Looking for something to do this weekend that’s worth the investment?  Check out Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama’s production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”  The production ends on Sunday, November 22, but it is worth the rushing to get a seat.  Tickets range from $10-25 with discounts for students and seniors.  For more information click here: http://tinyurl.com/yg3lcxn

Why miss out anyway?   See the next big stars before they are famous.
Some of the creative arts greatest talents are former students of  Carnegie Mellon Drama’s program:

* Van Hansis, actor (As The World Turns)

* Maura West, actress (As The World Turns)

* Rob Marshall, film director, nominated for a 2003 Academy Award for Chicago.

* Ted Danson, actor (Cheers, Damages)

* Jack Klugman, actor

* Ethan Hawke (briefly attended), actor

* Pablo Schreiber, actor

* Andrew Kober, actor (Hair)

* Gabriel Macht, actor

* Gaius Charles, actor (Friday Night Lights)

* Ann Roth, costume designer (The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley)

* Eugene Lee, scenic designer (Saturday Night Live)

* George Romero, film director

* Dagmara Dominczyk, actress (The Count of Monte Cristo)

* Erik Jensen, actor/playwright

* Stephen Schwartz, film and theatre composer

* John Pasquin, film director

* John Wells, executive producer/creator (The West Wing, ER)

* Patrick Wilson, actor (Angels in America, Little Children, Watchmen)

* Blair Underwood, actor

* Billy Porter, actor/singer

* Laura San Giacomo, actress

* Sourced from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Mellon_School_of_Drama

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.

We’ve hit that time of year. You know what I’m talking about. The time of year when you drive to work in the morning in the dark and the sun drops from the sky without warning in the afternoon. This is the time of year that I stop caring about things. I abandon MSNBC for HBO and Showtime. I avoid conversation by plugging into my iPod. I put the kids to bed early and hit the sack by 9:00. Oh motivation, you mischievous badger, why must you hibernate through the winter when I need you most?

I don’t watch a lot of network TV. I pretty much just watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and then move outside basic cable for the good stuff. With Nurse Jackie and Weeds on hiatus, I’ve been turning to a couple of other old standbys—Californication and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

With the exception of the introduction of Sue Colini, this season of Californication has been a disappointment. I get it. David Duchovny has a sex addiction problem. I thought this was about Hank Moody? What happened to the story?

Curb Your Enthusiasm this season has been great with the addition of the cast of Seinfeld. Hollee thinks I am Larry David incarnate. I don’t know that I necessarily agree with that. But her point is duly noted.

This season also brought a new show to HBO, Bored to Death. This season has already come to an end and I really loved it. Hollee didn’t care much for this show. For some reason, I just really like Jason Schwartzman. I think the timing of his dry humor is perfect. Teamed up with Ted Danson in the role of his career makes it that much better.

Well, folks, there you have it. My take on my favorite television shows currently on the air. Maybe tomorrow I’ll thrill you with a breakdown of my top five favorite foods. Or maybe my all time favorite quotes. Oh oh oh, or maybe I’ll breakdown the elements of a great ballad (which must include a killer guitar solo and a tear).

But more than likely I’ll just be writing about how idiotic conservatives are who criticize Obama for showing respect to other cultures. In the meantime, check out these shows. They are way better than How I Met your Mother or House.

Until next time, peace out playas!

[Photo Credit]

hey guys, I'm criminally underused in this movie, so I'll just be over here havin' a soda...

R

Jeff Bridges, Tim Blake Nelson, Joe Pantoliano, Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, Glenne Headley, Lauren Graham, Jeanne Tripplehorn

Andy: That was Moe and Ron…we called them Mo-ron.

After losing his job and his wife, Andy (Bridges) decides that, to make money, he and his friends should make an adult film.

This movie is filled with recognizable actors and actresses in almost every role that’s even semi-major, but in the end, it’s just a waste of a lot of talent.  The script just isn’t very funny or interesting.  There are a few good moments, but overall, it’s boring.  In fact, I may have fallen asleep at one point, but just for a minute or two.  Only the general likability of the cast saves it from certain doom.

Jeff Bridges is playing a slightly more driven (and slightly better dressed) version of Jeff Lebowski, but like the other performances in the movie, it’s just so lackluster that you can’t work up any enthusiasm for his story or his character.  Also, the narration supplied by Andy throughout the film is a nuisance.  As the character Robert McKee said in Adaptation:  “God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends.  God help you.  That’s flaccid, sloppy writing.  Any idiot can write a voice-over narration to explain the thoughts of a character.”

Still, I did enjoy this movie more than I enjoyed Zack and Miri Make a Porno, which is essentially the same story with a younger cast.  This is also a much tamer movie, with no nudity and few obscenities, though there is a lot of fairly explicit talk about what they need to shoot in their movie.

I can’t help but think that all the ingredients were here for a funny, entertaining movie, but the sub-par script and some poor direction mixed up those ingredients into a tepid concoction that only delivered a few laughs and tested my ability to stay awake for the entirety of its running time.

With money and success comes happiness…?

