tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14389372864313428562024-02-07T11:14:03.021-08:00Connoisseuraus RexChiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-70460508047825357882011-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:002011-11-19T16:00:20.125-08:00Watch the Throne Tour: Illest Motherfuckers Alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The show starts with that trippy, recurring interlude music from the album. Has anyone even figured out where that's from yet? The Sting? Some trippy, classical French ish? No one knows, but it's provocative. And it's an awesomely obvious, obviously awesome way to get a super fan like me hyped after waiting ninety minutes for The Throne to take stage. Oh, and the rest of the thousands of fans that herded into the East Rutherford IZOD center.<br />
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Under cover of darkness, both members of rap's most high profile supergroup appear seemingly out of thin air. But they're not together. Mr. West is on the stage all by himself. It takes the crowd .07 seconds to realize King Hov is on the mid-arena platform that we'd all been staring curiously at during the waiting time. "Oh shit yo, they're gonna perform the whole show on separate stages! They really do have beef now!" No, simple Page Six reader, they don't. Two songs and one "Otis" performance later they were right next to each other, comfortably rapping their hearts out in front of the now signature Givenchy-ied out flag. But those separate platforms though? Best gimmick of the night. As soon as the interlude music cut, the intro to "HAM" started up and during Jay's verse...those shits <i>rose</i>. As in elevated each dude about forty feet in the fucking air. You are now watching the thrones. Literally. And if that wasn't enough, the cubes were fitted with screens on all four sides playing accompanying images. Watching the Greatest Rapper of All Time and one of the Best Rappers Alive volleying bars, over and across the crowd, over titanic beats like "HAM" and "Who Gon Stop Me," while 2D great white sharks swim underneath them: easily the most theatrical, enjoyable part of the whole 2 1/2 hour show.<br />
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From then on it was stadium-ready hit after hit after hit, new classic and old. With absolutely no intermissions, Jay and Ye effortlessly bobbed and weaved through past and present jams - sometimes sharing the stage, other times ceding the show to the other for a mini solo-set - with <i>Reasonable Doubt, </i> <i>Blueprint 2, Kingdom Come</i> and <i>American Gangster</i> the only projects not represented. (The least energetic moment was probably when Kanye briefly went into the <i>808s</i> vault with "Heartless" though.) Of <i>Throne</i>'s 12 tracks, the only songs left out were "Made in America" and "Murder to Excellence" although apparently these are sometimes included on random nights. "HAM" was the only deluxe edition track performed.<br />
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The show, like the album, was a perfect blend of both artists different styles. The lights that Kanye presented back in "Glow in the Dark" paled in comparison to the epilepsy-inducing laser show that was on display here. Meanwhile Jay continues to fuck with the video screen with correlating images per song, although it sometimes got a little corny. Watching lions ferociously devour deer during "Welcome to the Jungle" was acceptable. "National Geographic-esque close-ups of a soaring eagle during "Touch the Sky" were not. By the way, I know a lot of you have pegged "Jungle" as your least favorite track. Well, that shit <i>banged</i> on the arena speakers and was the fourth or fifth song in the setlist. I suggest revisiting it with your best sound system and a tab opened to <a href="http://rapgenius.com/Kanye-west-welcome-to-the-jungle-lyrics">rapgenius.com</a>.</div>
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The showmanship wasn't only evident in the physical effects though. The raw, personal songs like "Hard Knock Life" and "New Day" were rapped side-by-side sitting down, as if the stage were a Brooklyn stoop. For the privately personal, subliminal but you-know-who-you-are "Why I Love You" the duo retreated from the foreground, Jay's blacked out Don C snapback brim down over his eyes. "What a Wonderful World" played ironically against a slideshow depicting poverty, decay, and crime. (Curiously this segued into "No Church in the Wild" instead of the assumed "Murder to Excellence.") And of course, Martin Louis the Fashionisto changed three times, each shirt trendily flowing down to his kneecaps, including the infamous Givenchy shirt as kilt that he probably wears on laundry day. And towards the end, the setlist hilariously, intentionally segued from "Big Pimpin" to "Gold Digger" to "99 Problems." Get it?<br />
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So who murdered who? As with most Jay facts that I state, it will probably be written off as Stan bias when I say he has the better stage presence. Kanye was far from terrible and for the most part kept up with Big Bro's energetic standard. But Jigga's come a long way since that travesty of a Showtime concert that had him Beans, Freeway and Dame laboring around the stage like a bunch of fat cats. He can rouse a crowd in his sleep, and he's got a litany of hits to make, and keep, an audience on their feet and losing their voice. Proof: when "Big Pimpin" dropped the water guy said fuck all and diddy bopped his heart out in the aisle. Truth. Plus dropping the beat and flowing acappella live to "Nigga What, Nigga Who" (and now his show-stopping "Who Gon Stop Me" closer) will always be cooler than Kanye's autotune warbling about Amber and love. Sorry.<br />
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This was probably one of few concerts where I never even considered sitting down once. Two and a half hours sounds like a long ass time to be standing but I never looked at my watch or yawned. Shit was like the live tour version of <i>The Dark Knight</i>. Funniest part is, they even missed some songs. A shit load in fact. I don't know about you, but after the epic three-time but not one time too many encore of "Niggas in Paris" I could've stayed to watch them tear through "Primetime," "IMA," "So Appalled," "Hate," "The Bounce" for sentimentality's sake (their first collaboration) and "Never Let Me Down" (one of their most powerful collaborations). Was it better than <i>Fade to Black, </i>which I was fortunate to have attended? No, and not because my seats were closer for that show. But if there was ever vindication that Jay has the illest catalog out, that Ye is gunning for Top 5 status and that the album itself is a damn near if not classic, this was it.<br />
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<i>Watch the Throne</i> tour. Exactly what the fuck you'd think.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-47780999680111591582011-09-30T17:25:00.000-07:002011-09-30T18:38:03.903-07:00In Defense of "Ghetto Techno"<a href="http://freshnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jay-z-timbaland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://freshnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/jay-z-timbaland.jpg" width="200" /></a>There's a story floating around that places Jay-Z, Kanye West, No I.D., Timbaland, and Don Cannon* in the studio. The year is 2009 and they are <strike>debating</strike> arguing how Jay should unroll the <i>Blueprint 3 </i>machine. Timbaland, typically [post 2007], is in favor of the Jigga man putting out a poppy, radio-friendly Z-100, tween suburban-girl ready song to hook the masses. One can only imagine Kanye, the living embodiment of one of Hov's most reliable creative inspirations, calling this the dumbest fucking idea possible. During it all No I.D. is in the corner, silently and humbly working on a beat, which Ye instructs him to play. It is hard hitting and sounds decidedly <i>nothing</i> like what the radio currently has to offer. Kanye outlines that a song over this beat should be against everything that's wack in hip-hop right now. And we all know how the story finishes: Jay takes the beat home, comes in the next day with what is now known as "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune)," shocking even Kanye with his denouncements. "That's too far nigga!"**<br />
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*<i>Random I know, but come to think of it Hov on a Don Cannon beat could be gold. See: </i>"Go Crazy"*<br />
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**<i>Kanye's response to the second verse line "</i>you niggas' jeans too tight/your colors too bright, your voice too light" <i>over the intercom while Jay was laying the verse was hilariously kept in as an ad-lib.**</i><br />
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Later, during the suspicious flurry of Timbaland-only <i>BP3</i> leaks, one song that got a lot of [negative] attention was the leftover "Ghetto Techno." The track was panned on the internet by Hov haters and Stans alike, as pop-pandering bullshit and an example of why the game needed to put Timbaland on sabbatical, including yours truly Mr. Rex. I recount the story above to say this: "Ghetto Techno" was without a doubt the song Timbaland was pushing Jay to use as his first single. And you know what? It's actually not as demonic as you thought it was on first listen. When I first heard "Techno" I despised it. These days the song has taken up permanent residence in my sprawling Recently Played playlist.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I don't wish the song was the first single--I'm not even sure I ever want to see it grace an official tracklist. The first single from a returning artist (Hov was 18 months removed from his last album around the time) should be reassuring, not a complete departure from one's signature sound. The legion of Hov haters and Illuminati conspiracy theorists would've pounced on it mercilessly and the hype for <i>BP3</i> would have been nil. But as a simple, insignificant throwaway? The track is fun as hell. You can't tell me that you wouldn't sing along without a care if it were Pitbull cleverly instructing you to "survive more shots than Pac had" on the hook instead of Jigga. The beat bangs. And my God is the patented Jay-Z wordplay intact. "...in the club getting bucket after bucket like Kobe," but the real highlight is @S_C_'s genius Twitter flip:<br />
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<i>Honey's white but she dance black</i><br />
<i>had to ask the lil broad how she dance like that</i><br />
<i>But me? I'm doing me just goin hard</i><br />
<i>got a table full-a Ace like a deck of cards</i><br />
<i>fiends roll the green up</i><br />
<i>we got 1 Oak lookin like a lil <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wilhelmina.com%2F&ei=tlyGTrb8FOry0gH60-nCDw&usg=AFQjCNHQd3-YqT8VE3OWaXKP-qVTM1RqKA&sig2=y5StD5ggrdauvOAjeHcQKw">Wilhelmina</a></i><br />
<i>but I ain't doing nothing that can get back</i><br />
<i>cuz I know half the club wanna twitter that</i><br />
<i>Tweet tweet--I smell a bird--and a rat</i><br />
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"Ghetto Techno" isn't what we want to hear from Jay-Z. But it's quite far from his worst song. See for yourself:<br />
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Tell me how much a Stan I am in the comments:<br />
<i><br /></i>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-50227166669891112652011-09-28T15:01:00.000-07:002011-09-28T15:05:43.635-07:00The Week in DMXYour man DMX is a free man (for now) and he of erratic exclamations and random dog barks is ready to entertain again. Fresh out of the pen for a couple months now, Earl has been keeping busy the past few weeks as we head into the final quarter of the year. Whether catching up on the zeitgeist, braving social media, or releasing new music, the Dark Man X has been, to say the least, quite hilarious these past few days:<br />
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<b><u>DMX learns about Lil B</u></b><br />
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Saving the best for first. On some real shit I must have watched this near ten times already, and each time has resulted in tears. I won't spoil for you, just sit back and enjoy. Needless to say, Earl is <i>not</i> based, but need I remind you this is the same man who said "suck my dick/and all you niggas that been to jail before know, it's about to get thick."<br />
