The Couch Potato Report - January 26th, 2008
This week The Couch Potato Report peels three TV shows on DVD and two very entertaining movies.
Even though Canadian television networks continue to produce shows, including CBC, who have given us some great new programs, including two new shows I really like - SOPHIE and JPOD - when people speak of television these days, they are usually referencing the 11-week-old strike by screenwriters against the major studios.
So, if you are missing your regular nightly or weekly television fix due to the strike, I have three TV shows that are now on DVD that I think you should use to entertain you.
And I'll start with this week's Hot Potato, SEASON TWO of the based in Vancouver series ROBSON ARMS
ROBSON ARMS is a Canadian anthology television series that takes place in and around the Robson Arms apartment building in Vancouver and each episode of the show focuses on a different tenant of the building, although we also see the other people who live in the building in the halls, or in the store that is located in the lobby.
The show also has lots of Canadian music and references and it features a large ensemble cast of well known Canadian actors that rotates from week to week as well, but when SEASON ONE was released on DVD last May, I didn't recommend it, in fact, I said:
"Unfortunately, while ROBSON ARMS is engaging at times, most of the episodes just aren't that interesting, in fact...some of the characters are exceptionally unlikeable, and...in the end, I just didn't find the show really isn't all that entertaining."
Happily, they got rid of most of the unlikeable characters, and added a few people you could actually care about, and while I didn't completely love SEASON TWO of the show, I really did enjoy watching it, and catching up with the folks who live in the building.
I especially enjoyed the scenes with Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen who joins the ensemple for a couple of episodes.
SEASON TWO of ROBSON ARMS is not going to make you forget the shows you love that you aren't getting to see right now, but it might just entertain you enough during the void that you don't have to start reading books, or anything like that.
Another show that is now out on DVD that will definately entertain you - both now, and when the writers end their strike - is the CBC co-production TORCHWOOD - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON about a covert agency called the Torchwood Institute which investigates extraterrestrial incidents.
TORCHWOOD is a great BBC Science Fiction Series from the makers of DOCTOR WHO, also a CBC co-production, and it features great writing and a great cast, lead by John Barrowman as the always engaging Captain Jack Harkness...a man who can not die.
Some have referred to TORCHWOOD as a grown-up DOCTOR WHO, others have called it a British X-FILES, and as much as I enjoy the show, and I do truly enjoy this show, I don't subscribe to either of those descriptions as TORCHWOOD just isn't as consistantly good as DOCTOR WHO or THE X-FILES.
There are too many extra plot points full of character development for Captain Jack's supporting players, and none of them are as interesting as the Captain, so when the show isn't about him, or the interesting aliens and villains the team meets each week, it tends to drag and thus, get a bit boring.
However, I am pleased to report that those boring scenes don't usually go on for very long, and then the show returns to it's engaging storylines and fast pace.
Now, you don't have to know that TORCHWOOD is an anagram of DOCTOR WHO to enjoy this show...but I think it helps.
However, if you enjoy science fiction shows, then I think you will enjoy TORCHWOOD.
So there are two mostly positive reviews this week, and get ready for a third, as I also high recommend our next release.
Yes, it is the 11-DVD Box Set WONDER WOMAN - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, featuring every episode from the television show's three year run.
Yes, if you need something to entertain you over the next few months, until summer arrives and we can go outside again, why not jump back to the 1970's television series based on the classic comic book, and starring the still gorgeous to this day - Lynda Carter - who is featured in some retrospective looks back and commentaries in this box set.
And yes, she does discuss the unforgettable Wonder Woman costume.
:)
No, WONDER WOMAN - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION isn't television's finest hour, but the show remains fun to this day, and it always has a postive attitude.
And did I mention the beautiful Lynda Carter?...I did...okay...just checking.
From the enjoyable cheese that is WONDER WOMAN, our next release is a little more serious fare, and THE HUNTING PARTY is also one of the most surprisingly entertaining films of last year.
THE HUNTING PARTY is the latest film from Richard Shepard, the writer and director who gave us the great film THE MATADOR in 2005.
This picture features Richard Gere as a discraced television reporter who goes on a quest with a young journalist and a cameraman to find "The Fox", the number one war criminal from the Bosnian conflict.
The trio find themselves in serious jeopardy when they are mistaken as a CIA hit squad and their target decides to come after them.
THE HUNTING PARTY is based on an article that originally appeared in Esquire magazine, and I really enjoyed it. For me, the film had just enough fact and fiction to entertain me, and to make me think.
