After a few weeks of steady if unspectacular performance, this episode, for me, fell rather flat.  Ray’s boning Jemma, getting paid for it, and he gets to introduce “Little Ray” to his sexy neighbour.  But he wants a proper relationship with Jemma; I reckon he’s delusional.  He’s also treating Tanya pretty badly, and as we see he’s not much good at drumming up business for himself.  I don’t know if the scene in which he touted himself around the market was supposed to be funny, but I found it just unpleasant.  Meantime, and despite finding a love interest for herself, Tanya’s still looking desperately unhappy, although we get a bit of an insight into the reasons for than when we meet her mother (our old friend Rhea Perlman, who was, of course, Carla Tortelli in ‘Cheers’).  No more or less cheerful than other episodes, then, but this week it was the feeling of being underwhelmed which won out.

I admit it: my dad is a Hung Manh. First name Hung, middle name Manh. In Vietnamese the pronunciation is “Hooung” [not so much emphasis on the "g"] and “Mah-en” [one syllable]. Obviously, that’s not how it looks phonetically in English.

Me & Hung Manh

It wasn’t until I went to college that I realized the humor in my dad’s name. Somehow I missed it until my first roommate Beth pointed it out. For the first month, whenever my dad would call our room and I wasn’t around, Beth would relay the message and follow it up with, “His name is so cool. . . Hung…[chuckle].” I never told her that I didn’t get why it was so funny. I figured the humor had something to do with a name she had never heard before. It wasn’t until I heard some boys joke about how their parts were . . . well, hung that I got it.

It’d be another year before I revealed Hung’s middle name.

SÁBADO 28 DE NOVIEMBRE

HBO ESTE 19:00 hrs, SKY 450/CABLEVISIÓN 632

HBO OESTE 22:00 hrs, SKY 453/CABLEVISIÓN 633

HUNG / HBO / 2009

Después de que una clienta satisfecha menciona que no volverá a requerir los servicios de Ray, Tanya queda desilusionada, por lo que comienza a promover su negocio con sus compañeras de trabajo. Ray se topa con Lenore en un centro comercial y recibe una lección para venderse mejor.

I’m done.

I’m through.

It’s over.

I’m finished trying to run, finished trying to control, and finished trying to be independent. Trying to be a grown-up. Let fate fall where it may, and I guess I’m leaning against the old fallback of “if God wills it.”

But seriously. At this point, if God wills it, I’ll be one intensely blessed grateful dumb shit.

I’m done.

I’m done with pretending that I’m an adult. I’m not, okay? So get over it and leave me alone. I’m struggling to get into a college that I know I’m not prepared for in a competitive world that’s waiting with eager, dripping jaws to eat me alive. I’m not ready.

I’m through.

I’m through sitting back and letting my hundreds of responsibilities run amok over me. It’s partially my fault through disorganization, partially my fault through neglect. I’m doing so much I can’t focus on the important things. If something doesn’t go, I will. I’ll go insane. So I’m through being trampled by my own many loves and passions, and I’m through being choked and hung by the dramas of my friends and school life. I’ve got to distance myself from it, before it gets me. If I don’t focus, and work my ass off on the thing that is most important, I won’t get anywhere. Ever.

It’s over.

So it’s over, kids, and here I am typing as a shakily resolute and keenly terrified individual who’s not grown up and who’s ready to practice and who really just wants to stay home and love her life and her family in peace.

But Time and Nature won’t allow it. So ready or not, I’m out in less than a year. If I go to a shitty school, well hey, that’s my own fault. Goodbye, Eastman. Nice looking at your name on the website, C.I.M. I wish I would have been good enough. I’m sorry for wasting your time, Heather. I’m deeply sorry, Mrs. Ripley.

What happens, happens. If I can’t contact anyone and have them be my savior with my transcript and SAT score report today, then I am fucked. And who can or will help me, the irresponsible procrastinator who is falsely deluding herself that she can make it in the vicious world of music?

I just want to sing. And that will probably never happen now, because I’m a fucking retard.

