Now, let me just say off the bat that I do not believe these are the 50 best shows of this decade (although some certainly are). These are just the 50 television shows that brought me the most entertainment, the ones that I am most fond of when I think back on the decade. I contemplated doing this in order of love/respect but then this post would never get done so I’ll do a Top 10.

I decided to leave off The Simpsons and South Park because they’ve been on for so long (and I needed any excuse to make room for other shows) but they both had great episodes in the 00’s and if I didn’t need the room, they’d make the cut.

I tried to stick with shows that had at least two full seasons under its belt unless the show had been canceled like Freaks and Geeks.

And, no, I’ve never watched The West Wing or ER and that’s why they aren’t on the list.

My Favorite 10 Shows of the 00’s:

10. Six Feet Under: I remember watching the series premiere with Kristy and Fatima and all of us not being that impressed. I remember also watching the closing montage in the series finale and man tears streaming down my cheek

9. Spaced: I don’t remember when I discovered Spaced. I think I saw Shaun of the Dead first and then downloaded both seasons and then sat my brother in front of the computer and made him watch them all.

8. 24: You win, Erwin.  Erwin begged me to watch 24 and I didn’t because I was watching something else that came on at the same time (pre-DVR) but I decided to watch starting season two and was instantly hooked.  Fun fact: Jack Bauer has killed 227 people in seven season (which equals seven days) SO FAR

7. Battlestar Galatica: I watched the first half of the TV movie that set up the series and I wasn’t that impressed. I think I didn’t like the CGI of the Cylons.  But halfway through season one, I started reading all these awesome reviews so I went back and caught (luckily the Sci-Fi had no other original programming so it was easy to catch a marathon).  I wasn’t in love with how the show ended but it was still an awesome ride.

6. Mad Men: I am a sucker for period pieces and I was hooked from episode one.  All three seasons have been stellar and I really hope it doesn’t tail off and go to shit.

5. The Sopranos: What else can be said about the most discussed television show on the 00’s? I think Tony (spoiler alert) lived in the end because given the vantage point, Anthony or Meadow would have seen any approaching hit and the last thing Tony would have heard was their screams.

4. Arrested Development: The fact that this show couldn’t get viewers and According to Jim lasted eight(!) seasons is why I have no faith in the U.S. viewing public. This show will always have a special place in  my heart if only for it spawning the “There’s Gotta Be a Better Way to Say That” (or “TGB”) game my friends and I play.

3. Freaks and Geeks: There’s a part of me that’s glad it only lasted one season.  They had one PERFECT season and if it had kept going, who knows if they would have been able to keep up such a high standard.

2. Lost: Surprised it’s not number one? I don’t know what I can say now that I haven’t written on this blog a hundred times. This is the only show in my lifetime that I have ever been obsessed with.  Sure, I love all these shows but it clear I am obsessed with Lost.  I don’t watch episodes with people anymore because a) I don’t want to be distracted by questions and b) I write notes during the episode to help with my blog which I’m pretty embarrassed about.

1. The Wire: Confession time. I didn’t start watching The Wire until season three because that’s when I finally had a DVR and could record it while watching other shows.  But the second season three ended, I went on a 48 hour bender watching every episode of seasons one and two. I love The Wire so much that just talking about it makes me want to start over and watch all five seasons over again. If you haven’t seen this show, it’s a crime. Screw the 00s, The Wire is one of the greatest shows EVER and I will argue that point with anyone who wants to lose.

Full list (in alphabetical order):

1. 24
2. 30 Rock
3. Angel*
4. Arrested Development
5. Battlestar Galatica (2004)
6. The Big Bang Theory
7. Big Love
8. Bones
9. Breaking Bad
10. Burn Notice
11. Californication
12. Chappelle’s Show
13. Chuck
14. Curb Your Enthusiasm
15. Damages
16. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart**
17. Deadwood
18. Dexter
19. Extras
20. Firefly
21. Flight of the Conchords
22. Freaks & Geeks*
23. Friday Night Lights
24. Futurama
25. Gossip Girl
26. Grey’s Anatomy
27. How I Met Your Mother
28. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
29. Jackass
30. Justice League Unlimited
31. The L Word
32. Lost
33. Mad Men
34. Malcolm in the Middle
35. Nip/Tuck
36. The Office (BBC)
37. The Office (NBC)
38. Psych
39. Pushing Daisies
40. Rome
41. Scrubs
42. The Shield
43. Six Feet Under
44. Skins
45. The Sopranos*
46. Spaced*
47. The Venture Bros.
48. Veronica Mars
49. Weeds
50. The Wire

* Started in 1999 but ran through the 2000s
** The Daily Show started in 1996 but Jon Stewart didn’t become host until 1999 and that changed the entire complexity of the show.

Entertainment Weekly, you never cease to entertain me.  I love the way you inform me all the pop culture news I ever needed to know.  But my favorite thing about you, EW, is your photo galleries that contain endless lists.  Oh, how you satisfy my list craving.

The latest of the lists has to do with favorite seasons of some classic tv over the last few decades.  They put their list in no particular order – I won’t list every show here, so check out the full list here.

