MVP
Louis C.K.
Most Likely to Repeat What He Just Said
Al Franken
Most Inexplicable Winner
Lara Logan
Most Out of Sorts
Anderson Cooper
The Not-Quite-Wolf Blitzer Award (as he had the good sense to hardly ring in)
Michael Steele
Jeopardy! 2016 Power Players Superlatives
May 21, 2016
Jeopardy!, Television Al Franken, Anderson Cooper, Jeopardy!, Jeopardy! Power Players, Lara Logan, Louis CK, Michael Steele Leave a comment
The Middle 7.24: “The Show Must Go On”
May 19, 2016
Television, The Middle, The Middle Episode Reviews Brick Heck, Fart-to-Fart Talk, The Middle, The Middle 724, The Middle Season 7, The Show Must Go On Leave a comment
“You mean a fart-to-fart talk?” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2016/05/19/the-middle-season-7-finale-recap-the-s
SNL Recap May 14, 2016: Drake
May 16, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Black Jeopardy, Drake, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4120, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41 Leave a comment
SNL: Drake, Leslie Jones (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
Drake now finds himself in a select crowd of entertainers who have not just pulled “SNL” double duty as both host and musical guest, but done so multiple times. His first double threat gig was a highlight of Season 39, so in terms of potential hosting quality, he is a fine selection. But what about timeliness? He certainly remains big in the music world, but he is not quite as huge in the culture at large the way other repeat double dippers (Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus) have been. But he has the acting chops, so when it gets down to it, who cares? As for the material he is given, it represents a whole range of ideas, some of which work quite well, and others that only work sporadically. All in all, the expansive effort is appreciated.
Donald Trump Vice President Selection – There is not much to make fun of Donald Trump this week (at least, not much new), although the “Joey Pepperoni” quip points to a goofy path that could hold up for the future. So instead, the focus is on the mogul’s VP selection, which could offer new targets for humor, save for the fact that most of the candidates floated are casualties of this election cycle and thus have already been mocked. But sneaking George Zimmerman’s name in there is sharp and the right sort of dangerous. Otherwise, this is just putting down Chris Christie for being nakedly opportunistic, which is way too obvious and not pathetic enough to really make an impact. C+
This Is a Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War
May 16, 2016
Cinema, Movie Reviews Captain America: Civil War Leave a comment
One could argue that the sides the heroes choose in Civil War are arbitrary, especially with a few Avenger novices being given little choice in the matter and even less information. On top of that, Cap and Iron Man, the driving forces of the two opposing sides, choose roles that are against type. But maybe that arbitrariness is not a bug, but a feature. This is a story about grappling with what it means to be a superhero, not just in terms of responsibility but identity. In a world that is constantly besieged by world-ending threats, how can any soul bear the day-to-day grind of that? There are a variety of answers to that question, and the differences in that variety lead to conflict – the sort in which the fighters know that they have something to fight for, but they are not entirely what it is.
There is a close-up shot late in the film of Tony Stark slipping out of his jet on his quest to track down Cap. The expression on Robert Downey, Jr.’s face carries the weight of this man’s heroic burden. This moment represents the humanity that is so profoundly present when Marvel is at its best. There is a lot of chaos and confusion to Civil War, just as there are for the individuals who populate this universe, and so the meaning is in the mess.
I give Captain America: Civil War 8 Ka-Pow’s out of 9 Splash Pages and 6 Too Many Cooks in 10 Kitchens.
This Is a Movie Review: Green Room
May 16, 2016
Cinema, Movie Reviews Green Room Leave a comment
One of the most striking things about Green Room – probably not THE most striking, but perhaps the most unusually striking – is the way in which people have weird reactions to dangerous situations. The premise of this film (penniless punk band is held captive after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi bar) would seem to lend itself to outright, unending terror. And while there is a lot of that – and it could very well be perfectly great if it went whole hog in that direction – it pushes into surprising territory by allowing for a few moments to breathe.