If you like to see mature people in mature films, then do not miss THE HUNTING PARTY.
As I said, it is one of the most surprisingly entertaining films of last year.
Finally this week is 3:10 TO YUMA, a very interesting remake of the 1957 western classic starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.
In this version Bale from BATMAN BEGINS plays a small-time rancher who is desperate for money after the bank threatens to foreclose.
So he agrees to help deliver a captured outlaw - played by Oscar winner Russell Crowe - across the plains and to the train station so Crowe can take that 3:10 train to Yuma and be tried in a court of law for his crimes.
While 3:10 TO YUMA is a tried an dtrue western, the story element that really connected with me is the battle of wills that ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.
3:10 TO YUMA is not an exceptional film, and it doesn't exactly reinvent the Western genre, but it is still very, very good, and if you would like to see it for yourself, it is available now on DVD, along side THE HUNTING PARTY, WONDER WOMAN - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, TORCHWOOD - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, and SEASON TWO of the television series ROBSON ARMS.
Oh, and don't miss Season Two of Torchwood, coming soon to CBC Television!!
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL is the Canadian feature film adapted from Romιo Dallaire's autobiographical book "Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda" starring Roy Dupuis as Romιo Dallaire.
THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ is a 1974 Canadian comedy-drama film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler, and it is now available in a new Director's Cut.
And if after this week's recommendations, you still don't have enough to get you through the ongoing writer's strike, I will also tell you about THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON of Larry David's classic show CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, and VOLUME FIVE of the BBC Series MI:5.
And then there is A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS - THE KING OF KONG, a great documentary about the world's two best players - of Donkey Kong!
I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next time on The Couch!
Thumbs up for Roger Ebert after latest bout of surgery, lawyer reports
Venerable film critic Roger Ebert is recovering after another bout of surgery, his lawyer said on Friday.
The 65-year-old Chicago Sun-Times critic had surgery in Houston on Thursday to address complications from previous operations, lawyer Eliot Ephraim said.
"The surgery went well, and the Eberts look forward to giving you more good news about Roger's recovery in the days to come," Ephraim said.
"Chaz and Roger Ebert are grateful to everyone for the continued prayers and concern."
No further details were released.
Over the past few years, Ebert has undergone a series of cancer surgeries, most recently in June 2006, when doctors removed a growth on the his salivary gland as well as part of his right jaw.
Two weeks later, emergency surgery was required after a blood vessel burst near the site of the earlier operation.
A tracheostomy, which opens an airway through an incision in an individual's windpipe, left Ebert unable to speak. He has previously said this would be remedied by further surgery.
Despite his ongoing medical treatments, Ebert the first arts critic to be honoured with the Pulitzer Prize for criticism had been continuing his work, including attending major events like the Toronto International Film Festival and penning reviews for the Sun-Times, where he has been the film critic for more than 40 years.
Live 'Buffy' Reunion Set for March
David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
Expect the Hellmouth to reopen in Hollywood this March when the cast of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" gathers for a reunion.
The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio) announced Wednesday (Jan. 23) that a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reunion is one of the centerpieces for the PaleyFest08, an annual pop-culture event bringing fans together with the stars and creators of both new and classic TV shows.
This year's Paley event will run from March 14-27, with the venue shifting from the Directors Guild of America to the Cinerama Dome. Except long lines regardless of the location.
No cast members or producers have yet to be announced for the "Buffy" event, celebrating the cult favorite that ran on the now-deceased WB and UPN.
The Paley Center also announced panels for current network hits "Chuck," "Dancing with the Stars" and "Dirty Sexy Money," as well as AMC's Golden Globe-winning hit "Mad Men."
Previously revealed sessions include "Gossip Girl," "Pushing Daisies," "An Evening With Judd Apatow" and a night dedicated to the 40th anniversary salute to Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special with Priscilla Presley in attendance.
Tickets for the PaleyFest will go on sale in Premium Ticket Packages on Monday, Feb. 4. Paley Center members can start snagging tickets on Feb. 7 and if there are any ducats left, the general public can scoop them up starting Feb. 10.
R.E.M. Rocks Hard On New 'Accelerate'
After two consecutive albums dominated by mid-tempo fare, R.E.M. gets back to its stripped-down, fast-paced rock roots on "Accelerate," due April 1 via Warner Bros. The 11-track set, which gets in and out in a lightning-quick 34 minutes and change, is led by the single "Supernatural Superserious."
