Is Avatar all that?

As I post this, I've only seen 5 of the 10 films nominated, and my favorite film of the year got snubbed. (Sorry, but I loved "The Hangover". Actors always say comedy is the most difficult yet it always gets ignored come award time.) Meanwhile, "Avatar" had a successful run through the award season, leaving its sight on an Academy Award for Best Picture. And while the number of nominations has been expanded to ten this year, will that really stand in its way? "Avatar" seems to be the favorite for this year, but is it really the best picture of the year?
I guess the honor of "Best Picture" is a relatively subjective idea. Over the years, it's been amazing the number of films that didn't win the big award, yet became part of our cultural landscape. "Raging Bull", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Fatal Attraction", "Field of Dreams" and "Pulp Fiction" are some of the movies in the last thirty years nominated for the top prize, yet somehow falling short, in some cases to films that are no longer really remembered or required repeat viewing. That will not be the case for "Avatar", but for me, the film comes down to the visual than the actual story.
What James Cameron did with "Avatar" in terms of technology is amazing. While I didn't have the opportunity to see it at an IMAX theater, watching it on the large screen, Cameron transported me to a never before seen world that was beautiful and complex. The visuals popped, and not in the traditional way we're used to seeing 3-D with imagines occasionally jumping out at the viewer. This was a 3-D that was layered, where you felt at any moment, one could reach out and pull something, anything, from Pandora. And for that accomplishment, Cameron deserves another Best Director award.
But my big problem with the movie was the overall story. Once you push aside the special effects, you have a simple love story with patches of clumsy dialogue that also gets a little preachy about the environment and military (although many other groups want to add their own take on what's being advocated). And at a few points during the film, I found myself looking at my watch simply because some of the scenes didn't really advance the story. I don't blame Cameron for showing off, but he should have left me wanting more.
So the final question is; Once this movie is released on DVD, how will play on your television at home? Sure, 3-D television is on the way, but will the quality equal what you witnessed in the theaters? If this movie is robbed even slightly of the eye candy effects, is the story enough to make it this year's Best Picture? I'm guessing technology gets a huge win on Oscar night.

Five Things I'm Digging Right Now:

1) "Shatner's Raw Nerve"- I don't know exactly what it is about Shatner's interviewing technique that has me riveted, but I'm watching and liking.

2) "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis"- You'll find it on the Funny or Die website, in which Zach does a talk show parody. Intensely funny.

3) "Better Off Ted"- Under-appreciated comedy on ABC about the corporate world.

4) "Zombieland"- I missed it in the theater, but enjoyed it immensely at home with its sharp wit and Bill Murray cameo.

5) "Love Is The Law" by the Suburbs- A lost '80s album that is out-of-print on CD by a band that deserved more love.

New Stuff on Plank to the Face Radio

Okay, I try to add a bunch of new tunes to Plank to the Face Radio in an attempt to keep it fresh. Sometimes I'm successful and other times... not so much. However, plenty of stuff added in the last week or so. Look for some great '80s stuff from Big Country, Bananarama, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lone Justice. Also new stuff from Spoon, Freedy Johnston and the Heavy. And look for classics from Bill Withers, Neil "freakin'" Diamond and The Cars plus Cat Power, the Pretenders, Slint, Doves, Firewater and the Jesus Lizard.

Palin and Simon and Jay oh my! Part 2

So it's finally done... $45 million for Conan. I guess if NBC talks about a round of layoffs, those in fear of losing their jobs should storm the castle. But it done offer proof that television executives aren't very high on the evolutionary chart.
I know that the Conan fan sights are painting Jay as the bad guy. I think instead of wearing black, he might settle more into a shade of gray. It was NBC that five years ago didn't think that "The Tonight Show" would still be number one with Jay at the helm. They didn't want to lose rising star Conan, so they made a deal that would keep both. Fast forward five years, Jay doesn't want to leave and NBC again wants to retain both. Jay could have been the gentleman and stepped aside, but chose not to. So now NBC eats over $45 million (one should probably include the money spent on bringing Conan to the West Coast and the amount of publicity involved).
Unfortunately, the real loser who seems to get lost in the shuffle is Andy Richter. That guy can't seem to catch a break as he's already had three television series canceled. He seems more cursed than the cast of "Seinfeld."
Well, at least it's over, although late night television has just become less funny.

