Sunday, January 29, 2012

 

BIG* NIGHT ON THE SMALL** SCREEN!


The lineup tonight (especially 9 PM) is truly awesome (see below), and quite disturbing if your DVR is out of whack (like mine).



* There are an awful lot of shows tonight, but the question is whether it is a big night?, an awesome night? an awful night? or whether the various channels are simply competing each other to death by fragmenting the audience? True, the stations are hedging their bets (most of them) by scheduling re-showings of the films later and later and on other days, and on their other channels. And many homes now have separate screens for each member of the house, and some people even monitor more than one screen. And most people (not me, tonight) can time-shift some shows with the help of their DVR. But I still don't know if putting everything together on Sunday is such a big idea.


** The "small" screen is an increasingly inaccurate description of what is (in this context) broadband/cable TV. The "small screen" is not always small >> sometimes it is now a 54" or bigger 3D behemoth, and sometimes it's tiny (watching the show wi-fi'd to a smartphone). And "TV" is not the only thing to watch there either, since the internet is often channeled to the TV monitor.

So, here's (some of) what's on tonight:


7:00

E! SAG RED CARPET LIVE


8:00

TBS & TNT - SAG AWARDS


9:00

CBS - THE GOOD WIFE
HBO - LUCK
HBO2 - BLACK SWAN
SHO - SHAMELESS
CNBC - INSIDE FACEBOOK
WNET - DOWNTON ABBEY


10:00

SHO - HOUSE OF LIES


10:30

SHO - CALIFORNICATION


For the SAG awards, see:

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/01/sag-awards.html












*** *** ***

2011 SUMMARY & TOPICAL INDEX OF STORIES IN QPORIT



PLEASE VISIT ALL OUR WEBSITES:
QPORIT - Quick Previews of Random Interesting Things
BOBOOBLOG - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway Blog
SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D

TWITTER/QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT IN STEREOSCOPIC 3D


*** *** ***




 

SAG AWARDS



18th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

WINNERS IN RED!
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DEMIÁN BICHIR / Carlos Galindo - “A BETTER LIFE” (Summit Entertainment)
GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King - "THE DESCENDANTS” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. Edgar Hoover - "J. EDGAR" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
JEAN DUJARDIN / George - "THE ARTIST" (The Weinstein Company)BRAD PITT / Billy Beane - "MONEYBALL" (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
GLENN CLOSE  / Albert Nobbs - "ALBERT NOBBS” (Roadside Attractions)
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)MERYL STREEP / Margaret Thatcher - “THE IRON LADY” (The Weinstein Company)
TILDA SWINTON / Eva - “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Marilyn Monroe - “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
KENNETH BRANAGH / Sir Laurence Olivier - “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” (The Weinstein Company)
ARMIE HAMMER / Clyde Tolson - "J. EDGAR" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
JONAH HILL / Peter Brand - "MONEYBALL" (Columbia Pictures)
NICK NOLTE / Paddy Conlon - “WARRIOR” (Lionsgate)
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal - “BEGINNERS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
BÉRÉNICE BEJO / Peppy - "THE ARTIST" (The Weinstein Company)
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
MELISSA McCARTHY / Megan - “BRIDESMAIDS” (Universal Pictures)
JANET McTEER / Hubert Page - "ALBERT NOBBS” (Roadside Attractions)
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE ARTIST (The Weinstein Company)
BÉRÉNICE BEJO / Peppy
JAMES CROMWELL / Clifton
JEAN DUJARDIN / George
JOHN GOODMAN / Al Zimmer
PENELOPE ANN MILLER / Doris
BRIDESMAIDS (Universal Pictures)
ROSE BYRNE / Helen
JILL CLAYBURGH / Annie’s Mom
ELLIE KEMPER / Becca
MATT LUCAS  / Gil
MELISSA McCARTHY / Megan
WENDI McLENDON-COVEY / Rita
CHRIS O’DOWD / Rhodes
MAYA RUDOLPH / Lillian
KRISTEN WIIG / Annie
THE DESCENDANTS (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
BEAU BRIDGES / Cousin Hugh
GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King
ROBERT FORSTER / Scott Thorson
JUDY GREER  / Julie Speer
MATTHEW LILLARD  / Brian Speer
SHAILENE WOODLEY  / Alexandra King
THE HELP (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD / Hilly Holbrook
ALLISON JANNEY / Charlotte Phelan
CHRIS LOWELL / Stuart Whitworth
AHNA O’REILLY / Elizabeth Leefolt
SISSY SPACEK / Missus Walters
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson
MARY STEENBURGEN / Elaine Stein
EMMA STONE / Skeeter Phelan
CICELY TYSON / Constantine Jefferson
MIKE VOGEL / Johnny Foote
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Sony Pictures Classics)
KATHY BATES / Gertrude Stein
ADRIEN BRODY / Salvador Dali
CARLA BRUNI / Museum Guide
MARION COTILLARD / Adriana
RACHEL McADAMS / Inez
MICHAEL SHEEN / Paul
OWEN WILSON / Gil