So guess what.

I’m done.

Another downbeat episode in which the sadness and loneliness of the characters were to the fore.  I really do like this show, more than I thought I would, but I never come away from ‘Hung’ feeling good, even after this week’s unusually feelgood ending.  And it’s probably as well if I don’t think too much about the morality of Ray falling for Jemma – which, when all’s said and done, is nothing more than a noughties spin on the ‘Pretty Woman’ fantasy of hooker and client romance.  It did, though, give the excellent Jane Adams yet another opportunity to portray the vulnerability of Tanya.

Im my review last week, incidentally, I suggested that Jemma was sufficiently attractive to make it surprising that she had to pay for Ray’s attentions, observing further that I would gladly undertake the act of love with her for no charge.  (At least, I think that’s how I put it.)  One of our regular commenters seemed surprised by this.  Having reviewed my position at leisure this week, I remain of that view.  If anything, I would pay her.  Admittedly she’s clearly demented, but if guys were to regard that as a dealbreaker…

• Death Race (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2008). Als kind was ik zot van Death Race 2000, een onnozele cultfilm uit de seventies met Sylvester Stallone en David Carradine, die eigenlijk niets meer is dan een afvalrace voor gladiatoren in auto’s. De remake is al even onnozel, maar natuurlijk nog een pak lawaaieriger. Nochtans had het allemaal erger gekund: die Jason Statham is goed voor een vette grijns nu en dan en het was fijn om Ian “Cocksucker” McShane nog eens te zien opduiken in een film. B-film met veel knullige en hier en daar grappige momenten. (**)
• Angels & Demons (Ron Howard, 2009). Ik krijg binnenshuis soms wel eens het verwijt naar m’n hoofd geslingerd dat uit m’n muziek-, film- en boekenkeuzes enkel misprijzen voor mainstreamproducten blijkt die door de lezers van deze weblocatie enkel verkeerd geïnterpreteerd kan worden, maar hey, Angels & Demons, het kan moeilijk nog simpeler. En eigenlijk valt het nog wel allemaal mee. Nee, echt bij de lurven grijpt het je niet, en al die de-kerk-houdt-er-een-verborgen-agenda-op-na-onthullingen zijn nu ook niet bepaald ophefmakend, maar het had een pak erger gekund. Angels & Demons kent minder inzinkingen dan z’n voorganger en je hoeft je niet te ergeren aan dat over het paard getilde trutteke van Amélie Poulain. (**1/2)
• Boarding Gate (Oliver Asssayas, 2007). Clean vond ik heel goed, deze iets minder. Je kan nochtans niet beweren dat Asia Argento (dochter van) haar best niet doet: het mens kronkelt en lult wat af, doet haar best om een psychologisch zwaar gehavend personage neer te zetten en krijgt degelijk weerwerk. Maar het pakt niet echt, het is allemaal wat te miserabilistisch, te geforceerd duister, kinky en tegendraads, waardoor je naar een stuk theater lijkt te kijken dat nergens heen gaat. (**)
• Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince (David Yates, 2009). Mja. Hier geldt net hetzelfde als voor de vorige verfilmingen (en naar ik vermoed ook de boeken): het zit allemaal fijn in elkaar, het is plezant om naar te kijken, weet de aandacht doorgaans vast te houden, maar het is toch geen Lord Of The Rings. (***)
• Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980). Veel beter dan dit wordt cinema niet. (*****)
• Lomax The Songhunter (Rogier Kappers, 2004). Verrassend ontroerende documentaire, die vooral de voetstappen van Lomax volgt tijdens zijn Europese reizen. (****)
• Monty Python: Almost The Truth. Onverwacht onderhoudend. Eigenlijk had ik zelden of nooit iets gelezen of gezien over de dynamiek van die zes. Best leuk om ze te horen vertellen over elkaars inbreng aan de hand van allerhande klassieke stukken. Eigenlijk zou ik de oorspronkelijke versie van zeven uur wel willen zien. (****)
• Verder ook gekeken naar Them Crooked Vultures live @ Reading op de BBC (slaapverwekkend), Little Britain Season 2 (“Bitty!”) op DVD aan het kijken, en Hung, 24 Season 7 (vraag me niet waarom) en Mad Men Season 3 (greatness) aan het volgen.

