Around the Tube - 11/9/12

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Mel Brooks Strikes Back!, Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, The Notebook, Battlestar Galactica, Mankind: The Story of Us, The Americans, Jim Rome on Showtime, the mayans, American Life, Dastardly, and Esthero.

- Mel Brooks fans (which I assume is everyone) mark your calendar because on December 10 at 9:00 HBO will be airing Mel Brooks Strikes Back! Appearing onstage with Alan Yentob, creative director for the BBC, at the Geffen Theater before a live audience, Brooks reviews his career as a writer, director, actor, producer, composer, failed ballet dancer and comedian. The special looks at the Brooklyn native’s early life, show-business influences, early career and ascension as one of Hollywood’s most successful writers and directors. Check out a preview below:


- As the anticipation for the third of Downton Abbey mounts, PBS will be going behind the scenes with Angela Lansbury to relive great moments with your favorite characters premiering Sunday November 25, Thanksgiving weekend.

- Next week, starting Monday at 7:00 through Thursday, ABC Family will be airing a Harry Potter Marathon. But before then the channel will be airing a Special Edition of The Notebook which includes over ten minutes of deleted scenes Sunday at 8:00.



- For those waiting to see the latest installment of Battlestar Galatcica, wait no more because Blood and Chome premieres today on the Machinima Prime YouTube page.

- History is rolling out its next mini-series, Mankind: The Story of Us narrated by Josh Brolin premiering Tuesday, November 13 at 9:00. The six –part series will take a look how went from hunter-gatherers to global citizens. Take a look at a sneak peak below:


- The promos for the upcoming FX series The Americans have been fairly ambiguous, but here is a promo with actual footage which kind of make it look like Homeland circa 1981 with Felicity filling in for Angela Chase. That works for me.


- After being lured away from ESPN by CBS, Jim Rome has been relegated to something called CBS Sports Channel which is in the digital part of my cable package and I think you have pay for it too. Soon Rome will be shown on another pay channel, but this time Showtime when Jim Rome on Showtime, a one hour sports talk show premiering Wednesday, November 21 at 10:00.

- Get ready to hear It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) in heavy rotation over the next month as we inch closer to the ending of the Mayan calendar. And The National Geographic Channel is celebrating with three new specials across two night December 2 and 3. Evacuation Earth will be on the 2nd at 9:00 which explores the possibility of building a spaceship to take us to a new world to habitat if ours reaches extinction. Then on the 3rd at 9:00 The Mayan Apocalypse 2012 shows how the phenomenon swept across the internets. It will be followed by Maya Underground: The Real Doomsday to see if the civilization really predicted the end of the world.

- For those that listen to This American Life on the radio but always wanted to watch the show, now you can. They just released a video of a two-hour episode entitled The Invisible Made Visable which you can download for $5 at live.thisamericanlife.org.


- Fans of old time folksy records will want to check out Ballads in Blue by Dastardly on Band Camp where you can stream the songs in their entirety before buying. While people who like their pop music out on the fringes, check out the newly released Everything Is Expensive by Esthero.

- I agree with the John F. Kimberling article What This Country Needs: A New Political Party on the Huffington Post but unfortunately I do not think it is going to happen because there is just two much money in the current parties, and if Ross Perot cannot create a new one with his money, I do not see anyone else being able to do it.

Previewing Wedding Band

For those Beverly Hills, 90210 fans who have ever wanted to hear a grown David Silver sing Hollaback Girl, I have a treat for you: This Saturday is the premiere of Wedding Band where Brian Austin Greene plays the lead singer of a wedding band. Seriously, how did it take almost fifteen years to serialize the great Adam Sandler movie? I guess we have Glee (and Smash, and Nashville) to thank for this. But unlike Glee, the performances on Wedding Band are intentionally cheesy (I think), see the aforementioned Hollaback Girl sung by a grown man, or as grown a man as David Silver can be.

Joining David Silver in the fictitious Mother of the Bride band include Peter Cambor (Notes from the Underbelly) as the guitarist and token dad in the family who has to juggles his kids, his wife, and gigs to live out his rock and roll fantasies. Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend) is the drummer and totally steals Jack Black’s persona to the point his character’s name is the same as Jack’s in High Fidelity. The new guy on bass is Harold Perrineau, a studio musician who really has never had a band of his own, granted it is a little weird to see his cheeky performance on Wedding Band days after seeing him do things like light someone’s kid on fire for Sons of Anarchy. Filing out the cast are Jenny Wade (Feast) as the wedding planner who has to deal with the boys shenanigans and her boss played by Melora Hardin (The Office) who does not seem to have a filter which means she is the most entertaining character on the show.

