Modest Mouse? Or for that matter, not even a male vocalist? Huh.
So who was it? A singer by the name of Thao - her last name is Nguyen, but that’s as unnecessary as a surname for Prince, thank you. Her band is The Get Down Stay Down, and all together they sound a whole lot like the aforementioned rodent band – in the best of ways. Looking them up this morning, I found that their new album, We Brave Bee Stings and All was just released. It’s Thao’s second album, but the first with this band.
Listening to a couple of quick snippets on their MySpace page, I’m hooked. Check them out now, while they might still be on the club scene – I’ve got a feeling they’re going to take off quick…
So who was it? A singer by the name of Thao - her last name is Nguyen, but that’s as unnecessary as a surname for Prince, thank you. Her band is The Get Down Stay Down, and all together they sound a whole lot like the aforementioned rodent band – in the best of ways. Looking them up this morning, I found that their new album, We Brave Bee Stings and All was just released. It’s Thao’s second album, but the first with this band.
Listening to a couple of quick snippets on their MySpace page, I’m hooked. Check them out now, while they might still be on the club scene – I’ve got a feeling they’re going to take off quick…
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Dig For Fire - A Tribute To Pixies (Review)
Pixies were the ultimate influence for a lot of today's indie rockers. Their overlapping-if-not-harmonious vocals, brilliant lyrics (touched with insanity) and groundbreaking instrumentals blew minds and speaker stacks everywhere. Pixies were the godfathers (and godmother) of alt-rock for a generation to come, with even Kurt Cobain name-dropping their music as motivation towards his masterworks.That said, paying tribute to a band like this could be one of two things: 1) An incredible honor, being able to bring these influences full circle back to the source, or 2) A nerve-wracking journey of self-doubt, hopefully ending with a rendition to be proud of. I’ve got a feeling there’s a good mix of the two on each track - which can either lead to a faithful-to-the-original cover, or an experimental vision that morphs the song into an entirely new entity. There are some hits and misses, but the CD is a respectable and entertaining effort to capture that Pixies spirit.
Oddly though, the most high profile bands in this project – They Might Be Giants, OK GO and Mogwai – produced three of the weakest tracks on the disc. None were outright stinkers, but just not up snuff with the rest of it. TMBG’s take on “Havalina” starts great – the pure fact of an accordion in use in a Pixies song could’ve clinched it, but the too-deep vocals didn’t mesh, and the song became just mediocre. OK GO cover “Gigantic”, and from their past works I expected more speed and levity. What we get is a slow and plodding version that employs too much background noise, ending in a giant cacophonous puddle. Which brings us to Mogwai with “Gouge Away”, speaking of noise. The distortion that often worked well for Pixies is the downfall for these guys – it’s overuse nearly drowns out the song playing in the background, vocals and instruments alike.
But the real treasures on the album come from the names I didn’t recognize, which was a pleasant surprise. The Rosebuds do “Break My Body” as an almost spoken-word effort, and the subdued female vocals over up-tempo guitar hit really well. On the same note, Joy Zipper’s take on “Wave of Mutilation” worked on the same level – slow and steady female vox, but this time staying a little closer to the subject material, a great combo. Some of the best efforts have a completely new structure, though, Like the Bedroom Walls doing “Stormy Weather”. Yes, the same slow build is there, gaining speed to add to the tempest of the tune – but the accidentally-on-purpose guitar (never quite hitting that chord), the (I believe) xylophone and the brooding vocals add a great touch. On almost the opposite end of the spectrum, did anyone order a dance remix? Well, the Fashion Victims provide one with their “Hey (Double Dragon Mix)” opus. The mix of techno backbeat, rock guitar and synth with lounge swagger works surprisingly well. And as strange as that all sounds, the vocalist actually seems to best capture Black Francis’ trademark laugh and growl - y'know, when he's not crooning...
