I have been thinking about Pet Sounds today:
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Nice Movie # 2
The Adjustment Bureau. I liked it, but the person I watched it with thought it was "so stupid." Emily Blunt finally got a role that let me fall in love with her. I've only seen her in the Devil Wears Prada (annoying), The Jane Austen Book Club (hot ephebophile teacher), Wild Target (forgettable altogether). I also liked the suits the bureau guys wore.
Conan 3.0
In the spirit of picking up where I left off...
Late night TV has changed a lot since my last few posts two years ago. Early last year Conan lost the Tonight Show and a few months later got his own 11:30pm talk show on basic cable, simply called "Conan". That's what everyone always called his show anyway. It's good--much better, in fact, than his run on the Tonight Show. The lower pressure of basic cable has made him loose again--and funnier. It feels like Late Night again, and that's a good thing. Andy's back, too.
Late night TV has changed a lot since my last few posts two years ago. Early last year Conan lost the Tonight Show and a few months later got his own 11:30pm talk show on basic cable, simply called "Conan". That's what everyone always called his show anyway. It's good--much better, in fact, than his run on the Tonight Show. The lower pressure of basic cable has made him loose again--and funnier. It feels like Late Night again, and that's a good thing. Andy's back, too.
2.0
Here I am again after two years of silence. I won't go into the reasons behind the long break, anyway, those who read this will know all that.
New town. New job. New template. I'm back! I hope my old gang will follow along.
New town. New job. New template. I'm back! I hope my old gang will follow along.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
And Now Deep Thoughts...
1.) Today the Simpsons reran the Michael Jackson episode, the one where Homer is declared insane and meets a Jacko impersonator in the mental institution. No doubt they ran this as a tribute to Michael Jackson. This episode was always touching, even before Michael died, and it's a far cry from the few new episodes I've seen in which the Simpsons seem to have lost their humanity.
Michael per se is not credited in this episode, but that is his voice, and the name 'John Jay Smith' was the pseudonym he used in the credits. That isn't Michael's singing voice in the episode, though. According to the DVD commentary, Michael did not want to do any singing, so the voice we hear is that of Kipp Lennon. No relation to John.
2.) I got the new Wilco album today. So far I like it.
3.) Before I got the Wilco album, I was re-listening to Jenny Lewis' second album. I like her, but I think she tries to give her lyrics weight by including blues motifs, but I don't buy it because it's just an act. I mean, come on, she was a child actress (Troop Beverly Hills, anyone?). It reminds me of that Keith Richards story with his "try starving" comment.
4.) I saw and ad for a new show with Daryl "Chill" Mitchell in it and he was in a wheelchair, which got me thinking that I have seen him in a wheelchair in other shows in the past. Which got me thinking further that is it just a coincidence that he plays a lot of wheelchair-bound characters, or is he actually confined to one in real life. I looked it up and it turns out that he is. He had a motorcycle accident in 2001 and was paralyzed from waist down. It's a shame, I like him a lot. He was great in Sgt. Bilko and in 10 Things I Hate About You. He was also in the TV show Ed, and I think that was the show I used to see him on where he was on a wheelchair. That was the show about the owner of a bowling alley.
Michael per se is not credited in this episode, but that is his voice, and the name 'John Jay Smith' was the pseudonym he used in the credits. That isn't Michael's singing voice in the episode, though. According to the DVD commentary, Michael did not want to do any singing, so the voice we hear is that of Kipp Lennon. No relation to John.
2.) I got the new Wilco album today. So far I like it.
3.) Before I got the Wilco album, I was re-listening to Jenny Lewis' second album. I like her, but I think she tries to give her lyrics weight by including blues motifs, but I don't buy it because it's just an act. I mean, come on, she was a child actress (Troop Beverly Hills, anyone?). It reminds me of that Keith Richards story with his "try starving" comment.