10 – 3.3 because the script and direction resulted in a mostly unfunny, lifeless film – 1 for the overuse of narration = 5.7

El otro día comentábamos en casa que últimamente estamos siguiendo muchas series de televisión. Y es verdad. No sólo seguimos las típicas (aunque por suerte algunas terminan este año…) sino que vamos añadiendo nuevas series y nuevas tramas y nuevos personajes. Esto provoca que en conversaciones sobre Flashforward en lugar de llamar a la protagonista por su nombre (Olivia) la llamemos Penny… o a Dom Monaghan Charlie… o que Juliet sea la prota de V (todavía no me he aprendido el nombre del personaje de V)…

Pero es que este fin de semana hemos empezado otra: Bored to death. La suerte es que es una miniserie de 8 capítulos, lo que ayuda a verla de forma rápida. Aunque el título lleve a engaño (para aquellos que les cueste el inglés significa “aburrido a morir”) la serie pinta bien.

Trata de un escritor que tras la ruptura con su novia lee Adiós, muñeca de Chandler y decide convertirse en detective privado… teniendo en cuenta que es de lo más patoso y anti-detectivesco que te puedas encontrar. El primer capítulo es ameno, simpático, logra que creas que realmente el protagonista es así de patoso… tiene escenas muy buenas como cuando este en el hotel tras encontrar a su primera persona desaparecida…

Yo recomiendo la serie, total son 8 capítulos. Y están firmados por HBO! Que más se puede pedir.

P.S.: El tema detectivesco me mola. Me veo reflejado en este tipo de historias. Mis primeras pelis con amigos eran sobre una maruja espía…. en la Universidad escribí un par de historias cortas sobre un detective que reslvía casos a estudiantes de cine…. así que series como ésta o películas como Brick me apasionan, porque veo que no soy sólo yo el que tiene en mente la traslación del mundo de detectives a la vida real.

P.S.2: Os dejo un video con los títulos de entrada de la serie… para ir abriendo boca!

P.S.3: Cuando haya visto la serie entera comentamos como ha sido la primera temporada!

this tv-series rocks! did jason schwartzman ever do something uncool? no! the cast is perfect and hilarious starring ted danson, zach galifianakis and created by jonathan ames. just watch it.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091115161847AAbWBsq&cp=3

TV ratings baffle me. While a clever show like 30 Rock struggles in the ratings, CBS’s line-up of generic crap dominates the ratings. I fear the day is coming soon when CBS introduces CSI: Boise and it enters the top of the ratings.  Do Americans not realize what they are missing? Just in case, I’m providing my list of “5 Shows You Should Be Watching (But Probably Aren’t)”.

1.) Friday Night Lights – If you think that Friday Night Lights is just a show about football, you are mistaken. No other movie or TV shows has captured Texas life like FNL, but it transcends the borders, and paints a portrait of small town America rarely seen. Most television shows focus on life in urban and/or suburban environments, where people live in monolithic communities, never interacting with people outside their own demographics. FNL presents a diverse community, where folks are forced to confront their differences and work together for the community. High school football just happens to be one mechanism they use to unite the community together.For some reason, this show continues to struggle in the ratings. Currently, Season 4 is running on The 101, available only on DirectTV, but will also begin a run on NBC in the Spring.

2.)  Bored to Death – Bored to Death premiered this Fall on HBO and just concluded Season 1 last week. It stars indie favorite Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ames, a Brooklyn based writer struggling to churn out his next novel. In the pilot episode, his girlfriend (played by Olivia Thirlby) leaves him,  hurling his life into further chaos. He picks up a classic Noir mystery novel and gets the idea to start a private detective service  as a way to cope with his recent loss. Zach Galifanakis plays Ray Hueston, Ames best friend, and a constant source of support and classic Galifanakis comedy. No review of Bored to Death would be complete without mentioning Ted Danson’s performance as George Christopher, the editor of a magazine for which Ames writes. Cerebral writing, smart humor and great acting combine to make this my choice for top new show in 2009. HBO just announced that it will be picking up Bored to Death for a second season.

3.) Californication - I’ll admit that I was late coming around on Californication. It’s another story about a writer, but one completely different from Jonathan Ames. While Ames struggles with self confidence, Californication’s protagonist, Hank Moody (David Duchovny), exudes it. For Duchovny, the role is a bit of “art of imitating life,” as Moody simply can’t get enough of the “fairer sex,” but Moody and the other characters in the show learn from the mistakes of their sexual promiscuity. Season 3 of Californication currently runs on Showtime at 8 P.M.  (CST) on Sunday nights.

4.) Secret Diary of a Call Girl – Diary gives a fascinating peek into the world of a high priced call girl, Belle, played by Billie Piper. Originally produced for British TV, Showtime picked up the American broadcast rights. Through Piper’s portrayal of Belle, we see a woman trying to come terms with her role in society, trying to keep her business life separated from her personal life and dealing with the constant threat of social ostracism. Through it all, Belle emerges as a fiercely independent, strong, successful woman capable of handling all the bumps along the road she has chosen to travel. Part comedy, part drama, part tragedy, one of the most complete shows on television today.  Production just began on Season 3, so look for a late spring 2010 start to the new season.

5.) Mad Men – For those of you who have lived under a rock for the past three years, Mad Men examines life in 1960’s American through the lives of several New York City advertising men (and women). We see nation experiencing growing pains, as she evolves into her modern-day incarnation–a world where minorities and women slowly begin the painful progress of emerging from the depths of oppression and begin the steep ascent towards equality. More than that we see tragically flawed characters struggling to combat their inner demons. It’s amazing to think that HBO passed on this show, allowing AMC to pick it up. Without a doubt, the best written drama currently on TV. For those of you wanting to catch up on the show, you have time. Last week was the Season 3 finale, so you have month’s to watch prior seasons on DVD and get prepared for Season Four.

