Alias Update...

It seems I won't have to boycott ABC after all! (Whew...I really wasn't excited about having to give up Lost just yet.) Here is what Kristin had to report on the subject...

"...Alias is returning Apr. 19 for eight more hours (meaning it is getting all the episodes ABC promised). I'm hearing it will air Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. The midseason premiere will be two hours, followed by four one-hour episodes for the next four weeks and then a two-hour series finale that will air, at least by my count, somewhere around May 24 or so."

I am still pretty peeved that they shortened the season by 5 episodes. That's like changing 24 into 19. You just don't do that. But at least they will be finishing the season!

200th Post...AND Bad News...

I can't believe it! This is my 200th posting on this blog! Wow.

Unfortunately I also have some bad news to report. Or rather Kristin Veitch at E! Online does. Apparently ABC has cut its order of Alias episodes from 22 to 17. And the writers are nervous they may not even get the last 8 (9 have already aired), especially since ABC has yet to announce when the show is returning.

I can't even begin to express how mad this makes me. I even called ABC and left a message on their Audience Relations Department voicemail. (The number is (818) 460-7477 if anyone wants to leave their own message. Address is: ABC, Inc. 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521-4551. And click here to write them an email.) This is what my message said...

"Hello. I am calling to lodge a complaint. Kristin at E! Online is reporting that Alias will not get a full season of episodes. I am incredibly angry about this. If this is how your network treats its viewers, I have no reason to continue watching ABC. Obviously you are only interested in the bottom line, not making creative programming. I am a fan of LOST, but it has because clear that you will probably screw its fans over eventually as well. It is only a matter of time. Good-bye."

IF (and only if) ABC does air the remainging 8 episodes will I continue with Lost. If it cuts the order any further, or (**shudder**) doesn't air them at all, I will never watch another ABC program again as long as I live (yes, this includes the Oscars, and any future Super Bowls that may air on ABC). Like I said in my message to ABC, they are only interested in the bottom line. For the longest time ABC did not have a single hit, and Alias was one of their highest rated shows, and the only show that faired well with the much sought after 18-49 demographic. Now that they have some bona fide hits like Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy, they don't need the lower rated Alias. Forget the fact that it used to be the only bright spot on their schedule, and deserves a proper send-off! That doesn't matter! The only thing that matters to the executives at ABC is money. Obviously it is their job to worry about money, but outraging fans is not the way to ensure profits. And have they forgotten that Alias and Lost share a creator, and therefore fans? You tick off one fan-base enough, and it starts to impact the other. Besides, this attitude goes straight to the root of my fears with Lost. The people who run Lost have said that they only want the show to run a couple more seasons, feeling that they have a very specific goal that they can achieve in that amount of time, and already have a tentative plan in place to get there. However, do you really think ABC is going to let one of the top rated shows on TV disappear after only 4 (5 at the most) seasons? Not likely. They will probably fire the producers who want to limit the show's run, and hire people who will run the show into the ground, until every last drop of advertising profit has been squeezed from it.

Initially, I was very happy with how ABC was handling the canceling of Alias. It was expected that this would be the last season, and they did the right thing and cancelled the show early in the season, giving the writers plenty of time to wrap things up satisfactorily. But now, even if ABC does air the remaining 8 episodes ($#&%, it should be 13!!!), I will always remember how Alias got the shaft. Thanks, ABC!

iMac ad...

Make sure you watch the ENTIRE video.

One More Movie I Missed...

300: This one is based on Frank Miller's graphic Novel of the same name. I told you comics influence my taste in movies!! Here is a synopsis of the film from the official site...

"Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy."

Yeah, the description is a little over the top, if not downright cheesy, but it sounds like it could be a decent movie. Or absolutely horrible. No middle ground here.

The concept art and production blog make it seem like they are remaining faithful to the source material, just like Sin City did, even though Frank Miller is not co-directing this one. Still, even without Miller, Zack Snyder is NO Robert Rodriguez. Snyder's only other theatrical release was 2004's remake of Dawn of the Dead. I will remain open minded, but I think it is possible that the producers are trying to cash in on the sucess of Sin City without any of the talent. After all, Sin City's cast was a "who's who" of Hollywood (off subject: it is rumored that Angelina Jolie will be in the next installment of Sin City. I'll keep you posted.), and 300 is the exact opposite. Gerard Butler? Best known as the Phantom of the Opera in the recent film adaptation. It could be nice to have some unknowns, so long as they know how to act.

So once again, I obviously have my reservations about this one, but will give it the benefit of the doubt. Besides, with no actual release date, this one may end up on my list of movies to see in 2007 (where Sin City 2 currently resides, sadly postponed. Let me assure you, I have NO reservations about that one!!).

