November Round-Up

Unsurprisingly, Christmas this month has taken priority over much in my life, including this blog, and my monthly round-ups. But I've got two days left, so here goes. November. Remember November? With the food? Yum.

Movies Seen: Eleven, with one a theater. That one was "No Country for Old Men," which was probably the best movie I saw that month. Unfortunately I had recently read the book, so the film was completely devoid of any real suspense, which I am suspecting is one of the film's best aspects. It's also a lot like some other Coen brothers movie, most notably "Fargo," with a little bit of "Raising Arizona" thrown in. (Was I the only one who kept waiting for Chigurh to ask that store clerk if he had any balloons that turn into funny shapes?)

As for bad movies, I'd have to say the "Hairspray" musical annoyed me the most. It was completely unnecessary. And the worst part of all--aside from all the embarrassingly earnest race relations stuff--was they didn't let the fat girl kiss the cute boy until the final scene in the movie. Those who know the original know that Tracy and Link were all over each other through most of the film. After seeing the remake I immediately put the original in my Netflix queue so I could get erase the memory of the remake from my mind.

Books Read: Only one, and it was appropriately called "How To Be Idle."

Fancy Dinners Out: Aside from Thanksgiving, which should totally count, three. First was at Luella, which was good, although the steak I got came with a much too sweet sauce. I have a thing about my savory dinners including sweetness. Don't like it. The second was at RNM, which is just a stupid name for a restaurant. How can you remember that? The food was good though. I opted for fish, which is good since at the third place I went, The Brazen Head, I opted for red meat again. How could I resist some excellent prime rib?

Live Shows Seen: None

Shoes Bought: None.

Coming soon: December!

I'm Already Counting Down the Days 'Til Next Christmas

Christmas is over. Kinda sad, isn't it?

I had a great holiday, and am living in a post-Christmas haze at the moment. I can't seem to get back into the usual, every day routine when there's another holiday a few days away. So, until January 2nd, I am going to just do everything half-assed. Like this here blog post.

You can see all my Christmas photos here. (Or on my new IPOD TOUCH!)

Here's another video of a pet finding a Christmas present, in this case my parents' dog, Dimey. He loves Christmas.

Twas the Day of the Night Before Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody! I've got a cake in the oven (and I don't mean that in any other sense than I really do have an actual CAKE in an actual OVEN) and I will follow that with the preparation of my 40 dollar crab dip (I find people enjoy it more when they know how bleedin' much it costs to make) and then I will be off to the parents' to eat and make merry with the familia.

Hope everyone has a tremendous Christmas. Here's a thrilling video of my cat discovering her present under the tree. 'Tis my present to you.

Festivus Yes! Bagels No.

Yesterday, as I was raining blows upon people who were trying to grab the 60% off wrapping paper I had my eye on at Macy's, I remembered that Festivus was a mere day away. Which is to say, today is Festivus! Who's up for some Feats of Strength?

Once again, whoever programs the various "Seinfeld" re-run schedules has neglected to air the Festivus episode ("The Strike") today, so here's a best of compilation from the show.

Yule Love It

Pardon the lack of blogging, but I am officially on Christmas vacation. Have been since yesterday. Doesn't mean I haven't been doing anything, though, as I spent the whole day yesterday Christmas shopping, and will spend most of today doing the same. Why is shopping so insanely exhausting? After about an hour of it I feel like I'm on a Bataan death march, completely brain dead with a glazed look on my face. At first I thought I was just imagining that, but I ran into a friend at the Westfield Mall yesterday and the first thing he said to me was, "You look kind of dazed."

But it's worth it. It's tiring and soul crushing at times, but it's worth it come Christmas. I really believe that. Some criticize the commercialism of Christmas, and I get that, but I really like being able to pick out things for the people I care about and gather around at Christmas watching them open up little wrapped packages of love. I really do.

Speaking of Christmas, for those of you who aren't blessed with a fireplace, channel 36 (cable channel 6) will be running the annual "Holiday Log" on Christmas morning from 9am to noon. Although starting it at 9am seems kind of lame. Don't most kids wake up at the crack of dawn to run to the Christmas tree and see what Santa brung 'em? Or is that just me?

For those who don't have a fireplace OR a TV, I sure hope you've asked Santa to bring you at least one of those, but here's a video of a fireplace you can just run over and over in case he doesn't.

I Wonder If It Snows In San Fauxcisco?

This week's (well, really, last week's) San Fauxcisco post is now up on the SFGate Culture Blog!

French Whores and French Maids

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

Warning: Christmas miracle ahead!

If He Was Alive Now, Making This Now, He Would Make It Now, As If He Made It Back Then

I guess I can't fault Martin Scorsese for cashing in on some commercial opportunities; he's past retirement age, and he's got a young child to feed.

Here's another short film/long commercial by Scorsese, this one for Freixenet champagne, in which he does his take on a Hitchcock scene. YouTube clip below, or for a better version, click here...

I Wanna Do What I Wanna Do!

Tonight is the first of two chances to see "It's a Wonderful Life" this Christmastime, since NBC now owns the movie and is the only station that runs it. It's on at 8 tonight and again at 8 on Christmas Eve.

It isn't Christmas until I've sobbed my eyes out about five different times while watching this movie. Especially during this scene.

Christmas Evil

I helped my parents trim their tree this evening, which was as fun as always, and wanted to share this photo of one of the best Christmas tree ornaments ever. It was created by Roger L. Jackson, an awesome voice actor who used to work with my father. I guess my dad told him about a nightmare I had had as a child wherein I woke up and insisted there were little clowns under the bed with knives. Yikes! Scary, but it inspired this awesome ornament, so I guess the childhood terror was worth it. Click on the photo for a larger, even more terrifying view.

It looks like the tip of the clown's knife has broken off; perhaps during one of the his nocturnal adventures off the Christmas tree?

Beige Is NOT the New Black

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

Warning: Bitter disappointment ahead.

A Blur

High Angle with Flash
Originally uploaded by Rain Rain Rain

This weekend I boxed food for the PAWS food bank and delivered Christmas stockings to their clients; celebrated my mom's birthday by driving down the coast to a Christmas tree farm that yielded no trees which meant we bought our trees at the usual Delancey Street lot in the city; decorated my tree, which included the always tedious task of stringing up about 600+ lights; and wrote the final paper for my class. I am completely beat. But it's all worth it because my apartment is awash with the smell of pine and the glow of candy colored lights.

