06.26.12
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Thank You Wil Wheaton

This is less a review, but more a thank you letter from one Geek Dad to another. I’m a father of 5 wonderful children ages 10-16, and we used to have a weekly family game night.  We got bored of the same old, bland games…until now.

Thank you Wil Wheaton for giving my family so much joy. The countless hours of father-son and father-daughter time you’ve inspired is priceless. You’ve rescued us from Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley.

For those who don’t know, Felicia Day recently launched a YouTube channel, Geek and Sundry. Geek and Sundry presents “the very best of indie geek culture with shows exploring comedy, gaming, comics, music and literature that are sure to captivate audiences every week“.  Shows by geeks for geeks.

Over the last 7 years, 80% of my media consumption is done online (from SModcast to TWiT), so I was very prepared to enjoy what was about to come.  And I was equally prepared and excited to introduce my kids to it.

I was excited to hear of the new channels launch, even participating in the 12-hour subscribathon. During the launch, I got to speak to Felicia during the <em>show off your pets</em> segment, much to the delight of my 10 year old daughter.  The family admiration of Felicia Day’s work made The Flog an instant success in our house. But of all the announced shows, I never would have guessed that Table Top would be our favorite.

We watched Episode 1 (Small World) merely because of Wil Wheaton & Grant Imahara. Wil set the tone early, and we were hooked almost immediately.  It was a fun episode, and the game seemed interesting. But, we were scared to try new things. We had grown tired of the same old Monopoly and Clue, but still couldn’t take the plunge.

Next, came Settlers of Catan. Jane Espenson, James Kyson, and Neil Grayston were an amazing group.  The kids watched with eagerness and tried to determine if we should play the game.  Well produced, funny and all around entertaining; a fun episode with amazing guests. We enjoyed sitting around the TV as a family and watching. But again, we weren’t sure if we could venture into this new world of gaming…until…..Tsuro.

Episode 3 had three games; Zombie Dice, Get Bit, and Tsuro. The episode was again very entertaining, and this time the games were very approachable. We enjoyed Zombie Dice, and especially Tsuro.  Immediately following the episode, I went to Amazon and ordered Tsuro.

It was easy to learn, easy too play, and lots of fun. The long dead family game night had been reborn anew. And the family’s new favorite TV Show was Table Top. But, what came next would turn family game night into family game nights.

Not only was the fourth episode, Ticket to Ride, the most enjoyable to watch yet (Colin and Anne are awesome), but the game looked amazing. We watched it twice, and again I immediately went to Amazon and ordered the game.

We proceeded to play Ticket to Ride anytime there was a free couple of hours (and even when there weren’t). The kids loved it! Everyday when I got home from work the first thing I’d hear is, “Dad, can we play Ticket to Ride tonight?” The game was such a hit in the house we bought the original German version. Ticket to Ride was the family’s all-time favorite game. But, that didn’t last for long…enter Munchkin.

The next episode introduced us to the world of Munchkin. Even without Colin Ferguson, the episode was extremely entertaining; the edition of Felicia Day made the kids extra excited. Felicia had so much fun playing the game, that before the game ended, my 10 year old daughter said, “Dad, are you going to order Munchkin?”… of course, I did. I must also mention, the inclusion of the game creator, Steve Jackson, made the episode extra special.

Since then, we’ve obtained an expansion, The Guild, and the game gets played nearly every day. Munchkin is a complex game, so we re-watch the episode every few days to get a refresher on the stranger rules. When I finish this post, I’m going to order yet another expansion…we’re hungry for more.

This weeks episode, Castle Panic, was entertaining but the game won’t get us off of Munchkin. We’ll file that one for a possible future; it’s going to take allot to get us to be able to fit another game in our rotation.

There is one huge problem with Table Top; it’s only on ever 2 weeks (#sarcasm). Every Friday the kids ask, “Is there a new Table Top?”. We hunger for new episodes, for new ideas. Table Top has become the must-see-TV in our house.

Thank you Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day for saving us from bored-games. Thank you for inspiring countless hours of quality time with my kids. Thank you…

05.20.12
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Grey’s Anatomy Was a Good Show at One Time…Seriously

Ah, Grey’s Anatomy. Back in 2005, I gave Grey’s a chance; mainly because of the participation of Patrick Dempsey. The show quickly grew on me and became a must-see addition to our household lineup.

It didn’t take long for the show to lazily venture from interesting medical drama to soap opera territory. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), once a complex and intelligent character, became annoying, dumb and predictable. Luckily, other characters emerged strong.

First, was Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and George (T.R. Knight). As they developed, Meredith started to (thankfully) fade into the background a little. Of course, this was short-lived. George was killed, and Izzie fell victim to the same lazy writing that ruined Meredith. Allot was said about Heigl’s departure, but she was right. The writers got lazy, and her character became less interesting.

Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) was for the longest time the most consistant ‘bright spot’. As attested to by her many awards for the character, Sandra Oh delivered excellent performances week after week. Still, the writing for the character became derivative and predictable. Even the stellar acting of Oh can’t hide the 1-dimensional writing.

The crux of the issue is the title of the show, Grey’s Anatomy. The character of Meredith is ruined and beyond repair. Pompeo, though a good actor, doesn’t have the ability to save her. A “Grey” needs to be the center of the show.

When Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) joined the show, it looked like the show runners had realized that they needed to replace Meredith as the center of the show. Lexie Grey was a fresh start; she had all the qualities that made Meredith a great character at the start of the series, with none of the baggage that ruined the character. Lexie lived up to this challenge, rarely falling into the creative issues that plagued the other characters. Sadly, Shonda Rhimes jumped the shark this week by killing Lexie Grey.

With Lexie Grey gone, Grey’s Anatomy lost it’s chance at redemption.

05.08.12
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Another Sovereign Era Novel from Matthew Wayne Selznick?

Back in 2008, I read the novel, “Brave Men Run” ( by
Matthew Wayne Selznick ) on a single flight from Detroit to Denver. Was it short in comparison to some novels? Yes. But I was able to finish the book because I just could not put it down. It was that engaging.

Now, Matthew Wayne Selznick asks us to help him decide if he should write another Sovereign Era book.

Selznick says:

I’ve prepared a six-question survey to assess if it makes sense for me to allocate time, energy and resources toward writing, producing and marketing a new Sovereign Era novel featuring characters from “Brave Men Run — A Novel of the Sovereign Era” like Nate Charters, Byron Teslowski, Lina Porter and the gang. While the book — likely called “Pilgrimage” — has been on the backburner for some time, I’d like to figure out if there’s good cause to actually write it.

Go on over to Selznick’s website and take the survey. Let’s get a new novel. I’m looking forward to this.


02.13.12
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How I Met Your Mother – Drunk Train

How I Met Your Mother follows that old “Friends/Seinfeldformula” that has worked so well over the years, but with great improvement. It takes the best of each and melds them into a great show. The ensemble cast just entertains more and more each week. There was plenty of evidence of that this week.

I love the way how characters can grow and evolve, yet keep what makes them funny and interesting. If anyone has grown over the course of the series it is Robin (Cobie Smulders). In tonights episode, she dealt with some pretty serious issues, but kept her personality. I think much of the credit goes to Smulders’ performance. She puts Aniston & Cox to shame. We know Robin isn’t the mother, but we wouldn’t mind it. The reverse Ross-Rachel that is their relationship keeps us thinking what it would have been like if it were true.

I am a little worried about Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Tonight they were nothing but bit-plaing side characters. There only purpose in this episode was to egg-on Robin and Kevin (Kal Penn); no growth. I’ve been worried about coming of the baby (the death of the average sitcom), and this dumbing down of their characters isn’t making me feel any better. For this show to remain high quality Marshall & Lily need to remain strong characters…even with the baby.

The “stars” of the show, Ted (Josh Radnor) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) were their usual selves. There storyline was a perfect demonstration of how character growth can occur while keeping with the funny. We learned a lot about Barney tonight, yet he still managed to keep the chauvanism high, and the one-liners flying. Both him and Ted were able to find the funny tonight…loved it.

Another great episode; most of them are. It’s amazing that this show was almost cancelled.

04.19.11
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Susan Olsen’s New Radio Show

Author, Actor, Krofft Alum, Brady Kid, Animal Friend and Political Commentator Susan Olsen has ventured back onto the Radio with a new show with her friend Sheena Metal. Tonight on the Sheena Metal show, Susan and Sheena announced they are teaming for a radio, call in talk show centering on politics.

Those who follow Susan on Facebook know she is very vocal about her political views. Some liberal, some conservative…some Libertarian….a devoted animal activist who speak out against PETA. The discussions she instigates are informative and fun.

Sheena and Susan haven’t described the show very much, but gave us a preview of the discussions they will be having. Gun control, campaign financing, the 2008 election, and more all in 1 hour. They both seemed to posses very similar viewpoints, so I am glad they will be taking calls from the audience.

“Two Chicks Talking Politics” will be debuting the first week of May on LA Talk Radio. A one hour a week show (time to be announced). I can’t wait!

03.24.11
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Box Office Failure – DVD Success

Today I was reading a post over at AMC Theaters writer John Campea’s blog. In the post, John asks why Simon Pegg movies don’t have box office draw.

…with the opening of “PAUL” this past weekend we have the continuation of a disturbing trend. In North America, people just don’t go out of their way to see Simon Pegg on screen… at all

I started thinking about not only Simon Pegg movies, but the bulk of movies that find success only on DVD. The two I picked for this discussion are Shaun of the Dead and Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Both are movies that were a disappointment at the box office, but has had huge success on DVD. Think… 9 out of 10 people you know has seen these movies and enjoyed them, but maybe 1 of them saw it in the theater.

