"Happy Town" - the name doesn't fool me, it annoys me

I've been seeing promos for this for a while now since "Ugly Betty" left the 10:00 spot on ABC on Wednesday open, but I still have no idea what it's about. And the more promos I see, the more hilariously bad it looks. According to Wikipedia, "a period of peace following a series of unsolved kidnappings is cut short when a new crime has everyone talking in the small Minnesota town of Haplin." It's also classified as a drama, but the promos made me think it was a SciFi show somehow. I recognize a couple names attached, like Sam Neil, M.C. Gainey, Robert Wisdom, Amy Acker, and Steven Weber. On the basis of the promos alone, though, I already hate this show. I feel like they named it "Happy Town," just so they could make that stupid joke in the ads - "don't let the name fool you!" Cause it's not a happy town, get it? Get it? This was the first irritating promo I saw:


Other promos with more dialogue just made things worse, not better. "The Magic Man?" And he has some sort of ability? (I wasn't able to find that promo to post it here). I've seen some people comparing it to "Twin Peaks," a show I've never seen but have definitely heard about, so I can't really say either way if it resembles a show I know was really weird. I don't know about "Twin Peaks," but the promos are reminiscent of a million different movies/shows that make me feel like I've already seen this show before. It reminds me most of "Harper's Island," which was based on Agatha Christie so at least you knew you had seen that done before.

Entertainment Weekly columnist Michael Ausiello wrote on Twitter, "I can tell you what my LEAST favorite [show] is: HAPPY TOWN. Better title would be HEINOUS TOWN." Jessica Shaw, who writes the Tonight's Best TV feature said she "snickered through about half of the premiere" but said it got better towards the end and gave it a decent grade of B. My favorite, though, is when I went to tvguidemagazine.com and found Matt Roush's list of reasons to avoid the show. It seems to be a show that focuses on a small town with a small population where half the people get murdered and the other half are running small cutesy specialty stores that would never survive in small-town America these days. It looks like Stars Hollow on acid.

I love SciFi, I love dramas, I love quirkiness, but this show seems like an odd combination of things that just doesn't sit well with me. I'm not sure what to make of it, and it already looks like it's taking itself way too seriously. I'm still debating whether or not to watch. Maybe I'll just keep it on in the background after "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" are over.

"Chuck" - It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life

Man it is beyond wonderful to have Chuck back. As great as the last episode was, I almost prefer this week's "Chuck vs. the Honeymooners." With all the Shaw business wrapped up, this was the first episode where we got to see Chuck and Sarah as a legitimate, out and open couple. And boy, they are quite the power couple. First they had to deal with all the built-up sexual tension over the past few years, and then they were quick to get caught up in some business involving Interpol and Basque terrorists. I'm not really in the habit of recapping things because I assume if you're reading someone's opinion on an episode, you already saw it. If you want recaps, go to ew.com or tv.com or basically anywhere else. So here's what I loved about the episode:

• The fight sequences. This show has, hands down, the best fight sequences I've ever seen on television. They completely deserved the Emmys they won for Outstanding Stunt Coordination. They are absolutely brilliantly choreographed and just when I think they can't get any more inventive, they stage a fight sequence in a train car with handcuffs. I loved the last fight scene with Chuck and Sarah vs. the Basque terrorists because it was incredibly reminiscent of the first time Chuck sees Sarah and Bryce fight together and he realizes that they really are great together. Well, now Chuck and Sarah are great together, like we always knew they would be.


• On that note, Yvonne Strahovski. I think they couldn't have cast a better actress for this role. I haven't been down on her this season like others have as I think her problems committing to Chuck or Shaw were very understandable. She handles the fight scenes in a way that seems effortless, she nails the American accent and whatever other accent she needs (how fun was she as a boozy, Texas wife?) and she can handle other languages as well. It doesn't hurt that she actually speaks Polish and got to use it this episode (I was really proud of myself for understanding a large portion of it). It's nice to see Sarah so happy now.


