My Top Five Songs (For the moment)...

Because it has been such a long time since I updated, I thought I would put up a fun post today.

Here are my top five favorite songs of all time. Now, I say that these are "for the moment" because my tastes generally change rather frequently, and I have a wide variety of music that I enjoy. I am generally a fan of upbeat alternative music, so that influences my selection.

Anyway, enjoy!

5. "Keep Fishing" by Weezer

Not one of the well known Weezer singles, but by far my favorite. It helps that the music video features the Muppets.



4. "Smiley Faces" by Gnarls Barkley

Gnarls Barkley is a band that really pushes the limits of the musical form. This is my favorite of their songs, and never stops to bring a smile to my face.

Unfortunately, all the actual music videos had the embed feature disabled, but here is the song regardless.



3. "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" by Radiohead

This is a less uplifting song, but probably the best Radiohead song from a technical achievement. The song slowly builds a story with a build up that mirrors the emotions that follow a doomed relationship. Time magazine added the song as one of the best in 2007, and I can't disagree.

Besides, who doesn't like helmet cams!



2. "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay

By far their best single to date. It like coming up with a musical version of the whole of human history in a 4 minute song. It's a very good song and works on so many levels. It is truly a masterpiece from one of the best artists in recent history.



1. "Mr. Blue Sky" from ELO

Now, yes, it is an older song, so shut up. I like it. It really trancends the era that it was created in and still works as a powerful song today. It doesn't help that every other advertisement features it, but you can't help but smile when you hear it.



Hope you enjoyed, and that I gave you sufficient ability to waste your time. Get back to work!

Upcoming Releases:: Star Trek

Finally, we are given images of next year's summer blockbuster, Star Trek!




What's that you say? Star Trek? A summer block buster? Really?

Well, it's true folks, J.J. Abrams (producer behind the T.V. shows Alias and Lost) as well as the writers of the Transformers movie are behind this new popcorn flick.




The movie was originally supposed to be released in December, but with this past years writers strike diminishing the amount of movies that could be made for the next year, combined with a strong faith in the studio of this movie, has pushed its release date back to the second week of May, making it a studio tent pole for the summer releases.

The plot has been kept extremely secretive. All that is known is that the movie will act as a "reboot" similar to how Casino Royal rebooted the Bond franchise. The crew have been completely recast with the exception of Leonard Nimoy , who will reprise his role as an older Spock from the future, with Zachary Quinto (best know as the villain Sylar of Heroes fame, see my last post) playing the present day Spock. Rumors have been flying around that the story will involve some sort of time travel, and the new look and faces being explained away as a divergent time line.

Personally, I am hopefully optimistic. I look at it this way, we have past the time where we can continue the current Star Trek continuity, and the majority of the original actors are a little past their prime to pull of the same roles they where cast for almost 50 years ago. I compare this to Casino Royal, hopefully, a reboot like this will make the material fresh again and more in tune with today's audiences. The more I read about it, the more excited I get. For better or for worst, I will be in the theater that weekend.

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #1: Heroes

"You must be strong for what's to come" - Angela Petrelli, portrayed by Cristine Rose

Subtle nuances, complex moral issues and the compounding of the modern day superhero myth has made this show one of the best shows of the season.

Heroes is the story of ordinary people suddenly discovering that they have unique powers and the decisions they make once they find that power.

As a long time geek, most of the concepts behind this show is nothing new. People being born with powers is a staple of the popular X-men series. But the new twist that they put on this has a naturalistic, character driven feel. Who knewl, in the world of Heroes, once you gain great powers, you don't put on a costume and fight crime. That is the strength of this show.

What Heroes, is about is the affect of power on people. What does a person really do if they have the capability to save the world. Where does that power come from, is it destiny? A divine intervention? And ultimately, what gain do people get from those in power.

Having followed this season so far, I am finding that I am enjoying it even more then the original first season, and the tragically short and disappointing second season. The title of this "volume" of Heroes is "Villians", though we are originally lead to believe that we encounter new threats to our familiar characters, the title has had even greater implications.

If you have yet to see this show, I am posting the first episode of this season below. You really owe it to yourself to check out what everyone is talking about.



Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Top Ten Returning TV #2: 30 Rock

"If you want to be a winner, you have to dress for success. That's why I sponsor a charity that gives away tuxedos to homeless people." Jack Donaghy (Alex Baldwin)

This has got to be one of the funniest, if not the funniest show I have ever seen.

Seriously, it has everything you can want in a comedy show, witty dialogue, bizarre situations, and excellent performences by a steller cast.

