Macaque Monkeys Are, Needless to Say, Partially Involved

I love me some "Lost" and can barely contain my excitement over the season premiere this Wednesday (although it is tempered somewhat by the fact that we will only be getting six episodes before the show goes on hiatus until February. February! This is the network's answer to complaints about too many repeats being run during last year's season).

Anyway, as much as I love "Lost" I just couldn't be bothered to partake in the online "Lost Experience" game. I'm just too lazy. I figure if the show's creators think something about the show is important enough for viewers to know, then they will put that in the actual show and not in some online "game" that is really just a thinly disguised bit of product placement.

That said, I couldn't help but watch a video which was compiled from 70 short bits of video that were found on the various sites involved in the game. In it, the meaning of the numbers is revealed, kind of, and the purpose of the Dharma Initiative is explained. Sorta. Maybe I went and spoiled myself watching it, and I have to admit, it was a little disappointing. I think I'm going to pretend I never saw it and go back to just experiencing the TV show as a TV show, and not as part of something I fear will one day be described as the "'Lost' lifestyle."

But in case you feel differently, here's the video.

Love Bug

I think the Gnarls Barkley cover of the Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone" pretty much sucks since it sounds EXACTLY like the original. But I have to admit, their video for it is awesome. [via Popwatch]

San Franciscans: Keepin' It Real, Yo

This week's post about locals on reality TV is now up on SFist.

She's Crafty

Boing Boing posted about Craft magazine yesterday which is quite the coincidence since I subscribed to that very magazine the same day! How could I not? It's about crafting, and my friend Jessica's awesome knitted robots are featured on the cover of the first issue. Wow!

The Boing Boing article is about pre-ordering a copy of the first issue on Amazon, but why not just subscribe to the magazine directly? You know you want to.

Also featured on the Craft magazine site is an article writen by my friend Chrissa Banner! Cool!

So much craftiness. I wonder if people will look back at this time in history, when people were making cozies for their iPods, and knitting shoes, and think, "Wow. They sure wasted their time making weird and stupid stuff back then, didn't they?" I mean, don't we look at those Barbie doll toiler paper cozies of the '70s and think that very thing?

Luring Kids to Their Grisly Delight

I love the title of this article. [via TV Tattle]

The Lizard Whisperer

Did you catch Letterman on Tuesday night? He had a 10-year-old girl named Lilly Caphart on who hypnotizes lizards and then dresses them up in tiny clothes. It was awesome.

There's a short clip on the official site; if you go there and look on the left for the lizard in a dress, you can watch it. But whatever you do, don't click on the picture of the guy standing next to a dog, 'cause that will freak your shit out.

Is It Just Me?

I guess this trailer has been out for a few months, but I only just saw it. And I was blown away by it's sheer craptasity. Tell me it isn't just me....



(You can watch a clearer version of the trailer here.)

I don't care if the comic was the best thing since...whatever the greatest comic ever was, but this looks like it could put an end to comic book movies for some time to come.

OK, Maybe Britney Spears ISN'T the Worst Parent in the World

Brings new meaning to the words "crack baby."

Nothing Good Can Come of This

Didn't these guys see "The Descent"? [via Boing Boing]

OMGWTFBBQ!?

I guess a lot of people saw this coming, but I was totally shocked to hear that Anna Nicole's sleazy lawyer is the father of her baby.

Ick....just...ICK.

Heroes and Victims

Looks like we have some Fall TV casualties, and it shouldn't come as any surprise that they're from Fox. "Happy Hour" and "Justice" may be doomed, with "Standoff" not too far behind.

Doesn't bother me since I never bothered watching the sitcom, and the two dramas lost me after two episodes.

In other news, I liked "Heroes" last night. It wasn't great, but I was intrigued enough to keep watching; how can you not like a show that has a cheerleader pushing her bloody, broken ribs back into her own chest? Unfortunately, my hopes for Milo's death at the end of the pilot seem to be dashed as they showed him alive during the previews for next week's episode.

As I Walk Along, I Wonder What Went Wrong...

The TV premieres keep on coming! Read about tonight's here!

In other news, Firefox crashed on me and when I rebooted it the default font changed, and I can't get it back to the way it was and it's driving me crazy!

He Dance Like Usher! Yeah!

Freakgirl linked to this video last week, and I swear, I watched it least a million times this weekend. In an effort to spread it to as many people as possible, I just had to post it here.