22 noviembre

HBO este 19:00 hrs, Sky 450, Cablevisión 632

HBO oeste 22:00 hrs, Sky 453, Cablevisión 633

BORED TO DEATH, HBO 2009

Jonathan Ames tiene 30 años y vive en Brooklyn, es alcohólico, le gusta la marihuana y no tiene mayor responsabilidad.  Debido a este tipo de vida y a sus vicios, su novia está a punto de dejarlo. Así inicia la historia de esta divertida comedia que nos regala HBO. Jonathan es un obsesivo escritor, y un día decide colocar un anuncio en Craigslist como detective privado, pese a que no tiene licencia. Pronto, consigue su primer caso y está dispuesto a solucionarlo.

Movie Poster 27x40

 

Creepshow is an American horror-comedy anthology film directed by George A. Romero (of Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead fame), and written by Stephen King (Carrie, The Shining, Misery, The Stand).

It was considered a sleeper hit at the box office when released in November 1982, earning over $21 million domestically, and remains a popular film to this day among horror genre fans. The film was shot on location in Pittsburgh and the suburb areas. It consists of five short stories referred to as “Jolting Tales of Horror”: “Father’s Day”, “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”, “Something to Tide You Over”, “The Crate” and “They’re Creeping Up on You!”. Two of these stories, “The Crate” and “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” (originally titled “Weeds”), were adapted from previously published Stephen King’s short horror tales. The segments are tied together with brief animated sequences. The film is bookended by scenes, featuring a young boy named Billy (played by Stephen King’s own son, Joe King), who is punished by his father for reading horror comics. The film is an homage to the E.C. horror comic books of the 1950s such as Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror and The Haunt of Fear.

Buy this Title on Blu-ray

In later years, the international rights of the film would be acquired by Republic Pictures, which today is a subsidiary of the Paramount Motion Pictures Group, itself owned by Viacom. The film’s UK rights are owned by Universal Pictures.

Trivia:

• Stephen King carried a toy figure of the character “Greedo” from Star Wars (1977) on the “Creepshow” set for good luck.
• Cameo: [Joe Hill] (son of Stephen King) The young boy featured in the beginning of the film (avid reader and collector of “Creepshow” comic books).
• Rice Krispies were used as maggots on the corpse’s eyes in the first story, “Father’s Day”. In addition, real maggots were also utilized.
• The marble ashtray (which plays a major role in Creepshow’s first story, “Father’s Day”) is featured in all five of the film’s stories if you look closely.
• The wrestling match Jordy Verrill is watching on TV in the second segment, “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”, was being called by Vince McMahon (Chairman of the WWF – now WWE). The wrestlers in the ring were then-current WWF Champion Bob Backlund and The Samoan No. 1.
• A sign leading to “Castle Rock” (Stephen King’s trademark fictitious town) appears at the very end of the segment “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”, among other signs.
• Ted Danson, who played Harry Wentworth in “Something to Tide You Over”, said in a T.V. interview that his daughter was on the set during the scene where his character returns from the dead encased in rotting flesh and seaweed. He purposely tried avoiding his young daughter out of fear of scaring her. Finally, despite his best efforts, she went up to him, looked at him and simply said, “Oh, hi Dad.”
• It is rumored that Max von Sydow was originally slated to play Upson Pratt in Creepshow’s final story, “They’re Creeping Up On You!”.
• In a “Creepshow” special feature from the pages of “Cinefantastique” magazine around the time of “Creepshow”’s release, Stephen King (screenwriter) and George A. Romero (director), revealed that if the film’s final story (“They’re Creeping Up On You!”) had proven to be too difficult and ambitious to film, it would have been substituted with the King short story “The Hitch-Hiker”, which ended up being the final story of the film’s sequel, Creepshow 2 (1987), directed by George A. Romero’s cinematographer on the original Creepshow, Michael Gornick.
• Originally, in Stephen King’s first draft 142-page screenplay for the film, the stories “The Crate” and “Something to Tide You Over” switched places. Making “The Crate” story number 3 and “Tide” story number 4. This is also how the Berni Wrightson Creepshow graphic novel adaptation turned out.
• In Stephen King’s original script for the film, the final story, “They’re Creeping Up On You!”, originally took place in a lush, carpeted penthouse apartment. However, because with roaches this would have been unworkable, Romero opted for a more empty almost hospital room-like set for the story.
• Two of the characters featured in the film, Tabitha and Richard (The new professors at the faculty reception at the beginning of the fourth segment, “The Crate”), were named after Tabitha King (Stephen King’s wife) and Richard Bachman (his ghostwriting name), according to the author.
• In the film’s second segment, “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”, the film playing on Jordy’s television in the background is A Star Is Born (1937), according to director George Romero’s commentary on the UK special edition DVD.
• The prop 10-cent “CREEPSHOW” comic book featured in the film was drawn and inked by veteran artist ‘Jack Kamen’, one of the artists for the original E.C. crime and horror comics of the 1950’s. Creepshow was a tribute to these comic books. Jack Kamen also created the comic book-style poster for the film, which was also featured on the front of the Plume “Creepshow” comic book adaptation (which Bernie Wrightson, another prolific horror comic artist, drew and inked the interiors for). Originally, (‘Stephen King (I)’ wanted Graham Ingels, another EC artist (famous for his work on the title “The Haunt of Fear”) to do the artwork for the film’s poster, but he refused. It was head of EC comics ‘William M. Gaines’ who then suggested Jack Kamen do the assignment. Kamen accepted.
• A screen capture of the “Creepshow” comic book featured in the film reveals that the letters page has letters from “Brian Hall of Ann Arbor, Mich.” and “David Graves of Spruce, Maryland”, among others. Spruce is the maiden name of King’s wife Tabitha. David Graves is the name of King’s late brother-in-law (married to wife Tabitha’s sister, Catherine). David Graves lived in Maryland (although not “Spruce”, Md), until his death in 2000.
• The on-set nickname for the monster in the crate in Creepshow’s fourth story was “Fluffy”, as named by director George A. Romero. The creature’s creator (and makeup artist on the entire film), Tom Savini, was the shorter garbageman featured near the end of the film.
• Why does Aunt Bedelia’s father come to life after 7 years in the first story “Father’s Day”? Not because of the lucky number it turns out. If you watch closely you will see Bedelia spills whiskey on the grave. In Gaelic, the word for whiskey is translated as Water of Life, and is likely a nod to James Joyce and his book “Finnegan’s Wake”. In the story a builder’s laborer falls from a ladder and breaks his skull, but is revived when someone spills whiskey on his corpse at the wake. The story of Finnegan’s Wake is in turn written based off an old Dublin street ballad.
• At the end of “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”, on the signpost is the town of Portland, Maine. This was Stephen King’s home town, and King is the star of this segment of the film.
• Adrienne Barbeau was still married to John Carpenter when Creepshow was released. Carpenter would make the film version of Stephen King’s Christine (1983) the following year. King wrote and makes an appearance in Creepshow.
• The housekeeper in the “Father’s Day” sequence is Mrs.Danvers. The malevolent housekeeper in Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense film Rebecca (1940) is also named Mrs. Danvers.

