OK, I loved Cloverfield. Lovedlovedloved it. Granted, the shaky-cam monster-takes-Manhattan movie gave me a bit of vertigo and yes, there were moments in the theater where I wasn’t sure if the popcorn was gonna stay down. But aside from that, good times. Even better on DVD, truth be told. The perspective is easier on the equilibrium, the extras explain some murky parts and you can freeze-frame to see if the final scene really does show the beast crashing into the water off Coney Island. It’s also one of those flicks so filled with actors you think you’ve seen before that I have decided to dedicate this column to my favorite movie game ever: “Where Do I Know Them From?” And we’ll start with…Executive-producer J.J. Abrams – Shame on you for now knowing this one. Alias. Lost. Felicity. All available on DVD.Michael Stahl-David — Rob, the lead dude whose surprise bon-voyage party is kiboshed by the rampaging goliath, who refuses to leave the ...
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Already playing catch-up on only the second day of the official TV season. Geez, how will we ever survive Wednesdays and Thursdays? (Pause here for a silent prayer to the powers that protect my DVRs.)Anyway, the biggest news on Monday was how Heroes would bounce back from a first-season finale that disappointed many (I was not among them, but then, my expectations for this uneven show haven’t always been all that high). I was mostly enthralled, once I got over yet another tedious Mohinder speech to kick off the season with more blah-blah about destiny and the plague that threatens to eradicate these evolutionary wonder-heroes as “the fate of humanity itself hangs in the balance.” Seriously, they talk that way all the time on Heroes, and don’t I wish Mohinder would just put a sock in it.But then the story kicks in, and by the end, I’m even in awe of Mohinder, who’s in league with Noah Bennet (formerly HRG) to infiltrate The Company and bring them down. O...
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Question: When a semi-quality show like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip gets canceled by NBC, what are the chances of a smaller network like the CW picking it up? Is it a cost issue, a contract issue or something else that keeps it from happening? After all, Studio 60 likely has a bigger fan base than any of the shows the CW is currently airing. I recall the WB picked up Grounded for Life after Fox dropped it a few years back.
Answer: First off, thanks for giving me a laugh with your description of Studio 60 as "semi-quality." How true. Second, there are any number of reasons why no network, and particularly not the CW, would resurrect this show. It is too expensive, true, but there's also no way Studio 60, with its cast of adults (though many acted like children), fits the CW brand. No one's going to pony up to try to keep alive a show that costs this much money. It's a lot different with a sitcom, and (if memory serves) when Grounded for Life moved from Fox to the WB, it took a budget
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A few thoughts after sitting through an L.A. satellite feed of CW’s Upfront presentation on Thursday, which was more impressive (the Pussycat Dolls performance aside) than I expected.The Reaper looks much funnier than I expected. Should have guessed given that the appealing lead, Bret Harrison as a schmo who learns his parents sold his soul to the devil, is best known for sitcom work (Grounded for Life, That ’70s Show, The Loop). Ray Wise is a scream as his demanding new boss, aka Lucifer. Only drawback: Reaper’s time-slot competition includes another largely comedic series about a reluctant nerdish hero, NBC’s Chuck. Is there room for two?Also getting a good response: Aliens in America, with its Muslim exchange student fish-out-of-water befriending his classmate/host, a nerdy social pariah. This looks perfectly suited as a companion piece to the similarly sardonic Everybody Hates Chris.Gossip Girl may well become a brand-appropriate hit, but I’m personally ...
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Question: We haven't seen Lorelai's pet pooch Paul Anka on Gilmore Girls since he was headed to Sookie's to spend the night. Has he gone the way of Miss Kittyfantastico, Chuck Cunningham, Judy Winslow and the middle child from Grounded for Life?
Answer: Actually, major doggie doo-doo: My Gilmore spy informs me that the real Paul Anka will make a guest appearance in the April 11 episode. He'll apparently be turning up in a dream/fantasy sequence, à la Madeleine Albright.
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