Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
While people debate whether John From Cincinnati is worth the effort or Entourage still has its mojo or Flight of the Conchords is the best new thing including the iPhone, I have to point out that the top first-run HBO show on right now remains Big Love.
Want a show that challenges you (without forcing you to scratch your head half the time)? Big Love does. Want a show with compelling, three-dimensional characters? Big Love has 'em - even a few of the quirky kind if that suits you. Want great performances? Big Love is overrun with them – to the point where the four leads are challenged every episode for acting supremacy by knockout supporting players like Harry Dean Stanton, Grace Zabriskie, Mary Kay Place and, it seems at times, half the supporting cast of Veronica Mars. And the stories in Big Love are filled with drama while being surprisingly spare of melodrama.
I hear more people warming up to JFC. There's definitely a there there, I have no doubt. There's an intriguing mystery, and there are occasional winning moments – most evidenced in Sunday's episode by the warmth between Butch and Kai. But JFC remains tremendously uneven: long sequences pass that are dull, and the majority of the characters still have little going for them.
I found myself thinking about JFC the other night and realizing that if someone randomly killed off this character or that character, I wouldn't care. I might be shocked about the death, but I'd shrug at the absence. Mitch and Cissy seem to have no other dimension other than to whine or sulk. The motel gang, while ably filling the Shakespearean role of fools and sidekicks, have minor arcs at best and are plain expendable. Bill and John spout off in their own ways, all of which fuels the mystery but none of which fuels any interest. And so on.
By the end of Sunday's episode, I had decided that I would no longer make an effort for JFC, not because I was hating it, but just because I felt I could find myself with better things to do over its remaining hours. That doesn't mean I won't watch it again; I just don't feel the payoff is going to be worth the intermittent ennui. Those of you who are hooked can carry the torch without me - I got too many other things to watch to wait for this Godot.
In any case, I think someone needs to speak up for Big Love, because however many positives JFC offers, Big Love dwarfs them. On back-to-back nights this summer, HBO explores the meaning of faith, the meaning of love and the meaning of life, and there should be no doubt that the network does a more enthralling job of it on Mondays.
* * *
Ratatouille was fine in the end but overall a disappointment, especially after hearing friends and colleagues give it strong praise.
The opening act had me eyeing the exits. In particular, there's a long scene in the opening that has to be the most atrocious thing Pixar has ever produced. Forget for a moment that it was violent in an unmitigated way that I thought we had decided was completely unsuited for children in this day and age. It was more punishing in how unoriginal and unfunny it was. I grew up watching Warner Bros. cartoon characters getting their faces blown off and I survived, but I certainly wouldn't endorse doing this in today's gun-laden culture without the material at least being clever. It was a hateful scene, and I can't believe it came out of Brad Bird or that people have been tolerating it.
Things got better as Ratatouille progressed, but the other problem with the film is that the proratonist is a humdrum character who basically conveys two unnuanced emotions: frustration and happiness. Remy (Patton Oswalt) is not deep, that's for sure. He would redeem himself, but he got on my nerves more than once.
The best characters in Ratatouille are Linguini (Lou Romano) and Colette (Janeane Garofalo). They were the most human and the most humorous, and they carried the movie when they were allowed to. I rooted for Remy mainly because his success was tied into Linguini's success.
The film is shot beautifully, with particularly extraordinary sequences taking place involving water and later large groups of rodents. And the film has its laughs (though not as many as the Pixar short that preceded it, Lifted), and the climactic moment has a surprisingly huge payoff, given what had preceded it. Overall, I left feeling Ratatouille was a mediocre work and particularly disappointing for a Pixar pic.
I'm not sure how someone could expect to kill a rat with a shotgun.
The first time Remy is inside the restaurant kitchen was a remarkable bit of animation with its great use of how a rat views the world.
I would agree with you to a point. The problems/issues that the protagonist and to a lesser degree, the supporting characters, are dealing with is what seems so out there for me. I just can't get past it. Big Love reminds me of the FX show "The Riches". Have you seen any of the first season? Both have great casts, both are well written, and both have the potential to be excellent but the downfall is the same. The basic plot is just to weird and it subsequently trickles it's weirdness into the episodes week after week. I watched all of the first season of "The Riches" at my wife's behest and for the simple fact that I think Eddie Izzard is a genius. After the season finale though, I don't think I'll be back for season two. Maybe I should've given Big Love the whole season before I made up mind.
But the show didn't have anything in it, except confusing plots, murky lighting, and bad accents.