“Can I say f*** in a temple?”

Susie made sure she signed each and every book (which I believe numbered well over 100)./Photos by Ava Gacser

Ladies and gentlemen, Susie Essman is in the building – a Jewish temple in bucolic East Brunswick, N.J., as a matter of fact.

“Now I’m here with all you lovely Jews,” she said last night with a smile.

The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star’s appearance included a Q&A and book signing to promote her recently released memoir, “What Would Susie Say? Bullsh*t Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy,” at Temple B’nai Shalom. The event, coordinated by the Friends’ Health Connection, was $35 and included a copy of the book which Susie graciously signed at the end of the evening.

Naturally, much of the conversation – which was artfully moderated by Susie’s good friend, comedian/actor/former “Saturday Night Live” writer Alan Zweibel – revolved around Susie’s experiences playing her “Curb” alter ego, the wonderfully foul-mouthed Susie Greene.

She admitted that when hired by Larry David to do the show, she was reticent when “LD” (as Larry refers to himself) instructed her to curse out her co-star and “Curb” husband, Jeff Garlin, in an episode called “The Wire.”

“Rip Jeff a new a**hole,” she recalled was the only direction Larry gave her. And after a bit of cajoling, this was the result:

“He let the genie out of the bottle,” Susie said with a laugh.

She revealed that she and Larry have never had a discussion about who Susie Greene is, and that she was the one who came up with Susie’s crazy taste in clothes.

“Susie is a very simplistic character,” she explained. “You don’t cross her, and you definitely don’t cross her kid.”

She said she’s pretty good at holding it together during filming and doesn’t laugh, but that this week’s episode, “Officer Krupke,” sent her over the edge.

When Larry dropped his pants, “just seeing those spindly legs” was enough to crack her up.

Her favorite episode, though, is “The Doll.” She said that was the first time the “Spaghetti western music that’s become my theme song” (I love that music!) was used.

“I don’t know what’s funnier than (screaming), ‘Get me the f***ing head!’” she laughed.

Susie said that despite the fact that most of actors on the show go by their own names – Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Michael York, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards (you get the picture) – they’re not necessarily playing themselves.

“The only one who is who you think he is is Richard Lewis,” she said.

(Which is a pretty interesting statement, considering his actions in the funniest episode so far of this season, “Vehicular Fellatio.” Clip please:)

“People don’t understand that it’s not reality TV,” Susie added.

Alan agreed, saying that he was just out with Jeff Garlin this week, and people were coming up to Jeff and cursing at him for cheating on Susie – Susie Greene, that is.

Although Susie enjoys being on “Curb,” she said she would like the opportunity to explore different roles… like perhaps on “Mad Men.”

“It’s so beautifully written,” she gushed. “Those characters are so fully drawn.”

You hear that, Matthew Weiner?

One thing is for certain: When Larry originally contacted her about “Curb,” she had no idea it would turn out to be anywhere near as popular its become.

“I never planned to make a living telling people to go f*** themselves,” she said.

A bit about Alan

When Alan Zweibel first came out, I realized my friend Mary Ann and I (who I was again with last night) had seen him perform earlier this year in “Celebrity Autobiography” (also with Susie Essman!) in New York City. He read a hysterical passage from Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee’s memoir, “Tommyland.” Alan, it turns out, was one of the original writers for “Saturday Night Live” and was good friends with Gilda Radner, for whom he wrote her iconic character, Roseanne Roseannadanna. In fact, he’s written a book about that relationship, “Bunny, Bunny: Gilda Radner, A Sort of Romantic Comedy.” Just the little bit he recounted last night was enough to make me want to read the book (and thanks to Franklin Township Public Library, I soon will be!). Alan also talked about his life working in the biz (he’s good friends with Billy Crystal) and his own experiences with Larry David (he was a consultant on “Curb” for a couple of years).