Also, I have to agree with this comment left on YouTube:

In case people haven't noticed, I'd like to point out that there's actually two midgets in this video, and one of them has a mullet.

This elevates the video from mere "best thing on the internet" to "best thing in the entire fucking universe."

Courageous Little Shakespeare

Apparently some fans of "Meerkat Manor" (season two premieres Friday!) are up in arms about the disappearance of Shakespeare and possibilities that much of the show might not be as realistic as they thought.

Seriously? They didn't think the show was being manipulated to within an inch of its life through editing? Come on! It's quite obvious--and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. Nature shows are all about manipulation, and in this case it is extremely entertaining manipulation. Just go with it, man.

But if they kill off Shakespeare, I'm cracking skulls.

Isn't It Great When Something Great Gets Even Greater Than Great?

Apart from a rocky start wherein the people at Best Buy gave me the wrong TiVo, and I didn't notice until I had gotten it home and thus had to go back and get the right damn box, the new TiVo has been AWESOME. Setting it up was super easy, and being able to hook it up to my home network meant downloading all the programming info took about an hour instead of the three-plus it took with the old one. And being able to program two recordings at once is just...the bestest thing ever. Plus, now I've got the old TiVo in the bedroom, so on the rare occasion when I want to record three things at once, I CAN! Also pretty great is the "clipping" feature offered in Series 2 boxes. No more missing entire shows because the show before it ran long.

What I thought would be the tedious thing--reprogramming all those Season Passes on the new box, was actually kind of fun. It required writing down all of my old Passes and re-entering them by hand, but I've come to realize I like that kind of tedious work.

So far the only complaint I have is the fact that TiVo doesn't offer TiVo-To-Go features for Macs. What's up with that crap? And is there any kind of hack out there to get around that fact?

I've Really Gone and Done It Now!

I think last night is what sealed the deal. I had to watch and take notes about "Survivor" (for my "local reality" post) at 8pm, while at the same time taping "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" (with a VCR--like an ANIMAL!) in the other room. And next week "Ugly Betty" joins the Thursday at 8pm line-up! At 9pm, I watched "CSI" because I knew "Grey's Anatomy" would be repeated tonight at 8pm. But then I forgot to set the VCR for "ER" because I was watching "Six Degrees" and ended up missing the first 15 minutes of the show. (About "Six Degrees": it's gotten a lot of bad press, but I actually liked it. It was slow, yes, and not about a huge mystery or disaster that connects the show's six people, but instead about how, indeed, very chance meetings can end up changing your life dramatically. I'm hooked in. Which means it'll be cancelled in about three weeks.)

Anyway, it was all just too much to remember, and the last thing I need is for my TV viewing to become complicated.

So I ordered a new 80 hour, dual tuner TiVo! I should be getting it tomorrow. That means I can move the old TiVo into the bedroom, and I'll ultimately be able to record THREE SHOWS AT THE SAME TIME!

I am never going to leave my house again!

I imagine this weekend is going to be filled with much cord wrangling and banging of my head against the wall as I try to configure everything, but hopefully it will all be worth it.

As God is my witness, I WILL NEVER MISS A SHOW AGAIN!

Locals Keeping It Real

I've got ANOTHER post up on SFist! This one's about how the locals are fairing on several reality shows this week. It will (hopefully) be a weekly column.

Man, it's been a busy week. When I wasn't working I was either dealing with a migraine, watching TV pilots, or writing about them. I need a break!!

Scarlet Billows Start to Spread

Today's SFist post, in which I review "Shark," is now up!

*Phew*

That's the last new series review for this week. But I will have another SFist post up tomorrow about how the locals are fairing in reality TV. Stay tuned!

One of These Shows Is Not Like the Other

OK....Maybe I can muster one more little post.

I didn't get to see the pilot of NBC's"Kidnapped," (not to be confused with the sucky Fox series "Vanished") but from the previews I've seen and the cast involved (Jeremy Sisto-- creepy "Billy" from "Six Feet Under"--Dana Delaney, and Timothy Hutton) I'd say it's certainly worth watching. I suppose you could think of the show as an episode of "Without a Trace" spread out over an entire season--and let's hope NBC doesn't screw up the linearity of the plot by slipping rerun after rerun in the show's schedule.

