Category: TV

Incredible Collateral & More

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    • The folks that brought you Toy Story  are coming back with The Incredibles.   The trailer is up now and is a hoot! Man, can I relate to that guy!

  • Tom Cruise is in talks to play a hitman in Collateral, writer-director Michael Mann’s next project. Can I buy a ticket now?
  • Rocky Balboa not only makes the AFI’s “100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains” but cracks the top ten! Take that Luke Skywalker!
  • Martin Scorsese is bringing together a great cast which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale and singer Gwen Stefani to star in “Aviator,” a Howard Hughes biopic. Surprisingly this doesn’t really get me flying.
  • Singer/songwriter Barry Manilow walked into a wall in the middle of the night with such force that it broke his nose and left him unconcious for several hours. Anybody want to chip in for some nightlights?
  • A German judge fined an ill-tempered pizza delivery man $610 for spitting into a salad order. Everyone knows you NEVER tick off the delivery guy!

No TV & More

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  • Don’t you just hate this in-between time for tv seasons? No new epsiodes of “Alias,” Boston Public,” “24,” “The Shield,” “West Wing,” or “ER.” At least I can look forward to new episodes of “Lucky” and “The World Series of Poker.”
  • Stephen Glover aka Steve-O of MTV’s “Jackass” admitted in a Swedish court that he had drugs in his hotel room. “I had an ecstasy pill in my bag and I smoked marijuana in the hotel room. I admit to both of those crimes,” Steve-O said but claimed he was joking about swallowing a condom filled with marijuana and hashish. Jackass indeed!
  • A judge overturned a convicted murderer’s death sentence because jurors consulted Biblical passages such as an “eye for an eye” during death-penalty deliberations. Would there have been a conviction if they had read “turn the other cheek?”
  • A philosophy student took her virginity off the auction block after an anonymous benefactor lent her the tuition money she lacked. “To give or not to give -THAT is the question.”
  • Spiders have infested a county jail in northeast Arkansas, biting at least 15 inmates and confounding the exterminator. Confounding the exterminator? “Uh warden, I’m a bit confused… those little buggers are too fast for a needle and they won’t sit in the chair! What am I to do?”
  • Meow Mix chief executive officer Richard Thompson is recovering — with his sense of humor intact — after being bitten by a Rottweiler. “Talk about turning the other cheek.”

No TV and Strange News

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  • Don’t you just hate this in-between time for tv seasons? No new epsiodes of “Alias,” Boston Public,” “24,” “The Shield,” “West Wing,” or “ER.” At least I can look forward to new episodes of “Lucky” and “The World Series of Poker.”
  • Stephen Glover aka Steve-O of MTV‘s “Jackass” admitted in a Swedish court that he had drugs in his hotel room. “I had an ecstasy pill in my bag and I smoked marijuana in the hotel room. I admit to both of those crimes,” Steve-O said but claimed he was joking about swallowing a condom filled with marijuana and hashish. Jackass indeed!

  • A judge overturned a convicted murderer’s death sentence because jurors consulted Biblical passages such as an “eye for an eye” during death-penalty deliberations.
    Would the conviction have stood if they had read “turn the other cheek?”
  • A philosophy student took her virginity off the auction block after an anonymous benefactor lent her the tuition money she lacked. “To give or not to give -THAT is the question.”

  • Spiders have infested a county jail in northeast Arkansas, biting at least 15 inmates and confounding the exterminator. Confounding the exterminator? “Uh warden, I’m a bit confused… those little buggers are too fast for a needle and they won’t sit in the chair! What am I to do?”
  • Meow Mix chief executive officer Richard Thompson is recovering — with his sense of humor intact — after being bitten by a Rottweiler. “Talk about turning the other cheek.”

Rodriguez, Underworld & More

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* I’m really really looking forward to Robert Rodriguez’s “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” It’s the third in his trilogy. Denmark MSN has posted up some cool shots from it. Check ’em out! [Thanks to Dark Horizons for the link]
* The official site for “Underworld” has opened. Watch the trailer and then mark your calendar for the premiere!
* 33.7 million people tuned in to watch Ruben Studdard win the title of “American Idol” last night. That’s more than the number of people who watch the Academy Awards which is traditionally the most-watched entertainment event of the year!
* Scott Bairstow who appeared in last year’s Disney flick “Tuck Everlasting” as well as in several TV series [“Lonesome Dove,” :Wolf Lake,” “Harsh Realm,” and “Party of Five”] has been charged with having sex with a 12-year-old girl. What’s worse is that she’s a relative by marriage… and the evidence looks like it’s true.

Must See TV?

