Community just brought back paintball for a 2 part season finale full of so much win I still can't get over it. I watched last week's episode 3 times and can't wait to watch this one all weekend long.
Community killed it on those two episodes. I was kind of surprised, because apparently the idea to reprise last year's "Modern Warfare" was an order from the producers. So I was afraid it wouldn't fit with the rest of show/season. I need to have more faith in those writers.
I thought the latest Community paintball re-hash was boring, except for the opening credits that spoofed the spaghetti westerns. The first paintball episode, I loved. It was the first Community ep I watched, and it was a riot! Got me started watching
Just finished watching the snake juice episode of Parks & Rec. Laughed all the way through it.....Tom's idea to sell contacts that displayed text messages, Ron dancing in April's pillbox hat, April talking Italian or whatever language it was, everyone piled in Donna's car with Jerry tied on top, Ann waking up in snowpants...OMG. Funny!
Just wanted to say - now that the run of Firefly is over on Discovery Science - caught the 2 hour pilot which I had missed and the finale the weekend before - I would have kept on watching if there were more. It was just a little disappointing they never let River open up a can of whup-ass like they did in the Serenity movie which took place after the events in the series. And I miss Cameron.
Drag to miss the pilot - I think it did a good job of introducing the characters. In fact, one of the probably factors in its early demise was Fox's initial decision to show the series out of order (starting with the more actiony "The Train Job").
I tink I caught a few minutes of a "Firefly" episode. It looked interested. Maybe the library will have it? Or I can set Tivo to hunt.
"Without a Trace" has started up again. I really like the 2 main characters in that, Mary & Marshall. THey have some really funny banter between them. It's centered around 2 agents who work in the witness relocation program. Some of the witness scenarios are stupid, but I like it for the most part. What the witness did before, what incident caused them to need to be relocated, and how their lives change after relocation. There was a really good one about a priest who saw a killing and ended up as a bartender (still hearing confessions of a sort) and a teenager who managed to escape a big diamond heist, and what happened to her.
This is a music-and-TV overlap gig. Next week im going to go see Bryan batt do a one man cabaret type show here in Sydney called Batt on a Hot Tin Roof. I would love if they brought Sal back to Mad Men in some capacity. I re-watched some of his big scenes on YouTube, so well done.
And now Game of Thrones is over, what did people think? I have read all the thus published books so probably had a different view than people going to it cold. The first half of the season was bogged down by clunky exposition but I thought they brought off a lot of the back half quite flawlessly.
r.e. Game Of Thrones - I've read all four books (have started the re-read project so I'll remember what happened for the fifth book coming out in July) so I've wondered how those who hadn't would feel about the series - there's a lot of information crunched down - but I felt they did a good job overall and have enjoyed it. Biggest regret - I want more direwolf! They are very important in the books and they should be way bigger ( I totally understand not wanting to have to CGI them though - although we now have - SPOILER ALERT - let's just say beyond here be, oh never mind). I say if you dug it at all read the books - it's a massive world and cast of characters, although once started it carries it's set of frustrations - namely when, or even if, that wretched author is going to finish the proposed set of seven. Perhaps the success of the HBO series will light a fire under him.
I haven't read the books BigD, and while it's a lot of information I've been able to use some internet resources to keep up. HBO has a site that explains the various families and locations that has been a big help.
Hm, I have not seen much mention of Martin's series as a "guilty pleasure", unless any fantasy qualifies.
I thought they did a great job with the show overall. I don't agree that the first half was bogged down by "clunky exposition", though it was slow in development pace relative to most shows. (There was some clunky exposition (e.g. Pycelle's bedroom musings about the kings), but not much, imo). I think kudos are in order for the producers, a very adept adaptation.
I've been considering it elwood. My wife is a huge fan of historical fiction/fantasy of this type, so I think she could be talked into getting the books. Just got Bob Mould's autobiography though, so that's next on the list!
Favorite Song of Fire and Ice website - Tower Of The Hand. Long running site covering the books and now the series, very knowledgeable essays (some regarding intriguing possibilities that in lieu of Mr. Martin actually finishing the book series remain unanswered), and a built-in system requiring you to note how many books/episodes you have read/seen so if you want to remain spoiler free you can only access certain levels - nice touch. Hours of potential fun.
Hm, I have not seen much mention of Martin's series as a "guilty pleasure", unless any fantasy qualifies.
It might be my personal bias but I didn't find it falls into that category of work that gives one pause or consideration for the world about them or the subject matter it addresses. It is entertainment, well executed yet pure entertainment nonetheless. I did not glean more from it than it's essential face value. Comparatively, some work is entertainment that couches a message such as an editorial on socio-economic politics like the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson or Iain Bank's The Business that teases around the notion of the Nation State subsumed to the Corporate-Feudal one.
That said, there is nothing wrong with a book being a "guilty pleasure", hell most of my reading falls into that section lately as I can hardly keep my eyes focused for deep dives into a century span of geopolitical and military machinations to prop up the domestic coffee market and it's impact on the class system in Central and South America (Uncommon Grounds) or the socio-cultural history of alcohol in the US (Drink: A Social History of America). Sometimes escapism is what you need.
"guilty pleasure"? Not Game of Thrones in my book. Now my decision to revisit rather younger days by ordering a volume of Conan The Barbarian stories maybe, but in my defense they are after taken from the original unedited stories, not the edited products of my youth with the lurid Frank Frazetta covers. Still enjoy them, what can I say. Very curious to see if the forthcoming Conan movie will redress the cosmic injustice perpetrated by the Ahnold versions - it would seem to be a natural for the big screen with today's technology, and to tie it all together the guy who played Khal Drogo is to be Conan.