Anyway, it premieres at 10pm. (Don't worry. Tonight's episode of "Project Runway" is a rerun.)

Nuclear Annihilation: That's Entertainment!

I'm battling a headache, so I think this SFist post, written last night when my head was clearer, may be all I have to offer today.

Raccoons: Cute, or Evil?

Well, it depends. One evening a few years ago I was sitting by the Sutro Baths when a gang of raccoons came out to sniff the garbage. That was cute. But when one of them came charging in my direction, pure evil in its eyes, well, that was terrifying. The way they walk? Is creepy. And the black fur around their eyes? Of course that makes them look unlawful.

But they can also be cute, as is demonstrated by this video taken in front of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.

Mr. and...Well, Just Mr. Smith

Today's SFist post is now up!

Let the Fall TV Season Beeeeegin

Today's SFist column is now up!

Like I mentioned last week I am hoping to get some more actual reviews of new series premieres up this week, and being that I just got a big bag of DVDs from CBS today, it's looking like I actually will. It's just a matter of finding the time to watch the dang shows!

I Didn't Catch Any Fish

Bridge and Half Dome
Originally uploaded by Rain Rain Rain.

Probably because I didn't actually go fishing. I DID go to Yosemite, though, and I have the pictures to prove it. Check them out here.

I had a great time. It was fun being outside of the city with family and I'm glad I was able to do something at least a little summery before Fall officially begins.

But now it's back to the dreary grind of normal life. Feh. Feh I say!

Gone Fishin'

I'm off to Yosemite for the weekend. See you next Monday!

So Wrong

And yet, so right.

Help Me! Somebody, Help Me!

God, I love YouTube.

I laughed and laughed and watched this bit on "The Daily Show" last night over and over. And now you can, too!



(In case you haven't seen the original Geico commercial, it's here.)

But Awesome

Tonight's the "Big Brother" finale, and once again, two horrible people are up for the big prize. It sucks. I may just have to watch this TVGasm compilation over and over again instead.

She Used to Have a Carefree Mind of Her Own, And a Devilish Look In Her Eye

So I'm nearing the final disc of "Veronica Mars" season two, and I have to say, I don't think I like it. I got a kick out of the first season, and enjoyed it a lot, (although I didn't fall as madly in love with it as so many others did). But the second season just never really hooked me.

(Some spoilers ahead.)

I think having one central mystery, much of which centered around Veronica herself, was the main strength of the first season. But the second season has way too much going on: the bus crash; the lovechild; Logan's guilt or innocence; the guilt or innocence of the New Girl's dad; the Irish mafia; Cordelia half-naked whenever she's on screen; and countless other mini-mysteries than seem to kind of disappear for episodes at a time. It's just too much, and I found myself being unable to keep up with it all--and I was watching episodes back-to-back! I can't imagine what it would have been like watching it weekly, with re-runs thrown in to boot.

It's a disappointment, and makes me less excited for the third season. Maybe it will all come together wonderfully in the final episodes, but at this point, even if it did, I would still have to call the second season a huge let-down.

A New Week, and Some of the Same Old Shows

This week's SFist post is now up. I'm hoping to have daily posts up next week as the new Fall season really gets rolling. But for now, it's a weekly rundown...

Wow.

Wood? Or Silverware?

I suppose I should say something about 9/11. Everyone else is.

But the thing is, I've not much to say. I do find myself angrier about the whole thing now than I was five years ago; angrier at the assholes who did it, and angrier at our country's asshole response. I'm also angry that I don't feel even a little bit safer than I did on September 12th, 2001. Also--and this kind of sends chills through me--when it happened, we had no idea how bad that day was going to get. People rushed into those buildings to help, and countless lives were saved because of that. But if it were to happen again, with all we know now, would help be so quick to respond? And really, could you blame anyone for hesitating?

On Friday I kind of got swept up into reading conspiracy theories which I, for the most part, think are a bunch of hooey. Then I went home and watched "United 93," (a movie I can't really recommend unless all you want from a movie-watching experience is to come out of it completely emotionally drained, with no real sense of catharsis or enlightenment). Then on Sunday I watched part of "9/11," along with "60 Minutes"'s coverage.

Needless to say, I think I've had my fill for a while.