Wedding Band also has an impressive guest list signed up for the show including Ken Marino (Party Down) who plays the lead singer of Mother of the Bride’s rival wedding band Armageddon It (which of course is also a Def Leppard cover band). Ken may be too good in his role because after he and his band are introduced, it is clear the show would have been much more entertaining if it were focused on Armageddon It instead. Also showing up sometime this season are Ryan Hansen, Gary Cole, Bill Simmons (yes the Grantland guy, Kurtwood Smith, Donald Faison, Ashley Williams, Pat Monahan (yes, the dude from Train is surprisingly the only musical guest the show managed to wrangle), and James Marsters. Greene was even able to pull in his wife Megan Fox (in the second episode) as the star of a sci-fi show with an annoying fan base who accidentally shares the ending of the series. And just when you think Perrineau is about to make a Lost joke…

Speaking of not going there, despite the band branching out into other parties like bar mitzvahs, house parties, and cooperate events, it is a bit disappointing they do not “go there” like Party Down did with their off the wall parties. Sure, since this is TBS and not pay cable, I do not expect them o play an orgy, but I was hoping for gigs more creative than “adult prom”. Wedding Band does have plenty of funny moments and there is an air of what song are they going to pull from their musical quiver next and in what style. But I am not sure it is appointment viewing, especially on a Saturday night, even is Wade is very endearing in her role. But maybe if the show is successful enough, there will be an Armageddon It spin off. Now that is a show I would watch every week.

Wedding Band airs Saturdays at 10:00 on TBS.

What's the Most You Ever Lost on a Coin Toss

Later this week Javier Bardem will become the latest Bond villain in Skyfall so Lionsgate has rounded up a three film collection of his most memorable roles out on DVD this week. (Granted I would have included Vicky Christina Barcelona.) The collection is highlighted by No Country for Old Men which garnered him an Oscar as an unorthodox hit man with an unorthodox haircut with a penchant for flipping coins. Bardem is hired to hunt down Josh Brolin (The Goonies) who came across two million dollars after a drug deal gone bad while Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) is the local lawmen who tries to hunt them both down.

No Country for Old Men is a harrowing tale where directors Joel and Ethan Cohen faithfully reproduce the Cormac McCarthy novel. The three top line names all deliver unforgettable performances while Woody Harrelson (Zombieland) and Stephan Root (Newsradio) give great cameos. The DVD features the same extra as the original release of the movie including a Making Of feature, “Working with the Coens”, and “Diary of a Country Sherriff” featurettes.

I had never heard of Mondays in the Sun until I got this collection and when I put it in I knew why: the film is in Spanish. Like No Country for Old Men, Bardem had a memorial haircut, this time instead of the Dorothy Hamill bowel cut, he is significantly balding as he plays an out of work dockworker. After everyone was laid off when their ship building jobs were shipped to Korea, Bardem and his friends spend their days looking for new work and nights hanging out in a bar that one of them bought with his severance pay. Even though the film is a decade old, take place in another country, and is in a different language, the heartbreaking tale can resonate in today’s America where many people are still trying to cope with jobs that went to Asia a while ago. The DVD also features audio commentary from Bardem, and director Fernando Leon de Aranoa, deleted scenes, a Making Of featurette, and storyboard to scene comparison.

Biutiful saw Bardem team with famed director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel) and produced by Guillermo del Toro which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (Bardem lost out on picking up another Best Actor Award but was the first ever nominated for an entirely Spanish-speaking performance). Yep, this one is in Spanish too. The film takes him back to Spain where he struggles to provide for his children while working on the wrong side of the law. This DVD is low on extras, just featuring the director’s flip notes, and an interview with the cast and crew.


Full Disclosure Notice: The DVD was given to me to review by Lionsgate.

Better to Rule in War than Serve in Peace

When I think of samurais, I cannot say that Wes Bentley (P2) is high on my list of people who would play one. But there he is in a haircut the borders on a mullet in Hirokin: The Last Samurai (which is not to be confused with the Tom Cruise flick, another very Caucasian dude whose name does not conjure up visions of samurais). Like any good sci-fi flick, this movie starts off with a heavy back-story: humans came to a new, stole all its resources, and then left aside from a few who stayed to rule over the original inhabitants. That is until one hero (Bentley, of course), haunted by his past, has to find a way to help the rebels rise up against their oppressors.

