Monthly Archives: August 2010
“Mockingjay” Disappoints
If you have already read the first two books in the The Hunger Games trilogy, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, you will still want to read Mockingjay to get answers to all of your questions. But don’t expect to love the book. Mockingjay is no The Hunger Games.
[Spoilers Below]
Rubicon – “Look to the Ant”
Look to the ant, thou sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,
 which, having no guide, overseer or ruler,
 provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest.
-Proverbs 6 Read the rest of this entry
Rubicon
There died a myriad
And of the best, among them,
For an old bitch gone in the teeth,
For a botched civilisation.
                    -Ezra Pound
AMC appears to have scored another hit with its new series Rubicon. If you haven’t been watching, it might be a good idea to start now and avoid having too far to catch up. This show is similar to Mad Men in one way: it moves at a languid pace.  Some have complained that the pace is too slow and is making the show dull. But for those who like puzzling out the intricate webs of this story as it spins its twisty way through intrigue and murder in the intelligence community, nothing could be more engrossing.  The pacing of this show is deceptive because it can lull you into thinking that not much is happening, but the beauty of the show is in the details and the small clues, which are actually revealed in quite rapid fire fashion. Read the rest of this entry
New Music: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Arcade Fire is one of those bands that you have to see live to truly appreciate. There is an enormous number of people on stage during their performances and those people are doing things that are often not immediately recognizable as music. They play instruments like the Hurdy Gurdy. They bang on random stuff. They make long wandering trips into the audience. Read the rest of this entry
Song trivia: Don’t You Forget About Me
I recently emailed a group of various friends and asked them to send me a song from a movie soundtrack. I was surpised that no one sent me this song.
It’s only one of the most recognizable pop songs connected to a movie. It was Simple Mind’s biggest hit in the U.S. In fact I bet a lot of people would be hard-pressed to name any other songs they did. I wouldn’t be surprised if the band hates it, though. They didn’t write it.
Read the rest of this entry
SYTYCD – Finale
Ok, so who’s going to win? A lot of great dances happened last night and some interesting revelations along with some interminable and sappy blather from the judges. Here’s my rundown, followed by my prediction: Read the rest of this entry
The Other Shows
OK, we’ve not done an “other shows” for a while. I have to admit that USA has been pushing out the shows of late. They’re all of about the same quality. Good, but not necessarily great. Still, they are often better than what’s on the main networks.
Royal Pains started last year and I gave up on it after a few episodes. Covert Affairs I have been watching. It’s a “bit” more realistic than the typical spy show (i.e. Burn Notice) but still hasn’t quite found it’s vibe. (The way that say FX’s Justified found it quickly) I’m still watching but I’m not committed. Most of these shows really depend upon good guest actors who manage good chemistry with the leads. When it works, it really works. When it doesn’t you start really noticing all the imperfections in the show.
Lance Armstrong: A Bright Shining Lie?
As federal agents prepare a grand jury case against Lance Armstrong (a dubious undertaking, from a legal standpoint, on many levels) several questions must be asked. The outcome of the investigation may lead to the downfall of one of the greatest sports stories (and athletes) in the history of the world, or it could lead to the complete exoneration of a legend who will then deserve an enormous apology from his many doubters. More likely, it will lead to some sort of messy place in between those two things. Wherever it leads, it will cost an enormous amount of money and time and will be unlikely to change much about sports, cycling or improve the public perception of either. With all that in mind, Andrew Corsello may be on the right track when he pleads with Lance to just stick to his story, regardless of the actual facts. Read the rest of this entry
Lost: The Unanswered Questions?
And you thought you were done with Lost posts…
So Aint It Cool News is reporting that the Lost sequel that is on the finale DVDs answers a lot of questions.
(Spoilers ahoy) Read the rest of this entry
SYTYCD Top 4
http://www.hulu.com/embed/AnKmjhumPEb4coCNct2Xhw
I finally got caught up on past episodes (last week’s performance above) and watched the Top 4 as it was broadcast. I really thought this was going to be the finale, but I guess we still have another week. I’m not sure why we have a finale with 3 people when last season the finale had 6 (I guess because we have the all-star format), but to me it seems like the finals should have at least 4 contestants. Read the rest of this entry
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