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<b><u>DMX joins Twitter</u></b><br />
We could put this up for debate, but it'd be pointless: DMX has delivered the best (celebrity, rapper, what have you) Twitter name ever with the ingenious handle "DizarkMizanIzex." Don't waste one more second not following dude. He is either going to never use it OR take aim for the most hilarious tweets in the rap game. Pray for the latter.<br />
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<b><u>The Last Hope</u></b></div>
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If this is "The Last Hope" then be afraid. Jacking Drake beats from '07 is what's hot in the streets these days X? Is the gospel album still on tap? Really though, after all the known drug usage the barks and yells aren't so cool anymore. Between this and the Based God video dude looks like he's either back on the bad stuff or fiending HARD. Someone pry Swizz Beatz away from Alicia and lock him and X in the studio together. He's the only real hope DMX has of ever reclaiming his glory days. The real question is...can X's bark come back and steal the thunder from Ross's grunt? Discuss.</div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-38274252469188613732011-09-01T21:25:00.000-07:002011-09-01T21:27:40.156-07:00The Watcher: Sons of AnarchyThere are a <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-new-shows-to-check-for-in-2011-2012.html">handful of new shows</a> worth checking out this coming season, but fall TV is all about returning favorites. The one I'm checking for the most, without a doubt? The season four premiere of <i>Sons of Anarchy</i>. If you're not up on this show now is the time to get familiar with seasons 1-3 on DVD, trust, you'll get through them quickly. The show in one sentence: <i>Hamlet</i> on Harley's, with a lot of introspection and heart amidst tons of bullets and disturbing violence that you can't tear your eyes away from no matter how much you'd like to. For those who've been waiting impatiently along with me since season three bowed last November, you'll remember <i>Anarchy</i> ended (<b>minor spoilers</b>) with the Sons getting ready for a skid bid after settling some family business. When we return, 14 months will have passed and Charming has changed into a town with little patience for the gang's usual ways of running things. A new, no-nonsense sheriff, Clay's determination to go out with as much money as possible, and old family secrets coming to light are sure to make for an explosive season. Can't wait.<br />
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<i>Sons of Anarchy</i>'s fourth season premieres with a special 90 minute episode, Tuesday Sept. 6.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-21093201082559947402011-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:002011-08-30T21:27:02.115-07:00The 10 New Shows to Check For In the 2011-2012 TV Season<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">You're already hyped for your favorite show to return, but it may also be time to inject a little new blood into the DVR/Hulu queue/torrent tracker. Here are the ten most promising shows of the new TV season:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/5_7RgFGaiFg/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5_7RgFGaiFg&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5_7RgFGaiFg&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><i style="font-weight: bold;">10. Ringer </i>(CW)</u> - Is there a reason CBS passed on this pilot? Or do they just not know a good show when it comes on their desk? Seeing as how infamous bad-show bait network the CW picked it up one might think it was the former, but if you've read: <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/03/15-best-shows-of-2010-2011-tv-season.html">this</a> then you know the Connoisseuraus isn't oblivious to the fact that the CW actually has one or two real gems. This could be another. Either way the lead is former star of one of the Top 20 Shows of All-Time, so I was always in.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premise:</u> Sarah Michelle Gellar, of vampire slaying and C-list horror movie fame, plays twins, one with a shitty life who is in danger of getting whacked after wet snitching some mobster tpyes. Naturally, the other sister is filthy rich, and when she disappears, Sister 1 takes over her life because conveniently Sister 2 kept her embarrassment twin a secret from everyone in <i>her</i> life. And of course, Sister 2 has her own secrets and danger...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> That's a lot of suspension of disbelief. And how many seasons is this expected to last, exactly? Cause right now it sounds like...half of one.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Sept 13</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/J2P_jP76qqI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J2P_jP76qqI&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J2P_jP76qqI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">9. Charlie's Angels </i>(ABC)</u> - I love TV remakes, even though they end up not loving me (when was the last good one?). I love to turn my mind off and watch these movies whenever they're <strike>always</strike> on HBO. I love plots that involve hot women kicking ass. I love Minka Kelly.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premise:</u> I don't really have to write that out, do I?</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> Like I said, TV remakes never do well, recently spy shows have been just as shitty. Plus, <strike>Fake Vincent Chase</strike> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram%C3%B3n_Rodr%C3%ADguez_(actor)">Ramon Rodriguez</a> as Bosley? I fucking hate that guy! Minka and the other two weren't sexy enough, they had to make Bosley young and attractive for...what? Female viewers?! Pfft, strike #1.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Sept 22, 35th anniversary of the original</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KK4YuIf2cIg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">8. </i></u></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Person of Interest </i>(CBS)</u> - </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">It stars <strike>Benjamin Linus</strike> Michael Emerson. It's a J.J. Abrams vehicle. The creative team also boasts one Jonathan Nolan...yea, that's the guy with the famous director brother, who co-scripted that movie called <i>The Dark Knight</i>. I was always in.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premise:</u> A billionaire develops a software that can predict crimes or victims, and hires an ex-CIA guy with a shady past to help him prevent crime in the Rotten Apple. Said guy played by Jim Caviziel, whom you might remember played Jesus a few years back. So it's like Charlie's Angels, but without anyone attractive. (Taraji P. Henson's name is attached, but as you can see she's absent from the footage so far.)</span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> Is this going to feel more J.J-ey or more CBS-ey? I'm worried about the latter, seeing as how I've not-hated only one, maybe two shows on that network in all my years. It could just be a generic CBS-brand procedural with a J.J.-Nolan spin that barely registers. And the plot could be unbearably hokey as well: predicting crimes but it's not sci-fi? And he keeps this to himself why? Because he watched <i>Minority Report</i>?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Sept 22</span></span></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Warwick_Davis_interviewed_2.jpg/220px-Warwick_Davis_interviewed_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Warwick_Davis_interviewed_2.jpg/220px-Warwick_Davis_interviewed_2.jpg" width="212" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">7. Life's Too Short </i>(HBO)</u> - Name a movie that requires some kind of dwarf, elf, goblin or simply a midget and you can bet the awesome Warwick Davis stepped in to play it (he played not one but two major roles in the Harry Potter franchise). With that hustle on lock (I guess Verne Troyer is content with that Mini-Me money) he's now looking to play a fictionalized version of himself on cable and he went to Ricky Gervais, someone that knows a thing or two about Hollywood satire. So basically, <i>Curb</i> with dwarfism instead of baldness? Sounds great.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> Hollywood behind-the-scenes drama from the perspective of showbiz dwarfism. TV Warwick will have bills on bills on bills thanks to a nasty divorce, and no morality in his movements as he tries to get back in the Hollywood winner's circle.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> I guess there's always the chance that it comes off like a bland, uninteresing inside joke like many shows of this genre can at times, but really there's too little information to call it yet. Plus, it's HBO, which after <i>Game of Thrones </i>has officially reached the give-anything-they-air-a-chance level. I will say that if you're the rare, unfortunate HBO viewer that's miffed by all the <i>Curb</i> hype, you probably won't like this either.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> 2012</span></span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/78zEDBmHwbU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">6. Hell on Wheeles </i>(AMC)</u> - </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">The AMC Law of Averages. One show I stayed away from because I could smell the imminent cancellation, even though it got good reviews and had a little cult following [<i>Rubicon</i>]. One show started strong, ended horribly, with a creator that sounds like a delusional, arrogant asshole, which they went on to...renew [<i>The Killing</i>]? And two contenders for Top 10 or 20 Best TV Shows of all-time in <i>Mad Men </i>and <i>Breaking Bad</i>. Either way, if you're a TV connoisseur, you have to at least watch the pilot. Or...stay away if you smell imminent cancellation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> At the beginning of the Reconstruction era, an ex-Confederate tracks the Union soldiers who murdered his wife to a railroad construction town. For added flavor there's a plot line involving Cheyenne tribes out to derail the construction.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> There are like, thirty-seven Western-ish shows in development right now. Will this one be the standout or AMC's second loss? But a series where the Confederate's the protagonist and Union boys are the bad guys? Whoa.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Nov 6</span></span></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7YEYU0NryzY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">5. The River </i>(ABC)</u> - It's actually surprising it took recent horror movie favorite Oren Peli, of <i>Paranormal Activity</i> fame this long to look to TV for his next windfall. Hopefully this is not as low-key as his film franchise; the movies are cool (<i>2 </i>took way too long to get going) but the jungle is the place for scares wilder than spooky bumps and ouija boards.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> The host of a wildlife TV show goes missing in the Amazon; six months later his wife and son get a mysterious beacon that implies he may be alive, prompting them to assemble a documentary crew and embark on a rescue mission. (Why they're interested in exploiting dude's rescue for television is anyone's guess.)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> The reason why there hasn't been any good horor shows for awhile? Most of 'em suck. Also, I really hope this is not shot like the <i>Paranormal</i> movies, that's tiring for a series.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Mid-season</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JOugYXSfNow?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">4. American Horror Story </i>(FX)</u> - Not much is known about this show except that Ryan Murhpy is behind it. Ryan Murphy, in case you didn't know, is the TV auteur behind <i>Nip/Tuck </i>and <i>Glee</i>, two shows that I couldn't possibly care any less for. But the title is awesome and it's on my favorite network, and as aforementioned horror is an untapped well on TV these days.