All told, this CD provides common ground to showcase some amazing talent. I can’t wait to get my hands on some original material from a lot of these bands – and most of them are highly visible between MySpace and their own sites. For more info about this particular album, as well as more American Laundromat projects, go the the ALR website:
http://www.alr-music.com/
That's it for now - more coming soon...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Happy St. Paddy's Day - Earlyish!
Hi, all! I know that St. Patrick’s Day has much more significance than a simple reason for getting drunk. Let’s face it, though – that’s what most people associate it with. So this list is a reflection of that, not my personal views. (But it make things much more fun this way ;) This is a list of seventeen, in honor of the days of March for the holiday proper…
Songs About, Or Conducive To, Drinking
Songs About, Or Conducive To, Drinking
- I Gotta Get Drunk – The Little Willies
- Gin and Juice – Snoop Dogg
- Have A Drink On Me – AC/DC
- Night On The Tiles – Big Bad Bollocks
- 40 OZ. To Freedom – Sublime
- Alcohol and Pills – Fred Eaglesmith
- Whiskey In A Jar – Thin Lizzy
- Beer – Murphy’s Law
- More Beer – Fear
- Too Drunk To Fuck – Dead Kennedys
- Three Point Two – Hot Buttered Rum String Band
- Drunk Again – Reel Big Fish
- Nightrain – Guns’n’Roses
- Portland, Oregon – Loretta Lynn w/Jack White
- Corn Liquor – Southern Culture On The Skids
- Plastic Cup Politics – Less Than Jake
- Blind In Texas – W.A.S.P.
Now that you're armed with a setlist, enjoy the weekend in style. In the meantime, I'll try to get back on track with those reviews I was supposed to be doing...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
My Solemn Oath - Idol Style
Okay, so I just had to say this really quickly. To my loyal one to one-and-a-half readers - I promise to never report any news about American Idol of any sort, unless it somehow makes me laugh. You will never find results, who has been eliminated, or if some moron has once again humiliated himself on national TV to the delight of train-wreck lovers everywhere.
Phew! It feels good to get that out. I've been inundated with news about this show for the last few days, and I just wanted you to know you won't find it here...
Phew! It feels good to get that out. I've been inundated with news about this show for the last few days, and I just wanted you to know you won't find it here...
This Week - American Laundromat Records
This week’s focus is on an indie label called American Laundromat Records based in Stonington, CT. I’ll be reviewing a couple of their discs from the past year, and rounding out the week with a completely separate list of songs with a St. Paddy’s Day theme (read as: drunk songs).
So, who are these American Laundromat folks? Well, ALR was started as a hobby by an indie music addict Joe Spadaro in 2004, when he put together a 16-song compilation called “Transistor” (8 bands contributing 2 songs apiece). Since then, the label has done a lot of great tribute records, paying homage to songs by Pixies, Neil Young and Kim Deal, among others currently in the works. But the album that seemed to get them the most attention was “High School Reunion”, a tribute to the cheesy-yet-charming comedy movies of the ‘80s (Pretty In Pink, Say Anything, The Breakfast Club – you get the idea). It garnered national attention from reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin, and why not – it featured covers by such indie rock darlings as Frank Black, Kristin Hersh and the Dresden Dolls.
ALR have put themselves on the map as the masters of the cover record – as well as giving some love to the vinyl scene. They started pressing multi-colored 7” singles for various projects, all with original sleeve art. ALR are some of real the good guys in the scary music landscape that surrounds us – and they’re not even making any money, they swear! That’s gotta give them extra cred, right?
Seriously though, check out their web site for more info on their upcoming projects:
http://www.alr-music.com/
And check back here in the next few days for some reviews…
So, who are these American Laundromat folks? Well, ALR was started as a hobby by an indie music addict Joe Spadaro in 2004, when he put together a 16-song compilation called “Transistor” (8 bands contributing 2 songs apiece). Since then, the label has done a lot of great tribute records, paying homage to songs by Pixies, Neil Young and Kim Deal, among others currently in the works. But the album that seemed to get them the most attention was “High School Reunion”, a tribute to the cheesy-yet-charming comedy movies of the ‘80s (Pretty In Pink, Say Anything, The Breakfast Club – you get the idea). It garnered national attention from reviews in Rolling Stone and Spin, and why not – it featured covers by such indie rock darlings as Frank Black, Kristin Hersh and the Dresden Dolls.
