What's new on DVD and CD - 9/30/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases.

My picks for DVD:

• Iron Man - The biggest (and most pleasant) surprise of the summer.  No one really expected this film to be as good or as successful as it was.  The credit goes to director John Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. for making a film that is truly a big, fun and NOT dumb action flick.
  
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall - This Judd Apatow-produced film is the funniest I've seen all year.  Jason Segel, who both wrote the film and stars in it, creates a character that you can both laugh at and sympathize with.  Add a terrific supporting cast (Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell) and a beautiful Hawaiian setting, and you've got a truly excellent romantic comedy anyone can enjoy... provided you can handle a WHOLE lotta Segel.

Also new to DVD:

Taxi to the Dark Side

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

An Autumn Afternoon

Pulse 2: Afterlife

Possession

Chapter 27

Kenny

Aria - The Animation: Season 1

My Name Is Earl: Season 3

Numb3rs: Season 4

Deadliest Catch: Season 4

Sports Night: 10th Anniversary Collection

Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Series

Popeye the Sailor: 1941-1943, Vol. 3

Voltron: Volume 6

When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions

Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil

A Haunting In Connecticut

A Haunting In Georgia

My picks for CD:

Jack's Mannequin: "The Glass Passenger" - The very long-awaited follow-up to JM's first album, "Everything in Transit," JM mastermind Andrew McMahon has crafted an album filled with beautiful indie-pop-rock songs sure to please both old and new fans alike.  While much of the album deals with McMahon's very public battle with leukemia, the prevalent attitude is one of hope and faith; this an upbeat album about very dark things.

Also new on CD:

Ben Folds - “Way to Normal”

Jennifer Hudson - “Jennifer Hudson”

T.I. - “Paper Trail”

Bleeding Through - “Declaration”

Movie Review - "Burn After Reading"

Joel and Ethan Coen, the writer-directors of "Burn After Reading," seem to have a formula for how they make movies.  Almost every time they put out a dark, serious-minded film, they tend to follow it up with a more quirky, lightheaded one.  For example, their Oscar-nominated "Fargo" was followed by the now-classic stoner comedy "The Big Lebowski."  Now, after winning multiple Academy Awards for their last film, "No Country For Old Men," they've returned with this off-the-wall exercise in goofball insanity.

The film stars a number of major Hollywood stars, including Brad Pitt ("Fight Club"), Francis McDormand ("Fargo"), George Clooney ("Ocean's 11"), John Malkovich ("Being John Malkovich"), and Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton").  The plot of the film is all over the place, but it involves a disgraced FBI agent named Osbourne Cox (Malkovich), who decides to write his memiors as a tell-all book that will (in his eyes, anyway), blow the doors open on everything.  Meanwhile, his wife (Swinton) is secretly planning to divorce him (in the meantime she's sleeping with another government employee, played by Clooney).  A disc containing her divorce information is accidently left at a local gym, where it is found by two of its employees (Pitt and McDormand).  Mistakingly assuming it to be secret undercover information, the duo end up deciding to use it to blackmail Cox.

I've just described about 15% of the entire story; this movie is filled with more twist and turns than a roller-coaster (Russians, plastic surgery, sex addiction, murder, and online dating all figure into the story as well).  But, like "The Big Lebowski," the plot is kind of a moot point.  The pleasures of this movie come from the performances.  All of the actors give excellent performances (special props go to Pitt, who sheds his Movie-Star quality and plays his character as if he just walked out of a cartoon).  The movie stars a little slow but gets really funny as it goes on.  But the movie also gets really confusing, and the ending is, well... not really much of an ending.  However, this is still a very funny and engaging movie that is definitely worth seeing.

"Burn After Reading" gets a 3 out 5.

What's in theaters this week - 9/26/08

Hey guys.  Sorry this is a little late today, but here are this week's new movies.

Opening in Wide Release:

• "Choke" - A sex-addicted con man regularly fakes choking in upscale restaurants, gets "saved," and collects checks from generous restaurant patrons.  Sounds kind of strange right?  Well, the film is based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of "Fight Club," which guarantees that it will be even stranger than you expect.  But the trailer makes it look really funny, and it stars Sam Rockwell ("Matchstick Men," "Snow Angels"), a very underrated actor.  Oh, and other reason to see it: Rockwell's character spends his days working in character at a colonial theme park.  Rated R.
• "Eagle Eye" - Shia LeBouf ("Transformers," "Disturbia") and Michelle Monaghan ("Mission Impossible III," "Gone Baby Gone") play two strangers pushed into a series of increasingly dangerous situations by a mysterious unseen organization.  But is it just a cover for a much bigger and more elaborate plan?  Well of course it is!  Haven't you ever seen these type of movies before?  That being said, this film looks to have some pretty awesome action sequences and an intriguing (if plausibly questionable) story.  Director DJ Caruso had a hit with LeBouf in last year's "Disturbia," and it looks as if they might have another one here.  Also, this plot of this film is based on an idea Steven Spielberg has had for many years; he just had to wait for the technology to catch up.  Rated PG-13.
• "Miracle at St. Anna" - Four soldiers from the army's Negro 92nd Division find themselves separated from their unit and behind enemy lines during WWII.  Risking their lives for a country in which they are treated with less respect that the enemy they are fighting, they discover humanity in the small Tuscan village of St. Anna di Stazzema.  The latest joint from director Spike Lee, the film jumps between WWII and the present day, where one of the still-living soldiers tells the story to a police detective.  I've heard that the film tends to drag on a bit too long, but the central mystery behind the film makes me definitely want to check it out.  Rated R.
• "Nights in Rodanthe" - Richard Gere and Diane Lane star as unhappy strangers who share a life-changing romance at a sea-side North Carolina inn.  Based on a novel by Nicolas Sparks, author of "The Notebook."  I have a feeling a lot of husbands and boyfriends are going to get dragged to the theater to see this film.  As for me, I'd rather watch Gere and Lane together in "Unfaithful."  Rated PG-13.

Opening in Selected Release:

• "Fireproof" - A firefighter reluctantly commits to a 40-day experiment he calls "The Love Dare" in an attempt to rescue his crumbling marriage.  Starring Kurt Cameron (the "Left Behind" movies), this is a film with very strong Christian imagery and messages.  It's not something I want to see, but it will definitely appeal to the audience it's aiming for.  Rated PG.
• "Humboldt County" - A disillusioned medical student finds himself stranded for a summer in a remote community of counterculture pot farmers.  I'm not really sure if this movie has a pro-marijuana message or not, but the movie looks fairly enjoyable.  It reminds me a lot of "Garden State."  Rated R.
• "The Lucky Ones" - A trio of soldiers returning home from Iraq share an unexpected road trip and discover that home is not quite what they remembered.  Iraq-based movies generally haven't done very well at the box office, but I hope this one does.  It looks to focus more on the aftermath of war and be more pro-soldier than anti-war.  Plus, the soldiers are played by the excellent Tim Robbins ("Mystic River"), Michael Pena ("Crash") and Rachel McAdams ("Red Eye").  That's a cast I'm all for taking a road trip with.  Rated R.
• "Smother" - Diane Keaton stars as an overbearing, crazy-making mother who becomes an unwelcome houseguest on her son's couch.  Also stars Dax Shepard (Ashton Kutcher's "PUNKD") and Liv Tyler ("Lord of the Rings" trilogy).  This looks to be one of the worst movies of this year.  I honestly considered gouging my eyes out while watching the trailer.  Keaton and Shepard star in crappy movies like this all the time, but why did Tyler sign on for this piece of garbage?  For her sake, at least not many people are going to see this dreck.  Rated PG-13.