But what I wouldn't give to go back to that morning--when I was sleeping in late because I was working at home, only to be woken up by a phone call from a friend telling me that the country was being attacked and the World Trade Centers were gone--and have that friend say, "Ha ha! Just kidding!"

...and to have that be true.

The First Cut Is the Deepest...Except When It's Not

So, I've made my first deletions from my TiVo for this Fall TV season. Unsurprisingly, both were on Fox.

The first was "Justice." Despite the presence of Victor Garber, AKA Sydney's dad, it just didn't rise above your standard legal procedural drama, and I just don't have any room in my life for another damned procedural drama, (which means "Shark" is going to have to be AWESOME to keep me watching, because James Woods isn't nearly enough). The only bit of the show that was halfway unique was the "what really happened" bit at the end of each episode. But really, ultimately, all you need bother watching is the verdict in that week's case and then the big reveal, and save yourself about 55 minutes.

The other show is "Standoff" which I decided to give up on after only one episode. Again, the mere presence of an actor who I normally like--in this case Ron Livingston--just wasn't enough. The show's premise, that two crisis negotiators are also sleeping with each other, seems slight, and it wasn't helped by the fact that Livingston and his female costar, Rosemarie DeWitt , have no chemistry. Now, if they had paired him up with Gina Torres, who instead plays his boss, THEN you'd have an interesting show. But, alas, all I can say to Mr. Livingston is, "I'm sorry, I can't. Don't hate me."

Columbus Day Is Better Than Christmas!

Don't forget: The 18th (!) season of "The Simpsons" premieres on Sunday at 8pm, and some of the "Sopranos" will be making guest appearances.

Also, I don't think I need to once again go into what a great documentary "9/11" is, but I do want to point out that an "updated" version will be airing Sunday at 8pm on CBS.

A Lead Role In a Cage

Well, my hopes for Storm Large NOT winning "Rock Star: Supernova" came true last night as she was booted.

Yay!

I think she knew it was coming, and I think the guys in the band knew it was coming, too. And she couldn't have had a better send off. They couldn't praise her enough as they bid her farewell (even volunteering to back her, which pretty much confirms that they know she's a star, not a generic frontwoman for a "supergroup"), and she took it all very well.

Most importantly, she was also able to end her stint on the show with a great cover of "Wish You Were Here," which she dedicated to her mother (who had a history of mental illness, and died last year). And let me tell you, Jason Newsted wasn't the only one wiping tears away...

What the What Is What the Fuck

I take it back. I don't want Storm Large to win "Rock Star: Supernova." Not because I don't think she's awesome--I maintain that she is--but because I think she deserves better than having to tour with that crappy band. I want her to take the fame she's garnered from this show and finally make it big on her own. And then I want her to come back and play some shows in San Francisco.

Really, she would just overpower that band, and no one would pay attention to the losers playing the instruments, and you know that's not what those guys want. They want someone kinda boring, lest they have to begin touring as "Storm and Supernova."

I also have a feeling she won't win because she's so pretty. I mean, she really is stunningly beautiful; she looks more like a Playboy model than a rock singer, (particularly this one), and I think some will hold that against her. Me, I think that's part of what makes her so amazing. I think if she had wanted to rely on her looks to propel her career, she easily could have, but she's been playing around for over ten years, and how many people had even heard of her before "Rock Star"?

Anyway, regarding last night's show, I didn't think her version of "Suffragette City" was that great, but I did like her original number, which was pure Storm. Of course, the actual song is not called "What the What is Ladylike," but "What the Fuck is Ladylike." Below is a crappy concert video shot a few years ago of her performing the original lyrics to the song; above is the "Rock Star" performance of the same song.

I Called It!

Last month I wrote that one possible reason TomKat hadn't revealed any photos of baby Suri is because there was a mix-up at the sperm bank, and the baby is actually Asian.

Well, what do you think?

Frackers

SciFi.com is premiering "Battlestar Gallactica" "webisodes" every Tuesday and Thursday until the premiere of season three on October 6th. Watch the first one now.

It's only about 3 minutes long, but it managed to get me all excited about the new season. I don't think I've quite gotten over that season two finale...

Because TV Is All About ME

I've got a short post up on SFist about MyNetwork TV. If you're looking for crappy nightime soaps, then this new network was tailor-made for you!

Crikey!

So far, TVGasm's photo and caption is my favorite "Hey! Did you hear the Crocodile Hunter got killed?" post yet.