You're doing what?!?!

My wife has been passively watching the Gilmore Girls over the last couple of seasons. I would usually find something else to do. Well, with the new season she has been recording and watching it. So have I, passively.

The unthinkable has happened. Someone my wife works with let her borrow Seasons 1 & 2 of the GG. I resisted at first, but I’ve been sucked in. I spent the weekend on a Gilmore Girls marathon. We watched almost the entire first season, and I loved every minute of it.

Now, before you think I must be having an estrogen flair up, I find the dynamic between the characters great. The dialog is smart and witty; the interactions between Rori and Lorelai leave me exhausted it is so rapid fire. The strained family relationships remind many of us all too much of real life, therefore we can sympathize when Emily and Lorelai get into a scrap. It’s about life in a small town.

I had to kicking and screaming, or else I wouldn’t be fulfilling my manly duties. But, I am so glad I went.

We’re almost ready for Season 2!

Narnia First Look

Newsweek has a first look at what might well be the movie of the year (at least for me), The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I know where I’ll be on December 9th.

She really does love me!!!!

My wife bought me a Darth Tater!!!!!!!

Now to find a place of prominence to display my new gift in the office…

Tempus Fugit

I want to apologize for the lack of posting of late. But, and as it has been said before by many, life is busy. Of course, this isn’t helping.

I hope to post at least a couple times a week. This is the goal.

This doesn’t help either.

My Top 25 Books List

if Time can come up with their top 100 picks, why can’t I formulate a list? I just finished reading Lord of the Flies from the Top 100 list, so I thought I would compile my own list. Here we go.

My criteria is not based upon “a classic” status, how well it is written, or format, but solely on whether I enjoy the book enough to reread it. The books making my list are usually read yearly or at least often enough for me to own a copy, and not just borrow it from the library or someone I know. These are in no particular order, just know that Tolkien and Rowling are read more than the others are.


The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Necroscope Series (Necroscope, Necroscope II: Vamphyri!, Necroscope III: The Source, Necroscope IV: Deadspeak, Necroscope V: Deadspawn) by Brian Lumley
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Gotham by Gaslight by Mike Mignola
Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Stand by Steven King

Update: Add Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs to the list. Great book by who I would consider an under-appreciated author.

TV’s Top 10 Scariest Characters

From MSNBC:

1. Charles Montgomery Burns, “The Simpsons”
2. Eric Cartman, “South Park”
3. Arvin Sloan, “Alias”
4. John Locke, “Lost”
5. T-Bag, “Prison Break”
6. Emily Gilmore, “Gilmore Girls”
7. The monkey in Chris Griffin's closet, ‘Family Guy’
8. Silvio Dante, ‘The Sopranos’
9. Mandy, ‘24’
10. The entire supporting cast of ‘Desperate Housewives’

There you have it, and I agree with every one of them. Emily Gilmore scares the pants off me, too! Burns is definitely creepy. Sloan is the epitome of evil. Locke isn’t quite right. T- Bag sounds like a real nice guy. And everyone living around our four heroines has some skeletons in their closets, if not still living in them.

The Top 100 Book List

Time compiles their list of the top 100 books since 1923. I have only read a few, namely The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Lord of the Rings, but there seems like there are a few missing that I would have had on my list.

Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers is a classic (forget the lame movie of the same title). So isn’t Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War.

However, Time had their criteria for picking, so it’s beyond me.

Oh, I did read Catcher in the Rye, too.

No others though. Maybe I need to read more.

Update: Upon closer inspection of the list, I was surprised and impressed to see that a graphic novel (comic) made the list. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's Watchmen made the list. I have started reading this, but haven't gotten far yet. I just finished reading Jeph Loeb/Tim Sales' Batman: A Long Halloween. More on this later.

Something to look forward to

Steven Spielberg and EA Games are joining up to develop three new video games. There is no word on what types of games they will be, but I’m sure we can assume that they are going to be good.

Desperate Housewives

MSNBC’s wrap up of the latest episode about the happenings on Wisteria Lane.