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> So there's a creepy house, and a couple moves into it, and um, scary shit happens. Hey at least the title wasn't a</span></span></span></span> play-on-words for a satire about like, the mundane-ness of suburbia or something. That would've <i>sucked</i>.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> As I said, he created <i>Nip/Tuck</i> and <i>Glee</i>, two shows that are too much for me, for different reasons.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Oct 5</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/X6aNEIZwPFc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">3. Terra Nova </i>(FOX)</u> - You know that big-budget summer blockbuster, that has a lot of cool big names attached, promises eye-popping special effects and spectacle, yet for some reason doesn't meet the sum of its parts and ends up as one big multi-million dollar joyless shit show? Yea, that's what this could end up being.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> In the year 2149 overpopulation and diminishing air quality is signaling the end of days for planet Earth, so scientists develop a time travel device to take settlers back to prehistoric times to save the human race. I can name at least ten different reasons why that's a bad idea but, OK sure. So it's like any other drama (the lead is a cop), just with dinosaurs in the background.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sounds Good But:</u> In addition to what I said above, the behind-the-scenes goings on of this show are rife with delays, budget problems, and a whole lotta script doctoring. Three bad signs.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Sept 26 </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">2. Alcatraz </i>(FOX)</u> - Everybody fucks up, even someone with a pedigree like J.J. Abrams. So yea, <i>Undercovers</i> was so <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/03/worst-new-series-of-2010-2011-tv-season.html">boring and bland</a> that it's failure isn't even worthy of the word fiasco. So what? The best super-producers just dust it off, and come back next year bigger and better. While <i>Person of Interest</i> reeks of stale CBS product sprayed with J.J. scented cologne to cover it up, this right here seems like the grade-A Bad Robot product we've come to know, love, and expect. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/J_jAlFqvASU/0.jpg" height="266" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J_jAlFqvASU&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J_jAlFqvASU&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> Fifty years ago, 302 wardens and prisoners on Alcatraz island mysteriously disappeared. Now they are randomly reappearing, with villainous intentions and it's up to a detective, and a geek expert on all things Alcatraz to find out why. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">Sounds Good But:</u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> Mythology is unpredictable. After three great years </span><i style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Alias</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> cracked under the weight of it, meanwhile in it's third year </span><i style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Fringe </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">rose to the occasion and blossomed because of it. Obviously there </span><i style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">has</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> to be a grand plan behind the disappearance and sudden reappearance's, but I want this show to keep the plots fun and exciting in the early goings, while building to it slowly but very surely like <i>Alias</i> did. But what do I know, I haven't even seen the thing yet. I'm just glad to have J.J. (and Hugo!) back. </span></span></span></span>Bonus points for giving the lead role to Sarah Jones, of <i>Sons of Anarchy </i>fame (Zobelle's daughter). She's way too hot to not be working.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Mid-season</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mfCfTahy-dY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">1. Awake </i>(NBC)</u> - Can someone tell me why the most exciting, interesting shows are not premiering until mid-season?! Simply put, this looks amazing and if the pilot lives up to the trailer it will be one of the most innovative shows network TV has given us in a long while. There really isn't much more I can say, just click Play. Trust, it's worth the four minute running time.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Premise:</u> Bear with me: a detective wakes up from a car crash involving his family to find that his wife has died. However, when he goes to sleep he wakes up in a reality where his son died instead of his wife. He continues to move between both realities, visiting a different therapist in each world that tells him the other is a fake product of the trauma. Meanwhile the cases he investigates in one world begin to affect the cases in the other. Trippy stuff.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px;">Sounds Good But:</u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> We've all seen fantastic trailers that ended up being better than the actual product. Not to mention this story doesn't easily give way to the long-form execution that TV demands. And finally, creator Kyle Killen had an exciting, bold concept show just last year...and it ended up tanking embarrassingly the first week and becoming the season's first casualty by episode two. Maybe he should've gone cable this time?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Premieres:</u> Mid-season</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Which show are you interested in the most? Any I missed? And please remember, writing in long form is quite hard. Only the amateur TV watcher judges a show on one episode alone. If anything in the pilot grabs you, then weeks 2 and 3 are must-watches before your final decision.</span></span>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-999290818130793032011-08-21T16:10:00.000-07:002011-08-21T16:16:41.737-07:00Bridget Kelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Jay+Z+Bridget+Kelly+Gucci+Rocnation+Pre+GRAMMY+OHtNnp6Dz5Al.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Jay+Z+Bridget+Kelly+Gucci+Rocnation+Pre+GRAMMY+OHtNnp6Dz5Al.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><b>Profile:</b> You may have seen her filling in for Alicia Keys whenever Jay-Z performed "Empire State of Mind" (which was 90% of the time) but now the Roc Nation songstress is getting ready for her debut. You heard her awesome Frank Ocean penned song "Thinking About Forever" a couple weeks ago and she's following that with an EP before dropping her first album some time next year. (Who wants to bet she drops both before Jay Electronica?) Oh yea and she's kind of gorgeous. Pictures and "Thinking About Forever" video below:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://content.complex.com/assets/galleries/31311/big_bridget-kelly-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://content.complex.com/assets/galleries/31311/big_bridget-kelly-6.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><a href="http://www.daisyjewellery.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/BK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.daisyjewellery.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/BK.jpg" width="216" /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://content.complex.com/assets/galleries/31311/big_bridget-kelly-3.jpg" width="213" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></span></a><a href="http://content.complex.com/assets/galleries/31311/big_bridget-kelly-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-12768235499554735562011-08-21T13:28:00.000-07:002011-08-21T13:28:19.332-07:00Lil B and Kreayshawn Respond to Game DissDid you know <strike>The</strike> Game's fourth LP, <i>The R.E.D. Album</i> is coming out this Tuesday? Do you care? Those answers are most likely no and NO and since he knows this, Game has taken to his time-honored tradition of cooking up as much false beef as he can to make himself relevant again. Not only does that involve his annual "I-Hate-Jay-Z-Even-Though-I-Said-I Loved-Him-Last-Week-Campaign" (#fucktakingbipolarmeds, yea!) but this year he also chose to send some shots towards Hip-Hop 2011's lovable court jesters Kreayshawn (warning her against using 'nigga') and Lil B, whom he crowned 'Wackest Rapper Alive' after hearing him for the first time on Wayne's "Grove St. Party" freestyle (<a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-based.html">Clearly Game doesn't read Connoisseuraus Rex</a>). Jay may be too big to respond but the Bay area spitters are not, and they fired back hilariously:<br />
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Kreayshawn later deleted this subliminal but by then everybody had seen it:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssD7YL3xmmSin43Dy_ZGGzTp6VZRnRjCkOaTWmgSvIDaPNu9xQCcfUP2DQWZmq-6dW8u0bYDSO7q9hFDiw_B8tsMv3INcDnSNkGBuYIKt7IDiZSK_HmPn43_Fkenth8hBCoTBXbHVFdg/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-21+at+4.02.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssD7YL3xmmSin43Dy_ZGGzTp6VZRnRjCkOaTWmgSvIDaPNu9xQCcfUP2DQWZmq-6dW8u0bYDSO7q9hFDiw_B8tsMv3INcDnSNkGBuYIKt7IDiZSK_HmPn43_Fkenth8hBCoTBXbHVFdg/s400/Screen+shot+2011-08-21+at+4.02.50+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Meanwhile the Based God had a few quick words for Game while leaving a performance:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>*Dead* at both. Game - 0.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-78679684264763570652011-07-20T12:37:00.000-07:002011-07-20T12:37:24.619-07:00The Amazing Spider-Man Teaser TrailerThis comes out three weeks before <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> and yet 2:30 worth of brand spanking new footage...#ImJustSaying. While I have no doubt whatsoever about which movie I'll dig more, I am impressed by the teaser and it may even make me forget the abominable <i>Spider-Man 3</i> was only FOUR years ago.<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/upwf8RsyNqQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div>If you're still rattled about a reboot so close to the original series, key differences include:</div><div>-a love interest not named Mary Jane</div><div>-a villain yet to be featured on the big screen [The Lizard]</div><div>-focus on Peter's birth parents</div><div>-weird, over-indulgent first-person POV shots that make it look like a video game instead of a blockbuster. *shrug*</div><div><br />
</div><div>July 3, 2012</div>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-68954244499482935502011-07-11T22:08:00.000-07:002011-07-11T22:08:21.922-07:00The Dark Knight Rises: Teaser PosterSadly, the pop culture event the Connoisseuraus is anticipating most - yes, even more than the release of <i><a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/01/11-in-11.html">Watch the Throne</a></i> - is still over a year away. Which means, it's time for the promo team to start torturing us with teasers: posters that don't show the Dark Knight himself nor the buzzed about new villains, trailers that offer scraps worth of visuals and sound bites (one is rumored to be attached to <i>Harry Potter</i>). The media campaign begins with the just released image you see below. Quite foreboding for a movie with such an optimistic title, no? The blink-and-you'll-miss-it Bat signal is cool though.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.comicsalliance.com/media/2011/07/thedarkknightrisesofficialposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.comicsalliance.com/media/2011/07/thedarkknightrisesofficialposter.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>The final installment of the trilogy hits theaters July 20, 2012.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-43137524415715121982011-07-07T19:24:00.000-07:002011-07-07T19:31:43.404-07:00Hidden Treasures or The Art of Being a Fanatic<i>"How you say 'my love' in Spanish?"</i><br />
