Yearly Archives

2011

Book Review: Sophie Littlefield’s AFTERTIME

Before I get to the review, I want to mention I don’t normally read dystopian fiction, horror, or romance novels and I definitely don’t do zombies. I can handle aliens and Godzilla but zombies give me the creeps.

So what possessed me to read Aftertime (Luna, Feb. 22), which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, is overrun with flesh-eating zombies, and contains, ah, really steamy scenes? The fact it was written by Sophie Littlefield, who can get me to read anything.

The story (first of a trilogy) begins with Cass waking up in a field with no memories of the past two months. Last she remembers, she was seized by zombies—called Beaters—while she was picking dandelions in a field with her three-year-old daughter, Ruthie. Missing strips of flesh on her body indicate she’d been attacked and zombiefied but for unknown reasons, her body healed itself and she became human again. Now, nothing will stop her as she travels through Beaters-infested terrain to reclaim her daughter, meeting a man named Smoke along the way who turns out to be as seductive and dangerous as his name.

Littlefield excels at keeping the momentum going and she knows how to inject a huge beating heart into any story, even one in which humanity is barely alive. Yes, the zombies are revolting. When they’re feasting on flesh, I almost vomited like a character does in the book. Violent, disturbing things happen but at the center of it all is a woman trying to redeem herself for past mistakes, to finally do the right thing for the right reason: her love for her child. She’s not superhuman; her arduous quest is fueled by maternal instinct but sometimes that’s the most powerful thing of all.

Smoke is more elusive as a character. He’s a little too perfect for me—studly, aces on a motorcycle, trusts Cass instantly though there’s reason to think she might be carrying zombie cooties, he’s strong but tender, etc. Then again, I’m glad Cass has such a man accompanying her. An out-of-shape sissy who hurts himself riding a motorbike and cries for mama when he sees zombies would have been no good. And Smoke doesn’t get to rescue Cass in the end. She leaves him behind on her final task and saves her own damn self.

Littlefield has a way of turning mundane things from Before into wistful memories in Aftertime, making me appreciate what I have here and now. In one scene, Cass closes her eyes and daydreams about vacuuming, moving her arms in the motion of a chore that no longer exists in a world where everyone and everything is dirty. She imagines turning on the faucet at a sink and feeling cold water rush over her arms. All of a sudden I wanted to wash my hands and do some vacuuming—a task I have no love for—just because I can. By the time Cass spots defiant dandelions that refuse to die among the ruins, I was convinced they’re the most beautiful flowers on earth.

Nerd verdict: Engrossing Aftertime

Buy Aftertime from Amazon| B&N| Indie Bookstores

Share
10 Comments

Book Review: Brad Parks’s EYES OF THE INNOCENT

Though Brad Parks had Shamus and Nero awards thrown at his Faces—his debut novel, Faces of the Gone, that is— there’s no sign of the sophomore slump in his follow-up, Eyes of the Innocent, which is even better than its predecessor.

Newark Eagle-Examiner investigative reporter Carter Ross is back, assigned to write a routine piece about the dangers of space heaters. He soon discovers the story behind a recent house fire that killed two children had nothing to do with heaters, but something much more destructive and prevalent. His investigation turns deadly when he and his interns uncover corruption that leads to City Hall.

The topic at the center of Eyes—the subprime mortgage crisis—is a resonant, timely one. In the last few years, I’ve watched hardworking friends lose their homes after being encouraged by lenders to buy more than their budgets allowed. Seeing their homeowners’ pride turn into panic is heart-rending and Parks captured that sense of despair. Sometimes the villain doesn’t carry a gun or have tattoos. He/she could be the person in the suit who preys on your dreams.

The novel isn’t all bleak. Parks inserts notes of levity into the proceedings, sometimes with just a line: “She’s so tough she can slam a revolving door.” His characters are colorful and never lacking for quips. Ross’s editor Tina still wants him to be her sperm donor/baby daddy and his intern Tommy still disparages Ross’s WASP-y fashion sense. And don’t underestimate new intern Sweet Thang aka Lauren, whose hot body Ross tries hard not to ogle. She may seem too fluffy for the newsroom at first but later proves she’s made of sterner stuff.