• We actually got to see some Ellie and Awesome. And they worked in Jeffster nicely as well. I liked the tame Jeffster performance; I normally love it when they get to do their thing. I was happy that, in the end, Ellie admitted that she felt guilty that she was leaving her little brother. All the worrying over Chuck's absences has been getting a little old, and I've been really afraid she's about to verge into Rita from "Dexter" territory, where people loathe her for "nagging" constantly (I never understood the passionate hatred of Rita fans had. Her complaints were totally legitimate!) I really really hope we see more of Ellie and Awesome, not less. The trick is finding some way to include them that isn't tacked on simply to appease the fans.


• Morgan getting involved. I've never been crazy in love with Morgan, and I was certainly hesitant with the idea of him getting involved in missions. But he's loyal, reliable, and turning out to be smarter than he seems. He normally stumbles onto the truth awkwardly, but he knows more than you'd think and I like that they didn't just keep writing him as a one-dimensional, endearing yet annoying best friend.


• Casey's evolution. Once again, they could have continued writing Casey as a one-dimensional, gruff tough guy. But he's changed so much since the first season and he's grown to respect Chuck, which is logical considering all that they've been through.


• "Feelin' Good" as their song. I, like other people, was expecting some 80s song so I was pleasantly surprised to hear this song. It is a really sexy song; I thought it fit perfectly.

Some random fun quotes:

"I can't fake this, Chuck, not with you-"
"What, you've been faking it the whole time?!" - Sarah & Chuck

"My god, you even make terrorist groups sound sexy." - Chuck

"Attention Mr. and Mrs. whatever your last name is." - Jeffster

"Off the record, it's about damn time." - Beckman

"They're having intercourse, idiot." - Casey

I'll never understand how this show didn't catch on. Okay, I can. That damn writer's strike killed its momentum and it never got it back. And the general populace doesn't like shows that you have to tune in for each week to understand, better to watch procedurals that are mildly entertaining but never really go anywhere. "Chuck" is the perfect combination of comedy, drama, and action - who wouldn't love it? NBC would be crazy to cancel it now, since it's one of their only good shows left. (Especially after they unceremoniously cancelled "Southland" and it found new life on a network that actually appreciates it.)

"Supernatural" - Hammer of the Gods

I meant to write this post sooner, but 1) I got distracted, busy weekend, it happens, and 2) I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia looking up things for this episode. Why couldn't this episode have been the 100th? Not that the 100th episode was bad, not at all, but it wasn't quite as mindblowing as I'd hoped it would be. It had some fantastic Castiel moments; I really missed him during last week's episode, but then again, I can't see how they would have worked him into that story. He better come back soon enough that we get a lot of him before the season ends. Partly because I love him and partly because I want to know what the hell happened to him. Anywho, this post is on the 101st episode, and boy was it a doozy. Rather than writing an epic essay on the "Supernatural" episode like I used to do on my other blog, I'll make a more user-friendly list of general comments about the episode/things I liked/things I didn't like.

1. The fact that this episode was set in Muncie, Indiana. Even the "Supernatural" writers know that Muncie is so in the middle of nowhere that they can host a pagan gods convention at a hotel and it won't make headlines.


2. The name of the hotel: The Elysian Fields. I openly admit, although I am really interested in mythology, my knowledge of classical mythology is lacking. But that's what Wikipedia is for. At least I know the show well enough by now to know that they didn't name the hotel something weird for no reason whatsoever. So, according to Wikipedia, the Elysian Fields were the final resting places of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous in a level of the Underworld. Take away what you will from that. I love when they add details like that.
   
   
3. The Season 1 flavor plus the Season 5 mythology. It was kind of like "The Monster at the End of This Book" in that way, how it started out like a classic monster-of-the-week episode and ended up being a pivotal episode for the mythos.
   