“We all knew that someday the rest of the world will catch up with him,” Alan said, explaining that audiences didn’t seem to appreciate Larry’s sense of humor back in the days when he worked comedy clubs.

Susie agreed, recalling that she and her best friend, Joy Behar, used to hang out with Larry and listen to him complain about women and dating.

“It was all the George stories,” she said and confirmed that “The Phone Message” episode (clip above) was straight out of Larry’s life.

At the end of the evening, Alan hung around the lobby as Susie signed books. He also took the time out to talk with people, signed several of Susie’s books himself and was nice enough to pose for photos, like the one below with me.

And here’s another photo of Susie at the signing:

VERDICT:
9/10 FUBARs

I still have no freakin’ clue how this lost Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love. What was up with that? Horseshit.

Saving Private Ryan is about a unit in WWII that are given orders to ensure the safety and return home of one James Francis Ryan after the deaths of his three brothers on the field of battle. The members of said unit also get a plane ticket stateside if they get Ryan back, so it’s a win-win for everybody.

Being that there’s a good chance this movie’s gonna be playing on TV tonight (which has become an awesome annual tradition of sorts) thought this would be as good a way as any to celebrate Veteran’s Day in style.

The funny thing about this movie is that even a eleven years after its release, whenever I talk to people about it, the conversation inevitably leads back to the same thing we were all talking about back in 1998 – the opening scene on the beaches of Normandy. Part of me is tempted to say that I’m surprised everyone is still hung up on that scene, but then again, it’s not often that a movie changes the game entirely over the course of fifteen minutes.

The reason everyone couldn’t stop talking about this opening scene is because war had never been depicted like this in movies before. No sugarcoating. No punches held. Everyone was taken for a loop at how Spielberg managed to pull off such a frighteningly convincing feat of presenting the horrors of war to his audience by placing them as close to the front lines as he possibly could without having them rush the beaches themselves. No other war movie told it like this beforehand and there really hasn’t been a war movie that’s done it better since. I’ve seen this movie a good four or five times and even though I know what’s coming, it is always a rough sit-through.

You want to see why war is hell from the comforts of your La-Z-Boy? Saving Private Ryan oughta do the trick just fine.

Granted, this is a pretty hard act to follow for the remaining two-and-a-half hours, and maybe I’m just getting ahead of myself here, but I don’t feel like the rest of this movie gets the credit it deserves.

The things I actually like most about this movie are two things that Spielberg arguably does better than anyone else out there – character development and honest storytelling. There are a lot of characters to account for but everyone has their own distinct quirks and personalities that make them stand out as individuals. They all have their own stories and getting to hear those stories, getting to see how each of them react to the situations around them – not only in the heat of battle but otherwise – is one of my favorite aspects of this script.

The cast is also made up of everyone from every movie you’ve ever seen. The unit alone is made up of Ed Burns (awesome), Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies (aka: Eugene from Eugene in Rescue Dawn), Vin Diesel (pre-car thief), Giovanni Ribisi, and, of course, Tom Hanks. What is there left to say about Tom Hanks? He’s one of the greatest actors of all-time and just an all-around standup guy. Naturally, he’s great here as the unit’s leader and once again steals the show. Guy’s come a long way since Bosom Buddies.

Paul Giamatti, Ted Danson, and Nathan Fillion all get bit roles, too. So that’s a nice little bonus. 

And not to beat a dead horse, but even after the opening scene at Normandy, the action scenes are freakin’ phenomenal. An absolutely wild and harrowing experience.

The only problem is that I feel like Spielberg has a hard time finding the right way to wrap up his movies, like the very end of Schindler’s List for example, and the same thing could be argued here. The final scene at the cemetery in Normandy along with the “Earn this!” theme might come off as sappy to some, but nonetheless, not a big complaint in light of everything else it does right.

Saving Private Ryan is just an incredibly well-made movie and redefined the face of war on the silver screen. One of those movies that I’ll to stop whatever I’m doing and just watch whenever it comes on TV.

Freakin’ Shakespeare in Love. That Joseph Fiennes is a ninny.

Online sources are reporting that hit 1987 film ‘Three Men and a Baby’ is set to have a second sequel made. The first film saw 80s stars Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg and Tom Selleck become parents to a baby girl, Mary. Mary’s mother, Sylvia, had left her on the doorstep of the bachelor’s New York apartment unable to cope. The baby’s father was revealed to be Ted Danson’s character, Jack. At the end of the film Sylvia returns to reclaim Mary but ends up moving in with the three men. The film is also known for a ‘ghost’ which appears at the back of the room during one scene between Ted Danson and the actress playing his mother. At the time the filmakers claimed it was infact a cardboard cut out of Steve Guttenberg. Have a look at the pic below and see if you think it looks anything like Steve Guttenberg. Anyway, the film was so succesful (My mother tried unsuccesfully to rent it for weeks on VHS from our local video shop) a sequel appeared three years later where Sylvia is all set to marry an English man (who’s portrayed as a cad-typical). Once again the selfless trio swing into action and head to the UK where Tom Selleck’s character,Peter, admits his feelings for Sylvia. The sequel didn’t fare so well at the time, but now they’re all set to return in ‘Three Men and a Bride’ which will presumably be about Mary getting married and the three ‘dads’ having to give her fiancee the once over to make sure he’s good enough. Steve Guttenberg has confirmed the film is in the works and that Danson, Selleck and himself are in talks to reprise their roles. Thanks for reading.

