Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Evan Bryce is one of the good guys. He’s started a new webcomic over at his blog that features his character Rick Dangerous. Expect a lot of action and a lot of fun. Check it out and tell him I sent ya!
One of the reasons that I enjoy watching American Idol is that occasionally one of the contestants will present a new version of a song that really works. Chris Daughtry’s “Walk the Line” and Blake Lewis’ “Time of the Season” are two examples. [Yeah, I know that Daughtry’s take was based on Live’s cover of the Johnny Cash classic.]
Recently David Cook took a shot Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”. It was amazing. I was knocked out by David’s Cook’s “Billie Jean”. It was bold, innovative and actually Chris Cornell’s “Billie Jean”. Shades of Daughtry.
This one is for Rafael Kayanan and Chris Mills. [with thanks to Bill Crider.] – Craig
When I was a little kid I loved movies about UFOs and extraterrestrials. As I got older, I still enjoyed the [good] movies featuring them, but I became less and less convinced that we’d ever find conclusive proof that they truly exist.
Sure, I’ve seen tons of videos of UFOs like this one flying over the beach which claim to be real. I’ve seen even more like this one which proves itself to be less than a UFO. I’ve heard claims from all kinds of UFO experts and even folks like this former Governor, this former candidate for President, and this former President. But it may be the expert known as the UFO Guy that presents the strongest case ever for the existence of extra, uh, exterter, um, exterest… aliens.
On Wednesday, April 2nd at 10pm on SPIKE, the new season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off. This time the coaches are Rampage Jackson and Forrest Griffin who will, of course, fight in the season finale. What looks to make this season even more interesting is that 32 fighters will be there at the start and each will have to fight and win his way on to the show!
Yesterday I headed over to the third Sketch Society meeting of 2008. It’s always held on the last Saturday of the month at the Java Junction in Holly Hill. You never know who’s going to show up. Due to the great summer weather and other commitments, the only folks who made the get together were John Beatty, Mark Dail. It was still a lot of fun. Mark was able to work on some art assignments for college and Big J created some Upper Deck Sketch Cards [wish I could show you photos of them…].
The next Sketch Society get together is April 26th at the Java Junction. If you like to sketch or hang out with those that do, then come on by. The food is good [they serve great sandwiches] and the company is even better.
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us 
Empire magazine has selected their 50 ALL-TIME Best TV SHOWS. Okay, I’ll play using only shows on their list, below is my TOP TEN:
10. ER
09. Lost
08. The Sopranos
07. Frasier
06. The West Wing
05. Prison Break
04. 24
03. The Shield
02. Star Trek
01. Seinfeld
And, I’ll ask again… “Where is The Wild, WIld West?
The Bad: The vampyre freaks. The side show. The beating Joe takes.
The Ugly: Joe Pitt’s vengeance.
The Summary: Half the Blood of Brooklyn is an excellent example of why Charlie Huston is one of my favorite writers. He’s created a world of vampyres that could exist outside my window NOW. The only caveat is that the books are best read in order: Already Dead; No Dominion; Half the Blood of Brooklyn.
The poster doesn’t impress me, but I do like 
How aware are you? In less than 30 seconds you can find out. – Craig
CBS has announced that Jericho has been cancelled. This is pretty sad news for fans [myself included] who’ve followed the show since episode one.Jericho was one of those shows that seemed to gain momentum as the season progressed. The season one premiere left me feeling that Jericho had a great concept, and the potential to be really good or it go the opposite direction and become a “new romance / save one of the townsfolk” of the week dramas. Instead it became a compelling vision of life in a small town cut off from the rest of the country after the US was the victim of multiple nuclear attacks. Increasingly, I found myself anticipating each new episode. I was sad to learn that Jericho was cancelled at the end of the first season.
Of course we’re all aware that Jericho was saved by a massive fan base and brought back for an abbreviated season two. Unfortunately, season two got off to a slow start. There was a new focus — instead of being about how the folks of Jericho were going to survive life after nuclear attacks, the show took a broader canvas and became about how the country would survive a potential overthrow from within. The change was jarring, but for those of us who stayed with Jericho, we were treated to a show that had the potential to be even better than the first season. I was diggin’ the direction of the show and again looking forward to each new episode.
Unfortunately, Jericho has been cancelled yet again. One thing I’ve learned from the show and it’s fan base, is it ain’t over until it’s over. Hopefully Jericho will find new life on a different network [perhaps the SCIFI channel?] and the story will continue to unfold. If so, I’ll be coming along for the ride.
The extremely talented Joe Bluhm is interviewed here. It’s short, sweet and worth a look!