It should be noted that the alien race look identical to humans except you can see veins in their hands so a lot of the character spend the movie sticking their hands out like Diana Ross telling you to stop in the name of love. It is actually not that hard to tell the two races apart because for some reason the human warriors wear helmets, on a desert planet, that look like a cross between the one Boba Fett and the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica.

Really you can make a drinking game out of the Star Wars references from the Tatooine-type setting, Bentley’s Obi Wan Kenobi type robe, there is even a character that has a duel (though non-light) saber. The movie does pull out some cool moves of its own like Bentley’s bungee sword and an extremely evil and twisted game the antagonists make locals play for his own enjoyment, but really, most the characters fall flat (there is a pair shoehorned in for comic relief that should have been shoehorned in a little more) thanks to a think plot while a few actors were clearly phoning it in.

The DVD is also thin on extras. There are a few deleted scenes, but the menu lacks a “Play All” option. There are also three featurettes but all of them are under five minutes each.

Full Disclosure Notice: This DVD was given to me by Lionsgate to review.

The Voice Season 3 Knockout Round Power Rankings

The mysterious Knockout Round finally debuted (and finished) this week and it turned out they were just an extension of the Battle Round but without the potential of anyone getting stolen. At least it was only a week. And now on to the newly minted Live Playoffs! (Which just seem like the Live Shows except starting next week anyone from any team can get sent home.) So before the show goes live, here is my latest power rankings.

1. Trevin Hunte – Everyone else should be worried that he is already the best this season and I still do not believe we have even seen close to his best performance yet.

2. Amanda Brown – Yep, Cee-Lo makes some really bad decisions.

3. Cassadee Pope – The verse this week was not her best and her Battle Round performance was apparently so bad The Voice only showed three seconds of it, but I still think she is Trevin’s stiffest competition.

4. De'Borah – Who would have guessed a church going lesbian who looks like Urkle would be such a fan of soft rock? After Train and The Fray, I cannot wait for her to take on John Mayer during the Live Playoffs.

5. Terry McDermott – The first two winners of The Voice were dudes in their thirties who never were able to get their big break yet, so do not be surprised is Terry wins this season.

6. Nicholas David – Cee-Lo seems to be the only coach that always dictates songs to his team and considering Nickolas’s best performance was when Cee-Lo gave him She’s Gone, he may be the wild card this season.

7. Adriana Louise – Not the best singer in the competition but has this aura around her that she may be the last member of Team Christina standing. Unfortunately for her, thanks to the rule change, she may be already (take a minute… pause…) gone by the finals.

8. Devyn DeLoera – If she does the backwards shimmy she did during her Blind Audition I will vote for Devyn like a teenage girl voting for Justin Bieber in a meaningless internet poll. I just hope she does not go with the 80's Jersey prom hair she had in the Knockout Round.

9. Brian Keith – Has a strong distinctive voice but lacks, dare I say, that X-factor.

10. Liz Davis – Blake widdled his country-heavy team down to one this season going into the Live Playoffs, but much like the first two season, I do not see one of his country artists making it even to the semi-finals this season.

11. Cody Belew – I will be severely disappointed if he does not sing Fat Bottom Girls during the Live Playoffs.

12. Joselyn Rivera – Apparently Adam was the only coach that took the Steal seriously, taking his two steals to the Live Shows> Playoffs, but I do not see her going much further in the competition.

13. Michaela Paige – Seriously, I do not understand how Suzanna did not get this slot instead.

14. Sylvia Yacoub – Beforehand I thought Aquille would easily win their Knockout, but he did lay a dud.

15. Diego Val – Should have been Caitlin.

16. Melanie Martinez – Her performance of Toxic was quirky and fun, but her persona has started running thin.

17. Julio Cesar Castillo – I was surprised that Blake picked Julio over MarissaAnn but really, Suzanna deserved his spot in the Live Shows Playoffs.

18. Dez Duron – I will give this to Dez, between Hall and Oats and Lionel Richie he has great taste in music, but his voice is way too thin to had made it this far.

19. Loren Allred – Sometimes all you need is one good note on these types of show, but is hard to believe she got this far based on one note. Nicole Nelson was much more consistent and significantly better overall.

