Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Some stray observations from last night's marathon TV session
I watched the People's Choice Awards just long enough to hear Queen Latifah say this..."And now to present our next award the illegally handsome star of Criminal Minds - Shemar Moore." They hire professional writers and that was the best intro they could come up with! Moore then walked to the microphone and shouted "How many people like reality TV!" I changed the channel and did not return.
So, I watched The Real World...The ex-army guy is writing a book, which will no doubt be published by MTV books. It has to be. Also, I know everyone is talking about the Mormon kid's sexuality, but I think it's the army guy that's a latent homosexual seeing as he's more obsessed with who is gay than anyone in the house. We will very rarely hear from the bodybuilder guy. He's my sure-fire "will get lost in the shuffle" cast member. Katelynn is going to be a pantheon RW cast member and not just because she's transgender. She's actually kind of interesting and self aware. My favorite thing about her, though is her name. She was once a dude and when she became a girl she had to choose what her name would be. She chose Katelynn and chose to spell it that way. That's not how you spell it.
Alright, Top Chef. Toby Young is a hack. It was so clear that he wrote all of his comments beforehand and then shoe horned them in where he felt they would work. That "Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder" line was so disgustingly forced. Not so forced was Fabio's great "It's Top Chef, not Top Scallops" line which could end up on a t-shirt at the end of the season. Carla survived and I'm glad - it was time for Melissa and Eugene to go. Now all the dead weight is gone and the season should really take off.
It's not fun watching the Rangers, it's only frustrating.
I'd talk about how great Damages was, but no one watched it so I'll spare you. It was great, though.
So, I watched The Real World...The ex-army guy is writing a book, which will no doubt be published by MTV books. It has to be. Also, I know everyone is talking about the Mormon kid's sexuality, but I think it's the army guy that's a latent homosexual seeing as he's more obsessed with who is gay than anyone in the house. We will very rarely hear from the bodybuilder guy. He's my sure-fire "will get lost in the shuffle" cast member. Katelynn is going to be a pantheon RW cast member and not just because she's transgender. She's actually kind of interesting and self aware. My favorite thing about her, though is her name. She was once a dude and when she became a girl she had to choose what her name would be. She chose Katelynn and chose to spell it that way. That's not how you spell it.
Alright, Top Chef. Toby Young is a hack. It was so clear that he wrote all of his comments beforehand and then shoe horned them in where he felt they would work. That "Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder" line was so disgustingly forced. Not so forced was Fabio's great "It's Top Chef, not Top Scallops" line which could end up on a t-shirt at the end of the season. Carla survived and I'm glad - it was time for Melissa and Eugene to go. Now all the dead weight is gone and the season should really take off.
It's not fun watching the Rangers, it's only frustrating.
I'd talk about how great Damages was, but no one watched it so I'll spare you. It was great, though.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Retraction
Dear everyone,
Yesterday I posted that Gossip Girl R&B song video and said it was "great". After watching it a few more times I can honestly say it's not great. In fact, it's really lame.
I'm embarrassed that I posted it and thought about simply deleting it whilst pretending it never happened. But that would be dishonest. We're not always right, you know and I'm here to admit that when it comes to that video, I was dead wrong. It really sucks. I apologize and I vow to do better next time.
Thank you for your understanding,
Pat D
Yesterday I posted that Gossip Girl R&B song video and said it was "great". After watching it a few more times I can honestly say it's not great. In fact, it's really lame.
I'm embarrassed that I posted it and thought about simply deleting it whilst pretending it never happened. But that would be dishonest. We're not always right, you know and I'm here to admit that when it comes to that video, I was dead wrong. It really sucks. I apologize and I vow to do better next time.
Thank you for your understanding,
Pat D
I really need to start being more productive
There is so much fucking television on tonight at 10pm that it's maddening.
Let me rephrase that because of course there's so much fucking television on at 10pm there are a million channels - what I meant was there is so much fucking television that I want to watch on at 10pm tonight that it's maddening.
First there's the premiere of Damages season 2 which no one watches except for me and Jess Cantrell, but that everyone should be watching cuz guess what - it's awesome.
Then there are my Top Chefs who I haven't seen in what feels like forever, but has actually only been two weeks (it may actually be three by now I'm not sure). Nevertheless I'm eager to get reacquainted with them and see Carla's wonderful crazy face.