• The Simpsons, season 4 (1992-93) – home to great episodes like Homer the Heretic, Marge and the Monorail and Mr. Plow, it’s no secret that season 4 was a great season.  Because who can’t sing the Mr. Plow song every time they see a plow?
• Alias, season 1 (2001-2002) – I really like when a show’s first season is a favorite.  Mostly because it’s a testament to the writers, show producers and actors that they had something good right off the bat.  But, on the other hand, when the first season is the best, it makes me wonder what went wrong later on.
• Lost, season 1 (2004-2005) – The only season of Lost I could tolerate.  Unfortunately, it was never a show I could really get into.  But, with that said, season 1 was still excellent.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 2 (1997-1998) – A really amazing season, although not my favorite.  During the second season, everyone just locked step, and the Scoobies were never out of character again.  When I reintroduced myself to Buffy, it was the second season that really pulled me through.
• The Sopranos, season 4 (2002) – I just love the Sopranos, from beginning to end.  But what I love even more was the show’s ability to go from being really dark to being really REALLY dark and complicated.  Season 4, in my opinion, is the darkest of all, but no less amazing than the others.
• Sex and the City, season 3 (2000) – Carrie’s infidelity, Miranda’s breakup with Steve, Charlotte’s wedding to Trey, and Samantha and the guy with the “funky spunk.”  Classic.
• Veronica Mars, season 1 (2004-2005) – The beginning of an amazing story about a young, girl detective with a penchant for lost causes and spying.  The first season of Veronica Mars has always been my favorite, as it was the introduction into the life of a teenaged super sleuth.

There’s quite a few more TV shows with great seasons on the EW’s list.  I definitely recommend checking them out, and voicing which seasons of your favorite shows are your favorites.

This episode starts out with Veronica staking out her exboyfiend’s father at a hotel and then Neptune’s local bike gang shows up.  But since Veronica wanted to tell us how she ended up there, we get a flash back to the day before.

During school, Veronica had cut down a Wallace Fennel who had gotten the PCHers bad side.  As the school day progressed, Veronica explains how she uses to be in with the cool crowd when her dad use to be the sheriff and since she dated Duncan Kane.  But after her dad accused Duncan’s father after Veronica’s father accused him of killing her best friend, Lily Kane-which was a big murder case.  Veronica also tells us that she went to a party after Lily’s death to prove to people that she won’t let the rumors get to her.  But she ended up getting drugged and then raped. 

With Veronica having caught us up, we see how she talked the PCHers leader of giving Wallace a week of not being picked on and she’ll get the two people who Wallace got sent to jail.  But before the gang showed up, Veronica got some pictures of Jake Kane and the license plate of the mystery woman who Celeste Kane believes that Jake Kane is sleeping with.

So Veronica uses one case that she and her father are working on to help out Wallace.  She also had a friend make a bong and stick it into Logan’s locker to get him into trouble for the fun of it, but also so she and Wallace could get Inga, the sheriff’s receptionist to call the fire department to come and have the sheriff switch videos

During the trial of the PCHers members, the video that Veronica had shot outside of a bar got the gang members off and she got the video of the PCHers members stealing when Wallace pushed the bottom that got the Biker Gang members into trouble.  Afterwards, Veronica and Wallace hang out at the beach when Logan shows up and hits the lights on Veronica’s car since she got him into trouble and Logan’s dad took away his car.  As Logan does this, the biker gang shows up and Weevil puts a stop to it by telling Logan and his friends that all trouble goes through him and does damage to Logan’s friend’s car.  So Logan and his friends leave and Veronica gets Weevil to apologize to Wallace.

Veronica is interested to find out what her dad is doing dropping the Jake Kane case.  So Veronica headed back to her father’s office to check out the safe that her father uses to see why was lying to her about how her mother was the one that was in the hotel room with Jake Kane, and finds out that her father has still been investigating the Lily Kane murder.

Veronica Mars is the lead Character in the Veronica Mars TV series.  Veronica is the daughter of the Neptune’s sheriff Keith Mars who was forced out of office after her best friend, Lily Kane, was murdered and accused Lily’s father Jake Kane of killing Lily.  After that, not only was her father lost his job as sheriff, Veronica’s boyfriend Duncan Kane dumped Veronica, making her lose her spot in the elite 09er click in school. 

After that, Veronica started working for her father when he started working as a Private Detective.  Veronica also doesn’t care what her fellow classmates think of her and makes that clear when she cuts Wallace Fennel down after he gets on the bad side of a biker gang by the name of PCHers.  After that, Veronica uses a case that a lawyer by the name of Cliff McCormack has Mars Investigation to look into to help Wallace to get on PCHers good side.

In the first episode of the series, Veronica also tells us at a party she went to after Lily’s death, she was roofied when she was given a drink by someone and then she was raped.

09ers are the rich kids at Neptune high.   Veronica was apart of the group cause she dated Duncan Kane before her father, Keith, accused Jake Kane of killing his daughter Lily.

Cliff is a lawyer in Neptune that has Mars Investigation look into cases that he has and is good friends with Veronica and Keith.

The PCHers is the motorcycle gang that Neptune is home to.  All though this gang looks like they do nothing but cause trouble, the leader of the gang-Weevil-makes it know to people that this gang is to be the only source of trouble in Neptune.  Veronica is one of the few, if not only, people at Neptune High who won’t the PCHers walk all over her.  The PCHers duck-taped Wallace Fennel to a flagpole after he snitched called the cops on two of the members of this gang of stealing from the place he worked at.

Wallace Fennel is the new is kid in Neptune High and he has all ready gotten on the bad side of the biker club, the PCHers and the new sheriff in town.  Yet, even with getting duck taped onto a flagpole at Neptune High, he made a friend in Veronica Mars after she cuts him down.  Wallace also gets a taste of how being friends with Veronica is a good thing after she helps him out of being on the PCHers bad side.