20. MacKenzie Bourg – Seriously, the guy squeaked through two Carley Rae Jepsen songs and somehow won twice despite giving two of the worst performances of the two rounds. I really hope he splits the annoying teen girl votes between Dez and are both gone early.

So let us take a look at who has the strongest team (even though it only takes one to win) based on these ranking:

Adam – 47
Blake – 57
Cee-Lo – 52
Adam – 47

Surprising Christina pulled into second place after being last by a mile after the first two of my Power Rankings. It probably helped that she managed to wisely picked each winner during the Knockout Round unlike her other coaches. Adam sank to the bottom after picking Loren, who was so bad in the early rounds they did not bother to show her performances over Nicole Nelson, the best singer on his team. Blake takes the top spot in part to him having the best chance of having two finalists this season with Cassadee and Terry. But anyway. Here are some predictions for this week (and beyond)

Predictions for the Top 12

Adam: Bryan, Melanie, Amanda (Coach Save)
Blake: Cassadee, Terry, Liz (Coach Save)
Cee-Lo: Trevin, MacKenzie, Nicholas (Coach Save)
Christina: Dez, Adriana, Devyn (Coach Save)

Way to early prediction of the finalist: Cassadee, Trevin, Bryan and either Melanie, MacKenzie, or Terry (sorry Christina , it looks like another last place finish for you)

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 11/4/12

Once Upon a Time: After a year of wondering, it turns out Dr. Whale is… Dr. Frankenstein? Alrighty. When he was first introduced as a wizard, I actually thought he would turn out to be the Wizard of Oz (okay, my first thought was, oh goodness, he is not going to be Harry Potter is he) when they talked about his ability to transport to places without magic. So what world exactly does Dr. Frankenstein live in, one where all the classic horror monsters live: Dracula, Wolfman (who I assume would end up being a love interest to Little Red Riding Hood), The Mummy, The Invisible Man. And I know they live in a world where Captain Hook looks like an Abercrombie model who does not think there is such a thing as too much eyeliner, but how can you have Igor without a hunchback?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.

Revenge: I thought for sure Amanda was not going to make it through surgery. I guessed she made it so Mason Treadwell could come back to cause more havoc. Of coutrse if Mason knew what was best for him he would stop snooping because the last time he got on the case, his house burned down. But I wonder if they are going to put a burn scar on Emily’s back even though I am pretty sure we have seen her in a bikini without one.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

The Walking Dead: The infamous Governor has finally appeared and he and his wall of floating zombie heads lived up to the hype. Of course without television in a zombie apocalypse, what else are you going to stare at hours on end than a wall of illuminated zombie heads? Oh yeah, and Mearle! And I have to wonder if this is the rape camp that Randell came from. I have a feeling Andrea will find out sooner than later.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

The Voice: Last week I wondered how they could get forty songs into two hours, I assumed they would just montage half of them, it turns out instead they just gave everyone about a minute of screen time with some really bad editing as they cut down songs. And it turns out the much ballyhooed Steal ended up being a major flop. I got a sense when lesser talent got stolen that coaches just did not want someone who would end up replacing an original tram member. Only Adam is taking a saved member to the Live Shows Playoffs even though Caitlin Michele and MarissaAnn clearly won their Knockout pairings.

That was not the only really bad decision from Blake Shelton. Even though he was the best coach when it came to making decisions in the first two seasons, he made some really bad pairings this season decimating his team. After pairing up two of his three best singers in the Battle Rounds with Suzanna Choffel and Lelia Broussard, he then paired his best two in the Knockout Rounds when he put Suzanna up against Cassadee Pope especially when Michaela Paige and Julio Cesar Castillo advanced. When it got down to the final four on his team I thought he was going to pair MarissaAnn with Cassadee and Michaela with Suzanna. Maybe Blake tipped his hand when he said the reason he paired Liz Davis and Gracia Harrison was that he did not want the two to siphoned votes from each other so he was only going to take one, so he took some weak singers (Michaela and Julio) to the Live Shows Playoffs to make it easier for his stronger singers (Cassadee and Terry) to advance.

If anything, the Knockout Round showed just how important song choice is. And for all the dude karaokers out that did not know earlier; never ever ever ever ever sign a Taylor Swift song. Like ever. Dare I say you would be much better off with some indie record that is much cooler than hers. And this week we actually had two dudes try to sing a Taylor Swift song. It was actually a big week for guys singing chick songs, which I rarely think works. Also, do not sing songs but dudes who beat on women. I thought Avery Wilson had a chance to win the whole thing but after a poor song choice, he danced himself off the show.

