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Welcome to Movie and TV land! When it comes to TV, what's wrong with being a couch potato? There are lots of shows to discuss. Some are hugely popular, and others are shows you feel you've discovered yourself.
As for movies, whether they're rented (and you're back to the couch) or you still prefer the movie theater experience, they come in all shapes and sizes. It's all about choice! Don't you want to feel like an expert at Oscar time?
7/27/2010 @ 1:17:14 pm by tvtomovies.com
Compared to some summer movies that were supposed to be blockbusters and didn't quite get there, here are just three released in July. Will they pack them in?
Salt - First half-hour is a somewhat confusing fake-out. Just when you finish your popcorn! Offers homage to Bourne films. Jolie plays the title character -- Evelyn Salt -- a CIA agent who, soon after we first meet her, seems to be a spy from the enemy side who, as John le Carré would say, comes in from the cold. Is she a double agent, or do they just think she is? Could she be a Russian spy?
Sorcerer's Apprentice - Mirrors precedents ranging from King Arthur and “Fantasia” to “Harry Potter” and “The Matrix.” Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) is the good guy, and Alfred Molina, a Shakespearean-trained actor, is once again a bad guy as Horvath. But could we once see him as an executive or political leader? What, not when he's been such a bad guy in the past? Balthazar needs an assistant and finds a nerdy helpmate. It takes a lot for this movie to be as good as Mickey Mouse.
Inception - If you like mindless entertainment or you fall asleep in the dark and the theater's comfy chair, this film may not be for you. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, who simply doesn't do bad work. It's intelligent, riveting and unique in concept. It follows the rule of dreams. Dying makes you wake up. Going too far into your mind can put you into limbo. Dreams from memories are dangerous. Yes, there's a lot more information -- mostly what you've never imagined -- and it makes you think. And maybe you'll dream about it that night.
7/19/2010 @ 12:47:39 pm by tvtomovies.com
The documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" follows Joan with a camera crew for a year of her life -- the year she turned 75. Joan has said that once the crew was through filming, she missed having them follow her around.
Name a female comedienne who's had a 40-year career. She's played dives (and still will to get the gig), written movies, written and performed on the Broadway stage. She's appeared in Las Vegas and on television as a permanent guest host on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It was a busy job. He took a lot of nights off. When Joan left The Tonight Show to host her own show in 1986 on Fox, Johnny was livid and never spoke to her again. She still gets no work on NBC. She's written 10 books. She's a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Barnard College. She won Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice."
This movie shows Joan on the stage (carefully doing jokes you haven't heard), and there are several moments when the whole theater is laughing. Loudly. Luckily she pauses briefly, or you'd never hear the next one. (Listen for the Bin Laden joke. It brought the house down.) You actually see Joan in tears about a staffer who abandons her. He was the one who shared most of her memories. As young comediennes credit Joan as a trailblazer, she gives credit to Phyllis Diller, who appears briefly. She's still funny.
Joan's biggest nightmare is to look at her schedule and find an empty page. That happened four times in her life (!), and now she often has four or five bookings or appearances in a day. She also shows her joke file, which she started 30 years ago. Drawers and drawers hold alphabetical cards, each with a joke, each in its appropriate category.
Look for an Academy Award for this documentary. The movie theater I arrived in had seats in only the first three rows. The place was jammed. Remember "March of the Penguins?" Remember "An Inconvenient Truth?" If a documentary finds an audience, an Oscar is usually not far behind. It'll be fun seeing Oscar go to this documentary. And to Joan Rivers.
7/8/2010 @ 2:25:25 pm by tvtomovies.com
A few surprises here and a few sure things, but one snub worth mentioning. How long has Jack Bauer been saving the world? "24" is over, and the Emmy committee didn't mention it. But they must have been distressed about Jay Leno's return to "The Tonight Show," because Conan O'Brien was nominated for his 15 minutes hosting the show.
Will Tina Fey's auto-Emmy come to an end this year with the popularity of Lea Michele in "Glee?" I think Alec Baldwin will win again. As he has before - again and again and again. Supporting comedy actor? Will "Glee" or "Modern Family" take it away from "Two and a Half Men?" (That's Jon Cryer who's won before. Not Charlie Sheen of recent headlines -- he's not mentioned this year.)
You'll love the categories. Outstanding Reality Show Host? Why not Outstanding Game Show Host? Whoops, maybe that's a Daytime Emmy category.
Will there be a "Mad Men" sweep? A "Glee" sweep? A whole lot of "The Good Wife?" Here is the breakdown.
Overall Nominations: ‘The Pacific’ – 24
Most Nods for a Comedy: ‘Glee’ – 19
Most Nods for a Drama: ‘Mad Men’ – 17
Most Nods for a Reality Show: ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – 9
Out with the Biggest Bang: ‘Lost’ – 12
The Emmy Awards will be presented on Sunday, August 29, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. (Huh?)
Check out the full list of nominations at http://www.emmys.com
6/28/2010 @ 1:07:03 pm by tvtomovies.com
Audiences look forward to summer blockbuster movies. They're widely publicized, their stars go on talk shows, and we can't wait. Summer 2010 is in for a shock. Even now in early summer, some highly anticipated films are bombs away.
Shrek Forever After: Not a huge disappointment, just being called an underperformer.
Get Him to the Greek: In another Judd Apatow film, Jonah Hill and Russell Brand haven't filled the seats as expected.
Killers: The first time Katherine Heigl didn't touch gold. The spy thriller with Ashton Kutcher was expected to be a surefire action comedy. But it misfired.
The A-Team: You loved it on TV in the '80's. But you didn't run to see it in theaters? Big disappointment in its first week.
Robin Hood: Ow! It's made nice money, but it cost twice the $100 million it's brought in.
Prince of Persia: We love Jake Gyllenhaal. But he hasn't been an action hero in his former successful movies. And he's not one.
Marmaduke: Did they expect success? Do a lot of people read the comic? Didn't have the tears of Old Yeller or the charm of Marley.
Sex and the City 2: Don't get mad at me if you liked it. It didn't find the audience it anticipated. Who would have thought?
Sometimes I want to go to a movie but can't get there in its first few days. The problem I always find is that after the first week or so, there are lots of other movies pushing my choice out. If you don't line up fast, you may not find that movie you wanted to see.
6/21/2010 @ 10:50:18 am by tvtomovies.com
Have you wondered what Satellite TV offers? Many people feel stuck in TV service that's bundled with other services, but DirectTV through MyTVOptions may be for you. This website offers extensive package choices and includes three months of free premium channels. You can even upgrade to HD DVR.
Special promotions are offered to new customers. What's the most important item for you? Is it HD, sports, movies, local channels? At first I thought of buying the fanciest TV I could find. Then I realized that MyTVOptions Direct TV afforded the picture quality I was looking for. You can go directly to the website to purchase your choice of service. Enter your zip code and choose what's right for you. I immediately saw local options. I let them know the specifics I wanted.
Choose the package that works for you! Just trying out, free for 5 months? Do you need 50 channels or 285? Or maybe something in between, including DVR or maybe HD DVR. You'll find extensive choices in cable packages. Ask your questions with a toll-free number where a representative will assist you. After all, there's a lot to choose from. Maybe the NFL Sunday ticket is for you. It shows over 200 games each season! Watch for the new customer bonus offer -- you might win free HD for life!
At the bottom of the website you can find your own neighborhood and see what is offered for you. DirectTV packages offer a great answer for areas where TV reception is poor. Also look for Dish packages. Find out more at http://mytvoptions.com.
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