What's on TV tonight: "The Office," "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's back!  Tonight NBC's "The Office" is finally returning for its fifth season.  With this and the return of "Heroes" earlier this week (what a great premiere!), this is been a pretty good week for TV addicts like me.

To get ourselves ready to return to Scranton, PA and Dunder-Mifflin, let's go over what happened at the end of season four.  The office team threw a goodbye party for Toby, and signs of a possible romance between Michael Scott and Toby's replacement Holly were made pretty evident.  That is, until Michael ran into his ex, Jan, and discovered that she was pregnant.  Meanwhile, Jim had been planning on proposing to Pam during a fireworks show, only to be cut off by Andy, who stole the moment by proposing to Angela, who accepted.  However, we discovered this relationship may not last long when Phyllis walked in on a passionate sexual rendezvous between Angela and supposed-ex Dwight.  Oh, and the now big-shot cokehead Ryan got arrested.  And, partly because of Dwight, Karen thinks Kevin is mentally handicapped.

Whole lotta drama.  So, were do things begin in tonight's premiere?  I only know one thing, and it's not much of a spoiler: Pam is now in art school.  She's no longer working at Dunder-Mifflin, and she and Jim are still together (although what state their relationship is in is unknown).  So yeah, I'm looking very forward to the return of this series.  It returns at 9pm with an hour-long episode on NBC.

And after the show ends at 10, I strongly recommend you turn to cable channel FX and watch "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia," a series that I have very recently fallen in love with.  If you've never seen it, the series revolves around the antics of Dennis, Mac and Charlie, three lifelong friends who run a bar in Philadephia, PA.  The main cast also includes Dennis's sister Sweet Dee and their father Frank (played by Danny DeVito).  The series has been described as a mash-up of "Seinfeld"-type humor and "Arrested Development" style.  I'd also add stuff like "South Park" and "Family Guy," as a lot of episodes deal with potentially offensive material (but as long as you have a relatively open sense of humor, you should be fine).  One of the nice things about this series is that most episodes are self-standing, so a newbie can check out the series anytime and be able to get into it (unlike, for example, "Arrested Development," where you really need to start from the beginning to get all the jokes and references).  The fourth season premiered last Thursday (and I'm incredibly sorry for not listing it in my Fall TV List), and for some reason they're premiering two new episodes at a time, so you'll get double the pleasure at least for now.

So take my advice and watch "The Office" and "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia."  You're not gonna find a better way to spend two hours in Philadelphia on a Thursday night without a cheese steak.

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/23/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases for this week... along with my personal picks.

My DVD picks:

• "L.A. Confidential" - This modern-day classic hasn't been available on DVD for a while, so now is a great chance for all of you who've never seen it.  Kevin Spacey, Guy Pierce, Kim Basinger (who won an Oscar for this film) and a pre-"Gladiator" Russell Crowe star in a sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal and corruption in old-school Hollywood.
• "The Mother of Tears" - The newest film by Italian horror legend Dario Argento ("Suspiria") stars his daughter Asia ("XXX" - the film with Vin Diesel, not a skin flick) as a young archeologist who finds an ancient urn that, as it turns out, houses the spirit of an evil witch.  When they accidentally let it out, lots of really bad stuff starts happening.  This is the last film in Argento's loose Three Mothers trilogy involving witches (the others are "Suspiria" and "Inferno"), and as the rest of his films go, it's chock full of shockingly extreme violence (and probably a fair amount of sex/nudity as well; just a warning).  Not for the faint of heart, but fans of extreme horror should enjoy it.
• "Run, Fat Boy, Run" - A loser who left his pregnant wife at the altar years ago tries to win her love back by competing in a city-wide marathon.  I'm not honestly not sure how good this film is, but I'm still recommending it because it stars Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz"), and he'll be funny no matter how good or bad the rest of the film is.  Also, this film was directed by former "Friends" star David Schwimmer.

also released on DVD this week:

The Foot Fist Way

Sex and the City: The Movie

Leatherheads

The Godfather - The Copolla Restoration Gift Set

Pathology

Beaufort

Deception

The Singing Detective

Far North

Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atom Bomb

Aki Kaurismaki’s Proletariat Trilogy (Shadows In Paradise/Ariel/The Match Factory Girl)

Samantha Who? - Season One

Friday the 13th, The Series - Season One

This American Life - Season One

Yu Yu Hakusho - Season Two

Hellsing Ultimate - Volume Four

CSI: NY - The Fourth Season

Bleach - Volume 12: The Rescue

Schoolhouse Rock - The Election Collection

Peanuts Holiday Collection

Beijing 2008 Olympics - The Complete Opening Ceremony

Beijing 2008 Olympics - Michael Phelps: Inside Story of the Beijing Games

My CD/music picks:

• The Action Design: "Never Say"  - I love this band because one half of it (including frontwoman Emily Whitehearst/"Agent M") were originally part of Tsunami Bomb, one of my favorite punk bands.  TAD take TB's melody-heavy punk and mix it with new wave/techno elements to create a new, very enjoyable sound.  Great music for hanging out with friends and/or crazy dance parties.
• Jenny Lewis: "Acid Tongue" - The second solo album from the Rilo Kiley frontwoman isn't much different from her first album, "Rabbit Fur Coat."  Lewis' music is a mix of rock, blues and alt-country that provides a relaxing experience, while her lyrics explore everything from love, bad relationships and spirituality.  A great album to kick back and relax with.
• The Pussycat Dolls: "Doll Domination" - Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails once compared pop music to birthday cake, saying "everyone likes birthday cake.  But you can't only eat birthday cake; otherwise you'll get a stomach ache."  If that's true, then this is my helping of birthday cake this week.  I like the Pussycat Dolls because they're so goofy and over the top that it's impossible to take them seriously (and I'm fairly confident that's their intention).  On their sophomore album, the Dolls team up with the right producers to give them plenty of pumped up dance tracks (and a few decent slower songs).  And if you pick up the deluxe edition, you'll get five extra tracks, each one featuring lead vocals by a different member of the group (this is the first time all the girls are singing on the record; PCD lead Nicole Scherzinger sang everything on the first album).  The perfect record for people who like birthday cake and don't take themselves too seriously.

also released on CD this week:

David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

Fannypack - Ghetto Bootleg

Everlast - Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford

Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

Demi Lovato - Don’t Forget

Within Temptation (w/ the Metropolis Orchestra) - Black Symphony: Live

All In - Team U.S.A.