Mars Investigation is the Detective Agency that Keith Mars created after he was let go as Neptune’s sheriff.  Veronica works her as the receptionist and helps out on some cases that Cliff McCormack has Mars Investigation work on as well as some cases that Keith has her do.

Jake Kane is the father of Duncan and Lily Kane was accused by Keith Mars-as sheriff-of killing Lily when she was murdered.

Keith is Veronica’s father.  He used to be tha sheriff of Neptune before he accused Jake Kane of killing his daughter Lily.  After he accused Jake of the murder, the town called for an emergency recall vote and the town elected Don Lamb as the new sheriff of Neptune.  After being forced out of office, Keith open a Private Detective Agency called Mars Investigation.

Lily Kane was murdered on October 3, 2003.  Within the year that Lily was murdered happened, sheriff Keith Mars was more or less kicked out of office for accusing Jake Kane for killing Lily.  Also during this year, her best friend Veronica was dumped by Lily’s brother Duncan, which caused Veronica to be kicked out of the 09er group in school.

Celeste Kane is the mother of Duncan and Lily Kane.  She suspects her husband Jake of cheating on her, so she hires Keith Mars of Mars Investigation to see if Jake is cheating on her.

Duncan Kane use to date Veronica before his sister was killed and Keith had accused Duncan’s dad Jake of killing Lily.  After this happened, Duncan dumped Veronica without any warning.

You’d be forgiven at the moment for thinking we were nearing the end of a decade. The interwebs have been awash of late with more countdowns, best ofs, top tens and general reminiscences of the 2000’s then you could poke a digital stick at. Suddenly everybody is a critic, and while some of the countdowns have been insightful and thought-provoking, others have been….well, like this one. For the nostalgic, these countdowns are practically memory-heaven. But for those who don’t buy into that sort of stuff, it gets a little tiring. So, what better than to list some of the best (and worst) ‘best-of’ lists currently clogging up cyber-space?

Pitchfork: P2K

Over the past months American music site Pitchfork have taken an in-depth look at the decade in music. Way back in the dark ages of 2001 the site barely existed, but since then has grown to be one of the most formidable online music news and reviews sites on the net. Not only does P2K count down the best albums, songs and music videos, it also features a series of essays detailing some of the more interesting developments in music over the past ten years. Of particular note is the ‘Decade in Indie’ and the social history of the mp3.

Highlights
Best Album: Radiohead- Kid A
Best Song: Outkast- B.O.B.

Paste Magazine: The 25 best Album Covers

Slightly more obscure is Paste magazine’s countdown of the best album covers. It has been argued that as digital sales boom and physical CD sales decline, the quality of modern album art is going steadily downhill (as this cover would seem to prove). Regardless, Paste have put together an interesting countdown, which includes the likes of The Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire and Lil Wayne. Whoever decided to award Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone cover as number 1 though needs to go back and re-take primary school art classes.

Highlights
Number 1: Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
Number 2: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (and rightly so)

The A.V. Club: The 30 best TV Shows

The problem with critics is often that their views on what is ‘good’ differs from the majority of the viewing public. Which is a shame, but it’s also the reason why most of the shows on the A.V. Club’s list of best TV shows of the decade have either ended or been cancelled. Still, it’s a formidable list. The top 3 (The Wire, Arrested Development and the Sopranos) are undoubtedly some of the finest productions since television’s inception, let alone in this decade. Other notable shows include Mad Men, Lost and The West Wing, just scraping in at number 30. The best part of this countdown though is the shitfight in the comments as to what constitutes a ‘decade’. Hilarious.

Highlights
Number 1: The Wire
Number 15: Veronica Mars
Number 22: Six Feet Under

News.com.au: Moment of the Decade

Oh, News.com.au. Purveyor of fine, quality journalism. Not content with simply telling Middle Australia what the best bits of the noughties were, good old Rupert has gone and encouraged everyone to name their own favourites! For anyone that’s ever read the comments to any article on the site, that should be enough to click your way on over. In case you need any more incentive though, today’s category is ‘Killers, Haters, Tools: Choose the Villian of the decade’. Apparently Kyle Sandilands and John Mayer are in the same league as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Who would have thought? The fun doesn’t stop there. Oh no siree, it doesn’t. For you creative types, you can even have a go at naming what the next decade should be called! An issue of utmost importance, of course. Seriously, the sooner this site becomes paid-only, the better.

Lowlights
Pop Culture
Money
Sex & Life
…actually, just spend a good 15 minutes trawling through the site. It’ll make your day.

Times Online: The 100 Best Movies of the Noughties

Slightly more classy news outlet Times Online went all out and counted down the top 100 cinematic releases of the decade. With everything from political drama Milk to Roman-epic Gladiator to comedy Knocked Up, the list does well to cater for everyone…up until the odd choice of The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum at number 2 (So really it should have been the best 101 movies). And Team America World Police in the top 5? You must be joking.

In Brief
Number 1: Hidden
Number 16: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Number 34: Finding Nemo
Number 64: Anchorman

Well that’s about it. Some of the best (and worst) countdowns of the best (and worst) things to happen in the noughties. Of course, a quick google search will reveal thousands more best-ofs then the ones here. But really, is there much point? When it comes down to it, who gets to decide that Franz Ferdinand is better than Hot Chip? Or that Monsters, Inc. deserves to place ahead of Pan’s Labyrinth?