I started to formulate an opinion once I went back to watch the Paul trailer. Like Shaun and Miri before, I noticed that the way Paul was marketed almost asked you to wait for the DVD. I then went back to the Shaun and Miri trailers and saw the same thing. The tone of the trailers are such that it doesn’t give you the desire to see soon, or at the theaters. The tone of the trailer is no different than a SyFy movie or straight to DVD film. When I first saw the trailer to “Paul” I actually said to my wife, “I can’t wait to see that on DVD”.

I’m not saying this is the reason, no one can understand the proclivities of the movie-going public, but I believe it’s part of the cause. What do you think? Does the tone of the trailer have something to do with the lack of box office success?

11.14.10
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Sid & Marty in Person November 20th


Los Angeles area Krofft fans, I just received this press release about a live appearance next week.

SID & MARTY KROFFT, the legendary creators of H.R. PUFNSTUF, SIGMUND & THE SEA MONSTERS, BUGALOOS, LIDSVILLE and more children’s TV favorites of the 70′s will make a rare appearance at the Every Picture Tells A Gallery in Santa Monica on Saturday, November 20 at 5:30 PM.

The gallery will feature an extensive exhibit of photographs, original art and production design from the shows, limited edition prints and collectible toys. Prior to the reception, the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre will screen the feature film, PUFNSTUF at 3:30 PM.

Every Picture Tells A Story is located at:
1333 Montana Avenue,
Santa Monica, CA 90403.
Phone is (310) 451-2700.

For more information and art,
contact:
Lee Cohen
lee@everypicture.com

10.29.10
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Bid on Lunch With Cindy Brady for Charity


Once again you can bid to win lunch with one of your favorite star from “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” for charity. Precious Paws is having a fundraiser where you can bid to have lunch with Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) and Erin Murphy (Tabitha from Bewitched). The auction is chock full of a number of celebrity memorabilia and other fun things to bid on. Precious Paws says:

Precious Paws

Celebrities Support Online Auction for Los Angeles Pet Rescue Organization
Annual online event for Precious Paws to feature lunches with actors, entertainment memorabilia

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 27, 2010) – Stargazers rejoice: the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction will be held from October 28th – November 7th. The online auction supports Precious Paws, a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Encino, Calif. The auction, held exclusively on the Precious Paws eBay store, will include star-powered items for fans and Hollywood followers of all ages.

Among featured auction items are VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in New York City with a backstage meet and greet with Richie Sambora. Another show-stopping item comes from Adrianne Curry, who has donated a custom designed midi chopper airbrushed with her first Playboy pictorial.

“I know the effort and heart that was poured into this bike, and if it can bring someone half the happiness it brought me in the name of charity, I’ll be a very happy woman,” said Curry. “I got both of my babies (Sgt. Pepper and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) from Precious Paws, and can think of no one else I would have given my bike to.”

The auction also features opportunities to have lunch with notable celebrities, including: Eric Roberts, an Academy Award nominee for his role in “Runaway Train”; Cherie Currie of the Runaways; Susan Olsen, known for her role as Cindy on “The Brady Bunch”; Erin Murphy, known for her role as Tabitha Stevens on “Bewitched”; Emmy Award winning soap star Drew Tyler Bell; and Rod Rodenberry.

“I have known Georgyne La Lone and Penny Juday for years and I know how dedicated they are to their cause. I am happy to help by offering a lunch with myself to support their organization, Precious Paws,” said Rod Rodenberry, the son of legendary “Star Trek” creator Gene Rodenberry.

For additional information about the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction, please go to their official auction website or contact Georgyne LaLone, president and founder of Precious Paws, at GeorgyneLaLone@PreciousPaws.org.

About Precious Paws

Since 2003, Precious Paws has been rescuing unwanted companion cats and dogs in Southern California from both the streets and local shelters. A 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization, Precious Paws is dedicated to spaying or neutering, vaccinating, and testing each animal rescued before they are placed for adoption into permanent homes. For more information, please visit www.preciouspaws.org.

Auction Catalog

Two VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in New York City in the spring of 2011, including a backstage meet and greet with Richie Sambora

Two VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in Las Vegas in the spring of 2011, including a swag bag

Lunch with Susan Olsen and Erin Murphy

Lunch with Eric Roberts

Lunch with Rod Rodenberry

Lunch with Drew Tyler Bell

Two tickets to a Cherie Currie concert and a backstage meet and greet in 2010/2011

Adrianne Curry’s midi chopper

A phone call from Bobby Sherman

Entertainment memorabilia galore

Download Press Release Here

Bid on Adrianne Curry's ChopperAlso Krofft/Brady related, up for bid is Adrianne Curry’s (wife of Chris Knight/Peter Brady) midi chopper from <a href=http://www.beverlyhillschoppers.com/" Beverly Hills Choppers.

