Dan in Real Life

Watching Dan in Real Life is the equivalent of being curled up on the couch eating comfort food. I can totally see people doing just that once this film comes out on DVD. Dan in Real Life is nothing profound or pretentious; it’s not a study of exceptional acting or cinematography, but it’s not crap either. With all these Oscar worthy films coming up, it was kind of nice to clean the slate with this charming story.

The plot of Dan in Real Life is pretty standard. Among some touching moments hear and there, it definitely has a sitcom feel to it. In fact, during the film, I was reminded of the Friends story arc where Chandler was in love with Joey’s girlfriend causing him to pine for her, cross the line and end up spending Thanksgiving in a box. The storyline of Dan in Real Life is pretty predictable with all its convenient situations and tidy ending. Maybe that’s what made it so comfortable to watch; I didn’t have to think all that much. One of the things that I found strange however is the use of the bowling alley to show the playful side of love. Did the Bowling Association of America strike a deal with Hollywood? I haven’t seen this much bowling since Kingpin or the TV show Ed. This fall alone bowling is featured in Across the Universe, Lars and the Real Girl, Martian Child, and Dan in Real Life. I guess there’s a whole new bowling craze sweeping across the America.

Dan in Real Life is written and directed by Peter Hedges who also gave us the charming Hugh Grant piece, About a Boy. In both films we see that Hedges is quite adept at making realistic relationships between children and adults. The three young girls in this film were great. Alison Pill plays the oldest daughter who tries to be the only responsible member of the family. Brittany Robertson is the passionate middle child who yells out all the things parents don’t want to hear. Marlene Lawston (Flightplan) is the youngest who is not only cute as a button but also shows a vulnerability that will tug at your heartstrings.

Of course, Steve Carell gives another great performance. He gets to play up the slapstick while still engaging us in the character’s tragic life. It’s hard to compare his character of Dan Burns to anything he’s done previously. Dan is not over-the-top or wonderfully subtle, he just exists beautifully in this sitcomy world. The other actors in the cast also do a fine job. I found it weird that Juliette Binoche (Chocolat, The English Patient) would do this type of film, but she gives a pleasant performance as Marie, the love interest. Dane Cook is tolerable in this movie; it may even make you forget his work in Good Luck Chuck.

With some nice camera work here and there, some fine acting, some great comedic and heart-warming moments and a short running time, Dan in Real Life is an enjoyable, comfortable film. This is one for the DVD player on a night where you don’t want to think too hard and just relax. It’s nice to have these breaths of fresh air now and again.

Fearless 2008 Fall TV Prediction

While I’m loving the new shows Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money this year, I will share my prediction for the best new show next fall. It’s called Dollhouse. How do I know it’s going to rock? Its creator is Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) and it stars Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Angel, Tru Calling). Need I say more? Maybe a little. It’s a sci-fi drama. Unfortunately, it’s on Fox so it probably won’t last that long. Already looking forward to next fall. I’m giddy with excitement and anticiaption. By the way, I'm loving the Buffy Season 8 comics. Angel Season 6 comics are coming soon! I'm in Joss Whedon heaven. Please forgive the fan-crush.

Summer Show Wrap-Up

I know, I know, it seems a little late to be talking about shows that premiered over the summer, but one of the shows just had its finale last week. So in this blog, I’m talking about three awesomely original series that debuted this summer. Over the summer, I also caught completely up on Battlestar Galactica and Weeds, which are great, great shows but I want to focus on the newer stuff. Here are the three shows that rocked my summer.

Flight of the Conchords was one of the most awkwardly funny things I saw this summer. The premise is basically two folk singers from New Zealand trying to make a name for themselves in New York City. Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie pull off the dead-pan humour brilliantly. They can go round and round in circles with the most mundane topics and still make you laugh out loud. Rhys Darby who plays their incompetent manager, Murray, is the most pathetic man, you’ll ever meet. Steve Carrell creates awkward situations in the US Office, Ricky Gervais goes even farther in the UK Office, but Darby trumps them all with his blind devotion and inexperienced professionalism when dealing with the Conchords’ future. Their lone fan is also creepily portrayed by the overly-enthusiastic Kristen Schaal. This small cast has amazing chemistry and the plots will definitely make you laugh and cringe. Of course, the highlight of this half-hour comedy series are the bizarre music videos that seamlessly enter the narrative. Crappy video clichés are lampooned as Jermaine and Bret sing their folk songs that are filled with non-sequitors, strange metaphors and technical definitions. This series was on HBO and Movie Central but it’s coming out on DVD in a couple of weeks. You should definitely try this series out.

I started watching Mad Men when it premiered on AMC in July but stopped after a couple episodes due to pacing. Luckily, I came to my senses and caught up with this well-crafted series. The show is about a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the early sixties with a primary focus on the lead creative director, Don Draper, played by the dashing Jon Hamm. The first thing you notice when watching this show is the amount of smoking that goes on. It was definitely a different time. Through some of the creative ad campaigns and the delving into the businessmen’s lives, there are some fun sixties references for the audience to enjoy. The acting in this show is phenomenal. Jon Hamm plays his conflicted role so effortlessly. It’s also a treat to see Vincent Kartheiser (Connor on Angel) in such a layered and slimy role as the man wanting Draper’s job. It took me awhile to remember Elisabeth Moss, a secretary on the way up, as kidnapped Zoey Bartlet from The West Wing. January Jones and Christina Hendricks are also perfect portraying the women in these men’s lives. But the standout in this series (besides Hamm) is the role of the big boss, played by John Slattery (Ed, Desperate Housewives, Jack & Bobby). Even though this character is an absolute pig, you are drawn in by Slattery’s charm until you start feeling for the guy. I mentioned that the pace was a little slow, but that makes sense when you find out that this series was created by Matthew Weiner, a writer from The Sopranos. So even though, the episodes seem to drag a little, there are definitely some powerful moments, clever dialogue, beautiful cinematography and meaningful messages. AMC will probably be rerunning the first season soon and it was also picked up for a second season next summer. This series is a bit of a challenge but surely worth your time.

The show that just ended last week was a brilliant lawyer series by the name of Damages. Talk about intriguing. This show deals with a lawyer who joins a powerful firm that is trying to take down a corrupt business tycoon. Oh yeah, and that lawyer is being accused of murdering her fiancée. This show has the formidable task of weaving three and eventually four timelines seamlessly together. Through the color tinting of the images and timestamps, the audience is treated to multiple stories at once, while trying to piece the mysteries together. There are twists, turns, red herrings and more and I loved every minute of it. What added to the plot was the flawless acting of its cast. Glenn Close shines as the ruthless lawyer Patty Hewes. This chick makes James Wood’s Shark look like a little puppy. Hewes is a master of manipulating people and Close does a great job not revealing her cards until it’s necessary. Ted Danson plays the corrupt Arthur Frobisher and shows his dramatic skills as an actor. There is no way you would confuse Arthur with Sam Malone from Cheers. Rose Byrne does a great job as the new lawyer who starts the series running down the street covered in blood. Stealing scenes from Close and Danson is the impeccable Zeljko Ivanek (24, Oz) as Frobisher’s slick attorney, Ray Fiske. This guy better get an Emmy nomination this year. His character is so compelling I can’t even describe it. This show had me guessing to the very end and I’m praying that it gets picked up for a second season. Each week I eagerly waited to download it off the internet because it was airing on FX, which we don’t get here in Canada. I hear that Showcase will be running it next month so keep a watch out for that. This show was fantastic. I wish more people could have seen it.