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I'm gonna break my usual attempts at prose and go full-on 1st person: this used to be my shit! If you live in the tri-state area and are a real hip-hop fan - ie an alumnus, not finishing up your 4-years or worse, just beginning - then you were a fan before the internet got big and are thus properly acquainted with the great staple in rap radio that is Hot 97<strike>.1</strike> And one of the objects of my 11 year-old affection was 97 personality Angie Martinez, who back in 2000 randomly decided to release a rap album and called in her whole rolodex of industry connects to help out. My favorite song, of course: the bi-lingual hood rom-com back-and-forth dialog between her and Young Hov. Nothing short of classic. It was on the radio way before the album dropped, and again this was before downloading and iTunes. Talk about agony. Fortune favors the patient though. Ended up getting a signed album and other shit through Dad's connects. Enjoy:<br />
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<i>"Love having my cake plus eating it too/Shit, I got cake, what the fuck I'm 'sposed to do?</i>"<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><b>"Mi Amor" </b>Angie Martinez & Jay-Z</u></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWCZto4Gccw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-46318543242793587172011-07-02T15:30:00.000-07:002011-07-02T15:41:27.147-07:00The Last Real Niggas Alive?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.cdn.hbo.com/assets/images/series/game-of-thrones/episodes/1/5/the-wolf-and-the-lion-06-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://i.cdn.hbo.com/assets/images/series/game-of-thrones/episodes/1/5/the-wolf-and-the-lion-06-1024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>*<i>If you haven't seen </i>Game of Thrones<i> 1st season in full turn around. </i><b style="font-style: italic;">Massive Spoilers ahead</b>*<br />
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If you're like me, and immediately got sucked into HBO's latest TV tour de force <i>Game of Thrones</i>, but never read the source book series, <i>A Song of Ice & Fire, </i>then the season probably didn't play out how you expected it to. The inevitable showdown between the show's two coolest characters, standup-guy-surrounded-by-unscrupulous assholes Lord Ned Stark and ultimate badass conqueror Khal Drogo they teased all season long? Welp, by the time the finale came around, Ned had been beheaded in what will go down in TV history as one of the most unexpected deaths of all time, and Drogo had been rendered a vegetable and euthanized by his hot underaged wife. The madness of mercy indeed. Apparently fans of the show but not the books have abandoned ship, whining that they identified Ned as the protagonist and now that he's gone there's no point to watch, which is fucking stupid; this is a series full of rich and interesting worlds and characters. But that did make me sit realize...everybody left standing for season 2 is a dickhead! Amidst all the back-stabbers, schemers, and otherwise unpleasant people, who can I even root for? Here are the remaining "real" dudes I can get down with when we return next year:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/M4B-PysR_4s/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M4B-PysR_4s&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M4B-PysR_4s&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><b>Tyrion Lanister</b> - He may be on Team <strike>Lannister</strike> Douchebag, but the imp was always the most interesting character. I can at least count on him to have the line of the episode and keep the bitchass-ness of his family in check, particularly that little fuck <strike>King</strike> Prince Joffrey. Just peep the clip above where he stands trial and confesses his "sins."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/21800000/Bronn-Tyrion-game-of-thrones-21853485-558-372.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/21800000/Bronn-Tyrion-game-of-thrones-21853485-558-372.png" width="320" /></a></div><b>Bronn </b>- Just like the rest of us Bronn was won over by the little Lord during his monologue above and has since served as his personal bodyguard. The title for best one-liner of the night is usually fought between these two. Plus he's probably the illest dude alive with a sword at this point.<br />
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<a href="http://opinionessoftheworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/arya-stark.jpg?w=629&h=473" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://opinionessoftheworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/arya-stark.jpg?w=629&h=473" width="200" /></a><b>Arya</b> - Unlike her stupid older sister, Ned's youngest daughter and tomboy always knew the Lannisters were bitch-made and was always down to ride for her family. Her sword game is crazy too; after witnessing her pop's beheading I'm counting on her above her five siblings to be the one to get revenge.<br />
<br />
<b>Jon Snow</b> - Always a cool character but his storyline at the Wall was my least favorite all season. That Rangers are a buncha fake ass Green Lanterns if you ask me. Hopefully next year gives him something more interesting to do than be a bored badass and befriend fat people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ewinsidetv.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/game-dragon_510.jpg?w=510&h=380" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://ewinsidetv.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/game-dragon_510.jpg?w=510&h=380" width="320" /></a></div><b>Daenerys</b> - This says it all: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3U6M9HpPM#t=3m37s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3U6M9HpPM#t=3m37s</a><br />
<br />
<b>Direwolves</b> - They prevented not one but <i>two</i> assassination attempts on their masters. Best. Pets. Ever.<br />
<br />
Runners Up: <b>Robb Stark</b> for transforming from punk entitled kid to worthy successor of his father; Jorah Mormount for at least <i>having</i> an allegiance on a show packed with duplicitous people.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-71605715016135885202011-07-01T19:23:00.000-07:002011-07-01T19:27:19.306-07:00Shanell - How to Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thefader.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/snl-shanell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.thefader.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/snl-shanell.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>This is the year of R&B <strike>freestyles</strike> remixes. Now that the whole industry practically ran a train on the "Marvin's Room" beat, is this song next? YMCMB hottie (oh, and singer) Shanell lead's the pack with her own version of boss Wayne's latest single "How to Love." This is quite honestly the best her voice has ever sounded. If I sound harsh, go skim through <i>We Are Young Money</i> and you'll see what I mean. She does the beat so much more service than Weezy that one wonders if he was wrong not to gift it to her in the first place. Probably would've cleared up that whole obscurity problem. See for yourself:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/95HFwfpAgds?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-85784875663625387202011-06-29T07:43:00.000-07:002011-07-20T12:39:03.933-07:00Mission: Impossible - Ghost ProtocolDid you ever think you'd be this excited for a <i>fourth </i>Mission: Impossible? I didn't. The genius of J.J. Abrams combined with director Brad Bird, making his first live-action film (he directed <i>The Incredibles</i>) gives us <i>Ghost Protocol</i>. Whereas the last one was positively low-key, this looks like it's taking the series back to it's over-the-top basics. In a good way. Co-starring the great Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, <strike>Sawyer</strike> Josh Holloway, Paula Patton, and Ving Rhames, of course. Trailer below:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/V0LQnQSrC-g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Action sequences filmed with IMAX cameras. Coming to a theater near you this Christmas.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-633619614891315922011-06-25T17:44:00.000-07:002011-06-25T17:46:40.687-07:00Eminem: Space BoundTalk about better late than never. Peep the much delayed but still welcome video for the 4th single from Slim's triple platinum 6th album <i>Recovery</i>, starring porn queen Sasha Grey, below:<br />
<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1MGhqf8-nnA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div>Cool concept, great visuals. This was always one of my favorite songs on the album, delayed or not this should help push the <i>Recovery </i>sales to even bigger heights, by 2011 standards at least (to date it's scanned 3.9 million copies and maintained a spot in the Billboard Top 100 for a full year). On an unrelated note, Hollywood's loving Sasha these days, huh?</div>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-60009487818577272172011-06-15T13:12:00.000-07:002011-06-15T17:55:27.051-07:00Three Reasons the Based God is WinningUnsigned rappers take note: the Based God is stylin' on you. That's right, that Wonton Soup nigga <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-based.html">you laughed off last year</a> is now laughing slowly but surely to the bank - and to <strike>fame</strike> infamy. Here are the top three reasons why Lil Brandon isn't going away any time soon:<br />
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<b><u>He's Keeping His Name in Your Mouth</u></b><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
Did you hear about Lil B's album title?! Of course you did. Titling your album something as incendiary and divisive as <i>I'm Gay</i> is about as attention whore as you can get. It's a bold move, and while he's lost some fans as a result, he also may have even more eyes watching him now. (More on that later.) Plus, he's staying on his current events grind:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OM8oyrJn9Qc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>He's Gaining Big Supporters</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sometimes rap is like politics: you're only as legit as the people backing you. Some way, some how, the Black Ken's co-signs are growing at the same pace of his buzz. First there was a<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJfBV_OQ-T4"> song </a>with non-mainstream but still highly respected rappers Phonte and Jean Grae. Then GLAAD came through to support the album title (of course they did). Since then Brandon's got a dizzying, mystifying list of collabs and co-signs in the pipeline:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- beats from Just Blaze and 9th Wonder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- a collaborative EP with Jay Electronica (Watch the Throne indeed)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- a feature on the upcoming Weezy mixtape</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- performing at festivals like Bamboozle, Coachella and SXSW</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- cameos for and from Puffy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- a touring deal with Live Nation</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, disses from the likes of Rhymefest and Freddie Gibbs just get brushed off. When CyHi Da Prynce jokes about the G.O.O.D. team cooking during studio downtime and Justin Bieber randomly yells "Swag!" on the Grammy's red carpet, you know you're doing something right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>He Continues to Prove That He's Actually, y'know, Intelligent</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Allow me to take credit for calling early on that Young Based, despite songs like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukhk_IZlPlI">this</a>, is actually smart as hell. Knowing full well that this is his moment, Brandon is displaying more and more intelligence with each interview. Dude got on CNN Radio for Christ's sake! Peep that interview plus his guest spot on Rapfix for his suprisingly intellectual take on his album title, what it means, and why he's doing it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/24/lil.b.album/">http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/24/lil.b.album/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://rapfix.mtv.com/2011/05/04/lil-b-tweets-confronts-backlash-advocates-for-peace/">http://rapfix.mtv.com/2011/05/04/lil-b-tweets-confronts-backlash-advocates-for-peace/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Update: </b>Lil B's debut album cover</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.missinfo.