ALR have put themselves on the map as the masters of the cover record – as well as giving some love to the vinyl scene. They started pressing multi-colored 7” singles for various projects, all with original sleeve art. ALR are some of real the good guys in the scary music landscape that surrounds us – and they’re not even making any money, they swear! That’s gotta give them extra cred, right?
Seriously though, check out their web site for more info on their upcoming projects:
http://www.alr-music.com/
And check back here in the next few days for some reviews…
Friday, March 7, 2008
TV Alternatives Day 4 - Dead Like Me
Day 4 – The Big Finale!
This is another marvelous show from the mind of Bryan Fuller. It lasted two seasons (a measly 29 episodes) on Showtime and then was mysteriously cancelled (as an original program, it did well enough for the pay network that there was no real reason to kill DLM in its prime). The dark humor and uber-sarcastic tones make for some fantastic dialogue, which works well with this superb cast of characters. You can actually catch this show in syndication on a few networks, but censoring the potty-mouthed leading lady just isn’t right – trust me, get the DVD’s.
And how to sum it up? Well, have you ever had one of those horrible days where a toilet from an old space station falls to Earth and splatters you? Well, that’s how we’re introduced to George Lass, our protagonist. But when she walks away from the incident, and is recruited to be a “Grim Reaper” – well, that’s where the fun begins.
So, do these Grim Reapers wear the flowing robe and carry a rather large scythe, you ask? No, they actually look quite normal and meet at Der Waffle House for their assignments of souls to reap - often over a delicious breakfast. So what’s the drawback? I mean, you get to keep “living”, even though your previous body is dead and buried. Well, the only problem is that you’re no longer recognized by anyone from your previous life. Oh, and you may have to collect souls after some pretty grisly endings. And the bureaucracy of Reaping doesn’t allow much (or any) paycheck, so you might have to get a second job. Other than that, it’s a pretty sweet gig, though.
And who are the players? Well, you already know about George (Fuller does love his brusque women – she is an extremely intelligent underachiever who died at a temp job). She is survived by her mother Joy and sister Reggie (equally messed up in their own ways, we get glimpses of them as George spies on her former life), as well as her father (separated from the clan). Then there’s Delores Herbig (George’s former boss from the temp agency, who continues to play a role). But the characters of interest, of course, are the other Reapers. Rube (played by the inimitable Mandy Patinkin) leads the bunch, and has a mysterious past. Roxy is a tough-gal Meter Maid. Mason is the screw-up comic relief. And Betty, who plays the big sister role to George for the first few episodes, but is later replaced by Daisy (a former Hollywood B-lister with loose morals who may have died on the set of “Gone With The Wind”).
As a whole, these characters help George through her “Is this really my afterlife?” stages of grief – from denial to eventual (if begrudgingly so) acceptance. But the roles of each personality in the cast eventually becomes much larger than that, as everyone’s back story is slowly filled in. The only drawback to the series is that the final story arc of the show is that it wasn’t exceptionally final – the writers had expected to tie up loose ends in a third season that never happened. Luckily for you (assuming you’re a new viewer), there is a new DVD movie in the works that should be released by year end. Most of the cast members are back, and hopefully we can gain a sense of closure – or better yet a new beginning…
That’s all for now, folks. Hope you had fun this week!
This is another marvelous show from the mind of Bryan Fuller. It lasted two seasons (a measly 29 episodes) on Showtime and then was mysteriously cancelled (as an original program, it did well enough for the pay network that there was no real reason to kill DLM in its prime). The dark humor and uber-sarcastic tones make for some fantastic dialogue, which works well with this superb cast of characters. You can actually catch this show in syndication on a few networks, but censoring the potty-mouthed leading lady just isn’t right – trust me, get the DVD’s.