My next blogs will return to the movie reviews. I have Dan in Real Life and The Darjeeling Limited coming up. I’ll also be watching the eagerly anticipated American Gangster and Bee Movie soon. Stay tuned.

Michael Clayton

It all comes down to this question: Is it the story or the acting that makes a film great? Ideally, you want both, but if you had to choose. I guess you have to factor in dialogue as well. I mean look at Star Wars, the story was great and Harrison Ford did the best he could with the cheesy lines written by George Lucas. I’m sure some will disagree. But is the plot that important? In any case, I bring this up because of the acting quality found in Michael Clayton. I found that the story dragged and was not that compelling but the performances were nothing short of awesome.

I find myself constantly impressed with the work of George Clooney. Maybe because of his television roles on Roseanne and ER and even early films like The Peacemaker and One Fine Day, I always peg him as just a pretty-boy actor with a great deal of charm. I think it was his role in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, that made me reconsider my position. And now it just seems that George Clooney can do no wrong (I’m thinking of films post-Batman & Robin). I don’t think it’d be much of a stretch to say that Clooney does some of his best work in Michael Clayton. He does an excellent job of playing the title role, a law firm “fixer” whose life is falling apart. Clooney portrays a perfect blend of confidence and weakness in many of his scenes. It’s not an over-the-top powerhouse performance that usually garners Oscar nominations but it certainly is a study in subtlety and I hope it does get recognized during this year’s award season.

Tom Wilkinson (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, In the Bedroom) seems to be the go-to guy for older characters that are both quirky and intense. Wilkinson has the ability to grab you from his first line. He is able to show such vulnerability in his character almost forcing the audience to empathize with him. I wish he had more scenes in this film, especially considering his chemistry with Clooney. And he’s not the only one who works well with George. If you need a wealthy, no-nonsense mentor in a movie, you can always count on Sydney Pollack (Eyes Wide Shut, Changing Lanes). While Pollack is more known for his strong directing (The Interpreter, The Firm, Tootsie, Out of Africa), he is just as strong in front of the camera. I love watching him on the screen.

The last of the big performances in Michael Clayton, is the face of the evil corporation, played by Tilda Swinton (Chronicles of Narnia, Constantine). I find that Swinton has a very interesting face. In most movies, she conveys such cold-heartedness, and while there are some scenes like that in this film, there are plenty of moments where we can see her Karen Crowder character at the end of her rope. I found she had to walk the same line between confidence and weakness as Clooney had throughout this film. As one of the only females in the film, she definitely held her own among the strong male performances.

My only issue with Michael Clayton is the dragging storyline. Considering this film was written and directed by Tony Gilroy who is responsible for writing the Bourne screenplays, I was expecting a little more action. However, the plot involving some shady business dealings just meanders along as Clooney’s character tries to get to the bottom of the scandal. I had no problem with the plot being simple; it just seemed too long to get to the point. Luckily, I was distracted by the rich dialogue Gilroy gave to his characters. This is definitely a talky film. And that is just fine with me in the hands of these gifted performers.

In conclusion, I would recommend Michael Clayton as a study guide for some great acting. At the same time, I think you should wait for it on DVD and enjoy this drama at home. Of course, if this film should get some Oscar recognition, you may want to see it in the theatres so you can see what everyone is talking about. It may not get screenplay honours but I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple acting nominations arise. We’ll have to wait and see.

New Fall Shows WrapUp

Since most new shows have finished airing their first three episodes, I thought I would let you know how they are doing in my opinion. I have already dropped some of the shows that I wasn't sure about and I am pretty pleased with my top five choices. I thought I would put them in order of preference and give some quick reasons to back them up.

THE SHOWS I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW

PUSHING DAISIES
What I Like: beautiful cinematography; likeable characters; sweet and charming atmosphere; great voice over voice by Jim Dale, the descriptions that begin with “the fact are these . . . “ it’s not afraid to have Kristin Chenoweth break out into song at any given moment, Digby the dog, the fascinating premise, the music cues just before the commercial breaks, quirky dialogue like “this is how we do”, pie, it’s the most clever, imaginative thing on television right now
What I Could Do Without: the years:days:hours:minutes with every character’s life (unless they plan on doing something significant with it)

DIRTY SEXY MONEY
What I Like: Peter Krause’s mix of self-righteousness and utter shock; Donald Sutherland’s scenes with Krause; Samaire Armstrong’s brilliant portrayal of the emotional Juliet; Seth Gabel’s bad boy image; the way Karen keeps outrageously flirting with Nick; the bitter pettiness of Brian the priest; the mockery of rich people and tabloids, the ring tones, the cat fights; the Dynasty meets Arrested Development vibe
What I Could Do Without: the scenes at home and the investigation of Dutch’s death take away from the fun times; some of the meaningful speeches are a little sub-par

CHUCK
What I Like: Chuck’s sheer innocence; the sexy Yvonne Strzechowski as Sarah; the comic timing of Adam Baldwin; CS Lee as the villainous Harry Tang; just the name Harry Tang; the Lone Gunmen meets Andy Barker PI meets Alias vibe; the fact that they have a character named Captain Awesome; the new opening credits; the use of the Buy More store to stop crime; the sexual tension between Chuck and Sarah; the rest of the Nerd Herd; the overall fun factor
What I Could Do Without: Chuck’s best friend Morgan who just isn’t funny; Casey threatens Chuck a little too much; the sister’s concern is overdone; that they could probably do the same show in thirty minutes and it would be utterly fantastic.

REAPER
What I Like: Ray Wise as the devil who also happens to be very helpful; Sock who steals most of the scenes he’s in (I’d actually want to be friends with this guy unlike Morgan from Chuck); the lameness of The Work Bench store; that it’s filmed in Vancouver; the mystery of how to use each new vessel; the believable friendships; the one-liners; the supernatural aspect
What I Could Do Without: the family is downer; Sam is retarded to not realize that Andi is into him; the plot seems to drag when Sam keeps doubting himself and running away from his duties

BACK TO YOU
What I Like: it’s nice to have a traditional sitcom on the air; every scene Ty Burrell is in; the flustered character of Ryan the news director; the quick exchanges between Grammar and Heaton; Fred Willard’s line delivery; the poppy opening title sequence; the way news is mocked and anchors are ridiculed; it’s timeslot is pretty non-competitive with Pushing Daisies being on Tuesdays at 8 on CTV.
What I Could Do Without: it’s humour hasn’t been at the level of The Office, Arrested Development or even Just Shoot Me (hopefully it will in time); the whole father-daughter stuff makes Heaton resort to her Debra persona; there's not enough scenes with Ty Burrell

THE SHOWS I'M STILL ON THE FENCE ABOUT

BIG SHOTS
What I Like: I like the four main characters; Josh Malina is fun to watch when he’s not in control; Christopher Titus is surprising good at being the whipped husband; Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott have this natural charisma on the screen; I like the camaraderie between the four guys
What I Could Do Without: the obvious Desperate Housewives vibe; the ironic names of their businesses; the tired plot of the transsexual hooker that is being done a lot better on Dirty Sexy Money

SAMANTHA WHO?
It debuts next week, we’ll see how it goes.

