2 Months to the day...almost

Been awhile...I completely slack (clearly) when I have a lot going on, and to be honest I really haven't seen many movies this summer. Aside from being uninterested in most, I also haven't had much time. I did see Charlie Bartlett and Vantage Point on On Demand and both were entertaining, but nothing. More importantly, I saw The Stones/Scorsese concert doc Shine A Light, which I'm going to write a review of. The short review is: Amazing.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a new trailer. I've been anticipating this movie since I read about it years ago and with each new trailer it looks more and more amazing. David Fincher has an uncanny ability to infuse pizazz and camera flair into emotional stories and is only improving with age. Anyway, check out the trailer and see for yourself.

TV-wise, the new season of Entourage started a few weeks ago, which I've been enjoying and I started watching the new show True Blood, which I also like. It's entertaining, slightly campy, violent, very sexual and very well written and acted. Give it a look see.

The new season of Dexter started last night and I can't emphasize enough how great it is. Both of the previous seasons are available on DVD- rent them or buy them because it's easily the best show on TV, although as someone pointed out to me that I don't watch Mad Men and that could be a close runner up if not better. Either way, Dexter is excellent.

I'm still working on an original score for Okay Great, but I'm seriously considering dropping it online with the temp music and just updating it when I have the score. Could be soon so keep an eye out.

Dexter

Pottyboy has been raving about this show, in fact it's his favorite all-time show, and he burned a DVD of the first 2 seasons for me. My fiancée and I stayed up until 4am last saturday watching the first season. Yeah it's that good. Dexter is a forenics expert, specifically a interested in blood spatter patterns, who moonlights as a serial killer. But he kills other "killers" or people he deems bad. He even collects evidence and has a procedure based on years of training from his foster father. Just-"this much"-ever-so-slightly over the top it's barely noticable, Dexter is American Psycho meets CSI (not the shitty NYC or Miami editons, even though Dexter takes place in Miami). But even that doesn't describe it entirely. I'm sure I've said it before, but tone is HUGE, and the tone in this show is balanced so delicately and so well you don't even realize it until you reflect. At times, hilarious, moving, scary and violent this show blends just about every genre into a big bowl. Speaking of reflecting, as the episodes go on, right up and into the finale you realize you've seen a truly well thought out and brilliantly conceived idea that spans 13 episodes. Michael C Hall plays Dexter to perfection and without his performance the show doesn't work. The show just finished it's second season on Showtime, so in the meantime, and the midst of the writers strike, when there's very little to watch on TV, rent the first season of Dexter.

Cable Your Own Sundae

Cable should be modeled after make your own sundae.

Except instead of sprinkles, nuts, hot fudge, and a cherry on top it's Comedy Central, FX, MTV, and VH1. Or whatever your pleasure. That's the point.

I put this discussion in a script I wrote back in college but since I started this blog it seems like the perfect place to put all of my if-only-I-put-this-kind-of-attention-to-stuff-that-could-help-people or at the very least make-me-some-money-so-I-don't-have-to-commute-4-hours- to-&-from-work-everyday. Phew. Let's get going.

Raise your hand if you surf more channels than you tread on. Me too. So let's put aside the logistical problem of the networks, various cable and pay channels all agreeing on this and assume that they do. You start with your base- vanilla, chocolate, strawberry? ABC, NBC, CBS? How about all 3? Done. The sundae's going to cost a little more, but that should be obvious. The more you choose the more you pay. You'll save more in the long run because you can tell channels such as Fox News to fuck off. I certainly would. Imagine running down the list of channels, much like you would the list of toppings for a sundae. "I'll take this, this, this, and this. Thank you, goodnight." And really this could just be an alternative to paying for the big block of shitbag channels they give you- Comcast and friends don't have to do away with their current packages, just add this one to the options. As for the channels you already pay additional costs for, up their per channel price. If you want reeses peanut butter cups as your topping than those cost more- same goes for channels like HBO, Cinemax and Showtime. So now that you're fully aware that I'm psychotic let me know what you think. What would your lineup be?

HGTV, FX, A&E, Comedy Central, TNT, MTV, VH1, Discovery, HBO, Showtime, IFC and Bravo...I'd eat the shit out of that sundae.

I Love Me some John from Cincinnati

I'm going through major Soprano withdrawal. The last season was so strong it just made me want more. I loved the season finale. I think anyone who thought the show was going to end in a blood bath, killing everyone, hadn't been paying attnetion to the show all these years. This is the best breakdown I've seen thus far of the finale. Any-who, I've been watching old episodes on the train every morning in an effort to satiate my Soprano cravings, but on Sundays when 9pm rolls around I'm poised for John from Cincinnati. It's so weird and wonderful and funny and just different. The show is leading it's viewers down a cool path- I hope the payoff is as good as the setup. Ed O'Neil and Dayton Callie give 2 of the standout performances, in my opinion. Any one else watcihing? Love it/hate it? Could give a fuck?

On the Lot sucks (but I've seen every episode)

It does though. I can't believe Mark "king of reality/competition shows" Burnett and Steven Spielberg dropped the ball on this. It's all over the place. There's no rhyme or reason to what they're doing and they're not showing the best part- the shooting! I don't think the general public knows what goes into making a film and maybe they don't give a shit but truly it's fascinating and would make for great drama without having to resort to the usual reality style editing where a situation seems more dramatic than it is. On top of that the Host needs to relax. Obnoxious doesn't even cover it. She has this habit of wrapping her arms around the contestants and making them do the same to her. It's awkward. Then she'll point out that they're "shaking" and "why are you nervous?" Ummmm, because you're a creppy weirdo who can't make them feel comfortable not to mention they just screened a piece of work that they put their heart and soul into (hopefully) and adrenaline is consuming them. I do like the guest director judges- there honest and not afraid to speak their mind, although Michael Bay seems like a douche bag through and through. Carrie Fisher is a trainwreck, and Garry Marshall says some good stuff and has some funny one-liners but sometimes I'm not sure where he's coming from. Either he's drinking during commercial breaks or he's slipping mentally. For example, he told one director that next time he'd like to see her do something more serious. Well their assignment was to make a comedy. I'm sure she would love to do something serious, when assigned to. But he ragged on himself for Beaches so that made up for it.

All right I'm done with the soap boxing...

I'm watching because I love watching the shorts. We DVR the episodes and fast forward thru the Crystal methed-up host. Probably the only way I could watch it. That being said, as a filmmaker (or wannabe filmmaker) it's a disappointment that the show doesn't tell you anything about filmmaking and that's it's American Idol for filmmakers. Maybe they'll get their shit together next season.