Now all I have to do is some actual Christmas shopping; my requisite weekly blog posts for other sites; help my parents decorate their tree; write all my Christmas cards; and study for my final exam!

Is it Christmas yet?

May Your Christmas Be Animated

I prefer my animated Christmas specials to be of the puppetoon variety, but every now and then a dose of "Frosty the Snowman" does me good. It's on CBS tonight at 8pm.



Thankfully, the ABC Family channel is there to satisfy all my puppetoon needs this Christmas. You can see their full schedule here. Tonight they're running "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" at 7pm.

You Know What? Perhaps Staying Gold Is Just Not For You

Remember Brian Atene, the "Good day Mr. Kubrick" guy? Of course you do. Well, he's posted a new video on YouTube, and it's....awful.

I have no idea what he's trying to achieve here, but maybe that's because I was only able to sit through about half of it. Does he actually think he's funny? Did he realize it's been over a year since his rise to Internet fame, and thought putting up something, no matter how bad, would help prolong his 15 minutes? And is he totally naked in it, or just shirtless?

Oh, Good Gods

On today's episode of "The View," (yes, I watch "The View." So suck it!) Sherri "I Don't Know If the World Is Flat" Shepherd insisted that the Christians predated the Greek philosophers. I think she's under the impression Jesus existed before ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

Here's the clip:



Look. I know she's an idiot (she's also said she doesn't believe in evolution, and would never teach that to her child, and again, that whole earth is flat thing) but I don't understand why these other women on "The View" don't just take her away on a nice long weekend, and try to re-educate her on some of the basic facts of history. This isn't a matter of religion. It's a matter of education. Tell the damn girl what "B.C." means!

I Still Think He's Cuuuuude!

The classic Rankin-Bass "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is airing tonight on CBS at 8pm. Christmastime can officially begin!

Much has been written and said about how big of a douchebag Santa is in the movie, but this video from Camp Jinx is one of the funnier bits I've seen.

They Put Their Sleeves On One Leg at a Time, Just Like Us

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

Warning: David Beckham bashing ahead!

He Didn't Come Anywhere Near My Tabloids

One of my favorite Christmas movies is not really considered a Christmas movie at all. It's "The Thin Man," and yes, it does, indeed, take place during Christmas. It's on TCM today at 3pm.

Here are some of the movie's funniest moments, (to be viewed only by those who have already seen the movie, of course!)

October Round-Up

OK. This is the last day to get this up before December--which in itself is completely freaking terrifying. December? You mean to tell me another year of my life is almost over? And I am that much closer to 40?

But there's Christmas coming up too, so all is well. Except for the fact that OH MY GOD IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS AND I HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO SHOP!

Ahhh. October...things were so much simpler then.

Movies Seen: Twelve, with two in theaters. One of those two was "The Darjeeling Limited," which I liked a lot. As far as Wes Anderson movies go, I'd put it above "The Life Aquatic," but below "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." Not sure where "Bottle Rocket" fits in...The other, "A Skin Too Few," hardly counts as a movie, as it was quite short, and several years old, and can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube. But I wrote a brief review of it, if you want to read it. As for the movies on DVD, I think I most enjoyed "Crazy Love" which is a completely entertaining documentary about the most fucked up romance in the history of fucked up romances.

Books Read: Four. I went on a classic horror lit kick--if two books can be called a "kick"--reading both "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "Psycho" for the first time. I think the version of "Body Snatchers" I read was a revised edition, because it took place in 1976, and was set in Mill Valley and not "Santa Mira." Why they felt the need to revise it, I have no idea. The other books were “Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style”--Tim Gunn would have a heart attack if he took a look inside my closets--and "Lost and Found," which should be read by any fan of "The Amazing Race."

Fancy Dinners Out: Sadly, none.

Live Shows Seen: None. Although I did go to the race track. Went in with 60 bucks. Bet on two races, bought two drinks, two hot dogs, and left with 62 bucks. Not bad. Even if the hot dogs were only a buck each. And I had to wait in line 45 minutes to get them.

Shoes Bought: None. Jeeze. What the hell did I waste my time doing in October anyway?!

Coming Soon to the Circle Star Theater

This week's Streets of San Fauxcisco post is now up on the SFGate: Culture Blog!

There won't be a post next week because the shows aren't airing Friday or Monday. In the case of "Journeyman," it's possible the next episode may be its definitive last (as opposed to just the last episode they've got in the can) because it hasn't officially been picked up for a full season yet. I'm hoping it does get renewed; as silly as it is, I've still been enjoying it more than most of the new shows that premiered this year...

I've Called This Meeting to Discuss What Happened Last Night at Kenneth's Party

I was just granted beta access to yet another online video site, called Hulu. It's got Fox and NBC programs, and that's about it for now, but I wanted to test out its embedding feature, which allows you to create your own clips from episodes to embed. Here's one of my favorite moments from "30 Rock" this season.



It looks like the whole episode is actually up there, it just jumps to the part I specified when you play it. But I think you can then jump around the whole episode or watch the whole thing by going back on the time bar. Which, is cool. I guess.

Toasty!

I watched "Battlestar Galactica: Razor" and really don't have much to say about it, but I just had to comment on the Quizno's spots that ran before the commercials. After something important plot-wise was revealed in the movie, they'd recap it in commercial form, and this one was just too, too funny.

I suppose it's a spoiler, so if you haven't watched the movie yet, you've been warned....

He Himself--the Grinch!--Carved the Roast Beast

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is on at 8:30 tonight on ABC, preceded by a new "Shrek" Christmas special, if you like that sort of thing.

"The Grinch" tends to be repeated a lot during the Holiday season, so if you miss it tonight, I'm sure there will be other opportunities...

Or you could just watch it all right here!

I Never Thought It Was Such a Bad Little Tree

Let the Christmas TV season begin! "A Charlie Brown Christmas" airs tonight at 8pm on ABC.

(And for those who don't believe the Christmas season begins until December, it will be repeated next Monday the 3rd at 8.)

Fashion From the Basement

This week's reality TV locals/"Project Runway" recap is now up on SFist!

Warning: fabric imbibed with spit and essence ahead.

Dog Show!....Dog Show!.....Dog Show!

