July | 2014 | Jmunney's Blog

Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 7/22/14

July 22, 2014

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

Each week, I check out FUSE’s Top 20 countdown, and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
2. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – “Problem”
3. Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”
4. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
5. Maroon 5 – “Maps”
6. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”
7. Sia – “Chandelier”
8. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – “Wiggle”
9. Fifth Harmony – “BO$$”
10. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith – “Latch”
11. Calvin Harris – “Summer”
12. OneRepublic – “Love Runs Out”
13. Kongos – “Come With Me Now”
14. MKTO – “Classic”
15. Becky G – “Shower”
16. Pharrell – “Happy”
17. DJ Snake & Lil’ Jon – “Turn Down For What”
18. Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell – “Sing”
19. Meghan Trainor – “All About That Bass”
20. Tiësto ft. Matthew Koma – “Wasted”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Chandelier
2. Summer
3. Fancy
4. Happy
5. Come With Me Now
6. Latch
7. Turn Down For What
8. Stay With Me
9. Am I Wrong
10. Boom Clap
11. Problem
12. Love Runs Out
13. Sing
14. Maps
15. Wasted
16. All About That Bass
17. Wiggle
18. Classic
19. BO$$
20. Shower

What Won TV? – July 13-July 19, 2014

July 20, 2014

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Whose Line is it Anyway?
Tuesday – If 4 people were to watch Nathan For You at the same time, would it only take 6 minutes?
Wednesday – Jeopardy!
Thursday – You’re the Worst (Around! Nothing’s ever gonna bring you up!)
Friday – So, the week before, Disney Channel showed episode 3 of Girl Meets World online, even though episode 2 aired on TV. So, this week I watched episode 2 on demand.
Saturday – N/A, essentially

Best Episode of the Season: True Detective Season 1

July 19, 2014

jmunney Best Episodes of the 2013-2014 Season, Best Episodes of the Season, Television, True Detective Leave a comment

Season Analysis: A mystery that focused on its characters but wisely chose to also allow its mystery to be solved, True Detective succeeded on the strength of its acting, directing, and detours into mysticism.

“The Secret Fate of All Life”
A time jump is a nifty trick employed by television shows that more often than not works to re-energize series that have lost a bit of their edge. This trope has avoided falling into cliché because it still immediately subverts a show’s established expectations. The time jump in “The Secret Fate of All Life” works especially well by taking the subversion even further. A time jump is unexpected with just about any show, but even more so of an anthology series with a narrative contained in one season. Add to that the fact that True Detective was already jumping back and forth between 1995 and 2012; it had not to this point offered any indication that it would be visiting a third period in between those two. Then there was the surprise of Rust Cohle walking out of his interview with Papania and Gilbough. It was almost fourth-wall breaking; the 2012 interviews had seemed to merely be framing devices, but now they were headed in the direction of continuing the narrative. “The Secret Fate of All Life” even subverted the narrative rules TD had set for itself, with the one-two-three punch of Marty and Rust’s covered-up killing of Reggie and DeWall Ledoux in 1995, the introduction of the Yellow King in 2002, and the implication of Rust as a suspect in 2012 leading the show to focus on plot in defiance of the character study established in the season’s first half. It was still a devastating study of tragic personalities, but this was the point when it became clear that it was not satisfied with keeping matters so simple.

VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 7/19/14

July 19, 2014

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown 1 Comment

Each week, I check out VH1′s Top 20 countdown, and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
2. Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”
3. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
4. Magic! – “Rude”
5. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – “Problem”
6. Calvin Harris – “Summer”
7. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith – “Latch”
8. Sia – “Chandelier”
9. Lorde – “Tennis Court”
10. Maroon 5 – “Maps”
11. MKTO – “Classic”
12. Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell – “Sing”
13. OneRepublic – “Love Runs Out”
14. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – “Wiggle”
15. Katy Perry – “Birthday”
16. Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd – “Really Don’t Care”
17. Kongos – “Come With Me Now”
18. Rixton – “Me and My Broken Heart”
19. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”
20. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – “Rather Be”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Chandelier
2. Summer
3. Fancy
4. Come With Me Now
5. Latch
6. Stay With Me
7. Tennis Court
8. Rather Be
9. Am I Wrong
10. Birthday
11. Boom Clap
12. Problem
13. Love Runs Out
14. Sing
15. Really Don’t Care
16. Maps
17. Wiggle
18. Rude
19. Classic
20. Me and My Broken Heart

