There Will Be…Midseason TV Shows
So, the writers' strike has made the Midseason TV Season even more important. To help you navigate the many choices available to you to spend more time on the couch and help delay those pesky New Years Resolutions, I hereby humbly present my picks from the crop of new and returning television programs:
The Top 5 New Dramas
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles [FOX; Mondays; 8/9c]. Missing 24? Well, that kick-a** chick from 300, Lena Headey (playing OG KAC Sarah Connor) is here to help you get your adrenalin fix. Always remember this simple truth in life: A boy's best friend is his mother.
In Treatment [HBO; Mondays; 9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT]. I completely heart Gabriel Byrne and will therefore not save that $15/month by canceling HBO.
Cashmere Mafia [ABC; Sundays; 10/9c]. Forget that other S*x and the City knock-off Lipstick Jungle, this is the real deal with stars like Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, and Miranda Otto.
Eli Stone [ABC; Thursdays; 10/9c]. Hey, remember Sick Boy from Trainspotting, Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie's first husband? Well, he's back.
Canterbury's Law [FOX; Fridays; 9/8c]. I know, another show about lawyers. But at least this one has Julianna Margulies.
Knight Rider [NBC; Sunday, 17 Feb 2008; 9/8c]. Okay, technically , it's not a show, but a one-off TV movie executive produced by Doug Liman. But with Will Arnett as the voice of KITT, a brilliant-but-cancelled series surely can't be far behind?
The Top 5 New Comedies
The Return of Jezebel James [FOX; Fridays; 8:30/7:30c]. A sitcom starring Parker Posey that has been created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (the singular mind behind Gilmore Girls)? Dude, I'm so there!
Lewis Black's Root Of All Evil [Comedy Central; Wednesdays; 10:30/9:30c]. Now if the producers behind The…sorry A Daily Show can create a show for John Hodgman I can retire in peace.
Breaking Bad [AMC; Sundays; 10/9c]. People keep telling me to watch Weeds. Since I don't have Showtime and I do have AMC, I guess I'll have to watch this imitator instead.
Unhitched [FOX; Sundays; 9:30/8:30c]. I am always willing to give The Farrelly Brothers another shot.
The Top 5 Returning Dramas
Lost [ABC; Thursdays; 9/8c]
The Wire [HBO; Sundays; 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT]
Medium [NBC; Mondays; 10/9c]
The Tudors [Showtime; Sundays; 10/9c]
Battlestar Galactica [SciFi; Fridays; 10/9c]
The Top 5 Returning Comedies
American Idol [FOX; Tuesdays; 8/9c]
The New Adventures of Old Christine [CBS; Mondays; 9:30/8:30c]
Notes From the Underbelly [ABC; Mondays; 9:30/8:30c]
The Greatest TV Show of All Time
Pardon the Interruption (PTI) [ESPN; Weekdays; 5:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm PT]
The basu! Guide to the Movies
(The There-Will -Be-Blood Edition)
04 – 11 January 2008
The b! List
Ten things that are the best, ever (currently)!
1. There Will Be Blood! Incredibly, gloriously, magnificently, brilliantly unhinged. Trust me, you'll either hate it or love it, there is no in-between. How many movies can you say that about? You must watch it in theatres now! http://tinyurl.com/2plh2x
2. India – Australia Test 2: The Test That Will Live in Infamy. A great knock from Sachin Tendulkar in a time of need; bad umpiring decisions; contested catches; a result with eight minutes to spare (secured by three wickets in the last over); an allegation of racial abuse from an Indian to an Australian; the threat of suspending the entire tour; and riots all over India. Now this, my friends, is what true sports drama is all about! http://tinyurl.com/2jpwf6
3. Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada in The Kite Runner. Two words: heart and breaking. http://tinyurl.com/2ql3pm
4. J.K. Simmons in Juno. He steals the movie from right under the noses of the rest of the superb cast. An Oscar nomination may be a long shot, but it would very well deserved for a criminally under-appreciated actor. http://tinyurl.com/39regu
5. ArcLight Sherman Oaks. The Valley just got a lot cooler. http://tinyurl.com/2j293w
6. The Video for "What's a Girl to Do" by Bats For Lashes. A very inventive video for a very cool song. Sent to me by my colleague Jessica McNaughton. http://tinyurl.com/352ky4
7. The New York Giants. Looks like that loss to the New England Cheat-riots actually ended up helping them. http://www.giants.com/
8. Steve Smith. Of course, a very underrated part of their success has been due to the often overlooked, but absolutely vital wide receiver from USC. He may have been overshadowed during his college career but I'm telling you that the offence would have been nothing without his timely catches. It's not often that a good guy like this gets a chance to shine, and I hope this is only the beginning. http://tinyurl.com/36ndbb