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Thurgood Marshall - “THURGOOD” (HBO)
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke - “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)GREG KINNEAR / Jack Kennedy - “THE KENNEDYS” (REELZ CHANNEL)
GUY PEARCE / Monty Beragon - “MILDRED PIERCE“ (HBO)
JAMES WOODS / Richard Fuld - “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)
 
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
DIANE LANE

/ Pat Loud - “CINEMA VERITE” (HBO)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham - “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)
EMILY WATSON / Janet Leach - “APPROPRIATE ADULT” (Sundance Channel)
BETTY WHITE / Caroline Thomas - “HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE” (CBS)
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce - “MILDRED PIERCE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PATRICK J. ADAMS / Mike Ross - “SUITS” (USA)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson - “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)KYLE CHANDLER / Eric Taylor - “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS” (DirecTV)
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White - “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan - “DEXTER” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
KATHY BATES / Harriet Korn - “HARRY’S LAW” (NBC)
GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes  - “DAMAGES” (DirecTV)
JESSICA LANGE / Constance - “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” (FX)JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick - “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson - “THE CLOSER” (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott  - “THE OFFICE” (NBC)
JON CRYER / Alan Harper  - “TWO AND A HALF MEN” (CBS)
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton - “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - “30 ROCK” (NBC)
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett  - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky - “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
DOMINIC CHIANESE / Leander Cephas Whitlock
ROBERT CLOHESSY / Ward Boss Jim Neary
DABNEY COLEMAN / Commodore Louis Kaestner
CHARLIE COX / Owen Sleater
JOSIE & LUCY GALLINA / Emily Schroeder
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler
HEATHER LIND / Katy
KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Schroeder
RORY & DECLAN McTIGUE / Teddy Schroeder
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
BRADY & CONNOR NOON/ Tommy Darmody
KEVIN O’ROURKE / Mayor Edward Bader
ALEKSA PALLADINO / Angela Darmody
JACQUELINE PENNEWILL / Lilian
VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano
MICHAEL PITT / Jimmy Darmody
MICHAEL SHANNON / Agent Nelson Van Alden
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
PETER VAN WAGNER / Isaac “Icky” Ginsburg
SHEA WHIGHAM / Sheriff Elias Thompson
MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / Chalky White
ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
JONATHAN BANKS / Mike
BETSY BRANDT / Marie Schrader
RAY CAMPBELL / Tyrus Kitt
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO / Gus Fring
ANNA GUNN / Skyler White
RJ MITTE / Walter White, Jr.
DEAN NORRIS / Hank Schrader
BOB ODENKIRK / Saul Goodman
AARON PAUL / Jesse Pinkman
DEXTER (Showtime)
BILLY BROWN / Chicago Mike
JENNIFER CARPENTER / Debra Morgan
JOSH COOKE /  Louis
AIMEE GARCIA / Jamie Batista
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan
COLIN HANKS / Travis Marshall
DESMOND HARRINGTON / Joey Quinn
RYA KIHLSTEDT / Michelle
C.S. LEE / Vince Masuka
EDWARD JAMES OLMOS / Professor Gellar
JAMES REMAR / Harry Morgan
LAUREN VELEZ / Lt. Maria LaGuerta
DAVID ZAYAS / Sgt. Angel Batista
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
AMRITA ACHARIA / Irri
MARK ADDY /  King Robert Baratheon
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JOSEF ALTIN / Pypar
SEAN BEAN / Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark
SUSAN BROWN / Septa Mordane
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Ser Jaime Lannister
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
RON DONACHIE / Ser Rodrik Cassel
MICHELLE FAIRLEY / Lady Catelyn Stark
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
ELYES GABEL /  Rakharo
AIDAN GILLEN / “Littlefinger” Petyr Baelish
JACK GLEESON / Joffrey Baratheon
IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont
JULIAN GLOVER / Grand Maester Pycelle
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Queen Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark
CONLETH HILL / Lord Varys
RICHARD MADDEN / Robb Stark
JASON MOMOA / Khal Drogo
RORY McCANN / Sandor Clegane
IAN McELHINNEY / Barristan Selmy
LUKE McEWAN / Rast
ROXANNE McKEE / Doreah
DAR SALIM / Qotho
MARK STANLEY / Grenn
DONALD SUMPTER / Maester Luwin
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
CHRISTINE BARANSKI / Diane Lockhart
JOSH CHARLES / Will Gardner
ALAN CUMMING / Eli Gold
MATT CZUCHRY / Cary Agos
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick
CHRIS NOTH / Peter Florrick
ARCHIE PANJABI / Kalinda Sharma
GRAHAM PHILLIPS / Zach Florrick
MAKENZIE VEGA / Grace Florrick