Mammifer - Hirror Enniffer

Brightblack Morning Light - Motion to Rejoin

Koufax - Strugglers

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling

Sing It Loud - Come Around

Astronautalis - Pomegranite

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty

The Gay Blades - Ghosts

High Places - High Places

Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light

Lenka - Lenka

Pink Spiders - Sweat It Out

Plain White T’s - Big Bad World

Ten Kens - Ten Kens

Movies on DVD: "Rogue" and "The Wizard of Gore (2008)"

Today's post is a review of two horror films recently released on DVD.

"Rogue" is based on the true story of a tour group in the Australian Outback that found themselves trapped and attacked by a large and extremely pissed-off crocodile.  I'm not usually big on these kind of man-vs-animal films, but this one is the best of its kind since "Jaws."  Much of the credit goes to writer-director Greg McLean, who wisely follows the "Jaws" model and keeps the killer croc offscreen for most of the first half of the film.  He uses this time to develop each of the characters on the boat, allowing them to both gain our sympathy and act like real people rather than stock characters when the action finally kicks in.  There are no good and bad guys in this film, just a bunch of scared yet smart people who try to help each other survive.  The acting is top-notch, especially from leads Michael Vartan ("Alias") and Radha Mitchell ("Silent Hill").  The special effects are surprisingly good as well.  Despite a final showdown between man and beast near the end that is beyond plausibility, most of the events in the film are portrayed realistically enough for us to go along with them.  "Rogue" provides the same suspense and beautiful Australian scenery as McLean's last picture, the slasher film "Wolf Creek," but without that movie's overly sadistic violence.  The result is a surprisingly excellent film from a genre usually known for producing crap-tastic movies.  Ignore the terrible DVD artwork, which makes it look like one of those terrible Z-grade Sci-Fi Channel movies; "Rogue" is seriously worth checking out.  I give it a 4 out of 5.

"The Wizard of Gore" is a remake of the 1970 blood-and-guts-filled cult classic.  If the title sounds familiar to you, it was mentioned in last year's hit "Juno" (Jason Bateman and Ellen Page even watch a scene from it).  This new version revolves around Montag the Magnificent, a magician who intrigues audiences by seemingly performing bloody disgusting acts of dismemberment on willing participants (played in this film by members of the punk-rock burlesque troupe the Suicide Girls, which of course means that they strip naked before being sliced/burned/etc).  Afterwards, however, the participant reappears, alive and in one piece.  But there's a problem: the following day, that same person is found dead, with wounds identical to what Montag inflicted on them.  So what's going on?  That's what Edmund, the protagonist, wants to know.  As he drags his girlfriend Maggie along to each of Montag's performances, he becomes increasingly obsessed with finding out how Montag performs his tricks.  It doesn't help that Edmund starts having nightmares in which he sees himself killing the victims.  Interesting set-up, right?  Well, unfortunately the film is far from perfect.  For one thing, despite its name and lineage, "The Wizard of Gore" isn't really all that gory.  Oh, there's blood and guts all right, but most audiences will probably be expecting a lot more than what the movie provides.  Another problem is that the story starts getting really confusing as it goes on.  With the many plot twist and turns, by the end of the film I wasn't really sure what exactly what happened (or, more importantly, why things turned out the way it did).  However, the biggest problem is that the new plot twists don't really make much sense.  In the original film, the trick was that the magician made the audience think they were seeing a blood-free illusion when in reality he was gruesomely killing the victims.  In this version it's the other way around: Montage makes the audience think they're seeing the victims murdered when he's actually not doing anything to them.  So then why are the victims murdered afterwards?  It would seem like it's unnecessary and only attracts a lot of unwanted attention.  The movie doesn't have a real clear reason for that (and I haven't spoiled the end the film, by the way).  Yet despite the problems, the film gradually won me over.  I liked the dreamlike, David Lynch-vibe of it.  Crispin Glover ("Back to the Future" trilogy) gives a crazy-good performance as Montag.  And, depending on your personal tastes, the abundant nudity of the Suicide Girls will be either a good reason to see this movie or another reason to avoid it.  "The Wizard of Gore" definitely isn't for everyone, but fans of this kind of film should enjoy it.  It gets a 3 out of 5.

What’s new in theaters this week: 9/19/08

Here's what's new in theaters today:

Opening in Wide release:

• "Ghost Town" - After being dead for seven minutes, a man is miraculously revived to discover that he has the annoying ability to see ghosts.  Think kind of a romantic comedy version of "The Sixth Sense."  Looks kinda so-so, but the casting of Ricky Gervais in the lead role (he played the equivalent of Michael Scott on the original British version of "The Office") definitely adds some potential for laughs.  Rated PG-13.
• "Igor" - A hunchback lab assistant has big dreams of becoming a mad scientist and winning first place at the annual Evil Science Fair.  This animated film looks like it could be fun for younger kids, but I don't understand why the studio didn't wait until Halloween to release this.  Rated PG.
• "Lakeview Terrace" - Samuel L. Jackson is a tightly-wound LAPD officer who terrorizes the young interracial couple that moves into the house next door.  Movies like this usually start off strong before degenerating into violent action.  Whether that happens with this film is unknown to me, but Jackson almost always makes the films he's in worth watching.  I also love that they apparently filmed this movie while the wildfires were blazing out of control: watching the world burn behind the characters definitely adds to the incendiary elements of the film.
• "My Best Friend's Girl" - Kate Hudson stars as a dream girl who poses a dilemma for a lovestruck ex (Jason Biggs) and his best buddy (Dane Cook), the master "rebound specialist."  None of the characters seem likable at all, and seems to feed into the douche-bag persona that Cook likes to portray himself as being.  I liked him in "Dan In Real Life," but I'm staying far away from this one.  Rated R.