THE SHOWS I GAVE A CHANCE TO BUT HAVE NOW DROPPED

BIONIC WOMAN
What is Lacking: I don’t like the actress playing Jamie Sommers; the special effects are not all that special looking; the music choices are terrible; the conspiracy angle isn’t working for me; the dialogue is pretty bad; the opening title sequence is just plain awful with it’s silhouetted mime trapped in a glass box; I just don’t care about the characters
What I Do Like: Katee Sackhoff is an awesome villain; Lucy Hale does a great job and is believable as Jamie’s bratty younger sister

THE BIG BANG THEORY
What is Lacking: nerdy language isn’t always funny; the laugh-track is way too forgiving; while Kaley Cuoco is cute her character is pretty one-dimensional; most of the characters are one-dimensional; the broken elevator isn’t working for me; the situations are predictable
What I Do Like: The Barenaked Ladies theme song; Jim Parsons (Garden State) and Johnny Galecki (Roseanne) do play well off each other

THE SHOWS I DROPPED ALMOST INSTANTLY

MOONLIGHT
Why I stopped after one episode: there are no classic vampire rules (Mick is able to withstand garlic, holy water, crucifixes and even sunlight); it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast with Ron Perlman; the vampire has no motive to help the helpless; it made me miss Angel all the more
The only reason I watched the whole episode: Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars) and Kevin Weisman (Alias) were in the pilot.

GOSSIP GIRL
Why I stopped after one episode: I couldn’t get past all the text message shortcuts of “BFF” and “L is so into K”; it was a little too girly; they didn’t seem to having the same fun as the kids on The OC; the characters were to boring; the setting reminded me too much of Cruel Intentions
The only reason I watched the whole episode: Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) was doing the voice over

LIFE
Why I stopped after one episode: Damian Lewis’ Charlie was a little too quirky; the fruit thing turned me off; his outside-the-box methods are not justified; I don’t care about how Charlie got framed; the others cops are pretty boring; the house set looks way too big to be useful
The only reason I watched the whole episode: Adam Arkin as Ted Early

So here's my current television viewing schedule. (Don't worry about my absence of a life, I am marking tests, writing scripts, prepping classes, video editing and such while I watch. I'm great at multi-tasking. I am also taping a lot of shows since many nights will be spent directing plays.) Bear in mind that with digital cable I am able to catch the eastern feeds of numerous shows.

Sunday: 5pm Simpsons 6pm Family Guy/American Dad 8pm Dexter
Monday: 5pm Chuck 6pm Heroes 8pm How I Met Your Mother
_______9pm Two and Half Men (Tape Prison Break)
Tuesday: 6pm House 7pm Law & Order: SVU 8pm Pushing Daisies
__________9pm Reaper 10pm Boston Legal
Wednesday: 5pm Back to You 7pm Dirty Sexy Money
Thursday: 5pm My Name is Earl/30 Rock 6pm The Office/Scrubs
____________7pm Big Shots 8pm Smallville 9pm CSI:

So that's about it with my televison blogs for awhile. I'll be getting back to movie reviews and such in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

The Heartbreak Kid

Love hurts? That’s not the only thing hurting. The Heartbreak Kid is brutal. I usually don’t have the urge to walk out of theatre while a movie is playing but I was seriously tempted during this un-funny travesty from Ben Stiller and The Farrelly Brothers. Walking into this film was a serious lapse of judgment on my part. I’m still shocked that Rotten Tomatoes gave this piece of crap 30%! I found myself groaning aand not laughing in this poorly-made remake. I’m going to try and remain brief because I don’t really want waste much time reviewing this gong show.

The Farrelly Brothers did some fun stuff with Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary, but the magic is definitely gone. It took five people to write the screenplay and the clunkiness shows. The story is mean-spirited. Ben Stiller is a jerk, I don’t care one iota about him. I felt sorry for his bride played by Malin Akerman (The Comeback) especially near the end when her character is grossly exposed. Jerry Stiller plays the same old horny father he usually does. Watching Carlos Mencia and his un-funny self is pure torture. The plot is lazy and predictable with most of its ‘funny moments’ found in the trailer.

There were only two things that kept me watching the movie. Rob Corddry is fun as Stiller’s best friend Mac who is a seriously whipped husband. Mac’s ring-tone for his wife’s incoming calls did make me chuckle. I also found Stiller’s new object of affection, played by Michelle Monaghan (Mission Impossible III), easy on the eyes. The character is poorly written but I liked looking at her. Yep, pretty lame reasons for staying and watching a film.

I kept hoping The Heartbreak Kid would get better but it never did. If you like fart jokes, this may be the film for you, and even still I’d warn you to stay away. I want those two hours of my life back. And the money I spent on drinks.

The Kingdom

I think my main issue with The Kingdom, is that director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Rundown) can’t decide what type of film he wants to make. For the most part, this film is a procedural drama, then it becomes a big-budget action flick, and there is some sprinkling of a morality play thrown in for good measure. For me, The Kingdom seemed a lot like CSI: Saudi Arabia. A bomb goes off, a crew is sent in to find evidence, they are kept at a distance and slowly figure out what happened. The only things missing are the high tech labs and music from The Who. Of course, Berg want to go a little more political with his film. I think A.O. Scott of The New York Times said it best by calling the movie “Syriana for Dummies”. While there are some moments of political interference, there is not enough to make much of a difference to the story. That brings it to the popcorn action flick, a brave endeavor considering the location of the movie and that pesky war that’s going on. The ads that mention that the last half-hour will keep you immovable are not far off the mark. The big action sequence is done pretty well its shaky cameras, flying bullets and race against the clock. Unfortunately, this is followed by some ‘deep’ closing thoughts.

Three times throughout The Kingdom, Peter Berg focuses on fathers and the love they have for their children. Who would have thought that Americans love their sons just as much as Saudis love theirs? Why can’t we all just get along? As sappy as those images were, I was more annoyed with the crappy music being played underneath. I love the work of composer Danny Elfman. He is often connected with Tim Burton’s masterpieces and has definitely branched out (including The Simpsons theme) and even in The Kingdom, some of his music is captivating. This is why it is so sad to hear such lame music being played under these parallel images. I would have rather had a love ballad ripped off one of the more emotional moments of Grey’s Anatomy.

