Posted by Dex | 7 Comments
2006 TV Freshman (Part 2)
To pick up where Smash
left off; I give you 3 more new 2006 shows have aired this past week. All of
them were great in their own way, but all have 1 thing in common. No, besides
all starting with the letter ‘S’. They all star big name actors… most of the
credits are nothing shy of a major Hollywood movie ensemble.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was hyped more than any new show
this season (with the exception of Heroes), mostly due to the stellar cast:
Aaron Sorkin, Bradley Whitford, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Steven Weber,
Timothy Busfield and even a Pilot episode cameo by Judd Hirsch. Whew.
Was it worth all the
hoopla? Yes and no. Mostly yes. A great satire of television & popular
culture, along with obvious jabs at the degeneration of SNL and like-minded
sketch comedy shows, Studio 60 shows a lot of promise, but it’s hard to make a
broad judgement based on the first Pilot episode. Like most Pilots, it’s simply
a prototype of whats to be expected from the series… most of the characters
personalities are not fleshed out yet, and, obviously due to time restraints,
too much information and introductions are forced at the viewer. Where Studio
60 stands out from most Pilots is that it’s oozing with wit and class and -
most importantly – potential.
Funny, moving, and
always smart, Studio 60 was easily the most engaging and entertaining new show
of the fall season.
Smith might look like your typical bank
robber TV serial from the previews, but after the first few minutes of the
Pilot episode, your impression is surprisingly altered. Continuing the
cavalcade of A-list celebs, the cast of Smith consists of Ray Liotta, Johnny
Lee Miller, Amy Smart, Virginia Madsen, Franky G. and Simon Baker. Sadly,
Liotta plays the same role he plays in every movie.. but still manages to
entertain and delight.
The biggest fault I can
find with Smith is the fact that it reminded me too much of FX’s Thief, and a
little like HBO’s The Sopranos. The family man slash criminal tries to balance
his mysterious (and secretive) career, while taking care of his wife and kids
at home. He leads a group of misfits, all with sordid pasts, who each have
issues with trust, love, ethics and responsibility. After pushing their luck
too far, these career criminals will attempt to pull off as many heists as
possible, before finally being brought to justice. The only thing that really
helps Smith stand out against all the similar shows that preceded it is (yet
again) the high-caliber cast.
Most of the time I
enjoyed the pacing of the show; especially the time line of how the events
leading up to and including the robbery take place. The history between the
characters is quite apparent and plentiful, with the promise of deep story
telling on the horizon. The Pilot episode was bad at times, and very good at
others. Smith somehow reminds me of a fine wine, tart and flavorful… I just
pray it will get better with age.
Shark really didn’t get a lot of
publicity… at least none that I saw. Which is fairly surprising, considering
James Woods is the lead. Woods plays Sebastian Stark (yes STARK, not SHARK; the
name of the show is his nickname), a notorious Los Angeles defense lawyer who
has no choice other than to "switch sides", and become a deputy
district attorney. Why you ask? He manages to get his client off with a not
guilty verdict for attempted murder, only to allow said client to be free to
murder his wife. Now, looked down on and despised by the public and his
would-be clients, he receives an offer by the mayor to work with the people
he’s manged to piss off and fight against in court for the last 30 years: LA
prosecutors. Not to mention, he is now despised by his former defense lawyers,
who consider him a sellout.
Don’t worry, I didn’t
ruin anything if you haven’t seen the show yet… all that happens in the first
7 minutes. Speaking of which, when the episode started, I wasn’t that
impressed. The concept felt a bit tacked on and the acting wasn’t as impressive
as I would have hoped. I didn’t even believe James Woods as the character he
was portraying… until the basic premise was explained. Somewhere around the
halfway mark of the show (when the trial starts), suddenly everything clicked.
It was cleaver, humorous, and surprisingly holding its own, despite being
another "lawyer show". Woods easily carries the entire cast on his
back, with some help from Jeri Ryan and Danielle Panabaker, and clearly proves
that he is not only in charge of the courtroom, but also in charge of the
series itself.
I had high hopes for
Shark, which were not met at initially, but eventually shifted from first to
fifth gear, and exceeded my expectations. You could put James Woods in almost
any role, and he would make it entertaining to watch. That said, even without
Woods, Shark is still a quality "thinking man’s" show with a lot to
offer the audience. It might also be of interest that the Pilot episode was directed
by Spike Lee.