NP: Digital Primitives – Hum, Crackle & Pop

William Sparkman the census worker who was found dead hanging from a park tree in Kentucky with the word FED written on his chest in black magic marker committed suicide it was concluded by police.

Apparently he had taken out a life insurance policy on himself for $600K and wanted to commit suicide but his son would not be able to collect any money if his death was ruled as such. So he staged the entire “murder” which was cruel to the very son he tried to help.  So now the kid is out the money and has no dad. My conclusion: I was wrong about the murder and I know think that William Sparkman did not live up to his name instead he went out with a whimper – the coward.

—Bonju Patten

In this undated 2008 photo, Bill Sparkman speaks to a 7th grade class during a lesson about sound waves.

AP—A Kentucky census worker found naked, bound with duct tape and hanging from a tree with “fed” scrawled on his chest killed himself but staged his death to make it look like a homicide, authorities said Tuesday.

Bill Sparkman, 51, was found Sept. 12 with a rope around his neck near a cemetery in a heavily wooded area of the Daniel Boone National Forest in southeastern Kentucky. Authorities said his wrists were loosely bound, his glasses were taped to his head and he was gagged.

Kentucky State Police Capt. Lisa Rudzinski said an analysis found that “fed” was written “from the bottom up.” He was touching the ground, and to survive “all Mr. Sparkman had to do at any time was stand up,” she said.

“Our investigation, based on evidence and witness testimony, has concluded that Mr. Sparkman died during an intentional, self-inflicted act that was staged to appear as a homicide,” Rudzinski said.

Authorities said Sparkman alone manipulated the suicide scene. Rudzinski said he “told a credible witness that he planned to commit suicide and provided details on how and when.”

Authorities wouldn’t say who Sparkman told of his plan, but said Sparkman talked about it a week before his suicide and the person did not take him seriously.

Friends and co-workers have said that even while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, Sparkman would show up for work smiling with a toboggan cap to cover his balding head. They said he was punctual and dependable.

$600,000 in life insurance
Sparkman had recently taken out two accidental life insurance policies totaling $600,000 that would not pay out for suicide, authorities said. If Sparkman had been killed on the job, his family also would have been be eligible for up to $10,000 in death gratuity payments from the government.

Sparkman’s son, Josh, previously told The Associated Press that his father had named him as his life insurance beneficiary. Josh Sparkman said earlier this month he found paperwork for the private life insurance policy among his father’s personal files but wasn’t sure of the amount.

The Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in the rural area after Sparkman’s body was found, but a spokesman said normal operations would resume in Clay County next month.

Anti-government sentiment was initially one possibility in the death. Authorities said Sparkman had discussed perceived negative views of the federal government in the county.


More @

So what’s the unexpected mass appeal of wall hung toilets and wall hung sinks in up to date years? Is it because they take up less space and make a smaller sized loo seem larger, which any home-owner would surely appreciate? Is it because they are able to be installed at only about any height to suit your needs? What about mounting 2 at different heights one for your youngsters and one for you? Is it because people are searching for something different, which sets them aside from the Jones, and in turn makes their bathrooms feel modern, contemporary , opulent and special. And let us not forget the greying of our nation, having a wall hung sink is perfect for elderly people as it provides straightforward access for wheelchairs.

So what’s the downside to these wall hung pieces of bathroom art? Well, if you don’t like the clearly obvious plumbing fittings underneath your sink, then this could be an eyeful. But there are really three solutions to this predicament. First, some toilet designers may simply treat the plumbing as yet another design part and highlight it with fashionable fittings or incorporate pipe covers into the design. An alternate way to play down the affect is through the use of decorative shields as utilized by some pedestal sinks but these naturally do not really span down to your bathroom floor. The third solution is to buy a large basin where the deep walls of the sink adequately conceal the plumbing, leaving only visually clean lines. And just as an after thought , remember to include a wall hung cupboard unit to complete off the minimalist effect in your bathroom.