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
SCOTT ADSIT / Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy
KATRINA BOWDEN / Cerie
KEVIN BROWN / Dotcom
GRIZZ CHAPMAN / Grizz
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER / Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI / Jenna Maroney
JOHN LUTZ / Lutz
JACK MCBRAYER / Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN / Tracy Jordan
MAULIK PANCHOLY / Jonathan
KEITH POWELL / Toofer
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski
GLEE (FOX)
DIANNA AGRON / Quinn Fabray
CHRIS COLFER / Kurt Hummel
DARREN CRISS / Blaine Anderson
ASHLEY FINK / Lauren Zizes
DOT MARIE JONES / Coach Beiste
JANE LYNCH / Sue Sylvester
JAYMA MAYS / Emma Pillsbury
KEVIN McHALE / Artie Abrams
LEA MICHELE / Rachel Berry
CORY MONTEITH / Finn Hudson
HEATHER MORRIS / Brittany Pierce
MATTHEW MORRISON / Will Schuester
MIKE O’MALLEY / Burt Hummel
CHORD OVERSTREET / Sam Evans
LAUREN POTTER / Becky Johnson
AMBER RILEY / Mercedes Jones
NAYA RIVERA / Santana Lopez
MARK SALLING / Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman
HARRY SHUM, JR. / Mike Chang
IQBAL THEBA / Principal Figgins
JENNA USHKOWITZ / Tina Cohen-Chang
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily
JULIE BOWEN / Claire
TY BURRELL / Phil
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell
NOLAN GOULD / Luke
SARAH HYLAND / Haley
ED O’NEILL / Jay
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria
ARIEL WINTER / Alex
THE OFFICE (NBC)
LESLIE DAVID BAKER / Stanley Hudson
BRIAN BAUMGARTNER / Kevin Malone
CREED BRATTON / Creed Bratton
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott
JENNA FISCHER / Pam Beesly Halpert
KATE FLANNERY / Meredith Palmer
ED HELMS / Andy Bernard
MINDY KALING / Kelly Kapoor
ELLIE KEMPER / Erin Hannon
ANGELA KINSEY / Angela Martin
JOHN KRASINSKI / Jim Halpert
PAUL LIEBERSTEIN / Toby Flenderson
B.J. NOVAK / Ryan Howard
OSCAR NUÑEZ / Oscar Martinez
CRAIG ROBINSON / Daryll Philbin
JAMES SPADER / Robert California
PHYLLIS SMITH / Phyllis Lapin-Vance
RAINN WILSON / Dwight Schrute
ZACH WOODS / Gabe Lewis

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
COWBOYS & ALIENS (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (WARNER BROS. PICTURES)TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (PARAMOUNT PICTURES)
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (20TH CENTURY FOX)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)SOUTHLAND (TNT)
SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA (STARZ)
TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award

MARY TYLER MOORE









*** *** ***

2011 SUMMARY & TOPICAL INDEX OF STORIES IN QPORIT


PLEASE VISIT ALL OUR WEBSITES:
QPORIT - Quick Previews of Random Interesting Things
BOBOOBLOG - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway Blog
SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D

TWITTER/QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT IN STEREOSCOPIC 3D


*** *** ***





Monday, January 23, 2012

 

SHAMELESS


Alas! In this episode, SHAMELESS (JAN 22, 2012), has taken a turn away from amusingly shameless, toward unpleasantly evil.