Opener "Living Well's the Best Revenge" sets the tone, with a prominent lead guitar figure from Peter Buck, thumping, melodic bass lines and backing vocals from Mike Mills and a rapid stream of lyrics from frontman Michael Stipe. The track almost seems like a musical cousin to "Just a Touch" from 1986's "Life's Rich Pageant."
The up-tempo approach extends to "Supernatural Superserious," a video for which was shot earlier this week on Manhattan's Lower East Side. "You realize your fantasies are dressed up in travesties / enjoy yourself with no regrets," Stipe instructs on the track, which should hit radio sometime next month.
Elsewhere, "Hollow Man" begins as a piano ballad but quickly morphs into a revved-up chorus, while "Horse To Water" is a noisy, angular rocker with the unmistakable stamp of R.E.M.'s pre-major label days.
Among the slower departures are "Houston," which is vaguely reminiscent of the vintage "Swan Swan H," and the politically charged "Until the Day Is Done" ("The verdict is dire / the country's in ruins," Stipe sings).
A number of the "Accelerate" tracks were premiered last summer during "working rehearsal" shows in Dublin. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee, best known for his work with Snow Patrol and U2.
Here is the track list for "Accelerate":
"Living Well's the Best Revenge"
"Mansized Wreath"
"Supernatural Superserious"
"Hollow Man"
"Houston"
"Accelerate"
"Until the Day Is Done"
"Mr. Richards"
"Sing for the Submarine"
"Horse To Water"
"I'm Gonna DJ"
Will eight be enough?
Viewers will have to decide whether Lost is half-empty or half-full when the ABC adventure-drama returns for its fourth season Thursday (9 ET/PT). Because of the Hollywood writers' strike, only eight of 16 planned episodes have been produced.
Cast members say that ABC's decision to provide some Lost rather than none is smart and that they are pleased with a quickened pace and more answers to Lost's mysteries.
"We're all going to be disappointed that there are only eight instead of 16, but the eight episodes are amazing, and I think fans will be very satisfied," says Yunjin Kim, who plays Sun, the pregnant wife of Jin (Daniel Dae Kim). "I feel like this season all the episodes are self-contained. The speed of the story is faster. Each episode contains a question and an answer, finally. So there's a lot of satisfaction."
That approach may be the result of the unusual decision to set an end date for a hit series, with 48 episodes over three seasons. Knowing when the story concludes (which may be reflected in the title of the one-hour season-opener, "The Beginning of the End") has helped writers map out a faster, more focused pace, says Matthew Fox, who plays Jack Shephard, the reluctant leader of the survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
"Lost is a story with a beginning and an end. Knowing he's got 48, (co-creator Damon Lindelof) can make each installment move the narrative forward to that conclusion with momentum," Fox says.
Based on Lost's previous production schedule, five or six more episodes likely could be produced by the end of May if the writers' strike is settled by mid-February.
Lost ended last May with a jolt, opening the door to the castaways' possible rescue while adding a twist, a first flash-forward after three seasons of signature character flashbacks.
The island update: Hurley (Hugo Reyes) saved three survivor colleagues from the Others, a mysterious island group at odds with the Oceanic passengers. Jack contacted an offshore freighter, and he and other stranded island dwellers were waiting for its crew to rescue them. And, just before drowning, another colleague, Charlie (Dominic Monaghan), passed on the message that the boat people weren't who the islanders thought.
That leads to a big season-opening question, one that will divide the islanders as four strangers arrive: Are they coming to hurt or to help?
The future revelation: In a surprise directional change praised by cast and TV critics, Lost's May finale looked ahead to find that Jack and Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and possibly some others from the island, made it back to civilization.
The episode ended with a bearded, substance-abusing Jack raising more questions by imploring Kate: "We were not supposed to leave. We have to go back, Kate."
Other questions hover: Who will leave the island, and who will stay? What will become of the pregnant Sun on an island where expectant mothers die? How will the romantic possibilities play out? Of course, Lost's big questions what and where is the island, and why are these people there? remain. (ABC will repeat the two-hour finale Wednesday at 9 ET/PT and air a series recap Thursday at 8.)
After averaging 15.9 million and 15.4 million viewers in its first two years, Lost fell to 13.8 million last season. (Lost is the top show in time-shifted viewing, ABC says.)
