April | 2013 | Jmunney's Blog

Regarding Community Season 4, Some Things People Need to Stop Saying

April 16, 2013

Regular reader of Community episode reviews and comment sections that I am, I have noticed similar comments that many people keep making over and over this season. And some of them are just not fair. Here are a couple of those that need to stop right now:

-“The new regime are just copying what they think Dan Harmon would have done.”/”They are only doing this homage/plot/etc. because that’s what the old Community would have done.”
If you have been in the writers’ room, or on set during the filming of an episode, then you have the right to make this criticism. Otherwise, how do you know? Besides, what does it matter how these episodes were conceived? It’s a long way from conception, to writing, to rewriting, to rehearsing, to filming, and to editing the final product. There are a lot of moments in that process that really have nothing to do with copying or not copying what has come before. Ultimately, though, any show that is on the air long enough is going to be beholden to its earlier seasons, regardless of how much of its original creative team is still around. It’s not that it’s copying itself, it just can’t be ignored.

-“All you haters wouldn’t be criticizing this episode if Harmon had done it.”
First of all, this comment invites the response, “Yeah, because Harmon would have done it better.” Some people have summarily dismissed the entire fourth season, sight unseen, and others who have actually been watching probably haven’t been giving it as fair a shake as they should be, but some of them are still making legitimate criticisms. This comment essentially attempts to de-legitimize any criticism. Wondering how Season 4 episodes would have gone if Harmon had done them, and wondering how fans would have reacted to these episodes if Harmon had done them exactly the same are worthwhile thought experiments, but they’re not part of reviewing the actual episode. Dismissing criticism when you want to praise an episode might seem like an easy solution, but it really doesn’t do anything in the way of making the critics give it another shot.

2013 MTV Movie Awards Prediction Scorecard

April 15, 2013

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, MTV Movie Awards, Television Leave a comment

I can keep my dignity with my predicting powers this year, having gone 7 out of 12. I really overestimated Magic Mike, and I slightly overestimated J-Law.

Here’s a breakdown:
Best Movie – Winner/My Guess: The Avengers
Male Performance – Winner: Bradley Cooper, My Guess: Channing Tatum
Female Performance – Winner/My Guess: Jennifer Lawrence
Scared-as-S**t Performance – Winner: Suraj Sharma, My Guess: Jennifer Lawrence
Breakthrough Performance – Winner/My Guess: Rebel Wilson
On-Screen Duo – Winner/My Guess: Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane
Shirtless Performance – Winner: Taylor Lautner, My Guess: Channing Tatum
Best Fight – Winner/My Guess: The Avengers
Best Kiss – Winner/My Guess: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence
WTF Moment – Winner: Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson, My Guess: Anna Camp
Best Villain – Winner: Tom Hiddleston, My Guess: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Musical Moment – Winner/My Guess: Pitch Perfect

SNL Video Recap April 13, 2013: Vince Vaughn/Miguel

April 15, 2013

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Leave a comment

SNL Recap April 13, 2013: Vince Vaughn/Miguel

April 14, 2013

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Miguel, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 38, SNL, SNL Season 38, Vince Vaughn 1 Comment

Cold Opening – A Message From the President
Until (or, unless) Jay starts adding some personality to his Obama, these political cold opens are going to remain bland for the foreseeable future, even for sketches that actually have a few funny lines, like this one did. This time didn’t actually focus on Obama, but it didn’t help that the focus was on a couple of senators that most people are probably unfamiliar with. B-

Vince Vaughn’s Monologue
Yeah, this is where it’s at. “Vince Vaughn talks to the audience” doesn’t do this monologue anywhere near justice. It lasted a while, but that was part of the fun of it. It would have been enjoyable if it had dragged on the whole episode. And it kind of did, when he gave Eric his phone back during the goodnights. A-

VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 4/13/12

April 13, 2013

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment

You don’t know what you got til it’s gone, unless you do.