   
4. The return of other world religions. They already established the existence of pagan gods in the "Supernatural" universe all the way back in Season 1's "Scarecrow" episode and they could have easily abandoned this with the rise of all the Judeo-Christian mythology the past two seasons. But instead, they addressed the issue and made it into an interesting conflict - what if all religions had some veracity? "Supernatural" treats it this way. Rather than picking and choosing what supernatural beings and beliefes they want to accept as true, they accept them all and bring that to the forefront. It certainly seemed like they were abandoning others in favor of Christianity so I am thrilled to see this turn of events. Also, it gives the brothers Winchester possible allies to fight Lucifer/stop the apocalypse.
   
   
5. So, the other powers involved - Ganesh (a Hindu deity), Baldur (a Norse god), Odin (another Norse god), Kali (a Hindu goddess), Baron Samedi (a Haitian Voodoo spirit, not just a James Bond villain), Mercury (a Roman deity), and Zao Shen (a Chinese god). It was fun to see their perspective. It was unfortunate to see them get mostly killed off, but I hope Kali comes back and has a significant part in helping them. Especially now that Gabriel (masquerading as Loki, a Norse god) is dead as well. Maybe a little revenge on behalf of her ex?
   
   
6. Now I'm really curious how the heirarchy of deities works in this world. Is the Judeo-Christian God really above the others? Is Lucifer so much more powerful than them because he's above them? Or are there higher level gods among the pagans who haven't gotten involved because they don't realize how big the threat is or they don't want to get involved.
   
   
7. RIP Trickster/Gabriel/Loki. I don't know if they had it all planned out when he was first introduced (it's farfetched, but I wouldn't be completely surprised), but the twist of making the Trickster the archangel Gabriel was one of my favorite "Supernatural" twists. And it adds another level to the brother vs. brother, brother vs. father dynamic the show has going. I think he's been a fascinating character and he's provided us with some great episodes. (Without him, we wouldn't have the deliciously meta episode "Changing Channels"). It was great to see him finally stand up to Lucifer and pick a side - humans. It seems like the best angels are the ones who actually give a damn about human beings. Unfortunately they're also the ones who suffer the worst fates - Anna, Castiel, Gabriel. But Gabriel admitted it in the end - humans are flawed, but they try to better and they try to forgive. That's something that I would imagine to be refreshing after dealing with arrogant angels and demons your whole existence.
   
   
8. Lucifer finally raining down some hell. I've been waiting for him to kick some ass since he came on the scene, but mostly he's just been relegated to speechifying, as people like to put it. We all take for granted he's a major threat, since it's the freaking devil, but we haven't actually seen him be a real danger until this episode. Mark Pellegrino is great as Lucifer. (I am totally for a "Lost"/"Supernatural" crossover since Pellegrino is Jacob on "Lost" and the Man in Black, Titus Welliver, also guest starred as the horseman War on "Supernatural. How great would that be? Sideways "Lost" is the near-apocalyptic world! The Island is plugging that hole and keeping the darkness at bay, it's really Lucifer's cage! It fits so perfectly it's creepy! But I digress...)
   
   
9. That Ghostfacers thing. I literally yelled at the television with that, because at first I thought it was part of the show and then I realized that it was a commercial just tacked onto the episode.
   
   
10. I'm really curious to know what the writers' religious/spiritual beliefs are. It's completely their private business, and it's not like their personal views have anything to do with anything, it's just a fictional television show, but I'm curious nonetheless.
    
    
11. Lucifer was freed from a cage, so they're going to try and put him back. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Just when I thought the show was floundering a little, dragging out the apocalypse scenario aimlessly because they don't have a big enough budget to really show the apocalypse, they put the show back on track and bring some focus to the plot. I really should know by now not to doubt the writers. They know what they're doing.
    
    
12. Dean taking a stand and trying to work with the pagan gods. It was great to see him focus again and it really was the best idea to try and make some powerful allies. (And on a shallow note, Jensen was looking good in this episode.)
    
    
13. I really really did not need to see that Pestilence scene at the end. Especially right before eating dinner. They're clearly having some fun though with these horsemen. It makes me wonder what craziness Death will be.

I loved loved loved this episode. There wasn't a single dead spot. I was captivated every moment, and that's not something that often happens for me. (And it gave me my favorite new line, "Don't mock my world turtle.")

