Two Guys, a Girl and a Blog

My God this show simply can do no wrong. Every season opens strong. Every character is perfectly used. There is nothing better on TV today. Entourage Season 5 premiered Sunday on HBO and if you missed it there will be replays but there’s nothing like watching it premiere. After the sad failure of Medellin we find Vince hiding out in a tropical paradise with Turtle and many hotties. He has no plans to come back anytime soon. Eric is working to build up his clientele with Bow Wow (formerly Lil) who is playing a struggling actor/comedian. Ari is being Ari with especially awesome reactionary speeches after Richard Roeper tears Medellin (a straight to DVD release–ouch!) a new one. I actually said “Ouch!” aloud in my home because we (the audience) are invested in Vince’s career and that DVD release just wasn’t a good thing. Eric and Ari get conned into bringing Vince back to meet for a movie with an offer pending. Turns out its a BS offer to get the price lowered on Emile Hirsch for a movie with a ridiculously bad title (Danger Beach). Although Vince comes back to a BS offer, at least he’s back and now we get to see him try to find his way back to where he should be. That was Eric’s promise to him and I think the shows promise to us. We’ll find him struggling but it’ll be a fun ride back to the top. If I could find one thing bad to say about Entourage I would but there simply isn’t anything. The show remains funny, relevant, and exciting. I can’t think of one real actor whose career I care about half as much as Vince’s. This isn’t because Vince deserves it more than a real person. After all he was more than happy to stay on the beach while his best friend is ate up with guilt and his career dwindles but he’s also a good guy from back east who won the lottery in life and realizes that. So this season offers more humor, ups/downs in Vince’s career, well placed cameos, and general awesomeness. Thank God Entourage is back.

I watched the premiere of True Blood tonight with anticipation and trepidation. After all the previews and pathetic attempts at viral marketing were cringeworthy to say the least however its HBO and its Alan Ball therefore the idea has to equal awesome. The start of the episode finds a waitress (Anna Paquin) walking through her workplace (a bar named Merlottes) hearing inner voices. She takes a moment to close her eyes and somehow finds the strength to shut out everyones inner thoughts. This being our first hint that Sookie is a little different than the rest. Later on as the vampire, Bill, is introduced and Sookie is inexpicably able to tell he’s a vampire we are further confirmed of her differentness in a vast land of stereotypes. Since the character of Tara was introduced so early in the show then I can’t help but bitch about the actress’ atrocious accent so early in the review. Ye gods who approved this accent? Perhaps its because I live in the south and have many friends from Louisiana but to hear this accent is to hear a joke that Hollywood has decided is accurate. Like a Brit hearing an American murder their accent, I am hearing the ridiculousness of Rutina Weasley and feeling like Hollywood has lost its ever lovin mind (see told ya I’m from the South). Since I never classified HBO as your typical Hollywood churn factory then I can’t help but be disappointed they let this happen but moving on from this major pet peeve. Bill the vampire comes into the bar for True Blood but finds himself nearly being drained instead. V-Juice, vampires blood, is a drug for mortals that makes them feel sexier, healtheir, more alive, etc. In essence it carries the traits of most drugs. People love it and it’s only attained by draining a vampire of their blood. While in this near life ending scrape with a trashy drug dealing couple, Bill is saved by Sookie. They bond somehow as she is different. She realizes that although she can hear thoughts, she can not hear Bill *cough Buffy in Earshot*. As the next day unfolds and news of the vampire come to light we are also treated to the information of a murder in Benton (pronounced Bonton). Sookie’s brother Jason is the main suspect as we had previously seen him and the victim having sex while watching a video of her and a vampire (not Bill) having sex. Her grandmother asks her to find out if the vampire will speak to her about the civil war. Tara (Wesley) having quit her job earlier in the show while insulting a customer at her previous job is now employed at the same bar that Sookie tends waitress. As the vampire enters the bar the second night and asks to call on Sookie. I suppose from this lingo use we are to assume he is very old indeed and goes back to the days of courting and balls. She agrees if he’ll meet her after work but then she is assaulted by the same trashy pair that she saved Bill from the previous night. So synopsis done what other thoughts do I have on the show other than Rutina Wesley’s accent (and character in general) makes me want to flip the channel? Well the show they’ve set up is a bit bland. It doesn’t seem interesting or that it can go anywhere except the same old tired jokes and the same characters finding themselves in the same circumstances over and over again. Then again I’m sure the first episode of Buffy seemed the same to many. Having picked up Dead until Dark at a yardsale for 25 cents I should be able to tell you that theres much to look forward to. But the book was worth a quarter and I found after a few pages it wasn’t worth the read. So if the book wasn’t worth the time, will the show be? We have the long suffering bartender in love with his waitress, the sassy black best friend, the horn dog brother, the quiet grandmother who you just know has a dark secret, a few more slutty waitresses, a trashy drug dealing couple, and a vampire. Because of the last item then we have to at least give True Blood a few more chances. Paquins perfectly cast innocent looks also are worth watching a few more times before her naivete with a dash of supernatural brilliance gets old. One may argue that pilots are hard to make great. After all you’re introduced to new characters you’re asked to care for immediately. There is tons of exposition and you simply can’t end the episode without everyones name being said 10 times in order for the audience to remember. However, in this day and age then you had damn well better try. I can’t help but think about great pilots like that of Veronica Mars and Lost which were very strong. Perhaps because of them I am spoiled. However this pilot wasn’t half as interesting as the possibilities lended it. A new turn on an old lore piques my interest still but True Blood currently Truly Sucks.