The acting in The Kingdom is adequate. Jamie Foxx does some fine work showing both charisma and concern but is not given meaty lines to work with. Chris Cooper almost seems wasted in a film like this even with his amount of screen time. Jeremy Piven is just channeling his Entourage Ari Gold persona, so it’s been there, done that for him. I found Jennifer Garner’s acting fine but her character was poorly written. You would think that an FBI agent would know a little bit about Middle East culture (not mention being able to speak the language) so as not to wear such tight, revealing tank-tops in public. I also found her lollipop sucking annoying, even though it serves an easily telegraphed purpose. The only standout for me in this film was Jason Bateman. Granted, I didn’t know why he came along in the first place. I guess the rest of the team didn’t know how to find things on the internet. Anyway, Bateman gets some fun lines but also get to play some intense moments in The Kingdom. Ever since Arrested Development, Jason Bateman can do no wrong, he has sure come a long way from Silver Spoons and The Hogan Family. I guess I should also mention the great work from Ashraf Barhom who plays the officer/tour guide for the group. I’ll admit his acting and role were quite compelling.

In short, this film was just okay in my books. I think The Kingdom could definitely wait for rental. While the last half-hour is nicely suspenseful, it doesn’t need a large screen to get the impact. The bullets flying will sound just as good from your own surround sound system. Which brings me to the question of why the Saudis aren’t more accurate shots in this film. Aren’t they trained at a young age? You’d think they were better at sharp-shooting than flailing their guns in all directions. It’s a mystery. Call Grissom.

Pushing Daisies Reminder

For those who missed it this week, you can still catch the first episode of Pushing Daisies! They are re-airing the “Pie-lette” tonight at 8pm on ABC. This show is fantastic. You have to give it a try. For Canadians who don’t want to miss Kid Nation on Wednesdays, you are in luck because CTV shows the new episodes a day early at 8pm on Tuesdays. The second episode airs next week so you haven't missed anything yet. Pushing Daisies is awesome. Trust me.

By the way, I'll be giving my thoughts on the new television season in the next week or so. I have already given up on a couple shows, I'll tell you why soon.

3:10 to Yuma

I hate westerns. I think it’s all the dirt and dust that bother me. I’m the son of a clean-freak; it’s in my nature. I’m also not a big fan of horse-riding and age-old western clichés. I think the only westerns I can stand are Tombstone (mostly for Val Kilmer’s performance) and Back to the Future Part III (probably not even considered a western in most circles). It was for this reason that I was planning on skipping 3:10 to Yuma. But after it’s opening weeks, I got sucked into the peer pressure. People kept telling me to see this film, that it was fantastic and I wouldn’t be disappointed. So I caved. And after leaving the theatre I came to the conclusion that 3:10 to Yuma was a good film but not a great film.

The thing that made me enjoy this film were the acting abilities of Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Ben Foster. I’m not a fan of Russell Crowe as a person; he seems to be a bully who thinks he’s better than everyone else. So I almost get annoyed when I find myself charmed by his brilliant performances. His job as the disarming villain Ben Wade is simply fantastic. His charisma and charm just leap off the screen in all his interactions. Mixed with this magnetism are flashes of brutal violent behaviour, but I feel Crowe has made all his ruthless acts justified in his own way. He does make you root for the bad guy.

Christian Bale was also a draw for me to see this film but I must say that his job in Rescue Dawn was far superior. Bale gives some truly moving speeches in this film and really gives the audience the chance to empathize with his Dan Evans character. I guess that’s what makes this film so interesting, you end up caring about the hero and villain equally.

The surprise breakout performance however comes from Ben Foster. This guy is creepy as Charlie Prince, Wade’s second in command. Foster has done well with his off-the-edge performances, this one reminds me of his insane turn in Hostage a few years back. Foster is able to command the screen when he’s on it, even taking some focus away from Crowe and Bale. That’s quite a feat. There is also some fine acting work from Peter Fonda and Alan Tudyk (Serenity, Knocked Up).

What keeps 3:10 to Yuma from being a great film is the plodding storyline and some unexplained history. It kind of took me a while to get into the film, but the story got a little better once Wade was getting transferred. I found myself caring a lot more about the conversations rather than the events leading to the end of the movie. The close-up shots during the heavy dialogue portions is what kept me interested. What bothered me the most was the fact that Ben Wade was able to keep his posse in check. Wade mentions that he must’ve done something rotten to get that much respect but Charlie Prince seems like a loose cannon. With Wade possessing a conscience, how would he be able to put a leash on the ruthless Prince. Speaking of Foster’s cold-blooded character, it also annoys me when people trust that bad guys will let them go if they give up vital information. How stupid.

If you like westerns or Russell Crowe, I’m sure you will love 3:10 to Yuma. This film has everything a cowboy or cowgirl is looking for. And it looks like westerns are making another comeback with The Assassination of Jesse James opening soon, but I’ll just let others watch it first and then pressure me later. Hey, I freely admit that I’m a yellow-bellied western coward. Thank God I wasn’t born in the 1800’s.

Across the Universe

Okay, I don’t understand the critics. I usually adhere to the percentages found at rottentomatoes.com; low rated movies usually suck and high rated movies usually are worth my time, although there have been instances when I disagreed with their extreme love or hate. When looking at the reviews of Across the Universe, I was confused. The tomatometer is at fifty percent. With seventy critics’ opinions counted, I am shocked how many critics did not like this movie. I wouldn’t have thought that Across the Universe would have such a polarizing effect. Critics either love it or despise it. I side with the former.

I think I should start off by saying that I am a casual Beatles fan. I have heard many of their albums, enjoyed countless songs, and know some of their history thanks to a roommate who used to be obsessed with them. I’m not one of those people who only have their No.1s album, but then again, I can’t tell you which songs are found on which album. Well, maybe except for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Oh, for those who are wondering where the Beatles come in, Across the Universe is a story told using around thirty different Beatles songs to pull along the narrative. Apparently, there is only thirty minutes of dialogue in the film among the redone Beatles hits and rarities. I didn’t bring a stopwatch, so I’ll take their word for it.

In Across the Universe, the actors sing the songs and I’ll probably get struck by lighting or receive some hate mail, but I think some of the actors sang the covers better than the Fab Four themselves. The way Jim Sturgess sings “I’ve Just Seen a Face” is done with more passion than the light Beatles original. His rendition of “Revolution’ is almost heartbreaking as he confronts his girlfriend. It’s also surprising that Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen, Running with Scissors) has a great voice, not that I’ve heard her sing before but it was a pleasant surprise with songs like “Blackbird”. I was also surprised with the acting ability of Bono who makes a brief cameo singing the wonderful “I am the Walrus”. The rest of cast including a Janis Joplin-ish Dana Fuchs and Jimi Hendrix-ish Martin Luther McCoy add some inspired rock and roll to the proceedings. Also there is a brilliant cameo of Joe Cocker as a homeless man, pimp and hippie singing “Come Together” Some of the critics feel this movie is blasphemous by redoing the sacred Beatles cannon but I felt it was fun and brave of this cast to belt these variations of the classic tunes.