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Lil-B-Im-Gay-cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://www.missinfo.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Lil-B-Im-Gay-cover.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Shrug*</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thoughts? Agree or Disagree? Is Based God here to stay or will he be gone way before the Mayans predicted?</div>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-39520461585126034102011-06-08T20:51:00.000-07:002011-06-08T20:51:49.295-07:00Hidden Treasures or The Art of Being a FanaticThe <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QbE4qy7KBg">simplicity</a> behind a lot of The Bawse's hooks on <i>Self Made</i> (the compilation album released to showcase the starting five of Maybach Music Group) has for some reason given people short-term memory loss, instilling doubt in the former C.O.'s lyrical ability. "Devil in a New Dress" was only seven months ago people. As a reminder of why Ricky Rozay is one of the hottest rappers out today, here's a song that went under the radar a few months ago. Released as a part of Swizz Beatz's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">weekly, now defunct </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>#MonsterMondays</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><s>fake ass G.O.O.D. Friday</s></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> free music initiative, this is "The Transporter," complete with a random but still awesome Biggie intro, no hook, and more dialog from foreign, hot sounding chicks:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OuojIv7qPW0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Did Swizz Beatz really produce this? It doesn't sound like a typical Swizzy beat (which is the highest compliment).</span>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-49089179258702528632011-06-07T22:52:00.000-07:002011-06-07T22:52:57.401-07:00The Best R&B Artist Out?If it weren't for the cohesive fumbles of his good but not great last two albums, The-Dream would already have been hailed as this generation's Prince. This first taste from his forthcoming fourth effort <i>Love IV (Diary of a Mad Man</i>)<b> </b>is a step in the right direction, to say the least. It's 10 minutes but you won't notice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fxGzc6ViJJ4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Dream's also the man behind the pen of current Queen B hits "Run the World (Girls)" and "1+1," not to mention her biggest hit, "Single Ladies." In case you didn't know.Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-136648364070272112011-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:002011-08-21T15:54:18.084-07:00Chloe Riley<b>Profile:</b> Recently seen in Young Khalifa's "Black & Yellow [G-Mix]" video, San Diego's own Chloe Riley, 19, could be the next Cassie: so sexy that no one even cares about her music skills or debatable lack thereof. She raps too, apparently:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/y7ezJjXjMUY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Her new mixtape is called <i>Free PxxxY</i>. Sooooo yea... hit the link for the trailer. Trust me, you want to.<br />
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<b>Update: </b>Peep the video for "Vibe Out," a track off <i>Free Pxxxy</i> below:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/GnDF-4WDJkk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><a href="http://bossip.com/394476/new-lil-biracial-banger-on-the-block-chloe-free-pxxxy-walking-down-l-a-streets-in-a-teenie-bikini-video69691/">Bossip</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_310365220"></span><span id="goog_310365221"></span><span id="goog_310365224"></span><span id="goog_310365225"></span>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-90262690646078515092011-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:002011-06-04T12:11:35.891-07:00Hidden Treasures or The Art of Being a FanaticThe past two years have seen the reemergence of crews in hip-hop, with each of today's rap titans carving out their own lane to dominate and co-exist at the same time. Rick Ross and the Maybach Music Group currently own the rights to bass shattering street music, Kanye and G.O.O.D. Music are taking over the game with their quality but non-gangster style (I guess Pusha T is their Beanie Sigel), Roc Nation is...random but seems to be working. And then we have Young Money, who, along with boasting about how they're the new shit, are slowly establishing themselves with naughty, overt, mainstream hits all about well...fucking. Just look at the chorus to both their hit singles. So far it's working, but with Drake and Nicki's careers up in the stratosphere it's not likely we'll see another YMCMB group album anytime soon. Still if they want to try and keep it up, they might as well stick to the formula. Which brings us to this pre-Drake era unfinished song below. It's deliciously crude and raunchy and radio be damned, if they re-do this, mix & master it, and add an "In the Morning" type 16 from Drizzy this will join the ranks of "Every Girl" and "Bedrock." C'mon, any song where Gudda Gudda of all people has the best verse has got to be a keeper.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><b>"Thinking to Myself" </b>Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Mack Maine & Nicki Minaj</u></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><br />
</u></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5EHrQrGUtOg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Peep the pre-crazy voices Nicki (also before she started censoring herself for her younger audiences).</span></span>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-66419887566541190072011-05-22T14:59:00.000-07:002011-05-22T21:45:51.427-07:00Missing Greatness: LOSTFor the first May in years there is no two-hour night of supremely mind-bending twists and expertly delivered action that ends with me yelling at the screen because the thought of waiting months for more is too much to bear. <i>LOST</i> has ended. In honor of one of the Top 10 Best Shows of All Time, (and the one year anniversary of the series finale) which had some of the most game-changing, water-cooler, forum fueling finales of all time, here are the <i>LOST </i>finales rated from "that's all?" weakest to "holy jacob!" best. <b>*Spoilers follow, obviously*</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-05-16-Press_Conference_Lost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-05-16-Press_Conference_Lost.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>6. </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">"There's No Place Like Home," S4</u> - This show has had its missteps. It never stumbled when it was finale time though. But after the previous year's finale (more on that later) this one had a lot to live up to. The whole flash-forward thing was awesome, but when we caught up with the present, the stakes were slightly lowered by knowing who would make it. But of course the mystery and suspense lies in why it was those six right? Nope. The grand reason it was only the Oceanic 6 was because of plot mechanics? Too much weight on the helicopter. <i>Really??</i> Then the island moved, which simultaneously earned an 'oh cool' and a deadpan 'ok.' Still this finale had a lot to enjoy and get excited about. Sayid gave Keamy the business!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Jacob!:</u> The coffin reveal, obviously, the main redeemer of this episode. Thought for sure it was gonna be Desmond.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">That's All?:</u> Just a wheel moves the island? Ehhh. Don't get me started on that gotdamn helicopter plot device either. Also, "The Constant" got me hype for a way more "Titanic"-esque Desmond-Penny reunion than we got.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Best Use of that Incredibly Emotional Score:</u> The Oceanic 6's arrival. Heartwarming stuff.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.media.abc.go.com/m/images/image-util/624x351/6330a6d2ac25f37787d5f7b42bfab9a5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://cdn.media.abc.go.com/m/images/image-util/624x351/6330a6d2ac25f37787d5f7b42bfab9a5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>5. </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">"Live Together, Die Alone," S2</u> - This was one of the strongest season-enders out during the '05-'06 TV season but when compared in-show, this exciting, intensely suspenseful episode is only the fifth best conclusion that <i>LOST</i> has to offer. Still, it's quite good, featuring the return of Desmond (back when he wasn't a ubiquitous regular), the exposure of Michael's rat-bastardness (be honest though, if you had to shoot two people you've only known for two months to get your son back from some <a href="http://abortionsforall.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/rejects.jpg">Devils Rejects</a>' dressing people, you would t00), and my personal favorite, the Hurley-bird. Oh and something popped off involving a hatch too.</span><br />
<a href="http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/rayindie/SuperJackface.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/rayindie/SuperJackface.png" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Jacob!: </u>Did I mention the hatch shit?!?! "I was wrong" is now an infamous series quote. Plus, one of the final shots was our three main heroes getting bags over their heads and kidnapped. Also the first appearance of the four toed statue that would drive fans crazy for another three years.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">That's All?:</u> Libby-Desmond seemed like a supreme stretch of the 6 degrees of separation conceit used in a lot of the flashbacks. Especially since they never found the time to get to her backstory. Fans groaned, but it really must not have been that important, am I right? And retrospectively speaking, why the fuck were those Portugese dudes in the <i>Arctic</i> in the final scene?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/lost/images/3/3c/The_Incident.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://images.wikia.com/lost/images/3/3c/The_Incident.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>4. </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">"The Incident," S5</u> - Comparing these grade A finales against each other (but let's be honest, s4 is more like a B+) was tough, and the toughest was easily deciding where to place this. Because what an episode, from instant classic opening scene to what-the-fuck climax. Leave it to <i>LOST</i> to be the show that fades to white instead of black for one of it's most maddening cliffhangers, maddening because there's a shitload of days between May and February. The Locke twist remains a top 10 coolest moment on the series for me. Yea I said it, top 10. Jacob's "visit" scenes were fantastic. And the <strike>reveal</strike> contextualization that this whole series was about ordinary, very flawed and small human beings caught in the middle of a very huge age old war between gods was fucking awesome. And if you think that should've been revealed earlier, allow me to disagree with you. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Jacob!:</u> Holy Man in Black!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lostvideo.net/images/uploaded/Locke333250px-TheIncidentLost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://lostvideo.net/images/uploaded/Locke333250px-TheIncidentLost.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">That's All?:</u> Juliet is suddenly cool with Jack setting off a HYDROGEN BOMB because Sawyer's still simping over Kate??? Come the fuck on! Miles and <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Chang">Dr. Pierre Marvin Mark Edgar Candle Wickmund Halliwax Chang's</a> reunion was a little undercooked.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Best Use of that Incredibly Intense Score:</u> There's no way your adrenaline isn't pumping during that final scene at the Swan.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lost-media.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lost-the-end44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://lost-media.