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Category Archives: Television

Almost For Reelz?

04 Apr

Katie as Jackie

The steadily maturing Katie Holmes has been transformed into a surprisingly convincing First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, bearing a striking resemblance to the beautiful and beloved woman herself, at least in appearance.

This is all I can say right now on the much-hyped miniseries “The Kennedys.”  I’ve not yet seen the first two-hour installment that premiered last night on the Reelz Channel, though apparently many of you have.  Reelz is not easy to come by, considering I searched for it on two televisions with different providers, only to twice come up empty-handed.

“The Kennedys” would no doubt have been much easier to watch on The History Channel, where it was originally supposed to air before the real-life family balked over the series’ accuracy (or lack thereof), leading to the network supposedly feeling the pains of controversy and caving into the pressure that came with it.

After all that’s been portrayed over the years about the Kennedy family, through so many films and other artistic outlets, each of them certainly varying in accuracy from one to the next, I have to scratch my head and wonder this:  How could the Kennedy family possibly object now?  What exactly is so inflammatory about this particular production that its alleged offenses supersede all others that have come before?  Now of course, amid all this controversy-themed chatter, I’m all the more eager to sit down and watch “The Kennedys” and answer my own question.

In any event, the recaps and reviews are quickly coming in.  Some even appear to disagree with my simple nod to Ms. Holmes, which I may or may not have to later amend.  Nonetheless, “The Kennedys” is reportedly setting ratings records, no doubt fueled in part by all the misplaced buzz that has preceded it.  One way or another, I’ll soon be deciding for myself if Katie’s Jackie, along with the rest of the players, are or are not “almost for reelz.”

And that’s my yet-to-be-determined opinion.

 
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Posted by on April 4, 2011 in And That's My Opinion, Media, News, Presidential, Television

 

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The Letter of the Night

28 Feb

The Oscars always make for a jovial and memorable evening, while serving as an acceptable excuse to either host or attend a well-dressed, booze-flowing get together.  I regret to report I did neither this year.

Then, the day after, comes the typical crisscrossing of scathing Oscar commentary from just about everyone and anyone in Hollywood who has something to say.  I don’t blame them.  If I were (still) a Hollywood type, or at least working in that arena, I’d have much more to share right now than I do.  However, seeing as San Francisco is now my home and I’m not chasing the tails of Big Screen glamour, I here now defer to the true critics of the event.  Variety has this to say about last night’s very-somewhat-shortened telecast, while The Hollywood Reporter offers up this review of this year’s two “young” co-hosts.  Check them out if you haven’t yet reached your Oscar coverage capacity.

I will say is this:  James Franco in drag, especially a la Marilyn, wins.  An extended speaking appearance by 94-year-old Kirk Douglas, for better and for worse, wins as well.  And that which no one can go without mentioning, including myself apparently, makes for win number three as far as I’m concerned.  This, of course, would be Melissa Leo’s now-famous f-bomb, the first such “bomb” in Oscars history so it’s said.  My reaction:  So the “f-bomb” what!  Or better yet:  “Big “f-bomb” deal!  WTF with obsessing over the F?  Granted, it was certainly the letter of the night, if as nothing else than an overall grade by many critics.   As for Ms. Leo, she was emotional, and it was natural ad-libbing, so cut the woman some slack.  At least she extemporaneously earned a unique, though hopefully not detrimentally lasting, title for herself!

And that’s my opinion, sans another F.

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2011 in And That's My Opinion, Media, News, Television

 

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The “Super O” Interview

08 Feb

In addition to the game itself, another much-planned-for event took place this past Super Bowl Sunday, one that has naturally incited all sorts of reaction and commentary from numerous points of view.  I’m speaking of the “Super O” exchange, otherwise known as Bill O’Reilly’s one-on-one live interview with President Obama.

Many viewers, along with plenty who likely didn’t watch the interview at all, might already have their minds made up as to what they think of the entire meeting, based primarily on their respective opinions of the two men themselves.  I call this unfortunate, as I believe the interview is well worth a prejudice-free watching.

All things considered, this “Super O” interview is a success in my book, as both O’s deserve fair and ample credit.  Mr. O’Reilly steered the conversation effectively, being politely confrontational while still presidentially respectful.  Mr. Obama spoke with some refreshing candor and somewhat informal style, while conveying his points clearly and not managing to “run out the clock” as anticipated.  Mr. O’Reilly’s “interruptions” saved this from happening, of course, keeping the mutual dialogue engaging, extemporaneous and even mildly entertaining.

Watch the interview here for yourself, if you haven’t already.  Then, and only then, read some of the post analysis.  I’ll be glad to hear what you think.

Simple conclusion:  High marks for both O’s, politics aside.  And that’s my opinion.

 
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Posted by on February 8, 2011 in And That's My Opinion, Media, News, Politics, Television

 

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My Winners

07 Feb

It should come as no surprise that my favorite Super Bowl commercials were those for cars.  Perhaps the surprise lies in the idea that a rival to my always-preferred Mercedes-Benz seems to have stolen the show, at least in my book.