Dimey watching the traditional Thanksgiving Dog Show.



I tend to react the same way whenever I'm watching "America's Next Top Model."

It's (Almost) Turkey Lurkey Time!

Oh boy! I can almost taste the stuffin' 'n' gravy! I can hardly wait! In honor of the holiday, here's a song that's really more about Christmas, but they sing about turkey, so what the hell. It's extremely catchy. I dare you not to not sing it the rest of the day after listening to it. It was originally in the Burt Bacharach, Neil Simon musical "Promises, Promises," but this version is from the movie "Camp," which is a really good little indie movie about a summer camp for theater geeks.



I hope every one has a terrific Thanksgiving! If everything goes as planned, I should end up like this come Thursday night.

Popcorn, Jelly Beans, Pretzels, and Toast

Turkey TV alert! "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is on tonight at 8pm on ABC!

What About That Poor, Sad, Lonely Rose?

Can I just say that I LOVED the finale for "The Bachelor." Finally, a guy had the guts to admit he didn't love either of those women, instead of faking it for the finale, and then for a few months, before breaking up with the chick like all those past bachelors have done.

Bravo Chad, or Brad, or whatever the hell your name is. Bravo!

Fabric Poo

The week's reality TV locals post is now up on SFist, and it's totally "Project Runway"-centric, which is a welcome relief from the likes of "The Bachelor," believe you me.

State of TV: In Conclusion

So, there you have. My TV watching habits in several nutshells. Of course, what I talked about are not the only shows I watch. I chose to focus on the major networks, but there's a ton of crap on cable I also manage to consume every week including such gems as "I Love New York 2," "America's Most Smartest Model" and "The Real World," to name just three.

I think the main point I wanted to make about this TV season is that none of it is very exciting to me. There are only one or two shows I genuinely look forward to watching every week, and many more that I could see end forever and not care a bit. As much as "Lost" was pissing me off last season, I'm finding I'm really missing it this season. Even when it bugged me, it was a show I cared about, and that's lacking this year. The writer's strike means I may have to wait even longer to see the new season start up. The same thing might happen with "Battlestar Galactica," but at least there's that "Razor" movie to look forward to on November 24th. This coming weekend! Set those TiVos! And if you've never watched "Battlestar Galactica" before, I think it's safe to watch this since it's a prequel. So no excuses! Watch it! It's bound to be better than most of the crap the networks have been feeding us this year...

State of TV: Fridays

Fridays. A relatively calm night for TV.

At 8:00 there's "Men in Trees," which continues to be an extremely guilty pleasure, which is strange because I was never a fan of "Northern Exposure" and it's basically the same show. I suppose it's the "Sex and the City" influence that keeps me watching.

Also at 8 is "The Next Great American Band," which I don't think anyone else is actually watching. It's "American Idol" but in band form, and while some of the bands suck, it is nice to finally see a talent-based show where the performers actually play their own instruments and songs. Don't get me wrong. They're still required to play through "Billy Joel Night" and "Elton John Night," but at least they're allowed to do their own arrangements of the covers. So far my fave is Tres Bien, which, despite the stupid name, is a fun band full of young guys totally enamored with 60s pop.



I also like the Clark Brothers from Tennessee. I don't think any of these bands are poised to take America by storm, but I'm still finding it as entertaining as "American Idol," if not more, although the judges leave a lot to be desired.

At 9 there's "Women's Murder Club" which I really only watch because I have to for my Streets of San Fauxcisco posts. It's a dumb show. Really dumb. And like many a dumb show, it's very, very easy to watch; your basic crime procedureal with female bonding thrown into the mix.

And that's it really. "Meerkat Manor" has gone into reruns, thank god, because I couldn't take any more of the heartbreak that show was throwing at me. I didn't think they could top the death of Flower as far as pathos goes, but then Mozart, the sad outcast who was trying to make it on her own up and gets killed while all by herself one sad night--after a day in which she was able to finally partner up with a potential mate. *SOB*!

State of TV: Thursdays

Lordy. Thursday is another ridiculously crowded night of television. To wit:

At 8 there's "Ugly Betty," which I continue to watch with much indifference. In fact, I just realized I haven't watched last week's episode yet, and that's not a good sign. "Survivor: China" has the problem I knew it would have the minute the location was announced: the show's not nearly as watchable when it's not set on a deserted island surrounded by clear blue water. A camp next to a dingy lake in China just isn't quite as picturesque, so there's nothing to distract from the annoying castaways. Lastly there's "My Name Is Earl," which I continue to watch to just to hear lines like, "The only reason I haven't cut this baby out myself is because the Cesarean scar and my prom scar would make a weird little crucifix right above my landing strip!" come out of the mouth of Jamie Pressley.

At 8:30 is probably the only show this season I eagerly look forward to week after week, and the only show I will be truly sad to see go on hiatus because of the writer's strike. I am speaking, of course, of "30 Rock." If you aren't watching this show I just don't know what's wrong with you, but perhaps this clip can help persuade you to give it a go. I think it will be hard to top that moment this season, although the aftermath of Kenneth's party last week came damn close.

Which brings us to 9:00 and "Grey's Anatomy." I find it hard to talk about this show without filling with rage at the whole Gizzie fiasco. I just hate that they put Callie through such hell just to have that stupid George and Izzie relationship crash and burn. But I probably feel that way because I think the actress who plays Callie, Sara Ramirez, is fracking awesome. Have you seen any of her songs from "Spamalot"? Wow.



I can't wait until "Grey's" starts to tank in the ratings and they do a musical episode, so Sara Ramirez can just blow all those whiny twits out of the hospital.

Also at 9 is "CSI," but there's not much to say about that. It's the same as it ever was, with or without the presence of Jorja Fox. Which brings us to "The Office." I'm still digging it, but am especially pleased that they haven't (as of yet) tried to drive some kind of contrived wedge between Pam and Jim, instead allowing the workplace stuff be the center of the show, and letting Pam and Jim just be a happy couple. It's awfully refreshing. Alas, the writer's strike seems to be hitting this show first, and there aren't any more new episodes to look forward to after tonight...

Another show that might get hit kind of hard by the strike is "Scrubs," which is on at 9:30. This is its final season, and NBC wants to end the series a lot sooner than the writers of the show do, and I think they even had some non-union people edit the last show that had been shot, and want to use it as the series finale. That's pretty sad.

