Author: John Paulsen (Page 46 of 79)

The HBO Voyeur Project

August 6, 2007 /

Those looking for entertainment during the lean months of summer TV might want to check out the HBO Voyeur Project:

Welcome to the HBO Voyeur Project – a multimedia experience that gives you a peek into what happens behind the countless windows we pass everyday. Whether you choose to experience it online or on HBO on Demand, the HBO Voyeur Project illustrates the underlying truth that sometimes the most revealing stories are the ones you weren’t meant to see.

You can see the project at HBO.com and HBO On Demand. Basically, it’s a collection of silent films (with pretty good music) that capture the intertwining stories of everyday life. In one area, you can watch eight Manhattan apartments all at once, or zoom in on one or two apartments to see the goings on. To catch all the action, you might want to watch the whole film more than once. (It only runs five minutes, so it’s not a big deal.) There are also a few other apartments around the city that all have fairly creepy storylines. The other apartments appear to be online only; I couldn’t find them in HBO On Demand.

HBO has always been on the forefront of creative television, and this project is no different. It’s an interesting experiment, to say the least.

External Entertainment, External TV, New Media, TV, TV Anime, TV Dramas

Showtime has it goin’ on

July 31, 2007 /

Over the last several years, Showtime has developed original programming in the same vein as HBO (edgy content in compact seasons), only the network doesn’t get nearly as much publicity.

I can heartily endorse three Showtime series that are now out on DVD, making them a great option for those waiting for the traditional fall season to start. “Weeds” stars the ever-sexy Mary Louise-Parker as Nancy, a suburban widow forced to sell marijuana in order to keep up her family’s lifestyle. Kevin Nealon and Elizabeth Perkins co-star as residents in her tract-housing neighborhood. The show is reminiscent of “American Beauty,” only funnier, and with a lot more cannabis. Justin Kirk is hilarious as Andy, Nancy’s irresponsible brother-in-law.

“Dexter” is a cop show unlike any other. No procedures, just the title character (played by Michael C. Hall, formerly of “Six Feet Under”), who is – get this – a serial killer who only kills serial killers. Over the course of the first season, we learn about how Dexter was “born,” and dive deep into his past as he wrestles with his demons. It’s a compelling and unique take on the crime drama.

Fans of “The Wire” or “The Black Donnellys” should check out “Brotherhood,” the story of two Irish brothers on the opposite side of the law in Providence, Rhode Island. One is an influential state congressman, while the other is moving up in organized crime. As the first season wears on, their lives become more and more intertwined. Most of the members of the fine ensemble cast aren’t well known, but the lovely Annabeth Gish plays the unhappy and secretive wife of the congressman.

Lastly, “The Tudors” (which just wrapped the first season and is not yet out on DVD) stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a young King Henry VIII who tries to extract himself from his marriage (in order to be with his love, Anne Boleyn). Not unike HBO’s “Rome,” the first season shows how the personal lives of royalty and politicians can affect the course of a country. The ensemble cast is anchored by Sam Neill, who portrays the powerful and ambitious Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. By the end of the season, I was scouring Wikipedia for information about the characters; it’s not a bad way to learn a bit of history.

August 13th is the premiere of the promising “Californication,” a dramedy that stars David Duchovny as a single writer who must balance his career with his daughter, his ex-wife and his appetite for beautiful women.

They say you can’t outfox a fox, but with HBO staples “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “Deadwood” and “Rome” going off the air, and “The Wire” soon to follow, Showtime just might be out-HBO’ing HBO.

It’s not TV. It’s Showtime.

External Entertainment, External TV, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas, TV DVDs

New Sitcom Pulls Back The Envelope

July 26, 2007 /

Man, I love The Onion.

LOS ANGELES—Fox network executives excited about the ground-mending situation comedy Family House, which will debut this fall, told reporters Monday that the program has pulled back the envelope on modern television, and is sure to give viewers a “30-minute Ferris-wheel ride.”

“Unbuckle your seat belts, America, we’re already here,” said cocreator and executive producer Kimberly Hodge, who touted the show’s traditional three-camera setup and nuclear-family cast as “as nothing you’ve never seen before.” “Our team of veteran writers is committed to bringing you only the kinds of basic conflicts, wildly predictable twists, and fast, easy resolutions you’ve come to expect from network television.”

