Author: Will Harris (Page 141 of 261)

Will is a member of the Television Critics Association and has written for Decider.com, the Onion A.V. Club, The Dissolve, Indiewire, Rhino.com, TV Week Magazine, The Virginian-Pilot, Popdose.com, and EW.com along with writing for Bullz-Eye.com and Premium Hollywood.

“Law & Order” is back? Really…?

January 3, 2008 /

Yes, really. And I can imagine you might be a little skeptical, but if you read on, you’ll see that I started out that way, too.

The problem with “Law & Order” being in eternal re-runs over on TNT is that you’ve still got people out there who think Lenny Briscoe is still alive, well, and walking the beat. He’s not, of course, and the show’s managed to go on without him, but it has to be said that the death of the great Jerry Orbach really sucked a lot of the spirit out of the show; the attempt to fill his substantial void with Dennis Farina was well-intentioned, but Farina never really meshed with Jesse L. Martin (a.k.a. Detective Ed Green), and when he departed after two seasons, his replacement – Nina Cassady (Milena Govich) – worked out even less successfully. And, look, I’m a huge “L&O” fan from way back, but I gotta be honest with you: I haven’t really watched the show regularly since early 2005, back when Michael Imperioli did a four-episode stint alongside Farina while Martin took a break to film “Rent.” In fact, I’m pretty sure that the only new episode of the show I’ve seen since then was the one when Chevy Chase guest-starred as an anti-Semitic actor who bore an in-no-way-coincidental similarity to one M. Gibson.

It may sound like I’m damning the series with faint praise, then, when I say that the new season of “Law & Order” is shaping up to be the best since Orbach’s death, but believe me when I tell you that if you’ve been a longtime fan of the show but haven’t been watching it lately, now’s the time to come back.

Green’s got himself a new partner: Cyrus Lupo, played by Jeremy Sisto. The two of them have an instant chemistry that harks back to the classic “L&O” era when Briscoe and Mike Logan (Chris Noth) first got teamed up together. Lupo’s coming off a stint as an investigator of terrorist groups, so he’s used to being able to work a little outside the lines with his actions, but while Green’s not incapable of looking the other way when he thinks it might help a case, he’s not a guy who actively flirts with insubordination. they don’t necessarily mesh 100%, but it’s clear that they’re both good cops at heart, and each just needs to get the feel for what the other’s capable of. Sisto’s smart-ass one-liners are straight from the Briscoe playbook, and, man, it’s good to see a return to that laugh-to-keep-from-crying dialogue again.

Over on the “Law” side of things, there’s also been a bit of transition, thanks to the departure of Fred Thompson from the cast in order to pursue a run for the Presidency; as a result, Thompson’s character – Arthur Branch – has stepped down from his position as D.A., and now filling those lofty shoes is our man Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). I think I speak for most longtime “L&O” fans when I say that it’s about damned time. Not everyone would agree with us, however, including those in the government who view McCoy as a tree-hugging hippie liberal, thanks to his various controversial positions over the years.

Replacing McCoy as Executive Asst. D.A. is Michael Cutter (Linus Roache), who’s never had any real dealings with Jack and, as he quickly discovers, doesn’t really get along with him. The relationship between Cutter and McCoy is at best tense and at worst downright hostile, which makes for a different and unique dynamic.

NBC’s going all out to make sure people know how great this new season is, sending out no less than the first five episodes for critics to screen. It’s a savvy move, actually, since any “L&O” fan worth their salt is gonna get sucked into a marathon before they know what’s happened to them…and, yes, that’s exactly what happened to me. The show’s even been rescued from its Friday night death sentence and been returned to a plum 10 PM timeslot on Wednesday nights, which means that it might well be rediscovered by those fans who had better things to do on the first night of their weekend than sit home and watch TV.

I say it again: “Law & Order” is back. Go forth and set your TiVo right this second, lest you miss out.

Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External TV, TV, TV Dramas

“Gossip Girl” Revisited

January 3, 2008 /

It’s been awhile since I last checked in with “Gossip Girl,” and, it must be said, I haven’t regretted it a bit. I checked out the pilot, and while I was unimpressed with the show’s lack of humor, I was even less impressed with the way the series was geared toward a teenage audience while displaying a heavy emphasis on all the activities no parent wants their teenager kids to rush into. Let the kids have their fun, but I don’t have to watch it, y’know…?

In fact, here’s what I said at the time:

Remember that “Simpsons” episode when Homer praised the Smashing Pumpkins for their effect on his kids because, “thanks to your gloomy music, they’ve finally stopped dreaming of a future I can’t possibly provide”? Well, the rich, spoiled punks on this show are offering the antithesis of that. Plus, critics with teenage daughters are already screaming about how they wouldn’t want their kids to watch this sex, drug, and underage-drinking laden show…which probably means that those same kids are going to be want to tune in every week. Awesome: here comes the future…and it’s gonna suck.

