Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 4th, 2012
I don’t believe anyone could have predicted not only Family Guy being on the air for over a decade but how big a power player Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy and American Dad) would become. With several shows currently in production, the release of his first live action feature Ted earlier this summer, and now the recently announced hosting of the upcoming Oscars, I believe it’s safe to say MacFarlane is about as big a name as Oprah. And to think he didn’t have to give his fans cars to do it; he’s just that talented.
What MacFarlane has done with the Griffin family is something of a miracle. In so many ways these are some of the rudest, crude, obnoxious characters ever put to the small screen, but we can’t help ourselves but love them. Every week the line of moral decency is pushed to the edge and crossed, but it’s all in good fun, because we the viewer can tell ourselves it is OK because they’re animated.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 4th, 2012
It took some time, but alas, Joe Dante’s movie The Hole is finally available for us all to see. The impact Dante’s films had on my childhood is something I am thankful for. I can’t imagine surviving the Christmas holiday without watching Gremlins. I’ll still never be able to look at a tilt-a-whirl without imagining it being a spaceship because of Explorers. Then there are the fond memories I have with Matinee, The ‘Burbs, Small Soldiers and few others. Basically I hold Dante with high esteem and believe he’s one of our best working genre directors from whom I wish we were seeing more.
When I did get the title to review, I was a bit hesitant with this one. Part of me wanted to hurry home and slide this into my player, while another part of me was cautious not to get my hopes up for this one. Waiting was the best thing I could have done for this film, so as my stack got thinner I knew the time had come to give this movie a gander.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2012
"It's funny. Some people never get to know the folks next door. They share a fence and nothing else. And we've shared everything. How did we get to be so lucky?"
Fans of Desperate Housewives have considered themselves lucky to have shared many a night with their television neighbors on Wisteria Lane. But like all good things, the ride has come to an end, and it's time to take up residence somewhere else.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2012
It's hard to believe that CBS didn't want The Carol Burnett Show. Not only didn't they want it, but they fought hard to keep it from ever happening. It was the result of a 5-year contract the actress had with the network. She had been a popular member of The Gary Moore Show, and they wanted to hold on to her services. So they made her an offer she just couldn't refuse. They gave her a not-so-standard 5-year contract that gave her the right to activate a special clause at any time in the five years. The clause gave her the right to produce her own variety show, and the network would be obligated to air at least 31 episodes of the show. Carol activated the clause with just one week remaining to do so.
The network called out the lawyers looking for loopholes that could get them out of the deal. They tried to intimidate her into believing that a variety show hosted by a woman was doomed to failure. They tried to bribe her with new perks and a sit-com of her own. Carol stood her ground, and with the help of her producer husband Joe Hamilton, they put together an ace writing staff and assembled a cast. CBS had no choice. They were forced to air the show. It was a costly duty. They only ended up with the number-one-rated variety show for over ten years.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on October 3rd, 2012
The residential cartoon aficionado is reporting for duty. I often think when I am 80 or 90 years old (if I live that long), I will be in my easy chair with a glass of Metamucil and my cane off to the side while I enjoy a heaping dose of cartoons. Then I will go yell at some kids and tell them to get off my lawn. That is the life, I am telling you. Today, I will be reviewing the third best of Adventure Time dvd with the always lovable Jake and Finn.
Adventure Time has not been reviewed here on the site before, so here is a quick synopsis. Adventure Time involves two main characters named Finn a human, and Jake a dog. The two have frequent adventures where they must go through dungeons, save princesses, and defeat evil monsters. Their adventures often border on outlandish and lots of craziness but it can be agreed that these two will always have a fun time doing it. Let us take a look at some of the assorted episodes from this disc.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on October 3rd, 2012
Dora sets out to teach kids a little English here, and a little Spanish there, as she goes on some Halloween themed adventures; most of which involving costume parades. The formula for each episode (Halloween themed or not) is identical, allowing kids to speak along with the characters, while grating the patience of nearby adults.