4.) I saw and ad for a new show with Daryl "Chill" Mitchell in it and he was in a wheelchair, which got me thinking that I have seen him in a wheelchair in other shows in the past. Which got me thinking further that is it just a coincidence that he plays a lot of wheelchair-bound characters, or is he actually confined to one in real life. I looked it up and it turns out that he is. He had a motorcycle accident in 2001 and was paralyzed from waist down. It's a shame, I like him a lot. He was great in Sgt. Bilko and in 10 Things I Hate About You. He was also in the TV show Ed, and I think that was the show I used to see him on where he was on a wheelchair. That was the show about the owner of a bowling alley.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Conan - Episode 2.1
11:33 pm: Two minutes to go, I wonder how it'll be...I've been watching Conan since I was 11 in 95...I have high hopes for tonight...
11:34: It's starting..................opening song sounds familiar....
11:50: remote on day one, good move...
11:55: first commercial. Jimmy Vivino's telecaster a bit loud. Anyway, so far so good. Same old Conan, but looks slightly uncomfortable in L.A. He'll adjust. They have Andy laughing too much. I think he's going to stay behind that podium. He belongs in the couch, just like old times...
11:58: hurry up already
12:00 am: here we go...blue mug is back...same desk mic...Eisenhower bust.......
12:03: Ladies and gentlemen, the letter D...classic...........the Taurus is back! I was wondering the other day if he'd sold that...
12:06: commercial break 2. Obvious higher production values this time around...
12:08: can't be long now
12:09: and we're back...here comes Ferrell...big entrance...
12:13: I imagine CB radio joke flew over a lot of heads...
12:14: wtf break already?!?! ooh, Year One, I want to see that......Is that Kristin Chenoweth and Mo Collins in the Burger King ad? What the hell?
12:17: I'll watch Land of the Lost if only for Anna Friel.....
12:18: conebone is back...
12:21: haven't heard from Andy in a while...here comes a clip, hope Anna Friel is in it....oh so cute...is the leprechaun dance coming?
12:24: ...guess not. Commerical again. Is it just me or are Max's drums buried way down there in the mix? Pearl Jam is next...can't say I'm excited for that.......
12:26: hey it's Coney's Superbowl ad...haven't seen that since Superbowl
12:30: Jeff Ament and Mike McCready making silly rock star poses...not big into this song....Eddie Vedder's been something of a joke to me since I saw him on Iconoclasts, that stupid show.....................Did Stone Gossard just say "You're welcome" to Conan? That's funny......
12:33: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ad. Don't like that guy, but he has Anne Hathaway on...and she's playing a guitar...mmmmmmm................................
12:34 Catherine Zeta Jones doing T-Mobile ads again.....
12:35: Transformers 2...not interested........more Virginia gubernatorial mudslinging ads
12:36: I just missed that...Lunch with Lindsay? as in Czarniak?
12:37: Show's over...Andy's back on couch....same credits song......Conaco............
12:38: Jimmy Fallon hasn't mentioned Conan yet...I caught the beginning of Colbert, and he congratulated Coney....what gives, Jimmy? So ungracious........
Overall, I liked the show. Nothing remarkable laughs-wise. But the production was world-class. Kind of like a big budget episode of the old Late Night, not that there's anything wrong with that. You did good, Coney!
Edit: Fallon mentioned Conan after his monologue, which wasn't very funny, no surprises there.....
11:34: It's starting..................opening song sounds familiar....
11:50: remote on day one, good move...
11:55: first commercial. Jimmy Vivino's telecaster a bit loud. Anyway, so far so good. Same old Conan, but looks slightly uncomfortable in L.A. He'll adjust. They have Andy laughing too much. I think he's going to stay behind that podium. He belongs in the couch, just like old times...
11:58: hurry up already
12:00 am: here we go...blue mug is back...same desk mic...Eisenhower bust.......
12:03: Ladies and gentlemen, the letter D...classic...........the Taurus is back! I was wondering the other day if he'd sold that...