Maybe the NBC executive should have taken a cue from Fox News, who recently hired Sarah Palin. A very shrewd move by both parties included. Fox knows there demographics and with Palin hot off a book tour, and can only help. Meanwhile, Palin keeps in the public eye, giving herself a chance to weigh future options. Talk show? Presidential run? Thelma and Louise-type spree? Who knows? And while I don't agree with the politics, I understand the move.

And Simon leaving "American Idol"? I never really watched the show except for the occasional train wreck the first couple weeks. Of course, with those quickly appearing on-line ("Pants on the Ground" guy), there really is no reason to watch. Simon seemed to be the brutally honest one of the group, and quite frankly, some people need to told they can't sing. Sorry, your parents and friends aren't always the best judge of talent.

Five Things I'm Digging Right Now:

1) "Archer"- Currently on FX, it's a really funny spoof of the secret agent genre. Produced by the guys from "Sealab 2021", another show I loved.

2) The Rolling Stones- I was never a fan in high school, as I was more into the Beatles and the Who. I've been listening to a lot of their pre-1973 stuff lately.

3) "The Daily Show"/"The Colbert Report" - I got behind over the holidays, so I've been watching a lot of episodes. Favorite late night combo (thank you DVR).

4) Pylon- "Gyrate"- Most people aren't familiar with Pylon, which is a shame. Angular, cutting guitars with a danceable beat. They only put out three albums and this would be my second choice.

5) "Avatar"- Sort of. The 3-D and special effects just blew me away. The story... not so much. A couple times Cameron was just showing off without really advancing the story. But I guess if you have cool technology, why not?

Palin and Simon and Jay oh my! Part 1

The last couple days have provided a literal feast for the television news world. After having only a few stories to beat into submission recently, the media were handed a golden platter. Which story would get the most attention? Would it be Mark McGwire's admission that he used steroids or the late night problems at NBC (which I find funny how much publicity NBC is getting on the other networks)? But don't forget about Simon leaving the biggest show currently on the planet and Sarah Palin joining Fox News. Even Barbara Walters tried to drum up some attention, only to be pushed aside for those who weren't fans of "The View". Her story just wasn't big enough in the feeding frenzy.
The Leno/O'Brien situation has created quite a mess for NBC, one that will likely cost them millions of dollars, paid to a person sitting on the bench or even on another network. However, as television continues to become more competitive to get eyeballs, networks are quick to pull the trigger if they feel a show isn't attracting a desired audience at a quick enough pace.
Critics wasted no time in condemning NBC for moving Leno to the 10:00 p.m. slot. With Conan on at 11:30 p.m., followed by Jimmy Fallon, the network would be developing a quagmire of talk shows. The affiliates feared this would weaken their lead-in numbers for local news, causing a decline in their ratings. But NBC, in an effort to keep Leno and O'Brien on board, went ahead with the plan. Jay and Conan had successful first weeks, then the numbers went south.
From what I've read, the expectations for Leno weren't too high, and he was able to deliver on the numbers the network projected. It was still cheaper than slotting in a high priced drama. Conan, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. "The Tonight Show" numbers slipped behind Letterman, something that hadn't happened in years. So NBC, with only one ratings period in the rear view mirror, pulled the plug on their grand experiment. And one has to wonder if the sale to Comcast had a hand in the situation.
I've never understood the appeal of Leno, as to me, he is to comedy as vanilla is to flavors. Where Johnny Carson seemed engaged in his guests, Leno often comes off as uncomfortable. Maybe it's because I grew up with and appreciated Letterman when he did "Late Night", and enjoy a quirky, off-beat sense of humor, like Conan exhibits. However, it doesn't seem fair to either talent as NBC backed themselves into a corner in order to appease both comedians, hoping that by throwing enough money around, the problem would work itself out.
I guess we'll keep a watch on how this situation changes and unfolds. Conan said he won't move, the affiliates won't be able to blame Leno and the network has some programming holes to fill. So, if you have any show ideas, now might be the time to forward them to NBC.