Hodge added that executives are equally pleased with their new action drama, Crime Unit, whose formulaic structure and conservative cinematography has kept test audiences “on the backs of their seats.”

External TV, Humor, TV, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

The new Harry Potter book came out this weekend (yawn)

July 24, 2007 /

Excuse me if I’m a little unimpressed by the frenzy surrounding the release of J.K. Rowling’s seventh (and final) book in the Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I grew up in the ‘80s playing Dungeons & Dragons in the basement of my suburban Milwaukee home with my older sister and her high school friends. Actually, it was Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but that’s a small distinction to outsiders. Since then, when I tell people that I used to play D&D, the spectrum of reactions ranges from mild surprise to veritable shock, and there usually is some grammar school-style teasing soon to follow.

But I really don’t care; D&D was a great pastime for me. It forced me to use my imagination, work with numbers, strategize with my friends about the best way to complete a mission, and accept (and even embrace) the diversity that is in the D&D world. Gary Gygax, the creator of Dungeons & Dragons, built the game with J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth in mind. So during my childhood, I used magic (and my trusty two-handed sword) to fight orcs, dragons, trolls, and countless other monsters. In fact, there was a whole book of creatures to fight, called the Monster Manual. Man, I loved that book.

Go ahead, call me a geek. I don’t blame you. Like anything new, when it burst onto the scene, D&D was welcomed with skepticism and hostility. Remember the made for TV movie, “Mazes & Monsters,” (starring young Tom Hanks) which was loosely based on a mother’s opinion that D&D was responsible for her son’s suicide? That represented the crest of the anti-D&D movement, and even had some people calling the game a “cult.”

So what does this all have to do with Harry Potter? The same people that were criticizing D&D in the ‘80s are the ones waiting in line to fork over $20 for the latest Rowling tome, which features a young man in a fantasy world who uses (gasp!) magic to fight all sorts of different creatures. How has Harry succeeded in worming his way into America’s heart when D&D could not? Rowling was wise to set Harry’s universe in our world, so there was just enough reality to keep everyone happy. After all, Harry’s world isn’t middle-Earth, it’s just plain old Earth.

I’ll admit that the movies are getting progressively better. The first two chapters (helmed by Chris Columbus) were basically kid’s movies with their heavy-handed shots of Harry’s childhood nemesis, Draco Malfoy, grinning when things were going his way and frowning when things were not. It’s nice to see the movies grow up with Harry.

I haven’t yet cracked a Potter book – maybe I’ll do so when I have a child of my own to read to. I have fond memories of my mom reading C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia to me every night. That’s probably what’s going on in households across America right now, and if that’s the case, maybe Harry Potter isn’t such a bad thing.

But y’all are late to the party.

External Entertainment, External Movies, Humor, Movies

HBO moves on

June 20, 2007 /

With the series finale of “The Sopranos,” HBO is facing a crossroads. I’m not sure what percentage of the network’s subscribers were mainly (or only) interested in Tony Soprano and his family, but it has to be significant. HBO is aware that they need to quickly develop more good programming if they hope to keep the train going down the tracks.

Their first hour-long effort is “John from Cincinnati” (from “Deadwood” creator David Milch). The series revolves around San Diego family of surfers as they encounter a strange visitor, who acts as if he might be from another planet. In just two episodes, Milch has introduced a bevy of interesting characters and, as far as the language and dialogue goes, the show actually has a very “Deadwood” feel to it. There are a number of familiar faces in the cast, including Rebecca De Mornay (who is excellent as the family’s matriarch), Ed O’Neill, Luis Guzman and Luke Perry.

In the half-hour comedy category, “Flight of the Conchords” follows Jemaine and Bret, two aspiring musicians from New Zealand, as they navigate New York City. It’s a musical of sorts, as the duo occasionally break out into quirky songs that relate to whatever is going on in their life. The premiere was quite funny, especially the song Jemaine sings to a girl at a party. If the Barenaked Ladies had developed a sitcom (and never released “One Week,” which made them too popular) and enlisted Wes Anderson to direct, it might have turned out like this.

So far, so good.

External Entertainment, External TV, Reviews, TV, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

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