Author: Will Harris (Page 22 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.

A Look at “Mad Men: Season 4”

And we mean that literally: we just received a collection of photos which AMC released in conjunction with the screener of the first episode of Season 4.

Mad Men cast season 4

I’m not going to have my ass handed to me for spilling any secrets of about Season 4, so don’t go looking for any spoilers, but here’s a bit of text from AMC’s press release to keep you going ’til July 25th:

“Mad Men” riveted audiences with a cliffhanger finale in season three, as Don Draper’s professional and personal lives unexpectedly imploded. This season, the series’ breakout ensemble cast continues to captivate as they grapple with an uncertain new reality.

In season three, “Mad Men’s” unflinching look at the human condition continued as characters faced the realities of dramatic change in the country – from the birth of civil rights to the assassination of a president – and in their personal lives. Whether it was corporate politics, homophobia in the workplace or the frustration of betrayal, they dealt with an unsettling loss of the familiar. Audiences were stunned by the self-destruction of protagonist Don Draper, including a confrontation with wife Betty that forced him to reveal the truth about his past and identity, and the resale of Sterling Cooper by British parent company Putnam, Powell and Lowe (PPL), which left its partners on the brink of a new beginning.

The consequences of the shattering secrets exposed in season three will continue to reverberate in “Mad Men’s” fourth season, as the lives of the men and women of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce continue to evolve. As relationships are redefined and people are forced to face themselves and the world around them in new ways, the series will continue to question the traditional norms and the simmering societal frustrations between women and men with compelling storylines and resonant moments that are sure to enthrall as the new season unfolds.

Check out the photos after the jump!

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True Blood 3.3 – Lie Back, Sweetheart, And Think Of Estonia

I feel obliged to open this week’s blog by asking a question that’s been gnawing at me for the past two weeks: am I the only one who isn’t really caught up in Season 3 of “True Blood” in the same way as Season 2? At first, I blamed it on the fact that I was coming off the ridiculously-real feel of “Breaking Bad” and hadn’t yet re-acclimated myself to the town of Bon Temps, then I considered the possibility that it’s because no one thus far in Season 3 has really grabbed me the way Maryann the Maenad did when she first made the scene, but now I’m just wondering if it’s because the pop culture landscape is so riddled with vampires that I’m starting to feel the overkill. I’ll give the show credit this week for a consistently enjoyable episode, but I wish it hadn’t opened and closed with scenes that were so thoroughly disconcerting that they couldn’t help but leave a significant impact: to leave me thinking, “That’s not awesome. That’s just disgusting.”

As for the opening, I obviously heard the gun go off at the tail end of last week’s episode, but I didn’t really think much about what the end result would be, as I was focused more on what Eric was about to do. As such, I certainly didn’t expect the end result to be Eric leaping in front of the bullet so that the werewolf would survive at least long enough for him to interrogate him for a bit. It was good to hear Sookie using her powers again, and the back-and-forth between the werewolf and Eric made me laugh, even if it was a predictable exchange (“You might as well go ahead and kill me now.” “As you wish.”), but you’ll forgive me, I hope, for my feelings on the throat-ripping scene, which was so gross as to deflate what otherwise would’ve been a smirk-worth comment from Eric: “Got your rug all well.” The duo quickly dispose of the corpse, with Eric acting surprisingly worried about the threat of werewolves. In addition to his not-very-couched hint about his feelings toward Sookie (“I don’t expect you to understand.” “I understand very well.”), I also thought it was interesting the way Eric recognized the werewolf’s accent. Who knew that vampires had an ear for such things?

The storyline within the King’s palace in Mississippi wasn’t nearly as interesting as the trip it served to take us on, but it was amusing to see His Majesty mock his “associate” and his tendency to overemphasize the importance of their nice things. The conversation between the King and Bill was somewhat educational, with the former asking Bill vampire to vampire about his feelings toward Sookie, basically saying that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if Bill were to turn her. Bill’s not having any of that, though, and the next thing you know, he’s on a trip down memory lane, recalling the awful experience that he was forced to endure as a result of being turned by Lorena. Revisiting his first post-turning encounter with his family, having to look upon the body of his dead son and suffer through the emotional torture of his wife’s reaction to his vampirism…you wouldn’t wish that on anybody. And then for Lorena to tell him that he’d be doing Carolina a favor by basically wiping her memory? Rough stuff, to be sure. You can see why Bill pledged dedication to Mississippi, but you know Sookie’s going to have something to say about it.

