Wednesday, March 21, 2012

REAPER CIRCLES AS SHOWS REACH TERMINATION DATE

It must be spring as the Grim Reaper is hovering over many an underperforming show. Let's see who might be getting the axe soon.

ABC

MISSING- Ashley Judd in a terrible show? Shocker. This huge misfire is not likely to see another season as the ratings have been just awful. Insiders say it is a toss up whether or not it will be renewed but the ratings and cost make it seem like a long shot. When will people realize this woman can't act?

GCB- Ratings for this show have been average but with a real challenge over who to market this mess to, renewal seems iffy.

BODY OF PROOF- As good as dead. This show has the Reaper standing right over it.

THE RIVER- Another dead man walking. I gave up on it after the second episode.  There was no reason they wouldn't just go home like any reasonable person would.

NBC-

FASHION STAR- This Project Runway clone is DOA. Not likely to return.

ARE YOU THERE CHELSEA?- If there is a God, this waste of space will be the first to go. Not funny.

THE FIRM- Cancelled just doesn't know it yet.

HARRY'S LAW- Another low rated show that should have been cancelled months ago. It's gone next year.

FOX

I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER- It's been pulled due to low ratings and is for all tense and purpose cancelled. The final episodes will burn off sometime this summer.

CBS

UNFORGETTABLE- Apparently it is as no watches it. Not likely to survive just like every series not on cable on Tuesday's at ten

CSI NY/ MIAMI- One or both of these long running series won't see next year with the NY spinoff most likely to get the ax.

ROB-Painfully unfunny. Gave it a few episodes but it's the typical sitcom where all the men are stupid and all the women know everything. Awful.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT- How is this show still on? This may be the year where it finally is put to rest.

CW

They should just cancel everything not called Supernatural, Vampire Diaries or America's Next Top Model and start again.

Most shocking shows not cancelled- FRINGE, COMMUNITY, GOSSIP GIRL. All are expected to be renewed. That makes me happy as I love Fringe and Community.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

GWTDT, MUPPETS AND OTHER SOLID RELEASES

Today sees the release of the excellent remake of Girl With Dragon Tatoo, the Muppets, Bionic Woman Season 3 and Nude Nuns with Big Guns, which could be my favorite title of the year. The Muppets was my favorite movie from last year and very shortly I plan on using my gift card from Walmart to go buy it. But let's review some other titles that have come out recently.

Tintin- Great animation but a poor story. It's very frantic and overstuffed with little character exposition as to who anyone is. Europeans will love the movie as they know who Tintin and his cohorts are already and need no back story but for newbies like me, I found the plot overly convoluted and had no idea who anybody was or their motivations. I'd give it a solid C for effort but found little to actually like about it.

Tower Heist- Better than just about any reviewer said it was. I just don't get all the Brett Ratner hate. Eddie Murphy was actually funny for once and Norbit style ruined all of it with the dreadful looking A Thousand Words as a follow up. What happened to this once funny genius? But in this film he's hysterical, Ben Stiller rocks as always and the supporting cast is diverse and well used. A great heist movie that is basically Ocean's 11 with the help.

The Thing- A prequel rather than another unnecessary remake, this works in stops and fits. The directing and FX are excellent. The story not so much. Huge logic problems like the alien doing things that are totally against its survivalist nature and the fact that if the danged spaceship still worked, why didn't one of the clones take off in it days ago? At least it had the ending that tied into  1982's The Thing by John Carpenter.

Paranormal Activity 3-Easily the worst of the bunch, this is yet another prequel. How about advancing the story next time or are going to watch as the two young girls are conceived in some black mass ritual? Wait that might work in a porno kind of way. Nothing happens for far too long, the back story is getting more and more muddled and you completely ignore the big fire that was supposed to have happened in the kids childhood. This which would have been much better explained as to what happened to the tapes than a break in. Pretty terrible.

GWTDT-Excellent remake of the Swedish original. Rooney Mara knocks it out the park as Lisbeth Sanders a hard feat from the Noomi Rapace performance that was so riveting. Should have been up for best picture over some of the weaker entries like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Boring. A must see even if you know the plot already.

Muppets- A must see film for young and old alike. Jason Segal is fantastic as the guy with a muppet brother who together set out to save the old muppet theater from destruction. Cameos galore, fun music and nostalgia factors make this my favorite movie from last year. Your kids will love it.