Even though the Steal ended up flopping because no none but Adam wanted to take them to the Live Shows Playoffs, I do wish they were still allowed one more steal during the Knockout Round. Blake could have finally gotten Caitlyn (assuming she did not reject him for the third time), Adam would finally gotten Gracia, maybe Cee-Lo takes a flyer on Suzanna, and Christina… who knows what stupid decision she would have made. Maybe Kayla Nevarez or steal MarissaAnn back. Really Caitlin was part of my favorite thing that happen this week when she was caught dancing to Nickolas performance.


You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download songs from The Voice with the widget at right.

Castle: Stupid credits. I actually did not think much when I saw Michael Mosley’s name at the beginning of the show, but as the evidence started to mount against Catle, I remembered, oh yeah, he was the serial killer that was never caught and he is totally setting him up. At least he showed up on screen shortly after I figured it out. But seriously, they really need to figure a way to keep the guest stars out of the beginning of the episode.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: It was nice to see someone finally put fans of The Wire on blast. I will never watch the show because I never want to turn into one of those pretentious jackasses.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 on iTunes.

Sons of Anarchy: After Gemma talked about overcompensating after losing a child, I thought for sure Able was a goner, and was a bit surprised with all the shocking deaths this year they stopped short of killing a kid.
You can download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Philippines: I was a big Astros fan back when I actually paid attention to baseball so I know how big an idiot Jeff Kent is so it is not surprising he has a horrible game plan on the show. Seriously, if you were so keen on getting rid of Penner, why not do it last week? Then had you stuck with him this week you would have had been the leader of the majority alliance with two former players that would be bigger targets. Now you need someone to make a dumber move than you made to get back in control of the game.
You can stream recent episodes over at CBS.com. You can also download Survivor: Philippines on iTunes.

Subugatory: I was super disappointed that after this episode when I went to iTunes, Tessa’s version of Sussudio was not there yet.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Suburgatory on iTunes.

Grimm: Last week when the promo monkeys said there was a new, more violent, Grimm was coming to town, I thought, this is just going to be a retread of the other Slayers on Buffy. I do like that it turned out to be a Vessin who hated who he was. But you know there have to be other Grimms out there somewhere.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Grimm on iTunes.

Best of the Week - 11/3/12

Quote of the Week: You’ve dated plenty of men who were better looking and sexier, beefier and brawnier and more cut and darker skinned and longer hair and taller and richer and more successful and funnier and friendlier, who have more summer homes and foreign cars and motorboat and yachts, who are more well-traveled and know more languages than him. (Dalia, Suburgatory)

Song of the Week: Sussudio – Phil Collins (as sung by Tessa, Suburgatory)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Hurricane Sandy: If you can donate, head over to redcross.org.

Free Download of the Week: Ain't Messin 'Round - Gary Clarke Jr. (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5: This month’s five dollar albums include The Black Keys, Willie Nelson, Nas, and Oasis.


New Album Release of the Week: Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp - Public Enemy

New DVD Release of the Week: The Amazing Spider-Man

Video of the Week: I do not think endorsements move the needle at all and anyone who does so is really annoying (full disclosure, I have endorsed people in the past but have abstained this year mostly because there is no one worth endorsing) so really, if you are going to endorse anyone, you might as well make it entertaining, like when Avengers director and Buffy creator Joss Whedon endorsed Mitt Romney.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Election Coverage, All Day Tuesday on Most Channels: Yes election day is finally here, or as us Ohioans most care about, the day after the election when we do not have to watch any more of starting Wednesday (for those fortunately to be in a solid red or blue state, commercial breaks have been about fifty percent political advertising since the start of the Olympics). As I mentioned above I am not endorsing anyone this time around but I do know who I am voting for though I can be swayed either way. So I wonder just how much do celebrities care about their candidate because I am willing to vote for the candidate of their choosing. Keep in mind as I am in Ohio, this state has a 51.7% chance of deciding the election and my vote has a 12.3% chance of being the deciding vote. So I could be completely swayed by, say, a personal concert from the Dave Matthews Band. Or maybe Clint Eastwood could put me in his next movie. Or maybe Scarlett Johansson is willing to drive me to my polling place in her Black Widow costume. Or maybe one of the Koch brothers could part with a million dollars (which would be a drop in the bucket of the over billion dollars spent in this campaign on both sides). Mmm, I think I am going to go hit up Scarlett Johansson on twitter.