Then there's the Barbara Walters interview with Patrick Swayze which I kind of don't want to watch because I only want to remember Patrick Swayze as being Bodhi and he doesn't look like Bodhi anymore which makes me feel bad. I happen to really like Patrick Swayze. I like his movies. I like his first name and he seems like a genuinely good person. I really hope he can pull through and kick cancer's ass like he did all those rednecks in Road House or Anthony Kiedis in Point Break, but from what I've heard he doesn't have a lot of time and frankly that makes me very sad.
And finally, there's The Real World: Brooklyn. Now, I have not watched a Real World with any semblance of regularity since Las Vegas which, you'll recall, is the year in which the show lost any stitch of redeeming social value whatsoever and basically became a booze and fuck fest.
I'm not sure what's drawing me to this edition, the shows 21st. Maybe it's the fact that the show is now of legal drinking age (well not really. It hasn't been on for 21 years, it's just had 21 editions but that's no matter) and I can remember where I was when the franchise started and also remember having the biggest crush in the world on innocent farm girl Julie. I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that it's taking place in Red Hook and I'll recognize some of the places they go to get shitcanned, which is always fun. I'm also looking forward to pretentious hipsters mocking RW cast members, even though most of them would kill to be on television and probably would have joined the cast in a hot second (why else does one live in Brooklyn these days and wear scarves - me included, except the living in Brooklyn part, but definitely the scarves part). Then there's MTV stating that this edition of The Real World is going back to the basics of the first few seasons and not just casting pretty boys and girls who refer to Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo as "my friends Jack and Jose" (seriously if you are still doing that, or know someone who is, please tell them to stop) and then fuck in a tub somewhere, preferably of the hot variety. No, they insist these people will be different and the show is going try and be relevant and thought provoking like it was back when cast mates would argue over the dirty guy sticking his finger in the peanut butter. You know, important topics.
Regardless, I'm gonna show up and maybe it will suck, but I'm certainly not prepared to find out it's awesome and that I've missed the train so...
Let me rephrase that because of course there's so much fucking television on at 10pm there are a million channels - what I meant was there is so much fucking television that I want to watch on at 10pm tonight that it's maddening.
First there's the premiere of Damages season 2 which no one watches except for me and Jess Cantrell, but that everyone should be watching cuz guess what - it's awesome.
Then there are my Top Chefs who I haven't seen in what feels like forever, but has actually only been two weeks (it may actually be three by now I'm not sure). Nevertheless I'm eager to get reacquainted with them and see Carla's wonderful crazy face.
Then there's the Barbara Walters interview with Patrick Swayze which I kind of don't want to watch because I only want to remember Patrick Swayze as being Bodhi and he doesn't look like Bodhi anymore which makes me feel bad. I happen to really like Patrick Swayze. I like his movies. I like his first name and he seems like a genuinely good person. I really hope he can pull through and kick cancer's ass like he did all those rednecks in Road House or Anthony Kiedis in Point Break, but from what I've heard he doesn't have a lot of time and frankly that makes me very sad.
And finally, there's The Real World: Brooklyn. Now, I have not watched a Real World with any semblance of regularity since Las Vegas which, you'll recall, is the year in which the show lost any stitch of redeeming social value whatsoever and basically became a booze and fuck fest.
I'm not sure what's drawing me to this edition, the shows 21st. Maybe it's the fact that the show is now of legal drinking age (well not really. It hasn't been on for 21 years, it's just had 21 editions but that's no matter) and I can remember where I was when the franchise started and also remember having the biggest crush in the world on innocent farm girl Julie. I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that it's taking place in Red Hook and I'll recognize some of the places they go to get shitcanned, which is always fun. I'm also looking forward to pretentious hipsters mocking RW cast members, even though most of them would kill to be on television and probably would have joined the cast in a hot second (why else does one live in Brooklyn these days and wear scarves - me included, except the living in Brooklyn part, but definitely the scarves part). Then there's MTV stating that this edition of The Real World is going back to the basics of the first few seasons and not just casting pretty boys and girls who refer to Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo as "my friends Jack and Jose" (seriously if you are still doing that, or know someone who is, please tell them to stop) and then fuck in a tub somewhere, preferably of the hot variety. No, they insist these people will be different and the show is going try and be relevant and thought provoking like it was back when cast mates would argue over the dirty guy sticking his finger in the peanut butter. You know, important topics.
Regardless, I'm gonna show up and maybe it will suck, but I'm certainly not prepared to find out it's awesome and that I've missed the train so...
Revolutionary Road is really amazing
I saw Revolutionary Road this weekend and the more I think about it, it's the best movie I have seen in all of the 2000's. The second best, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The common thread - Kate Winslet.
