Tuesday, April 21, 2009

How could I forget this one?

One of the first shows I watched when we acquired Satellite television was the documentary, Grey Gardens. I was strangely fascinated by it and probably watched it more times than I should have. It probably has to do with my fascination of all things old money new york ... Vanderbilts, Astors. The documentary was incredible and let Big Edie and Little Edie just be themselves. No commentary, just the Beale women being themselves, which by themselves, I mean ... eccentric. Big Edie was Jackie Kennedy Onassis's aunt ... Edie's maiden name is Bouvier. Little Edie was Jackie's cousin. The Beale's lived in NYC and then moved to the Hamptons and Big Edie had no interest whatsoever in living in the city anymore at that point. Little Edie wanted to stay in the city, but they had a strange co-dependent relationship which resulted in the 2 Beale women living together at Grey Gardens (the Hamptons home). Little Edie never married, she lived with her mother and they ran out of money and the house became completely dilapidated and overrun by critters. The county health department came in and condemned the place and Jackie came to their rescue and took over supporting them and fixing up the house. Still .. they lived in squalor. Big Edie was accustomed to having a staff take care of the house ... in any event ...

HBO took the documentary 1 step further and made a movie about it and it was amazing. Drew Barrymore ... DREW BARRYMORE ... in the role of her life, played little Edie. She was simply amazing. You could tell that she really studied for this role. She didn't speak out of the side of her mouth, her diction was almost perfect and she LOOKED like Edie, it was scary. Just give her the emmy now ... it's over. Jessica Lange, who I continue to be amazed that she got her start playing in the horrible version of King Kong from the 70's ... talk about having a tremendous rebound. She was equally amazing as big Edie. Jeanne Tripplehorn, who I haven't seen forever, played Jackie O .. ok, just give 3 emmys to them all.

It's playing all this month on HBO. It's definitely worth checking out, whether you've seen the Grey Gardens documentary or not. You'll feel like you have.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Another show

I started watching what will probably be one of the best series on tv. As much as I feel that Frontline is the most important show on television, American Experience is up there too. American Experience started running a series called We Shall Remain. Everyone should be required to watch this moving series. I think most Americans tend to forget that we (specifically, the English, Dutch & French settlers) were the oppressors of the indiginous people who lived in America for centuries prior to their landing. The first episode deals with the ramifications of the Mayflower landing. The series is told from the native people's perspective and it's amazing. It makes you wonder if anything could have been done to stop the massacres of tribes in what is now Massachusetts. I don't think so. Between the diseases the Europeans brought and their weaponry and sheer numbers ... the indiginous people were going to have to join or die.

I urge one and all to watch. You can watch entire episodes on their website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/

Long break

No good reason for not blahgging.

Watched Y Tu Mama Tambien. I think that Gael Garcia Bernal is a fantastic actor, but he plays unsavory characters ... this one isn't too bad in terms of unsavoryness (is that a word?). He plays a teenager, well, he acts like a teenager. He and his friend (who is played by Diego Luna ... gotta see more of his films) go on a roadtrip with a lady and ... well ... it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happens. BUT there is a rather big surprise at the end ... most of the movie takes place in a car and the dialogue is f this and f that f-er ... immature teenager stuff. I actually fast forwarded through some of it because it got boring. The ending is swift .. the last 10 minutes of the film made the entire film worth watching.

I've been watching this Starz series called Party Down. It's about a group of actors who work as servers for a catering company. It's interesting for me because the cast is made up of people you see and say "hey, I saw them is some movie for a few minutes, who is that?" It seems like a show that people who are actually actors doing day jobs would get more out of than someone, like me, who is not. I feel the same way about Scrubs ... I think doctors get more out of it than non-doctors.

The Housewives keep going and going. Seriously, I'm tired of even writing about them. They're all pathetic, but I just can't stop watching.