Nerd verdict: Sharp, witty Eyes

Buy Eyes of the Innocent from Amazon| B&N| Indie Bookstores

Share
4 Comments

TV Review: THE CHICAGO CODE

Though Shawn Ryan’s The Chicago Code (FOX, Mondays, 9 p.m.) isn’t the most innovative cop show ever, its style and content make it immensely watchable. Jennifer Beals stars as Teresa Colvin, the Chicago Police Department’s first female superintendent. She assembles a secret task force to take down corrupt alderman Ronin Gibbons (Delroy Lindo), who put her in charge because he thought she’d play nice. Having no official backing or funding, she has only two team members, her ex-partner Detective Jarek Wysocki (Jason Clarke) and his new partner, Caleb Evers (Friday Night Lights‘ Matt Lauria).

The show carries a few Ryan trademarks: snappy dialogue, whiplash-fast pacing, and excellent acting. If you saw The Shield‘s pilot, you probably weren’t surprised (I was expecting it) when ***mild spoiler alert!!*** a seemingly integral part of the task force was fatally shot.

***end spoiler***

Not sure if I like the voiceovers from multiple characters’ POV and don’t know if it’s necessary. (Don’t love it on Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, either, but at least they stick to only one narrator.) The show has enough going for it, though, that I’m willing to put up with the narration if it doesn’t get too distracting.

Beals, who has become more beautiful and a better actress over time, exudes a breezy confidence as Colvin, wearing her power lightly but never letting us or her underlings forget who’s boss. That isn’t as easy to do as it sounds. I remember when Mariska Hargitay started out on Law & Order: SVU as Detective Benson. She was trying so hard to act tough, it was painful to watch. She eventually relaxed into the role, doing something Beals seems to have figured out from the get-go: If you’re in control, you just are and don’t have to prove it.

Clarke is hard-nosed without being a jerk and you wouldn’t know he’s Australian from his Chicago accent (though I don’t know how authentic it is). Lauria is appealing as the baby-faced cop whom Wysocki underestimates at first. Lindo covers his sleaziness with smooth indignation, making him a formidable opponent and someone I’ll enjoy watching Colvin’s team take down.

Nerd verdict: Code crackles

Did you watch this? What did you think?

Share
8 Comments

Thoughts on Super Bowl Ads & Post-Game GLEE

Since I’m not a football fan, I reversed my viewing habit of DVR’d shows and only watched the commercials (after Christina Aguilera’s horribly overwrought and mangled version of the anthem, that is). I thought the funniest ones were this Doritos one where the guy was able to bring a dead fish, dead plant and finally Grandpa back to life by sprinkling Doritos crumbs on them…

…and the Bridgestone one where the poor office worker thought he’d hit “reply all” to an e-mail and raced around retrieving everyone’s computer or smart device before they could read it. Love how he went about the whole thing with a ninja cry.

The best homage to a classic Coke ad was the House spot with the kid trying to give the mean doctor a churro, a la the boy giving Mean Joe Green a Coke in the 1980 Super Bowl commercial. But instead of softening up Dr. House, the kid gets a cane thrown at him. The spot perfectly captures how Dr. Crankypants won’t soften for anyone.

The ads for Groupon, on the other hand, were flat-out wrong. The Timothy Hutton pitch was bad enough, switching to him enjoying fish curry when we thought he was spotlighting the troubles in Tibet, but the one that aired later was even worse. It began with Elizabeth Hurley talking earnestly about saving the rainforests, then suddenly shown in a bathrobe saying, “But deforestation isn’t all bad,” and segueing into how you can save money on Brazilian waxes with Groupon. Eww. I don’t want to know about Hurley’s, ah, jungle down there. I love irreverent humor but these spots just didn’t work for me.

After the SB, I tuned in to the Glee “event,” though with all the teasers hyping it during the game, I felt I’d seen almost the entire episode. By the time it was over, I found it underwhelming, partly due to the following reasons:

  • Mr. Shue told Rachel and Puck to wow the football team with a performance to entice them to join glee club and what did they sing? Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now.” Really? That song is nice and all but they thought a country ballad was the best way to impress a bunch of macho dudes? Puck making menacing faces at the guys while singing “Can’t stop looking at the door/Wishing you’d come sweeping in/The way you did before” was so ridiculous, it made me laugh.
  • The Warblers singing Destiny Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills” was also odd. They’re a bunch of high school students—how many bills do they have? The best numbers are the ones where the kids connect emotionally or the songs arise out of something they’re going through. When they crowed “We’re ready for regionals!” after finishing this song, I thought, “Yeah, ready to get your butt kicked if you don’t come up with something better.”
  • The centerpiece “Thriller” routine was shot with so many closeups and quick cuts that we couldn’t see the big picture, which is the point of doing that number—the choreography. The camera should’ve pulled back. From what I could see, it looked rather messy, with dancers all over the place instead of in sync with each other.