24...

Three cheers for Martha Logan!

Hip-hip, hooray! Hip-hip, hooray! Hip-hip, hooray!

One More...

Another movie I forgot to add to yesterday's post...

The Da Vinci Code: I read Dan Brown's book Angels & Demons, to which his Da Vinci is a sequel, and can't say I was impressed, and it had nothing to do with the controversial nature of the book (yes, even this one was controversial; more on that in a minute). Personally, I thought the story itself had a lot of potential, even if I do not buy into it. But Brown's writing left much - no, make that TONS - to be desired. Wooden characters populated unbelievable situations resolved in even more unbelievable ways. The story itself, about a longstanding war between the Catholic Church and a secret organization known as the Illuminati could have made for a great read in the hands of a better author than Brown. There were plenty of interesting things in the book, regarding a massive conspiracy, but, as has been proven time and time again, the veracity of Brown's "research" is often as lacking as his writing ability. However, people, especially those who protest Brown's work, forget one big thing: THIS IS FICTION!!! J.R.R. Tolkien's books may have maps and seemingly accurate information, but it doesn't make middle earth any more of a real place. Brown's work needs to be looked at for what it is, fiction. Not particularly good fiction, but fiction none the less. After finishing Angels & Demons I decided to wait for the movie version of The Da Vinci Code, and, should it be as bad as the first book, at least I only wasted two hours. All that said (whew!), I actually am quite curious about the movie itself. Unfortunately, I know most of the twists and turns of the story from watching a Dateline on the book (which completely refuted the book's claims in under an hour), but I hope it will still be an enjoyable movie-going experience. I have liked a lot of Ron Howard's movies (such as Backdraft, Apollo 13, and A Beautiful Mind), and I like Tom Hanks, Ian McKellen, and Audrey Tautou. Hopefully these talented people will be able to take Brown's story outline and breathe some life into it.

The Movies of 2006!

Just like I did last year, I want to post the movies that I am looking forward to this year.

Mission Impossible III: I haven’t even seen the first two MI movies (and I have no real desire to, either), but am looking forward to Felicity, Alias and Lost genius J.J. Abrams’ big-screen-directorial-debut. That is about the only reason I am looking forward to it, too. Well, maybe not the ONLY reason: MI:III marks the reunion of Abrams and Felicity’s Keri Russell. That could be really cool. I am not really sure what to expect from this one, but will keep an open mind.

Superman Returns: I am a fan of director Bryan Singer (X-Men 1 & 2, The Usual Suspects), but even with a track record like that I have my doubts about this one. First off, this is an unofficial sequel to the original 1978 and ’80 Superman I & II. I have not seen Superman II, but I am not at all a fan of the first (I have seen Superman III, and understand why Singer chose to ignore parts 3 and 4 of the series), and Singer and crew really aspired to create a worthy sequel to that film. Wonderful, just wonderful. After the complete reboot Batman received this least year in Batman Begins (the best film of 2005, in my humble opinion), I was really hoping that they would do something similar with Supes, but to no avail. Secondly, everything about the way Supes looks is wrong. Actor Brandon Routh is far too skinny in my opinion. The suit has several flaws (see below):

The “S” logo is too small, and there has NEVER been an “S” on his belt. Even the colors are not quite right, being just a little too dark. Oh well. And I don’t want it to come across that there is nothing I am looking forward to in this movie. If there weren’t I wouldn’t bother seeing it. But Superman Returns is the return of actor Kevin Spacey, as Lex Luther, to Singer’s set. The two last worked together in The Usual Suspects, which is Singer’s best work to date. So, one way or the other, for better or worse, I will be there on opening day for this one.

X3: The Last Stand: Although Bryan Singer did not return for this final installment of the X-trilogy, I am still REALLY looking forward to this one in spite of the new director: Brett Ratner. Ratner is the director Rush Hour 1 & 2 and numerous Mariah Carey videos. Not exactly my kind of resume, but he is reported to be a comic book geek and wants to do justice to both the comic book and the first two movies. Plus the trailer is awesome. The entire cast is back (plus a whole slew of new mutants), and Patrick Steward, who plays Professor Charles Xavier, said that it was the best script of the three. Yeah, I am psyched for this one.
V for Vendetta: Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving star in the cinematic adaptation of the graphic novel. I still haven’t read the book (I do own it), but plan on doing so before this comes out (I better hurry, it comes out on March 17th). Although the book’s author, Alan Moore, did not want this movie made, he is know to be rather curmudgeonly. I am sure it won’t be as good as the book, but it still looks great!