Opening in Selected release:

• "Appaloosa" - Ed Harris (who also directs) and Viggo Mortensen are gunmen hired to police a small, lawless town suffering at the hands of a renegade rancher.  Renee Zellweger and Jeremy Irons also star.  I'm normally not a huge fan of westerns, but this one looks pretty awesome.  And I'm definitely up for seeing Harris and Mortensen re-team; their scenes together in 2005's "A History of Violence" were the best parts of that film.  "Appaloosa" looks like a sure-fire winner.  Rated R.
• "Battle in Seattle" - The true story of what happened at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle in 1999, when what was planned to be a peaceful protest turned into a full-scale riot.  Not a lot of people understand what really happened at these protests, and this looks to be a very well-made recreation of these events.  The film stars Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin of Outkast, among others.  Rated R.
• "The Duchess" - Keira Knightley stars as the Duchess of Devonshire, and 18th century aristocrat who becomes involved in a passionate affair that threatens to erupt into scandal.  It wouldn't be another year with Knightley appearing a film wearing some kind of corset and/or crazy wig.  That being said, there aren't many other actors out there who can do it as well as she can.  Looks worth seeing if you like this kind of thing.  Also stars Ralph Fiennes and Hayley Atwell.  Rated PG-13.
• "Hounddog" - Dakota Fanning stars as a young girl who survives her tough life in 1950s rural Alabama by listening to the music of Elvis Presley.  This movie sparked major controversy when it was shown in film festivals because it features Fanning in a very disturbing rape scene.  From what I saw in the trailer, the movie looks to be kind of strange and disjointed.  Fanning has a similar-looking (but far less dark) film coming out next month called "The Secret Life of Bees;" I'd avoid "Hounddog" and wait for "Bees."  Rated R.
• "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers" - A retired widower from Beijing decides to visit his recently divorced daughter, who is less-than-pleased about his prying into her life.  This looks to be a very good film about the relationships between people, whether they're family members or complete strangers.  If you don't mind slower-paced movies, I strongly recommend looking out for this one.  Not rated, and looks to contain nothing particularly objectionable.

America's Next Top Model: Tyra, you so crazy! No, seriously, you're completely insane.

I am an unabashed fan of "America's Next Top Model."  I got into it a few years ago when I had nothing to do and spent an entire weekend watching an ANTM mega-marathon, and have followed it ever since.  Every season (and for some reason there seems to be two seasons a year) I find myself watching a new group of fresh-faced ladies who are whittled down over the season until there is one winner.  I eventually settle on one or two contestants who become my favorites.  Last season it was Claire until she suffered a bout of "crazy-bitch-syndrome," then it became Anya and Katarzyna; so far this season I'm rooting for Marjorie, the at-times painfully awkward home-schooled French girl, and Elina, the bisexual mom-hating vegan/animal-liberation activist (I have been waiting for her to become the latest House Bitch, but to my great surprise/relief she hasn't -- ironically that honor has gone to Elina's not-so-secret crush Clark).  And of course there is Isis, the first pre-op transgendered contestant in ANTM history.  You can make all the jokes you want, but the biggest joke so far has been on the other "real" girls, as Isis has continually delivered better pictures than most of them.

But nothing has compared to the craziness that is Miss Tyra Banks, the creator/host of ANTM.  Each year she seems to get more and more insane.  This year she opened the series with an extended skit about a futuristic modeling factory (including some truly awful CGI effects) and pretended to be a robot looking for "bank-able models."  Sigh...  But that was damn near normal human behavior compared to this week.  To emphasize the fact that it was makeover week, she had Ms. Jay come out dressed like the evil stepmother from "Snow White," who then gave her an apple, which she ate and then pretended to fall asleep.  Then Mr. Jay came in, dressed as Prince Charming, gave Tyra a kiss that woke her up, and then proceeded to carry her out of the room as she told the girls... well, nothing actually.  They didn't find out it was actually makeover week until the next day.  And what exactly does recreating "Snow White" have to do with makeovers?  Nothing (although it apparently allowed Tyra to dress up in an incredibly goofy outfit and act like the Good Witch from "The Wizard of Oz" while describing each girl's makeover).  It was just another excuse for Tyra to act like her crazy self.

But I'm not complaining.  Everybody knows crazy makes for good television.  Besides, unlike other crazy celebrities, Tyra always seems to be in on the crazy.  And it's pretty hilarious to watch the contestants clearly being forced to act like they don't get that it's fake (nothing beats watching thirteen wannabe models pretending to react to terrible CGI effects).  So shine on, you crazy ex-supermodel; you're keeping television interesting for the rest of us.

R.I.P., T.R.L.!

If you haven't heard the news yet, MTV has recently announced that they are shutting the doors on "Total Request Live," or TRL as some of you may know it.  Believe it or not, TRL has been on the air for ten years, and has increasingly been one of the few times you could actually see music videos on MTV... well, 10-to-30 second clips of music videos.  

Now I know what some you youngsters out there are saying: Matty G, what's a music video?  Well kids, a long long LONG time ago MTV stood for "Music Tele-Vision," and they would take popular songs and play them while showing pretty pictures, usually of the band or women in little-to-no-clothing.  Yes, children, it was a very different time.

Sorry, I kind of got off on a rant there.  But yes, TRL... TRL achieved its biggest amount of popularity around 1999-2000, when my generation was forced to endure through the simultaneous popularity of both boy-band/girl-group pop superstars (Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Spice Girls) and rap-rock/nu-metal (Limp Bizkit, Korn, Godsmack... and yes, I am sad to admit that at one time I was a very big fan of all three of these bands).  Hundreds of thousands of people would flock outside the MTV studio in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite superstar.  And it had the perfect host, Carson Daly, who ended up becoming almost as famous as many of the people he interviewed on the show.  But eventually Mr. Daly left to pursue the job of hosting a terrible late-night show, and over time TRL began declining in popularity.  MTV tried to bump up the ratings by continually bringing in new pretty young hosts to reinvigorate the show, but the times were a-changing, and, as a writer points out on MTV's own website, once websites like YouTube came along TRL became practically obsolete.

So now TRL is leaving us.  MTV has maintained that they aren't canceling it, just "allowing it to rest," and that it could always come back someday.  But regardless if it ever resurfaces or not I know all of you my age who grew up with "Total Request Live" and Carson Daly are feeling a little ping of sadness in the bowels of your heart.  I understand.

Now if only MTV could do the same with the rest of their programming and replace them with music videos instead...

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/16/08

Here are this week's DVD and CD releases.  And I've brought back my personal picks; aka what I think you should absolutely check out.

My picks for DVD:

• "Torchwood: The Complete Second Season" - I've already explained how much I enjoy this Doctor Who-spinoff; now you can find out too!  Season one was excellent, and from what I've heard the second season is even better.
• "Snow Angels" - This film centers on tragedy in a small town and how seemingly little things can grow to become life-changing events.  I really wanted to see this movie when it came out in April, and now that it's on DVD you should check it out as well.
• "Dirty Sexy Money: Season One" and "Pushing Daisies: The Complete First Season" - If you haven't seen either of these television series, well, you're not alone.  Both DSM and PD were cut really short by the writer's strike and, as such, didn't get a chance to really find an audience.  But now that they are both coming back with brand-new seasons in October, now is the perfect time to catch up on them.  Trust me, both of these series are worth checking out.