A complex, serialized show such as Lost loses some of its audience via attrition, but many viewers and critics blamed a six-episode fall 2006 arc they say had too much of the Others, not enough of the first-year regulars and too little in the way of action and answers.
A longer episode allotment in the spring received a much better critical response, and the season finale (13.9 million viewers) gave Lost its largest audience in more than three months. That led to the decision to run its 16 episodes consecutively this season.
But if this season also ends up divided, cast members say, the eight episodes will stand up better because they have lots of action and all the regulars are featured. (Lost's writers would not discuss the season because of the strike; ABC execs declined to be interviewed.)
Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Juliet, one of the Others, likens the literature-referencing series to a novel. "I'm reading this book, Orley Farm. The first 150 pages are all setup. You're like, 'Where are the people I care about?' Then, all of a sudden, the book takes off. I feel that's what happened in Season 3. The writers laid their groundwork. And it hits the ground running" this season.
Lost could benefit from the strike, too, since there is less scripted competition. With time slots available because other shows have only reruns, it was moved from Wednesday, American Idol's regular night, to Thursday, and from 10 ET/PT to 9, an hour with more viewers.
In addition to new characters from the freighter, Michael (Harold Perrineau), who left the island with son Walt earlier, will return. Some on the island, most recently Locke (Terry O'Quinn) in the season finale, have seen a vision of Walt (Malcolm David Kelley).
Michael Emerson, who plays the spooky Others leader Ben, says that this season not only keeps up last season's momentum, but that the flash-forward opens great creative opportunities. "None of us knew what was going on until we saw the broadcast. I thought 'Hallelujah! This is going to make this show.' "
The future perspective is "how they're going to spin it out to be suspenseful and dramatic. Who has gotten off the island and at what price?" he says. "Now, there are these bittersweet notes of regret and missed opportunity that will come into play. To the extent the island was some crucible in which people could hope for redemption, maybe not everyone was redeemed, at least not happily."
Can the Simpsons rise above the haters?
NEW YORK - Between them, sisters Jessica and Ashlee Simpson have had one high-profile divorce, an embarrassing lip-synch scandal, plastic surgeries both obvious and subtle, blame for a Dallas Cowboys loss, and an impresario father looming over it all.
Each shot to prominence and up the pop charts by taking the primrose path of MTV reality shows.
Each has had shining success at selling records, followed by abject failure.
And that's just a sampling. If you're a celeb-watcher (or football bettor), it's juicy stuff.
If you're a Simpson sister, it's beginning to look like a critical mass of negativity.
Of late, Jessica, 27, and sister Ashlee, 23, are regularly slimed in the blogosphere, which becomes more and more vicious as public interest in celebrities reaches an all-time high. Trying to nurture a career and stay in fans' good graces amid gleefully ruthless tabloid scrutiny can't be an easy feat.
Especially for Jessica.
The singer/actress/shoe designer will likely avoid the Dallas Cowboys stadium after fans blamed her weekend trip to Mexico with quarterback Tony Romo for the Cowboys' defeat by the New York Giants.
Eva Longoria rallied to Simpson's defense, as did ex-boyfriend John Mayer. In a post on his blog, Mayer wrote: "I have never known anyone to have more pride in their home state and their upbringing in it than Jessica Simpson has in Texas. ... It's one of her most defining traits as a person. So please don't try and take that away from her."
For Simpson, who suffered a backlash of sorts after her marriage to Nick Lachey crumbled in 2005, bad press is apparently a side effect of living under the tabloid microscope.
"Jessica's actually quite realistic about it," publicist Elizabeth Wolfe told The Associated Press. "It's part of the price of being in the public eye. She doesn't like it. And if I were her mother, I would fight tooth and nail to protect her. But you can't. She's a grown-up woman, and she's on her own and she's doing the best she can."
Wolfe is the spokeswoman for Millennium Films, which released Simpson's new comedy, "Blonde Ambition," co-starring Luke Wilson, to eight Texas theaters in December. It's now available on DVD. Simpson's upcoming films include "Major Movie Star," in which she plays an actress-turned-Marine. These films follow her big-screen debut in "The Dukes of Hazzard."
Meanwhile, Simpson's little sister recently unleashed the video for her new single, "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," to mixed reviews online. Ashlee's third solo album, "Bittersweet World," is expected to be released in the spring.
