The Spielster » Pop Culture

Louis CK Returns To TV With ‘Louie’

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:15:28 +0000

Last year I turned to this site to offer an apology to the brash comedian and now I’m here promoting his new TV series “Louie“, which premiered last night on FX. Since no one from FX‘s marketing department were nice enough to send me screeners, I caught the show last night and the critics were right – its fantastic.

“Louie” is part real-life, part nouveau sitcom – allowing Louis CK to ‘play’ a character, who happens to be a recently divorced comedian named Louie. The show doesn’t veer too far from CK’s real life, including his awkward return to dating and his bizarre attempts to make his daughters ‘like’ him and much of the plot comes from his stand-up routine. Think an HBO version of “Seinfeld” but circa 1995, with the stand-up material acting as a bridge to the plot not an introduction. And you can’t forget that this show is about an actual NYC comedian because within the first two episodes, which premiered back to back last night, there have already been cameos from half of the NYC comedian population. Its an evolved version of the stand-up to sitcom premise we are all so familiar with, both in its tone and its settings. The show carefully straddles the line of real-life for Louis CK and has moved beyond the studio settings so popular for sitcoms and uses New York City as its actual backdrop. This show breaks ground as it doesn’t stick to the standard parameters of a TV show, much like a handful of HBO & Showtime programming has, so much at times I actually forgot I was watching a sitcom.

This is not the first TV project for Louis CK – his overtly realistic sitcom “Lucky Louie” ran on HBO for a season back in 2006 before getting canceled due to low ratings. And “Louie” seems like an obvious evolution from “Lucky Louie”, where the jokes allow us to laugh at the uncomfortable aspects of every day life, especially as an adult. CK’s standard themes – aging, curiosity over sexuality, fatherhood and dieting – are still weaved throughout the show, but now we can actually laugh with the comedian as opposed to just feel plain old bad for him. Much like CK’s material, “Louie” sometimes loses its main focus and there were a few very “STELLA” moments, like when his date just left in a helicopter, where the show goes almost too ‘next level’. If you are familiar with CK’s brand of comedy or if you appreciate a comedy that is far from cookie cutter, then you will find this the show more than refreshing. FX continues to bring a new style of comedy to the small screen, like its hit “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, a program where the main characters are so dysfunctional that you have to laugh at them. Check out a promo for “Louie” below and if you enjoy awkward comedies, in the vein of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “IASIF”, make sure to tune in every Tuesday at 11PM on FX.

Are You Still Not Watching ‘Party Down’?

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:33:57 +0000

Sadly the answer is probably yes – that you have better things to do on a Friday night than watch one of the funniest shows on television. And while Im sure that’s somewhat true, thanks to the internet, DVR and Netflix it’s not too late to get into “Party Down“. The critically acclaimed sitcom, which focuses officially wraps its second season tonight at 10PM.

Tonight marks the triumphant return of Jane Lynch to the show, which has held up nicely this season despite her lame but likely profitable choice to leave Party Down for Glee. In the episode, Jane Lynch hires her former colleagues to cater her wedding, and much like every other episode of the show, hijinks ensue. Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen and Megan Mullally make up the insanely dysfunctional crew, who would prefer to be making it in Hollywood than serving in it. And with guest appearances from Steve Guttenberg, Kristen Bell, Patrick Duffy and Paul Scheer, to name a few, this show should be appointment TV. Season 3 isn’t a definite yet, as ratings are tricky on Starz and most of the cast are too busy actually scoring major gigs, but Im keeping my fingers crossed. As a handful of entertainment sites, like Movieline, are speculating that tonight’s episode could be Party Down’s last and providing pretty good reasoning, like losing a handful of the cast due to their major gigs, it would be incredibly sad to see another gem of a TV show leave the airwaves way too soon.

Check out the trailer for Season 2 and see what you have been missing. And don’t forget to tune in tonight at 10PM.

RIP: “Easy Rider” Dennis Hopper Succumbs to Cancer at 74

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:14:50 +0000

No one can say that actor and director Dennis Hopper did not live life to the fullest. In fact, the man probably lived enough lives for five people. Famous for his many iconic performances, Hopper passed away this morning after a long battle with prostate cancer. The actor was hospitalized earlier this year due to complications of the disease and when bestowed with a star on the Walk of Fame, showed the public that the cancer had taken its toll on the one time “Hollywood Rebel.” With a resume any actor would have killed for, Hopper continued to reinvent himself, in both his professional and personal life.