Moving on to the 10 o'clock hour and "ER." They're putting Abby through the ringer again, having her fall back into alcoholism and a really, really bad one night stand with her boss. This will probably prove disastrous for her marriage to Kovach, which is a shame because I was really hoping she'd finally found some peace. But, this is a drama, and "dramatic" things must happen. Doesn't mean I like it, though.

Finally, there's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." And am I missing something or have they not mentioned at all yet this season the fact that Goren's dad might be a serial killer? That was revealed at the end of last season, wasn't it? Regardless, the show hasn't really changed much since moving to the USA Network, which is good. Although I would be much happier if Vincent D'Onofrio got some kind of spin-off that just featured him walking around crime scenes making impossibly accurate deductions. For an entire hour.

New San York

This week's Streets of San Fauxcisco post is now up on the SFGate Culture Blog!

State of TV: Wednesdays

I just got back from a fancy dinner with a friend that involved a few cocktails, so apologies if this isn't the most coherent or comprehensive of posts. My desire to get this up before Thursday compels me to finish it!

OK. Wednesdays. 8pm. "Pushing Daisies." This show suffers from two major flaws. First, it is just way to twee. Every time the two leads beam at each other like the love sick fools they are, I roll my eyes so hard that sometimes my eyeballs don't face front again until the show is almost over. I usually see enough of an episode to know, however, that the second thing wrong with this show is that most of the plot each week tends to focus on a crime, and it is therefore just another damned crime procedural, and I am sick of those...I do like Chuck's wardrobe every week, though.

Also at eight is "Kid Nation," and if you need some explanation as to why I watch this show, just check this out, (skip ahead to about 3:30 for the real awesomeness):



Jared is my hero.

Lastly at 8 there's "America's Next Top Model," and it's the usual stupidity, but this time they have a model with Asperger's syndrome, and she's kind of rad.

Nine is another one of those hours of TV in which I watch something on more than two channels. Four, in fact. "Private Practice" is one of those shows, and the main reason I tend to watch it--and the main reason it seems to exist at all--is because of the inherent likability of its lead, Kate Walsh. There are a few actresses who have that quality--I think Maura Tierney and Jenna Fischer are two others--and I find it kind of refreshing. It's not just that they're attractive (and all three of them are, but not in an obvious sexpot kind of way) or that they're funny (although, again, they are). It's that they are...likable. And there's just no other way to put it.

Slightly less likable is Michelle Ryan, AKA the "Bionic Woman." I take that back. She's not unlikable, she's just boring, and I think the show's creators realized this shortly after they began, and thus increased the screen time for the far more interesting Katee Sackhoff as Jamie Sommers' nemesis...But the show still suffers considerably from a real lack of spark.

I couldn't begin to tell you what's going on on "Gossip Girl," although I make an attempt to watch it every week. Something about rich teenagers in New York, I think. And finally at the 9 o'clock hour we have "Kitchen Nightmares," which is not nearly as compelling as the BBC version of the show. I'm not sure if Gordon Ramsey is just afraid to be quite so mean to the people in his own country, of if Fox just doesn't know that a little of Gordon is often more than enough. Either way, if you have BBC America, be sure to watch "Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" instead of the Fox version.

At 10 is "Project Runway" which premieres tonight, and I haven't watched yet so I can't comment on it, and "Dirty Sexy Money," which I've found I only watch for the brief moments when Donald Sutherland appears on it. He's by far the most dynamic actor on the show, and the most compelling character.

And there you have it. Now pardon me as I go pass out...

Oh Sweet Merciful Jesus!

Women used to douche with Lysol?!??!

State of TV: Tuesdays

I'll let you in on my dirty little secret about Tuesday nights: I watch both "The Biggest Loser" and "Beauty and the Geek." I find it very motivating to watch "The Biggest Loser" while I'm working out on my step machine, and as for "Beauty and the Geek," what can I say? I have a soft spot for geeks. And stupid women. And while I'm admitting to watching crappy TV, I'll also admit I watch "Carpoolers." The thing that got me to watch in the first place it it was created by Bruce McCulloch of "The Kids in the Hall," so I figured it was worth at least one viewing. It's not nearly as funny as anything on "Kids in the Hall," but it does have a small dose of absurdity that I appreciate.

At nine there's the "Dancing with Stars" results show which I usally don't watch at all, instead skipping to the very end to see who has been eliminated. And then there's "Reaper." That show had so much potential, and it's fallen short week after week. It's painfully formulaic, offering the same story structure week after week. (Weird things start to happen to Sam; he soon realizes what that means in regards to the soul he needs to recover; he gets the recovery vessel, which is usually something wacky; he can't tell the girl he likes what he does, and she gets pissed about his secrets; after several attempts and near death experiences, he captures the needed soul. Oh, and the devil makes an appearance at one point or another.) The one time they kind of strayed from the formula, in the episode with Patton Oswalt, it worked really well, so I don't know why they don't keep doing that. And Ray Wise continues to be the highlight of the show, which tempts me to say they should have more of him per episode, but I think that could also ruin it; too much of a good thing and all that. In all, the show has failed to meet the promise of the pilot, which is ironic since that episode was directed by Kevin Smith, and is thus the only thing Kevin Smith has ever done that didn't annoy the hell out of me.

Finally at 10 is the return of "Nip/Tuck." The doctors have moved their practice from Miami to Los Angeles, and so far that's been an improvement. They've been able to inject a lot of Hollywood satire into the show, which has been a welcome change from the personal craziness that had been the focus the past few seasons. And if you like seeing Julian McMahon partially naked, there's still plenty of that going on, although he seems to have put on a few pounds since arriving on the left coast...

State of TV: Mondays

Mondays are INSANE with the TV. There's no time for an introduction!

8:00! First there's "Dancing with the Stars." I got to see Marie Osmond faint without knowing it was coming, so that was fun. But truth be told I watch the 90 minute show in about 20 by just watching the dancing numbers and seeing the scores.

Next is "How I Met Your Mother," which has had some rocky episodes this season--the numerous post-break-up of Ted and Robin storylines to be specific--but it still manages to make me smile most of the time, though outright guffaws are few.

"Everybody Hates Chris" is another sitcom that doesn't make me laugh all that much, but I still think it's worth watching. But I have the same complaints I had last year, which is too often Chris Rock's narration announces jokes that should really just come organically from the story and the actors.