I did like Katie Couric interviewing Sue for being a giant loser, beating out such contenders as the economy, Mel Gibson, Dina Lohan and her dog, Sparky, “who is apparently also a loser.” Couric’s delivery was perfectly deadpan, and clued-in to the humor of her having the loser gig. Sue: “I thought this was the most fascinating people.” “That’s Barbara Walters,” Couric replies, with only a bit of edge in her voice.

Which ad(s) did you like the best? Worst? What did you think of Glee?

Share
28 Comments

Pop Culture Purge

I have this habit where I’ll read something on the Internet and react by shouting at my computer as if it can hear me. Sometimes I’ll come to the dinner table and start rambling at my husband. Mr. PCN finally said, “Why don’t you put your thoughts in a post so I don’t have to listen to them anymore?” The word “crazy” (pronounced as three syllables: cruh-AY-zee) might have been used but I don’t remember.

So, here’s my first pop culture purge, where I just throw out random thoughts I had this week about the entertainment I consumed or read about. If you all don’t find it too strange, I might do it again next week. My husband would be thrilled.

  • Javier Bardem is in talks to play the next Bond villain. Assuming he signs on, I hope producers will give him a memorable role like Jaws or Oddjob, not a lame one like Le Chiffre, who just sits around playing cards and bleeding from his eyes. Oooh, that’s sooo intimidating. But what makes a bad guy memorable? Why does Alfred Molina only have about 5 minutes in Raiders of the Lost Ark but we all remember him as the guy who yelled, “Throw me the idol!”?
  • Grey’s Anatomy this week had doctors live-tweeting a difficult surgical procedure. But aren’t cellphones banned in hospitals due to interference with machines? Lexie was tweeting right in the OR and I kept expecting one of the monitors to fail mid-surgery.
  • Loved this bit from last night’s 30 Rock episode. Jack (Alec Baldwin) was pitching a TV prototype to his new Kabletown boss (Ken Howard). The TV was voice-activated so viewers would no longer need remote controls. Problem was, it was a little too sensitive and responded to everyone’s command, including actors on TV. After his boss walked out, Jack muttered, “Crap.” Behind him, the TV switched over to Keeping up with the Kardashians. Haha! Also loved when Liz gave Jack sex advice and said, “Sometimes ladies like to keep their blazers on.” Oh, and Brian Williams needs his own sitcom. So what if he already does the news at NBC? He’s hilarious every time he pops up on Rock. Ryan Seacrest has 17 jobs; so can Williams.
  • Colin Firth has chosen his follow-up to his sure-to-be-Oscar-winning role in The King’s Speech: a remake of a Michael Caine movie called Gambit which will co-star…Cameron Diaz. Seriously? Because Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Rachel McAdams, and all other superior actresses are busy? I don’t think Diaz is the worst out there, but when’s the last time she made a really good movie?
  • Though this week’s American Idol auditions took place in L.A., the judges kept saying, “You’re going to Hollywood!” Shouldn’t they just say, “You’re going up the street!”?

What pop culture tidbits occupied your mind this week? Got hot Super Bowl plans?

Share
16 Comments

Book and Movie Poster Giveaway: Michael Connelly’s THE LINCOLN LAWYER

Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer is coming to the big screen March 18, 2011 and the generous folks at Hachette are letting me give away five copies of the tie-in paperbacks with Matthew McConaughey, who plays Mickey Haller, on the cover. Each winner will also get a copy of the movie poster.

Lincoln Lawyer is a tight legal thriller that introduces Haller, who has gone on to be a popular character in other Connelly novels, including ones with Harry Bosch. If you haven’t read any of the books, here’s the description:

This #1 bestselling legal thriller from Michael Connelly is a stunning display of novelistic mastery – as human, as gripping, and as whiplash-surprising as any novel yet from the writer Publishers Weekly has called “today’s Dostoevsky of crime literature.”

Mickey Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense attorney who operates out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers – they’re all on Mickey Haller’s client list. For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence, it’s about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it’s even about justice.

A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney’s dream, what they call a franchise case. And as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career. Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal – this time to save his own life.

Besides McConaughey, the movie’s stellar cast includes Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy and John Leguizamo.