Movie Night: "The Descent" and "Slither"

Around August last year, I started watching two movies every Saturday night. I'm able to rent movies for free from our campus library, so I decided to get through as many as I could. The selection isn't fantastic, but I've managed to find worthwhile rentals. This weekend, I was going to rent "Breaking Away" and "Hoosiers" in honor of the Little 500 weekend here at Indiana University, but "Breaking Away" was already rented out and I didn't actually want to watch a sports movie anyway, so I opted for two horror movies I've been meaning to see for some time instead.

"The Descent"

Directed by Neil Marshall, "The Descent" is a British horror film about several women who go caving in North Carolina and (shocker!) get trapped underground. What I liked about this movie is that the first part of the film takes time to establish at least some character development, so that by the time the women are in peril, it's not like they're killing off "Sorority girl #4" and "the annoying prick who had it coming." Okay, so there is one slightly annoying, reckless, seeming lesbian who had to encounter her fate early. You can pretty much always tell who is going to get killed off first in a horror movie. But what's different here is that the group is entirely female, and they're pretty hardcore. For the first part of the movie, all the tension comes from the women just getting lost in an uncharted cave system and having to find their way out. Then creepy cave-dwelling monsters show up, who look like Gollum's cousins. The monsters here, called the Crawlers, are decently frightening. For being underground in the darkness, you actually see a whole lot of them. Any horror fan can write the ending from here, women get separated and killed off in nasty ways like being eaten alive while hopelessly searching for a way out. But because of some care in characterization, there's some interesting morality questions raised when some dark secrets are revealed regarding one woman's late husband's indiscretions. The women aren't sure they can trust each other anymore and we all know the saying, "live together, die alone." Apparently the film was aired in the US with a slightly altered ending, but I watched the original ending on the DVD. I don't like where the US version left off, because it leads you to believe that maybe one woman did survive but will be haunted by hallucinations of the woman she abandoned. The original ending is much more depressing but also much more satisfying as an ending. It also makes more sense, in my opinion.

Grade: A- (Plenty of scares, disturbing monsters, non-cliche characters, could have benefited from a little more character drama and a little less slasher flick chasing and killing. I love that the DVD includes outtakes, which clashes so perfectly with the tone of the film)

"Slither" Starring Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks, this is one of the better horror-comedies I've seen. It's an homage to B-movies; it's like something you'd watch on Syfy channel at 2 in the afternoon on a Sunday. But that's not a bad thing, as the movie is intentionally funny and gross at the same time. It plays like a zombie movie, but it's really an alien invasion film. Extraterrestrial worms come to Earth and begin crawling their way into people's brains, taking over a small Southern town. Fillion is great as the sheriff who has to be a hero when he's one of the last uninfected people around. I never understood how he didn't become a bigger star than he is. He's got leading man appeal and is also a great comedic actor. Banks is a fun presence as well. This movie actually does have "the annoying prick who had it coming" in Gregg Henry, the town mayor, who plays sleazy dirtbags really well (To me, he'll always be that smug Mitchum Huntzberger from "Gilmore Girls.") After the misery of "The Descent," this movie was a delightful surprise. I was afraid it would devolve into a "Snakes on a Plane" scenario, where the entire movie is just a slideshow of all the gross, painful ways someone could be killed off by slithering creatures. But, thankfully, it doesn't get lost that way and you end up with an entertaining movie that would be perfect for a Halloween movie night.

Grade: A (Genuinely gross, genuinely funny, and genuinely scary at times, it's got all you could ask for in a horror-comedy. Don't go in expecting "Shaun of the Dead," but don't take it too seriously and you'll enjoy yourself)

UbyKotex - they might just be the best commercials ever

Why are tampon ads so obnoxious? Who are these women that want to dance the night away while wearing tight, white clothing during their special time of the month? All they have to worry about is leaking that clear blue liquid all humans in commercials ooze. I don't think any other commercial has ever evoked this much emotion from me. It's like Kotex announced "okay, no more bullshitting, we're going to be straight with you all. Your period sucks, there's no way around that, and our ads are ridiculous." And just when I thought I couldn't love any commercial more, I found their second ad, which was even more on point than the first. Every time I see their commercials, I want to run out and buy some UbyKotex products. (I just might, too. They better be worth it.)