Of course, the main reason to see Across the Universe is the beautiful cinematography created by the brilliant Julie Taymor (Lion King Musical, Titus). Mixing psychedelic, symbolic, fantastic and epic images together, Taymor interprets the Beatles tunes in a fresh way. Lighter songs are mixed with darker images and vice versa, while some songs just seem to fit; “With a Little Help From My Friends” is done is a dorm room filled with guys being guys. It works for me. Sure, some of the images are strange but the beauty cannot be denied. Some of the critics have compared this film to Yellow Submarine or Help!, I find that completely insulting both to Taymor and to filmmaking in general.

Some find the story of Across the Universe to be convoluted, a meandering tale for the sole purpose of stringing Beatles songs together. I found the story kind of simple which allowed me to enjoy the ride more. So, the movie introduces a character named Prudence, and then they eventually get to a beautiful rendition of “Dear Prudence”. So what? I was more disappointed that they didn’t have “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” after the bevy of references throughout the film. I did think the movie went a little long. A twenty minute cut would have made this film even better.

This is a movie not to be missed, especially if you are a Beatles fan. Across the Universe is definitely one of my favourite films of the year. I challenge you to see this in the theatre and not be mesmerized. I would end this blog quoting the title of a Beatles song but I don’t want to piss off the disagreeable critics.

New Fall Shows 2007

Okay, so I have my picks for the new shows I’ll be watching this fall. (Just in time too, two of them premiere this Wednesday!) I’m a little nervous this year. Two years ago I think six of my shows made it to a second season. Last year only two: Heroes and 30 Rock. So we’ll have to see what happens this year. As per usual, I have three criteria when selecting the new shows I want to watch. 1.The overall concept of the show (Lost, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother) 2. The pedigree of its creators and stars (The Office, 30 Rock, Studio 60) 3. The critics’ opinions (Veronica Mars, Weeds) And again, from there I expect a great pilot and a well done third episode (The second installment is usually lackluster). These are pretty much in my order of preference; and away we go:







The Premise: A pie-maker can bring people back from the dead with a single touch and then send them back with a second one.
The Pedigree: Bryan Fuller (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me). The same fanciful/creepy tone.
The Rest: The pilot looks like a movie. It is so clever and whimsical, I can’t wait to see more. Lee Pace (Wonderfalls) is awesome as Ned, the pie-maker; it’s easy to relate to this character despite his supernatural abilities. The supporting cast includes the funny Chi McBride (The Nine, Boston Public) and charming Kristin Chenowith (West Wing, Wicked). And I love the voice of the narrator. You gotta see this one. Trust me.
Premieres: 8pm Wednesday, Oct 3 on ABC







The Premise: A computer nerd gets all of America’s secret intelligence accidentally downloaded into his brain.
The Pedigree: Created by Josh Schwartz (The OC, Gossip Girl). This one seems just as clever but not as soapy.
The Rest: This show looks like a lot of fun. Zachary Levi who plays Chuck seems like a great everyman. The supporting cast looks great including Adam Baldwin (Firefly) as one of the secret agents.
Premieres: 8pm Monday, Sept 24 on NBC







The Premise: A slacker becomes a bounty hunter for the devil because his parents sold his soul before he was born.
The Pedigree: Stars Bret Harrison who was awesome in The Loop
The Rest: Much like Chuck with it’s 'ordinary slacker given way to much responsibility' premise, this one focuses more on the slacker. Bret Harrison is great, Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) is evilly good as the devil, and although the very funny Tyler Labine hates being compared to Jack Black, you just can’t help it. The premise is kind of Buffy-like with its demon-of-the-week plot, but it sure looks like a lot of fun.
Premieres: 9pm Tuesday, Sept 25 on The CW







The Premise: A pompous,womanizing newsman returns to share the evening news with his ex co-anchor.
The Pedigree: Created by Steve Levitan (Just Shoot Me) and Christopher Lloyd (creator of Fraiser, not Doc Brown). Stars Kelsey Grammer (Fraiser) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond). Directed by James Burrows (Cheers, Will & Grace and almost every successful sitcom known to mankind)
The Rest: The above should be enough. With pedigree like that, it would take a whole lot of bad judgment to screw this one up. Even the supporting cast of Fred Willard (For Your Consideration) and Ty Burrell (Out of Practice) is stellar. It’s even been given a thirteen episode guarantee from Fox, the commitment-phobe network. This is the best shot at reviving the multi-camera sitcom.
Premieres: 8pm Wednesday, Sept 19 on FOX







The Premise: An idealistic lawyer reluctantly becomes the family lawyer of a rich, eccentric New York family.
The Pedigree: Created by Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Everwood) and stars Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, Sports Night) and Donald Sutherland (Commander in Chief)
The Rest: The cast looks pretty impressive and the plot looks sinfully fun. It looks a little soap opera-ish but I don’t mind. I wish I could have gotten a hold of the pilot but I guess I’ll have to wait.
Premieres: 10pm Wednesday, Sept 26 on ABC

The next five shows are the ones I’ll give a chance to but am not quite sure about.







The Premise: The trials and tribulations of rich New York kids attending an elite school.
The Pedigree: Created by The OC’s Josh Schwartz. Same issues, but this time on a different coast.
The Rest: What kind of got me interested was that Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) does the narration and the fact that I enjoyed watching The OC.
Why I’m Worried: Fox tried to use the same premise with a show called Manchester Prep that didn’t even make it to air. That and the fact that it’s on The CW can’t be helping it all that much.
Premieres: 9pm Wednesday, Sept 19 on The CW







The Premise: A male Sex in the City, with four businessmen dealing with their wives, mistresses and golf.
The Pedigree: Stars Dylan McDermott (The Practice) and Michael Vartan (Alias)
The Rest: Rounding out the male foursome is Christopher Titus (Titus) and Joshua Malina (West Wing, Sports Night). The reason I’ll watch is to see Josh Malina in action, he such a fun actor to watch. I’ve heard that Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) is going to help write the show which could make this drama all the more appealing.
Why I’m Worried: I’m not sure people are going to go for the premise. Male bonding is very different from female bonding. Also, the fact that it’ll be going up against Without a Trace can’t be helping it any.
Premieres: 10pm Thursday, Sept 27 on ABC