Wall hung toilet are self contained which makes them easy to clean and butting up against the wall, they make wonderful use of functional space. Just by reason of being attached to your toilet wall, clean up around these stylish looking fixtures is far easier since they literally take up no floor space. The only condition of wall hung toilets is that since they aren’t supported by your toilet floor, they need a steel support frame that must either be hidden within the furniture unit or consolidated into your toilet wall. The plus side to this is that you can adjust your toilet to any comfortable height. Most units offer the extra comfort of elongated toilet bowls and by nature can fit into a relatively compact sanctuary leaving lots of room for other fixtures.

The minimalist clean lines of recent design has always been preferred, now you can also have an ultra modern stylistic loo by incorporating wall hung bathroom fixtures into your lavatory decor.

high tank toilet

Sábado 21 d noviembre

HBO este 19:15 hrs, SKY 450 , CABLEVISIÓN 632

HBO oeste 22:15 hrs, SKY 453, CABLEVISIÓN 633

HUNG HBO 2009

Después de que Jemma le dice a Ray que cree que lo mejor es un tiempo para pensar acerca de su relación, Ray va con Tanya para pedir un consejo. Pero Tanya tiene varios asuntos personales que resolver con su misterioso novio, Pierce y con sus estrategias de mercadotecnia para los consultores en felicidad.  Lenore no puede evitar entrometerse con los asuntos de Tanya.  Ray accede a una cena familiar en la casa de Ronnie y debido a esto se enfrenta a una situación incómoda.

Apparently i have to put at least one post for the categories to show up on the site haha so this post means nothing. It’s just to make the catagorie visable.

Must-See TV by Brent Johnson

There are a few things I look forward to in life: landing on an underrated Billy Joel song when I listen to iPod Shuffle, a fried chicken salad with French dressing at Applebee’s.

And Thursday nights on NBC.

Remember ‘Must-See TV’? When Friends and Seinfield shared the same Thursday-night block? It’s back. And it’s much more deadpan, much more sarcastic, much more pop-culture-fied. And it’s my favorite night of the workweek because of these four shows:

Community
8 p.m.
It’s about a hot-shot lawyer sent back to community college because of a glitch in his degree. Joel McHale of The Soup is acerbic and charming as the preppie playboy attorney. Chevy Chase — who used to play acerbic, charming, preppie playboys — is deliciously wacky this time as an aging sidekick (and proves that he’s still one of the most entertaining comics of the last half-century). And the storylines are packed with well-paced jokes — often making fun of obscure pop culture with more nuance than Family Guy. It’s like if 30 Rock calmed down and switched its writing staff with Scrubs.

Parks And Recreation
8:30 p.m.
A show with a rocky debut last year that has easily become the most satisfying comedy on TV this season. Created by Office writer Michael Schur — a.k.a. Cousin Mose — it uses a local Indiana government as the backdrop, which kind of makes it seem like ‘The Political Office.’ But the characters are more human than the Dunder-Mifflin crew. And the episodes have proven to be stellar every single week. Plus, it boasts maybe the funniest character on TV: Ron Swanson, a moustached, no-nonsense government guy who spouts straight-faced one-liners, loves breakfast food and hates his ex-wives, both of whom are named Tammy.

The Office
9 p.m.
Not as good as last season, when the show was steeped in what makes it great: farcical comedy sprinkled with human drama. But like Cheers, we watch because we care about the characters. And like Seinfeld, we watch because we yearn to see what story this week brings. Shows like that never fully lose their luster.

30 Rock
9:30 p.m.
Star-Ledger TV critic Alan Sepinwall notes that a while ago, creator Tina Fey decided to veer this show more toward the zany than the human. Thus, it doesn’t always click as much as it used to, when Fey’s character was more human and Alec Baldwin’s big-wig boss was more supporting than lead. But the show is still stellar because the jokes are so frequent and so random. You never know when you’ll laugh out loud. It hits you so quickly.