Tina Fey plays Liz Lemmon, the head of an "SNL" type sketch show with a certain vulnerability and brand of geekiness that is both sad and amusing, that hits a particular note that rings true to home.

Surrounding her is a cast of colorful characters, each bringing their own unique brand of comedy.

First of is Jack Donaghy (played by Alex Baldwin), Liz Lemon's ultra-conservative businessman boss. He takes a sort of mentorship role for Lemon. Alex baldwin perfectly plays the part with such a bravado, you half believe some of the lines he says.

Another is Tracy Morgan's character Tracy Jordan, the crazy loose cannon star of the show. Also you have Jane Krakowski as the limelight seeking Jenna Maroney. Jack McBrayer portrays the young, obedient Southern-born NBC page, Kenneth Parcell. Scott Adsit plays the "sane," quick witted producer of TGS, Pete Hornberger. Judah Friedlander acts as the trucker hat-wearing childish, sarcastic writer Frank Rossitano.

This show is excellent at creating it's own unique universe, complete with flashbacks, musical numbers, and subtle commentary played on a small scale. One episode follows Jack and Tracy as they compete over a community service baseball team. Another involves Kenneth's decent into darkness, because he had to much coffee (a drink that is "at the devil's temperature").

It's great, it is the best comedy on TV right now and more then worthy of you attention. Here is a sample episode, you can see more on Hulu.



Rating: 5 out of 5

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #3: The Office

"Sometimes I just stand here for hours, watching T.V." - Micheal Scott The Office (played by Steve Carrell)

This show is consistently one of the funniest shows this past decade. The interplay of office dynamics, awkwardness, and stupidity has made this a winning show and one of my personal favorites.

Last Season started with a bang. "Fun Run" has to be one of my favorite episodes. The producers of this show was wise to actually commit to a Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) relationship rather then drag it out for a few more years (at which point the plausibility of the show would be streatched). It was nice to see their dynamic back after a season of them being apart.

The breakout character of Dwight (Rainn Wilson) had an excellent story arc. He lost his love due to a mercy killing (true story) and his rivalry with Andy hit new lows. Micheal Scott (Steve Carell) went through a little bit of a rough patch himself, first financially then relationally.

Unfortunately, because of the writers strike, the final felt flat.

The upcoming season shows some promise. Will Micheal still commit to Jann now that he has found the perfect woman (which is a surprise in its own right). How is Jim and Pam doing now that Pam is off to college. And what is with Dwight and Angela?

If you haven't seen this show, you owe it to yourself to lock yourself up in a room for a couple of days and just burn through the seasons. Be careful though, you may come out of that experience with a permenant grin.



Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #4: How I Met Your Mother

You can't deny it. This show is just funny.

It takes a lot for a laugh track comedy to consistently maintain quality, it is so easy for writers and producers to fall on "proven" methods that makes a sit-com average at best. But this show continues to push the format, and keeps things interesting.

Part of that is the premise of the show. Having realized that he was ready, the main character, Ted, is essentially looking for his future soul mate. A soul mate we know he eventually finds, thanks to the fact that the series is narrated by the a future Ted telling the story to his future kids. (Though you do have to wonder how long are these kids sitting for this extremely long story to unfold).

What makes this show is the chemistry between the cast. Not since Friends have you had a group of actors that felt so comfortable around each other. These are people you would really think are life long friends. A lot of the humor is really reminiscent of the types of conversations you would only have around your closet friends with the support and advice they give you. You get a real feeling of the angst that goes along with those types of relationships.

Another stand out is the character Barney. The well dressed womanizing friend adds his unique brand of wisdom to every conversation. His unique character combined with the, usually true, rules he runs his life by add the extra flavor to an already great show.

I have watched this show since it has started and it still continues to be a constant source of quality entertainment, even after three seasons.

Here are some examples of favorite moments:





So check last season out and prep for the new one!



Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

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Top Ten Returning TV Shows #5: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Last years the writers strike happened, for better or for worse, the television landscape became a desert of new programing.

One show of that period had a chance to shine when competition was limited. That was Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Stop me if you have heard this before. A mother has to protect her child from future robots who wants to kill him.

To put things into perspective, I am a huge fan of what I like to call "80's Sci-Fi". Terminator, Aliens, Predator, and Robocop are still action Sci-Fi classics that stand and resonate today. And nobody can argue with just how plain cool those concepts are.

So watching this show on a weekly bases is like capturing the feeling I have every time I pick up one of those classic films.