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The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series

We all know about the various superheroes that have found their way from the pages of DC and Marvel Comics into the world of live-action television series, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and the like. The ones who often get short shrift, however, are the ones that have been created specifically for the small screen.

Remember Captain Nice? Mr. Terrific? Nightman? M.A.N.T.I.S.?

No…? Then you take my point: the costumed crusaders that originated from existing source material are the ones which have tended to remain in the public consciousness.

There is an exception to this rule, however, and we’re pretty sure the reason he hasn’t been forgotten is that, in addition to possessing the powers of flight, super strength, invisibility, and many others, he’s also the only made-for-TV hero who had a theme song that many of us still remember almost 30 years down the line:

Thank you, Joey Scarbury…but, also, thank you, Stephen J. Cannell, creator of “The Greatest American Hero,” for coming up with such an awesome concept for a series.

Ralph Hinkley (William Katt), a high school teacher, takes his class on a field trip and, after leaving them temporarily to go in search of aid for their van’s flat tire, encounters a UFO. Also present: FBI Agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp), who just happened to be in the neighborhood, as it were. The aliens present Ralph with a red suit and cape, inform him that wearing it will provide him with superhuman abilities, and tell him that he and Bill must work together to save the world. Sounds great…except that, while walking back to civilization, Ralph loses the instructions, leaving him uncertain as to exactly how the suit works. Cue 3 seasons and 44 episodes of superhero shenanigans, anchored by Culp’s delightfully grouchy performance and made even more watchable by the gorgeous Connie Sellecca, who plays Ralph’s girlfriend (and eventual wife), Pam.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Didn’t they already release this set awhile back?” Indeed, they did, but that was back when Anchor Bay held the rights to the series. Since then, the rights to most of Stephen J. Cannell’s series have come to Mill Creek…and if you focus really, really hard on the awesomely low price of this set, it may help offset the depression you experience when you learn that the bonus material from the previous Anchor Bay sets stayed with Anchor Bay. The only thing you’ll get here is a 20-minute interview with Cannell. It’s something, but when compared to the inclusions on the previous sets, it sure ain’t much. Still, if you really, really wanted “The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series,” you would’ve bought it back when it first came out. Since you apparently only kind of wanted it, though, this is the perfect chance to snap it up at a ridiculously reasonable price.

The only real drawback: you’ll never, ever get the theme song out of your head.

Click to buy “The Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series”

True Blood 3.2 – A Vampire Is Never At The Mercy Of His Emotions

As we return to the festivities as we left them last week, it’s clear that Bill has chosen not to play around when it comes to dealing with the werewolves. The slaughter comes to an abrupt end, however, with the arrival of Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi. I was impressed with what Denis O’Hare brought to the role, if not terribly surprised: the guy’s been bouncing around films for ages, but he’s had quite a bit of TV work lately, including roles on “Brothers and Sisters,” “CSI Miami,” and “The Good Wife,” even an episode of “Bored to Death.” I had to laugh at the idea of a werewolf named Cooter, of course, along with his delightfully redneck comment, “You’re about to get deader, dead ass motherfucker!” It was a shame to see him dispatched so quickly, but, hey, that’s what happens when you drink from one of the King’s guests.

There’s not necessarily a lot of substance to it, but I’m enjoying the saga of Jessica trying to figure out what to do with the body of the dead trucker, what with the excessive Lysol use and the chainsaw. I liked Pam’s explanation about how to feed properly without killing your victim (it’s all in the heartbeat, apparently), and I have to believe that Pam’s the one responsible for the trucker’s body disappearing. I suspect Pam may be seeing a little bit of herself in this young girl. I also continue to be touched by Hoyt’s attempts to resurrect his relationship with Jessica, as he’s trying so hard to understand her, despite her refusing to allow him to be a sweetheart. She may say it’s too late for her to fight her nature, but it’s clear that he has no intention of giving up. Does that mean that he’ll end up being just another victim? We’ll see, but I like to think that her reaction to seeing the picture of the trucker with his son may have re-stirred some of her humanity.

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A li’l bit of “True Blood” love from a true pimp

Snoop Dogg’s such a icon of pop culture that, with all of his appearances on television and in films, he practically doesn’t even need to get rapping, but fans of HBO’s “True Blood” will no doubt be glad that he has after they check out his latest effort, which pays tribute to the cutest thang in Bon Temps, Louisiana.

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