9. The Dark Knight Trailer. Joker: "A little fight in you…I like that!" Batman: "Then you're gonna love me." 18 July 2008! http://tinyurl.com/yqzmrv
10. Sir Edmund Hillary. A melancholy good-bye to the famed mountaineer (and long-time philanthropist) whose ascent of Mount Everest with Sherpa companion Tenzing Norgay must surely rank amongst the greatest of all human achievement. http://tinyurl.com/2spanb
Special Mention. The 2008 Australian Open. Here it comes, the real start of the Tennis season and another chance to watch the greatest sportsman alive: Roger Federer. http://www.australianopen.com/
One to Watch: Finally, A Desi Crossover That's Good
Loins of Punjab Presents
Directed by: Manish Acharya
Starring: Shabana Azmi, Ajay Naidu, Ayesha Dharker
Plot: A group of Indian-Americans look to gain fame through a singing competition. Haven't-they-heard-of-Indian-Idol? type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: I ran into Shourie (Vinayak, not Rajath ) at my sister's wedding of all places. His wife Sinha (Anatara, not Manvi) alerted me to this movie and now Variety has backed her claims. This is the first Desi crossover movie I am actually looking forward to seeing, which means that there is hope after all.
Bottom Line: DVD
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): There Will Be Blood
One to Netflix: The Other John Lennon Assassin Movie
The Killing of John Lennon
Directed by: Andrew Piddington
Starring: Jonas Ball, Krisha Fairchild
Plot: A troubled young man makes plans to kill a famous musician. The-day-the-music-really-died type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: There's a buzzed-about movie starring two tabloid-hungry stars (Lindsay Lohan and Jared Leto, the latter of which went through a publicity-baiting weight gain program for the film), directed by a young up-and-coming USC alum (J.P. Schaefer), that's been hitting the festival circuit, hard. Of course, that movie is Chapter 27, which seems to have completely disappeared from the radar. So, while you wait for the more-heralded film to finally see the light of day, add this little film to your Netflix queue and see why sometimes bigger is not necessarily better.
Bottom Line: DVD
Other Movies to Check Out (as well): There Will Be Blood
Movies
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Directed by: Uwe Boll
Starring: Jason Statham, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, Burt Reynolds
Plot: A simple farmer decides to battle the evil hordes that have kidnapped his wife. You-won't-like-Jason-Statham-when-he's-angry type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: Statham, Perlman, Liotta, Lillard, and the great Reynolds? Dude, I'm so there…even though Boll has been certified as the Worst Director Alive by film critics the world over.
Bottom Line: Me, and Other Fans of Jason Statham, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, and Burt Reynolds: DVD; Other, Much More Sensible People: Pass!
Other Movies to Check Out (instead): There Will Be Blood
First Sunday
Directed by: David E. Talbert
Starring: Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan, Keith David, Loretta Devine
Plot: Two bumbling crooks decide to rob a church. Something-tells-me-they-will-learn-some-important-life-lessons-along-the-way type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: If it's January, it must be another lowbrow comedy aimed at an "urban" audience.
Bottom Line: Pass
Other Movies to Check Out (instead): There Will Be Blood
One Missed Call
Directed by: Eric Valette
Starring: Ed Burns, Ray Wise, Shannyn Sossamon, Ana Claudia Talancon
Plot: Mobile phone subscribers try to fight off the evil SMS messages that are killing people. This-is-the-one-time-you-don't-want-good-coverage type complications ensue.
The basu! Buzz: I was going to completely ignore this movie until I realized that it's a J-Horror remake [How come we don't have any J-Pop covers? Now that I would love to see!] from the oeuvre of the decidedly unhinged Takashi Miike. Which means I will definitely want to check out the original, Chakushin Ari.
Bottom Line: Pass
Other Movies to Check Out (instead): There Will Be Blood
The Best Movie of the Millennium…Since Children of Men
There Will Be Blood
The Top 10 Movies of 2007
There Will Be Blood (new entry)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Control
Ratatouille
Sunshine
Into the Wild
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Juno (new entry)
No Country For Old Men
The Kite Runner (new entry)
The Top 10 Films Out Right Now That I Positively Have to See
The Savages
I'm Not There
Atonement
The Band's Visit
The Great Debaters
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
The Orphanage
The Bucket List
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Margot at the Wedding [For The Better Half]
The Top 10 Future Cult Classics of 2007
Hot Rod