Hopper’s career evolved from supporting roles, like his turn in “Rebel Without a Cause“, to ushering in an American cinema revolution with “Easy Rider. Both behind and in front of the camera Hopper worked with some of the greatest, including David Lynch, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, Francis Ford Coppola, James Dean, Quentin Tarantino, George Stevens, Peter Fonda, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Christopher Walken and Rock Hudson, and yet was never upstaged. His meltdown, courtesy of drug and alcohol abuse, midway through his career didn’t seem to stop the man and he came through with courage and fervor rarely seen. Hopper commanded attention, appreciated his craft and focused on complex and conflicted characters, which he easily made the audience hate and yet love. It’s difficult to discuss how just how major of a part Hopper played in the evolution of American cinema, the studio system and the role of an actor. Along with a handful of friends, Hopper changed what a movie needed to be to find success and what America wanted out of its leading men. He paved the road both for auteurs and anyone who found that road to hell was not a one-way street. Without him, some of the classic films we know today would be filled with looming holes and redemption might not come to those who search for it. Beyond his affect on film, Hopper was an avid collector and creator of art, and was an integral part of the culture in the late 70′s and early 80′s, along with friends Andy Warhol and Julian Schnabel and his photographs marked the evolution of the popular art scene . He was also a strong political voice in Hollywood and more than anything, a father and friend. His loss will be felt throughout Hollywood and New York, and the film community as a whole. Hopper seemed to understand life’s struggles and its successes and will hopefully be remembered for his role in changing the tone of films and the way we as Americans looked at ourselves. We can only hope Hopper is enjoying a cool Pabst Blue Ribbon with Dean and Co. somewhere in the great yonder. RIP.

Keeping it Classy With Conan O’Brien on “60 Minutes”

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:20:13 +0000

One word comes to mind when I think of Conan O’Brien after the late night debacle and that’s classy. While the one-time employee of NBC had to sign a non-defamatory agreement when he left NBC this year, I would assume his discussion about his previous employers and Jay Leno would remain respectful even if he hadn’t. O’Brien sat down with Steve Kroft for an exclusive ‘exit interview’ for “60 Minutes“, which aired this past Sunday just a day after the contractual TV gag order put on O’Brien by NBC had come to an end. The interview delved into the debacle once again, as Conan had never officially been able to discuss the split until now. O’Brien, who has embarked on a world wide tour since April, spoke about his need to perform again bringing him back to life and excitement about coming to cable next fall, when his other embargo from TV ends. Kroft went behind the scenes of the tour, seeing that O’Brien is definitely shining in the live performance spotlight, something Im assuming a TV show host of 15+ years would be very comfortable with.

And while Conan definitely kept his head up discussing the abrupt and shocking turn of events he went through with NBC reneging on their contract and deal with him, siding with Leno and his more expensive contract and doing it all without thinking of the folks involved, it was painful to know that he was still not sure why he was given the pink slip. When Kroft asked about his contact with both Leno and Jeff Zucker, head of NBC, he mentioned that neither of the “gentleman” had reached out to him, which is surprising since Zucker and O’Brien have been friends since their days at Harvard and Leno continuously believes he was just as screwed as O’Brien in this deal. He did lambast Zucker’s claims that NBC was losing money with his version of “The Tonight Show” and discussed how the show never had a chance to grow thanks to the lack of support from the network and lead-ins. And he did avoid the obvious snide jokes that could have been dealt to both men by just poking fun at Leno once by asking how he “was screwed again”? With his classic mix of Catholic neurosis and awkward timing, O’Brien exclaimed that he was fine and believed that this all “happened for a reason”. And from the looks of it, he’s right. CBS was first last night in the ratings, with “60 Minutes” pulling in 14.1MM viewers, about 4MM more than its average Sunday viewership. And his national tour is selling out in each city, so one can assume there are still many of us are on Team Coco. Now if his return to TV next Fall is successful, it could change the model of late night for TV all together. And if not, Im assuming Leno will be in the shadows cackling away. Either way, its refreshing to see someone involved within industry be thoughtful, introspective and self-aware that while losing one’s job is never easy, he is no way suffering right now. Conan O’Brien will most definitely survive.

Happy Birthday: Celebrating 20 Years of ‘Twin Peaks’