We’ve all heard the slogan “It’s not TV, It’s HBO”.  Any of those who’ve watched an HBO series completely understands that phrase. Television shows, movies,  and events that never would’ve found their way onto television found a home on Home Box Office. HBO has continued each year to be innovative while producing the best of television. HBO’s reputation for offering high quality original programming is deeply founded in its original programming, producing choices,  & development.  Never shying away from trying something new, taking on controversy, or producing the unproducable; HBO continues to impress even the toughest of critics  Here’s a brief history of the shows and events that have made the premium channel worth every penny and more.

1) The Sopranos

• The Sopranos has been acknowledged by critics as one of the greatest and most ground-breaking television series of all time.  Spanning 86 episodes the show follows the life of mob boss Tony Soprano and both his families.

2) Tales from the Crypt
3) Tell me you Love me
4) The Wire
5) Arli$$
6) Curb your Enthusiasm
7) Da Ali G Show
8 ) Entourage

• A-list movie star Vincent Chase’s rise through Hollywood is seen on Entourage. Although the premise threw me at first “Who cares about some douche in Hollywood?”, I later realized my mistake. My only beef with the show is that Medellin will never be made.

9) Extras
10) Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
11) Inside the NFL
12) Sex and the City
13) Def Comedy Jam
14) John Adams
15) The Comeback
16) Epitafios
17) Angels in America

• God has abandoned Heaven. It’s 1985: the Reagans are in the White House and Death swings the scythe of AIDS. This miniseries based on the play tells a tale     of aids, bigotry, racism, diseases, self-hatred, power, sexless marriages, shame, religious turmoil, drug abuse and more. If you’ve never seen this, then find you way to it and prepare to be moved.

18) Flight of the Conchords
18) The Larry Sanders Show
20) Lucky Louie

• The only time I disagreed with HBO. I thought this show was fantastic. A father who calls his kid an asshole while trying his best to keep the lights on and food  on the table. It was Roseanne on crack and gritty in all the right ways. Unfortunately it was canceled but at least it had a chance, something no other network would’ve gave this very funny TV show.

21) Mr. Show
22) Tracey Takes On
23) Hard Knocks
24) Real Sex
25) Autopsy
26) Thrilla in Manila boxing match
27) Fraggle Rock

• My gushing love for this show would allow me to write far too much so I’ll let wikipedia say it best….. The vision of Fraggle Rock articulated by Jim Henson was to depict a colourful and fun world. Also a world with a relatively complex system of symbiotic  relationships between different “races” of creatures, an allegory to the human world, where each group was somewhat unaware of how interconnected and important they were to one another. Creating this allegorical world allowed the program to entertain and amuse while seriously exploring complex issues of  prejudice, spirituality, personal identity, environment, and social conflict. Fraggle Rock generally refused to over-simplify any individual issue, instead simply illustrating the consequences and inherent difficulties of different actions and relationships.