Remakes Galore: No "Torchwood" US (and there was much rejoicing)

Today I read the best news I've seen in a while: FOX is not going ahead with their American version of "Torchwood." (The idea could potentially go to another network, but let's celebrate the momentary victory at hand.) I still have no idea why they pursued this idea in the first place, considering these few points:

1. FOX's track record with SciFi shows ("Firefly," anyone?). Well, shows in general. They have a quick trigger finger over there.


2. Either trying to create an audience, which would be difficult for a US version of a UK show/franchise that few Americans outside the cult TV world even know or care about, or


3. Trying to bring in the American "Torchwood" fans. Which is very divisive. US fans already love the original, so why would they be clamoring for a US version rather than another season of the original? Especially after the spectacular "Children of Earth" miniseries that had pretty great ratings, if I'm not mistaken.


4. The inevitable character changes. I didn't buy for a second that FOX wouldn't change the Captain Jack Harkness character. The network of "24" and he-man Jack Bauer is going to have omnisexual Captain Jack saving the day? Hell, an American network like FOX is going to have all those gay storylines? Yes, US TV is getting better with this, but I cannot see a show like "Torchwood" in primetime becoming vastly popular anytime soon (The Parents Television Council would have a collective heart attack if they saw Captain Jack in primetime).


5. An American version would lack those ties to "Doctor Who." Granted, they don't reference "Who" that much on the original, but when they do, it's really significant. Like bringing in Martha Jones for a few episodes, or crossing over with "Who" for the fourth season finale. What fun is a spin-off show of a famous franchise if you can't even keep it in the same universe? Between the de-gaying of Captain Jack and the de-Who-ing of the show history, you might as well make an entirely new show as all the charm and appeal of the original would be lost.


6. It's totally pointless. That's my humble opinion here. Much like the US version of "Life on Mars," you'd be remaking a show that's already pretty good. (In the case of "Mars," insanely good.) "Torchwood" has never had the quality level of "Doctor Who," but it was fun and satisfying enough for fans. Leave well enough alone. Contrary to popular belief among TV execs, remaking a British show word-for-word but with an American accent will not equal the same ratings success it had in the UK.

Personally, I would love to see more "Torchwood." As long as they fix some things, like hiring some new team members, developing them, and NOT killing them off as soon as they get really interesting. And I've always wanted to know more about Captain Jack's past; they could do so much more with that. I know the 21st century is when it all changes, but I was hoping it wasn't an American "Torchwood" that I'd have to be ready for.

"No One Takes Your Freedom" - a mashup made in heaven

I haven't heard many music mashups before. Apparently there's a long and storied history of smushing together different songs in a way that isn't just a crappy remix version. Currently, "Glee" is making use of mashups and people are absolutely head over heels for it. (I guess all TV had to do was include popular music sung musical theater-style and the coveted 18-49 demo would be crazy in love). Anywho, I came across something wonderful when downloading the Scissor Sisters' albums the other month, and it was "No One Takes Your Freedom" by DJ Earworm. He routinely mixes "United States of Pop," which blends top 40 music each year. While I enjoyed those, they seem a little forced at times. "Freedom," on the other hand, feels like all these songs were just waiting to be put together into one epic anthem. In order, it combines "Take Your Mama" by the Scissor Sisters, "For No One" by the Beatles, "Freedom '90" by George Michael (the new one, not the Wham song), and "Think" by Aretha Franklin. The result is pretty awesome. (Then again, I am supremely biased since I adore the Scissor Sisters and George Michael). Take a listen below and decide for yourself.