Bree is so blindly gullible it is pathetic.

Makes for good TV, though.

Get Lost

Great article summing up the newest happenings on Lost this season. The new stuff is all here.

Who will be the next Bond?

There has been quite a lot of speculation about who the next Bond will be. My vote was for Hugh Jackman (X-2), but it looks like it is going to be Daniel Craig getting the nod. I’m not crazy about this choice, but I’ll go see the next Bond film anyway.

It’s Bond. How can they go wrong?

About Time

Fox finally cancelled The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.

Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox, who owns the rights to the show, are shopping around for a new network. They think it is a “valuable” franchise.

Uh-huh.

iPod Video?

Apple does it again. The newest addition to the iPod family will now play video. Miss an episode of Lost? Download it to your computer and then sync it with your video-playing iPod. Genius on Apple’s part.

Now, I just bought a Mini a few months ago, so no new pod for me. But, I can now download my favorite TV episodes (Desperate Housewives and Lost) to watch.

When talking with someone at work this morning, the comment was made, “Why would you want to watch a video on a 2 ½” screen?”

Simply because you can. It is the digital revolution. Let’s embrace it.

TV Guide’s BBD

I got my first issue of the new format TV Guide, and it is awesome! A new size, new features, more photos and a streamlined new TV listings guide.

TV’s coolest magazine just got a lot cooler.

CSI: New York- Grand Murder at Central Station

Well, the mystery is over, and the CSI leaving New York is Aiden. Fired for tampering with evidence. I was so hoping that it would be Danny Messer.

Obviously, I am disappointed that it wasn't Messer, but am also let down by how the Aiden character leaves the show. No tragic murder, shoot out or anything dramatic. Being ticked about Regina getting raped a second time by her previous attacker, she can find no evidence to convinct the guy, so she toys with the idea of planting evidence. Bad idea.

Mac, well, was Mac, but Aiden simply apologizes as she is fired. That's it. No tears. No plea for a second chance. No nothing. It left me feeling kinda flat. So was her acting.

So, now that I am stuck with Danny, the rest of the show was great. Murder at Grand Central and the rooftop case were both good story lines. I am really enjoying Doctor Hawkes being in the field.

Update: Just found an interview with Vanessa Ferlito on why she left CSI: NY.

Sweet Serenity

I caught a late night showing of Serenity last night, and me being one who usually doesn't go out late, it was so worth it.

I have to say that "Serenity" is the best movie I have seen this year (Sorry, Batman). Matt Roush over at TV Guide thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but thinks Whedon's storytelling is better showcased on the small screen (Link via Whedonesque). I disagree.

Whedon's unique Western/Sci-Fi blend was amazing on the big screen. While I enjoyed watching the "Firefly" series, the movie had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Now, some have said that there is no appeal for anyone that was not a fan of the show. Here again I disagree. Whedon's script gives first timers plenty of background so they are up to speed on what has transpired. But, I have to say, that as a fan of the show, I was way more invested in the characters, actually cared what happened to them, then a first time viewer might be.

The cast, which included everyone from the TV series, was amazing. The transition from the small screen to the big screen was seamless. Once again, Whedon went against the norm casting all the actors from the TV show, no big names, just good actors. Summer Glau, who plays the troubled teen River Tam, was the focal point of the story, and was awesome in action. The few glimpses of killer instinct we saw in the "Firefly" series really comes to life in this film. At one point she clears out a bar, and even puts Jayne (Adam Baldwin), the resident tough guy aboard Serenity, down for the count several times.

Visually, the film was stunning. Everything about it was awesome. The space scenes were epic. The fight scenes were intense and well choreographed. The acting was great and Whedon infused plenty of humor into a very serious story. There were even a few surprises which I won't elaborate on here so as not to spoil the film for any fans out there that haven't seen it yet. Definitely some surprises.

Joss Whedon is a genius, and I look forward to more adventures with the crew of the Serenity, whether it be on TV or at the Theater.

Worth the full price of admission.