Episode #15 Season 2 #3 "I'll Light a Candle for You Every Day"
Director: Craig Zisk
Script: Nancy M. Pimental
January 22, 2012


LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE:
http://www.sho.com/site/shameless/home.sho

WIKIPEDIA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shameless_(U.S._TV_series)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shameless_(U.S._TV_series)_episodes



*** *** ***

2011 SUMMARY & TOPICAL INDEX OF STORIES IN QPORIT


PLEASE VISIT ALL OUR WEBSITES:
QPORIT - Quick Previews of Random Interesting Things
BOBOOBLOG - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway Blog
SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D

TWITTER/QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT IN STEREOSCOPIC 3D


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Sunday, January 22, 2012

 

SNL -- JAN 21, 2012 -- EMMA STONE & COLDPLAY (rerun from Nov 12, 2011)



Most of the sketches were funny, but only one or two were memorable. Emma Stone was not terribly visible (she had minor supporting roles in most skits). Actually, nothing seemed as visible as the commercials which seemed to take up more time than the sketches.

As is often the case, the wildest sketch was the last.

Here's a quick recap:

COLD OPEN -- The GOP Debate -- It was really like a trip back in time  to see how the Republican field has changed. (This show originally aired in November 2011.) Here we had Perry crashing over his OOPS moment. Later, Weekend Update commented on the irony that one of the two departments Perry remembered he wanted to eliminate was... Education. Romney was as boring then as he is now.

Monologue -- Pretty lame. An amusing Spider-Man did come down from the sky upside down, and the movie Spider-Man showed up. (Emma will be in the next Spider-Man movie).

Secret Word -- It's the same joke we've seen a bunch a times. Seemed a little funnier than usual. Maybe just because they had the balls to do the same joke again. And again. And again.

WXPD News -- This is also a sketch concept we've seen before. The joke is that the aged street journalist keeps hitting people in the face with his mic, and does other unprofessional things that a decrepit, over-the-hill newsman might do. Same jokes. Still sort-of funny.

Digital Short -- ??? WTF ???

Coldplay -- They looked good on the set, and sounded good.

Weekend Update -- Except for the joke mentioned earlier, the jokes were kind of lame, as was the musical duo (another repeated sketch concept -- and, like the other repeats, it was based on incompetence-humor.) The Devil brought some wicked satire to the Penn State scandal.

Les Jeunes de Paris -- The best sketch of the night. It managed the trifecta/hat-trick! It was comedy; it was a story; and it was a dance. The comedy was actually funny. The story was clear. And it was all done with a good-looking/funny/story-dance.

Bridal Party -- This was possibly a concept that had promise -- one guest who seems the least cool provides the hottest gifts -- but the execution was just not quite right (partly because the actual skit was: the "nerdy" guest gave "crude" gifts).

Crying / Adele -- The perfect expression of an attitude.

We're Going To Make Technology Hump -- And they did! Nice way to end the show!


Here is one of the sketches. For more videos, see

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/


TECHNOLOGY HUMP






*** *** ***

2011 SUMMARY & TOPICAL INDEX OF STORIES IN QPORIT



PLEASE VISIT ALL OUR WEBSITES:
QPORIT - Quick Previews of Random Interesting Things
BOBOOBLOG - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway Blog
SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D

TWITTER/QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT IN STEREOSCOPIC 3D


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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

 

ALCATRAZ & LOST GIRL


Two shows began tonight, ALCATRAZ & LOST GIRL...


ALCATRAZ is really two TV shows. The first is a standard crime drama, except that the criminal is known pretty quickly and he just has to be found before he kills again... oh, and he's also a criminal who disappeared from Alcatraz when it closed about 60 years ago... and he still looks the same. (That's the second TV show -- a standard (?) JJ Abrams what-the-hell-is-going-on premise probably to be played out with tantanlizing hints over as many seasons as the show runs.)

The execution is excellent. The cast is terrific. The writing is good. But we've seen both of these shows before, just not mashed up into the same show. (You can write the pitch: it's [INSERT A] meets [INSERT B].)

A = a JJ Abrams show, pick one
B = a crime show, pick one

ALCATRAZ ON IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1728102/


LOST GIRL is an appealing succubus story. The characters are very attractive, and the action is interesting and even a bit surprising, perhaps -- with a little SPARTACUS type gladiator-style action in the middle of the premiere. This seems to be an import by the SYFY channel of a show that is in its second succesful season in Canada.