The cool thing is that technology has advanced enough to where we can have the type of effects that where once kept to Film on the small screen. Sure, you will have better effects in movies now, but the transition from these older movies to the small screen is less noticeable.

As far as the cast goes, you really can't mess with the chemistry built in this series. Sure, you can't really match the stellar performances of the cast of T2, but for a television series, they aren't bad. Sarah Connor is strong yet vulnerable to the concerns of every mother and John Connor is an adolescent that is struggling with his maturity in the face of destiny.

The down side? This show did suffer a little in the beginning. It lacked a coherent direction and the plot felt like it was spinning its wheels for a few episodes. But after the introduction of some new characters, and some gripping story lines, the show really found its footing.

Now that I have seen last nights premiere. I am extremely excited for this season. The show is consistently getting better and is a fun roller coaster action ride while providing some real heart. I am particularly found of the direction John Conner is taking, he is taking initiative and truly becoming a man, which really is starting to emphasis his destiny and makes the show really interesting to watch.

So I highly recommend it. If you can look past its flaws and watch it for what it is, you won't be disappointed.



It is a great show, and i highly recommend picking up the first season. It is a great set of episodes for a relatively small price.



Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #6: The Big Bang Theory

This was easily the break out comedy hit of last years television season.

It was smart, witty, and incredibly funny.

The Big bang Theory is a Comedy show about a group of lovable nerds sharing an apartment across the hall from an extremely attractive woman with normal intelligence. The main protagonist is Leonard, a timid scientist who instantly falls for Penny, the above mentioned woman, who doesn't seem to recognize Leonard as anything more then a friend.

What makes this show is Leonard's roommate Sheldon. He is essentially Mr. Spoke from Star Trek with a superiority complex. His cool logical and highly intelligent way in which he handles situations often, if not always, clash with those around him. Penny usually doesn't get him and Leonard often debates with him over the merits of normal human interaction in a way that is hilarious but doesn't insult the audience.

The surrounding cast really helps as well and the whole thing is a great commentary on the clash of intelligence versus common sense, the society of Nerd/Geek dome, and the struggles such people have fitting in to the world around them.

It really is quite funny, and if you don't laugh at least once an episode, I would question if you have a soul...

Here are a few examples, if you need more proof:





Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #7: Prison Break

To keep a show like this going for as long as it has is an accomplishment.

To the uninitiated, Prison Break is the story of Micheal Scofield, a genius who launched an elaborate plan to break his wrongfully convicted brother out of death row.

Now in its fourth season, the writers have managed to keep things interesting. This season looks even more promising. Now that Micheal has broken out of two prisons, he has been tasked by a government agent to take down "the company", a clandestine group that is responsible for his brothers framing, his girlfriends torture, and the destruction of the lives around him as a side effect to the accomplishment of their goals.

The new set up keeps things interesting, and the confrontation with the company was inevitable, but hopefully this is the last season. As much as I have enjoyed the ride, the premise is still suffering from being over stretched. I am hoping for some sort of resolution to these characters, and a final outcome that frames all the seasons as some great television.

It is still consistently a quality show, and the new set up favors new viewers. I like the Suicide Squad/ Mission Impossible feel to the series now, and it has most definitely captured my attention over last seasons "we have to break out of another Prison now" premise that felt like a retread.

So give it a shot. It will keep you at the edge of your seat.



Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #8: House

This has been a regular viewing of mine since its beginning.

And really, if Hugh Laurie wasn't so damn good at his job I would have dropped it years ago.

Unless you have been living in a cave infested with anti-television rabbits, you probably know the show already. But just in case you are, House is a medical drama about seemingly rare unpredictable diseases and illnesses cured by the genius Dr. House, the catch, Dr. House is an unapologetic extremely logical jerk.

Last season saw House's main team disband and the great lengths he put others through to find their replacements. House is probably one of the few shows that had no discernible negative impact from the previous years writers strike and had one of the more gripping season finals of any episodic show on the air.

The show is a guilty pleasure for me. I love how he crafts his games and plays with the people around him. He is one of those people you can't help but watch from a distance and would probably punch in the face if you knew him personally.

In some ways, House is the ultimate secular humanist and the show is great in that it shows the negatives of that strict philosophy. He is a man you can't argue with logically, yet somehow he challenges human nature giving us a glimpse on just how irrational humans need to be to coexist.

I fully expect House to return in full form this year. It's damn entertaining.

Here is a small sample of what you are missing:



Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.

Top Ten Returning TV Shows #9: My Name is Earl

Here we are, on to #9!