Perhaps the best countdown of the decade should go to Hungry Beast. They look at the ten best years of the 2000’s. You can check that out here.

]]> http://ordinarymoonlight.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/smile-like-you-mean-it/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:39:50 +0000 ordinarymoonlight http://ordinarymoonlight.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/smile-like-you-mean-it/

Eggplant Uggs – I am lusting for a pair of them; Black Friday sales; three day work weeks; celebrating the holidays with the people I love most – my family and friends; peppermint hot cocoa; finding the perfect birthday gift; paper snowflakes; Sawyer Brown; attending opening night movie premieres; game night; comfy dress pants that make me feel like I am cheating the system and wearing pajama pants to work; Sephora; blogging; cupcakes; attempting to make a new type of dessert; experiencing a child-like joy for the simple things; Thursday nights with the girls; Logan & Veronica

‘Love Actually’; driving down the street and seeing all of the Christmas decorations on houses; fluffy socks; co-workers that give me finger hugs to make me smile;  making lists of all the things I’ll need for my new home; new music by my favorite artists; planning vacations for next year; watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy that I have seen hundreds of times; new taffy flavors at the candy store; the holiday spirit I can already feel spreading through the front office; pink christmas trees

Desk Calenders – especially my ‘Bad Girl’s Guide Calender’; my upcoming birthday – yes, I am already excited; funky gift wrap from Borders; Christmas cards – especially ones that feature creepy family photos; Tiffany & Co. engagement rings (I can’t be the only girl who has picked out her dream ring); my mother’s jam; veggies and ranch dip; wasting time in the bookstore; Bath & Body Works new scent Twilight Woods; reading in bed for hours at a time; finding old 80’s movies on Walmart.com for next to nothing; watching old episodes of ‘America’s Next Top Model’ and laughing when everybody cries over getting their hair cut; beautiful pictures from vi.sualize.us

Angie posted this meme earlier this week, and how could I resist? Compile a list of your top 10 favorite TV couples to share. These are in no particular order.

1. Josh & Donna, The West Wing

2. CJ & Danny, The West Wing

3. Bartlet & Abby, The West Wing

What West Wing fan didn’t feel all warm and fuzzy when Josh and Donna finally became a couple? I love watching the banter, the way they know each other so well, and the way neither lets the other get away with any crap. They can make each other laugh, and they are always there when needed. Josh is brilliant but arrogant, and a good friend; Donna is gullible yet savvy, smart, and can see right through him. A good tv couple, in my opinion, has loads of tension and what-if build-up. And two characters who challenge and complement each other.

And that’s why two more of my favorite couples also come from West Wing. CJ and Danny circle each other more obviously, maybe, than Josh and Donna, but the connection is still complex. And they are still two smart and funny people who get each other.

Then there’s the President and First Lady. Some of the best scenes in the show are when they’re fed up and yelling at each other, because it shows a strong relationship many years in, and with many problems and strains. They push each others buttons, but they, too, know that underneath everything is support and strength.

4. Veronica and Logan, Veronica Mars

This clip says it all, doesn’t it? Epic, volatile, dangerous, yet also vulnerable and sweet.

5. Rory & Jess, Gilmore Girls

Jess might be my favorite tv bad boy. He’s always been my favorite of Rory’s boys. He’s smart and is a reader, so can meet her on an intellectual level, but he challenges her goody-goody nature. And he just always kept coming back. In my mind, at the end of Gilmore Girls, Rory went off with Obama’s campaign, saw Jess during a stop in Philly, and they live happily ever after.

6. Ally McBeal & Larry, Ally McBeal

The favorite TV couple from the college years. Robert Downey, Jr. playing Larry completely won the hearts of me and my roommate. He and Ally are just so adorably crazy, in such compatible ways.

7. Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Scarecrow & Mrs. King

How can you not love an ’80s spy couple?

8. Roger & Joan, Mad Men

They’re funny, they’re challenging to each other, and they always know where the other stands. And who doesn’t love Joan?

Bromances. Sometimes the best couples are friendships rather than romances.

9. Seth & Ryan, The O. C.

I never really watched much of The O. C. because I couldn’t stand the girls. But every once and a while I’d turn it on and would be totally charmed by the friendship between Seth and Ryan. They’re hilarious, and such terrific friends.

10. Stefan & Damon, The Vampire Diaries

They so often make me laugh! I think their banter may be one of the main reasons I have gotten so into this show.

They nicked this from True Blood.

Actress Megan Fox is the unlikely star of Academy award winner Diablo Cody’s second movie; teen horror flick, ‘Jennifer’s Body‘.  Ever since I saw ‘Juno’ in 2008, I fell in love with Cody’s writing. A former stripper, turned blogger, turned author, turned screenwriter; she has truly managed to encapture the voice of the ‘MySpace Generation’.  When she was chosen to pen Steven Speilberg’s latest TV venture, Showtime’s  ‘The United States of Tara’ her talent continued to shine through, with each facet of Tara’s schizophrenic character causing raucous laughter and providing an intriguing social commentary about a condition that hasn’t before been discussed on mainstream television.

Needless to say, my expectations were high.

Jennifer Check is your stereotypical ‘meangirl’ cheerleader from a small riverside town called ‘Devil’s Kettle’. Amanda Seyfreid plays her unlikely BFF, Anita ‘Needy’ Lesniciki. How did these two end up together you ask? Well, “Sandbox love never really dies.”