Five Things I'm Digging Right Now:

1) Bob Dylan- "Highway 61 Revisited". Sometimes you just have to go back to the classics.

2) "Steven Seagal: Lawman". I just started watching this series and it wouldn't be so funny, but Steven is so serious. It's also a great drinking game. Drink when he mentions "martial arts" or uses the word "zen".

3) "Modern Family". One of the few sitcoms on television that I watch. It has an edge, but doesn't totally rely on snark.

4) The Beatles Remasters- I've been slowly buying these when they came out and they are great to listen to with headphones. The only disappointment; no bonus tracks.

5) "The Hurt Locker"- Since this didn't play at my local theater, I had to wait for DVD. A well done movie about a bomb squad in the Iraq War. It avoids the politics to feature plenty of tense moments.

Welcome to my resolution

We received about three inches of snow over the weekend, which for my area, is a big deal. The winter weather created light traffic and an easy to navigate shopping experience. And yet, as I arrived at the gym, the cardio room was packed with people, eager to maintain their freshly made resolutions. Ah, the start of a new year.
I personally have never been much of a resolution person. I've tried in the past, only to find myself adjusting the resolution in mid-January, then again at the end of the month only to abandon it by the start of February. The resolutions were generic in nature, usually involving health or money, with no real stated goal. You know how they go; I want to be in better shape, save more money, blah, blah, blah. Like I said, no real goal.
But over the last couple of years, I really lost interest in those hollow promises. If I really wanted to be a better person, why wait until the start of the year? If you really want change, why not right now? I started a workout program during May while getting a better grip on my finances in September. And when I start to slack, I get back on track the first given opportunity.
However, this year I thought I would try again, making the resolutions simple; where I'm not trying to change my entire being, but rather small pieces. And a return to writing this blog is one of the pieces.
Again, I'm hoping to cover a wide range of topics, and hopefully I can make this stick. Now off to play some Guitar Hero... resolution #7.

Five Things I'm digging right now:

1) My new iPod: I had a mp3 player that worked, but I wanted one with the ability to hold more stuff. Thousands of songs without hearing the same one twice.

2) Daniel Johnston: While I haven't watched the documentary about him, I have found myself gravitating toward his music. Some might think childish, but really listen to it.

3) "The Hangover": Sure, it make a lot of money at the box office, but it was the funniest movie of the year. The DVD extra with Ken Jeong is hilarious.

4) "30 Rock": Of the Thursday night show on NBC, this one has turned into the most consistently funny. "The Office" still has it's moments, but "30 Rock" shines.

5) "Modern Family": For those who thought the family sitcom was dead.

Good Bye John Hughes

The death of John Hughes is a disappointing event on a couple different levels. When I woke up early this morning, it didn't appear on the front of my Yahoo page. In fact, I was greeted with another Michael Jackson related story. Instead, I discovered his death via Facebook. Several friends had placed quotes from his various movies in their status line, and after a little scrolling, I learned about his passing.
After a summer of Jackson stories, the death of Hughes seems to be just a blip on the radar of life, but yet his influence was huge to any suburban teenager growing up in the 80s. It would difficult to find a writer/director that had a track record better than Hughes for that decade. When channel surfing, I still find myself stopping if a Hughes movie of that period is playing. He did write some hits in the 90s, but the impact of his films just wasn't the same.
Teens flocked to his movies because they felt the films spoke to them, presenting a realistic portrayal of their lives. But Hughes brought that style of reality to a lot of his films from that decade. Whether he directed and/or wrote the screenplay, you were drawn into his movies because they were generally situations you could relate. Sometime he would cross the line into an absurd reality to racket up the comedy, but you could still feel for the characters.
Teens saw themselves in the characters of "The Breakfast Club", whether it be an individual character or a combination (half the fun was figuring out which one). "Sixteen Candles" featured the awkwardness of puberty along with the embarrassment that family could provide. "Ferris Bueller" (my personal favorite) was the kid everyone wanted to be in high school while "Pretty in Pink" showed the difficulties of peer pressure.
You can even move beyond the teen films for those everyday life situations. Who hasn't been on a hellish family vacation like "National Lampoon's Vacation" or had some bad travel experience similar to the many depicted in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"? I've never had much luck with train travel.
It's also hard to talk about Hughes films without the mention of music. After screening one of his films, I remember heading to the record store to find some of the music. Psychedelic Furs, New Order, Love and Rockets and Simple Minds were just some of the bands that populated his soundtracks, opening a new avenue of music for many kids. Not all the tracks were winners, but hey, who else would put music by Yello, the Beatles and Wayne Newton in the same movie?
So thanks John for making the 80s enjoyable and bringing us stories we often felt were ripped straight out of lives. It's tempting to fire up the VCR to watch "Ferris Bueller", but I'll probably stick with my DVD copy.