To enter:

  • be a subscriber, Twitter follower, or Facebook fan (no, I’m not trying to bump up my numbers; I just want to give something back to those who support this site in some way)
  • leave a comment about what kind of business you’d have if you had to run it out of your car
  • have a U.S. or Canada address (or someone with same who would forward you the books)

Giveaway ends next Thursday Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. PST. Winners will be randomly selected then announced here, on Facebook and Twitter. I won’t be notifying you personally so please check back to see if you’ve won. Any prize(s) not claimed within 48 hours will be given to alternate winner(s).

Let’s hear what you’d do in the backseat of your car!

Share
11 Comments

SAG Awards Roundup

The show was so boring that when I looked down at my notebook after it was over, I saw I hadn’t written anything. The winners were predictable—Colin, Natalie, Melissa, Christian—and the speeches routine so I won’t be doing a best & worst rundown. I’ll just share a few quick impressions and skip to the fashion.

I’m happy The King’s Speech won for best ensemble over the The Social Network. Coupled with Speech director Tom Hooper’s upset win over David Fincher at this weekend’s DGA Awards, chances are good the movie will take the best picture Oscar. After Network‘s sweeps of major awards earlier this season, Speech‘s sudden surge makes the competition a bit more interesting.

When Geoffrey Rush gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the cast, he indicated Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter and said since we already know who they are, he would thank the other actors in the cast who are less well-known, including Jennifer Ehle, who played his wife; Dominic Applewhite, Ben Wimsett, and Calum Gittins, who played his sons; Freya Wilson and Ramona Marquez, who played princesses Elizabeth (the current queen) and Margaret; and Jake Hathaway, who played a young stammering protegé of Lionel Logue’s. It was classy of Rush to spread the wealth and recognize them, especially the child actors.

Firth delivered the only speech that amused me when he won for best actor, saying how he used to flash his SAG card in England because he thought it would get him “female attention, entry into night clubs and top-level government departments. It didn’t.” He then thanked security for letting him into the building.

On the TV side, as much as I love Betty White, I’m suspicious of her win for Hot in Cleveland. She is always charming but the show itself is not that funny. Sofia Vergara and Jane Lynch are hilarious on Modern Family and Glee, respectively, and more deserving of the award for best female actor in a TV comedy series. White’s win seemed more like a life achievement award, something SAG already gave her last year.

Vergara did end up with an Actor as part of the Family cast when it won best ensemble in a TV comedy. After being beaten by Lynch at the Globes and Emmys, I’m glad Vergara finally won something.

For the full list of winners, click here. Read on for the fashion breakdown.

Best dress: Mila Kunis. I love everything about this Alexander McQueen. The fiery color, the print, belt, flowy and comfy-looking fit. She looks dreamy.

Most unique color: Sarah Hyland. She stood out for being the only one wearing this pretty hue.

Best use of color: Tina Fey. I adore this woman but she’s always in boring black, navy or neutral tones. Once, she even wore brown. This time, she wore fire-engine red (first time at an awards show?) and looked hotter than ever.

Too many colors? Hailee Steinfeld. Her hair and makeup were pretty, but in this dress, she resembled a walking stick of Lifesavers candy.

Most in need of color: The Glee cast. Dull, meh, yawn, bleh.

Best beige look: Hilary Swank. I’ll make an exception for her nude look because oh my gosh, look at those arms. They’re a nice contrast to the soft drape of the dress, making her look strong and feminine at the same time.

Most Madonna/Whore: Jennifer Lawrence. The dress and hair looked classy, but the heavy makeup and stripper shoes cheapened her look.

Most confused dress: Jayma Mays. Her gown couldn’t decide if it was long or short, and whether it should have epaulets on its shoulders or not.

Most improved: The actresses who played Micky Ward’s trashy sisters in The Fighter (with Melissa Leo in the center). They look much prettier without their hair weaves.

Best earrings: Rosario Dawson. How striking does the jade look against her skin?

Best rebel: Julie Bowen. She was the only female winner last night who wore pants but there’s nothing manly about her jumpsuit.

Most age appropriate: Modern Family‘s Ariel Winter. She looks adorable, braces and everything.

Least age appropriate: Jane Lynch (with Lara Embry). The color is pretty but that poufy prom dress is all wrong for her.

Most resembling a hotel bed coverlet: January Jones. I think I saw something like that in a Holiday Inn once. I didn’t even want to sit on it, much less wear it.

Most resembling a cheese grater: Kate Mara. Actually, she’s a grater on top and cookie cutters at the bottom.

Best-dressed male: Jon Hamm. What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing.