This show has been a mainstay of the Thursday night NBC comedy line up for years now and for good reason.

My Name is Earl is a great satirical riff on lower income Americans, or to be less politically correct "white trash", "trailer trash", or "rednecks".

To the shows credit, it never outright insults this community. The characters are more defined by their ignorance then by any stereotypical qualities that those with too much money may assign to them.

Earl is a likable character who is only trying to make up for a wasted life pursuing himself and making amends to those people he has hurt along the way. Accompanying him is his "slow" brother, whose good heart and loyalty makes up for any lack of intelligence and leaves him an endearing character.

The shows supporting cast really helps this show stand out, especially Earl's borderline insane ex-wife and her gentle "crab man" husband who provide Earl with prime examples of the life he left, whilst providing him the support of an extended family.

Now the above may make it seem like a heart warming family drama. But My Name is Earl is like taking the above and mixing in 10 pounds of crazy and a little dash of weirdness. Earl often finds that he has to jump through a lot of crazy, weird loops to make it up to his former victim. The show also excels at building it's own mythology, and makes the residents of Camdon County seem like they are part of their own little county, with rules and traditions that seem hilarious to the average viewer.

This show would have been higher on my list, but the last season seemed a little rudderless and direction less. How much the writers strike played into that has yet to be seen. But I look forward to this year bring the show back with a bang. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.



Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

You can watch episodes and clips of My Name is Earl at Hulu :
http://www.hulu.com/my-name-is-earl

Top Ten Returning T.V. Shows #10: Kitchen Nightmares

This week I will be going over the top ten returning T.V. shows as ranked by me. Why should you care? Click on some absence ads while I try and find a reason for you.

Without further ado, here is number 10 on the list, Kitchen Nightmares:

As much as I abhor reality television, the celebrated stupid inducing dribble that it is, I find myself ever enamored towards this show.

Why? Maybe it is a passive interest in cooking I have. Maybe I like seeing what it takes to run a successful business.

Or maybe I just get off with somebody justifiably telling somebody else that they are a moron.

Seriously, I wish that every reality television show had at least one judge looking at these delusional people and saying, "Are you out of you freaking mind? No, you aren't any good, now get over it and do things right?" (American Idol does not exist in my world, so what where you saying.)

What is Kitchen Nightmares and why should I care? Every week we see Gordon Ramsey of "Hell's Kitchen" fame and one of the worlds top chefs go into a failing restaurant and turns it around into a successful business. Everything from interior design, menu, and advertisement is looked at and improved by his superior skills.The drama comes when some people are just to arrogant for their own good and conflict with Ramsey becomes inevitable.

The show does fall into all the reality television failures such as building drama where none exists, setting up needless cliffhangers, and shamelessly previewing what is to come in a misleading self promoting manner.

It isn't a competition, so you can watch any one episode and not have to worry about the rest. The "cast of colorful characters" changes every week so you get a little glimpse into how different people live all across the country. From a cooking standpoint, even though there are no recipes to be found you most definitely get to see a contrast between what works and what does not. And overall, after a few viewings you start to see your own local restaurants in a slightly different manner.

So if you like this:



Then I would most definitively recommend this for a couple of views.

Overall Ranking: 3 out of 5 Stars

Come back tomorrow for #9!

Movie Review: Tropic Thunder

I have to admit. I have mixed feelings about this film.

Needless to say, it will easily be remembered as one of the funniest R-rated comedies of this year, but I find myself with a little pain of disappointment. It's hilarious, it has great acting, but it could have been so much more.

Tropic Thunder tells the story of a group of famous actors shooting a gritty Vietnam film that is constantly derailed by their own egos and the typical Hollywood system. So the director decides that the only way to get a good movie out of them was to stick them into the middle of the actual Vietnam, something that a few of the characters fail to realize. What follows is a wonderful comedic romp, that satires the Hollywood industry rather well.

What is great about this film is the excellent performance from Robert Downey Jr. as a character actor that takes things too far. I thought it was a great turn for the character to actually be a voice of reason, yet seems strangely compelled to stay in character. Bravo, Mister Downey to play a comedic character with depth, not an easy accomplishment.

Another stand out is the surprise appearance of Tom Cruise playing an overly aggressive, over weight film producer. His role was unexpected because it was never advertised and he easily stole the scene every time his character graced the screen. I do admit that I found his dance number a little over the top, I think the film would have been a little better if his quirk was a little less cheesy and much more disturbing.