“Take a Dive”

November 8th, 2009

I was going to write about how it’s been a while since I’ve checked in with Bored to Death here at Cultural Learning before I realized that, in fact, I’ve never checked in on it at all. I watched the pilot and was intrigued if not overly engaged, and since that point I’ve sort of been watching the show off and on while following critics’ reactions to the series. So, instead of reaffirming previous statements about the show or potentially offering a different point of view, I need to start from the beginning.

I like this show, but I’m having trouble falling in love with it. There’s something about Ames’ style and the way the show is being organized that keeps us as an audience at a distance, which the pilot was indicative of: there were logical leaps and bounds that were simply never explained about why Jonathan would ever become a private detective. And while I’m aware that part of the show’s charm is how uncomfortable Jonathan can be in that environment, and that the randomness of some of the cases often gives the show a unique sort of tone, I wanted to be able to watch “Take a Dive” and completely buy into the character development it seemed to imply. This show is full of great actors and some very solid material, but there a few points in this finale where I questioned less this individual episode (which I really enjoyed) and more how, precisely, these kinds of developments haven’t taken place up to this point.

The show has sort of been meandering around the same themes for a while, and the finale was largely a vessel through which Jonathan, George and Ray all find some sense of purpose in their largely aimless existences. Because of the talent involved, this episode goes well, but I do wish that the investigation of that aimlessness had been a bit more even.

There’s a really nice scene in this one where George and his ex-wife Priscilla are in bed, and George observes that they’ve finally reached the third act: Married, Divorced, and now Lovers. He evokes the adage that there is never actually a third act in life, but what’s interesting about Bored to Death is that it was actually missing the Second Act. This episode was a nice cap-off to the season, and moments like the final scene of George and Jonathan being glad they’re in each other’s lives and play boxing around the ring in the darkened theatre are indicative of the camaraderie that the show has occasionally considered. It felt like a goodbye to a show of characters that had really grown, which was odd considering that we never really got the second act where any of that growth could have taken place. The pilot was so quick to rush into Ames’ Private Eye business as the show’s procedural hook that it never bothered to really contextualize it within his life.

It took this episode, as he lies post-coital with Stella (Jenny Slate, pre-SNL), for him to realize that perhaps the reason he was unable to complete his novel (which was the end of season’s slow-burning serialized development started a while back with Bebe Neuwirth as his editor) is because he wasn’t writing about something exciting like his work as a private detective. However, this has been staring him in the face for a while, and the show has just been slow to have him pick up on it. Never mind that he actually did write about it for the comic that he and Ray put together following the show’s best episode, featuring Ray and George getting high while Jonathan gets victimized. It’s as if the pilot rushed its way into being both Acts One and Two (establishing Jonathan’s problem of both writer’s block and commitment issues), and then it just sort of meandered through Brooklyn for a while, wavering in quality until it reached its Act Three and brought its characters some sense of closure.

I don’t think this is a terrible thing, as those episodes have been divisive but have also made some loyal fans out of those who enjoy the show’s variable sense of humour. I thought that the finale wasn’t firing on all cylinders so much as it was letting the characters do the work. Paul Feig directed the episode in a very laidback style, so scenes like Jonathan and Stella playing nerf basketball were punctuated with beats like Jonathan biting at the ball in her hand, or the pile of books falling over in the midst of their play. The episode also resists one of its two potential punchline (pun unintended): while the fights themselves were predictable (our heroes are too hapless to win, and you knew that the first two fights would split), the show gave Stella her less than graceful exit (urinary tract infection) but actually left George standing tall. Despite my expectation, Priscilla wasn’t lying about Antrem’s heart condition, which really shocked me – I kept expecting the credits to switch to Antrem and Priscilla having sex and celebrating the ruse, but it didn’t happen.

And I think that shows you were the show is ultimately at when it comes to those type of stories. It really loves these characters, perhaps because Schwartzmann is playing a version of Ames himself and perhaps because they’re just having a lot of fun with this great cast. The episode takes some shortcuts to pretend as if there has been consistent development all season, like Ames playing private detective and searching out his would-be blackmailer using his P.I. skills, but in doing so it was ultimately engaging. I like the show better in this mode than I do during some of its more aimless journeys, and considering just how great this cast is I’m willing to follow them into a second season knowing that things might be just as uneven all over again.

At the very least, I wasn’t bored.

Cultural Observations

• Loved seeing Sarah Vowell (who, alongside being a regular contributor to public radio, also voiced Violet in The Incredible) covering the fights, and those initial sets of interviews were all pretty great: I especially enjoyed Ray’s opponent being so masochistic, a runner that the show put to good use but didn’t overuse.
• John Hodgman was another great edition to the cast, and as was Oliver Platt for that matter. The show did well with guest stars along the way, and I hope that can continue in season two.
• And speaking of continuing: while some episodes didn’t give him much to do, and he’s a big movie star now, I hope that Zach Galifianakis has time to do Season Two.