And how to sum it up? Well, have you ever had one of those horrible days where a toilet from an old space station falls to Earth and splatters you? Well, that’s how we’re introduced to George Lass, our protagonist. But when she walks away from the incident, and is recruited to be a “Grim Reaper” – well, that’s where the fun begins.
So, do these Grim Reapers wear the flowing robe and carry a rather large scythe, you ask? No, they actually look quite normal and meet at Der Waffle House for their assignments of souls to reap - often over a delicious breakfast. So what’s the drawback? I mean, you get to keep “living”, even though your previous body is dead and buried. Well, the only problem is that you’re no longer recognized by anyone from your previous life. Oh, and you may have to collect souls after some pretty grisly endings. And the bureaucracy of Reaping doesn’t allow much (or any) paycheck, so you might have to get a second job. Other than that, it’s a pretty sweet gig, though.
And who are the players? Well, you already know about George (Fuller does love his brusque women – she is an extremely intelligent underachiever who died at a temp job). She is survived by her mother Joy and sister Reggie (equally messed up in their own ways, we get glimpses of them as George spies on her former life), as well as her father (separated from the clan). Then there’s Delores Herbig (George’s former boss from the temp agency, who continues to play a role). But the characters of interest, of course, are the other Reapers. Rube (played by the inimitable Mandy Patinkin) leads the bunch, and has a mysterious past. Roxy is a tough-gal Meter Maid. Mason is the screw-up comic relief. And Betty, who plays the big sister role to George for the first few episodes, but is later replaced by Daisy (a former Hollywood B-lister with loose morals who may have died on the set of “Gone With The Wind”).
As a whole, these characters help George through her “Is this really my afterlife?” stages of grief – from denial to eventual (if begrudgingly so) acceptance. But the roles of each personality in the cast eventually becomes much larger than that, as everyone’s back story is slowly filled in. The only drawback to the series is that the final story arc of the show is that it wasn’t exceptionally final – the writers had expected to tie up loose ends in a third season that never happened. Luckily for you (assuming you’re a new viewer), there is a new DVD movie in the works that should be released by year end. Most of the cast members are back, and hopefully we can gain a sense of closure – or better yet a new beginning…
That’s all for now, folks. Hope you had fun this week!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
TV Alternatives Day 3 - Tin Man
Day 3 – It’s Fraktastic!
Yes, Tin Man just aired in December of 2007 so some people have already watched it. However, I think a lot more people skipped it simply because it was on the SciFi Network. Yes, my fellow Battlestar fans are scoffing at the mere possibility of this, but for the general public there is somewhat of a stigma still attached to programs on this channel. Well, now the whole kit-n-kaboodle will be out on DVD next Tuesday (March 11), so I’m hoping this will spark wider interest in this wonderful miniseries. And this show was only six hours to begin with, subtract commercials and that’s what? 45 minutes in the real world? (Okay, closer to four and a half hours, but still easily digestible…)
What’s it all about? For those of you who haven’t already heard, this is a modern retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” with a few major twists. This isn’t just a remake, folks – it follows much of the same framework as the original (four strange traveling companions, each in search of something, with a witch hindering their every move), but beyond that it’s a whole new ballgame. In this version, Oz is morphed into the O.Z. – The Outer Zone – a realm that has been taken over by the witch Azkadellia. The land has been overrun by the witch’s forces, and most of its former beauty is replaced with barren landscapes.