With Heroes finally
airing tonight, along with a few more shows later this week, check back for
2006 TV Freshman (part 3) in a few days.
Posted by Dex | 13 Comments
Season Enders
24 – This season’s 24 with Kiefer Sutherland was by far one of the greatest in this shows 5-year history. The first episode started with a bang (literally) and ended with one of the most shocking cliffhangers I’ve seen in the shows history. Killing off main characters is always disturbing to fans, but this season decided to push the boundaries even further, by offing 3 of the most popular faces, including an ex-presidential assassination – orchestrated by the current president. Once again, 24 keeps up its unbelievable situations and intense drama, with some of the best action on TV (and most Hollywood movies). Still not as great as the series debut back in 2001, this year’s season brings this great franchise back to its roots, and I couldn’t be happier. Jack will be back – January 2007. [Finale: 5 Stars; Season: 4] – Dex
Prison Break - As I predicted, this show was a complete waste of time (and yet I still watched it, enjoying how implausible it was). Most of the fans and critics who praised this innovative show talked about the eagerness to see how it all came together in the end. Well, guess what? The first 22 episodes never mattered. His elaborate plan, the tattoo, digging the hole in the guard quarters, all irrelevant to the final escape, just as reality is irrelevant to this show. And what the hell was with the within the same episode fake out over the poison in the
Lost – The first season of Lost will always have a special place in my heart. As with most entertainment, a second attempt is always met with some expectations. And with such a flawless first year, the expectations of the second chapter were almost unimaginable. The focus of season 2 was set primarily on "the tailies" from the rear tail section of Oceanic flight 815. Not as interesting or compelling as the original cast from season 1, the show started to flounder a bit in the middle. Don’t get me wrong, the seasons started off with the single greatest episode of the shows history… but as the show progressed, it ended up going nowhere; like a dog chasing his own tail. The final episode did shed some light on many questions, but also raised new ones (as is the show’s tradition). I still consider Lost as my favorite TV show (drama), but I was really let down with this sophomore effort. I only hope that season 3 can restore my faith in the show – which might happen if JJ Abrams would stop working on so many side projects. [Finale: 3 Stars; Season: 3] – Dex
Survivor – Initially one of the dullest season’s ever, with the exception of Shane, Survivor: Exile Island slowly grew to be one of the most enjoyable as each week viewers wondered what would happen. Would Terry dominate again? Who would Casaya turn on? It was anybody’s game there for the final 5. In the end, I feel the two least deserving people outlasted, useless and enlarged (teeth AND breasts) Danielle and whiney, goofy haired Aras. Dex disagrees, he thinks Aras deserved it. It’s been just as enjoyable to bicker after each episode as to watch them. This combination has made the final 3 episodes have been riveting television. [Finale: 5 Stars; Season: 4] – Smash
Alias – Alias was one of my favorite new shows when it first aired back in 2001 - along with 24 – and is mostly responsible for my love-affair with modern drama/action TV shows. In it’s most recent (and final) season, Sydney Bristow and crew attempt to tie up loose ends, and finally bring closure to many long-running rivalries. What started out with a few decent episodes (death of Vaughn), soon spiraled out of control with the real-life pregnancy of actress Jennifer Garner. The show had been going downhill since season 3, and with the inclusion of a pregnant secret agent… fans knew the proverbial shark had been not only jumped… but also sodomized with a Rambaldi device. Luckily, the show picked up the pace after baby Bristow was delivered, and had a great last 5-6 episodes. The finale was lackluster at best, and almost felt rushed. I’m sure the writers/producers got news of cancellation, and tried a little too hard to go out in a blaze of glory. Maybe it was the super cute, sugar-coated happy ending that ruined it for me, but it almost felt like a dream sequence. When it’s all said and done, Alias is over now, and I will miss it… but at least I can still re-watch seasons 1 & 2 on DVD. [Finale: 2 Stars; Season: 2] – Dex
Smallville – An amazing season. Smallville really stepped up to the Thursday rating plate with some dramatic storytelling. Not to mention plenty of Erica Durance (Lois Lane) running around half naked (stripping undercover, sleazing it up with a millionaire killer, skanking it up with Aquaman). That finale, tho, was the best finale of any television show this season. Lex with Kryptonian powers doing battle with Clark! Lois and Ma Kent trapped on a plane with Brainiac (I’m guessing they are headed to the fortress of solitude)! Lana and Lex! Lex with powers! Brainiac! Brief sentences don’t do this finale justice. [Finale: 5 Stars; Season: 5] – Smash
Invasion – A newcomer to prime time TV, Invasion had a great time slot – right after Lost, on ABC. It’s too bad that even with a prime demographic from the proceeding show, Invasion did quite poor in the ratings department. Perhaps it was the sometimes slow storyline, or the drawn out plot that was obvious to the audience… or maybe just the late showtime of 10pm… but we won’t be seeing a second season of this unique show. The end of the series makes the season finale even more shocking, due to the fact that we will never have closure on the many unanswered questions – most importantly the dramatic cliffhanger that sent chills up my spine. With a stellar cast, interesting story and great visuals, Invasion might have done better as a made-for-TV movie special. Still, with all it’s shortcomings, the finale of Invasion was really amazing, and worth the wait. [Finale: 5 Stars; Season: 3] – Dex
CSI - Fact: CSI is the best of the CSI franchise by far; but not this season. I’m loathe to say this, because both of the other CSI’s are
resorting to gimmicky character development for ratings (something the franchise never tried to do, and probably shouldn’t). But the fact is this show has been on a slow descent in ratings due to some laughable episodes this season. A werewolf girl? A wedding car dragging the mother-in-law’s corpse? (Ok, that one was at least fun to watch.) Please. Last season they made us care about the characters with Sara’s drinking problem, Eckley splitting the team up, and Nick’s near death experience. This season – nothing. The finale was supposed to shock us into caring about Brass’s (not) death. It didn’t.