"Ugly Betty" - When you were good, you were great

Last week we said goodbye to a great dramedy that entertained us for four seasons. Okay, maybe less than four seasons. I'll be the first to admit that I dropped the show for a while around season 3, when Betty was past Gio and Henry and mingling with the less interesting Matt, Wilhelmina was canoodling with Connor, Daniel was dealing with his long-lost French son, and watching every week felt more like a chore than a treat. I felt like none of the storylines were very entertaining anymore and the inital spirit the show had was waning. It was still fun to watch Marc and Amanda, that never changed, but I wasn't willing to tune in just for them anymore. As the fourth season kicked off, I didn't really intend to come back. But after reading in several different places, multiple times, that "Betty" was seeing a creative resurgence, I decided to give it another shot. After all, it was on right after "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" so all I had to do was leave the TV on ABC. I was delighted to find that the show really had gotten back on track. Storylines had moved on, Matt was gone, Daniel was back, Justin was maturing rather than acting like a petulant child, and Betty even seemed more focused on her work. Unfortunately, I came back too late, the show was cancelled, and the web really wasn't all that abuzz with the news. Which struck me as odd, considering how fresh and popular the show was when it premiered in 2006. When the show was good, it was great. It was witty, touching, dramatic, and managed to pull off a lot of soap opera moments with sleek, primetime savvy. I know a lot of viewers left around the third season much like I did, but I think there should have been more memorials for a show that was pretty good 3/4 of the time. It didn't make it a very long time, but its creative slump shouldn't diminish how good the show was in its prime. I give it credit as well for ending on a creative high instead of slinking off into the darkness with its tail between its legs. No, if anything, "Ugly Betty" danced with confidence into the dark because that's what the show was: bold, confident, unique, and fabulous.

80s songs in TV/Movies: Part 1 - "Scrubs" Edition

I love 80s music, so when shows or movies include 80s references, I am ecstatic. I decided to make a list, sharing some of my favorite moments. There will definitely be another part or two in the future, perhaps even with a different decade of music. But to begin with, I'm going to list my favorite "Scrubs" musical moments since they are filled with many great 80s music moments.

1. "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats - (Season 5 Episode 3 - My Day at the Races)
   Turk and Carla are having an argument when Turk does something I would totally do if anyone ever gave me an easy setup like that. (I wish the clip included Elliot asking Carla, "didn't you learn anything from when you told him the Kommissar was in town?")
   
2. "Down Under" by Men at Work -(Season 7 Episode 2 - My Hard Labor)
   There are actually two "Scrubs" moments referencing this song, probably because a) it's awesome and b) Colin Hay of Men at Work guest stars on the show a lot.
   
   I unfortunately could not find a good enough quality video of the other one, from Season 3 Episode 13's My Porcelain God, but any "Scrubs" fan should remember JD's brief burst into song fondly.
3. "99 Luftballoons" by Nena - (Season 2 Episode 20 - My Interpretation)
   I think dancing to "99 Luftballoons" is an excellent way to connect and solve problems. Especially if the dance involves actual red balloons like JD's fantasies.
   
4. "Africa" by Toto - (Season 5 Episode 7 - My Way Home)
   Cranking up the Toto always makes life better. Although it helps if you know the words (This was also one of the best episodes of Scrubs ever; the whole episode was an homage to "The Wizard of Oz"). Luckily, JD and "toto" find their way home in the end.
   
5. "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel - (Season 3 Episode 3 - My White Whale)
   Because no one understands relationships like Billy Joel.
   
6. "A Little Respect" by Erasure - (Season 1 Episode 3 - My Best Friend's Mistake)
   This episode is one of my favorites just because of this song. The song really is like a virus though; it always gets stuck in my head after hearing even a snippet of it.
   
7. "Faith" by George Michael - (Season 3 Episode 1 - My American Girl)
   I love that they even reference the music video by zooming in on JD's butt. This clip also taught us all the rule about white guys dancing in public (Sadly, they then switch to "a song that rocks" which is apparently U2, a band I find kind of boring, but it was nice while it lasted).
   
8. "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey - (Season 3 Episode 2 - My Journey)
   Anytime JD bursts into song, it's great. That's just a rule of the show. Although I think you can shout "She's just a smalltown girl!" anywhere and get the same reaction.
   