After convincing Needy to abandon her adorably baby-faced boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons), she and Jennifer head to a local bar to see the upcoming indie band ‘Low Shoulder.’ During their set however, the stage catches fire, causing the entire establishment to go up in flames. Jennifer, Needy and the band members miraculously make it out alive, and sleazy lead singer Nickolai (Adam Brody) proceeds to seduce the semi-brainwashed Jennifer into their tour van and onto pastures unknown.

Soon afterwards, Jennifer shows up at Needy’s house covered in blood and looking a little bit less than human. We later find out that Low Shoulder, desperate for success; have given up the more conventional ways of making it big in the music industry. So instead, they’ve turned to the occult.

“Do you know how hard it is to make it as an indie band these days? There are so many of us, and we’re all so cute and it’s like if you don’t get on Letterman or some retarded soundtrack, you’re screwed, okay? Satan is our only hope. - Nikolai

Is it bad that I kind of want to see that movie?

Convinced that Jennifer is a virgin (Pfffts, yeah ok. You have seen her, right?), they proceed to butcher the hell out of her, and sacrifice her soul to the Devil. However, since our titular character isn’t even a, quote unquote, “backdoor virgin” there is an unfortunate consequence to Nikolai’s attempted murder. It turns out she’s been possessed by a demon, and must now feast on the flesh of men in order to survive. Luckily for her, she just so happens to attend a high school heavily populated with delicious horny boys. It’s only when Jennifer sets her ravenous eyes on Needy’s boyfriend that things start to get a little bit hairy.

Jennifer’s Body is a movie that doesn’t quite know what it wants. It’s simply not scary enough to be a proper horror movie, and there’s not enough a viscus or gore to truly shock the modern day audience, one that has quite literally ‘seen it all’. Even scenes of anticipation when ‘Demonic Jennifer’ is first revealed do little more than cause a slightly arched eyebrow.

There’s a lot to consider when watching a film like Jennifer’s Body? For instance, who the hell is its target audience? With two female leads and a primarily female production team behind it, one would assume it was written predominantly for teenage girls. But Fox’s Jennifer is virtually unlovable, and Needy’s unfathomable propensity to just put up with Jennifer’s abuse doesn’t really make her stand out as the greatest of role models. Even at the end of the movie, when we see a much stronger Needy emerge from the ashes of her former life, she still doesn’t come across as exceptionally amiable from the perspective of a teenage girl. It was interesting to see Seyfried playing the role of a lovable nerd, perhaps because to me she’ll always that fiery sasspot ‘Lily Kane’.

In my head Needy is 'Lily' and Jennifer is 'Hannah'.

However, if this was their chief audience, why in the world would they include that gratuitous make-out scene between Fox and Seyfreid? Forget the possessed cheerleader chowing down on bits of quarterback; this was the most disturbing part of that movie. It was hyped up as the ‘big moment’ in the trailer, but whilst actually watching the film, the scene just pops up out of the blue and is completely useless in terms of plot or character development. The silent background and extreme close ups make it almost uncomfortable to watch, and I think both actresses (Seyfreid in particular) knew they were only doing this in the hopes of pandering to a potential male audience; a particularly bad move on Fox’s part, especially since this was her first big role outside of the Transformers franchise. Word of advice hun, if you wanna get recognised as a serious actress, don’t go gay for pay on your first time out with the big boys, m’kay?

Interesting Fact: This is actually true.

One must wonder what Cody’s aims where when she was penning this script. As an avid follower of both her blog and her twitter, I know that she has a passion for horror films and her real intention was breathe new life into what is arguably a dying genre. True horror unfortunately no longer exists, it’s been replaced by a comedic, watered down version of it what once was. Sam Raimi’s ‘Drag Me To Hell’ is a perfect example of this. (Don’t get me wrong though, I effin’ love Sam Raimi.) I couldn’t tell if Jennifer’s possession was supposed to be a satirical look into the cutthroat hierarchy of your average secondary school, or if it was meant to be a metaphorical analysis into female sexuality. Either way, the story behind the story didn’t seem to have been thoroughly thought out.

One bit of praise that I will bestow upon this movie however is that Cody’s dialogue is as sharp as ever. The script is filled with laugh out loud one-liners that reflect her quick wit and keen eye on pop culture.

Not to mention the fact that the soundtrack is nothing short of spectacular, featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary pop, such as Flo and The Mo, Black Kids, Silversun Pickups, and Little Boots. Though admittedly, I was a bit disappointed to see that Cherrybomb by The Runaways was omitted from the official release and only featured in the trailer.

Brook Busey? Wtf?

Overall, the performance of Jennifer’s Body was below par, both critically and monetarily.  This movie was made by people hoping to cash in on Diablo Cody’s unlikely fame, and we lost out because of it. Too funny to be horrific, and too polished to be ‘so bad its good’ Jennifer just doesn’t really fit in anywhere. Its saddens me to say that we lost a golden opportunity to create what could have been a great cult classic.

Hopefully season two of ‘The United States of Tara’ will redeem my faith in Brook Busey. Until then though, Jennifer’s Body receives a measly 2 out of 5 Benders.

The Official Rating System of Obscure References

Wenn Mutter und Vater sich mal wieder Sorgen machen, obwohl die Kids bloß auf ein Rockkonzert gehen wollen, kann und will man selbst nicht verstehen. Sex, Drogen und Alkohol sind doch längst keine Gefahr mehr für die ach so verantwortungsvollen Teenies. Doch nach “Jennifer’s Body” kann man seinen Eltern keinen Vorwurf mehr gegen ihre Sorgen machen.