But this isn't about Kate Winslet, though she is the best working actor alive, it's about the emotional impact of Revolutionary Road. The movie has been described as a downer and it's true, but it also oversimplifies the movie to a great degree. Revolutionary Road is a movie about unhappiness, it's about lowering some of your expectations while not meeting others. It's about fear, It's about accepting adulthood or not accepting it - it's about coming to grips with being human and just being human - not being spectacular. That's heavy stuff for sure, but the film itself is eye opening.
As someone who hasn't really seen many "films" lately, it feels good to actually notice themes in something, I can tell you that.
Revolutionary Road was directed by Sam Mendes and a lot of people will draw comparisons between Mendes' first film, American Beauty and this one (seeing as how they both take place in suburbia and all). These people are stupid as they couldn't be more different. First, American Beauty sucks and Revolutionary Road doesn't. Second, American Beauty is so phony and 'wink-wink' cute and so loaded with stereotypes that it feels like a cartoon, while Revolutionary Road is so real and fraught and completely devoid of self consciousness. Finally, unlike American Beauty, Revolutionary Road is not preachy in the slightest. Revolutionary Road is not a message movie. It does not judge its characters the way American Beauty did.
Revolutionary Road is not simply a great movie, it's an important one. The script is flawless, which is what really sets it apart from American Beauty - the worst screenplay ever to win an Oscar. It eschews cliche at every turn and even if you know what's going to happen, you are surprised by how it happens. The performances across the board are the best of the year in every category. There's nothing out of place here.
Revolutionary Road is certainly a difficult movie, but it's worth it. Know going in the it's a tough road to hoe, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing what is, in my opinion, the first truly great movie of this decade.
But this isn't about Kate Winslet, though she is the best working actor alive, it's about the emotional impact of Revolutionary Road. The movie has been described as a downer and it's true, but it also oversimplifies the movie to a great degree. Revolutionary Road is a movie about unhappiness, it's about lowering some of your expectations while not meeting others. It's about fear, It's about accepting adulthood or not accepting it - it's about coming to grips with being human and just being human - not being spectacular. That's heavy stuff for sure, but the film itself is eye opening.
As someone who hasn't really seen many "films" lately, it feels good to actually notice themes in something, I can tell you that.
Revolutionary Road was directed by Sam Mendes and a lot of people will draw comparisons between Mendes' first film, American Beauty and this one (seeing as how they both take place in suburbia and all). These people are stupid as they couldn't be more different. First, American Beauty sucks and Revolutionary Road doesn't. Second, American Beauty is so phony and 'wink-wink' cute and so loaded with stereotypes that it feels like a cartoon, while Revolutionary Road is so real and fraught and completely devoid of self consciousness. Finally, unlike American Beauty, Revolutionary Road is not preachy in the slightest. Revolutionary Road is not a message movie. It does not judge its characters the way American Beauty did.
Revolutionary Road is not simply a great movie, it's an important one. The script is flawless, which is what really sets it apart from American Beauty - the worst screenplay ever to win an Oscar. It eschews cliche at every turn and even if you know what's going to happen, you are surprised by how it happens. The performances across the board are the best of the year in every category. There's nothing out of place here.
Revolutionary Road is certainly a difficult movie, but it's worth it. Know going in the it's a tough road to hoe, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing what is, in my opinion, the first truly great movie of this decade.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
This is great
So, when I saw that this existed I fully expected to hate it. I wanted to hate it. Really wanted to hate it. This is my turf, assholes. I'm the straight guy who likes Gossip Girl. Beat it.
But then I watched it and it's pretty great. Extra points for the Lincoln Hawk reference at the end.
Kudos, fellas. You've done good.
But then I watched it and it's pretty great. Extra points for the Lincoln Hawk reference at the end.
Kudos, fellas. You've done good.
RIP Ron Asheton
Ron Asheton was found dead this morning in his home. He was 60. Ron Asheton was the original guitar player for the Stooges, one of the greatest and most important bands of all time. They're up for the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame this year and they probably won't get in, which is ridiculous.
Anyway, I don't usually do this, but The Stooges were awesome and I love them so go and listen to them today and remember Ron.
Here is a reunited Stooges doing one of my favorites, 1969, with Ron Asheton absolutely killing it.
Anyway, I don't usually do this, but The Stooges were awesome and I love them so go and listen to them today and remember Ron.
Here is a reunited Stooges doing one of my favorites, 1969, with Ron Asheton absolutely killing it.
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