"Prison Break" is just ridiculous and is one of those shows I usually have on in the background while I'm doing other things, so I couldn't begin to tell you the plot this season. But I think it involves a prison break.

Lastly at the 8 o'clock hour is "Chuck," which I really wished I liked more, but it just isn't cutting it for me. It doesn't manage to make the whole secret spy thing very entertaining, the way "Alias" was able to, I don't care about Chuck at all, and his obnoxious best friend is just...obnoxious. Adam Baldwin is also completely wasted on the show.

At 8:30 there's only one show, and it's "Aliens In America" on the CW. It's at heart a sweet sitcom, but is often marred by these moments of vulgarity that seem wildly out of place and take me out of the comedy thinking, "Um. Ick."

At 9:00 the main show is "Heroes," and boy oh boy, has it sucked this season. While last season was certainly stupid, it was saved more than once by cliffhanger endings, and moments that just made you go, "Whoa. That was awesome." This season has had none of that, and instead the show just seems to be repeating season one, minus all the cool stuff. Come on. Didn't we deal with the post-apocalyptic New York thing already? What the hell? And why bring all the heroes together at the end of last season just to have them all completely separated again if you're not going to do anything new with the story? And can the black tears twins just die already? I want this story arc to just finish and I hope Tim Kring's promises to make things better come true.

Shockingly, "K-Ville" is still on, and it continues to disappoint. The only reason to watch it is to see the New Orleans scenery, because it certainly ain't because of the stories the show is telling...

At 9:30 is the sitcom "Samantha Who?" starring Christina Applegate as a girl with amnesia. It's made me laugh a few times, so I tolerate it. My favorite line of the season came after her boyfriend told her whenever she tried to explain her job to him, she would start to talk really slow, like he was a monkey, and she says, "There's no reason to talk slowly to to a monkey."

Finally at 10:00 there's "Journeyman," which I would probably still watch even if I didn't need to for my Culture Blog posts. I have a feeling it's going to be one of many victims of the writer's strike, and we may never find out just why Dan keeps hoping back in time, and why Livia is right there with him, which will be a shame. I will say this, though. It feels like the writers had a lot of the show's mystery planned out ahead of time--Livia turning out to be a time-traveller even before she met Dan; that weird science guy--and I appreciate that. I'm tired of shows that feel like the writers are just pulling stories out of their asses. (See "Heroes," above.)

Lastly, there's "The Bachelor," and while I'd like to say I only watched it because there was a local girl on it, and I therefore I had to watch it for my SFist posts, I can't because that would be a lie. Doesn't mean I'm not happy the season is ending soon, though.

State of TV: Sundays

Last year I did a series of posts about how TV seemed to be holding up with the new season, and I suddenly realized if I want to do that again this year, I'd better step on it, as many of the shows currently on TV won't be on for much longer if the writers strike isn't settled soon. For instance, this week's episode of "The Office" is the last new episode they finished before the strike hit. Kinda scary how fast these things can take affect, huh?

So, anyway, here's what I think about the shows I currently watch on Sunday nights (which is a surprisingly empty TV night).

First is "The Simpsons" on at 8pm, and I'm sorry, but I still think it's hilarious. Yes, it has had funnier seasons, but it's a hell of a lot better than "Family Guy." I mean, COME ON!

Also at 8 is "The Amazing Race" which I've only watched one episode of so far, and so far, it's your standard "Amazing Race" awesomeness. Especially last week when one of the detours involved donkeys who refused to move when they needed to. And many racers were just incredulous that a donkey could be so stubborn. LOVE it.

At 9 it's nothing but "Desperate Housewives," a show I continue to watch even though I really kind of hate it. The strike can't affect it soon enough for me.

Finally, at 10 there's "Brothers & Sisters," which I like more than "Desperate Housewives," but is not a show I would ever tell someone they should totally make the time to watch.

I also watch "60 Minutes," but what can be said about that, really?

So there you have it. Sundays: A whole lotta meh.

Stryker...Strike Her!

I can't remember where I first saw this linked to, but this is a pretty good explanation for why the Writers Guild has gone on strike. It's too bad it's hampered by one of the worst audio mixes I've ever heard. And that's saying a lot for a YouTube video.

Get Your Hoods Right, People

This week's San Fauxcisco post is now up on the SFGate Culture Blog!

Scab. Picket. Don't! It Might Get Infected

I guess I should say something about the writers strike, huh?

I'm for it.

The end.

But really, I am all for the writers and what they want. I'm sure it's a lot more complicated than just "Studios = greedy = bad," and "Writers also = greedy, but not quite as bad." But I do think it's pretty obvious that if writers get residuals from reruns, they should also get residuals from any other kind of re-airing of their work, be it online or on DVD....

But more importantly, I'm actually kind of grateful for the break it's giving me in my daily viewing obligations in the late night TV realm. "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report" and Letterman are currently in reruns. Letterman might come back on the air and try to wing it without a writing staff, which I think is a good thing because the bad thing about all this is that (for the most part) people who work on shows who AREN'T writers aren't getting paid while this strike is going on...

It's also interesting to see that many shows that would have probably been cancelled a long time ago because of bad ratings are remaining on the air because the networks can't afford to pull shows that are already written and filmed when they don't have anything that can go into production to replace them with. But on the other hand, it could also mean that new shows will be cancelled once their episodes run out because why reinvest in shows that could lose their audience after a long hiatus? Might as well start fresh...

Which means only one thing: Get ready for more reality and game shows. And I say: Bring it on. I have a lot of movies in my Netflix queue I'd like to watch.

She May Not Be Your One, But She's the One

This week's reality TV locals post is now up on SFist! Loony mother alert!

Holy Crap, It's November!

How did that happen?

I was going to hype "Mad Men" once again because AMC will begin to air reruns of the season tonight, but it looks like they will air episode one tonight, and then for some unfathomable reason will be skipping to episode four next week. Well, I guess that's better than nothing?

In other TV news, Joss Whedon is reteaming with Eliza Dushku for a series on Fox. Hopes are high, but then again I am one of the few people who really didn't go for "Firefly" at all, so Whedon has yet to impress me post-"Buffy"...