Die wunderschöne Highschool-Diva und Cheerleaderin Jennifer (Megan Fox) lädt ihre beste Freundin, die graue Maus und Streberin Needy (Amanda Seyfried), zu eben so einem Konzert ein. Nun ja, sie zwingt Needy eher, mit ihr zu kommen. Die Indie-Band scheint Gefallen an sexy Jennifer zu finden. Nachdem während des Auftritts ein Feuer ausbricht, dass die gesamte Kneipe samt fast jedem Besucher verschlingt, nehmen die Musiker die Cheerleaderin mit in ihren Van und fahren fort. Needy bleibt alleine zurück, hilflos und geht mit schwerem Herzen nach Hause. Doch der Abend ist für sie noch längst nicht gelaufen. Jennifer taucht blutüberströmt in ihrer Küche auf, ist nicht mehr sie selbst und kotzt eine teerartige Substanz auf den Boden, ehe sie wieder verschwindet. Needy ist sich sicher, mit Jennifer ist etwas furchtbares geschehen, doch ansonsten scheint niemand etwas zu merken. Doch nicht nur wegen dem Brand, dem auch Mitschüler zum Opfer fielen, herrscht an der Highschool eine sehr triste Laune. Denn eine Mordserie startet kurz darauf, die natürlich von der veränderten Jennifer ausgeht. Needy versucht, den Handlungen ihrer besten Freundin auf den Grund zu gehen, um ihren Freund Chip (Johnny Simmons) vor ihr zu schützen.

Jennifer Check: I think the singer wants me.
Needy Lesnicky: Only because he thinks you’re a virgin. I heard them talking.
Jennifer Check: Yeah, right. I’m not even a backdoor-virgin anymore, thanks to Roman. By the way, that *hurts*. I couldn’t even go to flags the next day. I had to stay home and sit on a bag of frozen peas.
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Needy Lesnicky: [after Colin asks Jennifer out] Colin’s really nice.
Jennifer Check: He listens to maggot rock. He wears nail polish. My dick is bigger than his.
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Needy Lesnicky: Jennifer’s evil.
Chip Dove: I know.
Needy Lesnicky: No. I mean, she’s actually evil. Not high school evil.

Quelle: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131734/quotes

Der Film weiß vielleicht nicht immer durch das Drehbuch zu überraschen, Megan Fox tut es ganz nebenbei aber. Denn anders als in den “Transformers”-Filmen hat Fox endlich mal die Möglichkeit, einen Charakter darzustellen und nicht bloß in einer Pose nach der anderen ihre Rundungen zu präsentieren. Natürlich macht sie das aber auch wieder, beweist aber auch, dass sie schauspielern kann – selbstverständlich ohne eine großartige Performance hinzulegen. Ihrer Rolle wird sie auf jeden Fall gerecht. Genauso verhält es sich mit Amanda Seyfried, die in der Teenie-Krimiserie “Veronica Mars” Kirsten Bells verstorbene Freundin als tabulose Liebhaberin darstellt. Die Veränderung von Needy, die zu Beginn sehr abhängig von Vorbild Jennifer abhängig ist, deshalb wohl auch der Name, bis hin zur fiesen Rächerin, zeigt sie gekonnt, zu anspruchsvoll darf der Zuschauer aber auch bei ihr nicht sein.

Das Drehbuch stammt von der überraschenden Oscargeweinnerin und Ex-Stripperin Diablo Cody. Wieder dreht sich ihr Drehbuch um weibliche Teenager auf dem Weg zum Erwachsensein. Anders als in “Juno” sind die Dialoge weniger bissig, was Megan Fox als männerfressende Verführerin wortwörtlich ausgleicht. Leider sind auch die Charaktere nicht so vielschichtig wie Juno in ihrem Debüt. Immerhin besinnt sich Cody auf ältere Horrorstreifen, in dem sich der Grusel nicht durch verstörende Brutalität entwickelt, sondern aus bedrohlichen Kamerawinkeln und -fahrten, sowie der Ungewissheit, wozu Jennifer fähig ist.

Gerade die Spannung in den Szenen, in denen Jennifer blutdurstig ein Opfer ins Visier nehmen will, ist es eine vergebene Chance, dass um die Geschichte noch eine Rahmenhandlung mit Needy in einem Gefängnis oder einer Psychiatrie gespannt wurde. So läuft die eigentliche Handlung auf den Grund heraus, warum Needy eingesperrt wurde, was sich um einiges weniger spannend erweist als die mögliche angstverbreitende Ungewissheit, ob sie überlebt.

Man muss bei diesem Film auch darüber hinwegsehen können, dass die gesamte Handlung vollkommener okkulter Schwachsinn ist. Denn dann darf die Verwandlung von Jennifer durchaus als eine Charakterentwicklung der besten Freundin von Needy gedeutet werden. Sandkastenfreundinnen die sich im Laufe der Jugend und des Erwachsenwerdens auseinander leben, auf sich gegenseitig eifersüchtig sind oder sich dem erst klar werden.

Gut, dass sich der Film an junge Erwachsene richtet und  älteren Generationen wohl zu unsinnig erscheinen wird. Dadurch werden sich die Eltern weiterhin über Sex, Drugs und Rock’n'Roll Sorgen machen und nicht über Verwandlungen zu bösen Kreaturen.