9. "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy - (Season 5 Episode 9 - My Half-Acre)
   Another classic episode, the Airband episode. Also includes great airbanding to "Hey Julie" by Fountains of Wayne, "More than a Feeling" by Boston, and "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe. The clip cuts off the best part at the end. (Janitor: Anyway, thanks for coming to the audition in that costume. Todd: What costume?)
   
10. "Maniac" by Hall & Oates - (Season 5 Episode 7 - My Way Home)
    Another one from My Way Home, but the episode is so great I'm okay with that. I love Ted's band's rendition of this song (I would have included their versions of the theme songs to "Charles in Charge" and "The Facts of Life," but I decided against counting theme songs as songs).
    

Remakes Galore: "Death at a Funeral"

There are probably very few people who knew that the new 2010 movie "Death at a Funeral" is actually a remake of the 2007 British movie "Death at a Funeral." I certainly didn't. A few months ago while at a theater to see "Up in the Air," the preview for the remake came up and I'll be completely honest: I thought it looked funny. It definitely had a ton of famous names in it and I'm game for any movie where James Marsden runs around crazy and nude (No offense to Alan Tudyk, who played the original role, but you are no James Marsden). When I came home later that night, I looked up the film on Wikipedia for some reason and noticed that it already existed. Then I noticed that it starred Matthew Macfayden, Keeley Hawes, and Alan Tudyk. The former two are pretty famous English actors who starred in one of my favorite shows, "MI-5" ("Spooks" to any Brits following along). Macfayden also starred as Mr. Darcy in the most recent big screen adaptation of "Pride & Prejudice." Alan Tudyk is an American actor (who does a great English accent) who is probably most famous for being Wash on "Firefly" and the movie "Serenity." So, with a decent premise and cast in mind, I decided to rent the original. I have to say, I really loved it. Tudyk is fantastic as a character who is high out of his mind most of the movie. The rest of the cast impressed me as well and they all worked together quite nicely.

But once again, I'm hesitant about a remake (Go figure, huh?). As one reviewer pointed out about the original, one of the things that makes the movie so hilarious is its essential Britishness. Tudyk even points this out during the excellent commentary. It's fun to watch such wildly inappropriate occurences at a funeral with people who are supposed to be on their very best behavior. The humor in the original movie is very British, in my opinion. They take their time to set up a lot of jokes and it really pays off in the end. So I'm very curious as to how that translates into an American film. Like I said, I laughed at the trailer for the remake, and I'd still like to see it, in all honesty. I really do think they could remake that movie for American tastes and still make a good film, if they handle it smartly. Or, they could have copied the original scene-for-scene, added some race jokes and gay jokes and made it loud and stupid.

Ultimate verdict? See the remake if you don't mind spending the cash, but I can recommend the original movie wholeheartedly.

Remakes Galore: "A Nightmare on Elm Street"

A week ago, we had a lovely spring storm where I live. It was the perfect thunderstorm, so I did what any sane person does in stormy weather: turn out all the lights and watch a horror movie. I decided on 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street." It was my first time and I was eager to see a classic slasher flick that included the debut of one Johnny Depp (My best friend loves Johnny Depp the same way I love TV, so I know way too much about him). Well, the film was basically what I expected: horny teens, funny 80s technology, the famous Freddy Krueger. The only previous exposure I'd had to the villain was an afternoon viewing of "Freddy vs. Jason" on the SciFi channel about a year ago (oh, excuse me, the SyFy channel). While that was a camp classic that I thoroughly enjoyed, I felt like I wasn't getting the true Freddy Krueger experience.

So now I've seen the original, and I have to say I'm undecided on whether or not they should have remade it. The original isn't a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it had its dated charm. I particularly enjoy pre-CGI era special effects because the filmmakers were forced to be more creative and often used models and puppetry that give older movie effects a more tangible feeling. I kind of hated the ending, because I was just so very confused by what was real and what wasn't. But I figure that was the point all along. There were plenty of moments that made me laugh that probably weren't supposed to. Like, was it a rule in lots of 80s movies that parents/the dad had to be assholes? My favorite funny moment was when poor Nancy was screaming from her window to her father across the street that Krueger was in the house but the dad doesn't bother to check it out until much later. Meanwhile, Nancy's pulling a "Home Alone" with her booby traps while her father disregards all the hysterics of his terrified daughter.