The Premise: A shallow, materialistic liar loses her memory and tries to be a good person to make up for all the bad things she used to do.
The Pedigree: Stars Christina Applegate (Married with Children)
The Rest: It does have a good supporting cast of Jean Smart (Designing Women, 24), Jennifer Esposito (Spin City) and Kevin Dunn (Hot Shots). Applegate was very funny as Rachel’s self-centered sister on Friends, and apparently we’ll see clips of the pre-amnesia bitchy Samantha character throughout the show. Although if you ask me, this show ia a female upscale version of My Name is Earl.
Why I’m Worried: I haven’t seen too many clips promoting this show since ABC is foolishly plugging Cavemen and Carpoolers non-stop instead. I haven’t been impressed with ABC’s comedy line-up lately with its According to Jim crap. They did have Knights of Prosperity but quickly cancelled it. I blame the network.
Premieres: 9:30pm Monday, Oct 15 on ABC







The Premise: Jamie Sommers gets a new eye, new legs and new arm that make her a bionic woman. Of course, now the government want to use her.
The Pedigree: Created by David Eick (Battlestar Galactica) Another remake? Why not?
The Rest: To be honest I wasn’t too impressed with the first pilot, but apparently a lot of things got changed including the “un-deaf”ing of Sommers’ little sister. The special effects were not that great but maybe they have improved in the re-taping of the pilot. The reason to watch this show is the brilliant Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) who plays a rogue bionic subject. I’m going to give it another chance.
Why I’m Worried: Maybe my first instincts were correct and nothing has been changed for the better. I’ll have to wait and see.
Premieres: 9pm Wednesday, Sept 26 on NBC







The Premise: A vampire moonlights as a private detective. Hmmm, sounds an awful lot like Angel.
The Pedigree: Speaking of Angel, producer David Greenwalt used to be in charge but left all of a sudden
The Rest: Jason Dohring who was awesome as Logan on Veronica Mars and the beautiful Shannyn Sossamon (Knight’s Tale, Rules of Attraction) have joined the cast.
Why I’m Worried: Except for the lead (Alex O’Loughlin), the entire show got recast. Also three producers have come and left the show for various reasons. This does not seem like a stable show. It’s also in the deadly Friday night slot.
Premieres: 9pm Friday Sept 28 on CBS

Oh, and the shows that don’t interest me in the slightest are Cavemen, Carpoolers and K-Ville. The first two seem incredibly stupid and low-brow, so middle America will probably love them. K-Ville looks over-produced and boring, and it’s on Fox so it should be counting down the days.

And if you seriously doubt my opinion, here's what the critics voted on concerning the best and worst.

Best _______________ Worst
63% Pushing Daisies __________ 51% Cavemen
15% Reaper _________________ 15% Viva Laughlin
12% Dirty Sexy Money _________ 13% Big Shots
05% Bionic Woman ___________ 13% K-Ville
05% K-Ville __________________ 05% Carpoolers

Yup, K-Ville is in both lists. That's how divided people are about it. Some think the show is making money off the Hurrican Katrina tragedy. Some thinks it's pretty good.

So there you have it. What shows are you looking forward to this season? Have I missed one? I’m ready with my opinions. Let's hear it.

Emmy Awards 2007, Part III

Before I get into the Emmy Awards wrapup, I need to apologize for a statement I made at the end of the first Emmy Awards blog entry. I said, “Like you care”. Apparently people do. Since that post (just last week) my Emmy pages have been viewed over 200 times. Maybe it’s some kind of glitch or something but it’s been nice to see so many hits on my blog. So thanks for reading whoever you are. And now onto the wrapup.

I think James Spader said it best when he unexpectedly won against Hugh Laurie and James Gandolfini, “ I don’t know who even votes for these things.” I think the academy places the nominations on a target and then throws darts at it. My predictions sucked this year, partly because of the strange results and partly because of my blind adoration of Stephen Colbert (who kept losing to a musician again). But I’m not the only one who got screwed in their Emmy picks this year, Entertainment Weekly only got three of their twelve main categories right. I got four. (Horray for me.) Hopefully you weren’t stupid enough to put money on the Emmys and now blame me for your loss.

The show itself was a pretty low-key affair hosted by the lame Ryan Seacrest. The stage was in the round which allowed multiple winners and presenters to make fun comments to the people behind them. James Spader even said they were the worst concert seats he’s ever had. Highlights of the show included the traditional hilarious late night writer intros, The Office staff making comments about Steve Carrell’s absence on the set, the tributes to The Sopranos, Rainn Wilson beating the ever-losing Kanye West in Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Lewis Black’s tirade on show promotions on the bottom of the screen and Tina Fey thanking the dozens of viewers who watch her show. (There’s was also a cool Tina Fey American Express commercial you might want to find online.) Although, my favourite moment of the night would have to be Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart giving Ricky Gervais’ Emmy to their friend Steve Carrell who ran on stage to join their ecstatic celebration.

Here were the winners:

Lead Actor In A Drama Boston Legal – James Spader
Lead Actress In A Drama Brothers & Sisters – Sally Field
Supporting Actor In A Drama Lost – Terry O’Quinn
Supporting Actress In A Drama Grey’s Anatomy – Katherine Heigl
Lead Actor In A Comedy Extras – Ricky Gervais
Lead Actress In A Comedy Ugly Betty – America Ferrera (predicted)
Supporting Actor In A Comedy Entourage - Jeremy Piven (predicted)
Supporting Actress In A Comedy My Name is Earl – Jamie Pressly
Performance In A Variety Or Music Program Tony Bennett (predicted)
Writing For A Comedy The Office • Gay Witch Hunt (predicted)
Writing For A Drama The Sopranos • Made in America (predicted)
Writing For A Variety or Music Program Late Night with Conan O’Brien
Directing For A Comedy Ugly Betty • Pilot (predicted)
Directing For A Drama The Sopranos • Kathleen and Heidi
Directing For A Variety or Music Program Tony Bennett (predicted)
Reality-Competition Program The Amazing Race (predicted & wanted)
Variety or Music Series The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Comedy Series 30 Rock
Drama Series The Sopranos (predicted)

So you may have noticed that I didn’t get the wins that I wanted except for The Amazing Race but I was still happy for some of the other wins. I was overjoyed with Terry O’Quinn, Jamie Pressly and 30 Rock winning Emmys this year. However, I was annoyed that James Spader won and that Tony Bennett’s single performance won awards over a deserving daily series. (Maybe next year will be Stephen Colbert’s year.) Also, I should have made miniseries predictions ‘cuz my average would have been so much better. I kept nailing the Broken Road nominations. Ah well.

Also, in my last post, I think I mentioned that The Sopranos’ Kathleen and Heidi episode was boring, but looking at the clips during the show I realized that (spoiler alert) this was the episode where Tony suddenly kills Christopher after a massive car accident. That moment truly shocked me, so I take my previous negative comments back.

And that wraps up the Emmy Awards. The Golden Globes are next. But there’s still a ways off. Tomorrow I’ll be posting my picks for the new shows coming this fall, I just hope my average is better than my Emmy predictions.

Emmy Awards 2007, Part II

So the Creative Arts Emmys were last weekend. Amazingly enough I got four of my five Emmy wishes. As most know by now, Andy Samberg & Justin Timberlake's Dick in a Box song won the Emmy for original music and lyrics; Dexter won for their wonderfully made main title design; John Goodman won for his guest star role on Studio 60's Nevada Day episode; Battlestar Galactica won for best visual effects and my only loss was Studio 60's deserving cinematography award going to Rome. Not a bad start. But now it's on to the big show.

