If you're a fan of Community, one of the best new comedies on television, you saw "Modern Warfare" three weeks ago and you were treated to a nearly flawless half hour of comedy. And that is exactly why this show is going to become huge.
Showing posts with label tv shows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv shows. Show all posts
Is Community The Next Great TV Comedy?
If you're a fan of Community, one of the best new comedies on television, you saw "Modern Warfare" three weeks ago and you were treated to a nearly flawless half hour of comedy. And that is exactly why this show is going to become huge.
Getting 'Lost' for the Last Time
This Tuesday is the beginning of the end for one of this decade's most influential dramas. Okay, the mystery can get pretty out of hand at times and yeah it's extremely nerdy now. But there is no doubt that Lost will be remembered as a highlight of network programming in the 2000s due to its diverse cast, rampant creativity, and excellent variety.
At the heart of Lost are its fascinating characters and the final season seems to be refocusing on them once again. If you haven't seen last season, then I'll just do some light-spoiling: this season will (somehow) bring about the return of many characters who have died on the show. Confirmed to be returning in some way are Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Cynthia Watros (Libby), Jeremy Davies (Daniel Faraday), Harold Perrineau (Michael), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko), Ian Somerhalder (Boone), and Maggie Grace (Shannon). For a show that has had such a chaotic timeline as Lost, it's awesome that the writers managed to find a way to bring back everyone for one hell of a final sendoff.
The first four minutes of the premiere, originating from an ABC sweepstakes, has leaked online and it certainly seems like things are back to normal. These four minutes are nearly identical to Jack's scene in the pilot episode with a few key differences. Watch it below to see for yourself!
Also, if you have seen season five, then here's an excellent collection of theories for season six from AlwaysWatching.net.
Neil Patrick Harris Singing About Suits? Who Could Say No?!
That's right: Neil Patrick Harris' voice. He already proved his singing chops in the musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and now NPH is out to prove he can sing about even more ridiculous things (whether to choose a girl or suits) while putting most actors to shame.
Here's a behind the scenes look at the making of the legendary musical number from "Girls Vs. Suits".
Looking for the lyrics? Thanks to the TV blog CliqueClack, you can find them right here!
LTTP: Late '09 Recap [Part 2]
So if you haven't noticed, I really never posted much since last December. Sorry for that but I have been busy with school and was with the family for the holidays. So this special-edition of LTTP is going to cover a lot of bases that I wanted to write full posts about, but simply never had the time for.
Jump after the break for an extra large clusterf*ck of quick articles.
Jump after the break for an extra large clusterf*ck of quick articles.
'House' Getting Less Technical and More Emotional
At some point, audiences that tuned in every week to see the twist and turns of the diagnostics department at Princeton-Plainsboro run by a maniacal, vicodin-popping doctor had to ask themselves a question: why do I even care about the characters?
Of course House M.D. is a procedural and people watch the show to see the oddball treatments said doctor derives from a random "moment". Yet personally I find that the best episodes of House are the ones where there is more drama surrounding the main characters rather than their patients (but it is good to have a balance of both).
The show has always been a slow-burn with character development that ultimately does pay off, but with the most recent season the show has taken an interesting turn of events.
(Keep reading after the break, but beware of major spoilers if you haven't kept up!)
'Chuck' is Coming Back Stronger, Cooler, and Sooner Than Expected
That was all Chuck fans needed to convince NBC to renew the show for another season. Initially, the renewal was not the best news in the world: NBC was only committing to 13 episodes and it was set to premiere in March 2010, almost a full year since the finale of season 2.
However recently NBC announced good news for Chuck fanatics around the world: not only is the upcoming season extended by 6 more episodes but the premiere date is now set for January 10th, 2010!
Personally I cannot quite understand why a day in the life of a $11.00 an hour employee at a big-box electronics retailer turned top secret government asset hasn't become more popular. The show is filled with plenty of action, crowd-pleasing comedy, strong melodrama, and a talented comedic cast.
By the looks of it NBC has finally realized the potential for the quirky show and judging by the extended season and earlier premiere date, they are moving forward quite aggressively. Plus with a newly announced sponsorship deal with Subway (born out of the 'Save Chuck' campaign, mind you) third season is almost guaranteed to run its full course. So remember people, tune in January 10th, 2010 for the season premiere of one of the best shows on TV.
And bring along a couple of Subway sandwiches while you're at it.
"Broken" Gives New Life To 'House M.D.'
And it is pretty easy to see why within the first fourth of the 2-hour opener. "Broken" definitely forges new ground for the show because it is one of the very few episodes that avoids the show's prestigious formula. Actually, now that I think about it, I think this episode is the first to be completely free of the formulaic structure of the show. Sure, the two part season 4 finale was excellent and the same goes for last season, but they always had elements of the formula incorporated into the episode.
