Month: July 2009 (Page 5 of 26)

“…What closes on Saturday night.”

July 28, 2009 /

I couldn’t help remembering George Kaufman’s famous definition of satire when reading Noah Forrest‘s post on the acclaimed political comedy, “In the Loop,” which opened last Friday in limited release. I’m a fan of all kinds of satire, but with the exception of “Dr. Strangelove,” “Network,” and a Robert Altman movie here and there, it’s rarely been a commercial success — though from the sound of it, I’m certainly hoping Armando Iannucci’s new film has decent luck.

Here’s a TV commercial for one movie that had almost no luck, Norman Lear’s “Cold Turkey.”

According to Wikipedia, the film was shelved for years by United Artists due to commercial worries. On the other hand, the film’s writer/producer/director wasn’t exactly intimidated and made a TV show that that touched a far hotter button than the cigarette industry. That did a little better, and lasted many Saturday nights.

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Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movies, TV Comedies

Tunnel Rats

July 28, 2009 /

As this generation’s Ed Wood, Uwe Boll has made some truly terrible films. So how does the German director fare when he’s not making a movie based on a video game? A little better, but not as much as you’d hope. With “Tunnel Rats,” a Vietnam War flick about a group of U.S. soldiers sent to kill Viet Cong resistance fighters hiding in the jungles and tunnels of Cu Chi, Boll has proven that he isn’t quite as clueless behind the camera as he appears. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his screenwriting skills. I’m not exactly sure who this movie is supposed to be meant for, but the Vietnamese are depicted as bloodthirsty savages and the Americans as scared morons. They act like morons, too, as they’re all systematically killed off like a bunch of teenagers in a slasher flick. I mean, if the tunnels were causing the U.S. Army so much trouble, why didn’t they just drop a couple of grenades down them instead of sending soldiers in one at a time to be brutally murdered? Boll is clearly a fan of the genre – he crams as many Vietnam War clichés into the first 20 minutes as humanely possible – but that doesn’t make him any more qualified for the job. “Tunnel Rats” may have sounded great on paper (it’s certainly an original idea for an overdone topic), but with Boll in charge, it never had a chance to succeed.

Click to buy “Tunnel Rats”

External Movie DVDs, Horror Movies, Movie Dramas, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Movies

A lull, of sorts

July 28, 2009 /

You can feel it. After more than a week of Hollywood flacks being in overdrive announcing every comic book-derived, science fiction, fantasy, and horror project they’ve got, things have suddenly gone a little languid as we enter something like the late summer doldrums. That’s highly relative in a business where ADHD sufferers are seriously over-represented, but even Nikki Finke is mostly ignoring movies and has turned her megablog into a detailed celebration of every aspect of the parting of her bete noir TV executive, Ben Silverman.

But that leaves room for a couple of items relating to two filmmakers who are always worthy of attention.

* AICN’s Capone has a chock-full-of-good-stuff interview with Peter Jackson, whose been busier than you might even think considering the number of projects he’s got going, including some really cool sounding short pieces alongside his upcoming return to his “Heavenly Creatures” “small-movie” mode with “The Lovely Bones.” (Capone also raves about the upcoming Jackson-produced feature debut for South African-born director Neill Blomkamp, “District 9” — already notable because of its semi-unavoidable viral marketing campaign.)

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Action Movies, Actresses, Comic-Con, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movie Dramas, Movies, News, Sci-Fi Movies, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

A chat with Debbie Lee of “The Next Food Network Star”

July 28, 2009 /

It seems like many viewers of “The Next Food Network Star” were up in arms about Debbie Lee because of several questionable tactics and comments she made during more than one episode. They were letting judge and network exec Bob Tuschman know how they felt in responding on his blog last week. Well, Debbie was eliminated this past Sunday, leaving Melissa D’Arabian and Jeffrey Saad to battle it out for the crown. Was Debbie singled out for previous missteps? Good question, but we think so, and we think she had it coming either way.

Anyway, we had the chance to ask Debbie about her experience on the show and on her future plans…..

Premium Hollywood: What do you think ultimately was the deciding factor in your being eliminated?

Debbie Lee: It’s hard to say. I would love to get inside the judge’s minds to figure out what they were thinking. I know it was a very hard decision, but I think ultimately with Melissa’s being a mom, Jeffrey’s consistency…it just was a tough decision.

PH: Do you plan to pursue your own cooking show regardless?

DL: Yes, I would love the opportunity. I would also love to do some books and have the opportunity to express my Korean-American background.

PH: Who do you think will win now, and why?

DL: That’s a tough one. Melissa is a mom, has the all-American skills, Jeffrey is a fascinating chef with an interesting background, he’s exciting to watch. Let’s just say I’m glad I’m not a judge!

PH: What can you tell us about your new hot dog restaurant?

DL: The restaurant is going to be a hot dog concept that also integrates that comfort food with Southern spirit.

External TV, Reality TV, The Next Food Network Star, TV

TCA Tour, Summer 2009: And so it begins…

July 28, 2009 /

If you’re a regular visitor to Premium Hollywood, particularly during the months of January and July, then you’ve probably become aware of my regular forays to Los Angeles to cover the Television Critics Association press tour. The entertainment media loves to talk about the death knell of the tour, which has ostensibly been hastened by the decision to move it to take place after Comic-Con rather than before, but, hey, all I can tell you is that I’m planning to attend this thing until they hang a “closed” sign on the door. As someone who’s based in Chesapeake, VA, and is therefore nowhere near the industry, this remains an incredible opportunity for me to interact with the cast and crew of the television shows that I enjoy and, more importantly, the shows that you enjoy.

I arrived in L.A. yesterday afternoon, and I did my best to blow off my jet lag by avoiding a nap and staying awake to attend an International Pop Overthrow concert. (FYI, Kay Hanley may be doing songs for “My Friends Tigger and Pooh” these days, but she still rocks just as hard now as she did during the Letters to Cleo days.) The move seems to have worked: I woke up at 7:00 AM, feeling refreshed and ready to roll. This is a good thing, since between now and August 8th, I’ll be attending panels dedicated to virtually every series that will be premiering or returning between now and the end of the year. It’s a daunting prospect, especially since I’ll also be trying to fit in several one-on-one interviews during the course of my trip, but, by God, I think I can do it!

Stay tuned!

External Entertainment, External TV, News, TCA Blog 2009, TCA Press Tour, TV

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