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:48:28 +0000

Today marks the 20th birthday of the perplexing, multi-layered and all around perfectly dark TV program “Twin Peaks“. Unless you haven’t been paying close attention, you will know the effect both David Lynch and his projects have had on me, but “Twin Peaks” could be the most important to me, and television as a whole. When the show premiered on this date in 1990, it was in a class all by itself. It couldn’t be considered a night-time soap, even though the plot was surrounding the sudden death of the town sweetheart Laura Palmer, as it was riddled with comedic moments and mythical intrigue. And while it delved within the sci-fi and horror realm, the Main Street USA feel of the show held it back from being an obvious horror program. It was, in essence, undefinable. And yet nowadays, its common place, especially on ABC, to delve into both multi-layered topics, without losing the sense of where the program is coming from. Without “Twin Peaks”, I wouldn’t, or couldn’t be obsessed with “Lost”, “The Sopranos” or “United States of Tara”, as it might not have existed. The effect David Lynch’s simple ode to the darkness that can be found in any small town in the US, that only ran for a mere two seasons, can be seen all over the landscape of Television. It showed us that life is not always what it seems, that answers can come from anywhere and that there is NOTHING SCARIER than a man called BOB. I have watched the show from beginning to end about eight times now, and I continuously find more interesting stories and simple effects. If Lynch is skilled at one thing (well he’s skilled at thousands, but this is for effect), it is playing homage to the American dream and the dirtiness that lives inside of it. From the moment I hear Jack Nance exclaiming, “wrapped in plastic”, I was hooked. Beyond the obvious murder mystery of who killed Laura Palmer, I was mesmerized by the characters, their development and honestly, my attachment to them. “Twin Peaks” opened up my eyes at a young age to darker plots, mystical ideas and created an earnest interest in discovering the country I live in. Lynch’s ability to create dark, troubled characters who were so fun to watch is inspiring and his strength to discuss subjects otherwise taboo, especially at the time, is commendable. It also proved that Television doesn’t have to be under produced, stale and in front of a studio audience. “Twin Peaks” was essentially a long film, broken up into 46 minute segments and played once a week at the same time. It was lush, both in story and location, and proved to both networks and producers that quality programming can be respected and watched by both the critics and viewers at home. So thank you David Lynch for allowing us to expect more from whats delivered to us through the boob tube. And while the show had its ups and downs, specifically when Lynch left for a period of time after Laura’s murderer identity was revealed, it will remain one of the most influential programs of all time. And while I can go on and on about my love for the show all day, I would prefer to show a few great moments from the show.

We can’t discuss great moments, without celebrating the eerily perfect, and very David Lynch, intro for the show.

The effect of just one action or event can take a major toll on an entire town. The moment that we discover Laura Palmer, a promising young girl beloved by the majority of the town, is dead is heart wrenching. But, when Leland (Ray Wise) and Sarah (Grace Zabriskie) Palmer find out their daughter is dead, at the same time, it is devastating.

Much like “LOST” and other programs, sometimes mistakes will bring in great rewards. As scripted dramas go, there is always room for change if it helps the story. So when I found out how they came about casting BOB, one of the scariest villains of all times, it blew my mind. Sometimes it pays to think outside the box, or in this case the script.

Agent Cooper, the FBI agent with the task to find Laura’s killer, was more submerged within the bizarre happenings in Twin Peaks than the majority of the locals. And thanks to his dreams, I wasnt able to sleep, but I did begin to figure out certain clues pertaining to the murder and darkness surrounding the town.

And while the show might have been based around an FBI investigation into the murder of a young local girl, there were tons of comedic moments allowing the light to come through. This “meeting of the minds” moment that Sheriff Truman, Agent Cooper and Andy have while investigating the case still makes me laugh out loud.

If you have watched even a moment of “Twin Peaks”, you will know how important coffee is, which is why I love this little montage of coffee moments.

I’ll spare the embedding of one of the scariest/saddest moments ever on TV, but if you want to catch the last few moments of the program, you can see them here. (Warning: SPOILER ALERT! SADNESS ALERT!)

What are your favorite moments from the show? What current TV shows do you think owe a bit of gratitude to “Twin Peaks”? And finally, How’s Annie? (Sorry, I had to)

For more of Twin Peaks celebrating, check out:

NY Post: ‘Twin Peaks’ at 20

InsideTV: ‘Twin Peaks’ 20 Years Later: How the Show Changed Television

National Post:Twin Peaks turns 20: Why the show matters

Stop, TRAILER TIME: “Dinner For Schmucks”

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:22:25 +0000

Weather like today’s, a balmy 80 degrees here in NYC, reminds us that Summer is just around the corner (as is death by global warming, but lets not go there). And that means a mindless comedy and action explosion at the box office. Each Summer, I find myself searching for the perfect addition to my “lovable bromance comedy” DVD section at my home and Im pretty sure I just found 2010′s winner. Dinner For Schmucks, a remake of the French comedy Le diner de cons, might seem like a weak premise to structure a buddy movie around, but I’ve heard of worse. Paul Rudd stars as Tim Conrad, an executive moving up within his company, who to make it to the next level has to participate in his boss’ annual ‘Dinner for Extraordinary People’. The intent of the dinner is to have each guest bring along an eccentric, if not fool, to see who can round up the worst offender. Enter Steve Carrell as Barry, the most obvious choice for Tim to bring along, if only his conscience would allow him. Carrell’s Barry makes eccentric look like child’s play, with his love of dead mice dioramas and his inability to cross a street without being hit by a car. The film is stacked with some of my comedy favorites, including Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston and the adorable Kristen Schaal. Im fairly easy to please when Paul Rudd is involved in a project, except when it comes to the craptacular The Ten, so Im pretty mamma will like. The film was directed by Jay Roach, who was behind Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers films, so really this movie could be hilarious or a waste of comedic talent. I’ll hold my full judgement until July 23rd, when the movie hits theaters. In the meantime, check out the trailer and let me know what you think.