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  • “The Matrix Reloaded” set one box office record by raking in over $42 million on it’s first day. I“The Matrix Reloaded” should also set a new record for a “R” rated movie’s weekend gross [“Hannibal” holds the record with the $58 million it made during its opening weekend].
  • Rob Lowe’s returning to in a new tv series called “The Lyon’s Den.” I enjoyed him in “West Wing” and would have been more interested if his character there spun off into his own series. Although I may give it a try since there’s nothing else I watch on Sundays at 10PM.
  • “Tarzan and Jane” is a modern day look at Tarzan, but with a twist. He’s been brought back to “the glass and steel canyons of another jungle – New York City. From his rooftop perch, Tarzan protects the city with the primal morality that proclaimed him king of the jungle.” Throw in a love triangle with Jane and you’re on to something… something I would watch except that it’ll be on the same time as “Alias.”
  • James Caan stars in “Las Vegas” as Big Ed Deline, a former CIA agent who runs the best surveillance company in Vegas. “You can bet on high stakes and high-speed action in this adrenaline-fueled drama from the writer of “The Fast and the Furious.” You can bet that I’ll give it a shot.
  • “Jake 2.0” is about computer technician who through an accident can shrink to an atomic level, possesses superhuman strength, lightning-fast speed, heightened hearing, magnified vision and the ability to communicate telepathically with computers. Now if he only has the power to bring in an audience! [I’ll be watching “West Wing.”]
  • Based on the character portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight, “Karen Sisco” could benefit from the curiosity factor and a weak competition. It might be worth a look.
  • “Threat Matrix” follows “a highly specialized, elite task force trained and equipped to counter anyone or anything that threatens our nation. The head of this super-secret team is Special Agent John Kilmer. He reports only to the President and has authority to call upon the technical skills, firepower, and specialist agents of the FBI, CIA and NSA. ” Man, this sounds like fun… the question is can it survive “Survivor”?
  • Joe Pantoliano, [“The Matrix”] is “The Handler,” an FBI agent who trains street operatives and prepares them to go undercover. Maybe.
  • So what looks good to you?

Arnie, Lector and All Stars

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  • Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in an Atari video game based on “T3” that will be released this fall. It’s the first time Schwarzenegger has contributed his likeness and voice to a video game. What’s scary is the game version may be more life-like than the real Arnold! [Just kidding, you know I’m a fan!]
  • “The Lecter Variation: The Story of Young Hannibal Lecter” is now being mapped out by his creator Thomas Harris for a film which will track the cannibal killer from childhood to early adulthood. Hmmm… maybe I’ll have someone over for dinner… and a movie?
  • Richard Hatch, Rudy Boesch, Tina Wesson, Ethan Zohn and Jerri Manthey return next season for a “Survivor” all-star version. Let’s hope that no one tunes in and thinks they’re watching a rerun.

X2, Pop King and More

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  • “X2: X-Men United” held on to the top box-office spot for the second weekend in a row. It took in $40 million for a total of $147+ million!
  • “The King of Pop,” Michael Jackson has sued Universal Music Group for royalties for the re-release of songs he made in the 1970s.
  • CBS loves Ray Ramano, the star of “Everybody Loves Raymond” to the tune of about $1.8 million an episode next season.
  • Boxing’s return to network television has generated competitive ratings and led to talks for more weekly fights. Now that IS good news!
  • The finale of “Survivor: The Amazon” saw 21-year-old Jenna take the crown and the $1 million prize. Man, I was hoping Rob or Matt would win!
  • Whoopi Goldberg, James Caan, Rob Lowe and Alicia Silverstone will have tv shows on NBC in the fall.

Cruise, Ming and OZ

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  • NBA star Yao Ming took center stage at a telethon Sunday, which raised more than $300,000 to help researchers seeking a cure for SARS. The Houston Rockets center said this was his way of giving back to his homeland. If only more celebrities felt this way!

 

  • Was it a break-in or a break-out? Speaking of Prison… I rented season one of OZ. I’ve heard great things about the HBO series… and ya gotta love a good prison story.

Four Things to Look Forward To:

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  • Paramount is going to release a new film version of “The Honeymooners,” based on the classic Jackie Gleason television series. Cedric the Entertainer is set to take over the role once held by Gleason. This movie may be funny… and it does have potential but nothing will ever replace the original series!
  • The “Indiana Jones” trilogy will be released on DVD for the first time on Nov. 4th! It will be a four disk set with behind-the-scenes documentaries, cast and crew interviews and other special features.

  • Jackie Chan is hard at work on “Around the World in 80 Days.” The film is based on the classic Jules Verne novel and should be out sometime in 2004.

  • Elton John and Bernie Taupin are collaborating for a Broadway show based on Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, tentatively titled “The Vampire Lestat,” and aimed for a 2005 theatrical run. This could be interesting!

It’s All About Timing…

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  • ‘Grease’ is still the word at Paramount where reports say that plans for “Grease 3” are well underway. The idea is to set the sequel in the late-’70s, feature plenty of disco music and bring back John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Didi Conn, who played Frenchie, is serving as an executive producer. I was never a fan of either of the “Grease” movies, but there’s no denying that it has a very strong, very loyal following. The time might be right for this one.
  • David Hyde Pierce, who plays Niles Crane, on “Frasier” believes next season will be the last. You know, “Frasier” used to be on my “must see tv” list, but the last couple of seasons I haven’t even tuned in. Seems to me the show “jumped the shark” when Niles married Daphne. It’s time has passed.
  • A lone protester stood outside a sold-out Dixie Chicks concert during the band’s first concert since a member criticized President Bush over the war with Iraq. Seems the protestor’s timing was off.
  • William Bennett [Republican Party activist, former Cabinet secretary, former US Drug Czar and Book of Virtues author] said in a statement today that he was giving up the high-stakes gambling that has cost him millions over the past decade. The timing is right on this one, but Mr. Bennett’s timing was obviously off on his bets.