What else is new on DVD:

Blood Simple

The Rape of Europa

Another Cinderella Story

Beetlejuice (Special Edition)

Deception 

Made of Honor 

Speed Racer 

Young@Heart 

88 Minutes

Sixteen Candles (Special Edition)

Death Note 

Gigi (Special Edition)

An American in Paris (Special Edition)

The Love Guru 

Will & Grace: Season Eight & The Complete Series

Avatar the Last Airbender: The Complete Book Three Collection

Chuck: The Complete First Season

Private Practice: The Complete First Season

South of Nowhere: Seasons One and Two (separate releases)

Duckman: Seasons One and Two (together)

My picks for CD:

• Amanda Palmer: "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" - The debut solo album by one-half of punk/cabaret act the Dresden Dolls.  Palmer brings the same passion and craft as she does to DD, but she also experiments with different styles and instruments to come up with a sound all her own.  I've gotten to listen to most of this album already, and it's amazing.  Whether you're a Dresden Dolls fan or have never heard of Amanda Palmer before, you owe it to yourself to pick this up.
• Taproot: "Our Long Road Home" - I've been following this band for years, and I love them for two reasons: 1) they do an excellent job of mixing hard-driving-rock with some downright beautiful musical compositions, and 2) because these boys hail from nearby (to me) Ann Arbor, MI.  In fact, on Thursday they'll be performing and signing autographs at Borders in Ann Arbor. 
  

What else is new on CD:

Metallica: Death Magnetic (released 9/12)

Nelly: Brass Knuckles

Jem: Down to Earth

Amanda Palmer: Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Ne-Yo: Year of the Gentleman

Buckcherry: Black Butterfly

Darius Rucker: Learn to Live

James: Hey Ma

All That Remains: Overcome

Breathe Carolina: It’s Classy, Not Classic

Burst: Lazarus Bird

Dead Confederate: Wrecking Ball

Jonezetta: Cruel to be Young

Light Yourself on Fire: Intimacy

Portugal, The Man: Censored Colors

Punchline: Just Say Yes

This or the Apocalypse: Monuments

Talkdemonic: Eyes at Half Mast

What’s new in theaters this week: 9/12/08

Good morning; here's what's new in theaters this week:

Opening in Wide release:

• "Burn After Reading" - Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich star in the Coen Brothers' comedy about a C.I.A. disc that falls into the wrong hands.  This is a about as far away as you can get from the Coens' last film, multiple Oscar winner "No Country For Old Men."  Don't look for this one to be picking up any awards, but it looks like it could a fun little diversion.  Rated R.
• "Righteous Kill" - Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up as a pair of veteran New York City police detectives on the trail of a vigilante serial killer.  Ever since the two worked together in Michael Mann's classic crime thriller "Heat," people have been waiting anxiously for these two heavyweight actors to share the screen again.  That being said, neither De Niro or Pacino are as popular as they once were, and this film doesn't appear to be on the level of their best work.  Oh, and 50 Cent's in the film too.  Yeah...  Rated R.
• "Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys" - Two families, one upper-crust and the other working-class, are linked by scandal that threatens to unravel the lives of all involved.  This film looks a lot different than Tyler Perry's other work; more like a straight-ahead thriller than the life-lesson movies he's known for.  I just hope the movie is better than the clunky title.  Rated PG-13.
• "The Women" - Meg Ryan is a career woman who seems to be living the perfect life, until she discovers that her husband is cheating on her.  This is a remake of George Cukor's classic film of the same name; both are notable for not featuring any men in the entire picture (the rest of the cast includes Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Eva Mendes, and Jada Pinkett-Smith).  The audiences who went to see "Sex & The City" and "Mamma Mia!" should flock to this film, and if it does well, perhaps Hollywood will finally pick up on the fact that women will go see movies if you provide something they actually want to see.  Rated PG-13.

Opening in Selected release:

• "Towelhead" - A 13-year-old Arab-American girl navigates an overbearing father, the confusing path of adolescence and her own sexual awakening.  This looks to be very similar in tone to "American Beauty," which isn't a huge surprise considering the film is by AB writer Alan Ball (he also created the HBO television series "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood").  Worth seeing if you're comfortable dealing with some very dark content.  Rated R.
• "Flow" - A documentary that ruminates on the World Water Crisis: the possibility that the Earth's supply of fresh water is dwindling.  It also is very critical of the bottled water industry, which the movie seems to argue is stealing water from people who need it but can't afford to buy it.  This looks like a very important movie for people to see.  I hope "Flow" gets as much attention as "An Inconvenient Truth" did... and I hope people don't dismiss this film as "liberal propaganda" either.  Not rated, and doesn't appear to contain anything objectionable.

What are my favorite shows on television right now? Well, since you asked...

After reviewing the pilot for the new Fox series "Fringe" yesterday, I decided to continue with the TV theme and provide a list of my ten favorite television shows (and I even provided a few honorable mentions).  But before we get into the list, I need to lay out three things to please keep in mind when reading this list:

1) the series has to be currently airing.  So, while I still like stuff like "Veronica Mars" and "Arrested Development" more than other shows on the list, they are ineligible.

2) the series needs to still be generating new episodes; syndicated television doesn't count.

3) this is a "favorite" list, not a "best" list.  There are a number of shows that, from what I've heard, could easily be better than what's on my list, but for various reasons I just haven't gotten a chance to really check them out yet (examples of series on my To-Watch-List include "Friday Night Lights," "The L Word" and "Pushing Daisies").

Okay, that being said, enjoy the list of my ten favorite currently airing television series:

1. “Lost” - Choosing between “Lost” and “Battlestar Galactica” was incredibly hard, but I had to give the edge to “Lost” because, while BG is an excellent drama, “Lost” is a much more innovative one.  It was one of the first modern series to attempt telling a deep, labyrinthine story instead of episode-by-episode stories.  The creators of "Lost" aren’t afraid to shoot for the fences and try different things, and even when they don’t work the results are still interesting.  I also love how philosophical “Lost” is; it’s not a coincidence that many of the characters are named after famous philosophers (Locke, Rousseau, Hume).  What makes the series great, however, is the real emotional depth each member of the large cast of characters have been given.  It also helps that ever since ABC allowed the writers to set a definitive end date for "Lost," the series has rocked with a focus and intensity that hasn't been seen since season one.  The success of "Lost" has changed television as we know it, and that's why it takes the number one spot on my list.
2. “Battlestar Galactica” - We’re living in a new golden age of science-fiction, and nothing proves it more than this dark and realistic re-imagining of an ultra-cheesy '70s series.  Forget the title and any premature judgements it might give you; this new version is a pitch-perfect and powerfully moving drama that just happens to take place in space.  You’d better catch up on it right now; the second half of the final season begins in January.
3. “Heroes” - Sure, some people argued that the second season was a huge disappointment.  I’m not having it; for me this series has successfully continued to take the idea of the “super-hero” and explore every aspect of what that identity means in this day and age.  And it’s always entertaining.
4. “Doctor Who” - This modern-day continuation of the longest running science-fiction series in history is chock full of imagination, wit and whimsy.  The special effects are truly “special,” used to create entire new worlds like nothing you’ve ever seen before.  Although the most recent season got off to a shaky start (mainly due to the addition of Donna Noble, the Doctor’s extremely annoying and whiny companion this go-around), it concluded with what may be the best two episodes in the history of the series (and all the Rose Tyler fans finally got some much-needed closure).
5. “Flight of the Conchords” - Hey hello to our generation’s Spinal Tap.  Instead of being a world-famous British metal band, however, these guys are a struggling novelty-folk band from New Zealand.  This is the funniest show on television.
6. “The Office” - Like “Arrested Development,” this series has mastered the art of mining humor out of extremely awkward situations.  Unlike AD, people actually watch this show.  While Steve Carell is always brilliant (“Evan Almighty” notwithstanding), the series may be most notable for giving us two of the greatest television relationships in history: Jim + Pam, and Jim + Dwight.
7. “Bones” - I’m generally not a fan of procedural dramas, whether they’re about cops (“Law & Order”), doctors ("E.R."), forensics (“C.S.I.") or anything else (“N.C.I.S.,” “J.A.G.,” etc).  But “Bones” won me over because it focuses more on the relationships between the characters.  Dr. Temperance Brennan, aka “Bones,” and her partner, F.B.I. special agent Seely Booth, have an excellent chemistry that drives the show (the other characters are all interesting too).  While the series also follows some pretty nasty cases (the most recent episode involved identifying remains found in an outhouse), I enjoy watching Brennan attempting to deal with the outside world; she’s often described as being better with dead people than with the living.
8. “Fringe” - Yeah, I know this series has only had one episode so far, but holy sh** was that episode entertaining!  Seriously, how many network television series have you seen that show a man’s jaw falling off as he turns into goo within the opening moments of the first episode?  The “X-Files”-inspired concept delves into some seriously strange areas of “science,” but you shouldn’t need a PhD to follow the plot (in fact, my guess is the less you know about real science the better).
9. “Ninja Warrior/Women of Ninja Warrior” - You want to know where new American reality shows like “Wipeout” and “Hole in the Wall” came from?  Tune into G4 and check out this series.  This Japanese import involves contestants competing through four stages of the craziest, most off-the-wall physical challenges in existence.  It’s got everything you’d want in a reality show: crazy contestants, true talent, and risk of serious physical injury.  Who could ask for anything more?
10. “Torchwood” - This spin-off of “Doctor Who” revolves around the titular organization, a group of people who investigate possible alien activity on Earth.  The series is marked by much more adult content than DW (like aliens and people getting it on), but shares the same wit and strong writing and acting.  And it’s nice to have more of Captain Jack Harkness, one of the the most entertaining supporting characters in DW history.

Here are a couple other shows that just missed the cut:

• “America’s Next Top Model” - While I’ve been an unabashed fan of this long-running reality series for quite a while, the last couple seasons have been somewhat lackluster.  That said, the series is still incredibly addictive, and the addition of a pre-op transgender contestant has already made this season much more interesting (specifically watching how some of the other contestants react when she does a better job than them).
• “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” - Classic case of “great idea for a series, less than stellar execution.”  For a series that you’d expect to be chock-full of action, way too much time is spent watching people standing around talking.  Hopefully the second season will pick up on the action and explore John Connor’s relationship with hot-chick/Terminator Cameron more; that’s the most interesting part of the series.  But casting Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson as a liquid-metal cyborg this season is a very interesting idea (although showing us this by having her disguised as a urinal was more than a bit strange).
• “Mad Men” - This series about Manhattan ad executives in the 1960s is relentlessly intriguing.  But the very, VERY slow pace sometimes causes it to drag, and it can often feel like not a whole lot is really going on.  While this is a good show, I really think it's been overpraised by a lot of people.  If you want to check this series out, take my advice and start from the very beginning; otherwise you'll have no idea about what's going on.

"Fringe" - TV review

Last night I watched the 1-1/2 hour series premiere of "Fringe," the new sci-fi series on Fox that was created by J. J. Abrams, who is also responsible for "Lost," which I think this is best show currently on television.  Considering that I had been severely disappointed with the most recent new series I'd tuned in to see (that would be "90210"), I was hoping "Fringe" would be a success rather than a bust.  And good news; it most definitely is a success.  In fact, if it keeps up the quality of the pilot, I could easily see this being a show we'll be watching for some time.

The series centers around Olivia Dunham (newcomer Anna Torv), an FBI special agent who gets drawn into a series of strange events happening all over the world that people are calling "the Pattern."  In the first episode, she is brought in to help investigate what happened to the passengers and crew of an international flight that landed in Boston airport with no signs of life (Abrams sure seems to have a thing for problems involving airplanes, doesn't he?).  After the life of her partner is put in jeopardy, she tracks down Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble from "Lord of the Rings"), a scientist who was once famous for conducting experiments involving "fringe science" (teleportation, mind control, etc), but has been rotting away in a mental hospital for 17 years.  In order to get to him, Dunham is forced to find and bring in his estranged son, Peter (Joshua Jackson, whom some of you may remember as Pacey on "Dawson's Creek").

Although there are some similarities in tone and style to "Lost," "Fringe" most closely resembles "The X-Files," as it seems to focus more on mystery-of-the-week plot-lines rather than a series-long mystery (which should make it much easier for people to get into and follow).  Thankfully, the makers of "Fringe" focus just as much on the relationships between the characters as they do on the science-fiction elements.  Torv, Noble and Jackson all have great chemistry together, and the show doesn't look as if it'll get bogged down in conspiracy theories and such (as many people believe "The X-Files" and "Lost" did in later seasons).

If you missed the premiere last night, Fox will be re-airing it at 8pm on Sunday, and new hour-long episodes will air Tuesdays at 9pm.  Whether you're a fan of sci-fi or just great television, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out "Fringe."  It's easily the best new series of this year.

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/9/08

Here are this week’s new DVD and CD releases:

DVD

The Fall

Grey’s Anatomy: Season 4

Baby Mama

The Forbidden Kingdom

CSI: Miami: Season 6

In Treatment

Smallville: Season 7

Ugly Betty: Season 2

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Season 3

Medium: Season 4

Fox Horror Classics Collection: Volume 2

The Big Lebowski: 10th Anniversary Edition

Brian Regan: The Epitome of Hyperbole (stand-up comedy)

CD

Gym Class Heroes - “The Quilt”

Tricky - “Knowle West Boy”

LL Cool J - “Exit 13”

Dar Williams - “Promised Land”

Civet - “Hell Hath No Fury”

Calexico - “Carried to Dust”

The Dead Science - “Villainaire”

Horse Feathers - “House With No Home”

The New Year - “The New Year”

People In Planes - “Beyond The Horizon”

The Shaky Hands - “Lunglight”

The Sound of Animals Fighting - “The Ocean and the Sun”

Static Thought - “The Motive For Movement”

BREAKING NEWS on Batman 3 villains!