My favorite program not on NBC’s Thursday nights?

That Metal Show on VH-1 Classic. That channel alone is brilliant for all the great forgotten 1980s alternative rock it plays (hello The Church and The The). But this half-hour — a talk show about heavy metal featuring a trivia-spouting DJ and two standup comics — is addicting. And I don’t even like metal.

(left to right) Jim Florentine, Eddie Trunk & Don Jamieson of That Metal Show

They also nab great guests — Lemmy, Mike Piazza. And Eddie Trunk, the DJ who’s the poor man’s Matt Pinfield, is a music nerd you have to like. Seriously, try an episode, even if you’ve never heard a Slayer
record.

Also worth noting…

Larry David, Anna Paquin and Thomas Jane bring their A-Game to HBO on their respective shows

HBO, the non-network that continues to break TV molds.

Curb Your Enthusiasm‘ is clever this season for reuniting the Seinfield cast without a real reunion. Tell me what’s more thrilling than seeing the Fab Four back in that New York Living room, talking about Superman and prostitutes.

True Blood was one of the few dramas on TV that consistently interested me — mostly because it’s too funny and too ridiculous to be bogged down with the weighty action and heavy-handed melodrama that make a show like 24 so unappealing to me. But Season 2 was a bit too fantastical.

And freshman show Hung — about a high school basketball coach (Thomas Jane) who turns to being a male hooker to make money — was underrated for its sly humor and sturdy acting.

Time is of the Essence- The Only TV I Watch by Bill Bodkin

I don’t have a lot of time in my schedule for TV. Between the blog, my job and my film production company combined with the fact I have a 300 movie Netflix queue and 30 movies on my DVR at any time plus my love of football and wrestling, I don’t have a lot of time to watch original television programming. So these 5 shows are ones that I do/should be watching on a regular basis.

1. Mad Men (AMC): Brilliant cannot begin to describe this show. Take a trip back to the early 60s, America’s golden years so fondly remembered by earlier generations. Enter the world of the charmingly despicable yet tragically sympathetic ad man Don Draper. If the show focused solely on his character alone it would still be great, but writer/creator Matthew Weiner has created a world where every character is vital, where every prop is integral and every line delivered has some sort of ramification. Characters come and go, sometimes not seen for weeks at a time, but their storylines are never forgotten and they are resolved (or not and for a good reason) by the end of the season. Weiner seamlessly integrates major political issues of the time and product placement (sometimes tongue-in-cheek) into storylines. Yet, even with all this, it’s still the performance of Jon Hamm that gives this series the emotional knock-out punch. He’s able to make an audience sympathize with him while still damning him for his wrong doings. A tortured soul with a heart of tarnished gold, Draper’s world is one you cannot help yourself but to watch. As a person who is not a fan of heavy drama for entertainment, I have been a devoted fan of this series for two years and simply cannot wait until next August when Don Draper walks back on my TV screen.

2. Top Chef (Bravo): I originally dismissed this show as “another crappy reality show.” I was wrong. While the show gives some attention to “drama” brewing between the chefs; the focus is, was and always will be the food. Seeing some of the best chefs in the world come up with brilliantly delicious delicacies under intense time constraints is mind-blowing. Their creations will make you salivate immediately and I guarantee the competition will suck you in. Kudos goes to the producers of Top Chef as they have been able to keep this show, which has a very simple and dangerously repetitive concept, fresh by coming up with unique weekly challenges, filming in interesting locales (Vegas, Puerto Rico, Napa Valley) and bringing in special guests like Natalie Portman, The Foo Fighters, Zooey Deschanel and countless celebrity chefs.