LOST GIRL ON IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1728102/



*** *** ***

2011 SUMMARY & TOPICAL INDEX OF STORIES IN QPORIT



PLEASE VISIT ALL OUR WEBSITES:
QPORIT - Quick Previews of Random Interesting Things
BOBOOBLOG - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway Blog
SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D

TWITTER/QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT IN STEREOSCOPIC 3D


*** *** ***



Labels: ,


Sunday, January 15, 2012

 

SNL - JAN 14, 2012 - DANIEL RADCLIFFE WITH LANA DEL REY


This was a middle-of-the-road average show with one great sketch. The performances were fine. Radcliffe is a real pro, though he's best in character comedy (where he plays a character who is funny, rather than telling jokes, or being wild).


Lana Del Rey, who stirred some controversy for being a bit green -- her first album is not quite out yet -- was not much worse or better in performance than most musical artists. I find the SNL mix a fairly unflattering pulpit for most artists, even really famous ones.


Here's some notes on the show:

Cold Open -- A rather confused Mitt Romney. Not a great impersonation. Poorly written. Some of the usual Romney jokes.

Monologue -- Pleasant enough, but it seemed lacking in inspiration.

Ricky Gervais -- was funny, but the real Ricky Gervais is funnier (though the impersonation was so good, maybe it was the real Ricky Gervais). This was also a not-so-subtle plug for the Golden Globes tomorrow (Sunday 1/15) on NBC.

Target -- The crazy clerk. Nothing that hasn't been done before. More strange than funny.

You Can Do Anything -- This was an homage to SNL's favorite source of comedy: incompetence. The character's anthem: "I tried and therefore no one can criticize me."

Spin the Bottle -- Radcliffe was game for a bit of gross-out humor.

Delaware Fellas -- Another sketch based on incompetence humor; but they've got the plot of musical-group movies down pat.

Hogwart's 2020 -- The inevitable Potter sketch. The renditions of Potter characters years down the road was spot-on! But not much else in the sketch was funny.

Lana Del Rey -- She looks pretty. Her sound is a bit strange but she seems to have a huge range. Her mannerisms are seductive in a way that, together with her unusual sound, might generate either passionate cult fans or hilarious parody (or both). How many words rhyme with "do"? (You, few, two, .............)

Weekend Update -- The jokes were just OK. The North Koreans were just OK. Casey Anthony's dog was a star.

X27B Theater -- Taking a page from Sleeper, an audience 100 years from now looks at a play about people's behavior in 2012 and they find it ridiculously funny. A great concept, but not that well written or executed. Some things the future people find funny: our clothes, our bathrooms, our food, our commute to work...

Glenda Okones -- A candidate provides attack ads against herself. Not that well done, but each new Okones ad in between other commercials improves the concept a bit.

Jay Pharoah Show -- A combination of the two leading types of SNL humor: incompetence and impressions. Pharoah is one of my favorite newcomers, but this sketch is just the usual incompetent interview when the interviewer knows nothing about the interviewee -- in this case Daniel Radcliffe as himself -- and just does impressions.

Concord NH Exit Poll -- This is the one best sketch of the night; a brilliant parody of the classic Exit Interview. (Maybe it's not a parody, and is more like a documentary reconstruction.)

Headz Up -- Second best sketch of the night: An App that tells you what's happening in front of you. (Driving, and texting, the App tells you when to turn, crossing the street and texting, it tells you when you are about to get hit by a car, etc..) Alas, too many people could really use this product if it worked.

Not a bad SNL, but not a really good one either. Three good sketches: the Dog, the App, and the Pollster.