Fool Me Once…..

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:17:55 +0000

Did you wake up to the random news of friends’ engagements, announcements of pregnancies and attempted to sign into Topeka ? Well you know that means – APRIL FOOLS’ DAY folks.

I haven’t been a fan of this day since I was eight, because Im sort of a sucker. And at the same time highly pessimistic, so anything that someone tells me today will be chalked up to just a bad joke. The internet, unlike myself, really loves this day, which allows you to do whatever you want under the guise of “Its an April Fools Joke”. Sorry Jesse James, it doesn’t count if your Nazi picture was taken a couple of years ago to call it a joke. Now while I’m not a fan of today, I can get behind a good joke, as long as it is not at my expense. Here’s a little roundup of my favorite things I’ve seen today.

- Think Geek always gets April Fool’s right. The brains behind last year’s joke, the Taun Taun Sleeping bag, was such a big hit they actually began producing and selling the sleeping bags. This year’s prank is awesome and just as lust worthy – the iPad Arcade Cabinet. To capitalize on the iPad madness, Think Geek pairs the latest in technology with the geek’s love of classic arcade games.

- The In-N-OUT tease. While this joke really only pertains to us NYC dwellers who are deprived of the glory that is the burger chain, its still pretty cruel. According to Gothamist, the folks at College Humor set up a phony coming soon site for the burger chain, passing out flyers and getting the hopes up of New Yorkers. Don’t we deal with enough already? Spokespeople for the chain confirm that this is prank. BOO!

- Funny or Die is now Bieber or Die, with tons of videos featuring the tween sensation celebrating his virtual stranglehold on pop culture and the American media, well at least it seems this way from his constant appearance on Twitter trends and topics. Check out his “taking over” of the popular humor site.

Bieber Takes Over from Justin Bieber

Have you seen any good April Fool’s jokes today? Link to them in the comments section.

Hollywood, Are You Trying to Kill Goldie Hawn?

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:04:14 +0000

Seriously, Hollywood why are you trying to remake all of Goldie Hawn’s classic movies? Last week, it was announced that J.Lo will ~~stink up~~ star in an updated version of the 1980′s classic Overboard. And now it seems that wasn’t enough, as today it was announced that NewLine/Warner Bros. are set to remake of Private Benjamin, with Anna Faris to star. Yes, the assault on my lovely childhood continues, but at least this time the casting is perfect. While normally I would threaten an all out attack on Hollywood for the audacity to even attempt to remake such a classic, my love of all things Faris is calming my anger and peaking my interest in a remake.
The original starred Goldie Hawn, for which she received an Best Actress Oscar nomination, as a naive and spoiled woman who enlists in the Army after her husband’s sudden death on the wedding night. It’s a classic fish out of water story, but with a feminist update, with Hawn prevailing at the end. The film skyrocketed Hawn into A-List territory and made waves for the women’s movement. It also scored two other Oscar nods, one for supporting actress Eileen Brennan (who will be nearly impossible to replace) and original screenplay.

Amy Talkington, who also penned the updated version of my favorite movie,Valley Girl is writing the screenplay and Mark Gordon producing. The latest version will definitely discuss the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and acknowledge the importance of women within our military, but not poke fun at the men and women serving.

As I’ve said before, I’m not crazy about remakes, especially when I know there are still oodles of stories to be told. But if this is the vehicle Faris needs to make to put her into the spotlight, then I am behind it. Faris is a rare comedienne, one who is more expressive with facial gestures than anything that could ever be uttered out of her mouth. And while she has had some starring roles, like The House Bunny, nothing has come out and propelled her to the next level, which she so deserves to be. And this disservice is part of the real issue within Hollywood nowadays. Why is someone as talented as Faris not working 4 -5 times a year and turning down quality screenplays left and right? Why is Hollywood not creating star vehicles for such a talent? Where’s her Apatow? Personally, I have a screenplay I have been working on for Faris, so if by the off chance anyone even remotely affiliated with her reads this – CALL ME!(No really, call me!) But, seriously Anna Faris should be a household name, on the covers and in the theaters. Why is it taking Hollywood so long to get this? Hopefully, this does the trick.