Ashlee, a media magnet for her romance with Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz, positioned herself as the anti-Jessica in 2004 when she documented the making of her debut album, "Autobiography," on an MTV series. That album sold 2.9 million copies and spawned several radio-friendly hits despite the revelation that she lip-synched during a performance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
Her 2005 disc, "I Am Me," failed to register a hit and only sold 942,000 copies still, that was better than the end tally (297,000) for her sister's 2006 clunker, "A Public Affair."
These days, Jessica's gone country. She's been recording a new album in Nashville, Tenn., to be released sometime this year, her publicist, Lauren Auslander, said recently. In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Jessica explained her reason for trying out a new sound: "I am a country girl. ... I always wanted to make a country album, but I wanted to wait until the time was right."
Ian Drew, editor-at-large for Us Weekly magazine, said the siblings, who are managed by their domineering father, Joe Simpson, and reportedly haven't been shy about having cosmetic procedures, could certainly prove themselves again all they need is a surefire single or some other success that would eclipse the drama surrounding their personal lives.
"My honest opinion is neither of them really have a great deal of talent," Drew remarked. "They're manufactured pop artists. So it comes down to: Could they buy the right song or not?"
Still, unlike an artist like Madonna, who has a weak voice yet a strong point of view, "these girls don't really have anything to say," Drew said. "They're not very intelligent. They're not very insightful. ... And you can only go so far that way in the entertainment world."
Publicist Howard Bragman said Jessica needs to stop juggling so many projects and "do fewer things better."
"She's still a very beautiful girl," Bragman said. "There's still a lot of media interest. She still has potential. ... Once you've been a star, you can be a star again. That's the beauty of America."
Sales spike for Heath Ledger films
NEW YORK - Heath Ledger's death has spiked sales and interest in the late actor's films.
As often happens after the death of a famous actor or musician, many have sought to revisit or simply discover his work. Three of Ledger's movies charted among the 25 best-selling DVDs on Amazon.com as of Friday afternoon.
Most have been purchasing copies of Ledger's 1999 comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" and his 2001 period action flick "A Knight's Tale." After those films, Ledger pursued more dramatic, challenging roles, with 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" the third most popular of his DVDs on Amazon being roundly considered his finest achievement.
The 28-year-old Australia native died Tuesday in a Manhattan apartment. Toxicology tests to determine the cause of death will not be completed for at least a week.
Ledger's latest film to be released, the multi-persona Bob Dylan film "I'm Not There," has mostly completed its theatrical run. It played in only 61 theaters last weekend.
The lone theater it remains playing at in New York is the Film Forum, an art house and repertory theater that has been screening "I'm Not There" since it was released in November.
"The film is doing very well and as long as it does well, we'll play it," said Film Forum first-run programmer Karen Cooper. "I don't imagine that it's going to do better because of his loss. I think it's doing as well as it is because it's a very strong and interesting and unusual film."
The impact of Ledger's death on his last completed project, "The Dark Knight," remains to be seen. The latest installment in the "Batman" series, Ledger plays the Joker, and his dark, twisted take on the villain had been a focal point in the film's advance promotion.
Since Ledger's death, over seven million have flocked to YouTube to watch trailers of "The Dark Knight." Over one million have watched a clip of an interview where Ledger discusses the Joker role.
Warner Bros., the studio distributing "The Dark Knight," has not yet announced any change in schedule for the film, which is planned for a blockbuster summer release on July 18.
"Certainly `The Dark Knight' is one of the most anticipated films of the year," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "I think Warners is just going to stay the course and keep marketing the film."
As for its box office performance, Dergarabedian suspects the film is so big that it "kind of transcends almost anything like this that might happen." He adds that the film's release will to a certain degree honor Ledger, whose performance was already expected to impress moviegoers.
At the time of his death, Ledger was in the midst of shooting "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus," a $30 million film directed by Terry Gilliam. The movie recently completed shooting scenes in London and was soon to resume production in Vancouver, British Columbia. Producers have not said whether the film will continue or not.
In the film, Ledger was to co-star with Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits. Options open to producers depending upon how many scenes Ledger had left to shoot include recasting (and thus reshooting) his part, finishing it with the help of a body double (as was done after Brandon Lee died while making 1994's "The Crow") or simply canning production.
Ledger had also been preparing to make his feature directing debut by adapting Walter Tevis' novel "The Queen's Gambit."
In an interview last month with Variety, Gilliam told the trade paper: "Heath is extraordinary. He's just so good, and he's going to be a film director. He's watching everything, and he's going to be a much better director than I will ever be."