28)  Band of Brothers
29) Big Love
30) Carnivale
31) Deadwood
32) From the Earth to the Moon
33) The Hitchiker
34) In Treament
35) Oz
36) Rome
37) Six Feet Under

• Alan Ball’s television masterpiece that many consider to be one of the best dramas ever made for television. The journey of Nate Fisher over 5 seasons invokes every human emotion. HBO gave ball the room to explore some of the most controversial issues including the famed Brenda/Billy semi-incestuous relationship.

38) When the Levees Broke
39) Sports of the 20th century
40) G String Divas
41) From the Earth to the Moon
42) Spawn

• Todd McFarlane’s Spawn is an animated television series which aired on HBO from 1997 through 1999 was nominated for and won an Emmy in 1999 for   Outstanding Animation Program.  The series centered around the story of an ex-serviceman who fought in the Vietnam war as a commando named Al  Simmons. He was betrayed and killed by a man whom he believed to be his close friend. Upon his death, Simmons vowed revenge on Chapel and hoped that he would one day return to his beloved wife Wanda.

43) Taxicab Confessions
44) Dream On
45) The Storyteller
46) Not Necessarily the News
47) The Chris Rock Show
48) Real Time with Bill Maher
49) Generation Kill
50) Tenacious D

Newsarama is reporting that the long gestating Preacher television series has just been canceled. Mark Steven Johnson, best known for directing the Ghost Rider and Daredevil film adaptations announced today that the head of HBO cable network simply thought that the Preacher comic book “was just too dark, too violent, and too controversial.”

The comic book series was optioned by HBO more than two years ago, and very little had been heard from the project since, so for most it’s not a surprise, but still, I’m pretty mad by the news. Yes, Preacher, which revolves around the story of Jesse Custer’s quest to find and kill God is one of the most violent and controversial comic book series, but we’re talking about HBO, who aren’t strangers to neither violence or controversy.

I’m really saddened by this news. Preacher, along with the Song of Ice and Fire series were two of the main reasons I was looking forward to getting HBO. I know that in nerd circles isn’t held in the highest esteem , but I still maintain that Daredevil is one of the better comic book movies(certainly in my personal top five), and in the interviews that he gave, Johnson showed real love for the characters.

Maybe it’s a good thing that Watchmen never went too HBO then…

When it comes to  True Blood I am 50/50.  I can’t quite decide one way or another if its worth my time. I guess thats really how it should be considering I haven’t actually seen one episode. Alan Ball is a genius and has given me not only one of my favorite tv shows but my favorite movie. The way he deftly intersperses humor, life lessons, and the impossibleness of fantasy is a gift that few writers have. His past and current talents have earned him the cred which encourages you to watch anything he produces even if it sounds….not so good.  Also HBO is known for its amazing creative output. Each year typically securing the highest Emmy nominations while trying everything and leaving nothing to chance, HBO defines great entertainment. HBO gives its writers, actors, and producers a level of creative room unknown to any other channel.  If a show fails you never hear anyone complain “the network gave them issues”.  True Blood details the fictional co-existence of vampires and humans in a small Louisiana town after Japanese-made synthetic blood becomes available for purchase. Yes, I know it does not sound interesting but neither did Buffy the Vampire Slayer and we all know it was amazing. So September 7th my TV will be tuned to HBO and I will be waiting for Alan Ball to make me feel that I’m not watching TV, I’m watching HBO.

For more information on True Blood check out the HBO website which features a comic book, cast interviews and merchandise you’ll want to own before it becomes overly trendy.

So if there is an upside of not being able to go to Comic Con this year, it is that I don’t have to make the tough decision of what panels to attend. There’s just way too many good stuff going on, and I’m only focusing on the television side!

All the television related panels, along with my top five choices behind the cut.

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One of the things you’ll always find with cable tv is that the shows can ever so often be replayed many times over. I am grateful for this and I feel this really helps with
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Last week, MSN TV Blog wrote about Entertainment Weekly’s interview with Sopranos Creator David Chase about the Soprano’s Season Finale’s final moments. I’ve only seen the first two seasons, but i did catch those last few moments on Good Morning America the next day. I definitely understand why people were angry, but I don’t believe it was because they wanted to see Tony die for his sins. “The pathetic thing — to me — was how much they wanted his blood, after cheering him on for eight years,” said show creator, David Chase. I agree that maybe some people wanted to see some Tony guts, but I believe everyone watching just wanted something…ANYTHING to happen. continue reading »