[Finale: 3 Stars; Season: 2] – SmashWe encourage any readers to feel free to submit their own short paragraph reviews of their favorite (or hated) show finales. Or feel free to blatantly disagree with any of ours.
Read MorePosted by Dex | 6 Comments
Kameo
Of all the xbox 360 launch titles, one was at the top of my list.. A game that had been in development since the days of the Nintendo 64… Kameo – elements of power. Of the reviews I had read, and screens I had seen, it looked to be the best game for the next-gen system’s humble beginnings. However, I had also read that the game was very short, and didn’t have much of a replay value.. so I decided to rent it, rather than buying.
The first thing people will notice from Kameo is its appearance. Half “cartoony Nintendo 3D platform” game, and half “High Def, amazingly detailed” game, it is a visual feast for the eyes. The sound is amazing too, with deep bass, excellent voice acting, and amazing surround sound effects. The orchestral score for Kameo is a high caliber arrangement that enhances the atmosphere and often times makes the environments feel a lot more grand and sweeping than they actually are. The game also progressed along nicely, with very few “loading” screens, and a very helpful hint system.
Posted by Dex | 8 Comments
Get Lost
Let me first start by saying that Smash (Jason)has begged me to post a review on this site for ages. In the past, I
loved long, in-depth reviews, but lately I’ve favored quick and
blunt ones. Maybe I got sick of reading 3 pages of spoilers, or maybe I
just wanted to know if it was a proverbial "thumbs up" or "thumbs
down". Get to the point already! Needless to say, when he asked me to
review the first season of Lost, I was rather excited. I love this
show. So, sorry if this review is gushing with positive remarks, but it
takes a great series to break my "no reviews on smashy.net" rule.
Jason
and I talk about TV shows way too much. Last year we were discussing
the newest seasons of Alias and 24, and Jason mentioned a new show
called “Lost” which was created by J.J. Abrams… the guy behind Alias,
which is one of the best shows on television. I hadn’t seen the show at
the time, but I had downloaded the 2 or 3 episodes that had aired. See,
I didn’t have cable TV for about a year, so I would get my shows
off the internet and watch at my convenience. I hadn’t gotten around to
checking out Lost, and I didn’t actually start watching until about 5
weeks into the series. It was nice to watch 6 episodes back to back
without commercials or week-long cliffhangers.
from the first episode, I was hooked. Confusion quickly turned into
astonishment as the opening plot was revealed. The initial chaos kept
me glued to the screen as each character was introduced in short,
frantic bursts. Eventually the initial shock wore off, but the story
kept rolling along. Never had I seen a show with such deeply emotional
characters, with layers of personality and charisma. At times the main
story might be a bit slow, but still manages to move along at a decent
pace, with plenty of action, drama and a sprinkle of comedy.
Inany story, there are 4 important elements; plot, character, theme and
the most neglected: setting. This is not the case in the world of Lost,
where the setting is the most fascinating and mysterious part of the
show. The island is a character in itself, full of mystery, beauty, and
intrigue. It’s a unique combination of man vs. man, man vs.
himself, and man vs. nature. I still get chills when I hear Dominic
Monaghan utter those ominous words, "Guys, where are we?"
Thewriting is top notch, as expected from J.J. Abrams, not to mention
co-creators Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof. Of the impressive
48-member cast, 14 are prominently featured as “main cast members”.
Each episode centers around one of the main characters, 50% of which
are flashbacks which not only add to the character, but deepen the plot
and instill a sense of dread into the audience. The intensity of the
writing is clearly shown in every episode, with very little “filler”
episodes. In fact, the show ended up running 2 episodes longer than
planned, due to the over-ambitious writing and directing staff. The
characters are slightly one-dimensional at first glance, but they have
many layers when the show starts to focus on them and reveals their
backstory. My favorites are easily Jack, Locke & Hurley. Not just
because of their personality, but because of how they each have a
unique way of dealing with the delema of their situation.
Atruly fantastic show, it’s hard to think of something negative to say
about Lost. As mentioned earlier, some of the plot is a little drawn
out and slow to get to the point. There are also a few episodes where
nothing amazing or dramatic happens, but the audience is entertained
nevertheless. Still better than most Hollywood movies, not to mention
the best drama currently on television. If you haven’t watched,
Lost is highly recommended … just don’t open the hatch unless you are
curious enough.