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/lost-the-end44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><b>3. </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">"The End," S6</u> - A fitting end to the season, and consequently the series. The Desmond plot device got a little hokey. Maybe you were disappointed with the final scene. Or even the whole episode. I'm amongst the team that most definitely was not. All those character reunions are the stuff series finales are made of, and if the final shot didn't move you then maybe you weren't as into this series as you thought. Bandwagoner.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Jacob!:</u> I was wayyyyy off with my Sideways world guesses. I still have conversations with people who don't really get the whole absence of time thing though.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">That's All?:</u> I'm down with Sideways, but the sunken island in "LA X" was still extremely misleading. And really, what the fuck was the Man in Black gonna do with himself once he got to the real world? Appear as Barack Obama? Justin Bieber?? Last but not least, Sayid + Shannon still = GROAN a full four seasons later.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Best Use of that Incredibly Emotional Score:</u> The end, obviously.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100613125625/lostpedia/images/thumb/d/df/Dus4.jpg/830px-Dus4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100613125625/lostpedia/images/thumb/d/df/Dus4.jpg/830px-Dus4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><b>2. </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">"Exodus," S1</u> - The deftly executed one-two punch in which we peer down the hatch and Walt is kidnapped. That, folks, is how you wrap up a season and ensure that 20 million people will come back in three months for more. RIP Dr. Artz.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Jacob!:</u> "We're gonna need to take the boy."</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100416023925/lostpedia/images/thumb/e/e6/The_Raft_2.JPG/830px-The_Raft_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100416023925/lostpedia/images/thumb/e/e6/The_Raft_2.JPG/830px-The_Raft_2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">That's All?:</u> That's all nothing. Retrospectively, the first scene of the season 2 premiere more than makes up for the decision to cut before we saw anything hatch-wise.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Best Use of that Incredibly Emotional Score:</u> I think the raft cast-off set the tone for what this show's score was made of. Word to <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Giacchino">Michael Giacchino</a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.media.abc.go.com/m/images/image-util/624x351/9d99025f2cc28a9b78a16faa4ce6dd77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://cdn.media.abc.go.com/m/images/image-util/624x351/9d99025f2cc28a9b78a16faa4ce6dd77.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><b>1. </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">"Through the Looking Glass," S3</u> - Here it is. The best finale of <i>LOST</i> and one of the best season finales of all time. Season three is when the doubters started piling on: the flashbacks were getting extraneous, the endless twists empty, and the story directionless. So the writers responded with a near flawless second half of the season, culminating in two hours of sheer perfection. And no it's not just because of the final twist, the episode was engaging from beginning to end, on a plot level, but more importantly, character too. Who ever thought we'd end up caring about Charlie again?</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/we-have-to-go-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/we-have-to-go-back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Holy Jacob!:</u> I think this goes without saying. But in case it doesn't: <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/04/fellow-pop-culture-and-tv-geeks-brace.html">WE HAVE TO GO BACK!! </a></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">That's All?:</u> The next season runs with no repeats, that's awesome. Wait...it starts when? January?!?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Best Use of that Incredibly Emotional Score:</u> NOT PENNY'S BOAT.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;">Thoughts? What's your favorite season finale of <i>LOST</i>? Would you have rated them differently?</span></span></span></span><br />
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</span>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-24004416562538923512011-05-15T15:26:00.000-07:002011-05-15T20:49:18.077-07:00IAMDONALD<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Remember when XXL Magazine infamously snubbed Drake for their famously debated "Freshmen" list, their annual mainstream coming-out party for ten promising spitters? Well the 2011 list has passed and while they gave <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-based.html">Based God</a> some shine, they lamed again with this one. Meet Donald Glover, aka the Childish Gambino, and the last person you'd ever expect to have bars for days. Donald is self-admittedly nerdy, devoid of street cred and any major hip-hop co-signs (for now at least) and very emotive. He also, as aforementioned, has bars for days. The kid nobody, including himself, thought the public would take seriously as an MC is now among the most refreshing up-and-comers out there. "Hovi with glasses, Weezy but geeky." Without further ado, here are the five essential Childish Gambino songs.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>*Gambino Facts - Yup, that's the same Donald Glover that plays Troy on your beloved </i>Community. <i>In addition to rapping, Donald is also a rising comedic talent.*</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u><br />
</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u>My Shine</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sWVes38Wotw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>"Don't add an </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">'eezy'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>to my name cuz it has never been that</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i> </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The best track in the as-of-right-now Childish Gambino discography, and one of the best tracks to drop so far in hip-hop 2011. The Childish one wants you to know he's gunning for the top, and if he goes against everything you normally picture for a rapper, he might agree with you, but he still ain't stopping. And for those who think he's one of those rapper-turned-actors he was "rapping back when Lance had chemo, ho."</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">**Gambino Facts - Contradictory to that line above, he sometimes refers to himself as "Cheezy." I'll stick with stomaching the name Childish Gambino for now.**</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u>The Last</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7-AGnbm7Ul4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>"People tell me I should spit under Donald Glover/but I try to keep my real name undercover/cuz if you hear my name, then you think it's jokes/and I can't go for that nigga, Hall & Oates"</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Donald gets introspective and reflective on this track, which is 2 parts "Last Call" 1 part "The Calm," as he tells us who he is and what he's about. Lots of telling lines that put you into his mindset more so than any of his other songs, and definitely a crucial piece in the Gambino playlist.</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>***Gambino Facts - Donald's a triple threat. In addition to rapper and comedian he's a writer as well, having been a member of the </i>30 Rock <i>writer's team for a time. He's credited Tina Fey with inspiring him to pick up rapping again.</i>***</span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u><br />
</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u>Freaks and Geeks</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/otPxoVQiIGo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Song-making ability is clutch, but every new rapper needs to prove they can actually flow. Gambino gets on his "A Milli" steez, no hook just straight spit over a colossal beat backed by violins and epic chants. The titular metaphor is a bit of a stretch but the rest of the bars are on point: "My clique make that dinero, so it's time to meet the fuckers," and "Chillin with my N-Words, say it like a white kid/'yes your ass is big as hers' say that to my white bitch."</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">****</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>Gambino Facts - No he's not related to that </i>other<i> black guy with the last name Glover.****</i></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u><br />
</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u>The Longest Text Message</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/u00uJYJ-khA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Entertainment Weekly recently mis-branded this as a naughty, for the ladies joint. It's really more like a glorified middle finger to the typical bad-bitch-who-knows-she's-a-bad-bitch that hopeless romantics Eminem and Joe Budden would approve of (they probably would've name-dropped though). Gambino comes off as falsely nonchalant but regardless of how he really felt about shorty he's sure got some words for her ("You ain't</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>that</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">fine bitch, what the fuck ya heard?"). And while Donald may feel like he's not in the same class of "cool" as the popular rappers today, he sure can shit-talk with the best of them with slick one-liners like "Fucking bitches left and right, my dick is ambidextrous." Much more so than his overt radio attempts like "Lights Turned On" and "Put It In My Video" he definitely could have a hit on his hands with this once its mixed and mastered.</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>*****Gambino Facts - Last year he launched a twitter campaign #donald4spiderman for the title role of the upcoming reboot. It caught fire, eventually gaining the support of Stan Lee and favored Spidey scribe Brian Michael Bendis. Obviously the role went to Andrew Garfield </i>(The Social Network) <i>but Donald was not even given an audition. #Racists.*****</i></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><u><b><i><br />
</i></b></u></span></u></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><u><b><i>So Fly</i></b></u></span></u></i></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/u4Rbcemsyvw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Childish Gambino himself is not an experimental rapper, just a dude you wouldn't quite picture as one. But this is definitely one of his more experimental songs. I'm not sure if that's him singing on all his other hooks, but it's definitely Donald on this one, stepping up to sing a spoken word-ish ode to a girl that could've been <i>the</i> one for him. Could've. She later gets a jab on "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0TA9xZI1bE#t=2m56s">Be Alone</a>." Either way, it works, a lot better than expected.<br />
<br />
******<i>Gambino Facts - </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">He graduated the Dramatic Writing program at NYU in 2006.******</span></i></b></span><br />
<br />
Thoughts? Remember, these are just five songs hand-picked to display all the best sides of Gambino musically. There's a handful more that are equally cold, go and download his mixtapes <i>Culdesac </i>and <i>EP</i> here: <a href="http://www.culdesac-album.com/">http://www.culdesac-album.com/</a> and here: <a href="http://www.childishgambino.blogspot.com/">http://www.childishgambino.blogspot.com/</a>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-43305863549451457182011-04-25T14:15:00.000-07:002011-04-25T15:01:55.069-07:00Leave 'Em HangingFellow pop culture and TV geeks brace yourself, the best time of the year is upon us: May sweeps, aka finale season. With the emergence of cable network television, these days we're exposed to some of the longest waits ever. It's bad enough more than half of the best TV is on cable, but because of their programing schedules there can be 9 months to even a year between seasons (<i>Mad Men,</i> ughhhhhh) While we patiently await frustratingly suspenseful nail-biters and/or hopefully well-constructed conclusions, here's a look back at some of Connoisseuraus's most notable season cliffhangers, good and bad. <b>Spoilers</b> follow.<br />