Original Version
1. Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”
2. fun. – “Carry On”
3. Emeli Sandé – “Next to Me”
4. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
5. Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko – “Stay”
6. Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida – “Troublemaker”
7. P!nk ft. Nate Ruess – “Just Give Me a Reason”
8. Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
9. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
10. Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera – “Feel This Moment”
11. Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
12. Ed Sheeran – “Lego House”
13. Imagine Dragons – “It’s Time”
14. Youngblood Hawke – “We Come Running”
15. Taylor Swift – “22”
16. OneRepublic – “If I Lose Myself”
17. The Lumineers – “Stubborn Love”
18. New Kids on the Block – “Remix (I Like The)”
19. Train – “Mermaid”
20. Phillip Phillips – “Gone Gone Gone”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Thrift Shop
2. Stay
3. It’s Time
4. We Come Running
5. Troublemaker
6. Stubborn Love
7. Suit & Tie
8. Carry On
9. Next to Me
10. Gone Gone Gone
11. Just Give Me a Reason
12. Lego House
13. Feel This Moment
14. 22
15. Remix (I Like The)
16. Mermaid
17. When I Was Your Man
18. I Will Wait
19. If I Lose Myself
20. Daylight

Community Episode Review 4.09: “Intro to Felt Surrogacy”

April 13, 2013

jmunney Community, Community Episode Reviews, Television Leave a comment

When I heard that Community was doing a puppet episode, it did not seem like it was going to be like other theme episodes, i.e., a full-on pastiche of a particular film, or genre, or trope. It seemed like they were just doing it for the hell of it. In the past, I would have been disappointed by just-for-the-hell-of-it reasoning, but at this point, I am confident enough in the cast and the show’s structure that I think any wild concept on Community will at least be interesting. But it turned out that the promotion had actually been a little secretive, and this episode was actually a full-on homage of the greatest puppet act of all time, the Muppets. But even though “Felt Surrogacy” was just as committed as past homage episodes, it was right to think of it as different than those past iterations. The Muppets and Community do share a similar tone: positive, but with a melancholic streak. But seeing Community go Muppets-style, it’s striking just how different they really are. The Muppets are so much more earnest. Community is earnest as well, but the Muppets might be the most earnest group of entertainers ever. The Muppets are referential, and of course Community is, too, but the Muppets’ references are more oblique, and more decorative as opposed to integral to the plot.

Just as the Community creative team committed to the Muppet style, so too were the Greendale Seven attempting to break out of their routine. With this whole season assuming the theme of history, it has been fascinating to see the gang confront their own personal history. The study group bingo was a clever method for demonstrating how well these people know each other and commenting on how TV shows in general have a tendency to fall into easy patterns in their later seasons. So, in the spirit of mixing up their routine, and in the spirit of the Muppets, the gang’s balloon adventure captured several hallmarks of Muppet adventures. There was the hyped-up celebrity appearance (Jason Alexander) that turned out to be not much more than a cameo. There was the other celebrity appearance that we didn’t know we needed – Sara Bareilles, setting the right musical tone. And there was the joke – where’s Professor Duncan been? – snuck into the most high-pressure of moments. And, of course, the songs – bouncy, catchy, describing everything that’s going on with a bounding joy. They were almost transcendent (“could we fly to heaven?”). When too much cultural referencing threatened to sneak in – Abed noting the similarities to Lost – it was promptly shot down.

The best Community episodes are marked by risk-taking. The Muppet homage was certainly a risk, but any homage is basically expected of Community at this point. But there are the other classic risks beyond the homages – the big emotional revelations. The best secrets to reveal are those that are perfectly in line with who the characters are but that still have the power to change everything. Shirley’s lingering doubts about herself as a mother and a wife and Jeff’s regret about the one that got away tied up with his daddy issues both had this impact. Some of the other confessions were softer, though amusing. Troy starting the Greendale fire of 2003 was a little shocking, but he would have only been 13 or 14 and I imagine it might not have been as much his fault as he believes. Britta only ever voting for The Voice more or less confirmed what people already think of her. Abed has no secrets, but it was satisfying to hear him confirm that he mirrors the expressions of those around him. [EDIT: I forgot to initially include the end of this paragraph when initially posting.] On the subject of revelations, Britta and Jeff teasing each other about their lovemaking behavior was also chuckle-worthy, and I always appreciate it when characters are that open when talking about sex. The reactions of Annie’s intrigue, Shirley’s disgust, and Troy’s confirmation were also worthwhile.