12:06: commercial break 2. Obvious higher production values this time around...
12:08: can't be long now
12:09: and we're back...here comes Ferrell...big entrance...
12:13: I imagine CB radio joke flew over a lot of heads...
12:14: wtf break already?!?! ooh, Year One, I want to see that......Is that Kristin Chenoweth and Mo Collins in the Burger King ad? What the hell?
12:17: I'll watch Land of the Lost if only for Anna Friel.....
12:18: conebone is back...
12:21: haven't heard from Andy in a while...here comes a clip, hope Anna Friel is in it....oh so cute...is the leprechaun dance coming?
12:24: ...guess not. Commerical again. Is it just me or are Max's drums buried way down there in the mix? Pearl Jam is next...can't say I'm excited for that.......
12:26: hey it's Coney's Superbowl ad...haven't seen that since Superbowl
12:30: Jeff Ament and Mike McCready making silly rock star poses...not big into this song....Eddie Vedder's been something of a joke to me since I saw him on Iconoclasts, that stupid show.....................Did Stone Gossard just say "You're welcome" to Conan? That's funny......
12:33: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ad. Don't like that guy, but he has Anne Hathaway on...and she's playing a guitar...mmmmmmm................................
12:34 Catherine Zeta Jones doing T-Mobile ads again.....
12:35: Transformers 2...not interested........more Virginia gubernatorial mudslinging ads
12:36: I just missed that...Lunch with Lindsay? as in Czarniak?
12:37: Show's over...Andy's back on couch....same credits song......Conaco............
12:38: Jimmy Fallon hasn't mentioned Conan yet...I caught the beginning of Colbert, and he congratulated Coney....what gives, Jimmy? So ungracious........
Overall, I liked the show. Nothing remarkable laughs-wise. But the production was world-class. Kind of like a big budget episode of the old Late Night, not that there's anything wrong with that. You did good, Coney!
Edit: Fallon mentioned Conan after his monologue, which wasn't very funny, no surprises there.....
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Did you know...
...that Bob Dylan has a new album out? Neither did I! I hope it's good. Sadly I'll have to wait til after finals to buy it. If it's anything like his last two it'll be great. He's kind of going way back with his music, instead of looking way forward like he used to in the 60s, but I like it anyway.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Protect Your Jaw
I just came back from seeing the Pacquiao-Hatton fight (on TV). It was brutal.
Last week I read an interview with Mike Tyson who, in what I consider for him an unusually astute moment, called the fight for Manny Pacquiao. Mike got it right. Manny destroyed Hatton. It took only two rounds. I was horrified when I saw Hatton's guys propping his head up as he just lay on the mat. I thought he'd been paralyzed. Really! That would have been a lousy victory for Manny. Hatton's okay though.
Next up for Manny? The heretofore indestructible Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Prior to tonight, Hatton's one and only loss was to Mayweather. In the same interview, Tyson predicted a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight would go the way of the latter. Something for Tyson to think about, though: where it took Mayweather ten rounds to beat Hatton, it took Pacquiao two. Nevertheless, Iron Mike's prescience has me worried.
Last week I read an interview with Mike Tyson who, in what I consider for him an unusually astute moment, called the fight for Manny Pacquiao. Mike got it right. Manny destroyed Hatton. It took only two rounds. I was horrified when I saw Hatton's guys propping his head up as he just lay on the mat. I thought he'd been paralyzed. Really! That would have been a lousy victory for Manny. Hatton's okay though.
Next up for Manny? The heretofore indestructible Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Prior to tonight, Hatton's one and only loss was to Mayweather. In the same interview, Tyson predicted a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight would go the way of the latter. Something for Tyson to think about, though: where it took Mayweather ten rounds to beat Hatton, it took Pacquiao two. Nevertheless, Iron Mike's prescience has me worried.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
I'm a wild man
Today I took a break from homework to buy Andy Richter Controls the Universe, recently out on DVD--and finally, after years of waiting.