"Broken" is absolutely refreshing because you don't even see most of the regular cast members. Only House's partner in crime, Wilson, makes an appearance but it only lasts for about a minute and it takes place over a phone call. One might worry that because the good old cast is gone that the episode may suffer, but it's actually the opposite: the plot is more focused without the other characters jumping in the limelight. And I would also like to make a note of just how superb the supporting cast of mostly unknowns breathed colorful life into the Mayfield Psychiatric Facility the vicodin-popping doctor called home. Despite having storylines contained within this episode, you do feel strong connections with most of the supporting characters and it's a credit to the show's writing and casting.
I was honestly worried that this season would get a little gimmicky with the psych facility, and after last year's somewhat exhausted feel I was thinking of avoiding this season if it was more of the same. Fortunately, "Broken" has proven me wrong and has made me a believer in the rest of the season. If you're not watching House M.D. now, you're missing a lot.
Update: The Music Ninja wrote up a blog post about some of the excellent songs from the episode. Click here.
The Great Kanye West Massacre of the 2009 VMAs
Everyone can't stop talking about it. By now you must have heard.
Kanye West made himself look like a jackass (yet again) at an awards show. However this time, it looks like Mr. West may have crossed the line. Since there's no point in describing what happened, I'll point you towards the video below.
...yeah, when you jump on stage at an awards show while someone else is getting an award it's usually frowned upon. Especially when it's a first time award winner such as the poor Taylor Swift. Obviously Yeezy went a bit far and many attribute his behavior to him, oh I don't know, drinking a full bottle of cognac on the red carpet right before the show.
Well a little while after Mr. West went to his blog for a semi-official apology. Then he stepped in to right his wrongs when he decided to apologize on national television on the premiere of 'The Jay Leno Show' Monday night. He seemed genuinely ashamed of himself here and when Leno dropped the bombshell of a question at the end, you can really see he was holding back some of his tears. And to top it off, directly after the short sit down with Leno he went to perform on stage and delivered an absolutely furious and heartfelt performance.
Honestly, I do feel for West here. Of course it was stupid and out of line, but being a celebrity ain't easy. It's hard dealing with life when the whole world watches your every move. And the same goes for Taylor Swift as well. People have just taken this whole situation way out of proportion.
A lot of people are still taking it out of proportion and want Kanye's head for it. It has been a constant trending topic on Twitter since Sunday night, every news site has it published on the front page, and there are already thousands of videos on YouTube about it. This story isn't gonna go away any time soon (and I just realized I may not be helping the situation) but people need to stop pressuring celebrities so much. They're humans too and they make mistakes.
...but apparently no one told Obama that when he called him a jackass. Click here for the audio of his off-the-record comment.
LTTP: Mad Men
I love TV. I really cannot get enough of a good television program. So it is with deep shame to admit that I have not seen the cultural phenomenon known as ‘Mad Men’. Until now.
I am currently half way through season one and even though I am enjoying it, I am also nagged by a single question: what’s the point?
The characters are piercingly real, the dialogue is absorbing, and the plot lines are engrossing. Plus, of course, ‘Mad Men’ has completely nailed the look and feel of the 1960s. Everything from the set designs, to the fashions, the habits of the people, and even down to the excellent selection of music. Yet it all seems like it is much ado about nothing.
I do understand the point of some of the individual episodes thanks to some truly masterful directing, but for some reason I just cannot fit all the pieces together. Character stories and development is always on point in all of the episodes and the show does an excellent job juggling all of its characters.
Yet the annoying thing about it all is that I know the show is trying to make some kind of point but I just cannot decipher it.
But don’t assume I lack confidence in the show. I am definitely giving ‘Mad Men’ the benefit of the doubt right now simply because it is it’s first season after all. Shows don’t always start well, and with time they usually improve. Plus ‘Mad Men’ only got big after winning and Emmy for its first season so maybe I should hang on until the beginning second season.
Or maybe I’m an idiot. It did take me a second viewing of The Dark Knight to understand the message of that film.
Aside from my lack of philosophical insight, ‘Mad Men’ is still quite an engrossing drama and I’m frankly shocked that so many people are into the show. ‘Mad Men’ is a mature and sophisticated drama and it’s refreshing to know that this kind of show can receive the level of acclaim it does.
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LTTP stands for “Late To The Party” and in this feature I will go back to certain things I missed when they were first released or popular and give my current impressions.
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'Family Guy' Is Spoofing 'Star Wars' Yet Again
If you're a fan of Family Guy and have yet to see the hilarious Star Wars spoof episode, "Blue Harvest", there is no point to your existence.For those who have, some awesome news has been announced today: Seth McFarlane and his outlandish, over-exaggerated cartoon personalities are taking on the famous movie franchise once more. While Blue Harvest centered around the events in Episode IV: A New Hope, the newest spoof episode will follow Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (largely considered the best film from the series).