Who are the players? Our story follows our heroine DG (played by the amazing Zooey Deschanel, she is looking for her parents and some clues as to why she can’t remember mum or dad), Glitch (whose brain has been stolen, and may have a few secrets to share – he just can’t recall), Raw (a “viewer” who can read minds, but may be short on courage) and finally, Cain (a former “Tin Man” – the name for members of the police force in the O.Z., pre-witch-y badness – who is looking for revenge, but may just need his heart repaired). “Toto” even turns up in this craziness, but not as you’d remember him…
There is a great core story at work here that adds to the original mythology - the overriding themes of betrayal, often by family, make this interpretation seem much more personal. And obviously, nearly seventy years after the classic film telling, on-screen effects are a bit more believable (although the original flying monkeys still scare the bejesus out of me). But the best way of all to view this story is without comparison – it’s hard to beat something you’ve built up in your mind since you were a child. Watch Tin Man with the same childlike wonder and you may find a new masterwork to cherish.
Go grab this next Tuesday – I’ll be back tomorrow with one last pick.
Yes, Tin Man just aired in December of 2007 so some people have already watched it. However, I think a lot more people skipped it simply because it was on the SciFi Network. Yes, my fellow Battlestar fans are scoffing at the mere possibility of this, but for the general public there is somewhat of a stigma still attached to programs on this channel. Well, now the whole kit-n-kaboodle will be out on DVD next Tuesday (March 11), so I’m hoping this will spark wider interest in this wonderful miniseries. And this show was only six hours to begin with, subtract commercials and that’s what? 45 minutes in the real world? (Okay, closer to four and a half hours, but still easily digestible…)
What’s it all about? For those of you who haven’t already heard, this is a modern retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” with a few major twists. This isn’t just a remake, folks – it follows much of the same framework as the original (four strange traveling companions, each in search of something, with a witch hindering their every move), but beyond that it’s a whole new ballgame. In this version, Oz is morphed into the O.Z. – The Outer Zone – a realm that has been taken over by the witch Azkadellia. The land has been overrun by the witch’s forces, and most of its former beauty is replaced with barren landscapes.
Who are the players? Our story follows our heroine DG (played by the amazing Zooey Deschanel, she is looking for her parents and some clues as to why she can’t remember mum or dad), Glitch (whose brain has been stolen, and may have a few secrets to share – he just can’t recall), Raw (a “viewer” who can read minds, but may be short on courage) and finally, Cain (a former “Tin Man” – the name for members of the police force in the O.Z., pre-witch-y badness – who is looking for revenge, but may just need his heart repaired). “Toto” even turns up in this craziness, but not as you’d remember him…
There is a great core story at work here that adds to the original mythology - the overriding themes of betrayal, often by family, make this interpretation seem much more personal. And obviously, nearly seventy years after the classic film telling, on-screen effects are a bit more believable (although the original flying monkeys still scare the bejesus out of me). But the best way of all to view this story is without comparison – it’s hard to beat something you’ve built up in your mind since you were a child. Watch Tin Man with the same childlike wonder and you may find a new masterwork to cherish.
Go grab this next Tuesday – I’ll be back tomorrow with one last pick.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
TV Alternatives Day 2 - Firefly
Day 2 – Huzzah!
(*Note – I found that “Firefly” by Southern Culture On The Skids was playing on a constant loop in my head while writing this. Doesn’t have a single thing to do with the show, but if you’ve got the song, maybe play it while you read…)
Firefly was a gem of a show from Joss Whedon, who certainly knows a thing about ass-kicking females after creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show (from a business aspect) worked almost exactly opposite of how Buffy did, though. Buffy was a movie flop that spawned a great TV show, while Firefly was a TV failure (thanks to Fox – read yesterday’s post for my thoughts on them) that set up a great movie (Serenity).
The premise seems odd at first – a hardcore action and sci-fi theme mixed with the overall sensibilities of an old west heist flick, add a generous dollop of comedy, and just for flavor pour in some swearing in an Asian dialect. But the overall blend is near perfection, and the cast work so well together that you’d swear they’d been training for this role together since they were hatched.