I mean, the characters in "Oz" were more likeable than the JFC characters.
It started somewhat strong (and weird) then got more and more confusing and just plain bad as the season progressed. Eddie Izzard for as great as he is, had some very ham like performances in the first season too. I thought that was the biggest travesty.
You were definitely right about the payoff.
10
Initially I took offense, but now all is forgiven :)
I love Big love as well but havent caught Mondays episode yet. My wife is hooked on that show. She loves it.
I am so annoyed because yesterday I was all set to watch apocalypto and got thru the first 6 minuets and the DVD from blockbuster started skipping. Is it worth going back and getting it again. I was pretty into it for the first few minuets.
I was more perturbed with the NY Times review of "The Riches" which made it seem like I was just too stupid to appreciate the brilliance of the show.
I actually don't think JFC is the same way. I don't see that show saying, "Look at me! I'm quirky! Appreciate me! Love me!"
I missed Big Love's first season when it aired, but then caught up with on HBO On Demand and was hooked. Very good characters.
I with you on that. Deadwood was easily my favorite show on t.v. I see some similarities in the two shows and that's why I think I am more inclined to stick with JFC. I'm still totally confused but in a good way. I remember when I started watching Deadwood, it took me a good 5-6 episodes before I felt like I completely understood the dialouge and what was going on.
I'm starting to think that maybe I wrote Big Love off too quickly. I should just get over my hang up with it and take it for what it is.
I don't think that there was anything brilliant about 'The Riches' at all..............well on second thought there must have been something because I got suckered in to watching the whole first season. But like I stated before, I won't be back for season two and I have a sneaking suspicion maybe the show won't be back either.
I saw Ratatouille yesterday, and I liked it more then Jon did, but still not as great as The Incredibles is. I also thought the gun scene was quite harsh for a G-rated movie, even though I'm a huge fan of Looney Tunes shorts that feature the same kind of thing. (Looney Tunes were always intended as cartoons before non-family films though, not as kid's fare.) The sewer scene was absolutely amazing, and the movements and textures of all the rats were really great, better than I've seen fur shown in CG. The voice work was all very good as usual. I especially liked O'Toole as the food critic. I think my biggest gripe is that it did not succeed in overcoming the disgust for the very idea of a rat preparing food for people. The end especially didn't quite work for me. I know it's a kid's cartoon, and the whole idea of the movie was the irony of a rat NOT wanting to settle for eating garbage. But I just couldn't go that far. Maybe the rats looked TOO good for me to overlook that. Gotta admit that it was daring though.
I haven't seen Ratatouille mainly because I'm just tired of rats being the main star in so many animated movies. I have to kill rats on a periodic basis around my house and it doesn't make it any easier to do that and enjoy a movie about an intelligent rat. Seems silly but as a young child one of my favorite books was "Mouse and the Motorcycle" or something like that and to this day everytime I've trapped a mouse/rat I wonder about the family waiting for him/her at home.
I liked O'Toole too. I loved his moment of recalling his childhood - very Proustian, no?
I find myself watching JFC the same way I watched Heroes- I'm intrigued enough to want to watch the next episode really badly immediately after one episode ends, but I have no interest in the characters enough to sustain that interest from week to week. After a while, life got in the way of Heroes, and I fell by the wayside. I think the only thing that keeps me going with JFC is that there's nothing else going on on Sundays.
Big Love lost my interest quickly. My roommate still watches it, but I'm not sad I dropped off.
This season has been a complete disaster in general, Ari hasn't had enough to do and with less Ari around the train wreck that is the central foursome is on prime display. At this point, the main thing "Entourage" has going for it is being surrounded by other shows I watch. That said, "FotC" had its weakest episode last night and not much happened in "JfC", so mediocre night all around by HBO.
Entourage is not having a great time with plotting or humor these days - it seems to be trading on the show's popularity more than anything. I got too tired to finish FotC but I was enjoying it quite a bit - I loved what they did with the song Bret wrote for his girlfriend - Jermaine's help was priceless.
I also agree about Entourage: horrible season so far. The only somewhat enjoyable part last night was the bit about M. Night Shyamalan, and even that was executed in a way that it fell short of funny. It's as if the writers have forgotten what made the show likeable in the first place. The only thing that made me smile was seeing Ned Ryerson on HBO for the second week in a row.
Ari needs his own show.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/top10simpsons200708?currentPage=2
I can put 1-4 on a top 10 list with no arguments although I might not put them in that order.
The "Evita" takeoff shouldn't have a double or single digit number associated with it.