The way in which each character takes long pauses while asking questions of the viewers will either seem condescending and/or just flat-out creepy to viewers older than 5. That said, you simply have to be a pre-schooler to enjoy viewing multiple episodes of this show. The encouragement young viewers receive to participate and solve simple problems is all well and good for them. This jaded 20-something on the other hand, is just a little too unnerved to join this manner of edu-tainment.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2012
We all remember Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy from Married With Children. It's an iconic role that he'll never be able to shake no matter what he does for the rest of his life. After that series ended its 11-year run, he even attempted to get out of comedy and take more dramatic roles. I'm sure there was a deliberate intent to try to distance himself from Al. It's not that he likely didn't love playing the role. He just wanted to avoid getting forever typecast in the mold. Those efforts weren't all that successful. But now he's back where he belongs again in a pretty solid sit-com. He's not playing Al Bundy any more, although you won't have to look very hard to find some of Bundy in Jay from Modern Family.
I have become somewhat frustrated over the television comedy genre for a lot of years. It seems that they all take the same path no matter what the show's actual concept might be. It's usually the same jokes, just in a different environment. I don't have children, but I expect that it must be near impossible to sit down and watch a comedy with your family any more. If I were a stranger visiting this planet for the first time, I would quickly come to the conclusion that sex is about the only thing that's funny here. Thank God that once in a while something fresh comes along and swims against the current tide of innuendo and toilet humor. Modern Family is the kind of show you can enjoy with the entire family. And guess what? It's pretty darn funny on top of it all.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2012
Following in the footsteps of Ancient Aliens, History Channel has put out a new ten-part series to indulge viewers that simply can’t watch enough government mystery and conspiracy television. I’m not here to judge, because I’ll be the first to admit, when I see there is a new show about Area 51, the Freemasons, or anything with the word secret, I’m a sucker for watching it. I blame my compulsive obsession with conspiracies from watching the X-Files when I was younger for this.
This 3-disc set covers 10 separate topics that though we may think we know a lot about, these locations and agencies are still shrouded in a great deal of mystery. Each of these episodes run about 44 minutes (balancing out to an hour when commercials are edited in) and are filled from beginning to end with information that can be a bit much to absorb at times like in the case of the Freemasons. We’re given bits about how they have connections to the Boston Tea Party, George Washington’s blood oath, and the fact that 14 of our past presidents have been a member of the Freemasons.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 2nd, 2012
It’s been quite some time since The Chappelle Show went off the air, and it would appear Comedy Central has finally found its replacement. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the two shows are on the same par, but what Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele bring to the small screen is something that has peaked my interest and shows some potential. Both Key and Peele got their big breaks from working on the sketch comedy show MADtv, and it would seem they are taking their talents and what they learned to bring us something that is a little familiar but still fresh, and keeps its audience laughing.
To be fair, though, the only endorsement the pair will ever take notice of is that of President Obama, who has actually seen their show and has publicly given it his approval. Not many sketch comedians can put that in their resume.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2012
The 8th season of CSI: New York begins with the strongest and most emotional CSI episode ever. The show flashes back to what the team members were doing during the 9/11 attacks. It's very tastefully done. They never actually show the planes hitting the buildings, but they do show the disaster as it unfolds on the streets of New York. We get to see Mac spending what will be the final moments with his wife, who was killed during the attacks. We always knew that these people were likely working that day. Now we get to see what they were doing and understand the impact it must have had on their lives.
The CSI phenomenon has been going strong for many years now, and CBS has ridden that wave to become the top network these past couple of years. It all started with the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigator. This Las Vegas show became an instant hit, and three years later we found ourselves in Miami for a spin-off. Two years after basking in the Florida sunshine, Jerry Bruckheimer caught lightning a third time; this time out New York would serve as the setting. While there are ties that bind the three shows to the CSI franchise, each show has a unique style. The cases also serve to distinguish the shows from one another. The leads for the three shows likely give the most character to the series. Gary Sinise as Detective Mac Taylor brings a strength that establishes this show’s credibility from episode one. Taylor is ex-military who lost his wife in the 9/11 attacks. He’s incredibly driven and passionate about bringing down the bad guys, but won’t allow his integrity or that of his lab to be compromised. Also, the New York show differs from the original in that the CSI personnel are full-fledged cops and not just lab rats working for them. I find I like this version far better than the Miami setting, even though I can relate more to the Florida locations essentially in my own back yard.