Being the responsible student that I am, I finished my assignment before popping disc 1 into the player. I watched the pilot, and then, feeling a little crazy, I watched it again, but with the commentary on. The episode was great. Hilarious. I turned the TV off, and went to work on my final paper, currently in-progress.
After a few minutes of dicking around not working as I had intended, I became hungry and decided that since it was dinner time, I would go and eat while watching another episode. More hilarity, but after this one, it was back to the books.
When the second episode was done, I went really crazy and watched a third. And then a fourth. And then I decided what the hell, I'm not going to get anything done anymore so I might as well keep watching. Then there were only two episodes left on the disc.
One more, I told myself. But when that episode was done, I decided that the one guy left looked lonely so I really went nuts and watched that one too. Boy, I am fit to be tied!!!
This show is so funny it gave me an asthma attack. That it's not still on the air just goes to show how crazy this world is that we live in. There is no reason on earth that everyone involved with this show should not be a millionaire like all those Seinfeld guys. Did that last sentence make sense, I'm not too good with double negatives.
I have a few gripes about the DVD, though. There's barely any commentary, and everyone knows that DVD commentaries for comedies are the best, am I right?!?!?! Also, I was looking at the little features table that is on the back cover of the DVD and there was a little disclaimer saying that not all the music on the DVD is what was originally used in the broadcast, and that some episodes may have been edited from what was broadcast. Okay, the songs, I understand (digression: one reason it took Freaks and Geeks a while to come out on DVD was that it was hard to find a publisher willing to pay for all the licensing for the classic rock songs they used on that show. That publisher was Shout! Factory), and substituting songs would not change too much in a show like this. But WTF man!!! They edited the shows?!?!?! What is that all about??? Maybe the edits made the show better?!?!?! I hope so!!! Man these triple punctuation marks really capture my emotions in print!!!
In conclusion, Andy Richter Controls the Universe is a GREAT show. It was one of the few rays of happiness in my life during the sad and lonesome period that was my first year in these United States. I remember it quite well...I discovered the show in my aunt's basement. It had been running for a few weeks already, at the least. It was Andy's show, and this really psyched me because I'd been watching Conan since I was 11 in 1995, and I hated that the only thing I'd seen Andy in since he left Conan was that stupid movie called Dr. T and the Women. The show's scheduling was weird and I never quite knew when it was on. I now know that Fox juggled the show's schedule around a lot while it was on the air. I found the show hilarious, and I made a point of telling my fellow Conan fans about the show whenever I got the chance. But the show was cancelled, as many great shows are. Some time after this I discovered that TV shows were being released in a nascent technology called DVD, even short-lived ones that only a few obsessives cared about, shows like F&G and Dilbert. So I figured that an ARCTU DVD was forthcoming. It took longer than I expected. For a few years Amazon had a page for it on DVD even though there wasn't such a thing. It of course had a 5-star rating, the "reviews" filled with things like "Please will somebody put the DVD out already???" It took a few years, long enough for me to forget why I thought this show was so funny. In fact, as I held the sealed DVD box in my hand, I began to have doubts...what if the show wasn't as funny as I remembered? I needn't have worried.
In conclusion, again, if you like comedy (and really, who doesn't) go out and get this DVD. You will not need anything else in your life. Except maybe more episodes...? Are you listening, Fox...?
And for color:
Oh and Paget Brewster looks GREATmmmmmm
Being the responsible student that I am, I finished my assignment before popping disc 1 into the player. I watched the pilot, and then, feeling a little crazy, I watched it again, but with the commentary on. The episode was great. Hilarious. I turned the TV off, and went to work on my final paper, currently in-progress.
After a few minutes of dicking around not working as I had intended, I became hungry and decided that since it was dinner time, I would go and eat while watching another episode. More hilarity, but after this one, it was back to the books.