3. How I Met Your Mother (CBS): This sitcom is based around a simple gimmick- a father (the voice of Bob Saget) would regale his children with the story of “how he met their mother.” Clues are dropped regularly, which initially drew viewers in. It was the air of mystery that made this show sitcom unique. However, this mystery is not what makes How I Met Your Mother one of the best sitcoms going. It’s jam-packed with razor-sharp dialogue, tremendously funny dream sequences and cut scenes and is anchored by outstanding comedic performances from Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel. If you’re a fan of British sitcoms like Spaced, this is definitely a show you need to be tuning into.

4. The Soup (E!): I was a huge fan of Talk Soup with John Henson back in the day. After Henson left for TV shows that never panned out, he was abysmally replaced by Hal Sparks and Aisha Tyler. Luckily in 2004 someone decided that character actor Joel McHale would be a good fit to write and host the show. McHale not only brought back the witty one-liners (including digs on E! itself), zany intros and extremely random guest appearances but he shifted the show’s focus from just talk shows to cover reality TV, morning network news and absurd celebrity spots (e.g. It’s Miley!). You can always count on this show for good laughs.

5. Bored to Death (HBO): I will be completely honest here, I have only seen one episode of this series. However it’s an episode that completely hooked me. Jason Schwartzman plays Jonathan Ames- a pot smoking alcoholic yet lovable neurotic Brooklyn novelist who has severe writer’s block. After losing his girlfriend and doing extensive research for a possible detective novel, he decides to become a private detective. Along for the ride are his best friend & cartoonist Ray (Zach Galifianakis) and his publisher George (Ted Danson). The trio embark on a series of ridiculous capers, mostly while stoned. The combination of hipster humor, film noir and pot make this show a very engaging, breezy and utterly enjoyable series. It will most likely never meet “Entourage” levels of success but it’s a thinking man’s comedy that should entertain for years to come. And if that doesn’t sell it for you, then watch it for Galifianakis, who is an absolute understated comic genius.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to make this connection, but I watched this episode of ‘Hung’ just after watching episode 4 of this season of ‘Dollhouse’, and the similarities and differences were striking.  Had Ray’s client this week gone to the Dollhouse it would have been easy: Victor would have been given a quick once-over with a baby wipe, programmed, and sent into the field to play the reluctant romantic/knight in shining.  For poor old Ray, though, it was much more difficult; after three goes at acting out Jemma’s scenario, and one ‘Truman Show’-esque feeding of his lines, he still hadn’t quite nailed it.  Well, he’d nailed it, but apparently not in the right way.   His perseverance was touching, though.   (A point of order: no doubt there’s still a lot we have to find out about Jemma, but is she not implausibly attractive?  I mean, I’d do her for nothing.)

And in the background his wife’s second marriage is starting to hit turbulence, as her husband Ronnie (a precise performance by Eddie Jemison) hits financial trouble, while Tanya has to cope with the rather pathetic  and unsettling motivational speaker Floyd (Steve Hytner).  Likeable as ‘Hung’ is there’s a lot of pain and loneliness just under the surface.  I’ve damned ‘Hung’ with faint praise recently, but this was rather good, and the standout episode of the season so far.

Well the good news is… things aren’t getting any worse. Not that there was much scope for the spec script market to fall any more. Universal and Sony have used up their development budgets for this year, or had it taken away form them The other studios aren’t faring much better. So far this year, the proportion of scripts that have gone out wide and sold, hovers at around 1%. That’s about the same figure during the writers strike. Dire news, but at least it’s honest.

Although the persistent economic storm clouds are gradually starting to  lift, with major companies beginning to recapitalize, things should turn in the new year. Progress is likely to be slow as we still face the possibility of a double dip in the economic recovery. You know things are bad when the top tenpercentaries are selling single single digit numbers of projects. Scripts are still being circulated so that writers can display their wares. Make sure you’re one of them and get as many query letters out there as possible, hopefully even a few reads. We still need to market ourselves and network like crazy.