And a big thank you goes out to MSNBC for calling these silly people who are supposedly protesting taxes, teabaggers! Seriously, these people have no clue what the boston tea party was about and how much tea was wasted? How much garbage was created by these whacko, less than intelligent people. The Boston Tea Party protested taxation without representation. I think these teabaggers don't understand what it is that they are protesting. All this came about after a former futures trader went off on a self important rant ... yea, remember Rick Santelli .. biggest puss of the century? Where is he now???? They certainly don't have a grasp of American history, that's for dang sure. I'm all for protesting, but when you call your protest something that it's not ... you look like stupid idiots. Why don't they just call them what they are ... "we hate the government" parties. So all you teabaggers out there ... grow brains!

Another thing .. the future of the Republican party is Meaghan McCain ... read up on her.

It looks like there is going to be a new episode of Total Wrecklamation ... FINALLY!!!!! I'm getting tired of re-watching old ones over and over again.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Keith, my condolences

I have a big mouth. I was complaining about how Keith Olbermann has been taking days off and therefore, I don't feel like watching Countdown. Well, last night, I found out why ... his mother died ... so Keith, sorry man, sorry for your loss ... your tribute was sweet, your mom was a tough broad ... I guess we can blame her right? Again, sorry.

I watched Sex and the City for it's entire run and loved it. The movie was horrendous! Or maybe it was just a mistake to make it. I watched a half an hour and was bored with it. It was just a rehash of everything and it was boring. I felt bad at first, but every character was annoying. All of them were extra whiney, gee, I wish I had it as bad as them, please! It's one of those things that should have been left alone. I liked how the series ended, but watching that half hour of the movie really made me question why I watched it in the first place. Maybe it's because I'm older. I don't know ... I just hated the movie.

Watched this show called Monsters. I had no idea this show existed. Seems to be a Twilight Zone type show. I saw an episode from 1990 that starred Steve Buscemi, of all people. He looked so young ... seemed to be an actor needing a job at that point. It was an incredibly STUPID story about a guy in a motel (Buscemi) and him getting involved with a woman who is trying to get away from her husband who is a pig ... a real pig ... I mean an oinker pig ... the lady playing the wife was HORRIBLE. Laughingly horrible! I bet everytime Buscemi sees this movie, he cringes and wishes it would never see the light of day.

I've seen all the new patients for this season of In Treatment. John Mahoney is magnificent as a CEO who has panic attacks, a sweet little boy who doesn't understand why his mom and dad are getting a divorce and his weekly sessions with his mentor, Gina.

And I have 3 episodes of Corner Gas to catch up with ...

Monday, April 6, 2009

Reign Over Me ... Meh

I'm a tepid fan of the Who. But one of the songs that I hate more than any other is Reign on Me from Quadrophenia... I think about the song and that stupid screamy hitmeovertheheadwithaballpinehammer chorus goes through my head for the next week ... arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh reignnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn on meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee whoa whoa ... shoot me now.

That being said, the movie that was written by Mike Binder, kind of hit you over the head until you bleed movies, dang ... he's just so unnecessarily heavy handed, is called Reign Over Me ... maybe the Who wouldn't give them the rights to use the song title. Anyway ... it's so bad that I have to have my playlist going in order for me to be able to type this out (Hey Ya by OutKast is on right now).

The story could have been great. Tragic story of a 9-11 widower. The cast was better than the movie. Don Cheadle, who deserves an Oscar pretty much everytime he's on screen, is great as the lead character's college roommate who tries to help him cope and come back to reality. The lead is played by Adam Sandler, who is just ok. He had a great scene where he confronts his in-laws about what is going on with his inability to WANT to remember the family he lost. But pretty much, he ambled through the entire film as a cross between Ratzo Rizzo and a face puff. I liked Sandler in Punch Drunk Love, Spanglish & Click ... basically any movie where he isn't talking in some baby voice. I wonder what the Coen Brothers would do with him? Hmmmmm, I'll ponder that. I mean, if Paul Thomas Anderson made an actor out of him ... hey, who knows? Anyway, was the movie good? yea ... maybe ... no ... I don't know. It could have been so much better. I guess Tom Cruise was offered Sandler's role first, thank you for turning it down Turdy Tom. Then Brad Pitt was considered ... THAT would have been interesting! Cheadle was great, Sandler, ok. Allen Klein, great, Donald Sutherland, supercool ... Binder? yea, he was ok.