Of course the MBZ spot was absolutely fantastic and powerfully moving, so to speak, laden with captivating nostalgia while launching us into an exciting future.  It’s at least my number two.  Then, another extensively and brilliantly produced car spot held my attention all the way to its disappointing finish.  In this case, the revelation of just exactly the car being advertised was a pure let down.  Sorry KIA, while your spot had me going there, you yourself don’t excite me.  Thankfully, I got a good chuckle out of BMW’s ad for the 335d, as it poked exaggerated yet somewhat truthful fun at the various “dirty” diesels of yesteryear.  All the while, amid mounds of visual stimulation and historical contemplation, I do believe my choice of favorite Super Bowl ad, if I were to choose just one, has to go to the celebrity-studded work of comedy itself, one I’ll need to watch a couple more times to thoroughly absorb all its crisscrossing elements. This “winner” of which I speak, to my aforementioned surprise, is Audi.  The new A8 has arrived via advertising dominance!

Beer and chips sell themselves as far as I’m concerned.  This said, I do appreciate Dorito’s homoerotic undertones, intentional or not.  Meanwhile, the NFL itself touched the nostalgia nerve in a wonderful way.  And any appearance by the terrifically shameless Joan Rivers, complete in all her camp, always spells success.  Last night’s was no exception. Finally, with another nod to homoeroticism, let’s not forget to “cram it in the boot!”  Mini’s hysterical ad is most certainly my number three!

Out of all of this, including all I’m forgetting to mention, the car ads stand as my winners. I’m just sorry Betty White was too busy to make any appearance this time around!

All said, that’s my opinion!

 
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Posted by on February 7, 2011 in And That's My Opinion, Cars, Humor, Media, Television

 

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…When I See It.

13 Jan

There seems to be a lot of ’80s TV remake buzz going around these days.  As an addendum to my entry of January 5, here now is what appears to be the latest on the resurrection of J.R. Ewing.

Meanwhile, a friend just alerted me to this possible revival as well.  All I can say is… I’ll believe it when I see it!  Unfortunately, unlike Larry Hagman who’s very much alive, John Forsythe died last year at age 92.  As such, I’m initially unconvinced as to how successful any Carrington-themed movie might be.

In any case, I still prefer the originals to the remakes, especially where an inauthentic replacement cast is concerned.  We’ll just see if any of this really comes to fruition.

And that’s my opinion.

 
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Posted by on January 13, 2011 in And That's My Opinion, Dallas, Media

 

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Will J.R. Be Back?

05 Jan

“J.R. Ewing” will turn 80 this year!

2011 seemed like it might be the year for an all-new “Dallas” series, centered around the new generation of Ewings.  The ball appeared to be rolling on the project, as I enthusiastically reported here back in November.

In the past few weeks, however, the latest Ewing resurrection appears to have hit a serious snag, judging by this article as well as the following Facebook update that went out shortly before Christmas:

Dallas star Larry Hagman has admitted that he is uncertain as to his role in the forthcoming TNT reboot. It was previously reported that the actor, who originally played J.R. Ewing from 1978 to 1991, was “ambivalent” about the project. Responding to recent reports that he had pulled out of the new series, Hagman told TV Guide:  “That’s really interesting. We were talking about money, but I didn’t know it was going to come to a crashing halt like that.”

I do wonder why Larry Hagman would need to talk about money at all.  At his age, turning 80 this September, and with the millions he’s made, grown and cultivated from his heyday, he should be willing to reprise his famous role for nothing!  I would think he’d see it as pure enjoyment, and perhaps his final act.  Odds are, however, that ole J.R. sees it differently.

In any event, I hope it really happens this year, that J.R. will return once again!  And that’s my opinion.

 
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Posted by on January 5, 2011 in And That's My Opinion, Dallas, Media

 

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A New Generation of Ewings?

16 Nov

I’ve heard some buzz about a resurrection of the famous Ewing family in recent months, and now here’s a more detailed update of what seems to be in the works.  A friend and fellow “Dallas” fan sent me the link today on Facebook, and now I’m here to blog about a blog!  Go figure.

You might recall the recent efforts for a “Dallas” feature movie, much like the joke that managed to get made of “The Dukes of Hazzard.”  Suffice to say, such productions tend to turn out abysmally, in my not-always-so-humble opinion.  The idea of John Travolta as J.R. Ewing was enough to keep me at home, looking at photos of Larry Hagman to remind myself that one, and only one, man is to play the role.  Fortunately, the feature movie plan fell apart.

Now, it appears the “real” J.R. is on his way to a comeback, yet again, and remarkably so.  I say:  “Better hurry up!”  Larry Hagman, now 15 years post-liver transplant, will turn 80 on his next birthday.  He’s now older than his ficticious TV “mama” or “daddy” ever were!  His time may be limited, though I hope not running out!

Still, a 2011 look at the Ewing family of Dallas is a wonderfully creative undertaking.  I really hope it happens.  Naturally I’d love to see at least cameo appearances by a large assortment of the classic and most infamous characters, more than just Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray.  I suppose Ken Kercheval is a likely candidate, though unfortunately I’m guessing that Priscilla Presley, Victoria Principal and Morgan Brittney are not.  Of course, Howard Keel died in 2004 and Barbara Bel Geddes in 2005, so as the link mentions, their characters will have expired as well.

It’s time now for the new Ewing generation to come forth and entertain us like their elders did.  I look forward to seeing how successful they are in this regard.  At least J.R. will be there to guide them.

 
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Posted by on November 16, 2010 in Dallas, Media

 
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