So, what’s it all about? Well, about five hundred years in the future, humanity has abandoned “Earth That Was”. After a war between the new government (“The Alliance”) and their resistance (dubbed “Brown Coats”), our story flashes past the conflict and follows some of the rebels as they try to survive and stay under the radar. Unfortunately, working outside the law doesn’t exactly provide the best opportunities for “legal” work. So, aboard the Firefly class spaceship Serenity, we find our “heroes” – smuggling, thieving and, currently, taking paying passengers since they’re low on money.
And who ARE our heroes?
The core crew consists of two former Brown coats: Mal Reynolds (the Captain and dysfunctional father-figure to this merry band) and Zoe (his second-in-command, and a
lady you’d want on your side in a gunfight), Wash (daredevil pilot, Zoe’s hubby and often comic relief), Kaylee (possibly the best damn mechanic you’ll ever see, and the emotional heart of the gang), Jayne (unkempt mercenary-for-hire who is mostly loyal to the crew – unless someone has better money) and Inara (a “Companion”, essentially a high priced courtesan, who has the highest social standing on the ship - which allows her to act as ambassador).
But it’s the new passengers who throw the crew into disarray. We get Book (a “Shepherd”, which is essentially a minister), Simon (a doctor, from a wealthy and privileged background) and River (Simon’s sister, and the ongoing mystery girl who may very well have every bad guy in the universe trailing her). Add these very dissonant personalities to the existing crew and – well, just hope they make it out of dock before Jayne kills anyone.
As the story begins to unfurl, we start to see why River is so sought after and this wild new universe is brought into the light. On our trip we see seedy dives, beautiful scenery, horrible carnage and the beginnings of wonderful relationships. This is how Joss Whedon often creates his stories – showing a realistic portrait of what one might find in everyday life painted against the backdrop of this fantastic new place he has created.
And now some of you get to go out and enjoy the whole series (and the movie) for the first time. Now, you too can curse the Fox network for slowly killing this show – or rejoice that they’re bringing Mr. Whedon back to TV! Somehow, through all the stupidity in the way Firefly was doomed, Joss is taking another chance with the network. He’s working with Buffy alum Eliza Dushku on a new show called Dollhouse. Let’s lust hope this one has legs, folks.
Now go out and find those DVD’s and I’ll work on digging something else up for tomorrow…
(*Note – I found that “Firefly” by Southern Culture On The Skids was playing on a constant loop in my head while writing this. Doesn’t have a single thing to do with the show, but if you’ve got the song, maybe play it while you read…)
Firefly was a gem of a show from Joss Whedon, who certainly knows a thing about ass-kicking females after creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This show (from a business aspect) worked almost exactly opposite of how Buffy did, though. Buffy was a movie flop that spawned a great TV show, while Firefly was a TV failure (thanks to Fox – read yesterday’s post for my thoughts on them) that set up a great movie (Serenity).
The premise seems odd at first – a hardcore action and sci-fi theme mixed with the overall sensibilities of an old west heist flick, add a generous dollop of comedy, and just for flavor pour in some swearing in an Asian dialect. But the overall blend is near perfection, and the cast work so well together that you’d swear they’d been training for this role together since they were hatched.
So, what’s it all about? Well, about five hundred years in the future, humanity has abandoned “Earth That Was”. After a war between the new government (“The Alliance”) and their resistance (dubbed “Brown Coats”), our story flashes past the conflict and follows some of the rebels as they try to survive and stay under the radar. Unfortunately, working outside the law doesn’t exactly provide the best opportunities for “legal” work. So, aboard the Firefly class spaceship Serenity, we find our “heroes” – smuggling, thieving and, currently, taking paying passengers since they’re low on money.
And who ARE our heroes?
The core crew consists of two former Brown coats: Mal Reynolds (the Captain and dysfunctional father-figure to this merry band) and Zoe (his second-in-command, and a
lady you’d want on your side in a gunfight), Wash (daredevil pilot, Zoe’s hubby and often comic relief), Kaylee (possibly the best damn mechanic you’ll ever see, and the emotional heart of the gang), Jayne (unkempt mercenary-for-hire who is mostly loyal to the crew – unless someone has better money) and Inara (a “Companion”, essentially a high priced courtesan, who has the highest social standing on the ship - which allows her to act as ambassador).