Anyway, will the new remake be just like every other horror movie remake? They butcher an already-not-that-great movie by casting late-20s actors fresh off of MTV to be killed off in a gory, spectacular manner? Most of what horror movies lack is a sense of realism, that the threat is, well, threatening. That's apparently what made people rave about "Paranormal Activity." (A movie where all I could think about the entire time was how could these two beautiful young people, one of whom is a student, afford a giant California home. And if anyone actually pronounces Micah as Meekah). But they cast Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, and Kyle Gallner, who are actual names with resumes. I particularly enjoyed Katie Cassidy on "Supernatural" before they replaced her with the subpar Genevieve Cortese. Also, Jackie Earle Haley is cast as Freddy himself. Which actually gives me pause. Freddy is so iconic, can Haley embody the villain without taking us out of the movie? Besides, Robert Englund, the original Krueger, also starred in about a thousand sequels. So I'm ultimately torn, to see or not to see? It doesn't look like absolute trash, but it doesn't look like it's putting a new, fresh spin on the idea either.

What is your name? What is your quest?

(Oh yes, I totally just quoted "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." I think that introduces me on the right foot.)

I love television. My screen name says it all: I am tvgirl48. The 48 even stands for the first two numbers in the cursed sequence of numbers on "Lost" (4 8 15 16 23 42). I used to run a blog on tvguide.com before they sold the website name, moved to a different site, and abolished the community section. The tvguide blog community dispersed and set up their own private blogs, and I moved on to other online sites like Entertainment Weekly and Television Without Pity. But too often, Entertainment Weekly is too mainstream for me and has to focus on a wide array of subjects and often way too many reality shows. Television Without Pity, on the other hand, deals solely in television but too often mistakes snobbery and pretentiousness for snark. So after much deliberation, I decided to do the only logical thing in the 21st century: create my own site for voicing my opinions, whether anyone wants to hear them or not. So to introduce myself and what my blog will be like, here's a little about me:

1. I don't believe in guilty pleasures. I think too many people lie about what they like/don't like just to avoid ridicule, especially with the advent of Internet bullies who hide behind their anonymity to judge other people. I make no apologies for the things I like. I love music with a healthy dose of cheese and therefore adore 80s and 90s pop. I watch the Ace Ventura movies every time they're on TV and I laugh. I like to watch Dr. Phil occasionally. I enjoy chick flicks that aren't absolute trash. I try not to judge so I invite others to confess their "guilty pleasures" and revel in them. Life is too short to lie about what makes you happy.
   
2. On this same note, I don't care for snobbery. I'll try to avoid it at all costs (I'm only human and I can get carried away when contemplating the popularity of procedurals and reality shows). This is more relevant in the realm of music when you encounter people who are passionate in their dismissal of music as a subjective form and insist that THEIR taste is the only good one.
   
3. I don't write professionally, so I don't feel any requirements as of yet to see certain things just because "everyone else has." I'll admit, I have not seen "Avatar. I never had any desire to see it and still don't. I'm not going to shell out 10+ bucks to see a movie I don't even want to see just out of some responsibility to the Pop Culture Gods. Now, I'm not going to announce the fact that I didn't watch something as proof of my superiority, like I'm above it all. And I'm going to try my hardest not to criticize something I haven't seen. I even read the Twilight novels just so I could decide for myself whether they were crap or not.
   
4. I'll mostly be writing about television, but I plan on writing about movies, celebrities, and other pop culture things that strike my fancy at any given time.

And so I sign off my first blog post, hoping it's the start of a beautiful friendship with....well, someone who might enjoy and share in my passion. (Also hoping that I don't sound too pretentious in the written form). So I'll sign off with one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies, "You've Got Mail:"

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder: do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."