Best Episode of the Season: Axe Cop Season 1

July 17, 2014

jmunney Axe Cop, Best Episodes of the 2013-2014 Season, Best Episodes of the Season, Television Leave a comment

Season Analysis: As Axe Cop’s title shot prominently declares, it was co-created by a 5-year-old. Its first season certainly felt like it was, and – thanks hugely to Nick Offerman as the titular hero – it was an ideal realization of a show co-created a 5-year-old.

“The Rabbit Who Broke All the Rules”
An area in which Axe Cop the TV series largely excels is its well-considered mythology, which serves to establish layer upon layer of Axe Cop’s motivations. When Axe Cop becomes a foster father to a strange orphan boy, it is revealed that the boy is possessed by the ghost of the first creature that Axe Cop ever killed: the unconventional titular rabbit. Axe Cop’s opposition to this hind-leg standing, coconut-eating hare is a little fascistic, almost uncomfortably so. But it works as well as it does because it is such a strong character choice. Axe Cop’s black-and-white ethical code may be too simplistic and too intensely applied, but he is committed to it so firmly, and that makes him interesting as a fictional personality. As all-powerful as he may seem, and despite how unassailable his results tend to be, the appropriateness of his methods or lack thereof are worth considering, even though he obviously exists in a fantasy world. Sometimes, dispensing with subtlety proves to be fruitful.

Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 7/16/14

July 16, 2014

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

Original Version
1. Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
2. Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”
3. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – “Problem”
4. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
5. Maroon 5 – “Maps”
6. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – “Whistle”
7. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith – “Latch”
8. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”
9. Calvin Harris – “Summer”
10. Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell – “Sing”
11. OneRepublic – “Love Runs Out”
12. Sia – “Chandelier”
13. Pharrell – “Happy”
14. DJ Snake & Lil’ Jon – “Turn Down For What”
15. MKTO – “Classic”
16. John Legend – “All of Me”
17. Kongos – “Come With Me Now”
18. Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun”
19. 5 Seconds of Summer – “She Looks So Perfect”
20. Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd – “Really Don’t Care”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Chandelier
2. Summer
3. Fancy
4. Happy
5. Come With Me Now
6. Latch
7. Turn Down For What
8. Stay With Me
9. Ain’t It Fun
10. Am I Wrong
11. Boom Clap
12. Problem
13. Love Runs Out
14. Sing
15. Really Don’t Care
16. Maps
17. All of Me
18. Wiggle
19. She Looks So Perfect
20. Classic