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<u><b><i>Alias</i></b> - Second Double/The Telling, S2</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5400000/-The-Telling-Screencap-alias-5479651-478-270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5400000/-The-Telling-Screencap-alias-5479651-478-270.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Francie doesn't like coffee ice cream."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In simpler times series hiatus was synonymous with summer vacation, May to September. Not so bad right? Wrong, if the finale was as jaw-dropping, game changing, mind-melding as this. I remember May to September of 2003 felt like eons. After two hours of espionage action and intrigue, Alias's second season culminated in a knock-down drag out brawl between Jennifer Garner's now iconic Sydney Bristow and...her roommate. (she had it coming.) Only J.J. Abrams can make coffee ice cream the lynchpin of a suspenseful moment. And just when every window was shattered, every piece of furniture broken and every rib bruised, Syd comes through with the double-tap, only to collapse herself from the fight. And when she wakes up...she's inexplicably in Hong Kong, with a strange scar on her stomach, oh and TWO FUCKING YEARS HAVE PASSED! Wtf! Vaughn's married? That bastard! I LOVE[ED] THIS SHOW!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<u><b><i>LOST</i></b> - Through the Looking Glass, S3</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/we-have-to-go-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/we-have-to-go-back.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We have to go baaaaaack!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Whoa whoa whoa hold up, what the <i>hell </i>is Kate doing in Jack's flashback, I remember every single Jack episode <i>Lost</i> writers you're not gonna sell me on this one, there's no way they knew each other before...ohhhhh wait. OHHHHHHHH WAIT! Holy....GAME CHANGER! Really though, this is what you call historic, whether you fucked with the show or not. Not just the final minutes either, what precedes is an expert hour in action (Hurley saves the day!), adventure, and heart. R.I.P. Charlie.<br />
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<u><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dexter - </i>The Getaway, S4</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rantchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/dexter-season-4-finale-the-getaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://rantchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/dexter-season-4-finale-the-getaway.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Born in blood."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The fucked-up-ness of that really fucked me up, know what I mean? Add in the baby, the bleak irony of the penultimate scene, the symbolism. Just, damn. Up until then a really exciting hour of television and an perfect pay-off of slowly building tension and suspense. You know you cheered when John Lithgow's car broke down and Dex appeared on the other side of the hood. Too bad it was too late. Fuck.<br />
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<u><b><i>The O.C</i></b>. - The Dearly Beloved, S2</u><br />
<a href="http://static.omdb.si/series/active/78423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.omdb.si/series/active/78423.jpg" /></a>When I think of the God awful season that followed, it's hard for me to get very nostalgic for this. But when it aired? Craziness! And aside from all the apartment smashing, "tried to rape my girlfriend" scuffling and ensuing shooting that followed, Kirsten's intervention was quite touching. Genuine tenderness and genuinely engrossing melodrama, a marriage <i>The O.C.</i> pulled off <i>quite</i> well when at peak form (ie, the first season).<br />
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<u><b><i>Entourage</i></b> - Lose Yourself, S7</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnmy-KmhX1NVsNiWOSCVNcSFWqAwNN61l6z4DXkTJqixW5T-twmS-YPeu-TKhP3ZyLRbU5XhWUDYms1Udv6xlGm7hN2NVfseWsulDKzXw3Ps6KkIEOSA_0pmE6cNY2tmAZQyyJa375Z0I/s1600/Entourage+Lose+Yourself+season+7+finale_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnmy-KmhX1NVsNiWOSCVNcSFWqAwNN61l6z4DXkTJqixW5T-twmS-YPeu-TKhP3ZyLRbU5XhWUDYms1Udv6xlGm7hN2NVfseWsulDKzXw3Ps6KkIEOSA_0pmE6cNY2tmAZQyyJa375Z0I/s320/Entourage+Lose+Yourself+season+7+finale_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You know you fucked up, right?<br />
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<u><b><i>The Vampire Diaries</i></b> - Founder's Day, S1</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i53.tinypic.com/1zqasdd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://i53.tinypic.com/1zqasdd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hi John. Bye John."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Tooootally was ready to call Elena a hoe after that scene with Damon on the porch. Then she walked in and chopped her father's fingers off (and thus his death-preventing magic ring; don't ask just accept) before stabbing him in the gut. Sooooo, that's not Elena. Nice to finally meet you [in the present], Katherine.<br />
<br />
<u><b><i>Californication</i></b> - Mia Culpa, S3</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9400000/Californication-season-3-finale-end-scene-californication-9436956-624-352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9400000/Californication-season-3-finale-end-scene-californication-9436956-624-352.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm convinced the Moody's will NEVER make it back to New York at this point. And oh wait since when was this show serious and all like, gut-punching? It always was? Touche, show.<br />
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<u><b><i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i></b> - The Bat Mitzvah, S6</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.cdn.hbo.com/assets/images/series/curb-your-enthusiasm/episodes/6/54/the-lefty-call-04-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://i.cdn.hbo.com/assets/images/series/curb-your-enthusiasm/episodes/6/54/the-lefty-call-04-1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Larry and the Blacks? Lmao! What's the show look like with Larry to play off Vivica Fox instead of Cheryl? Well truthfully they ended up not doing much with that. But I'm not mad for a few reasons: a. the whole season had already featured them playing off of each other to be honest, b. there was that hilarious "Vehicular Fellatio" episode c. I could never be mad at the season that gave us the absolutely genius <i>Seinfeld</i> arc. Never.<br />
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<u><i><b>Sons of Anarchy</b></i> - Na Tribloidi, S2</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.sidereel.com/episodes/248183/featured/1077871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s2.sidereel.com/episodes/248183/featured/1077871.jpg" /></a></div>The year that this aired, ie last TV season, <i>Sons</i> was the strongest drama out. Hands down. And this tightly constructed hour was the perfect conclusion. The Sons have 99 problems and solving a few only creates more. Much, worser ones. I'm pretty sure I physically leapt out of my chair at the end. And beyond mere cliffhanger thrills, the emotionality is just so damn amazing. Jax spends the entire season at Clay's throat only to end it screaming in his arms? (Pause, stepfather-stepson shit ya know?) I'm still mad at Kurt for going the whole "dynamic character" route and robbing me of a chance to clap, scream and whistle and whatever else when they FINALLY put a whole shitload of bullets into that gang-raping, Hitler loving scumbag AJ Weston. Gemma getting the drop on the trick that got her kidnapped in the first place was sick though. Until she got like, a warrant for her arrest because of it. Jeez these guys can't catch a break.<br />
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<u><b><i>24</i></b> - Day 5: 6:00 A.M. - 7:00 A.M</u>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://they.misled.us/images/24_season_5_cliffhanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://they.misled.us/images/24_season_5_cliffhanger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That gotdamn boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
And the King of Not Catching a Break, Jack Bauer everyone. He more than earned a happy ending this year, and it's not like he even got one the year before, so no alternation clause. The sun was shining, the right people were in cuffs, somehow there was still a full cast even though like a hundred people died that "day" and Kim Raver as Audrey Raines was looking sexy as fuck waiting to give Jack his due reward. And then the Chinese showed up.<br />
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<u><i style="font-weight: bold;">Supernatural</i> - No Rest for the Wicked, S3</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldd8ikV35X1qf0gn4o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldd8ikV35X1qf0gn4o1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The whole season was built around the looming date when Dean would be sent to Hell for his season 2 deal with a devil (not to be confused with <i>the</i> Devil, that's s5 waters) to save Sam's life. And all season I waited for the Winchester brothers to find some cool, awesome loophole that saved his life in the 11thhour. It never came. The final images are haunting, first Sam staring in disbelief at Dean's lifeless, mangled body only to cut to Dean screaming Sam's name, his torture in Hell already having started. Chilling stuff. Would you believe the show went on to get even bleaker...and better?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><i style="font-weight: bold;">Battlestar Galactica</i> - Revelations, S4 mid-season</u></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.danielkukwa.com/images/BattlestarGalaticaS4E10-339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://www.danielkukwa.com/images/BattlestarGalaticaS4E10-339.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">- "<i>...Earth?</i>"<br />
-<i> </i>"Earth."</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This shit might actually be bleaker than Supernatural. It comes to realization that every <i>Galactica</i> finale ended with a crazy cliffhanger, and it's a testament to the power of this one that it was no decision which to choose. Rug, pulled out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><u><b><i>Heroes</i></b> - How to Stop an Exploding Man, S1; An Invisible Thread, S3</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fasthack.com/images/weblog/2007/05/heroes-finale-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://www.fasthack.com/images/weblog/2007/05/heroes-finale-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Oh I was frustrated. But not because the finale was oh so suspenseful and good or anything. #TheBeginnngoftheEnd. And bonus, s3 finale as well, when I realized just how much crack cocaine was being passed around the writer's room and how many fruitless hours I had wasted humoring them.<br />