Most inadvertent Goth: Christina Hendricks. I couldn’t tell if the overdone raccoon eyes and smoking-jacket dress made her look punk, cheap or scary. Maybe all the above.

Did you watch the show? What did you enjoy or didn’t? Who did you think was best dressed?

Photos: Getty Images

Share
10 Comments

PCNews Roundup

You know something’s off when I don’t have time to read and react to Oscar nominations. The Academy Awards are my Super Bowl, my Olympics, my…oh, you get the idea. But I was buried under a couple of deadlines so am playing catch-up. There’s no point going over the nominations now but I did a create a slide show below of some other pop culture happenings this week.

First, I want to mention a couple things. Check out the new PCN header at the top of the page! In case you can’t make it out, that’s a nerdy ninja girl carrying a sack of her favorite tools—books, TV and movie clapboard. Katie at KD Designs created it, giving me exactly what I wanted. If you’re looking for someone to do graphics for your blog, bookmarks, business cards, etc., definitely check her out. You can’t beat her prices or fast turnaround. And no, I’m not saying this because she’s a friend, family member, or someone who paid me. I just found her on the web and am grateful for her work.

I also started a PCN Facebook page so if you’re interested in hanging out with me there, click here or on the button in the sidebar. Even though I didn’t have time to really blog this week, I was still tweeting pop culture tidbits and connecting with my cyber pals because tweets only take seconds to send. It occurred to me that many of you aren’t on Twitter so I created the FB page in case you’re interested in keeping up with my pop culture updates. But this is NOT a hard sell; I’m not suggesting you “Like” my page because I hate when people send me those suggestions. I’m simply making you aware of the page. I’d be as happy with two “Like”s as I would be with 100 because I love intimate parties.

But enough of the yada yada. Enjoy the slide show. I’ll be rehashing the SAG Awards on Sunday and should be back to normal next week with reviews, a video, and a giveaway.

[cincopa A8MAac6r34BJ]

And in case you missed it, here’s the video of Lauren Alaina’s audition on American Idol, after which Steven Tyler thought she might be “the one.” Do you agree?

What are you watching/reading this weekend? Hope you’re having a good one!

Share
10 Comments

Return of Seventies TV Heroines

Over the weekend, Deadline.com reported that David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman script got a pilot pickup from NBC after the network passed on it a few weeks ago. The show is set in L.A., with Diana Prince as “a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.” WW remains my favorite Justice Leaguer and it’s about time she gets a reboot. I would’ve preferred a movie franchise but I’ll take her on the small screen as long as it’s good.

Sarah Shahi

Perhaps because I just watched USA’s new show, Fairly Legal, last week, I think Sarah Shahi (formerly Damian Lewis’s partner in Life) would be great in the role. Shahi is not only gorgeous, she’s charismatic (not always a given with beautiful people) and has solid acting chops. Who would you like to see wield the golden lasso of truth?

My friend Lauren also alerted me to the news that the recently announced ABC remake of Charlie’s Angels cast its first angel, Annie Ilonzeh from General Hospital (see Daily Mail article here). I like that she’s a relative unknown and that Robert Wagner will be voicing Charlie.

I know neither of these shows will be high-brow TV but I can’t help feeling a little giddy and rooting for them to be good. These announcements take me right back to 1976, when I was a kid rushing to finish my homework and chores so Mom would let me watch the Angels or Wonder Woman kick ass, something my little-girl self aspired to do. I don’t have homework anymore but if the pilots make it to series, I’d probably still hurry through the dishes so I can watch the ladies do their thing.

Would you watch these shows? Who should play the other Angels?

Share
7 Comments

Book Review: Wallace Stroby’s COLD SHOT TO THE HEART

This review is by Mr. PCN, who loves Richard Stark novels.

**********

Cold Shot to the Heart‘s protagonist Crissa Stone is a thief and a damn good one. She has a go-between named Hector who helps find jobs worth her talent and abilities, ones that come with a hefty paycheck of which Hector gets a piece. She usually works with a crew and rarely with someone she doesn’t know because she can’t trust anyone in her profession. When a job doesn’t feel right, she turns it down, no matter how rich the payoff.

Wayne, the person who taught her everything she knows, is currently doing time in prison. Along comes a greedy Texan with a powerful sway over the parole board overseeing Wayne’s upcoming appeal. He’ll help get Wayne out of jail, but for a price.