Oh, and this week's Streets of San Fauxcisco post is now up on the SFGate Culture Blog.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 31

Wow. We've reached the end of this Maniacal countdown, and I have to say, it's been fun! Maybe I'll try something similar come Christmastime....

So, tonight is Halloween, and it's impossible to list just one thing. So many channels are having horror marathons. You can basically turn on Turner Classic Movies at any point today and be met with something worth watching. Here's their schedule. If you were to only watch one thing on the channel all day, though, I'd say make it the original "The Haunting" at 3:00pm. Here's the trailer.



Another good bet is "The Old Dark House" at 9:30pm. It's quite spooky and hilarious. Here's a clip!



I don't think any Halloween should pass without a viewing of the original "Halloween." Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be airing on any channel in an uncut or widescreen format. So watch a trailer instead.



Lastly, here's something that could be fun: Joe Dante directed tonight's "Amityville Horror"-inspired episode of "CSI: New York," which is on tonight at 10pm on CBS. Here's a little promo clip featuring Dante.



Have a great Halloween everybody!

Oh...Oh no. OH NO. Oh boy. OOOOOOHHHH BOY. OK. OK....OK

That was my reaction to this:

Look at the size of that red square!!!

The sad thing is every time these things happen I realize how unprepared I am. Most of the above reaction was exclaimed while I stood frozen with fear in the middle of my living room.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 30

While I can deny it all I want, I know the holiday season is coming at me at full force once "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" airs, as it officially starts off the Holiday TV Special Season. I've also got to admit that most of the Halloweens I've spent in my lifetime have resembled Linus's night in the pumpkin patch in more ways than I'd care to admit.

Watch it tonight at 8:00pm on ABC, or half of it down below, (for as long as it's allowed up on YouTube).

Falling for the Guy

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

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 29

There's really nothing I can say about "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" that isn't better illustrated by its trailer. So watch that here.



And then watch the movie this morning at 6:00am on AMC.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 28

I recently re-watched Philip Kaufman's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and it was better than I had remembered it being. I would even venture to say, probably blasphemously to some, that it's better than Don Siegel's 1956 version. In any event, it is, as "Repo-Man" director Alex Cox says in the clip below, one of those rarest of rarities: A good remake of a good movie. It's on KICU channel 36 today at 7:30pm, but if you want to see the naked bits, you had better just go ahead and rent it.

September Round-Up

Remember September? Wasn't it awesome?

OK. Maybe not. But I know I did some stuff. Let's see what it was, aside from spending a LOT of time watching TV pilots and writing about them, that is.

Movies Seen: Eight. Which is a lot less than my usual total, and none were in a theater. I guess it was all that TV. The best was "Away From Her," although I probably watched half of the movie through tears. Not a happy movie.

Books Read: Three and they were all humor related. The first was a very light look at brain surgery called "I've Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?," which, being partially illustrated, was a quick read. The second was a collection of essays and such by Roy Blount, Jr. called "Long Time Leaving: Dispatches From Up South." I enjoyed a lot of it, but it's long, and covers a lot of his career, and it was a little annoying to find him repeating the same jokes in many, many pieces. I understand a good joke shouldn't just be told once and then placed into a vault never to be used again, so the fault is probably in reading all these pieces all at once. It would be less annoying if I'd read his, "Do you believe in infant baptism?" "Believe in it? Hell, I've seen it done!" joke once ten years ago, and then again this year, instead of reading it three or four times in the same book. Is all I'm saying.

The last book was "Dark at the Roots" by Sarah Thyre, who, if you have never heard of her, you might know best as the actress who played the gym teacher on "Strangers With Candy." (She's also married to Andy Richter, which puts them in the running for coolest Hollywood couple up there with Amy Poehler and Will Arnett.) The book was a(nother) memoir about a wacky childhood, and was pretty funny. I've got to give her props for being brutally honest about some of the incredibly embarrassing things she did as a kid, some of which I had never heard anyone admit to doing before. And no, I'm not going to tell you what those things are. Get the book. It's at the library!

Fancy Dinners Out: Two. One at Two (for two at six. Ha!), and the other at Street. It was prime rib night when I went to Street, and you can't really go wrong with that. And at Two I had a salad that came with both a poached egg and some steak. And I can't for the life of me remember what the dessert I had was. I guess it wasn't that good.

Live Shows Seen: One! Morrissey at the Filmore. It was kind of a rocky show. His mic cord kept getting stuck in some flowers that were on stage (he does like to whip that cord around) and during the very dramatic "How Soon Is Now?" his mic cut out a few times, and he was not pleased. Some fans also yelled something like, "Thanks for showing up this time!" at him because of his cancelled tour earlier this year. Which caused some other fans to scream apologies about his awful fans.

But he did take his shirt off. Twice! At first it was disturbing, but then I learned to love it. He's pushing 50, and taking that into consideration, he doesn't look that bad shirtless. (His pants, however, were all kinds of horrible.) If you'd like to see what I'm talking about, here's some grainy footage from a show in Bakersfield.



Shoes Bought: None! Wow! I need to work on that!

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 27

Does channel nine run uncensored movies anymore? PBS stations seem to be getting more and more skittish about all that stuff these days, so I am a little wary of recommending you watch "Carrie" tonight on channel nine at 10:00pm, because if it's cut up, it's not worth it. Basically, if the girls in the opening locker room scene are all wearing at least some articles of clothing, you know you're about to watch a censored version of the only Brian DePalma movie that doesn't annoy the hell out of me.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 26

Oh man. There's just too much on today. First off, it's Zombie Day on Turner Classic Movies, and I can't choose just one, so here's the line-up:

"Voodoo Island" starring Boris Karloff, at 9:15am.

"King of the Zombies" featuring Mantan Moreland, at noon.

"Revenge of the Zombies" starring John Carradine and, again, Mantan Moreland, at 1:15pm.

"Zombies of Mora Tau," about underwater zombies, at 2:30pm.

And "White Zombie," one of the first zombie movies ever, starring Bela Lugosi, at 3:45pm.

If zombies aren't your bag, man, then watch Roger Corman's "Bucket of Blood" starring Dick Miller in his first role as Walter Paisley at 5:00pm. Here's the trailer, dig?



Finally, perhaps the creepiest movie ever to be filmed in Lawrence, Kansas, and Salt Lake City, "Carnival of Souls" is on TCM at 11:00pm.