In Treatment started up again last night. Gabriel Byrne is incredible. We have 5 new storylines, one of which is going to involve John Mahoney, who I love! Last night, we found out that Dr. Weston is being sued by the family of one of his patients who died ... the attorney representing Dr. Weston is a former patient, who it appears has had a relationship with in the past. Dr. Weston now lives and practices in Brooklyn. The second story involves a young college student who has cancer and refuses to tell anyone about it. Between In Treatment and Corner Gas ... lots of episodic television to watch in the coming weeks.

Life on Mars ended. The ending was wrapped up neatly in a red bow and delivered. All are on a spaceship to Mars ... Keitel is Sam's Dad ... he was supposed to go back to 2008, not 1973 ... I don't know ... sigh. It's just too bad the show didn't catch on.

Friday, April 3, 2009

I'm falling behind

It's unprecedented! I'm sleeping more ... not waking up so much in the middle of the night. It's cool, I guess, because hey, man, sleep is great, but not so much for my tv viewing ... I'm conflicted. In any event, here's what I've been watching as of late:

Daily Show and Keith. Daily isn't as edgy lately. It seems like the show has lost a little air since Cramer v. Stewart. He did have rather amusing diatribe on Limbaugh leaving New York. Same goes for Keith ... there's just not enough rancor in DC to really get something going. Plus, Keith leaves at odd times, like for one day during the middle of the week and although my fellow Hoosier, David Schuster, is capable ... it's just not Keith.

I watched a great show called "Indiana Aria" ... I have a wishlist on the tivo for anything that has "Indiana" in the title or descrpition (how librarian of me right?). Indiana Aria was picked up (so it works!). It follows 3 Opera students at IU's school of music (their opera program is rated number one in the nation .. beating Julliard ... amazing huh?). I remember when I was a student at IU ... I would walk past the music school and hear practices, it was something to behold. It seems that the music school at IU is known more outside of Indiana that in the state, which is sad. Anyway, these 3 students, to my completely untrained opera ears, were amazing. But then you hear their teachers and the people they are auditioning for ... well I don't know squat. All 3 were beyond dedicated and I can't imagine the pressure they are under. If they can't get pro gigs by the time they are 30, they're done .... it's over. Glad I was a history major.

I'm getting 6 episodes of Corner gas now per week. Each one is freaking hilarious. It truly is a Canadian version of Seinfeld. What's nice about it is that the kids can watch it with me. It's about the only thing that they can.

Started watching the film, Y Tu Mama Tambien. I've yet to see a film with Gael Garcia Bernal where he isn't some kind of numbnuts. In Babel, he was a horrible person ... The Science of Sleep, he was a moron and in this one, he's being a real jerk so far. He's a good actor though.

Real Housewives ... why why why do I put myself though it? Kelly and Bethandthecity have a catfight, Bethandthecity wins .. 2 pathetic women, seriously, both are just pathetic in their own ways. To be honest, writing about it is getting really boring. About the only interesting thing is that IAMACOUNTESSDAMMIT is getting a divorce! Seems that the Count is getting a little sumpin' sumpin' with an Ethiopian woman in Switzerland!

Watched the most depressing Frontline ever. It was called "Sick in America" .. man, this country is screwed. No hope whatsoever. Yea, all these talking heads are trying to sound optomistic, but nothing is going to change, nothing. Canada sounds better and better everyday ... the land of Corner Gas and the Red Green Show! Better polish up my passport!