Around the Tubes - 11/2/12

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Witness, Henry Rollins, Whisker Wars, Pickers-Pawn Crossover Event, Fire with Fire, Rocket City Rednecks, the Soul Train Awards, and NBC's 2013 Mid-Season Schedule.

- Presented in four parts – Juarez, Libya, South Sudan and Rio – Witness focuses on three determined photojournalists: Eros Hoagland, who explores the gang- and drug-related violence in both Juarez, Mexico and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Michael Christopher Brown, who chronicles escalating ethnic tensions in the wake of Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster last year in Libya; and Véronique de Viguerie, who follows the “Arrow Boys” and their struggle against General Kony in South Sudan. Between these three, their photos have appeared in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Paris Match, The Guardian and many other publications. Witness: Juarez debuts this Monday at 9:00 on HBO. Take a look at the trailer below:


- Henry Rollins’ Politically-Charged “Capitalism” Tour Stop in Our Nation’s Capital will Live Stream Exclusively on TakePart TV this Monday at 7:00. TakePart TV in association with Participant Media launched Henry Rollins’ “Capitalism” tour at youtube.com/takepart in October. TakePart TV viewers have had exclusive access to the two-month tour as the punk-rock icon and spoken word artist stopped in each of the 50 state capitals, culminating with this live election-eve performance on November 5 in Washington, D.C.

- It is Movemeber (where you do not shave for a month for prostate cancer awareness) and of course the facial hair series Whisker Wars is coming back later this month. Tune into a new hair rising season starting Friday, November 23 at 10:00 on IFC. Until then, watch a preview below, or get caught up when IFC airs a marathon starting Thursday 11/22 at 7:00 AM:

- This Monday History will be airing a Pawn Stars / American Pickers crossover event, appropriately called Pickers-Pawn Crossover Event starting at 9:00. If you watch both hours, you can enter to win one of four prizes by going to history.com/crossover after the episodes have aired. Check out a preview below: - New to DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital download this week is Fire with Fire, the heart-pounding film follows a fireman’s unexpected course of action when he’s threatened by a white supremacist that he’s testifying against in a murder case staring Josh Duhamel, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, and Vincent D’Onofrio. - The National Geographic Channel has announced that the second season of Rocket City Rednecks will premiere Thursday, November 29 at 9:00 with back to back episodes.

- The first round of artists added to the 2012 Soul Train Awards hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and Lifetime Achievement Award winners New Edition include John Legend, Charlie Wilson, and Fantasia. The show is set to air Sunday November 25 at 9:00 on BET.

- NBC must not think much of the Mayan calendar because they went ahead and already announced their 2013 Mid-Season schedule. Here are the highlights:

SERIES PREMIERES:
-- New Drama “Deception” (Formerly “Infamous”) Monday, January 7
-- New Comedy “1600 Penn” Thursday, January 10
-- New Relationship Series "Ready for Love" from Eva Longoria Sunday, March 31
ANTICIPATED RETURNS:
-- “The Voice” Begins Fourth Cycle Monday/Tuesday, March 25/26
-- The Season's Newest Hit “Revolution” Returns Monday, March 25
-- "The Biggest Loser" Weighs in Sunday/Monday, January 6/7 with Return of Jillian Michaels
-- “Smash” Dances Back to the Schedule Tuesday, February 5 with Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson
-- “Community” Returns Thursday, February 7
--“The Celebrity Apprentice” Debuts Sunday, March 3
-- “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” Comes Back Tuesday, January 8

If You Want Beef Then Bring the Ruckus

As I pointed out in my review for the Man with the Iron Fists Soundtrack review, if there is one thing I have learned in my life is to never, under any circumstance, trust a big butt and a smile. If there is a second lesson I have learn it is Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin ta (expletive deleted). Just when the Golden Age of Hip-Hop seems likes it was starting to come to the close in the early nineties thanks to gangsta rap and hip-pop, the nine New York collective dropped Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

The album just sounded like New York City (or at least it sounded like that to this teenaged suburban white kid), it was grimy, dirty, and menacing with plenty of kung-fu sounds (of course the guy went on to write, direct, and star in a kung-fu movie). With beats by RZA, the music somehow managed to sound sparse and big at the same time. And the Clan managed to assemble the greatest crew in the history of rap by a country mile. Ghostface Killah and Raekwon are two of the best lyricist in the game. Method Man brought in a commercial aspect, and Ol' Dirty Bastard was just unhinged bringing in an element of anything can happen.

