Thumbs BoredIt’s probably not fair to dismiss a show because I don’t like the way the lady purses her lips.
But here we are.
Have you seen a cop drama with a “strong” female lead haunted by her past? What about one where she and another cop used to bang? What about one where she goes to a warehouse alone to catch the real killer only to be saved by said cop? You have? Then you’ve pretty much seen Unforgettable.
Demme Makes It As Good As It Can BeI’m not going to like anything that could be described as ghost whisperer meets ER no matter how good it is.
But I have to say, if you stories about like ghosts (which are really just golden hearted secular angels) and mean, rich men learning how to love impoverished Hispanic children, then The Gifted Man is probably the highest quality version you can find.
It’s directed by Jonathan Demme, so it actually looks like a professional show (something I’ve found shockingly lacking this season) and the cast is largely stellar. She channels Meryl Streep, he balances a tough roll, but I was most happy to see the wonky eyed entomologist from Silence of the Lambs back on screen.
Almost skipped this one entirely (like I did H8R).
on NBC, but not for LongThe success of Mad Men, which let’s face it, is the only reason this thing exists, yielded many lessons.
To name a few: people appreciate a fine attention to period detail, audiences can deal with deliberate paced and unconventional plot lines, that characters don’t have to be stereotypes to be interesting.
The only thing The Playboy Club seemed to gleam from it though was to get someone who sounds exactly like Don Draper. Close your eyes and listen – that guy must have listened to nothing but those Mercedes Benz ads for weeks to prepare for the role.
Otherwise, this is drivel. Young girl with big dreams, mobsters, a narration by Hugh Hefner from beyond the grave. No doubt the creators saw Scorsese in their ideas. More accurately, they brought Burlesque to the small screen without the camp and wagon wheel watusi. Which is a truly boring thing to see.
Van turned it off several times. Even babies aren’t impressed and they light up when a Pillow Pets commercial comes on.
by George R R Martin (1996-????)There’s so much to say about the epic Song of Ice and Fire series but so little you want to give away to those still buried within its thousands of pages.
Like so many others I picked the books up after loving the HBO adaptation… and what a fun time to be reading it. It’s the kind of book you want to discuss with people incessantly and there’s no shortage of fellow readers. Jim even texted me after especially incendiary chapters in disbelief.
With that kind of fervor and enthusiasm that the books evoke, George R.R. Martin has created something truly unique and it’s little wonder that the world is entranced.
I was as well as heartbroken, shocked (repeatedly and effectively), obsessed, angered, relieved, frustrated, awed and now after just finishing Dance with Dragons filled with a venomous ache for justice, some conclusions and frankly for some plot lines to get on with it already… ( I felt like Martin Sheen thinking “Mereen, shit I’m still only in Mereen”)
Yes it’s not without its flaws one cringe worthy sex scene where cock and cunt cant be told apart proves that but what’s harder for this reader is the scattered scope after the whirlwind of awesomeness in book three. The plot splits between two books and beloved characters aren’t seen for hundreds upon hundreds of pages. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been for readers that had to wait years for the next book as I am about to do for book six.
But despite the flaws and the fact that it might never be completed, this is one extraordinary reading experience. Now I get to see how book two is interpreted on the show… too excited.
Thumbs Say Not Bad For What It IsMr. Dawson’s Creek spent a long, empty headed weekend with the repeat viewings of the Twilight movies and The Craft and came to the logical conclusion…
Teenage witches! But they will live in the Pacific Northwest and drive trucks!
There will be one crazy bitch that’s mad with witchy power and magical glittery stuff will happen in the woods!
(OK, to be fair, the storyline comes from a series of books, so the derivative elements might not be his fault)
Greenlight!
Maybe it’s because I find Britt Robertson charming or that I have a soft spot for young adult entertainment, but I have to say The Secret Circle bests both the inspirations. Which is kind of faint praise (especially in the case of Twilight) but still.
If the shows finds its sense of humor and goes wild it could be fun though it’s doubtful I’ll personally watch and wait (such hopefulness didn’t totally pay off with Supernatural.)
Thumbs Way DownOuch.
I might just owe Gargamel an apology because Free Agents is almost looking pretty good right now.
Was expecting something decent from The New Girl but this is very and weirdly terrible.
Thumbs Think and Hope This Won’t Last
I feel bad for Giles.
But Gargamel deserves this.
My Thumbs Might Be Naively OptimisticWill Arnett as sweetheart stay at home = wasted talents as a foolish asshole but still a charmer and I like him, so I hope this goes better than that one with Felicity.
Maya Rudolph and Christina Applegate good = could mean more good talent in guest and added roles?
BUT
Was it in a fit of depression or glee that the writer slipped in lines about diarrhea and burning rectums just as we thought we were spared such obvious and unfunny poop business with the baby?
Plus, Mike and Shaun thought the baby was a boring one.
Up All Night is thankfully not completely dumb though and has potential – or am I being too optimistic?
Thumbs DownDull. Predictable.
Horatio Hornblower looks like The Fantastic Four sapped his life force.
A grimacing Buffy is uninspired without witty banter and apparently refuses to do boat shoots…
Leading to the most hilarious and shockingly bad effects I’ve seen on TV since Gatoroid. Watch here.
But Richard’s there, so there’s that.
directed by Banksy (2010)Even though I trusted all the rave reviews from the press and friends, I wasn’t sure that Exit Through the Gift Shop would capture my interest as I am not a particular street art fanatic.
However, to my surprise, I was drawn into the film which is clever, humorous, and thought provoking and I walked away with a new found admiration for artist and filmmaker, Banksy.
A thoughtful artist so disinterested in the spotlight that he conducts his interviews in “crime witness” fashion – darkened silhouette and altered voice, Banksy is a foil to Thierry Guetta, a French obsessive who loves attention and doesn’t quite seem to “get” even his own art.
The film begins with Guetta shadowing the biggest names in street art but ends with him becoming the rather comical focus as he stumbles into art superstardom Himself (by basically ripping off the style of all the artists he’s met but ignoring the meaning).
There’s a theory going around that the whole thing is a hoax, that Guetta is Banksy’s own creation. While if anyone seems clever enough to pull off such a hoax it would probably be him, Guetta seems far human and real (honestly no one could fake his insane film within the film Life Remote Control). Banksy and Fairey genuinely seems regretful for their role in creating Mr. Brainwash.
Either way, this is a great watch and you can see on Netflix instant.