Como en estados Unidos son muy aficionados a hacer listas con todo tipo de cuestiones, ahora no llega una en la que nos revelan los “10 mejores episodios pilotos” que ha habido en la historia de la pequeña pantalla. La fuente de dicho análisis es AOL (AOL televisión), una web bastante visitada en el continente americano.

El caso es que muchas han sido las series que se merecen estar en ese ranking y que lamentablemente se han olvidado de ellas. ¿Qué os parecen las candidaturas? ¿son justas o injustas la inclusión de algún piloto en esa lista? ¿echáis de menos a alguna serie que debería presentarse en este ranking?

1. Lost (Perdidos).
2. The Sopranos (Los Soprano).
3. ER (Urgencias).
4. Dallas.
5. Desperate Housewives (Mujeres desesperadas)
6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
7. The Cosby Show (El show de Billy Cosby).
8. Glee.
9. 24
10. The O.C.

A favor de la lista: que evidentemente hay series que merecen estar ahí como “24”, “Urgencias”, “Mujeres desesperadas”, “Los Soprano” o indudablemente “Perdidos”.

En contra de la lista: se han dejado grandes episodios piloto de series tan buenas como “Héroes”, “Anatomía de Grey”, “Sobrenatural”, “Veronica Mars”, “Embrujadas”, “Dexter”, “V”, “Castle”, “The Vampire Diaries”… y una infinidad más… A parte que por ejemplo “Dallas”, “Glee” o “The O.C.” no creo que tengan un episodio piloto demasiado bueno para pertenecer a este ranking tan distinguido.

¿Qué pensáis vosotros? ¿falta alguna serie? ¿cuál?

Today is my very good friend Jordan’s birthday. We were roommates a couple years ago, and we bonded over our mutual love of cheesy genre stuff. Like TV and bands that are featured on Grey’s Anatomy. She’s also one of my only fellow writer friends who knows that Barnes & Noble has other sections besides “Literature.” But while I love all things romance, she’s a straight-up mystery/crime gal. So today I’m making her a special post in which I try to come up with some good mystery-related, Jordan-style recommendations. I’ll try not to put in too much kissing, but no promises.

Best Cheesy Mystery TV Shows:

Law & Order: SVU

Why is SVU the best Law & Order? It’s one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Alright, not really. Basically it has the best main characters, the best story lines, and the most interesting supporting cast. B.D. Wong is kind of my boyfriend. And while we were living together, Jordan and I were obsessed with Olivia and Elliot. Of course they’re still not together, but seriously, any day now.

Veronica Mars

Sometimes I cry a little at night because Veronica Mars is no longer on the air. I’m not even kidding. Jordan was with me when I found out it hadn’t been picked up for season 4, and she helped me through that tough time. Anyway, she came to love this show as much as I did – the first weekend we lived together we watched two seasons in two days. It’s full of amazing mysteries and even a little bit of unrequited love.

Best Cheesy Mystery Movies

Clue

So campy! Just like the board game but with more Tim Curry. What’s not to love?

Notorious

Fun fact: this movie has the longest kissing scene in the history of movies. And they kept talking through the whole thing to throw off the censors. On top of that there’s intrigue, mystery, jealousy, poison, and screwing someone for the sake of your country. Awesome!

Best Mysterious Hipster Band

The Republic Tigers

Don’t ask me why this band is mysterious. It’s mostly just Emo. But Jordan and I discovered them together, and their music is very soaring and pretty. Download “Building and Mountains” and “Contortionists.”

Best Cheesy Mystery Novels:

J.D. Robb’s In Death Series

Ok, here’s where I’m totally letting Jordan down. I’m sure she has like a thousand suggestions, but guys, I really straight up love romance. So I’m cheating here; I’m picking a romance writer – Nora Roberts – who sometimes writes mystery/crime under the pseudonym, J.D. Robb. Her In Death series is so hot and scary. It’s about a police officer in the near future, when America has become a little third-worldy. She solves gruesome crimes – lots of people all cut up and blood everywhere (Jordan, try to contain your excitement). And then she falls in love with a hot Irish billionaire and they have sex all over the place! Basically there’s something for everyone.

Eek, I feel grossed out with all this talk of death and blood. I’m gonna have to go watch the Prince & Me 3 again just to get into a better mood. I would only subject myself to this for you Jordan. Happy birthday!

If the Tritons are the best that Neptune High can do for a secret society then I see no reason to acknowledge their existence!

Written By: Phil Klemmer & Aury Wallington
Directed By: David Barrett

–Ms. James reaches out to Veronica, and what a surprise, she uses her, and doesn’t bat an eyelash while doing so.

–In a way I like Veronica being led out of school in handcuffs and taken down a peg. I do like her character but she is awfully full of herself and a part of me likes seeing her brought down, it’s harsh and trite, but what can ya do.

–An angry Logan is a good Logan, an interesting Logan.

–I’m sorry, but I find the entire Triton storyline incredibly lame, it really bugs me in its lameness.

–As over the top as it may be in regards to direction, Veronica’s karaoke escapades are completely awesome and so cute that they made every cute meter the world over explode.

–Echolls family blow-ups are always the best.

–I will say this much, she may have a banging body, but time and collagen have not been kind to Lisa Rinna’s face.

–That end shot of Lynn Echolls’ car is good stuff.

The problem with Clash Of The Tritons is that it asks the viewer to care about a ridiculous main storyline in order to get to the really juicy stuff with the Echolls and Lily. I’m not going to deny that some moments of the Triton storyline are fun, Veronica singing karaoke says hello, but I’ve never been able to get past the stupidity of the hidden society to care about that storyline.

