Wednesday, October 19, 2005
what I've seen
Beavis and Butthead
Man, I have not been sleeping well this week. We discovered that MTV2 shows an hour of Beavis and Butthead at midnight. I haven't seen any of these episodes since '96, or so, and seeing them back on tv is a damn welcome sight, indeed. And, thankfully, they run 'em complete with the music video commentaries, which has apparently been a sticky issue in terms of DVD releases. Almost as entertaining as the show itself is remembering all those crappy "alternative" bands whose videos would fill out 120 Minutes for a week or two before being written off by their label. Greta, the Meices, Stakka Bo - I had entirely forgotten about all of these jokers, and yet the memory returned immediately upon seeing their clips on Beavis and Butthead. Anyway, still a classic, misunderstood show, and worth staying up 'til one for. Four out of five.
TNA Impact!
So the WWF has sucked since long before some pandas made them pick up that E. I haven't watched Raw or Smackdown regularly since 2002, and when I have tuned in it's been pretty miserable. I briefly relapsed earlier this summer, after watching the excellent ECW: One Night Only dvd, but other than the amazingly melodramatic Eddie Guerrero / Rey Misterio feud on Smackdown, and the occasional good promo from Christian or Carlito, there was absolutely nothing of interest. That company's slow strangulation of all that's good and worthwhile in the world of wrestling has quickly escalated into an all-out apocalyptic onslaught. The McMahons will have killed pro wrasslin' dead by December, UNLESS people give TNA a shot. Total Non-Stop Action is a horrible name, and I have no idea why they dropped the NWA from the front (oodles of cache there, friends), but that doesn't detract from their frequently outstanding product. The last three weeks of Impact!, since starting up on Spike TV, have been damn good. Between the funeral service for Team 3D (fka the Dudley Boys) and the twenty or so minutes spent on Christopher Daniels running the gauntlet against Shark Boy, Sonjay Dutt, and the truly phenomenal A. J. Styles (a dude Elliott, Crews and I would go watch out at Bumpers), this past episode was the best wrestling program I've seen since maybe early 2001. The time slot's a killer (Saturdays at eleven), but for those willing to stay up late, they show a replay at midnight on Monday night / Tuesday morning. I recommend it, friends. Three and a half out of five.
Capote
Okay, so, yes, of course, it's a good film. Without Hoffman's amazing performance, though, you're left with nothing much. It's as close to a one-man show as anything since Dr. Strangelove, and Sellers at least had George Scott and Slim Pickens. Keener's good, but understated to the point of disappearance, and Chris Cooper's in it for maybe twenty minutes. Hoffman is in every single scene save the first, I believe. And although the relationship that develops between Capote and suspect/murderer Perry Smith is intriguing, Clifton Collins, as Smith, isn't capable of keeping his end of the bargain. His mediocre work diminishes every scene he's in. But still, go see it for Hoffman, who will deserve whatever golden baubles they toss his way next winter. Three out of five.
Ned and Stacey: Season One
The wife was a big fan of this show, and since she had to buy something on her mystery shop to Best Buy, it might as well have been this, I guess. I'm not complaining, though. I wasn't a fan when it was on the air (watched once, thought Lowell was funny, disliked the rest), but watching it today I'm impressed by how well they made the traditional sitcom set-up work. That mostly has to do with Thomas Haden Church, whose delivery and timing are perfect for sitcoms, and Debra Messing, Greg Germann, and the rest of the supporting cast are mostly up to the challenge. Also, the late Harry "Captain Murphy" Goz is entertaining as Stacey's dad. Three out of five.
Da Ali G Show: Season Two
Okay, not much to say here. This show is as close to perfect as anything currently on the air.
Beavis and Butthead
Man, I have not been sleeping well this week. We discovered that MTV2 shows an hour of Beavis and Butthead at midnight. I haven't seen any of these episodes since '96, or so, and seeing them back on tv is a damn welcome sight, indeed. And, thankfully, they run 'em complete with the music video commentaries, which has apparently been a sticky issue in terms of DVD releases. Almost as entertaining as the show itself is remembering all those crappy "alternative" bands whose videos would fill out 120 Minutes for a week or two before being written off by their label. Greta, the Meices, Stakka Bo - I had entirely forgotten about all of these jokers, and yet the memory returned immediately upon seeing their clips on Beavis and Butthead. Anyway, still a classic, misunderstood show, and worth staying up 'til one for. Four out of five.
TNA Impact!
So the WWF has sucked since long before some pandas made them pick up that E. I haven't watched Raw or Smackdown regularly since 2002, and when I have tuned in it's been pretty miserable. I briefly relapsed earlier this summer, after watching the excellent ECW: One Night Only dvd, but other than the amazingly melodramatic Eddie Guerrero / Rey Misterio feud on Smackdown, and the occasional good promo from Christian or Carlito, there was absolutely nothing of interest. That company's slow strangulation of all that's good and worthwhile in the world of wrestling has quickly escalated into an all-out apocalyptic onslaught. The McMahons will have killed pro wrasslin' dead by December, UNLESS people give TNA a shot. Total Non-Stop Action is a horrible name, and I have no idea why they dropped the NWA from the front (oodles of cache there, friends), but that doesn't detract from their frequently outstanding product. The last three weeks of Impact!, since starting up on Spike TV, have been damn good. Between the funeral service for Team 3D (fka the Dudley Boys) and the twenty or so minutes spent on Christopher Daniels running the gauntlet against Shark Boy, Sonjay Dutt, and the truly phenomenal A. J. Styles (a dude Elliott, Crews and I would go watch out at Bumpers), this past episode was the best wrestling program I've seen since maybe early 2001. The time slot's a killer (Saturdays at eleven), but for those willing to stay up late, they show a replay at midnight on Monday night / Tuesday morning. I recommend it, friends. Three and a half out of five.
Capote
Okay, so, yes, of course, it's a good film. Without Hoffman's amazing performance, though, you're left with nothing much. It's as close to a one-man show as anything since Dr. Strangelove, and Sellers at least had George Scott and Slim Pickens. Keener's good, but understated to the point of disappearance, and Chris Cooper's in it for maybe twenty minutes. Hoffman is in every single scene save the first, I believe. And although the relationship that develops between Capote and suspect/murderer Perry Smith is intriguing, Clifton Collins, as Smith, isn't capable of keeping his end of the bargain. His mediocre work diminishes every scene he's in. But still, go see it for Hoffman, who will deserve whatever golden baubles they toss his way next winter. Three out of five.
Ned and Stacey: Season One
The wife was a big fan of this show, and since she had to buy something on her mystery shop to Best Buy, it might as well have been this, I guess. I'm not complaining, though. I wasn't a fan when it was on the air (watched once, thought Lowell was funny, disliked the rest), but watching it today I'm impressed by how well they made the traditional sitcom set-up work. That mostly has to do with Thomas Haden Church, whose delivery and timing are perfect for sitcoms, and Debra Messing, Greg Germann, and the rest of the supporting cast are mostly up to the challenge. Also, the late Harry "Captain Murphy" Goz is entertaining as Stacey's dad. Three out of five.
Da Ali G Show: Season Two
Okay, not much to say here. This show is as close to perfect as anything currently on the air.