Hey everybody; I just read this and had to post it.

Michael Caine, aka the legendary actor who plays Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred, has stated that he has talked to the studio and they've told him the new villains that will appear in the next Batman film and the actors who will be playing them.

According to Caine, Johnny Depp has signed on as The Riddler, and Philip Seymour Hoffman will be stepping into the role of The Penguin.  While Johnny Depp has been rumored to be interested in playing The Riddler for a while now, the addition of The Penguin to the cast is pretty surprising; as I've reported before, director and co-writer Chris Nolan has said that he doesn't like The Penguin as a villain and would never use him in a film.  Maybe he's had a change of heart or something; I imagine seeing Hoffman take on the role could change anybody's mind.

Of course, this could all turn out to be either a joke by Caine (who is fond practical jokes) or misinformation.  But from what I've seen it appears to be legit, and whatever the truth turns out to be it'll definitely give Bat-fans something to discuss heatedly for quite a while...

What do guys think about these choices?  I'm all up for casting the Hoff, and while I was holding onto the rather small hope of seeing "Doctor Who" star David Tennant take on The Riddler, I'm pretty sure Depp would provide quite an interesting spin on the character.

What’s new in theaters this week: 9/5/08

Here are the films released in theaters today:

Opening in Wide Release:

• Bangkok Dangerous - Nic Cage is a cold-blooded hit man who heads to Bangkok to pull off a series of jobs and winds up falling in love with a local girl.  This is a remake of the Asian film of the same name and directed by the same guys (the Pang brothers, who have also directed “The Messengers” and the original Asian versions of “The Eye”  series).  I like their work and I like Nic Cage, but this film doesn’t get me very excited; might be worth waiting to see on DVD.  Rated R.
  

Opening in Selected Release:

• Everybody Wants To Be Italian - A lovelorn fishmonger, after years of trying to win back his ex-girlfriend, gets involved in a romantic case of mistaken ethnicity.  Looks like a fun little rom-com with an Italian twist.  Rated R.
• Mister Foe - A twisted Freudian tale about a teenager who fancies his step-mother until he becomes convinced that she murdered his mother.  I know that makes it sound like a really dark film, but the trailer makes it look like a really interesting and cool little dark-comedy.  And it stars Jamie Bell (“King Kong,” “Jumper”), one of my favorite modern actors.  I’d recommend looking out for this one.  Rated R.
• Ping Pong Playa - A trash-talkin' suburban slacker discovers his true gift as a ping pong player to defend his family's honor at a local tournament.  This film looks like it succeeds where “Balls of Fury” failed... making a very funny movie about ping pong.  Rated PG-13.
• A Secret - Francois, a solitary, imaginative child, invents for himself a brother as well as the story of his parents’ past. But on his fifteenth birthday, he discovers a dark family secret that ties his family’s history to the Holocaust and shatters his illusions forever.  I saw the trailer for this movie a while ago and it looks really good.  It also helps that French actress Cecile De France (“High Tension,” “L’auberge Espagnole,” “Around the World in 80 Days” [the version w/ Jackie Chan]) co-stars in the film.  She’s one of the best actresses working today; I try to see everything she does.  Not rated, but may contain some adult content.

News of the World - 9/4/08

Here are some of today’s headlines:

• There’s going to be a new LIVE-ACTION “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie!  Considering “TMNT” was my number one obsession as a youngster, I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or start jumping up and down with glee.  Hey, it worked for “Transformers,” didn’t it?
• Even though the answer has been echoed by everyone in the know (including the movie’s screenplay), Aaron Eckhart has confirmed that Harvey “Two-Face” Dent did indeed die at the end of “The Dark Knight” and will not be re-appearing in the next Batman film (which has currently been dubbed “The Caped Crusader”). 
• So, with both Two-Face and the Joker gone, what villains will be making an appearance in the next trip to Gotham City?  While nothing’s been confirmed, the most consistent rumor is that we’ll be seeing the Riddler, and many possible names have been attached (chief among them are Johnny Depp, Guy Pearce and David Tennant from “Doctor Who”).  Some other rumors have included Harley Quinn, the Joker’s obsessed protege (Kristen Bell from “Veronica Mars”/”Heroes” has been attached to that rumor), and Catwoman, though whether she would be a villain or ally is up for question (Angelina Jolie has expressed interest in playing her).  But one villain is definitely out of the running: the Penguin.  Director/co-writer Chris Nolan has stated that he hates that character and will never use him (sorry Danny DeVito).
• Tuesday’s two-hour premiere of “90210” got huge ratings... but it also got terrible reviews from both critics and regular TV viewers, so, like I said, expect this series to die a relatively quick death.
• Want some more movie sequel news?  There’s going to be an “Evil Dead 4,” and yes, it will be directed by Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell as Ash.
• And finally, two of the best series nobody watched while they were actually on TV are now getting big-screen sequels: “Arrested Development,” the award-winning comedy series that eventually turned Jason Bateman (“Juno,” “Hancock”), Will Arnett (“Blades of Glory,” “Horton Hears A Who”) and Michael Cera (“Superbad,” “Juno”) into stars, and “Veronica Mars,” the highly-praised teen detective dramedy series that starred Kristen Bell (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Heroes”).  Both of these projects are currently in the earliest stages of development, but if I were you I’d start catching up with both these great series on DVD immediately.

"90120" review & Matty G's September TV viewing schedule

So, last night was the premiere of "90210," the new and very hyped CW remake/relaunch/revamp??? of the classic "Beverly Hills 90210."  I watched it, and, well, it was terrible.  Keep in mind that I loved "The OC" and liked "Gossip Girl" for a little while.  But yeah, this show is unbelievably dumb; it makes me miss "Veronica Mars" even more.  The cast is bland and boring, with the exception of the returning "BH90210" cast (Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty) and Jessica Walter, who some of you make remember as Lucille Bluth on "Arrested Development," as the alcoholic grandmother; unfortunately her limited presence just makes one miss "Arrested Development" even more.  And they keep using slang that I’m pretty sure hasn’t been used by anyone since the original "BH90210" aired (have you heard anybody say “dope” lately?  EVER!?!).  I predict this show will die pretty soon... if you like this kind of stuff (and, honestly, who doesn’t enjoy faux-tawdry high school exploits?), I strongly advise you just watch "Gossip Girl" instead (or re-watch "The OC," or even better, go check out "Veronica Mars" on DVD!).