12.31.09
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What is next for Sid and Marty?

With the lackluster performance of Land of the Lost this past year, what does the future hold for Sid and Marty Krofft? Krofft Productions defined Saturday morning & variety television in the 1970s. No matter how awful these shows appear to us today, they live in the memories of an entire generation of kids…and maybe their nightmares too.

It seemed like a sure thing…Will Ferrell and dinosaurs, what better way could you bring Krofft productions to the 21st century? Whatever happend, it didn’t work and some momentum was lost. That leaves the question of how to get the next Krofft movie on the big screen. H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund the Sea Monster were already in the pipe prior to Land of the Lost, so let’s explore them.

With the recent release of “Where the Wild Things Are”, Spike Jonze illustrated both what to do, and what not to do when mixing low-tech costumes and high-tech effect. The character of H.R. Pufnstuf can learn a lot from Wild Things. Sid and Marty are still costume masters, so expect them to up the anti. They can also learn from the story, as Marty said “Don’t mess with what worked“. Removing the 70s camp, and inserting some 21st century realism without loosing the childhood innocense will make Pufnstuf a wonderful film. A cameo from Billie Hayes is also a must.

Sigmund on the other hand could be tricky. Where Pufnstuf takes place in the magical “Living Island”, the Sigmund story takes place in the ‘real world’. The entire premise is camp. The story and costumes would require an update. Does Sigmund still talk? Does the story take on a Waterhorse style? It would be amazing to see the story of Johnny and his pal Sigmund come to the big screen (music and all), but I just can’t imagine how it would work. Maybe Pufnstuf would pave the way.

One of the problems I see is that Sid and Marty aren’t doing enough self promotion. They are not following the advice of Walt Disney that Sid quotes often, “keep your name above the title”. It wasn’t “Sid & Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost”, it was “Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost”. Yes, they are releasing more and more of their shows online (Hulu, iTunes, etc), but not promoting it well. They partnered with the already dieing MySpace, which has done nothing for their online presence except associate them with trashy chicks and dudes hoping to hook up (I’m not saying everyone on MySpace is that way, but it is the overwhelming majority).

Sid and Marty, get your name back “above the title”.

11.26.09
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V – ABC is going to ruin it

V - The OriginalThe first 4 episodes of the new “V” has aired. How does it stack up to the original? I say, “great”. But why take 3 months off?!?!

Let’s take a beloved classic television event and remake it with popular television actors, and update the story to be more relevant to todays world. Then, just as it’s getting off the ground, let’s take it off the air for 3 months including February Sweeps. Yeah, let’s do that. That’s smart…really smart….not!. This seems more like a Fox move than ABC (re: Firefly, Dollhouse, etc). Most people will forget about “V” by the time it comes back around. Fail.

It started off great and took a few episodes to hit its stride. Yes, it is very annoying that the ‘visitors’ are call “The V’s”. Very stupid. “V is for victory”…remember? The only character I’m not to happy with is Georgie. I don’t know if it’s the actor or the character, but I cringe when he is on the screen. This should be more pivotal, but is merely filling a gap to bring the 3 main resistance fighters together. He’s no Mike Donavan or Ham Tyler.

Speaking of Mike Donavan. Scott Wolf’s character (Chad Decker) needs more development. We expect his journey to be the same as Marc Singer’s in the original, so you have to give us more development pre-rebel. The focus can’t constantly be on Erica.

Elizabeth Mitchell (Erica) is performing terrific as the lead of the series. Her character is very believable and fits well with Ryan and Father Jack. When it comes to Erica, we are seeing way too much of her son. I understand the parallels to the original with the recruitment of Tyler, but there is too much. It doesn’t help that Logan Huffmann (Tyler) and Laura Vandervoort (Lisa) are not the best performers. Laura seems to be playing the same character she played on Smallville without the super powers.

Father Jack (Joel Gretsch) is also a great character. His journey is and will be interesting to watch. The priest in the original was a supporting player, but I like that he was made a main character here. It’s more interesting.

ABC V Pilot 3.JPGAnna (Morena Baccarin) and the other top Visitors are played well. I like that they are playing them ‘wooden’; it makes it more believable. The ‘just like us’ mannerisms of the original series would have been a little campy.

The 5th Column is handled well. Ryan (Morris Chestnut) is a believable character, and I like how they mixed the themes of 5th column and crossbreeding from the original into this single character. He is played strongly, and I see him as a recruiter for Chad Decker.

In all, “V” started out strong, and is really just hitting the mark to be a great series. Too bad ABC is giving is treating it so badly. I hope it survives.