And the best part? The title of said spoof is called "Something, Something, Something, Darkside." Here's the clip from where the title (most likely) came from.
LTTP: 30 Rock
Well I am not completely finished with 30 Rock, but I thought that now would be a good time to write about my impressions of the Emmy-winning surprise hit.
But then I started season 3...and things jumped to a whole new level.
Within the first ten episodes of the most recent season 30 Rock has had AAA guest stars like Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Megan Mullally, and Steve Martin. On top of that is a recurring role with Salma Hayek as well as Mad Men's Jon Hamm. And along with the extra firepower, 30 Rock has really started to go full swing.
Season 1 was the show's humble beginnings and just like every other show, some issues had to be ironed out. Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan (get it?) was entertaining, but his character was a bit one-note for the first few episodes. Tina Fey as Liz Lemon was really the only confident actor on the show but that's probably because, you know, she created the show. One of the best reasons to watch first season, however, came in the form of the synergy-crazed corporate manager known as Jack Donaghy, as portrayed by Alec Baldwin. Not only did the actor create a justified reason to watch this infantile series, but Baldwin also delivered some of his most inspired comedy in a long time.
Luckily, by the end of the season I was bursting out loud in laughter uncontrollably, mostly due to Jack Donaghy. (The fireworks joke was really, really awesome.)
Then season 2 busted open a whole new can of awesome with the premiere, which I still find to be one of the funniest episodes of television I have ever seen. Getting Jerry Seinfeld on to 30 Rock was an ingenious move by both Seinfeld and NBC; Seinfeld was able to advertise Bee Movie and NBC was able to expand the range of the audience hot off an Emmy victory for the show. One of the best parts of that episode was definitely the therapy session, and you can see what I mean below.
A few more guest stars who gave hilarious cameos includes David Schwimmer as eco-friendly mascot GreenZo (who eventually goes mad with power) and Will Arnett as Jack's arch-nemesis Devon Banks (who just so happens to be gay and obssessed with the innocent page Kenneth). Despite these great actors making appearances, the season never seems to get as sharp and as witty as I hoped and there was one huge reason for that: the 2007 writer's strike.
Season 2 was tragically cut short to a mere 15 episodes and the show managed to squeeze out enough big plot lines to get fans to look forward to the third season, but the show got a little bit too preoccupied with that and the confidence the show went in to second season with was suddenly hindered. Thankfully, season 3 came out swinging and that determination was stronger than ever. Season 3 is shaping up nicely so far and I cannot wait to finish the second half.
I remember I was confused as to why a show like 30 Rock was able to clinch the Best Comedy Emmy with its first season (an extremely rare occurrence with any show) and now I think I finally understand why: 30 Rock is one of the funniest, most clever shows on television right now. It is easily recommended to anyone who would enjoy Alec Baldwin confronting his Hispanic alter ego, Liz Lemon thinking she is pregnant due to delicious Mexican snacks made with Bull semen, Tracy Morgan's Tracy Jordan creating a pornographic video game called Goregasm: The Legend of Dong Slayer, Chris Parnell as Dr. Leo Spaceman (pronounced "spa-che-men"), or...
...Well, I'm sure you get the idea.
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LTTP stands for “Late To The Party” and in this feature I will go back to certain things I missed when they were first released or popular and give my current impressions.
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A Bittersweet Ode To "Life"
"They put you away for killing that guy you owned a bar with, you did 12 years hard time, and you got 50 million dollars? Now you're eating burgers in the back of a minivan on the run from half the cops in LA. You've made some interesting career choices.” – Agent BodnerThat quote from the season two and series finale, “One”, of Life pretty much sums up what the show was all about. Not only did Life have some silly moments but it was also a fascinating character study and a dark police procedural.
Who the quote is referring to is none other than Charlie Crews, a cop framed for murder and sent to prison for 12 years. Then he was released after his lawyer convinced the state it was wrongful imprisonment and was granted a $50 million settlement. Now Charlie has a new lease on life and is a millionaire...but he once again joins the LAPD.
Charlie is quite the unusual character and one of the most fascinating people on television. Charlie frequently uses Zen to keep his inner demons at bay, and he has a weird thing for fruits. But Crews' unique outlook on life after prison is what makes him such an interesting and smart cop. Damien Lewis is the actor who breathes the character of Charlie to life and he does an amazing job.
Charlie's partner also struggles with demons of her own, battling with sex addiction and alcoholism while trying to break free from the shadow of her father, a famous LAPD lieutenant who is now retired. Dani Reese is not as scene stealing as Crews may be, but her practical personality keeps the show balanced and she proves to be a fitting equal to the infamous cop.