Still, the true meat of the storyline comes in the form of the little things done with Duncan, Logan and the Echolls. Those parts of the episode are great, and that final shot of Lynn’s abandoned car is one of the best moments of the entire series. Because of these elements I wish I could rate Clash Of The Tritons higher, but those damn ridiculous Triton moments do pull it down.

Rating:

72/100

C+

Cheers,
Bill

Krysten Ritter

by Monika Bartyzel – Cinematical.com

I hope you don’t hate vampires, because they don’t seem to be going anywhere. Now Amy Heckerling, the woman behind Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless, is getting in on the bloodsucking.

According to Screen Daily, Parlay Films has grabbed the international rights to an upcoming romantic comedy called Vamps, that Heckerling will write and direct.

“The film will be a modern-day tale of two young female vampires living the good life in New York until love enters the picture and each has to make a choice that will jeopardize their immortality.”

Krysten Ritter will star as one of the lead vamps, and they’re still searching for the other bloodsucker. This marks a big jump from the actress, who has moved from bubbly side gigs on shows like Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars to some cinematic supporting roles, a lead gig in the web series Woke Up Dead, and now her first starring film job.

Amazon Specials!

Jag är en sucker för litterära referenser och blixtsnabba populärkultursreferenser. Nu när vi har tredje säsongens Veronica Mars som vardagstittning här hemma njuter jag av att Logan har läst 1984 och till och med klämmer ur sig en Emma/Jane Austen-referens. Dessutom är en kille utklädd till otäckingen med bara ena ögat sminkat från A clockwork orange. Det är väl mest från filmen — som jag inte gillar — men ändå.
Veronica jobbar extra i biblioteket nu. Buffy–Rory–Veronica: alla trivs de i biblioteket.
Uppdatering: … och plötsligt dyker Lafayette från True blood upp. I VM spelar han en förde detta barnsoldat från Uganda som skrivit en bok. Han är spensligare men omisskännlig, och jag älskar hans röst.

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Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om Veronica Mars, Logan Echolls, 1984, George Orwell, Jane Austen, meta, Anthony Burgess, A clockwork orange, bibliotek

Of, nu mă pot concentra.. Şi ziceam că am să fiu o bloggeriţă serioasă.

Aveam mai multe subiecte despre care să scriu, aveam şi idei.. Şi totuşi, nu aveam, cum să vă explic… chef.

Apăsam “articol nou”, puneam un titlu, (a se observa deci ca aveam intenţie) după care închideam şi mă luam cu altele (adică sims, mess, Veronica Mars)

Ştiu că 2 zile nu e mult, pe vremea lui saby7000 treceau săptămâni fără să scriu, dar atunci aveam alte scuze.. Nu aveam timp (asta e cea mai banală scuză posibilă), nu aveam idei (asta e o minciună, idei aveam), nu aveam chef.. Cum acum nu am altceva decât timp, lucru pe care vi l-am povestit, idei am de asemenea, îmi mai trebuie cheful.

Una din ciorne are titlul “Săriţi! Ne fură porcii!“. Vroiam să scriu despre gripa asta porcină, mai ales despre teoriile conspiraţioniste care spun că americanii vor să ne omoare cu ajutorul vaccinul. Eu nu zic că nu e adevărat, pentru că nu sunt în măsură să am o astfel de părere, voiam doar să întreb de ce. De ce ar vrea americanii/englezii sau oricine altcineva să reducă populaţia de pe Pământ? Eu asta nu înţeleg. Cu ce i-ar ajuta?

Şi aici mai voiam să pun o întrebare în legătură cu gripa aviară. Până la urmă care a fost faza? Au vrut să ne omorâm găinile ca să cumpărăm carne de pasăre de la ei? Au vrut să ne ia banii pentru soluţia aia cu detergent? Care-i şmenul? Că eu tot nu m-am lămurit.

În România nu există vaccin, că nu s-au putut organiza parlamentarii noştri să importe, şi mă gândesc: dacă se descoperă că acest vaccin nu e bun, înseamnă că noi românii avem noroc chior.

Mai aveam eu o ciornă, cum că viaţa e nasoală. Şi voiam să fac referire la ironia sorţii:

De când am minţit şi am zis că obişnuiesc să mănânc bine dimineaţa, nu mai mănânc nimic în fiecare zi până la ora 12. Nu pot, nu mi-e foame, şi ştiu că nu sunt singura. Şi aici mi-am amintit că viaţa e rea! Mă enervează! De ce, în general,  nu ai poftă de mâncare dimineaţă, când e cel mai indicat să mănânci şi în schimb seara, mai ales după ora 9, când nu e bine să mănânci, abia atunci ţi se face foame? Şi aveam eu mai multe exemple, cum că viaţa e nasoală, şi parcă face anumea, da le-am uitat.. Vezi Sabina, dacă nu ai scris când trebuia?

A da, mi-am mai amintit un exemplu: de fiecare dată când începi o relaţie nouă, atunci te trezeşti că, cum să zic… abia atunci vezi că balta e plină de peşte, şi ce peşti frumoşi sunt în baltă, iar când eşti available, nu te abordează nimeni. Ete aşa, fix de-a dracului!

E o ofticoasă viaţa asta şi parcă îţi face în ciudă.

Gata că m-am enervat şi am scris destul. Pa!