This Is A Movie Review: Jersey Boys

July 15, 2014

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Leave a comment

Sometimes a story is just too good to screw up. The music of The Four Seasons is of the variety that you can’t help but sing along and tap your feet to it, and their backstage drama is of the sort that inspired intense loyalty and profound resentment in equal measure. Jersey Boys is a loud, boisterous affair, and it is therefore ideally suited to the stage. I have not seen the original musical version, but I can understand why it has been such a big Broadway hit. The best elements of the film version worked plenty fine on the screen, but I couldn’t help but thinking during each of those moments, “This surely works a lot better on stage.” John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza, Erich Bergen, and Michael Lomenda are uncanny in their channeling of Frankie, Tommy, Bob, and Nick during the musical numbers, but there is an immediacy lacking without the live element. The fourth-wall breaking narration is a strong device, and the fact that each band member takes a turn with the dictation plays into one of the film’s stated themes (“everyone remembers it how they need to, right?”), but there is a potential intimacy to this technique that cannot quite be fully conveyed at the multiplex. There is even an all-cast end credits song-and-dance routine that basically screams “Broadway musical closing number!” What prevents Jersey Boys from being a classic instead of merely good is the risk-averse style of director Clint Eastwood. Clint is a competent filmmaker: there is nothing in the frame that doesn’t belong there, nor is there a single bad edit. But he is too content to let the story just speak for itself. I think where he truly excels is with more challenging material (such as the racially charged Gran Torino or the underrated, spiritually complicated Hereafter), and the degree of difficulty for Jersey Boys simply wasn’t as high as it needed to be. Its lasting impression is of a great story, but not quite a great filmic experience. B

What Won TV? – July 6-July 12, 2014

July 14, 2014

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

Sunday – Is it possible for a Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final to not be exciting?
Monday – Jeopardy!
Tuesday – We don’t need an award from the East Los Angeles International Film Festival to know that was a classic episode of Nathan For You.
Wednesday – Jeopardy!
Thursday – Comedy Bang! Bang!
Friday – Girl Meets World showed a bit more promise in its second episode.
Saturday – I caught some of the World Cup 3rd place game.

Jmunney’s 2014 Emmy Nomination Prediction Scorecard

July 12, 2014

jmunney Awards Shows, Emmys, Television Leave a comment

The full list of nominees can be found here: http://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/66th-nominations-list-v2.pdf

Comedy Series: 5/6. The surprise inclusion of Silicon Valley teaches us to never underestimate the power of HBO (except for the fact that it replaced Girls.)

Drama Series: 5/6. Despite speculation to the contrary, the Academy still loves Downton Abbey.

Lead Actor, Comedy Series: 5/6. The Academy loves Ricky Gervais like nobody else.

Lead Actress, Comedy Series: 5/6. No surprises here. I didn’t predict Melissa McCarthy, but I considered it.

Lead Actor, Drama Series: 6/6.

Lead Actress, Drama Series: 4/6. Lizzy Caplan was a pleasant surprise, but not pleasant enough to make up for the fact that Tatiana Maslany will probably never receive any Emmy love for Orphan Black.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: 4/6. I wasn’t pulling for Fred Armisen (mostly because it’s the wrong category), but I won’t complain.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: 4/6 (plus partial credit for Kate Mulgrew, who was my 7th choice). Cool to see an SNL cast member get a nomination as early into her run on the show as Kate McKinnon is.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: 4/6. Jon Voight, huh?

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: 3/6. Looks like I picked the wrong former nominee who didn’t really didn’t do much this season (Emilia Clarke instead of Christina Hendricks).

VH1 Top 20 Countdown – 7/12/14

July 12, 2014

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

Each week, I check out VH1′s Top 20 countdown, and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”
2. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
3. Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
4. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – “Problem”
5. Magic! – “Rude”
6. Calvin Harris – “Summer”
7. Sia – “Chandelier”
8. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith – “Latch”
9. Katy Perry – “Birthday”
10. Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell – “Sing”
11. Lorde – “Tennis Court”
12. Rixton – “Me and My Broken Heart”
13. MKTO – “Classic”
14. Maroon 5 – “Maps”
15. Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun”
16. OneRepublic – “Love Runs Out”
17. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – “Wiggle”
18. Kongos – “Come With Me Now”
19. Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd – “Really Don’t Care”
20. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Chandelier
2. Summer
3. Fancy
4. Come With Me Now
5. Latch
6. Stay With Me
7. Tennis Court
8. Ain’t It Fun
9. Am I Wrong
10. Birthday
11. Boom Clap
12. Problem
13. Love Runs Out
14. Sing
15. Really Don’t Care
16. Maps
17. Wiggle
18. Rude
19. Classic
20. Me and My Broken Heart

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