People remain people no matter who they are. The adrenaline that spikes in a crisis may promote certain behavior, but the basic stew of chemicals and emotions remain. So Green Room distinguishes itself by not relying thoroughly on the screams. Instead, there is a whole array of chuckles, blank stares, and even a few shoulder shrugs. The lesson seems to be that when facing a guy as in control as Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart, as indelible as you’ve heard), it is best for everyone to remember that they are still who they are, and that they all have their own unique set of qualities. They might just help you survive (emphasis on might).
I give Green Room 9 Machetes out of 10 Lockdowns and 19 Shotgun Pellets out of 20 Attack Dogs.
What Won TV? – May 8-May 14, 2016
May 15, 2016
Television, What Won TV? Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Jeopardy!, Last Week Tonight, New Girl, Nick x Jess, Orphan Black, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Goldbergs, The Grinder, The Middle 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 – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Tuesday – New Girl closed out Season 5 with hella urgency. (An Honorable Mention of course goes to the dearly departed Grinder … but what if it weren’t dearly departed?)
Wednesday – TIE: The Middle/The Goldbergs
Thursday – Orphan Black is on the Orphan ATTACK!
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – SNL, with the Black Jeopardy and the Drake as a professional chaperone
The Middle 7.23 – “Find My Hecks”
May 13, 2016
Television, The Middle, The Middle Episode Reviews Find My Hecks, The Middle, The Middle 723, The Middle Season 7 Leave a comment
Brick’s still not ready to give up the fight about library hours. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2016/05/12/the-middle-season-7-episode-23-recap-f
New Girl 5.21/5.22: “Wedding Eve”/”Landing Gear”
May 11, 2016
New Girl, New Girl Episode Reviews, Television Landing Gear, New Girl, New Girl 521, New Girl 522, New Girl Season 5, Nick x Jess, Wedding Eve Leave a comment
SNL Recap May 7, 2016: Brie Larson/Alicia Keys
May 9, 2016
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Alicia Keys, Brie Larson, Church Chat, Church Lady, Dana Carvey, Dead Bopz, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4119, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41 Leave a comment
SNL: Alicia Keys, Brie Larson, Taran Killam (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
“SNL” has a tendency to book recently anointed Oscar winners and nominees as hosts. Last year, it was J.K. Simmons a few weeks before the ceremony, and Michael Keaton a couple months after. This season, it is Brie Larson’s turn, with the holiday serving as a tie-in to her award-winning role. It is a sound strategy, as that Academy recognition generally guarantees that these people can act. They do not necessarily have to be funny, so long as they fulfill their roles just as the writing asks them to. Brie proves herself perfectly capable, and the writing lives up to her level.
Church Chat – As Trump Judgment Day has finally come to pass, the cold opening for this episode would of course be political. But it is not the normal cable news parody. In a fit of inspiration, and a wink to the past, Dana Carvey drops by to revive his most prolific and iconic (solo) character. Church Lady’s tsk-tsking of the Donald makes perfect sense (she’s done it before), but her hectoring of Ted Cruz feels a little like kicking an ally while he’s down. Not that Enid Strict wouldn’t do that – it is just a slightly different mode for her. Anyway, it is nice to see an old favorite, but it is tricky for her to find some really good putdowns, as Trump is too cartoonish and Cruz is too pathetic. Not all is lost, though, as Trump’s mangling of Bible facts is chuckle-worthy (though standard issue) and Cruz’s resurrection as a demon – though it may not hit as hard as it might like – is a worthwhile experiment. B-
What Won TV? – May 1-May 7, 2016
May 9, 2016
Television, What Won TV? American Dad!, Dead Bopz, Inside Amy Schumer, Mr. Pickles, Saturday Night Live, Silicon Valley, SNL, The Grinder, The Middle, VICE 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 – Silicon Valley at its sharpest (but Mr. Pickles wins Scene of the Week for its dinner with a cannibal)
Monday – American Dad!
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – The MiddleThursday – Inside Amy Schumer gets the edge for taking the nanny sketch as far as it can stretch.
Friday – VICE
Saturday – SNL, esp. Dead Bopz
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