But it gave me an idea: now that all the television shows are coming back, I’ve decided to compile a list of what I will be watching on TV this month (this will change a bit in October, as some other series won’t be returning until then - and I will update you all when it comes time).  Plus, I’ve even added the other series returning, just in case they might be of interest to some of you.

(note: I only marked "90210," "America's Next Top Model" and "Bones" as having two-hour premiere episodes because they are the only ones I'm aware of.  You may want to keep in mind that some of these other shows maybe having longer premieres as well)

Sunday

What I’ll be watching:

• Mad Men - 10-11pm, AMC  (currently airing)
  

What I’ll be watching on DVD (because I don’t get HBO, unfortunately):

• True Blood - 9-10pm, HBO (premieres 9/7) (it's a new series about hot vampires, so naturally I'm interested)
• Entourage - 10-10:30pm, HBO (premieres 9/7)

Monday

What I’ll be watching:

• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - 8-9pm, FOX (premieres 9/8)
• Heroes - 9-10pm, NBC (premieres 9/22; will start re-airing at same time on Tuesdays on G4)

What I’m considering checking out now: 

• Life - 10-11pm, NBC (premieres 9/29)
  

What I’m considering checking out someday eventually:

• How I Met Your Mother - 8:30-9pm, CBS (premieres 9/22)
• One Tree Hill - 9-10pm, the CW (premiered this week)

What I won’t be watching:

• Gossip Girl - 8-9pm, the CW (premiered this week)
• Prison Break - 8-9pm, FOX (premiered this week)
• Dancing With The Stars - 8-8:30pm, ABC (premieres 9/22)
• Big Bang Theory - 8-8:30pm, CBS (premieres 9/22)
• Two & A Half Men - 9-9:30pm, CBS (premieres 9/22)
• America’s Toughest Jobs - 9-10pm, NBC (currently airing)
• Worst Week - 9:30-10pm, CBS (premieres 9/22)
• Boston Legal - 10-11pm, ABC (premieres 9/22)
• CSI: Miami - 10-11pm, CBS (premieres 9/22)
• Chuck - 8-9pm, NBC (premieres 9/29)

Tuesday

What I’ll be watching:

• Fringe - 8-9pm, FOX (premieres 9/9)
  

What I’ll be watching on DVD (because I don’t get BBC America, unfortunately):

• Gavin & Stacey - 8:40-9:20pm, BBC America (currently airing)
  

What I’m considering checking out now:

• The Mentalist - 9-10pm, CBS (premieres 9/23; never heard of it before, but looks kind of interesting)
  

What I’m considering catching up with on DVD eventually:

• House - 9-10pm, FOX (premieres 9/16)
• The Shield - 10-11pm, FX (premiered this week)

What I won’t be watching:

• 90210 - 8-9pm, the CW (premiered this week, two-hour premiere)
• Privileged - 9-10pm, the CW (premieres 9/9)
• Biggest Loser - 8-9pm, NBC (premieres 9/16)
• Opportunity Knocks - 8-8:30pm, ABC (premieres 9/23)
• NCIS - 8-9pm, CBS (premieres 9/23)
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager - 8-9pm, ABC Family (currently airing)
• Greek - 9-10pm, ABC Family (currently airing)
• Without A Trace - 10-11pm, CBS (premieres 9/23)
• Law & Order: SVU - 10-11pm, NBC (premieres 9/23)

Wednesday

What I’ll be watching:

• America’s Next Top Model - 8-9pm, the CW (premieres 9/3, two-hour premiere)
  

What I’ll be taping and then watching directly after ANTM (at least for this month):

• Bones - 8-9pm, FOX (premieres 9/3, two-hour premiere)
  

What I won’t be watching:

• ‘Til Death - 8-8:30pm, FOX (premieres 9/10)
• New Adventures of Old Christine - 8-8:30pm, CBS (premieres 9/24)
• Gary Unmarried - 8:30-9pm, CBS (premieres 9/24)
• Criminal Minds - 9-10pm, CBS (premieres 9/24)
• Project Runway - 9-10pm, BRAVO (currently airing)
• Do Not Disturb - 9:30-10pm, FOX (premieres 9/10)
• Top Design - 10-11pm, BRAVO (currently airing)
• CSI: NY - 10-11pm, CBS (premieres 9/24)
• Lipstick Jungle - 10-11pm, NBC (premieres 9/24)

Thursday

What I’ll be watching:

• The Office - 9-9:30pm, NBC (premieres 9/25)
  

What I won’t be watching:

• Hole In The Wall - 8-9pm, FOX (premieres 9/11)
• Smallville - 8-9pm, the CW (premieres 9/18)
• Ugly Betty - 8-9pm, ABC (premieres 9/25)
• Survivor: Gabon - 8-9pm, CBS (premieres 9/25)
• My Name Is Earl - 8-8:30pm, NBC (premieres 9/25)
• Kitchen Nightmares - 9-9:30pm, FOX (premieres 9/11)
• Supernatural - 9-10pm, the CW (premieres 9/18)
• Grey’s Anatomy - 9-10pm, ABC (premieres 9/25)
• ER - 10-11pm, NBC (premieres 9/25)

Friday

What I’ll be watching:

• Apparently nothing.
  

What I won’t be watching:

• Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? - 8-9pm, FOX (premieres 9/5)
• Don’t Forget The Lyrics! - 9-10pm, FOX (premieres 9/12)

Saturday

What I’ll watch now and then, but not consistently:

• Saturday Night Live - 11:30-1am, NBC (premieres 9/13)
  

What I won’t be watching:

• Cops - 8-9pm, FOX (premieres 9/6)
• MadTV - 11-12am, FOX (premieres 9/13)

What's new on DVD and CD this week: 9/2/08

Here’s this week’s new DVD and CD releases:

DVD

Then She Found Me

Married Life

The Promotion

Itty Bitty Titty Committee

Outsourced

Jet Li’s Fist Of Legend

Ballet Shoes

The Big Bang Theory: Season 1

Eli Stone: Season 1 

Life: Season 1 

Supernatural: Season 3

Ghost Whisperer: Season 3 

The Office: Season 4 

Desperate Housewives: Season 4

Ghost Hunters: Live From Waverley Sanitarium

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Doctor Who (the Tom Baker years): Invasion Of Time; Invisible Enemy & K-9 and Company

Transformers (blu-ray edition)

CD

Underoath - “Lost In The Sound Of Separation” 

Into Eternity - “The Incurable Tragedy” 

Rodney Crowell - “Sex and Gasoline”

Chemical Brothers - “Brotherhood”

New Kids On The Block - “The Block”

Blessed By A Broken Heart - “Pedal To The Metal”

T.K. Webb & The Visions - “Ancestor”

Toxic Holocaust - “An Overdose Of Death”

Lila Downs - “Shake Away”

Terrence Howard - “Shine Through It”

Young Jeezy - “The Recession”

Giant Sand - “Provisions”

Sonya Kitchell - “This Storm”