But it’s the new passengers who throw the crew into disarray. We get Book (a “Shepherd”, which is essentially a minister), Simon (a doctor, from a wealthy and privileged background) and River (Simon’s sister, and the ongoing mystery girl who may very well have every bad guy in the universe trailing her). Add these very dissonant personalities to the existing crew and – well, just hope they make it out of dock before Jayne kills anyone.
As the story begins to unfurl, we start to see why River is so sought after and this wild new universe is brought into the light. On our trip we see seedy dives, beautiful scenery, horrible carnage and the beginnings of wonderful relationships. This is how Joss Whedon often creates his stories – showing a realistic portrait of what one might find in everyday life painted against the backdrop of this fantastic new place he has created.
And now some of you get to go out and enjoy the whole series (and the movie) for the first time. Now, you too can curse the Fox network for slowly killing this show – or rejoice that they’re bringing Mr. Whedon back to TV! Somehow, through all the stupidity in the way Firefly was doomed, Joss is taking another chance with the network. He’s working with Buffy alum Eliza Dushku on a new show called Dollhouse. Let’s lust hope this one has legs, folks.
Now go out and find those DVD’s and I’ll work on digging something else up for tomorrow…
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
TV Alternatives Day 1 - Wonderfalls
Day 1 - how exciting!
Wonderfalls was a phenomenal (though short-lived) show on Fox. If you know anything about the Fox network, then you know it has a (well-earned) bad reputation for cancelling great shows before they have time to find an audience. This is one of those casualties - I believe they only aired 4 of the 13 episodes that had been produced, but luckily we got to see the whole shebang on DVD. It was written by Bryan Fuller, who is currently helming Pushing Daisies on ABC. And let's just say you might see his name attached to one of the other shows I'm giving my stamp of approval to this week...
In the opening of the first episode, we learn the legend of Wonderfalls and the Maid of the Mist -
an indian woman given up to the angry Waterfall God as a sacrifice. The Maid freely surrendered to her destiny in the end, with the God supposedly enchanting Niagara Falls for cenuries to come. The thing with destiny, though, is that it sometimes comes for people who want nothing to do with it...
The show is set around Niagara and focuses on Jaye Tyler, a character with equal parts intelligence, cynicism and humor. We learn early on that after graduating from an Ivy League school, Jaye found the pressures of the real world to be too much. She ended up working at Wonderfalls - a gift shop in this tourist trap hell. She cut herself off from her well-respected family and moved into a trailer park, just to prove she could make it on her own. Just listening to her snarky responses to customers, fellow employees and her disfunctional family would probably have been enough to carry the show, but the mythology the show sets up is much more fun - or insane, depending on your point of view.
Here's the basics: inanimate objects start talking to Jaye. From a wax lion to a muffin buffalo, and any animals in between, these guys start telling her to do things. Simple, one-sentence statements from toys and the like. Obviously she's losing it, right?
Wrong. It turns out when she listens, she starts helping people (much to her chagrin, considering her narcissistic personality). But how can you feel like your losing your mind and continue listening to the voices? Well, that balancing act is what makes the show so perfect in its absurdity. As Jaye slowly surrenders to being "fate's bitch" (her words, not mine), the show gets solid footing. Unfortunately, Fox canned it before it aired that long. Too smart for its own good, as it turns out - but a bite-sized series that is the perfect fit for these barren t.v. times.
But now you can:
Amaze! - As Jaye saves countless dumb people!
Enthrall! - To the budding relationship between Jaye and bartender Eric (don't worry, he's equally screwed up)!
Recognize! - That yes, Jaye's brother Aaron is indeed played by Lee Pace, who is the Piemaker in Pushing Daisies!
Have fun with this one, and I'll have another pick tomorrow...