Here are my predictions of who I think will win and who I want to win (and not want to win). I usually play to win, but if the one I wanted to win take the trophy, I’ll take the hit on my predictions. I’ve left out the mini-series category because I haven’t seen them and most people could care less. If you’re a betting person though, I’d put my votes into HBO’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and AMC’s Broken Trail. Anyway, here are my predictions:

Drama Series
Boston Legal / Grey’s Anatomy / Heroes / House / The Sopranos
Who I think will win: The Sopranos (It’s their final season)
Who I want to win: Heroes (kept me engrossed all year)
Who I don’t want to win: Grey’s Anatomy (I just don’t like the show)

Comedy Series
Entourage / The Office / 30 Rock / Two And A Half Men / Ugly Betty
Who I think will win: The Office (hands down the funniest)
Who I want to win: The Office (30 Rock comes a close second)
Who I don’t want to win: Ugly Betty (I just don’t get the popularity)

Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Colbert Report / The Daily Show With Jon Stewart / Late Night With Conan O’Brien / Late Show With David Letterman / Real Time With Bill Maher
Who I think will win: The Colbert Report (I think this is his year)
Who I want to win: The Colbert Report (I’m crossing my fingers)
Who I don’t want to win: Real Time With Bill Maher (don’t like him)

Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race / American Idol / Dancing With The Stars / Project Runway / Top Chef
Who I think will win: Amazing Race (it deserves another)
Who I want to win: Amazing Race (best reality around)
Who I don’t want to win: American Idol (boring)

Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Boston Legal: James Spader as Alan Shore / House: Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House / Rescue Me: Denis Leary as Tommy Gavin / The Sopranos: James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano / 24: Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer
Who I think will win: James Gandolfini (I’ll be shocked if he doesn't win)
Who I want to win: Hugh Laurie (loved his storyline this year)
Who I don’t want to win: James Spader (good actor but doesn’t deserve it this year)

Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Brothers & Sisters: Sally Field as Nora Walker / The Closer: Kyra Sedgwick as Dep. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson / Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson / Medium: Patricia Arquette as Allison Dubois / The Riches: Minnie Driver as Dahlia Malloy / The Sopranos: Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano
Who I think will win: Kyra Sedgwick (apparently she’s really good)
Who I want to win: Kyra Sedgwick (I believe the critics)
Who I don’t want to win: Minnie Driver (I don’t like her acting)

Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Extras: Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman / Monk: Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk / The Office: Steve Carell as Michael Scott / 30 Rock: Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy / Two And A Half Men: Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper
Who I think will win: Alec Baldwin (was very funny this season)
Who I want to win: Alec Baldwin (his job in Jack-Tor was hilarious)
Who I don’t want to win: Tony Shalhoub (I’ll be pissed if he wins again)

Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Desperate Housewives: Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo / The New Adventures Of Old Christine: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell / 30 Rock: Tina Fey as Liz Lemon / Ugly Betty: America Ferrera as Betty Suarez/ Weeds: Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin
Who I think will win: America Ferrera (Emmy loves the underdog)
Who I want to win: Tina Fey (she rocks on 30 Rock)
Who I don’t want to win: America Ferrera (I don’t like the underdog)

Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Boston Legal: William Shatner as Denny Crane / Grey’s Anatomy: T.R. Knight as George / Heroes: Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura / Lost: Michael Emerson as Ben / Lost: Terry O’Quinn as John Locke / The Sopranos: Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti
Who I think will win: Masi Oka (he’s a crowd favourite, I like him too)
Who I want to win: Michael Emerson (he was pretty creepy this year)
Who I don’t want to win: T.R. Knight (worried about sympathy votes)

Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Brothers & Sisters: Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon / Grey’s Anatomy: Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens / Grey’s Anatomy: Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey / Grey’s Anatomy: Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang / The Sopranos: Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano / The Sopranos: Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Who I think will win: Sandra Oh (thanks season finale crying)
Who I want to win: Rachel Griffiths (don’t really care)
Who I don’t want to win: Lorraine Bracco (her character annoyed me this season)

Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Entourage: Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama / Entourage: Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold / How I Met Your Mother: Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson / The Office: Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute / Two And A Half Men: Jon Cryer as Alan Harper
Who I think will win: Jeremy Piven (they’ll give it to him again)
Who I want to win: Neil Patrick Harris (steals every scene)
Who I don’t want to win: I seriously like them all

Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
My Name Is Earl: Jaime Pressly as Joy Turner / The Office: Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly / Two And A Half Men: Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper / Two And A Half Men: Conchata Ferrell as Berta / Ugly Betty: Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater / Weeds: Elizabeth Perkins as Celia Hodes
Who I think will win: Vanessa Williams (she’s Cruella De Vil)
Who I want to win: Jenna Fischer (she was awesome this season)
Who I don’t want to win: Holland Taylor (her character is one note)

Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program
79th Annual Academy Awards: Ellen Degeneres / The Colbert Report: Stephen Colbert / The Daily Show With Jon Stewart: Jon Stewart / Late Show With David Letterman: David Letterman / Tony Bennett: An American Classic: Tony Bennett
Who I think will win: Tony Bennet (Emmy likes a crooner)
Who I want to win: Stephen Colbert (he deserves it)
Who I don’t want to win: Tony Bennet (one show vs. a series, c’mon)

Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
The Colbert Report / The Daily Show With Jon Stewart / Late Night With Conan O’Brien / Late Show With David Letterman / Real Time With Bill Maher
Who I think will win: The Colbert Report (again, his year)
Who I want to win: The Colbert Report (it’s a funny show)
Who I don’t want to win: Real Time With Bill Maher (don’t like the guy)

Writing For A Comedy Series
Extras • Daniel Radcliffe / The Office • Gay Witch Hunt / The Office • The Negotiation / 30 Rock • Tracy Does Conan / 30 Rock • Jack-Tor
Who I think will win: Gay Witch Hunt (so very awkward)
Who I want to win: Jack-Tor (Alec Baldwin rocks this episode)
Who I don’t want to win: Again I seriously loved all of them

Writing For A Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica • Occupation/Precipice / Lost • Through The Looking Glass / The Sopranos • Kennedy And Heidi / The Sopranos • The Second Coming / The Sopranos • Made In America
Who I think will win: Made in America (the finale will win)
Who I want to win: Occupation/Precipice (amazing season three premiere)
Who I don’t want to win: Kennedy and Heidi (boring episode)

Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
American Idol • The Finale / The Colbert Report • Show #2161 / The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Show #12061 / Saturday Night Live • Host: Alec Baldwin / Tony Bennett: An American Classic
Who I think will win: Tony Bennett (Emmy likes Bennett)
Who I want to win: Colbert Report (although SNL was pretty food too)
Who I don’t want to win: Tony Bennett (Colbert lost to Manilow, now Bennett?)

