Miscellaneous Ramblings...

Sunday Night Football...by candlelight?
Having been disappointed and impressed all at the same time from the Patriots v. Colts game, I sat down to watch Cowboys v. Eagles as consolation. Pretty good game up until halftime. NBC is promoting a theme of being "green" and environmentally friendly--which is commendable--up until the producers of the game pulled the ridiculous stunt of doing the halftime show by candlelight. Bob Costas thought it was quite comical...he was the only one. This was NBC's poor attempt at humor to explain that they're "committed to cutting power when the studio is not in use." As the announcers talked with studio desk lit by four candles, the notion of them conserving power was more than a bit disingenuous as multilple, HDTV screens streamed NBC advertisements. I'm no tree hugger, but if NBC wants anyone to take them seriously about conserving energy, they can start by cutting off Keith Olbermann's microphone. He's as out of place on Sunday Night as Joe Theismann was on Monday Night Football last year. In the words of Bill Walton, Olbermann's rants are "Horrrr-ible!" Sadly, the producers won't have the guts to hit the off switch on the Plasma screens or pull the proverbial plug on Olbermann. Thankfully, the technology Gods long ago create the mute button, which now gets judicious usage.

Bee Movie...worse than B grade.
Having a kid of elementary school age, I get regular petitions to see the latest animated films. Animators today generally have an easy go of it...kids will enjoy damn near anything that's animated. The profits get a boost when the combination of animation, storyline, and direction combin e to give the adults a chuckle while still entertaining the kids. In my view, the bar is pretty high--Toy Story, Monster's Inc., The Incredibles, Cars, Finding Nemo, and the original Shrek are the standards by which all other animated movies should be judged. By and large, Disney gets it right. But Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks have all had they're fair share of duds. Shark Tale, Robots, Ice Age, Hoodwinked were each interesting, but none seemed to put it all together like the first batch of films. Which brings me to "Bee Movie." Jerry Seinfeld's maniacal control over this film is evident from the very beginning of the film. The first time the play upon words is made, it's funny. The first few references to the simplicity of the life of bees is funny. By the end of the film, however, it's exhausting. The animation looks as if it were accomplished on a home PC and the story--much like the "Seinfeld" series--delights in misdirection of what the story is supposed to be about. Conceptually, such a strategy is brilliant in a sitcom, but doesn't work in a feature-length, animated film.

The Best Combination of Writing, Acting, and Direction on Television...
David E. Kelley is a genious. The multi-Emmy winning writer and executive producer who brought us L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, The Practice, Chicago Hope, and Picket Fences has gone and done it again. For the workaholic with TiVo who must be selective in what s/he spends time watching, if you have not watch Boston Legal, you are missing what can (rarely these days) be described as great television. The combination of topical subject matter, great writing, great acting (James Spader, Candace Bergen, and William Shatner) and steady stream of guest actors keeps this show fresh in the sea of poor dramas, games shows, and reality television. The show never takes itself too seriously, either--as evidenced by the occasional scene where actors make ad lib quips direct to the camera that are left in to lighten things up. The show is not for the prudish of heart--the content can be occasionally racy for over-the-air television--and can be silly at times, but the balance comes when thought-provoking topics of the day are intermixed with the dramedy dialogue. It you're old enough to have appreciated Hill St. Blues, Barney Miller, or more recently, ER, you may appreciate this show. If you haven't watched before, do yourself a favor and get the first seasons on DVD. While you don't have to know the show's history, there are some long-running story lines that serve to be aware of to better understand the idiosyncracies of the main characters.

Peace,
+THINKER