Risk is the best word for Annie’s confession, which was a bit problematic. “Intro to Felt Surrogacy” is the first episode getting an A from me in which I had a significant problem with something. It is not that I thought that past A-caliber episodes were perfect; there may have been a few imperfections, but harping on them would have been nitpicking. Harping on Annie’s confession about letting Professor Cornwallis rub her feet to give her answers to a test is not nitpicking. Like a good secret, it was shocking, but unlike a good secret, it did not sound like the person who was revealing it. There were parts of Annie to that confession, but overall it did not feel right. She does have a history of being overwhelmed by school that did lead to desperate measures (an Adderall addiction). And she has used her budding sexuality to her advantage before, but for cheating on a test? Maybe if it had been set up in some way earlier in the season, it might have been more palatable. But I always prefer when my favorite shows err on the side of ambition and risk-taking. Making Annie go this far is a huge risk. I am interested to see what it leads to, and I am hoping that it can be resolved in an intriguing fashion. But because it is presently problematic, I will give this episode a conditional A, a sort of A-/A.

One last thing: the show has been struggling with a shrunken budget this season. The opening shot of the second act right after the first commercial break of the balloon in flight made me wonder if the budget was higher for this episode. It was the most beautiful shot of Season 4 thus far.

2013 MTV Movie Awards Preview

April 11, 2013

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, MTV Movie Awards, Television Leave a comment

The 2013 MTV Movie Awards (airing Sunday, April 14) have the most interesting batch of nominations they have had in at least five years, i.e., the last time Twilight wasn’t up for anything. Apparently MTV brought in a legit nominating crew that picked movies that the MTV crowd likes and that are also actually pretty good. I can guarantee – incredibly – that Twilight will not win Best Movie this year. In fact, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 has only one nomination, and it probably won’t even win that one. Anyway, here’s me guessing the winners and saying who I think deserves it.

Best Movie
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Django Unchained
Silver Linings Playbook
Ted
Will Win: The Avengers was the highest grossing movie last year, and the only reason that wouldn’t make it the favorite would be if Twilight were nominated, and it isn’t.
Should Win: Silver Linings Playbook was the third best, and nearly first best, movie of the year.

Male Performance
Ben Affleck, Argo
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained
Channing Tatum, Magic Mike
Will Win: Even guys like Channing Tatum these days.
Should Win: SLP may not be your typical MTV Movie Award movie, but it’s close enough, and Bradley Cooper’s a cool dude.

Female Performance
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Mila Kunis, Ted
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emma Watson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect
Will and Should Win: Jennifer Lawrence should become the first actress since Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) to win the Moonman and the Oscar for the same role.

Scared-as-s**it Performance
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Alexandra Daddario, Texas Chainsaw 3D
Martin Freeman, The Hobbit
Jennifer Lawrence, House at the End of the Street
Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi
Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence is really popular these days.
Should Win: None of these. Alex and Jen weren’t in very good movies. Jessica wasn’t scared in ZDT, and Martin and Suraj weren’t primarily scared in their roles. They could have nominated Jessica for Mama, an actual horror movie.

Breakthrough Performance
Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Eddie Redmayne, Les Misérables
Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect
Will and Should Win: Rebel Wilson’s hosting the show, let’s not let her down.

On-Screen Duo
Robert Downey, Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, The Avengers
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, The Campaign
Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane, Ted
Will Win: J-Law’s overall popularity might be enough to push her and Bradley to the win, but I think Wahlberg and MacFarlane might have the edge, considering they best fit the traditional definition of a duo.
Should Win: It’s a little off-the-wall, but why not the villainous duo of Leo and Sam Jackson?

Shirtless Performance
Christian Bale, The Dark Knight Rises
Daniel Craig, Skyfall
Taylor Lautner, Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Seth MacFarlane, Ted
Channing Tatum, Magic Mike
Will Win: Lots of ladies have seen Channing Tatum shirtless, and it’s mostly ladies who vote for this thing.
Should Win: It wasn’t quite at the level of his shirtless performance in Casino Royale, but Daniel Craig was still torso-and-shoulders above the rest of the field.

Best Fight
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner vs Tom Hiddleston , The Avengers
Christian Bale vs Tom Hardy, The Dark Knight Rises
JamieFoxx vs Candieland Henchmen, Django Unchained
Daniel Craig vs Ola Rapace, Skyfall
Mark Wahlberg vs Seth MacFarlane, Ted
Will Win: The Ted fight really wants it, but The Avengers fight had Hulk Smash.
Should Win: Hulk no like puny humans not picking The Avengers.