Directing For A Comedy Series
Entourage • One Day In The Valley /Extras • Orlando Bloom / The Office • Gay Witch Hunt / Scrubs • My Musical / 30 Rock • The Breakup / Ugly Betty • Pilot
Who I think will win: Ugly Betty Pilot (Emmy loves Betty)
Who I want to win: My Musical (beautifully done show)
Who I don’t want to win: Ugly Betty Pilot (don’t watch the show)

Directing For A Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica • Exodus, Part / Boston Legal • Son of the Defender / Friday Night Lights • Pilot / Heroes • Genesis / Lost • Through the Looking Glass / The Sopranos • Kennedy And Heidi / Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip • Pilot
Who I think will win: Genesis (Compelling first episode)
Who I want to win: Studio 60 Pilot (grabbed me from the beginning)
Who I don’t want to win: Kennedy and Heidi (not a great episode)

The Emmy Awards are on Sunday. I'll have the recap soon afterwards. Then it's on to the Fall TV Preview.

Emmy Awards 2007, Part I

I know I haven’t written in a couple of weeks. That’s because there’s not much to talk about. The end of August and beginning of September is pretty dead in the entertainment industry; the fall TV season begins in couple weeks and so do the Oscar-bait films. As I wait, I can at least talk about the upcoming Emmy Awards. Just like last year, I thought I’d give you a list of what I would have picked for the Primetime Emmy nominations. The big show is next Sunday night. Tonight is the Creative Arts Emmys, I’m hoping Andy Samberg’s Dick in a Box wins for Best Original Music & Lyrics; Dexter wins for Main Title Design; Battlestar Galactica wins for Best Visual Effects and Studio 60 wins for cinematography and John Goodman for his guest role as the judge in the Nevada Day episode. As for the rest of the bigger nominations, here is what I would have picked:

My Picks for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica Edward James Olmos as Admiral William Adama / Dexter Michael C Hall as Dexter / House Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House / The Sopranos James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano / Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Matthew Perry as Matt Albie
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
24 Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer / Boston Legal James Spader as Alan Shore / House Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House / Rescue Me Denis Leary as Tommy Gavin / The Sopranos James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano

My Picks for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica Katee Sackhoff as Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace / The Closer Kyra Sedgwick as Dep. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson / Law & Order: SVU Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson / The Sopranos Edie Faclo as Carmela Soprano / Veronica Mars Kirsten Bell as Veronica Mars
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Brothers & Sisters Sally Field as Nora Walker / The Closer Kyra Sedgwick as Dep. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson / Law & Order: SVU Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson / Medium Patricia Arquette as Allison Dubois / The Riches Minnie Driver as Dahlia Malloy / The Sopranos Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano

My Picks for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
30 Rock Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy / Extras Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman / The Office Steve Carrell as Michael Scott / Scrubs Zach Braff as Dr. John ‘J.D.’ Dorian / Two and a Half Men Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
30 Rock Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy / Extras Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman / Monk Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk / The Office Steve Carell as Michael Scott / Two And A Half Men Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper

My Picks for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
30 Rock Tina Fey as Liz Lemon / How I Met Your Mother Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin / The New Adventures of Old Christine Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as Christine Campbell / Scrubs Sarah Chalke as Dr. Elliot Reed / Weeds Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
30 Rock Tina Fey as Liz Lemon / Desperate Housewives Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo / The New Adventures Of Old Christine Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell / Ugly Betty America Ferrera as Betty Suarez / Weeds Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin

My Picks for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica James Callis as Gaius Baltar / Heroes Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura / Lost Michael Emerson as Ben / Lost Terry O’Quinn as John Locke / Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Steven Weber as Jack Rudolph
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Boston Legal William Shatner as Denny Crane / Grey’s Anatomy T.R. Knight as George / Heroes Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura / Lost Michael Emerson as Ben / Lost Terry O’Quinn as John Locke / The Sopranos Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti

My Picks for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica Trica Helfer as Number Six / CSI: Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle / Grey’s Anatomy Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang / Heroes Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet / Veronica Mars Tina Majorino as Mac
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Brothers & Sisters Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon / Grey’s Anatomy Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens / Grey’s Anatomy Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey / Grey’s Anatomy Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang / The Sopranos Aida Turturro as Janice Soprano / The Sopranos Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi

My Picks for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Entourage Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama / Extras Stephen Merchant as Andy’s Agent / How I Met Your Mother Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson / The Office John Krasinski as Jim Halpert / The Office Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Entourage Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama / Entourage Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold / How I Met Your Mother Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson / The Office Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute / Two And A Half Men Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

My Picks for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
My Name is Earl Jamie Pressly as Joy Turner / The Office Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly / The Office Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor / The Office Angela Kinsey as Angela Martin / Two and a Half Men Conchata Ferrell as Berta
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
My Name Is Earl Jaime Pressly as Joy Turner / The Office Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly / Two And A Half Men Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper / Two And A Half Men Conchata Ferrell as Berta / Ugly Betty Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater / Weeds Elizabeth Perkins as Celia Hodes

My Picks for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica • Collaborators – Tyrol and The Circle administer death sentences to those who worked with the Cylons / CSI: • Lab Rats – Hodges and the lab techs investigate the minature killer / Heroes • Company Man – HRG and his family are taken hostage by Matt Parkman and and unstable Ted / Lost • Greatest Hits – Charlie remembers the greatest moments of his life as he is about to make the ultimate sacrifice / Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip • Nevada Day – John Goodman guest stars as a judge keeping Tom from getting to the show on time Actual Nominees for Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica • Occupation/Precipice / Lost • Through The Looking Glass / The Sopranos • Kennedy And Heidi / The Sopranos • The Second Coming / The Sopranos • Made In America

My Picks for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
30 Rock • Jack-Tor – Jack is a terrible actor, Liz thinks Tracey is illiterate / Extras • Daniel Radcliffe – Andy accidently offends the disabled and kicks a dwarf in the head while Daniel Radcliffe tries to hit on Maggie / The Office • Business School – Michael gives a lecture for Ryan’s class while Dwight deals with a bat / The Office • Initiation – Dwight ‘teaches’ Ryan the ropes; and it’s Pretzel Day / Scrubs • My Musical – A patient keeps hearing everything being said as a Broadway musical
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
30 Rock • Tracy Does Conan / 30 Rock • Jack-Tor / Extras • Daniel Radcliffe / The Office • Gay Witch Hunt / The Office • The Negotiation

My Picks for Outstanding Drama Series
Battlestar Galactica / Heroes / Lost / Studio 60 / Veronica Mars
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Drama Series
Boston Legal / Grey’s Anatomy / Heroes / House / The Sopranos

My Picks for Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock / Entourage / Extras / How I Met Your Mother / The Office
Actual Nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock / Entourage / The Office / Two And A Half Men / Ugly Betty

Just like last year, I'll post my predictions in a couple of days and then give a wrap-up after the awards show. Like you care.