Crissa doesn’t have the money so she goes to Hector and he gives her what may be the perfect job. Small crew, big payout, too big to turn down. The job looks good on paper but Crissa breaks a rule by working with someone she doesn’t really know. Suddenly she’s running for her life from a psycho who not only wants her share of the heist but wants her dead as well.

I read this book in one sitting, a rare thing. There are only a few authors who compel me to do so; Richard Stark aka Donald Westlake is on this short list with his Parker books. Anyone who has ever read Westlake’s lean, hard prose in a Parker novel knows what I am talking about.

Comparisons will be made between Parker and Crissa Stone, and anyone who misses the literary equivalent of heroin the Stark novels provide can find some solace in Stroby’s heroine. Yes, Crissa is a woman instead of the brick wall of a man Parker is, but there’s a reason her last name is Stone. I’d be surprised as hell if a strong actress doesn’t grab the movie rights to what I hope will be a long-running series.

Buy Cold Shot to the Heart from Amazon| B&N| Powell’s|IndieBound

Share
3 Comments

Thursday Night TV: AMERICAN IDOL S10 in New Orleans & PERFECT COUPLES

American Idol Season 10 New Orleans Auditions

New Orleans is a vibrant city with a big personality but the auditions there yielded a pretty standard batch of hopefuls, a mix of talented singers, delusional ones and crazies in outrageous outfits thinking that would actually help their chances.

Standouts for me:

  • Jacee Badeaux—Jennifer Lopez said she got goosebumps from the 15-year-old’s singing but my reaction went deeper. Something shifted inside my chest when I heard him sing “ (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”; it’s what happens when I encounter something unexpectedly beautiful. Can’t wait to see what else he can do in Hollywood.
  • Jacquelyn Dupree—she brought in her uncle Jerry, who was Randy’s high school football coach and they had a little reunion. I was skeptical, thinking she was currying favor with Randy, but she didn’t need any gimmicks. She had amazing control in her rendition of “I’ll Stand by You,” switching from big powerful notes to whispered ones on a dime.
  • Paris Tassin—the single mom of a special needs child brought tears to Lopez’s eyes with Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home.” Tassin seemed to really connect to the lyrics, her voice infused with a desperate ache. It didn’t hurt that she’s also gorgeous.
  • Jovany Barreto—he did a nice job with Luis Miguel’s “Contigo en la Distancia” and got three yeses. But then he took off his shirt to show off his abs, which was tacky and absolutely unnecessary.
  • Brett Loewenstern—this red-haired boy moved me. He said kids at school call him dork and geek but he finally figured out that as long as you like yourself, it doesn’t matter what others say. I had sudden flashbacks to my school days because I knew exactly what he was talking about. He said he wanted to spread his message to other kids who are bullied so I crossed my fingers hard, hoping he would do well in the room. And he did! By singing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” no less. Have you ever tried singing that song in karaoke? It’s hard! With crazy-ass notes all up and down the scale! So I’m rooting for this kid because I want him to keep doing his thing.

Perfect Couples

After AI was over, I watched the Perfect Couples pilot, a new addition to NBC’s Comedy Night Done Right on Thursdays. The sitcom revolves around three different types of couples: perfect Dave (Kyle Bornheimer) and Julia (Christine Woods), tempestuous Vance (David Walton) and Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and self-help psycho-babbling Rex (Hayes MacArthur) and Leigh (Olivia Munn).

Bornheimer & Woods, with Walton & Ellis

This show is awful in so many ways but let’s start with the central problem: no one behaves in ways that are recognizable in real humans. Vance and Amy start making out like mad, attacking each other on Dave and Julia’s couch in the middle of game night. With Dave and Amy sitting right next to them! In case you’re not laughing yet, Rex and Leigh don’t want to be one-upped so they start making out, too! Who does this? How do these boorish people have any friends at all?

MacArthur & Munn

Vance and Amy are the most obnoxious, with no discernible redeeming qualities. Rex and Leigh are simply not funny. I was surprised to find out Leigh is supposed to be Vietnamese since Munn doesn’t even look Asian to me, much less Vietnamese (she’s half Chinese). And Rex, in pronouncing the names of several Vietnamese dishes, was so far off, it was the equivalent of someone pronouncing “bread” as “monkey.” Or if I saw “casa” and said “pollo.” This annoyed me because if MacArthur didn’t know how to pronounce those words, he should’ve asked the script supervisor on set, who could have Googled from her smart phone and found the answers for him. So much for self-help. Nerd verdict: Far from Perfect.

Share
2 Comments
Older Posts
Newer Posts