Oh, and the songs. Three of the songs from the album made my list of the 100 Greatest Songs from the Golden Age of Hip-Hop. As the intro would have you believe, the teenaged version of myself ran around chanting the Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin ta (expletive deleted) wit , even the present day version does the same thing occasionally. My favorite line remains, “I’m causing more family feuds than Richard Dawson.” (R.I.P. Richard). C.R.E.A.M. was a stroke of genius, and another chant worthy chorus. And the song is just pure paranoia, and the second most paranoid songs ever after Mind Playing Tricks On Me (with all due respect to Black Sabbath). Then Method Man why the M.C. ended up being the breakout star of the Clan and featured maybe the most memorable opening of any song ever which was hilariously parodied by Dave Chappelle.

Who knows when we will get the next proper full length We-Tang Clan album, if ever? It is not the easiest thing to get these guys at the same place at the same time (I know from experience from the massive delay of the Wu-Tang Clan / Rage Against the Machine concert I went to because the members were too busy playing basketball and started their set a full hour after the opening act finished). But hopefully it gets done soon.

Previewing Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden

The National Geographic Channel made some noise a couple months ago when they announced they would release a movie based on the killing of Osama bin Laden just days before the election. Naturally this made the conservative talking heads explode saying such a movie was a blatant attempt to help President Obama get reelected (or at least they said that right after telling every voter should see 2016: Obama’s America before they vote) because the movie would highlight arguably his greatest (also arguably his only) achievement as president.

Then I heard nothing about the film until the screener for Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden arrived on my doorstep earlier this week. I was a bit surprised is was an actual motion picture and not a documentary with an actual director (alright, the guy who did Into the Blue) and produced by the same guy who produce Hurt Locker ironically the director of that movie has her own bin Laden movie coming out in theaters sometime after the election). It even has recognizable actors although none that really anyone will get too excited for (The eighth most recognizable person from those horrible vampire movies! The dude from that Brittney Spears movie! The guy from Six Feet Under that isn’t Adam Braverman or Dexter Morgan! The Pimp My Ride guy! T-Bag! That chick from Beverly Hills 90210: The College Years! The dude who had sex with Stiffler’s mom! The creepy dude from Invasion!)

The film actually opens in 2002 during an interrogation (sans waterboarding) at Guantanamo Bay but before you think the film is actually ghoing to give any credit to Bush or his administration, they flash forward to 2010 with a CIA operation that looked and felt much like the first two episode of the new season of Homeland but without the crazy operative. The movie spends too much time creating fake back stories for the Seals and keeps the intelligence focused on the mid level employees of the CIA. We never even get to go inside the War Room (aside from the famous picture) and they do not try to recast Obama (the movie does generously feature his speeches and interviews on the subject) or his inner circle; really the only fictionalized version of any recognized figure is a phone call to CIA Director Leon Panetta.

It is hard to watch Seal Team Six without thinking of Zero Dark Thirty, a movie that will probably be much better. It has the director of The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow, with her first movie since winning an Oscar and stars critical darling Jessica Chastain along with Coach Eric Taylor, Tony Soprano, and Bright Abbott. If you are only going to see one Osama bin Laden movie, you will probably want to wait until the end of the year. But for those that cannot wait, the as slowly paced nd thrown together as Seal Team Six is, the actual raid does get you on the edge of your seat even though you already know how it ends.

And for those conspiracy theorist who think Harvey Weinstein released his film two days before his buddy was up for reelection, when it comes down to it, Seal Team Six will probably have the same amount of impact on the presidential elections as 2016: Obama’s America did: zero. If want to rant on something that will actually change the outcome of the presidential race, just look outside and say hello to Sandy.

Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden premieres Sunday at 8:00 on The National Geographic Channel. Check out the trailer below:

I Want My Music Television - 10/30/12

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Begin Again - Taylor Swift


Begin Again may just overtake Mine as the most Taylor Swift-y video Taylor has ever made. And I know women do not like wearin the same clothes more than once, but Taylor, it is perfectly okay if you wear that purple dress again and frequently. Actually come to think aqbout it, she may have already reused it because it kind of looks like the Speak Now cover dress.