“X2” – George Wyle – Jennifer Garner – Stephen King and James Brown!

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  • “X2: X-Men United” opened with a projected $85.85 million debut . This would make it the fourth highest opening ever and almost a sure thing to spawn an “X-Men 3.”
    With the popularity of some of the individual characters, such as Wolverine and Nightcrawler, it might be interesting to see them spring off into their own films separate from the other “X-Men.”     What do you think about that idea?

  • George Wyle, who wrote the theme song to “Gilligan’s Island” has died at the age of 87. I was going to say that even if that was the only song that he ever wrote that attained any level of popularity, he had accomplished more than most. The I discovered that he also wrote the Christmas classic “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and more than 400 other songs. Although most people probably don’t know his name, I’ll be they can sing the theme to “Gilligan’s Island”! Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Wyle’s family and friends.

  • “Alias” star Jennifer Garner will replace Gwyneth Paltrow in “Happy Endings,” which is set to shoot this summer in Los Angeles. Lisa Kudrow will co-star in the comedy.It’s really amazing how popular Jennifer Garner has gotten. Seems she’s everywhere these days. Not that I’m complaining! ; )

  • Two new Stephen King stories have been discovered. “The 43rd Dream” and “Code Name: Mousetrap,” are believed to be among the earliest published works of best seller Stephen King. Believe it or not, they appeared in his high school newspaper… copies have been selling on e-Bay for several hundred dollars.

  • James Brown celebrated his 70th birthday Saturday! Ya gotta love it. “The Godfather of Soul” is still touring, has recently lost weight and… uh, he feels good! Ugh!

Who’s “Lucky”?

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There’s a new show premiering on Tuesday at 10PM on FX. It’s called “Lucky” and looks like it might be a winner.

Michael “Lucky” Linkletter is a professional poker gambler. He’s cool, supremely smart, but tragically flawed. He’s a compulsive gambler with a conscience. He’s been on top and also bottomed out. He wants to quit gambling but living in Vegas and with a debt to the mob…

I’ll be watching on Tuesday… and if I’m “Lucky” the show will be a winner.

“The Shield”

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I was ready to write a ZONE piece about Andrew Vachss, or a cool series of sketchbooks that I found on the web, but then I read this article.

If you’re a ZONE regular then you know that I’m a huge fan of The Shield. I was intrigued by the ads for the premiere and it’s ending hooked me. The writing and acting is first rate. ALL of the characters come off as real people. The Shield racked up numerous positive reviews and awards during it’s first season. The question was could they do it again?

As the second season comes to a close, I find myself enjoying The Shield more than ever. In case you haven’t checked it out, FX is going to run a Shield marathon of all of this season’s episodes.

That’s it until tomorrow, when I’ll probably tell you about Andrew Vachss or this cool series of sketchbooks.

Fred Rogers – RIP

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“Won’t you be my neighbor?”

FRED ROGERS, aka Mr. Rogers, died today at the age of 74 from stomach cancer. ROGERS was best known for his children’s show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” He first went on the air in 1954 and entertained and educated millions of children over the years. From all I’ve read, FRED ROGERS was truly a kind and gentle soul.

Our prayers go out to his friends and family.

I’d have been proud to have been his neighbor.

Sammy’s Pleasant Nightmares!

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Everybody loves Sammy Terry. Well, everybody that knows him.

If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, then you probably remember that I wrote about Sammy Terry not a year ago. [Here’s the link if you want to catch up.]

Sammy hosted Nightmare Theater  on Friday nights at 11:00pm. Sammy would rise from a coffin, introduce himself and after a brief monologue about many things [including the movie we were about to see, would invite us to watch – if we dared!

So there we’d be, huddled in the dark, with our popcorn waiting for the monster of the week to appear and scare us! Sammy would return before the movie after commercial breaks with more of his dry humor… and then again, at the end of the movie, Sammy would make his final appearance. Before returning to his coffin, he would always wish us “Pleasant Nightmares!” followed by maniacal laugh.

What’s really cool is that Jerrald Hawkins has created a fan site and movie club dedicated to Sammy Terry. Jerrald has remastered old tapes of Sammy presenting movies. On the last Friday of each month, club members start their tapes at 11PM. Not only are members watching the movies “together” but at the same time they’re also able to take part in a live chat via Jerrald‘s site!

What could make this even better? Well, the tapes are professionally produced. They come in plastic cases with labels giving details of the movie, pictures of SAMMY and his logo… plus Jerrald sends them to members for the cost of the mailing! If this sounds like something you’d like then check out Jerrald’s site!

Even if you’ve never heard of SAMMY TERRY, you’re gonna love him because…… Everybody loves Sammy Terry! [“Until next time… Pleasant Nightmares!]