Still, when the publicist at The CW (hi, Suzanne!) offered up a screener of the Jan. 2 and Jan. 9 episodes of the show, I figured, okay, fair enough, maybe it’s time to give it another shot. And while I still probably won’t be tuning in on a weekly basis, I’m willing to concede that, at the very least, this pair of episodes finds the show having absolutely soared in quality since its pilot.

Okay, maybe it hasn’t soared in quality. But, still, I was way more entertained with each of these two hours of television that I was that first episode, and it’s clearly not because I know the characters better now, given that I haven’t tuned in since then. No, it’s a combination of the writing being better and, half a season in, I’m sure it’s also to do with the actors being more comfortable with their roles now. These are being hyped as the two best episodes of the series to date, but I can’t speak to that; I will say, however, that the current drought of new episodes of any show is enough to affect one’s perception of an episode’s quality. Still, as teen drama plots go, last night’s saga – the prep school kids get busted for having a pool party on campus when one of them gets knocked unconscious and goes tumbling into the deep end – was good stuff. Next week focuses on a pregnancy scare, with Gossip Girl helping to spread the word about who’s potentially in possession of a bun in the oven, and you can’t go wrong with a plot revolving around that.

It’s not out of place to call “Gossip Girl” the “90210” of the 21st century…or maybe the “O.C.” of the latter half of the ’00s. Whatever the case, it’s clear that while the primary audience might be teens, the producers are still trying to entertain their parents, too; the bit I did love in the pilot, about Rufus Humphrey being a member of a one-hit wonder band from the ’90s, is still alive and well, with one of the sniveling teens getting off a snide line about “your dad’s cassingle.” Ouch.

Okay, fine, you win: I’ll be adding “Gossip Girl” to my list of shows I’ll be investigating when its first season is released on DVD…and in the meantime, I might…maybe…try tuning in once in awhile before then.

But for the record, I still don’t think these kids are anything approaching good role models!

Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External TV, Reviews, TV, TV Dramas

Season Premiere: “The Biggest Loser”

January 2, 2008 /

It’s not really saying much to say that I’ve never really followed “The Biggest Loser,” given that I generally don’t tend to follow any reality shows; in fact, I’d probably have to go back to maybe the third season of “The Apprentice” to think of one that actually served as appointment television for me. Now, with the writer’s strike, I’ve finally been handed a perfect excuse to watch the show…and, yet, if I’m to be honest, my interest in it is less because there’s nothing else on and more because A) it’s the new year, B) I always threaten to try and lose weight at the beginning of a new year, and C) I think I’ve gained more weight over the course of 2007 than I have in previous years.

Yeah, that’s right: I feel guilty, and by watching these people lose weight, I’m hoping to find some sort of inspiration.

There’s a twist to this new season of the show that makes it a little bit more interesting: it’s a team effort. It’s a little reminiscent of VH-1’s “Celebrity Fit Club,” albeit without all that messy celebrity bullshit getting in the way, but watching pairs which consist of mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, longtime friends, and husbands and wives certainly makes you stop and think about just how much teamwork can assist in a situation like weight loss. Of course, it can also throw a wrench into the works, too, since you’re talking about a fair amount of baggage, too…which is particularly evident with the divorced couple who’ve decided to re-team for the show (although it isn’t ’til late in the first episode when the husband throws out an off-the-cuff comment that gets him chastised). Thrown into the mix for variety’s sake, however, are a pair who’ve never met before, and, as you might expect, it’s interesting to see how well or poorly they’ll end up working together.

I don’t think I’m telling tales out of school to say that, if only from a health standpoint, it wouldn’t kill either myself or my wife to drop a few pounds in 2008…and when I saw clips of the parents among the contestants as they worried about their kids, well, that’s all it took to convince me that it was time to pick up a new scale. Thankfully, my wife’s behind me on this. On the whole, though, I think we’d do better if we had the same cash incentive that the show’s contestants do, so if anyone wants to contribute to a fund, be sure to let me know in the Comments section…

External Entertainment, External TV, Reality TV, Reviews, TV

With 4 days ’til Christmas, a publicist sent to me…

December 21, 2007 /

…Stalking Santa.

What’s that strange taste in my mouth? By God, I think it’s the taste of a clean palate!

After two days of less than stellar Christmas flicks (and, boy, is that an understatement), I’ve stumbled upon a new film which – dare I say it? – has the potential to become a cult classic…and, for once, it’s not because it’s so awful that its sheer badness has earned it kitsch value, a la “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.”