Five thing I'm digging right now:

1) "Michael and Michael Have Issues"; Comedy Central keeps tossing out new shows and this one is a winner.
2) "Funny People"; not the comedy you'd expect from Apatow. Still plenty of dick jokes, but with a more serious side.
3) "Top Chef Masters"; I don't care for the host or the panel of judges, but it's fun to watch the chefs create these fabulous meals.
4) Talking Heads Dual Disc releases; the entire Heads collection remastered with bonus tracks and video.
5) Pandora; even though I broadcast on Live 365, it's always interesting to see what Pandora has in store for me.

Plank is Back... and so is Conan

I haven't posted anything new in the last two years, and a big part of it is simple... I'm lazy. Blogging seems to be a fun thing to do, but I was turning it into too much of a project. The entries were turning into lengthy essays, with research and re-writes. I'd sometimes spend a couple hours carefully crafting a single entry, trying to ensure that everything was worded perfectly. But recently, I started reading other blogs and came to the realization that it's really not that hard. Write what you know and let the words spill out. So Plank is back... until I get lazy again.

Given my work schedule, I don't get to watch a lot of late night television. I'll record "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" and catch up with them on the weekend. And when the opportunity would present itself, I'd stay up on watch Conan. With so much hype on his ascending to "The Tonight Show", I thought I would take a peek. His final "Late Night" was funny and bittersweet, and hopes were high with the new gig.

I finally got to watch it Tuesday afternoon, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I know that the reviews have been mixed, so this is just another to add to the pile. First, I'm very happy to see Andy Richter back on the show, although it seems to be in a limited role. He now stands at a podium and I'm not sure whether he's announcing the show or seating a table of four. Hopefully that's one aspect that gets ironed out.

The criticism against those that knocked the show was that the reviewer just didn't get Conan's edgy humor. Unfortunately I would have to disagree with that statement because it seemed the writers played it safe. The filmed pieces were hit-or-miss. The opening piece wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, but I enjoyed it. The tram piece seemed to miss some promising opportunities, while the bit about the Tauras was just lame. And given the amount of preparation time, I guess I expected more. However, Conan seemed a little nervous during the opening, which would seem natural given what's riding on the show. On the plus side, Will Ferrel, as usual, brought the funny, although it took a lengthy time to bring him out. Pearl Jam also rocked the house even though I'll never understand what Eddie Vedder is singing.

I think it's a promising start to what I hope will be a long run for Conan. I'm sure he's going to ease into the time slot, with the edge coming back to the forefront. I hope that the big name bands isn't the norm as I enjoyed many of the lesser known bands often featured. So best to you Conan, and thanks for finally knocking Jay out of that time slot.

Five things I digging right now:

1) Breaking Bad. The season just ended and it was a wild ride.
2) Spoon "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga". Listening to it as I write.
3) The local Humane Society. If you're adopting a pet, go there first.
4) Point Beer. A friend brought me a six and it was delicious.
5) Guitar Hero. I'm not very good, but I could spend hours playing.