When the second episode was done, I went really crazy and watched a third. And then a fourth. And then I decided what the hell, I'm not going to get anything done anymore so I might as well keep watching. Then there were only two episodes left on the disc.
One more, I told myself. But when that episode was done, I decided that the one guy left looked lonely so I really went nuts and watched that one too. Boy, I am fit to be tied!!!
This show is so funny it gave me an asthma attack. That it's not still on the air just goes to show how crazy this world is that we live in. There is no reason on earth that everyone involved with this show should not be a millionaire like all those Seinfeld guys. Did that last sentence make sense, I'm not too good with double negatives.
I have a few gripes about the DVD, though. There's barely any commentary, and everyone knows that DVD commentaries for comedies are the best, am I right?!?!?! Also, I was looking at the little features table that is on the back cover of the DVD and there was a little disclaimer saying that not all the music on the DVD is what was originally used in the broadcast, and that some episodes may have been edited from what was broadcast. Okay, the songs, I understand (digression: one reason it took Freaks and Geeks a while to come out on DVD was that it was hard to find a publisher willing to pay for all the licensing for the classic rock songs they used on that show. That publisher was Shout! Factory), and substituting songs would not change too much in a show like this. But WTF man!!! They edited the shows?!?!?! What is that all about??? Maybe the edits made the show better?!?!?! I hope so!!! Man these triple punctuation marks really capture my emotions in print!!!
In conclusion, Andy Richter Controls the Universe is a GREAT show. It was one of the few rays of happiness in my life during the sad and lonesome period that was my first year in these United States. I remember it quite well...I discovered the show in my aunt's basement. It had been running for a few weeks already, at the least. It was Andy's show, and this really psyched me because I'd been watching Conan since I was 11 in 1995, and I hated that the only thing I'd seen Andy in since he left Conan was that stupid movie called Dr. T and the Women. The show's scheduling was weird and I never quite knew when it was on. I now know that Fox juggled the show's schedule around a lot while it was on the air. I found the show hilarious, and I made a point of telling my fellow Conan fans about the show whenever I got the chance. But the show was cancelled, as many great shows are. Some time after this I discovered that TV shows were being released in a nascent technology called DVD, even short-lived ones that only a few obsessives cared about, shows like F&G and Dilbert. So I figured that an ARCTU DVD was forthcoming. It took longer than I expected. For a few years Amazon had a page for it on DVD even though there wasn't such a thing. It of course had a 5-star rating, the "reviews" filled with things like "Please will somebody put the DVD out already???" It took a few years, long enough for me to forget why I thought this show was so funny. In fact, as I held the sealed DVD box in my hand, I began to have doubts...what if the show wasn't as funny as I remembered? I needn't have worried.
In conclusion, again, if you like comedy (and really, who doesn't) go out and get this DVD. You will not need anything else in your life. Except maybe more episodes...? Are you listening, Fox...?
And for color:
Oh and Paget Brewster looks GREATmmmmmm
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Buddies
This evening I was at a motorcycle shop and there was this girl there wearing assless chaps. BOYOYOYOYOYOINGGGG!!!!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Death and
My taxes are done. No longer will I fear the itemized deduction. I understand these things now. Now if only I can keep better tabs of my charitable donations throughout the year.
Oh yes and I am getting some money back. Jackpot.
Oh yes and I am getting some money back. Jackpot.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Traditionally Built Women
Last night I saw bits of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on tv. In the past year I have become a fan of the books. They are so quaint and charming and fun to read.
But..............in the tv version, why the hell is Mma Makutsi such a friggin bitch???
But..............in the tv version, why the hell is Mma Makutsi such a friggin bitch???
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Fanboys
I just came back from seeing the movie "Fanboys", the one about Star Wars nerds breaking in to Skywalker Ranch to see the Phantom Menace. The movie is not out everywhere but I didn't have to go far to see it. It was pretty funny, but it was a letdown after all this waiting. I like Kristen Bell with black hair, thoughAROOOOOGA
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