Yay! Another season of Hell's Kitchen started last night! I already have someone to loathe on both teams. Alas, Gordon Ramsey did not smash & pound some kind of fish dish while screaming, "Raw! Raw! Raw!" while pieces of raw fish hit all the contestants in the eye, because this new crew kept burning everything.
If they keep it at one hour a pop I might continue to watch - I had to drop the next to last season when they went to 2 hours at a time, and didn't watch last season at all (first time for that) for the same reason - 2 hours of screaming mayhem at a time was just more than I could hack (har, har).
OK, they had a competition of grilling steaks & burgers. The losing team had to clean the grills. Then sit at a table and watch the steaks go through a blender and they had to DRINK them. Oh, I almost did a sympathy vomit.
Yes. It gets bleeped out. Our tender American ears & sensibilities are spared.
The contestants here are no better, esp the men. Potty mouths and bad tempers, they got kicked out of the kitchen after 3 tries and not sending out even ONE entree. they all went up and swore at each other and one guy kicked furniture around. Beacuse the GIRLS took over THEIR kitchen.
Don't you just love it that he goes around moaning, " Oh, f*** me!", and " F*** me sideways!". I do wish he'd use some more inventive British idiom too however. I'm always looking for some new vocabulary, and I do enjoy the way they can turn a phrase over there.
I think his langauge is severely limited! We get the bleeps if it is on before 9.00pm but after then we get the word. But it is a bit repetitive and puts me off watching
Yes, one of the contestants was calling another "meatball" and I think "doughboy" or similar. It was more amusing than the run-of-the-mill "asshole".
I find British invective hilarious.
As for Reno 911, I learned a few months ago that the acting troupe I was in during high school also had a member by the name of Nick Swardson (aka Terry). I have no memory of him. Either he got A LOT funnier, or I have absolutely no eye for comedy talent.
Nick has his own sketch comedy show on Comedy Central, called "Nick Swarden's Pretend Time". Just began watching it a few minutes ago. Too soon to express disappointment.
There's a new series started on VH1 Classic this weekend called Metal Evolution, by the guy who did a movie called Metal:A Headbanger's Journey which was a fairly thoughtful examination of the genre. The first episode was called Pre-Metal and looked at some of the widely divergent and unexpected influences on metal - pretty cool and informative. The highlight for me was the clip of Jerry Lee Lewis performing live in the '50's and damned if those kids gathered around him shaking and gyrating don't look just like they're headbanging. I like this guy's work, even though my own appreciation of metal is circumscribed by my personal aversion to cookie monster vocals and drop-tuned sludge guitar sounds - it's the classics for me.
Comments
"Pop, pop!"
Craig
Just finished watching the snake juice episode of Parks & Rec. Laughed all the way through it.....Tom's idea to sell contacts that displayed text messages, Ron dancing in April's pillbox hat, April talking Italian or whatever language it was, everyone piled in Donna's car with Jerry tied on top, Ann waking up in snowpants...OMG. Funny!
"Without a Trace" has started up again. I really like the 2 main characters in that, Mary & Marshall. THey have some really funny banter between them. It's centered around 2 agents who work in the witness relocation program. Some of the witness scenarios are stupid, but I like it for the most part. What the witness did before, what incident caused them to need to be relocated, and how their lives change after relocation. There was a really good one about a priest who saw a killing and ended up as a bartender (still hearing confessions of a sort) and a teenager who managed to escape a big diamond heist, and what happened to her.
And now Game of Thrones is over, what did people think? I have read all the thus published books so probably had a different view than people going to it cold. The first half of the season was bogged down by clunky exposition but I thought they brought off a lot of the back half quite flawlessly.
Craig
Craig
I thought they did a great job with the show overall. I don't agree that the first half was bogged down by "clunky exposition", though it was slow in development pace relative to most shows. (There was some clunky exposition (e.g. Pycelle's bedroom musings about the kings), but not much, imo). I think kudos are in order for the producers, a very adept adaptation.
Craig
It might be my personal bias but I didn't find it falls into that category of work that gives one pause or consideration for the world about them or the subject matter it addresses. It is entertainment, well executed yet pure entertainment nonetheless. I did not glean more from it than it's essential face value. Comparatively, some work is entertainment that couches a message such as an editorial on socio-economic politics like the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson or Iain Bank's The Business that teases around the notion of the Nation State subsumed to the Corporate-Feudal one.
That said, there is nothing wrong with a book being a "guilty pleasure", hell most of my reading falls into that section lately as I can hardly keep my eyes focused for deep dives into a century span of geopolitical and military machinations to prop up the domestic coffee market and it's impact on the class system in Central and South America (Uncommon Grounds) or the socio-cultural history of alcohol in the US (Drink: A Social History of America). Sometimes escapism is what you need.
Usually, I associate that term as used when someone likes something they nonetheless judge (or is generally thought of) as low quality.
The contestants here are no better, esp the men. Potty mouths and bad tempers, they got kicked out of the kitchen after 3 tries and not sending out even ONE entree. they all went up and swore at each other and one guy kicked furniture around. Beacuse the GIRLS took over THEIR kitchen.
I find British invective hilarious.
"How's your back, Mr. Hearst? How's the fuckin' back there, pal."
God, Deadwood, so good from first episode to last.
Nick has his own sketch comedy show on Comedy Central, called "Nick Swarden's Pretend Time". Just began watching it a few minutes ago. Too soon to express disappointment.