Life may have been presented to the public as a generic police procedural, but the characters and overarching storyline were fascinating to watch and the show is very different than the average CSI clone. The show had a fair amount of issues including sometimes weak plot structure as well as some vague writing. But what Life lacked in efficiency it more than made up for with the sheer amount creativity as well as the casting.
As said before, Damien Lewis is a commanding presence on screen as the conflicted, fruit-loving, Zen-obsessed ex-convict turned millionaire Charlie Crews. The rest of the cast can stand shoulder to shoulder with Lewis including Sarah Shahi who plays his troubled partner Dani Reese. Others include Adam Arkin as ex-convict and Charlie's best friend Ted Earley, Brent Sexton as Charlie's former partner Robert “Bobby” Stark, and Donal Logue as Tidwell, the new police captain straight from the NYPD.
The overarching plot of Charlie's framing was the main idea behind the show. As noted before, Crews was wrongly sent to prison for 12 years. Why? That's exactly what Charlie wanted to know. In the first season the conspiracy begins to fall apart as Charlie acts as the wild card in a plan gone rotten. It is revealed that former cops, including Dani's father, framed Charlie and made a fortune off an infamous bank robbery. While the conspiracy was not fully exposed by the time the show ended, there were strong hints that the plan had gone in a different direction than was planned and that Charlie was never meant to go to prison in the first place.
Besides all the craziness of the conspiracy, Life was mostly about the characters battling their own demons. Charlie was coping with the loss of 12 years at prison after becoming a cop and he avoided this by utilizing Zen to calm the anger that lay dormant within him. Dani was ultimately trying to prove to her father that he did not need a son to follow in his footsteps as a great cop but her confidence dwindled and she fell victim to sex addiction and alcoholism. Ted was a wimp in prison and Charlie saved his life and for that Ted became a loyal and trusted friend. Bobby had felt guilty about Charlie going to prison especially since he did not know whether his accusations were true or not.
Life was a show that would probably have failed to capture a large audience even if it hadn't premiered during the writer's strike. But to all of those that invested the time to watch the show, they know that the show did something different with the typical LAPD procedural and created a kooky, wonderful gem of a show.
Welcome to One Giant Clusterf*ck! [Updated!]
Hello, nobody! Welcome to the brand-spankin' new blog "One Giant Clusterf*ck"!
My name is Saad Hashmi. I'm currently living in Bahrain, but I was born in Maryland and stayed there for several years. Then, I moved out to sun-in-the-fun California for about the same amount of time before coming to this country no one has ever heard of last year (2008).
Because of that brand-spankin' new part of this blog, I figure basically no one will be reading this until I can get the word out that this site exists. But I'm thinking forward on this one and decided to take care of the introduction from the get-go.
So...What Is This Blog?
I'm glad I asked! Basically, this blog is true to its name; it really is one giant clusterf*ck. Here I'll be writing about anything and everything that catches my interest, piques my curiosity, or just makes me laugh like a diabolical mad genius. Whatever it is, it will be on here to share with the internet's cruel, cynical inhabitants.
However, this will not be actively working as my personal diary or anything. I may talk about personal things, but honestly I'm doing this as a test run to see if my writing styles can appeal to any kind of audience. Like most of my projects, I'm sure this will end fairly soon and I may go out on an eating spree to ease the uncontrollable, haunting pain but this is my first real blog so I will give it my best shot. That's a guarantee of two weeks minimum!
What Type Of Content Will Be On This Blog?
Like I mentioned before, a lot of different types of things will be posted here. Some more specific examples are:
- Reviews of all kinds of media (movies, TV shows, games, and music)
- Lots of video and music-related posts are pretty much a given
- Special weekly articles
- Sharing ideas and peeks at my own stabs at fiction through "creative" writing
- Anything else I write off of a sugar high/study low
Will The Blog At Least Look Creative Too?
Well I am not very proficient in Photoshop and other image editing software, but I will over the next few days and weeks try to add a creative look to match the kind of content found on Clusterf*ck.
[Update]: Well I no longer am in possession of one of the stock Blogger themes. For now I shall be using the Forte theme which I found on BTemplates.com. Looks pretty good, right?
[Update]: Well I no longer am in possession of one of the stock Blogger themes. For now I shall be using the Forte theme which I found on BTemplates.com. Looks pretty good, right?
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Well for now that's about it for introductions. I already have some articles lined up to be posted here (before the birth of OGCF, OpenOffice was my "blog") as to make up for lost time and give an immediate impression to anyone who would actually bother reading this blog.
Of course you can find me on social network sites like:
To the future of "One Giant Clusterf*ck"! May its promise seem slightly less bleak than it does right now! Huzzah!