Uh-Oh. Jin's In Trouble!

What is up with "Lost" cast members and their uncontrollable need to drink and drive?

The BARTs

This week's Streets of San Fauxcisco post is now up on SFGate's Culture Blog!

Also, rumor has it the column is pimped on the front page of the Chronicle today, so be sure to look for that!

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 25

If I told you this movie is called "Blood of Dracula," you'd probably assume it's another Hammer Dracula movie, or at least some kind of standard Dracula fare. But if I told you it would have been better suited with the title "I Was a Teenage Vampire," you'd probably be more inclined to watch it, right? Well, like "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" and "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein," "Blood of Dracula" is a 1950s horror flick about a teenager, in this case, a girl, who is turned into a monster by an evil adult. And it rocks. Watch it on AMC at 4:15am.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 24

A millionaire invites a random group of people to his private island because one of them is a werewolf, and he wants to hunt it. Can you guess who it is during the 30 second "Werewolf Break"?! Watch "The Beast Must Die" at 4am on AMC.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 23

This doesn't air until tomorrow morning at 6:00am on AMC, but that just gives you extra time to set those TiVos, because why would you ever want to miss seeing a movie called "The Brain Eaters"? Which is actually based on a book called "The Puppet Masters" by Robert Heinlein? (Which is a lot like "The Body Snatchers" by Jack Finney?) And features an unrecognizable Leonard Nimoy? And is only about an hour long?

The Scary-Faced Lady Has Sung

Heh. That was fast. CBS has cancelled "Viva Laughlin" after just two airings. Which was two more airings than it deserved. "The Amazing Race" will take its place on November 4th, woo!

This is the part of the Fall TV season I look forward to with devilish glee: the cancellation of the sucky. This Fall there aren't any new shows I'm really passionate about, so I don't care what gets cancelled and will instead appreciate it when there's one less show on TV I feel the inexplicable need to watch.

Because Dogs Love Roses

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

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 22

"Curse of the Living Corpse" is a 1963 horror flick featuring Roy Scheider in his movie debut. "Carnival of Souls" actress Candace Hilligoss is also in it. I've never seen it, nor had I ever actually heard of it before, which surprises me. But you can't beat a title like that, right?

Here's a (crappy) look at the trailer. You can see the movie on AMC at 7:15am or on the 27th at 6:30am.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 21

"The Screen's Foremost Delineator of the Draculean!"

Is that even a sentence?

Catch Roger Corman's "House of Usher" on TCM at 9:00am.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 20

Come on, now. No Halloween season should go by without a viewing of "Psycho," right? Watch it tonight on AMC at 10:30pm. (It's also repeated tomorrow at 3:30pm, and on the 27th at 3:00am and 2:30pm.)

Here's that funny trailer featuring Alfred Hitchcock giving a tour of the Bates Hotel. Be sure to take a close look at that woman in the end. It's actually Vera Miles in a blond wig.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 19

I hate to go for the obvious, but "Freaks" is freaky, which makes it perfect freaky Friday viewing!

Sorry.

Even all these years later the film's use of real-life "freaks" makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience. I won't get into whether or not Tod Browning exploited his unique actors, but it's safe to say there hasn't been a movie like it since. It airs on TCM tonight at 6:15pm.

And here's a clip.



Disturbing foot note (wait for it). Right after I watched this clip I looked out my window at a building across the street and I saw the silouette of a neighbor who was sitting in such a position that it looked like he had a foot for a head. Freaky!

Viva Craplin

I've got a review of "Viva Laughlin" over on SFist, and in summation, the show is bad. Bad bad bad. Watch the "Mad Men" finale at 10 on AMC instead.

Not Gay. "Aristocratic."

"The Daily Show," or more specifically, Viacom, is continuing its fight against YouTube by creating a site that has every moment from "The Daily Show" online. Which is pretty cool in theory. Right now, probably because every one is checking it out, it's really, really slow. Also, the clips have annoying ads that run on the bottom of them periodically. But I was happy to be able to see one of my all-time favorite Colbert and Stewart moments again. See it below.



And this bit from back when they used to make fun of ordinary folk.

I Wanna Work at the San Francisco Register Too!

This week's Streets of San Fauxcisco post is now up on the SFGate Culture Blog!

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 18

Perhaps the most perfect non-scary horror movie of all time, and a perfect choice for Halloween-time viewing, "Young Frankenstein" is airing at 2:15am on AMC tonight, with a repeat at 2:00pm on the 20th. Here's one of the movie's many, many funny scenes.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 17

"Night of the Living Dead" is airing on the Encore Mystery Channel (?) at 4:20pm today. If you have that channel, you could certainly watch it on your big TV in the comfort of your own home.

Or you could watch the entire thing right here!

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 16

I couldn't find any good flicks on today, so why don't you watch a rerun of "The Office" tonight on TBS at 10:30pm? It's the Halloween episode where Michael has to fire someone.

Here are some choice scenes from the episode.

Mourning the Loss of the Cable Car Sundae

This week's reality TV locals post is now up on SFist. Oh those wacky commenters.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 15

Indieplex is airing "Blue Velvet" tonight at 8:00pm, and they're promising a widescreen print. And they better not break that promise, because there's just no other way to watch it. It's not strictly a horror film, but it is often damned horrifying, so of course it fits right in with the season.

Here's the original trailer.



And one of those jokey fake ones, that's not half bad.

Stinks. With a Capital "SUCK."

I had to work today (I work from home on Sundays so I can take a class on Mondays) and at the end of my eight hours I discovered I had worked on the wrong thing the ENTIRE day. I won't go into the specifics of my job, but it sometimes involves these tests, and to access the test we have to search through a long string of test ID numbers to find the current test we need to work on. It's a drop down menu so you can't just do a search for the number, and the problem is, there are hundreds of these tests, and many of them have very, very similar ID numbers. Like today's. Where it turned out I needed to work on test 745993 and not 735993. It didn't help that the sub-names for the tests were basically the same thing.

FUN!