I had no idea what I was going to write about this week until my brother sent me the following link via the technological wonder that is AOL Instant Messenger.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/15573/three-geriatric-men-and-an-ex-baby-

Yes, it’s exactly what it looks like – Ted Danson, Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg are in talks to star in a third Three Men and a Baby film.

I’ll give you a moment to sit back down in your chair.

I kid, of course – there are exactly 3 people who are excited by this news – Steve Guttenberg, Steve Guttenberg’s agent and my mom – who’s been in love with Tom Selleck since 1980. (And really who wouldn’t be infatuated – awesome PI job in Hawaii, sweet car, a mustache as thick as the verdant rainforests of Madagascar).

In case you don’t remember the original film, or its sequel Three Men and a Little Lady – which is entirely possible – the movies centered around three men who had been banging the same chick and then one of them knocked her up, but she didn’t know who because she was a gigantic ho. This, obviously, is much like plot of the long running sitcom My Two Dads, except the mom on that show only gave two dudes Chlamydia.  In the new film, these three bachelors would be planning their daughter’s wedding.

Can you imagine how many people they’d have to invite?  You’d have to invite the family of all three dads, plus the mom’s family, plus the groom’s family, plus the entire casts of Cocoon, Cheers and Quigley Down Under.  What an effing mess.

And why wouldn’t they all have gone on Maury at some point in the last 20 years and have a paternity test done?  It would have saved everyone a lot of time and the caterer a lot of plates.  Incidentally, I bet ten bucks that all three dads order the fish.  (Ignore the whole Maury thing, btw – my fiancee, who is my censor/spiritual advisor for this blog and actually remembers these films, informs me that Ted Danson is officially the baby daddy, which makes the whole thing weirder and more stupid.)

This movie – if it’s ever made – will be just another example of Hollywood foisting an unwanted and unneeded sequel upon the American populous.  Do we really need another Saw movie?  Did we need four Fast and Furious movies? Do we really need another Ghostbusters? I just read that they are making a third one of those, too.

I’m gravely concerned about this last possibility.  I loved the Ghostbuster movies.  Loved them.  And I’m convinced that any new Ghostbusters film will be awful and destroy my fond memories – a phenomenon I’m going to dub the Crystal Skull Effect.  I’m still pissed about the Crystal Skull  – the fourth installment of what was once my favorite movie trilogy, Indiana Jones – and will forever hold George Lucas and Shia Labeouf ( who, disappointingly is no way related to Sabrina Le Beauf) responsible for destroying  a great franchise. It was easily the single most disappointing film I’ve ever seen (and I was a TA for four different film 101 classes while I was in grad school – trust me when I say I’ve seen a lot of disappointing films).

What I’m saying is this – if Harrison Ford can’t pull off playing Indiana Jones anymore, what hope does Bill Murray have to play Peter Venkman?  What hope does Slimer have?

Does anyone really think Steve Gutenberg can succeed where Han Solo can’t?

Apparently it’s really true. Disney is making a third installment to the “Three Men” series. Or so Steve Guttenberg says. If it ain’t really true, blame him!

Although my disdain for the constant remaking of old ideas has already been discussed on this blog, for some reason I am quite excited about this. Maybe it’s just because I love Tom Selleck, I don’t know.

No doubt it will be cheesy rubbish… But will it be the really good kind of cheesy rubbish? That is the question!

This one is very much a rumour so take it with a pinch of salt for the moment. Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg, and Tom Selleck could be getting back together for Three Men and a Bride, a follow-up to the 1987 comedy Three Men and a Baby according to Contact Music.

The trio played bachelor pals forced to raise a baby together after she’s left on their doorstep by desperate mum Nancy Travis in the 1987 original. In 1990 they re-teamed for the sequel “Three Men and a Little Lady”. The plan here would be to reunite the trio for their movie daughter’s wedding.

It could be plausible, but the news comes from Steve Guttenberg who told WENN “Disney’s developing Three Men and a Bride. That’s going to be a smash. A smash hit. They’re bringing everybody back for that. Nobody knows about it. I’m the first to talk about it.”

Now The Gute hasn’t had much box office success of late. In fact I last mentioned him being in Panto last Christmas (above photo is from that via The Mirror). Therefore, this could just be him mentioning a sequel that doesn’t exist in the hopes that it will drum up enough interest for the studios to take note.

I mean it is not as if he is trying to get anything else going in his career. That’s right isn’t it Steve?

“It’s definitely time for another Police Academy. And I think they could make another Cocoon. They’re surefire hits and I think they’re good for the world. They make the world a better place and that’s what it’s all about.”

Ah thanks for backing me up there Steve. So there you have it Cocoon and Police Academy are good for the World.

Disney have yet to comment.

Would you want to see another sequel to Three Men and a Baby? How about Police Academy or Cocoon?