Ben Stiller does an excellent job of directing this feature. The movie looks and feels flawless, with all the comedic timing hitting at the right times and the music matching perfectly. The downside though is Ben Stiller's acting. Not that it is bad, its just the same character we have always seen from him. It doesn't detract from the film, but it doesn't really add anything either. I wish his character had some sort of personality trait that made him stand out a little more. It was tough though, when you have an excellent performance from Downey to compete with.

Jack Black is funny, but his character was almost forgettable. Because of the story arc he was given, it felt like watching a family sitcom where the crazy uncle shows up every once in a while to prove his existence. Though I must admit the satirical faux trailer at the beginning of the film done by Black is hilarious and highlights everything that is so wrong with a certain trend in Hollywood.

The biggest complaint I have towards this movie is its sheer amount of raunchiness. It is very much an R rated film through and through and doesn't even try and be something else. I am no prude by any stretch but there is a point where things go a little too far, and I found myself a little disgusted at a few scenes, unlike the good kind of crude humor where you laugh in spite of what you see (though this film had plenty of that too). I think there where certain things that went to far, but nothing really taking away from the movie experience. The same joke could have been funnier if certain things didn't distract from the joke.

Despite my negatives, the film overall is rather excellent and just plain funny. If you like to laugh, and have a thick enough skin, I highly recommend seeing this while it is still in the theaters. Movies like this reward going to see it in an audience.

Here is the preview, see you at the movies:

Graphic Novel Review: Watchmen

I can't believe I never read this before. It's won a Hugo award for a category that was created so that it can win a Hugo award. It was up for a Pulitzer, and is the only graphic novel to make Time Magazine's 100 Greatest Literary Works of the 20th Century.

Honestly, as a self professed Geek, I should have done this long ago. It's not like I have any aversion to the Graphic Novel form. Occasionally a comic will pass before my eyes if the story is promising enough.

But with the recent trend to adapting some of these higher end stories into film, I decided I would take the drastic step of actually reading one before the film came out this time.

And let me tell you something, if you had your choice of only reading one Graphic Novel in your life, you would most undoubtedly read Watchmen.

For the uninitiated, Watchmen is the story of an alternate 1985, where the existence of super heroes has lead to an American dominance in the Cold War. However this has lead to an increasingly desperate Soviet Union coming closer and closer to causing nuclear Armageddon. The tone of the people on the street is an increasing feeling of despair as the doomsday clock sits permanently at 5 minutes to midnight. Amiss all this, a seemingly random person is murdered. The character Rorschach, one of the last costumed vigilantes after their outlaw, decides to investigate, an investigation that has farther more terrifying consequences then he could have ever suspected.

Structurally speaking, the story is written very much like a season of the show Lost (and it has been cited as an influence on that show), in that as the main plot moves along through the story we are given flashbacks and details about the main characters past. However, unlike the aforementioned show, it never feels like filler and you come to appreciate it as you understand the characters actions and motives.

The first and foremost thing about this work is the great pain writer Alan Moore went to make the characters as human as possible. Each character is unique in its own way, but is oddly understandable. You can actually imagine meeting some of these characters, not as great figures, but as a normal person you may find in everyday travels. As you read this, you see and understand their struggles and can emphasize with their decisions.

The setting of the nature of the world around them translates well into our own time, not just the time it was publish. Fear and uncertainty plague the characters, with many of them asking whether or not humanity is even worth fighting for, a quintessential question of our existence being debated by people who have the power to change the world.

And essentially, that is the fundamental commentary of this book, Power. How it effects you, how you use it wisely, or how you can misuse it, and what happens when human flaws are entered into the equation.

Another thing to note is the sheer density of this book and the creative touches used to pack the pages full of extra content and reading that more then rewards those who wish to take a second or even third pass at it.

It isn't for the squeamish. It is pretty much the comic book equivalent of an R rated movie. It is a very mature story, and I wouldn't recommend it to any children anytime soon. Chances are they wouldn't get any enjoyment out of it anyways.

But, if you can, whatever you do, buy a copy of this book and read it. You will be rewarded.

Now I leave you with the trailer to the upcoming film adaptation to give you a little taste into the Watchmen world:

Welcome!

I started this site just to have an outlet for my opinions on any and all entertainment I may find myself watching, reading, or just plain enjoying.

This will include, Movies, Television Shows, Novels, Graphic Novels, etc. The list is practically endless. If I have seen it I will post about it, and hopefully you may find a few things you like along the way.

So stay tuned! I plan to keep this site updated regularly. So repeat viewing will be a must!