I don't know what we're going to do about that, but there wasn't much I could do, like spending extra hours tonight working on the right thing, because I had to finish a paper for my class that is due tomorrow. Which I did. After years and years and YEARS of college, my approach to writing papers seems to remain the same: I don't allow myself to leave the house, and instead procrastinate indoors the entire day, until I finally sit down and write for about an hour or two at 1am. Then I go to bed and do the same thing the next day. But, I got it done, and even though it's kind of sucky, I at least got to talk a little about my current favorite TV show in the whole wide world, "Mad Men." (The paper basically compares it to the family melodrama genre of the 1950s.) And speaking of "Mad Men," the season finale is on this Thursday and will be aired commercial-free. I really could go on and on about the show, but I will just reiterate that it is amazing, and it is the only show in recent memory that consistently avoids obvious and cliched turns of plot. I can not tell you how nice it is to see a show that has no "fantastic" elements, but still manages to completely surprise me week after week. I'm sad to see it go, but thrilled that it's been renewed.

And now, from the sublime to the ridiculous, as I need to watch "The Bachelor" for my SFist locals post tomorrow.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 14

Tonight at 11:30pm, TCM will be airing the classic French horror film, "Eyes Without a Face." (Not to be confused with the Billy Idol song of the same name.)

It's your basic crazy doctor storyline, but the brilliance comes in the execution. Here. Just watch the first few seconds of this clip and I guarantee you'll be creeped out. (The end of the clip is pretty darn creepy, too.)

I Beg To Differ

You Aren't Scary, You're Scared

Probably even scared to see how this quiz came out!

How Scary Are You?

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 13

Another late-night posting because this movie is on AMC at 2:15am.

Terrified! Teenagers! Giant! Spiders! It's..."Earth Vs. the Spider!" (Or just plain "Spider," if you prefer.)



This was also one of the movies Joel and the 'bots had fun with. Here's the first part of that episode. (You can find the rest here.)

Moooore?!

Yes, there are even more fall TV premieres this week. Read about tonight's on SFist now!

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 12

Rumor has it, a remake of "The Tingler" is in the works, which, unless there are also plans to wire random seats in every theater it screens in, is a totally pointless idea. TCM will be airing the original at 9:45pm, and since it is unlikely your home has a chair that is set to administer small shocks during the film's crucial moments, (but if it is, can I come over?), I suggest you just take the film's advice and scream as loud as you can when the "scary" parts happen. It's funner that way.

Week 3, Game 3

This week's "San Fauxcisco" post is now up on the SFGate Culture Blog!

Cold Sore Nation

I doubt any of you are actually watching "Kid Nation," and I don't blame you. It kind of sucks. But as seems to be the case with most reality programs, I can't seem to tear myself away. Especially when every week reveals another kid afflicted with Herpes Simplex 1. It's like "Spinal Tap" come to life, and it's awesome.




Alas, these photos don't do the severity of the outbreak much justice. I just hope next week they compete for a reward of a huge barrel of Blistex, because things are getting ugly in Bonanza City.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 11

I don't think I've actually seen "Fright Night" in over 10 years, but I know I loved it when I first saw it at age fifteen. It had a good combination of laughs and scares, the dude who played the vampire (Chris Sarandon) was kinda hot, and it was obviously made by people with an appreciation for horror movie history (see Roddy McDowell's role as aging horror movie icon "Peter Vincent"). While it's on Flix today at 11am, I fear it won't be a widescreen showing, and this 2.35:1 ratio movie loses a lot when panned and scanned. If that's the case, perhaps it deserves a space in your Netflix queue?

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 10

"May" is a weird little indie horror movie about a socially awkward young woman who decides that if she can't gain friends the normal way, she'll just have to make some. Literally. It's on the IFC channel at 7:30pm and 10:50pm tonight.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 9

If you always found Lucille Bluth a little terrifying, then "Play Misty For Me" is the movie for you. Directed by Clint Eastwood, it's basically the movie "Fatal Attraction" stole everything from, and is a lot more fun, save for some embarrassing musical montages featuring Clint and Donna Mills frolicking in the grass. It's on the Encore Mystery channel at 10:05am and 10pm, and re-airs on the 18th at 4:20pm.

Whips and Appendixes

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

And no premieres tonight! YAY! (Well, there's one, but I mentioned it in yesterday's post...)

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 8

I'm posting this one a little early, though still technically on October 8th, because the movie is airing at 4:30am on Sundance. Hopefully someone out there will read this and decide to set their TiVos accordingly. And why wouldn't they when the movie is called "Vampyros Lesbos"? Even if you can't read Spanish you can probably get the drift of what this movie is about. And yes, there's lots of boobies and blood in it, but it's also got a groovy, surreal '60s vibe thing going on, as well as a rad soundtrack. Here's the trailer, which is slightly NSFW.

Sunday Sunday (and a Little Monday)

I have yet ANOTHER TV post up on SFist.

And with that done, I will go back to recovering from Blue Angels madness.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 7

I'm a little reluctant to recommend this simply because it's airing on a basic cable channel and will be full of commercials and edits. But the choices are limited today, so if you haven't seen it, consider this an opportunity to put it in your Netflix queue.

The movie is "Open Water," and it airs on that weird "Superstation" channel 33 at noon. If you have a fear of water, or sharks, or affluent white couples on vacation, this might be a really uncomfortable viewing experience for you. But hopefully in a good way.

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 6

Today's pick, which airs on the Sci-Fi channel at 11 tonight, is a movie I have never actually watched all the way through. I'm not sure why...



Oh, right. THAT'S why.

Apparently there are a lot of people out there who are more freaked out by creepy leprechauns than I am, because this movie has had countless sequels. But if you are of the belief that leprechauns are not in fact real, you'd be sorely mistaken.

Friday Friday Friday

Read about tonight's only season premiere over on SFist now!

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 5

You could basically turn on Turner Classic Movies every Friday this month and be met with a bevy of spine-tingling choices, but I've got to narrow it down to one today (and all the other Fridays this month). So, the choice is the original "Cat People," starring Simone Simone as a woman who's a real animal in the bedroom. Literally.



Catch it on TCM at 6:45pm tonight.

Meerkats and Mourning

I don't want to be a spoiler sport, so if you haven't seen last week's episode of "Meerkat Manor" and plan to, don't read this. (Although I'll be as vague as possible.)

I just have to say that episode was one of the saddest things I have ever watched on TV. Ever. And it came as a complete shock to me, which made it even worse. I literally cried out, "Oh no!," got up off the couch, and ran to the bathroom to get some tissue because I had begun to cry.

Read some more about it here.

Nature shows. They'll ALWAYS getcha.