"Two Bad Neighbors" is overrated.
Since the list does not include "El Viaje Misterioso de Homer Simpson", I'm skeptical.
There are also no first season episodes chosen or ones that feature Albert Brooks.
"Homer vs Lisa and The Eighth Commandment" and "Life on the Fast Lane" are tremendous.
Jacques: I know, I know. My mind says stop, but my heart, and my hips, cry
proceed. [Marge reacts accordingly] Marge darling, I - I want to
see you tomorrow. Not at Barney's Bowlorama, away from the
thunderous folly of clattering pins. Meet me tomorrow for Brunch.
Marge: What's Brunch?
Jacques: You'd love it, It's not quite breakfast, it's not quite lunch, but
it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end. You don't get
completely what you would at breakfast, but you get a good meal!
Don't forget:
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=hottopic&id=2578
http://www.variety.com/simpsons
Agree with you, Jon, about JFC - I gave up on it.
Disagree pretty strongly about Ratatouille but I'm not entirely convinced it is a kid's movie. I think Brad Bird is a filmmaker, who happens to use animation as his medium of choice, who makes films for adults that many kids can also enjoy. I did find the mid-section a little talky and noticed a few kids around me were a bit restless during it, but everyone was involved in Act 3, the last 20 minutes or so are a hoot. I also loved the choice of Patton Oswalt and all the voice actors.
Who needs JFC when we have Flight of the Conchords and other shows to keep us out of trouble.
And laugh for lines like:
This is so weird. It's like something out of Dickens...or "Melrose Place".
Burns: Yes, I'd like to send this letter to the Prussian consulate in
Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 autogyro?
Kid: Uh, I better look in the manual.
Wiggum: Put out an APB on a Uosdwis R. Dewoh. Uh, better start with Greektown.
Friday: That's "Homer J. Simpson", Chief. You're reading it upside down.
Wiggum: Uh, cancel that APB. But, uh, bring back some of them, uh, giros.
Friday: Uh, Chief? You're talking into your wallet.
Some they missed that I feel belong:
Homer goes to Clown College.
Homer thinks Bart is gay (with John Waters).
Homer buys a gun.
I also think the first episode of "Who killed Mr. Burns" is great.
42 I still die laughing at the FedEx parody in Who Shot Mr Burns (part 1).
Other favorites: The Old Man and the Lisa "Re-cy-cling? I'm afraid I don't know what that is, you young ragamuffin."
And the Mansion Family. "Your rich uncle Homer is throwing the wildest box social the high seas have ever seen!"
"Social security number: naught-naught-naught. Naught-naught. Naught-naught-naught-two. Damn Roosevelt. Cause of parents' death: they got in my way."
No, no you're not.
Essentially, though, it doesn't matter whether it was a kids movie or not. That scene isn't a good one for any age group. Again, it's not the violence that bothers me; it's the pointlessness of the violence.
48 Though apparently the Stonecutters' power is waning. We have hybrid electric cars, and I can't tell you the name of the last movie Steve Guttenberg was in.
But I think they've expanded.
I have never met a nice Serbian waitress at mine.
"Why must you turn this office into a house of lies?"
"Let's take a look at the big book of British smiles."
I want to like this show, and sometimes I do like it. But Sunday was about five minutes worth of plot stretched over 50 minutes, with no payoff.
The characters are all in different shows. Cissy is a refugee from a bad Eugene O'Neill production. John is out of a bad sci-fi movie. The two dope dealers, or whatever they are, use that David Milch-is-Damon Runyon way of talking that reminds me of NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues, with the only difference being these conversations have no point. Linc is a villain who has, so far, failed to demonstrate any villainous behavior, just mildly sleazy. The idea that he is somehow responsible for the dope-taking surfer's dope-taking doesn't wash. Didn't he lose money, too?
There weren't even any cool surfing sequences last week.
But I'll keep at it. HBO and its various outcroppings show it so often, it's not hard to catch up with it.
Big Love is okay, but never seems like an urgent thing to watch. The plotlines seem to be only fair, but the character portrayals are very good. It's a bit like Knots Landing, isn't it? Good looking people in the suburbs with complicated problems nobody in real life has.
At least that's how I view it.
Sissy thinks that Shaun will end up the same way if he becomes too famous too soon.
But Shaun's mom is the Babe Ruth of porn!
Linc is a turd. He's a terrible villain.
Linc's camera broad/Femme Fatale is so hot.
I'm sticking with the show, but not for long.
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