“Stalking Santa” is a mockumentary about Dr. Lloyd Darrow (Simon Taylor), a man who’s on an obsessive quest to confirm or deny the existence of Santa Claus, even if it involves risking a Christmas morning devoid of presents. In a twist which will amuse fans of the classic ’70s series, “In Search Of,” the narration is done by the inestimable William Shatner, who provides details about Darrow’s investigations, as well as other self-proclaimed “Santologists,” with absolutely no hint that it’s all completely fictional. Shatner’s deadly-serious delivery turns the most ridiculous claims into hilarity, such as his discussion of a wax cylinder that captured a voice during a seance which, when played backwards, reveals the words, “Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas,” or the shot of an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic which bears a striking resemblance to Kris Kringle himself. (Politically correct or not, I laughed out loud when they showed artwork of a chubby Asian fellow sitting in a lotus position and gave it the identifier of “Buddah Craus.”)

Lloyd reportedly has many supporters in his quest, but the truth is, it’s really just him and his college intern, Clarence (Daryn Tufts), who, uh, probably isn’t getting actual college credit for his work. Lloyd’s the president and CEO of an organization known as Tangible Evidence, Real Discoveries…and don’t think he doesn’t get shit for that acronym. He’s a family man, and his kids are a little uncertain about his quest, which you’d expect, since it might mean they don’t get any presents. In particular, his son is sick of his schoolmates’ tauntings, but his lovely and pregnant wife Kylie (Sierra Squires) is behind him, even though there’s no humor in her laugh when she comments that “Santology” isn’t exactly something you get paid for. (The line is followed by a shot of her working in a fast food restaurant as the family breadwinner.)

Yes, it’s easy to dismiss the entire concept of the film with a wave of the hand and a quick uttering of “there IS no Santa Claus, the end,” but only a Scrooge would do that. (Right, David?) But, seriously, this is a really funny concept that’s taken to hilarious heights and looks professional enough that, at least in appearance, it could fit onto TLC or The Discovery Channel without a second thought, especially the faux archival footage which suggests a government conspiracy to keep the existence of Santa under wraps so as not to disturb the world economy. Yeah, it descends too far into total ridiculousness on occasion (the idea that the Sphinx originally had antlers like a reindeer fell completely flat), but what keeps it working is the fact that virtually everyone believes Lloyd’s a complete nutjob…because, of course, everyone knows there’s no Santa Claus…right?

Right?

RIGHT?!?!?

(P.S. Santa, I totally know you’re real, so I’m sure you’ve chalked this up to creative license and have in no way removed that copy of the 5-disc “Blade Runner” set from your sleigh.)

Doc of the Day, Documentaries, External Entertainment, External Movie DVDs, External Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie DVDs, Movies, Reviews

With 5 days ’til Christmas, a publicist sent to me…

December 20, 2007 /

…Deck the Halls.

And here I thought “Jingle All the Way” would be the biggest waste of time I’d experience this Christmas season.

I guess I was being naive to think that I might find myself as a member of the 7% approval rating for “Deck the Halls” on RottenTomatoes.com, but despite the odds, I just feel like you pretty much have to maintain a certain amount of optimism when you’re presented with a film starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito.

My bad.

Steve Finch (Broderick) is, at least in his mind, the Pope of Christmastown…or, that is, the people in his little burg tend to think of him as having a significant amount of holiday spirit, given that he’s in charge of organizing the annual winter carnival. When Steve and his wife, Kelly (Kristen Davis), get new neighbors at the beginning of December, they’re cautiously optimistic about Buddy and Tia Hall (DeVito and Kristen Chenoweth), but when Buddy gets a wild hair up his ass to make his house visible from space by adding as many Christmas lights as possible, he quickly incurs Buddy’s wrath. Before long, things devolve into a full-fledged war between Steve and Buddy about just about everything you can imagine.

Why, pray tell, does Hollywood insist on making these broad slapstick holidays films starring big names where the characters’ actions in no way resemble those of real people?

I really can’t even be bothered to tell you a lot about the film, except that it’s dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I mean, if we ever do an update of “Holiday Movies Bad Enough To Make You Hate Christmas,” rest assured that this’ll be making my list. Both DeVito and Broderick play characters who are in no way sympathetic, which means that you don’t give a damn who’s going to eventually turn out victorious, especially since you already know that the ending will be so sappy and schmaltzy that it won’t matter, anyway.

7%…? Sounds a little optimistic to me.

There’s no trailer available for the flick on YouTube, but try watching this clip of the cast being interviewed by National Lampoon, instead. It’s not knee-slapping hilarious, but it’s still funnier than the film itself.

Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External Movie DVDs, External Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie DVDs, Movies, Reviews

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