Zodiac: Although there is very little info on this film yet, anything from director David Fincher has got to be good. This film deals with the Zodiac serial killer from the ‘70’s and features Jake Gyllenhaal. Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Edwards, Chloe Sevigny, and Gary Oldman. It is supposed to be coming out this fall, but no official date yet.

The Fountain: Speaking of no official release date, what about this one? I have said enough about it in past posts that I won't elaborate any further here, but there is still no word on when this year the film will see the light of day (or darkness of the multiplex). I think it is likely that it will be near the end of the year, to make it fresh in the mind’s of Oscar’s nominating committee, but we will see.

In case you hadn’t noticed, there is a trend in the above movies. Comic books. Apparently my love of comic books has started spilling over into my love of movies. Plus, 2005 was a great year for comic book movies with Batman Begins and Sin City, so I am hoping for a repeat this year. Even The Fountain has a comic book connection. When production on this movie was shut down years ago (it originally starred Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, not Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz), Aronofsky thought he would never get the movie made, so he had it turned into a graphic novel. Of course the movie did get made, and with this one I am waiting to read the book until I see the movie, though, I, once again, already own the book.

I am sure there will be other movies that I go see this year, but these are the big ones.

This post brought to you by my aversion to studying.

This is Disturbing...

Paris Hilton is being considered to play Mother Theresa in an upcoming biopic?!?!? Apparently the film's director was impressed that Hilton turned down an offer to pose in Playboy. What, did he miss her homemade porn video?

24...

Thus far for Jack Bauer, things have been getting worse and worse. And for the audience, better and better. These are a few of the things I have been enjoying this season…

1. Audrey Raines: After spending most of last season moping and vascilating between Jack and her husband, it’s nice to see Audrey take a stand. I am curious where they will take her character this season.

2. President John Logan: Though he is the antithesis of former President David Palmer, he does make for an “interesting” leader of the free world. And actor Gregory Itzen plays him perfectly. I also watched Itzen on the show Murder One, where he played the sleazy DA. The guy knows how to play lowlifes, that’s for sure. But I love to hate him!

3. First Lady Martha Logan: Just as her husband is the opposite of Palmer, she is also the opposite of Palmer’s ex-wife, Sherry. One thing I was really worried about this season was how they would portray her. I figured she would either be an inconsequential character, or too much like Sherry Palmer. I was wrong on both accounts, and Jean Smart was an excellent casting choice.

4. The Music: Sean Callery does the score for the show, and has always done a great, if somewhat repetitive, job. The last four season of the show have always had some of the same musical themes, and though the main ones are still around, Callery seems to be experimenting more this season. For example, in tonight’s episode the creepy music in the scene where Martha Logan explains Walt Cummings death to her assistant was very different, yet perfectly fit the scene and only added to the tension.

5. The acting: As demonstrated by three of my four points above, the cast of this show is amazing. From Kiefer Sutherland (Jack) to Kim Raver (Audrey) everyone is amazing. Even as annoying as she is, Chloe, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, is an integral part of the show. When you act on a show where amnesia (Teri Bauer in season one), mountain lions (Kim Bauer in season two), and rare immunities to deadly toxins (Michelle Dessler in season three) run rampant, you have to have strong actors to pull it off. This show does.

Happy Birthday!

Today is genius, film-maker Darren Aronofsky's 37th birthday. Now if only his most recent film, The Fountain, would get a release date!! What a birthday present that would be!

Bad News (Will They Make Up Their Mind, Please??)

Apparently Toy Story 3 IS still being made after all, but has switched BACK to Pixar for production. Not that I am entirely opposed to a third TS, but I would rather it happen organically, if Pixar really came up with a great concept for a third go-round on their own. But it sounds like Pixar will just be picking up where Disney left off. Not a great idea in my opinion, but what can I do?

Goatee Style...

Goatee Style, the first blog I ever read--even before the word "blog" existed--has just been overhauled! Goatee Style was not just a blog. It had a mascot (Pan the goat), comic strip, webcam,
and so much more. But in recent months (years?) the site has grown increasingly stagnant. Recently, the whole blog went down when Ryan (the webmaster, and, no, not this Ryan) had issues upgrading the software he used to publish it. It seemed that this classic site might have reached the end of its days. But not so! The newest incarnation has been unveiled and has a new look, but has lost all of the cool features it previously contained. Now it is just a web log and a photo log. No more comics! (Of course the last new one was posted so long ago, and you can only re-read them so many times.) Looks good, but Ryan promises that this is only a temporary re-design, and that he has bigger and better things in store...someday. Check out the new look!