Si hace unos días se confirmaba que Hugh Jackman, no iba a repetir como presentador de la próxima ceremonia de los Oscars, ahora se confirma el nombre de los presentadores. Sí, dos presentadores, lo que no es muy usual. Y los nombres son Steve Martin (que es la tercera vez que conduce los premios) y Alex Baldwin (que es la primera vez). Ambos comparten cartel, junto con Meryl Streep en la comedia “It´s Complicated” que se estrenará en Estados Unidos en Navidades, pero habrá que esperar al 7 de marzo para ver que tal se les da copresentar los próximos Oscars y si superan el listón bien alto que dejó Jackman.
La taquilla española tiene un rey desde hace 4 semanas seguidas. Sí, “Ágora” de Alejandro Amenábar está arrasando en nuestro país. Es la película española más taquillera de 2009, tampoco es muy difícil, y la tercera película más vista de lo que va del año. Mucho se ha dicho de la cinta, la cual a mi me gustó bastante, pero lo cierto es que está funcionando muy bien a la hora de recuperar la inmensa cantidad de dinero invertido. También destacar rápidamente, el que es el documental en cines más visto de la historia, sí “This is it”, (que se pone en segundo lugar en nuestra taquilla) ha arrasado mundialmente y la distribuidora ha aumentado el tiempo de proyección de la misa, que inicialmente era de dos semanas.
Ya hay dos tráiler circulando de la que se anuncia como una de las películas del próximo verano. El Príncipe de Persia, la adaptación del mítico videojuego, llegará en verano de la mano de Jerry Bruckheimer y de Jake Gyllenhaal, así que a esperar toca.
Por último vamos de una serie de rumores y de confirmaciones sobre secuelas, algunas inquietantes, la verdad es que a mi no me llama la atención ninguna. La primera, es ya una confirmación, la nueva parte de “Mad Max”, ya tiene título y actores. La popular saga protagonizada por Mel Gibson, tiene nuevo capítulo, “Mad Max: Fury Road”, estará protagonizada por el casi desconocido Tom Hardy y por la oscarizada Charlize Theron. Una combinación curiosa.
Sobre esta tercera parte se está trabajando en el guión, aunque sus actores no han confirmado su participación. Pues eso, que habrá “Men in Black 3”. El equipo de las dos primeras, no se ha confirmado que vuelva, pero Will Smith parece interesado en el proyecto.
La siguiente es muy surrealista ¿Os acordáis de una película de nuestra infancia, que se llamaba “Tres Hombres y un bebé”, y que tuvo segunda parte, “tres hombres y una pequeña dama”? Pues la original, que es de 1987, tiene tercera parte. Disney ha decidido dar luz verde a “Tres hombres y una novia”, donde la hija en cuestión se casa, y Ted Danson (Cheers), Steve Guttenberg (La Loca Academia de Policía) y Tom Selleck (Magnum) repiten como los tres hombres en cuestión.
Por último un rumor a voces, parece que habrá Cazafantasmas 3, con todo el equipo original. Habrá que esperar a la confirmación oficial.

Image via trekbbs.com

Some of you might have heard of a little movie starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson.  That movie was Three Men and a Baby, followed by the even less popular Three Men and a Little Lady. And now, Steve Guttenberg reports that Disney will be making Three Men and a Bride. It will be starring all three of the original cast, which I find interesting because I think Guttenberg is really the only one that needs to work on his career and this movie is just going to make it worse.  Ted Danson was recently on the popular show Damages and Tom Selleck has been surviving with his popular Magnum, P.I. fame and guest appearances on various popular television shows.  The first movie wasn’t extremely well received, and the second one even less so, so why the third?  I can understand why Guttenberg signed on, but really Selleck?  I am wondering who gave this movie the greenlight, and how fast they will be fired when it bombs, which it surely will.

Sadly, I will probably see this movie…and I can blame it on pure curiosity, but I like the first one.  I am sorry to all the readers I just lost because of this statement.

So I decided to give myself a new project.  I’m going to try to rank the top 10 shows I watched on a week by week basis. Since I usually don’t finish watching a given week’s shows until Sunday, this will probably run late. (I watch over 25 hours of TV a week).

Worst Show of Last Week: Cougar Town (Episode: “A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me)”) – The scary thought is that before I remembered I watched Cougar Town (which will probably always be the worst show I watch every week), I was going to say 30 Rock.

The Power Rankings: (may contain mild spoilers)

10. Bored to Death (Episode: “The Case Of The Beautiful Blackmailer”) – Why did it take the show this long to have Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson get together?

9.  Modern Family (Episode:  “Run For Your Wife”) – Probably my least favorite episode so far but still good enough for the top 10 based on Cam and Mitchell at the doctor’s office.

8. The Office (Episode: “Koi Pond”) The Pam/Andy stuff brought the episode down except for the end.  But I do like Pam’s irrational dislike of Erin. It’s getting borderline Michael/Tobyish

7.  It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Episode: “The Gang Wrestles for the Troops”) – Cricket + Roddy Piper spoofing Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler + the Birds of War theme song = Gold

6.  Curb Your Enthusiasm (Episode: “The Bare Midriff”) – Larry’s an asshole. Usually I can tell how an episode of Curb is going to end and just cringe waiting for it to happen.  This one came out of nowhere.

5. The Venture Bros. (Episode: “Handsome Ransom”) – Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman in all the Dini/Timm cartoons) was the voice of Captain Sunshine which is genius.  I couldn’t even tell until the end.

4. Community (Episode: “Introduction to Statistics”) – Best episode since the 2nd one.  i was starting to lose faith in this show. Also, I think

3. Friday Night Lights (Episode: “East Of Dillon”) – I’m glad to have Coach Taylor and Principal Taylor back in my life.  You can’t help but feel back for Coach.

2. Sons of Anarchy (Episode: “Potlatch”) – The best drama on TV that’s not Mad Men. Poor Luann.  I didn’t see that coming. I don’t see how Clay and Jax could survive this season.

1. Mad Men (Episode: “The Gypsy And The Hobo”): This was one of those game changer Mad Men episodes. Jon Hamm has his Emmy reel