Here Comes My Man - The Gaslight Anthem


It is clear that Elisha Cuthbert found the role of her career on Happy Endings where she plays a half wit whose charm is that she cannot take a joke because trying act serious again in the new Gaslight Anthem is not working.


Stubborn Love – The Lumineeers


Ho Hey is a great song, but a bit of a novelty because it cribs its chorus from Naughty by Nature (or so I assume), Stubborn Love shows that The Lumineers can still write a great song without novelty, just awesomeness. Also, “The opposite of love is indifference” may be the best lyric of 2012.


Let’s Go – Matt and Kim


When Matt and Kim released their first music video for Let Go, I was a bit disappointed because they always release creative videos and it only featured a dude dribbling a basketball. The new video is much more entertaining featuring ever cheesy family portrait that may or may not be taken by Ross Geller.

The Voice Season 3 Battle Round Power Rankings

Thankfully The Voice took two suggestions I had and applied them to The Battle Rounds: introduced the Steal and breeze through the lesser Battles via montage like they do during the Blind Audition. Granted it only made the Battle Rounds nominally better this season (it did not help that the coaches wasted six of their eight steals; The next round would have been much better had Lelia Broussard, Brandon Mahone, Nelly's Echo, Benji, Alexis Marceaux, and Emily Earle would have gotten the Steal over anyone aside from Amanda or Caitlin). Before we move to the new and mysterious Knockout Round that starts tonight, here is an updated Power Ranking based on the first two rounds.

1. Trevin Hunte (Team Cee-Lo)

2. Nicholas David (Team Cee-Lo)

3. De'Borah (Team Christina)

4. Cassadee Pope (Team Blake)

5. Caitlin Michele (Team Adam Cee-Lo)

6. Suzanna Choffel (Team Blake)

7. Nicole Nelson (Team Adam)

8. Terry McDermott (Team Blake)

9. Devyn DeLoera (Team Christina)

10. Amanda Brown (Team Cee-Lo Adam)

11. Avery Wilson (Team Cee-Lo)

12. Brian Keith (Team Adam)

13. Diego Val (Team Cee-Lo)

14. Aquile (Team Christina)

15. Melanie Martinez (Team Adam)

16. Adriana Louise (Team Christina)

17. Liz Davis (Team Blake)

18. Cody Belew (Team Cee-Lo)

19. Rudy Parris (Team Blake)

20. Joe Kirkland (Team Adam)

21. Michelle Brooks-Thompson (Team Adam)

22. Gracia Harrison (Team Blake)

23. Mycle Wastman (Team Cee-Lo)

24. Terisa Griffin (Team Blake Cee-Lo)

25. Alessandra Guercio (Team Adam Christina)

26. Celica Westbrook (Team Christina)

27. Joselyn Rivera (Team (Christina Adam)

28. Kayla Nevarez (Team Adam)

29. Sam James (Team Adam)

30. Julio Cesar Castillo (Team Blake)

31. Collin McLoughlin (Team Adam Blake)

32. Michaela Paige (Team Blake)

33. MarissaAnn (Team Christina Blake)

34. Sylvia Yacoub (Team Christina)

35. Chevonne (Team Cee-Lo Christina)

36. Daniel Rosa (Team Cee-Lo)

37. Dez Duron (Team Christina)

38. MacKenzie Bourg (Team Cee-Lo)

39. Loren Allred (Team Adam)

40. Laura Vivas (Team Christina)

Wow, three of the top five contestants are on Team Cee-Lo. Cassadee lost her frontrunner status after being demoted to montage in the Battle rounds (I listen to the studio version of her song and it sounded alright, but when I watched her after-battle interview, it did not sound like the performance was all that good, so it was probably good she was relegated to montage). So clearly Cee-Lo is in the driver’s seat, here is how the other teams stack up if you give one point to the singer in last and so on.

Cee-Lo – 239
Blake – 208
Adam – 202
Christina – 171

It looks like Christina may get her third straight last place finish with her bizarre strategy of going with a predominately bland teenage pop singer team which make me fear for the longevity of De’Borah, her most entertaining singer this year. It did not help that I only agreed with Christina’s decisions half the time, and only agreed with the coaches 58% of the time (Adam 2-3, Blake 4-2, Cee-Lo 5-2). It is weird that only one of Cee-Lo’s battles got relegated to montage while three of Adam’s were not shown.