VIDEO CLIPS:


GLENDA OKONES FOR MAYOR AD #1




CASEY ANTHONY'S DOG




GLENDA OKONES FOR MAYOR AD #2




EXIT POLLING IN NH




GLENDA OKONES FOR MAYOR AD #3




HEADZ UP APP





Look for more videos at:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/




*** *** ***

2011 SUMMARY & TOPICAL INDEX OF STORIES IN QPORIT



PLEASE VISIT ALL OUR WEBSITES:
QPORIT - Quick Previews of Random Interesting Things
BOBOOBLOG - Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway Blog
SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D

TWITTER/QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT
VIDEOS FROM QPORIT IN STEREOSCOPIC 3D


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Monday, January 09, 2012

 

HOW THE WORLD BEGAN



Women's Project Presents
The New York Premiere 

Catherine Trieschmann's 

HOW THE WORLD BEGAN 

Directed by Daniella Topol 

With Heidi Schreck,
Adam LeFevre and Justin Kruger


Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 7:30pm 
with matinees Sundays at 3:00pm through January 29.
The Peter Jay Sharp Theater,
416 West 42nd Street
http://www.womensproject.org/



Justin Kruger, Heidi Schreck, and Adam LeFevre
HOW THE WORLD BEGAN
Photo by Carol Rosegg


HOW THE WORLD BEGAN is a simple play about moderately simple people and fairly complex issues. Specifically, it is about small-town (Kansas) attitudes toward religion and big-city attitudes about science.

That's attitudes, because the play is about attitudes not substance.

A teacher, not that well prepared for the job, several months pregnant and sans guy, comes -- from the big-city to a Kansas town devastated by a tornado  -- to teach biology.

The play begins when a student confronts the teacher over her use (before the play begins) of the term BOBBLEDYGOOK, apparently to describe Biblical views of (spontaneous -- God-given) creation.

The play is worth seeing for its attempt at portraying ordinary people in a situation that is getting out of hand, and for the performance of Justin Kruger.  Although he is too big, too hunky, and many years too old to play a high school biology student; he is a big, hunky, strong actor in his New York debut, who captures convincingly the manifold aspects of his character's character, and he could have a nice career ahead of him.


Heidi Schreck and Justin Kruger
HOW THE WORLD BEGAN
Photo by Carol Rosegg
 


The set design is interesting.  Suggesting a schoolroom reconstructed after the old school was destroyed, a complete biology classroom is constructed on top of a set of cinder blocks.  The light for the room comes from what appear to be skylight windows on the top of the schoolroom (with the theatrical lights out of sight).

Heidi Schreck, Adam LeFevre and Justin Kruger in the schoolroom set
HOW THE WORLD BEGAN
Photo by Carol Rosegg
 



SPOILER ALERT
THE NEXT SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS:


Here are some notes/observations about the play:

The play gets off to a somewhat rocky start, because the first scene seems stagey and unnatural.  Aside from the fact that the boy seems too old to be in the class, the whole scene does not feel like any encounter that could happen in the real world of a high school.

There is something unreal and vague about the whole situation of the play -- it doesn't seem grounded: Does the teacher teach anything else? Why would she be hired to teach only biology? What part of the school year is this? The first class? What level is the class? A first class in science for seniors? How much preparation did the teacher have before she came to teach?  Where are all the other teachers? the other classrooms?

The teacher (Heidi Schreck) is presented -- most likely with a deliberate intention -- as confused, unprepared, with personal baggage, and without "poetry" in her language.  Adam LeFevre, as the boy's guardian, plays the role of "mediator" with straightforward reasonableness.

There is something admirable and important about trying to create "minimal" "normal" characters. I did not find, however, very much in the character of the teacher -- as it evolved over the course of the play -- that was very different, or more interesting, than the single sentence description above.

This play, of course, evokes memories of Oleanna -- student vs teacher  -- and Inherit The Wind -- evolution vs. religion.  This is a much more casual play than either of those.

I was most concerned, however, by the fact that the only objective of the teacher seems to be to keep her job.  She does not ever confront (though they are briefly mentioned) the deeper issues of  science and religion.  Also, it is disappointing that any serious dealing with the religious views of the boy are undercut by revealing that he is very, very disturbed. His religious "convictions" are trumped by his profoundly troubled soul.

The final scene is most interesting.  When the student reveals both tender feelings for the teacher, and how profoundly mentally shaken he is, suffering something like a seizure -- recalling the first scene -- the teacher comes to comfort him in a way that is almost inappropriate. But when he politely reacts to her joy that her baby is moving, she shuts him down immediately. Were this the beginning of the play, it would suggest a very promising dynamic, but at the very end, it just seems like an arbitrary piece of scripting to put a finish on the play.

Perhaps -- I mean this seriously -- the play is most interesting for how it dodges the serious issues and real questions that are raised in the first scene: teacher/student science/religion.  For in the real world, most of the time, the truth is, these issues are dodged, not confronted, and never solved.


Here is a prizewinning film made by Justin at Rutgers:





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