TV is over for now...

[wednes]

I daresay that the season "finale" of Sopranos was a big nothing. I have the impression that they are pretty desperate to shuffle people into where they need them for this thing to end. In case you haven't been keeping up, there are 8 more episodes in January, and that is the end. Everyone is fucking up and everything is pretty tenuous. Although the joke where AJ didn't know who Jesse Ventura is and then "remembered" that he's some kind of politician--hilarious!

Contrarily, the season finale of Big Love was incredibly moving, wonderful, and made me weep like a well...like myself since I'm a bit of a weeper when I watch quality stuff. I know I mention how great Bill Paxton is all the time, and this show is the second best thing he's ever done (watch Frailty if you don't believe me).

Tomorrow I'm making H and I a nice meal and then we'll probably watch a movie of some kind. Tuesday we're going to see The Omen and have horrible fried movie food. I predict that the movie will not be great, but will be fun and have some great performances and cool visuals.
I don't really understand why people say things like "remakes ruin such awesome films" as if doing a new version of a film detracts from the original in any way. I daresay flaccid, derrivative approximations hurt films more than outright remakes. Look at all the clones of movies like Halloween...they lessen the whole slasher genre and make people think that there are no truly compelling babysitter killers. And that, my friends, is simply not true.
Usually, a remake will not be as good as an original. The original is probably a classic, which is why they are even bothering to remake it in the first place. Kids don't watch old movies, but they'll pay to watch new ones. So give the kids what they want, and let the grown ups add the originals to thier netfix que. And let us not forget, that every so often, a remake comes along that blows people out of the water.

Comments

[eroslane.livejournal.com]

ErosLane/CineHell Phun Phact!!!

I have an employee crying constantly about not getting enough hours. So we've been giving him more hours. Except he gave someone else his shift tonight so he could watch the ender of SOPRANOS.

In disbelief, I looked at him and said, "Do you not own a vcr or a TIVO?"

His answer, "Yes, I do."

In further disbelief, I looked at him and said, "Is it functional? Do you know how to program it? Do you have blank tapes available?"

His answer, "Yeah, 'sall good. I just want to watch it when everyone else does."

::headdesk::
::headdesk::
::headdesk::

I sauntered back upstairs and cut three of his five shifts for next week. Now he can stay at home and watch all the GILIGAN'S ISLAND reruns when everyone else does too.

Lesson Learned By Mgmt: no good deed goes unpunished by rampant stupidity on the part of the employees!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Well, if he's an internet guy, he may be trying not to get spoiled. Myself, I tend to have people over for big TV nights.

Then again, I don't have a job.

[uterdic.livejournal.com]

Yeah well, I don't work late on Wednesday or Sunday nights though I am asked constantly because of TV nights. Wednes and I have been doing those two nights of TV for 5 years now, and it's as simple as that. Some don't go to work on Sundays because of Church. This is my ritual and I woudn't change it.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I think the irony comes in where the kid is begging for more hours and then switches out for TV.

But skipping TV for church? Well, that's just silly.
God wouldn't have invented TV if he didn't want us to enjoy it.

[pyrafire.livejournal.com]

Ditto on your assessment of last night's HBO. The last ep of the Sopranos was not only a big nothing in terms of plot, but it was also extremely choppy and directed as though a four year old had taken the reins(or perhaps an 'artistic' film student of some kind).

Big Love, however, was fantastic. I adore the cast. They're so incredibly talented.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I am consistently impressed with HBO's original programming. Their movies are always good, if not always to my taste. In fact, some of their stuff is too violent and disturbing for me (which is saying a LOT). Oz, for example, I had to stop watching by the end of the first season...it was just too much.

But yes...Big Love is awesome, just the thing I needed while waiting for new episodes of ROME.

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

The truth is, I was disappointed. I didn't want to be disappointed. It wasn't bad TV per se.. It wasn't even bad Sopranos exactly, but it really SEEMS like a middle of the season episode. I think this 12 + 8 setup is a mistake and its hurting the show. I mean I try not to be an action whore as far as TV shows go but this one somehow just was annoying to me.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I'm sure David Chase has something up his sleeve that's gonna make this all worthwhile. But between now and January, he can kiss my ass.

It's not just about not having any action or no one getting killed. The story didn't really move forward, and they kept setting us up for things that just fizzled out.

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

Well, I can understand it if he is trying to set us up emotionally that way. To give us a sense of impending doom only to take it away. Its not that its bad to do that, its just bad to do it when we have to wait 7 months for the next bit.

[purplecat-a2.livejournal.com]

After you mentioned "Big Love" last Sunday, I went back and watched them on "On Demand". The series was great, and I can't wait until next season. Thanks for reminding me about it.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

When I first heard they were going to do a show about polygamy, I expected it to be really one sided and depressing. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was...which is cool because I LOVE Bill Paxton.

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

My argument against remakes is just this.. I detest movies that are made in other coutries that are remade in America simply to avoid some kind of Language or Culture barrier. Vanilla Sky vs. "Open Your Eyes" for example. Of course, my argument is basically moot considering how many versions of say.. The King Arthur Myth there are. So nothing is going to stop remakes/retells/reversions/reboots/retcons

[wednes.livejournal.com]

American audiences just expect more from their films. By "more' I don't mean 'better' but rather...they need things spelled out. they need the music to help them know what's happening or what's about to happen, and they need people who they can relate too culturally. That's why only educated people enjoy foreign films in the first place (is that snobby? I don't mean it to be snobby).

When I first saw Audition, I had to watch the very end twice because the music didn't remind me to pay attention (i was high). You never have that issue with hollywood films.

Then again, we were the only country in the world that edited Kubricks last film. According to the MPAA, Americans hate penises. ;-}

[euclideanspace.livejournal.com]

and they must have a happy ending...

[wednes.livejournal.com]

LOL

Not always, but as a rule, Americans want closure, which usually means a happy ending. This doesn't apply to horror though, in fact, the only zombie* movie that has a hopeful ending is not American, it's 28 Days Later.


*I realize there is some debate on whether or not this is technically a zombie movie, but even thought the people are not reanimated corpses, the zombie formula is readily apparent.