Best Kiss
Kerry Washington and Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained
Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman, Moonrise Kingdom
Emma Watson and Logan Lerman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg, Ted
Will and Should Win: Jen and Bradley‘s movie-capping kiss was the most memorable of the year, and it was beautifully shot.

WTF Moment
Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained
Denzel Washington, Flight
Anna Camp, Pitch Perfect
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Seth MacFarlane, Ted
Will and Should Win: Anna Camp in Pitch Perfect was the only one of these that made me react anything like WTF.

Best Villain
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Marion Cotillard, The Dark Knight Rises
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Tom Hardy, The Dark Knight Rises
Tom Hiddleston, The Avengers
Will and Should Win: Voting could be all over the place here, which might bode well for Leonardo DiCaprio, seeing as he’s the most popular of the nominees. Good thing he deserves it.

Best Musical Moment
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash and Adam Rodriguez, Magic Mike
Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean and Hana Mae Lee, Pitch Perfect
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Will Win: Could J-Law go for 5-for-5? She could. This is the hardest category to call. I’ll just go with the music-centric movie, so congratulations, ladies of Pitch Perfect.
Should Win: It’s Magic Mike time.

Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 4/9/13

April 10, 2013

jmunney Fuse Top 20 Countdown, Music, Television Leave a comment

Countdown debut from “Madness” by Muse? If you say so.

Original Version
1. P!nk ft. Nate Ruess – “Just Give Me a Reason”
2. Bruno Mars – “When I Was Your Man”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Radioactive”
4. Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko – “Stay”
5. Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”
6. Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera – “Feel This Moment”
7. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz – “Thrift Shop”
8. Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”
9. Icona Pop – “I Love It”
10. Drake – “Started From the Bottom”
11. fun. – “Carry On”
12. Maroon 5 – “Daylight”
13. Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida – “Troublemaker”
14. will.i.am ft. Britney Spears – “Scream & Shout”
15. Taylor Swift – “22”
16. Mumford & Sons – “I Will Wait”
17. Muse – “Madness”
18. Lil’ Wayne ft. Drake and Future – “Love Me”
19. Ace Hood ft. Rick Ross and Future – “Bugatti”
20. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Radioactive
2. Little Talks
3. Madness
4. Thrift Shop
5. I Love It
6. Stay
7. Troublemaker
8. Suit & Tie
9. Carry On
10. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)
11. Just Give Me a Reason
12. Started From the Bottom
13. Feel This Moment
14. 22
15. When I Was Your Man
16. I Will Wait
17. Scream & Shout
18. Bugatti
19. Love Me
20. Daylight

Watch And/Or Listen to This: Company of Thieves’ “Oscar Wilde”

April 9, 2013

jmunney Music, Music Videos, Watch And/Or Listen to This Leave a comment

I hear “Oscar Wilde” occasionally on the radio nowadays, but I don’t remember hearing it at all when it came out in 2009, even though it sounds like it should have been a perfectly successful alt-rock hit. Although, I guess at the time, the 90’s were still a year or two away from coming back. Watch the music video; it’s inspired by Rushmore.

Some Personal Thoughts on Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

April 8, 2013

jmunney Cinema Leave a comment

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know Roger Ebert. He is one of those pieces of culture that tend to be absorbed by osmosis. At least as far back as when I was a child, “Two Thumbs Up – Siskel & Ebert” could potentially appear in any movie commercial or poster. I’m not sure I ever even read anything by Ebert until I was in high school (early-mid 2000’s). And I may not have even started reading his reviews regularly until after college (2010’s). But he still may just be my favorite film critic of all time. This isn’t because I agreed with him all the time (and really, who wants there to be a critic that you agree with all the time?), nor is it even because his reviews were more well-written than any other critic. That’s not to say that he wasn’t a good writer, he was a great writer, it’s just beside the point of why I liked him so much. For me, it all boils down to just how much he loved cinema. In all of his reviews, it was clear that he wanted to love the movie that he had seen. It didn’t always work out that way (he hated, hated, hated his fair share), but I could tell he always entered the theatre hopefully. This is how I watch movies: I believe that any and all of them may hold some value for me and I give them all a fair chance. Thanks for the inspiration, Roger. R.I.P. I give your life two thumbs up.

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