Wonderfalls was a phenomenal (though short-lived) show on Fox. If you know anything about the Fox network, then you know it has a (well-earned) bad reputation for cancelling great shows before they have time to find an audience. This is one of those casualties - I believe they only aired 4 of the 13 episodes that had been produced, but luckily we got to see the whole shebang on DVD. It was written by Bryan Fuller, who is currently helming Pushing Daisies on ABC. And let's just say you might see his name attached to one of the other shows I'm giving my stamp of approval to this week...
In the opening of the first episode, we learn the legend of Wonderfalls and the Maid of the Mist -
an indian woman given up to the angry Waterfall God as a sacrifice. The Maid freely surrendered to her destiny in the end, with the God supposedly enchanting Niagara Falls for cenuries to come. The thing with destiny, though, is that it sometimes comes for people who want nothing to do with it...
The show is set around Niagara and focuses on Jaye Tyler, a character with equal parts intelligence, cynicism and humor. We learn early on that after graduating from an Ivy League school, Jaye found the pressures of the real world to be too much. She ended up working at Wonderfalls - a gift shop in this tourist trap hell. She cut herself off from her well-respected family and moved into a trailer park, just to prove she could make it on her own. Just listening to her snarky responses to customers, fellow employees and her disfunctional family would probably have been enough to carry the show, but the mythology the show sets up is much more fun - or insane, depending on your point of view.
Here's the basics: inanimate objects start talking to Jaye. From a wax lion to a muffin buffalo, and any animals in between, these guys start telling her to do things. Simple, one-sentence statements from toys and the like. Obviously she's losing it, right?
Wrong. It turns out when she listens, she starts helping people (much to her chagrin, considering her narcissistic personality). But how can you feel like your losing your mind and continue listening to the voices? Well, that balancing act is what makes the show so perfect in its absurdity. As Jaye slowly surrenders to being "fate's bitch" (her words, not mine), the show gets solid footing. Unfortunately, Fox canned it before it aired that long. Too smart for its own good, as it turns out - but a bite-sized series that is the perfect fit for these barren t.v. times.
But now you can:
Amaze! - As Jaye saves countless dumb people!
Enthrall! - To the budding relationship between Jaye and bartender Eric (don't worry, he's equally screwed up)!
Recognize! - That yes, Jaye's brother Aaron is indeed played by Lee Pace, who is the Piemaker in Pushing Daisies!
Have fun with this one, and I'll have another pick tomorrow...
Monday, March 3, 2008
Post-Strike - What To Watch In Juanoville...
Hello, all!
I know it's great that the writers' strike is over and the t.v. season is back on track, but we're still feeling the aftershocks. The old batch of episodes is nearly depleted and the new stuff won't be ready for a while yet, so what do we watch? I mean, there's some kind of horrible reality show on every station, but why subject your already mushy brain to that?
I've got a few ideas, and you're going to get one from Tuesday through Friday this week. All of these are available on DVD, to make this much easier. The overall theme is shows featuring strong ladies who rock and or roll in their own way. The other theme is that most of the shows lasted a very short time, or they are still very early in their runs. That way you can blow through these and have some fun while waiting for those new episodes to be birthed.
Have fun with these - I'll have my first pick tomorrow.
I know it's great that the writers' strike is over and the t.v. season is back on track, but we're still feeling the aftershocks. The old batch of episodes is nearly depleted and the new stuff won't be ready for a while yet, so what do we watch? I mean, there's some kind of horrible reality show on every station, but why subject your already mushy brain to that?
I've got a few ideas, and you're going to get one from Tuesday through Friday this week. All of these are available on DVD, to make this much easier. The overall theme is shows featuring strong ladies who rock and or roll in their own way. The other theme is that most of the shows lasted a very short time, or they are still very early in their runs. That way you can blow through these and have some fun while waiting for those new episodes to be birthed.
Have fun with these - I'll have my first pick tomorrow.
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