The screenwriting landscape has changed dramatically since the WGA strike of 2008. Television networks are relying on reality tv shows despite audience drops of around 20%. Reality tv shows can cost less than half that of scripted dramas, so are highly profitable. Networks have learnt to live without us. Where major shows used to hire 10-12 writers, the number has dropped by around 30 -40%. The number of pilots commissioned by the television networks has fallen by a similar amount. The good news is that the best television writing around these days is in cable television. Ratings of scripted cable shows have improved by around 20 -30%. Look at the Emmys, with shows like “Mad Men”, “Breaking Bad”, “Weeds” and “Hung”. Go Showtime, HBO and AMC. You rock!

The feature business is murkier. Producers are finding it tougher to get projects off the ground in light of costs increasing by around 10% per year. Many studio films are unprofitable and are considered advertisements for DVD sales and merchandising, both of which faced decreasing sales in the current economic climate.  Old school mentality dictated that you were only as successful as your last project. This adage no longer holds true. Studios are increasingly hedging their bets with franchises, sequels and comics. The beleaguered MGM studio is likely to be auctioned off shortly. In the absence of many serious buyers, it may not survive, given that it’s library is considered old and unlucrative. The worst case scenario would be one less buyer and one less lion roaring.

It has been argued that in 2009, it was easier to get a $200 million plus project like “Star Trek” greenlit than a $10 million indie. The “specialty” film business, which was once swallowed up by the studios, have still not returned in vogue. Studio balance sheets show that the more you spend on a movie, the more money it earns to justify their budgets. Studios aren’t even sure where to  spend their P & A dollars anymore. Given the declining ratings, traditional television advertising isn’t as effective as it once was. Virals and other internet campaigns are gradually being rolled out as audiences are spending more time on the internet.

However, we need this destruction to allow for new creation. How biblical! Old debt based business models need to altered to suit the new streamlined modern age. Can you believe that shows celebrating their 100th episode are really celebrating when they break even financially? How could that be sustainable? You gotta hand it to “The Simpsons” who are just recently starting to post profits. There’s creative accounting for you.

Still, the world will always need storytellers; that means us. However, the media in which we operate will change. As writers, we need to diversify our outlets. Consider writing for downloadable or streamed radio plays, webisodes, audio books on CD, mobile phone content. Nobody has figured out a viable business model for these formats, but they will in time. Necessity is the mother of invention, so we too must evolve. New foliage will sprout in the burnt out forest and we’ll be there to nurture it.

17 noiembrie 2009 Program TV HBO Romania – Ce vedem la HBO

05:25 – Bine dotat * (SUA serial de comedie, 2009 – 7.) 30 Un miros de neuitat
06:00 – Asasinarea lui Jesse James de catre lasul Robert Ford * (SUA western, 2007) 160
08:35 – Reactie in lant * (SUA film de actiune, 1996) 106
10:20 – Insula din vis * (SUA film de aventura fantastica, 2008) 95
11:50 – Mincinosul mincinosilor * (SUA comedie, 1997) 90
13:15 – Drumul spre regasire * (SUA comedie romantica, 2006) 124
15:05 – Dragostea se intoarce * (italian comedie, 2004) 110
17:00 – Ultimele dorinte * (SUA drama, 2007) 97
18:35 – Poker * (SUA comedie, 2008) 86
20:00 – In cautarea Amandei * (SUA comedie, 2008) 96
21:35 – Nunta lui Oli * (roman film de scurt metraj, 2009) 20
22:00 – Dragoste mare * (SUA serial, 2006 – 5.) La bine si la rau
23:50 – Marti * (englez thriller, 2008) 79

Watch online HBO Romania. Free online Tv HBO !

Hung episodul 7.

I was so bad tonight. I met a guy of Craigslist and let him fuck me. God he was gorgeous and black and HUNG! He fucked me good and hard and right. He can kiss and lick as well. An all around great fuck.
Definately gonna see him again!

Sábado 14 de Noviembre

HBO este 19:15 hrs, SKY 450 , CABLEVISÍON 632

HBO oeste 22:15 hrs, SKY 453, CABLEVISÍON 633

HUNG , HBO 2009 The Rita Flower

Ray está batallando con el hecho de que está empezando a tener sentimientos reales por Jemma, Mientras tanto, Tanya conoce a alguien que le puede ayudar a vencer su bloquéo para escribir. Mientras Ray se encuentra buscando posibles nuevas clientas, se topa con Jessica, quien lo invita a una cena familiar.

I was just a little underwhelmed by this episode for most of its running time.  It’s not an overwhelming show in any case.  But the last few minutes turned it round very nicely.  Ray’s children – intelligently cast and well acted – provided the first lump-in-the-throat moments, and Ray himself forging a touching human connection with one of his clients rounded things off very well.

Si può uscire dalla crisi se si è perso tutto? Spogliarsi come nella pellicola sui disoccupati di Sheffield non basta più. Ci vuole il servizio completo. Un’altra storia intorno alla famiglia Usa, aggrappata a un filo, molto particolare.

C’era una volta Full Monty, il film rivelazione di Peter Cattaneso, anno 1997, nato come produzione a basso costo, premiato da 4 nomination e un Oscar, ma soprattutto diventato un fenomeno di costume. Raccontava la storia di sei disoccupati inglesi, che nella triste Sheffield, cercavano di uscire dalla crisi più nera. Per far fronte a problemi economici e alla sensazione d’inutilità e frustrazione, tentavano un po’ goffamente l’impresa di allestire uno spettacolo di spogliarello maschile. Chi non ricorda i sei proletari folgorati dallo streap tease, che improvvisano in fila per il sussidio un provino sulle note di Hot Stuff di Donna Summer?

Hung, la serie tv che va in onda stasera su SkyUno è il nuovo Full Monty, ma stavolta si è soli, e non basta spogliarsi. Per affrontare la crisi in età adulta ci vuole il “servizio completo”.

Protagonista di Hung è un uomo maturo, divorziato, in rotta con il lavoro e con sé stesso. Per la precisione, Ray Dracker (interpretato da Thomas Jane) è un’ex-promessa del basket abbandonato dalla moglie, senza una casa, che ha perso l’affidamento dei figli, ed è insoddisfatto del proprio lavoro che consiste nel fare sottopagato l’allenatore di una squadra di college a Detroit. Un disperato quindi, ma Ray è anche bello e superdotato, appunto hung, parola col doppio significato di appeso, come Ray rispetto alla sua vita.

Il sottotitolo recita «It’s hard to make an indecent living»: è difficile condurre una vita indecente. E infatti la vita di Ray è un bollettino di guerra. C’è poco da ridere se si pensa a un insegnante di ginnastica in bancarotta che si dà alla prostituzione, ma ci si prova. Ray finisce nel più classico dei corsi motivazionali che promettono il successo e l’affermazione professionale in tempi rapidi, «Tira fuori l’imprenditore che c’è in te» recita il panel. Una suggestione che si rivela efficace, anche grazie a una sua ex Tanya (Jane Adams), incontrata allo stesso seminario. E proprio Tanya che gli aveva rimproverato di avere più cm che neuroni, sarà la sua manager.
Anche nelle note stampa, la svolta viene descritta con un linguaggio che ricorda lo storytelling aggressivo e deciso dei manager che leggono Sun Tzu: «Ray resolves to take advantage of his greatest asset, in hopes of changing his fortunes in a big way».

Hung viene prodotto dalla Hbo, che già con Six feet under e i Soprano ha affrontato la crisi della famiglia americana e dei suoi pilastri. Hung sembra il rovescio della libertà di Sex and the city e chissà se ripeterà lo stesso epocale successo. Per ora la serie in Usa è andata molto bene. «Una serie tv con le palle» ha scritto Mattia Nicoletti sul sito Moob, uno degli osservatori più interessanti sulle serie tv: «la storia di un uomo al limite costretto a compiere gesti che non avrebbe mai compiuto per rimanere a galla e attaccato anche se per un filo alla famiglia». Una storia di sopravvivenza e di cambiamento «nell’Obama post Madoff», quando i talenti tradizionali non funzionano più.