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<u><i><b>True Blood</b></i> - Evil is Going On, S3</u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.trueblood-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://www.trueblood-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sigh, it surrrre is. Sam's tired of being bitch-made, so now when he's angry he shoots people, even family members. Cool. Tara's tired of being put through The Worst Existence Ever so she gets a haircut, BECAUSE THAT SYMBOLIZES CHANGE, and drives off. Ok. Bill Sookie and Eric bury that evil gay vampire dude whose diabolical plot was...well I don't know, but it was <i>bad</i> and then Bill's revealed to be a little less than innocent in his and Sookie's romantic origins. Hmm. Jason, well Jason's whole arc hinges on a group of random dirty hillbillies I've never seen or cared about before and don't see myself caring about in the future. There's also impending evil babies, weird psychedelic witch trip outs, Hoyt's mom doing uninteresting stuff, ^^terrible levitation effects and I STILL don't know what the point of werewolves OR Sam's parents were. And so ends my involvement with this "show."Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-52036043894450487952011-04-13T17:07:00.000-07:002011-05-04T10:45:28.618-07:00The Watcher: Happy Endings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abcmedianet.com/images/ss_images/happy_endings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://www.abcmedianet.com/images/ss_images/happy_endings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Has the Connoisseuraus steered you wrong yet? I had the privilege of viewing <i>Happy Endings</i>, ABC's new half hour sitcom which premieres with two episodes back-to-back tonight, a few weeks back and I've been anticipating the premiere ever since. Basic premise: six friends, two are getting married. That is until, the bride decides to leave the groom hanging at the altar. Then she returns and for their friends' sake, they agree to stay civil to each other to maintain the group. Wackiness ensues. Here are a few short reasons why you should give it a shot:<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mjjb8JASvJk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><ul><li><u style="font-weight: bold;">The forumla works</u>: Networks have been looking for the new <i>Friends</i> ever since 2004...when <i>Friends </i>ended. In those seven years, there have been tons of situation comedies where the situation seems oddly familiar; six young friends, half guys half girls, maybe a couple of em like each other, all a weird, neurotic and quirky with a penchant for pop culture references. There have been a zillion already failed shows like that this TV season alone. <i>Endings</i> doesn't have much to show for originality...but moving past that it works. But whereas past series have just thrown six random pretty people together this cast has genuine chemistry and the jokes flow well together. And hey, political correctness, the cast includes not only a black dude [Damon Wayans, Jr.] but a gay guy as well! And surprisingly he isn't the cardboard stereotypical gay dude viewers have come to expect at this point, and actually has some of the best one-liners! </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">It's got potential</u>: Even non TV geeks know at this point that the jury's out on a new show till you've seen <i>at least</i> the first 3 eps. It's hard to introduce new characters and new situations in one episode. What you're really judging a pilot on is potential; it may not be great but you can see it possibly leading to a perfected format. This pilot? I was entertained all the way through. And I read from other [professional] critics that got advance screeners that the pilots the weakest of the bunch. So it only gets even better!</li>
<li><b style="text-decoration: underline;">It stars Elisha Cuthbert</b>: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTPZpHwWS2670PaQTwImRsMWe1XBL0RlVCbYSjFDPHbHsEGWYEzzT9y0V55KP-XrDxcvGer69mCaU7dXSLjZgJfvMXK2f2HuSvmRYi48nH81uld2xl9rX8yAS6WdkB5m7Bj220w5E23s/s1600/Elisha_Cuthbert.jpg">It</a>. <a href="http://www.best.celebity-foto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/elisha-cuthbert-5.jpg">stars</a>. <a href="http://www.wallpapers8.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/elisha-cuthbert-happy-endings.jpg">Elisha</a>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eBNmXrgXK8-ZAYR86qrIepnJ77CYzlVby30skGlM7gmr7imo848iqAzImf3rhrug2hhvp3aguLlgitBjtVsDhYjo7B5yxVqN28pBwnauqH8LG157D6BTWfZofjlau6bhDh76ImrNNBPX/s1600/elisha_cuthbert.jpg">Cuthbert</a>. </li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/u258lUhz11w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div>There's not much more to say really. It's funny. If you're looking for a new sitcom, especially if all of this season's failed <i>Friends</i> clones left you unmoved, then check this out tonight. </div></div>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-19469432520983961812011-03-30T10:34:00.000-07:002011-04-09T22:24:43.570-07:00You Mad?If you're not a TV geek such as myself then you're probably unaware that <i>Mad Men</i>, AMC's critical darling about 1960s ad executives is undergoing major behind the scenes negotiations. They've already pushed the fifth season to 2012, when the show normally resumes late summer. <a href="http://connoisseurausrex.blogspot.com/2011/01/11-in-11.html">Fail</a>. Now, in return for the $30 million for three seasons creator Matt Weiner is asking for (You can't blame the guy for asking for a raise after his show won Best Series three years in a row.) AMC is requesting some ludicrous shit from their end too, including and most notably the axing of TWO main cast members. For a show so specific in its vision, this has many fans worried. Let's examine who the series might be able to afford to lose, paper scissors rock. Rock is an undeniable no, Paper maybe, and well, you know what that makes scissors. <i>*Mild spoilers follow*</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://honeymoonphase.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/don-draper-episode-8-don2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://honeymoonphase.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/don-draper-episode-8-don2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" /></a> <u>Don</u> - Duh. Unless you'd prefer Henry Francis. Yea, Didn't think so.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s3.celebrifi.com/mimg/ui/094/ui_2752311_M_1283800094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s3.celebrifi.com/mimg/ui/094/ui_2752311_M_1283800094.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" /></a> <u>Peggy</u> - Not a chance. Don's our guy but while he drinks and bad-decisions himself into antihero oblivion, season 4 more than any other saw the Peg rise up as the de facto heroine of the show, smoking weed, busting balls and straight killing it in the office. Plus she's a necessary mirror for Don to look into.<br />
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<a href="http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/mm406-joan-roger-325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/mm406-joan-roger-325.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" /></a> <u>Roger</u> - You mean, the guy who routinely walks away with the line of the episode?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" /></a><u>Joan</u> - Nope. Just as heroine-ish as Peggy, just as boardroom-badass as Don. And way too easy on the eyes. Roger wouldn't allow it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.wikia.com/madmen/images/5/55/Betty_gun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://images.wikia.com/madmen/images/5/55/Betty_gun.png" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" /></a><u>Betty</u> - If you've seen season 4 you might disagree. But I think she's necessary. We can't stay in the office all episode, and not one of Betty's upstate NY C-story detours was wasted. And for the first three years, we spent so much time with Betty that we can easily say we're watching <i>her</i> story just as much as Peggy's. Plus, s4 seemed like just the tip (II) of a very huge and dramatically entertaining mother vs. daughter iceberg. Team Sally, in case you were wondering.<br />
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<a href="http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Ma_Mar/Mad_Men/season3/mad-men139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Ma_Mar/Mad_Men/season3/mad-men139.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZdY5Nvlb6stu6mDzO7NPCw7WJoK174eGVFolZsRB3UUX5rZNV5PDX2sTlVNtjeqFD26asV87lYUowoO4dMIS2MAEhAJ3QAWZ-0B6BP8Vu1hc7qjCCi6Gq9lXnlTDINDQBWN8FN8oa0M/s1600/stoneclipartan7.png" /></a><u> Pete</u> - Not for my money. Necessary foil to Don, Peggy, and Roger, and just like Betty, we've spent enough time away from the office with him that we're just as invested in where he's going as the others.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL9_uTZZ3GwddqwXJ8sYLPlWpzj35NMITbAo2H5sWhbBuRtrgv5V1T6gqq4MtgLxNzl6GHhuhXbj5ejPXQ3RLB0qpt109iPYabd3VbkCt0n285bzT6YkGDNpUytaGll4bjZDk1_dYgaU/s1600/rock-paper-scissors-logo+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL9_uTZZ3GwddqwXJ8sYLPlWpzj35NMITbAo2H5sWhbBuRtrgv5V1T6gqq4MtgLxNzl6GHhuhXbj5ejPXQ3RLB0qpt109iPYabd3VbkCt0n285bzT6YkGDNpUytaGll4bjZDk1_dYgaU/s1600/rock-paper-scissors-logo+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a><u> Ken</u> - On the surface, he may not appear to add much. But his early s4 absence was definitely noticeable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/101119-ent-madmen-hmed.nv_nws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/101119-ent-madmen-hmed.nv_nws.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5a4-Zr5J4O2LXGqxxgVYQVwwFteFNeYIhw82I0NOB1i0oiAaFSztlkLKe_2z_UdsIBmZh9Sk6Y4O-HkhPUgsGcoC4tCK5sqf3Vsag2Kx-zrLHeXuq9DsNO00kOL44YFncUxPlpmKC7c/s1600/scissor_icon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5a4-Zr5J4O2LXGqxxgVYQVwwFteFNeYIhw82I0NOB1i0oiAaFSztlkLKe_2z_UdsIBmZh9Sk6Y4O-HkhPUgsGcoC4tCK5sqf3Vsag2Kx-zrLHeXuq9DsNO00kOL44YFncUxPlpmKC7c/s1600/scissor_icon.gif" /></a> <u>Harry</u> - On the flipside, this guy is purely atmospheric at this point. He's gotten really unlikeable, personally. Although his continued presence would be a nice nod to the whole concept of stumbling upwards in corporate America [he's head of TV, before agencies like this really had heads of TV], he's a far cry away from the guy who ran out of Don's classic slide carousel pitch...crying.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Ma_Mh/Mad_Men/season3/mad-men118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/M_R/Ma_Mh/Mad_Men/season3/mad-men118.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5a4-Zr5J4O2LXGqxxgVYQVwwFteFNeYIhw82I0NOB1i0oiAaFSztlkLKe_2z_UdsIBmZh9Sk6Y4O-HkhPUgsGcoC4tCK5sqf3Vsag2Kx-zrLHeXuq9DsNO00kOL44YFncUxPlpmKC7c/s1600/scissor_icon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5a4-Zr5J4O2LXGqxxgVYQVwwFteFNeYIhw82I0NOB1i0oiAaFSztlkLKe_2z_UdsIBmZh9Sk6Y4O-HkhPUgsGcoC4tCK5sqf3Vsag2Kx-zrLHeXuq9DsNO00kOL44YFncUxPlpmKC7c/s1600/scissor_icon.gif" /></a><u>Bert Cooper</u> - Much as I love the guy, he doesn't add much significance these days. And that's by design. They pretty much paved the way for an easy exit last year anyways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL9_uTZZ3GwddqwXJ8sYLPlWpzj35NMITbAo2H5sWhbBuRtrgv5V1T6gqq4MtgLxNzl6GHhuhXbj5ejPXQ3RLB0qpt109iPYabd3VbkCt0n285bzT6YkGDNpUytaGll4bjZDk1_dYgaU/s1600/rock-paper-scissors-logo+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL9_uTZZ3GwddqwXJ8sYLPlWpzj35NMITbAo2H5sWhbBuRtrgv5V1T6gqq4MtgLxNzl6GHhuhXbj5ejPXQ3RLB0qpt109iPYabd3VbkCt0n285bzT6YkGDNpUytaGll4bjZDk1_dYgaU/s1600/rock-paper-scissors-logo+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a> <u>Lane Pryce</u> - I mean I guess. But not so fast. First, s4 highlights like "The Good News" and "Hands and Knees" made him an audience favorite. Not only that, but in-show his job as CFO is revered on an episodic basis, with Don himself remarking that no one can quite crunch the numbers like he does. Personally, I wouldn't wanna see him go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecdn2.hark.com/images/000/045/707/45707/paul-kinsey_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecdn2.hark.com/images/000/045/707/45707/paul-kinsey_large.jpg" /></a></div>Paul Kinsey - Still gone. And stay gone, you chump mwahahahaha.<br />
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Well thats it for the main cast. By my count, I don't see this as a very easily solved problem. There isn't much fat to cut. Who could you stand to lose?Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1438937286431342856.post-56960230614753313132011-03-25T16:58:00.000-07:002011-03-26T11:45:39.421-07:00The Worst New Series of the 2010-2011 TV Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a few duds in every year. Here are the few especially awful ones.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jimhalterman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/MrSunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://jimhalterman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/MrSunshine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u><i style="font-weight: bold;">Mr. Sunshine, </i>(ABC)</u> - After bouncing around and appearing in some movies post <i>Friends</i>, Matthew Perry came to ABC with Mr. Sunshine. The show centers on Perry, Ben Donovan, who is the manager of a sports arena. The concept is interesting enough, following Ben through all the craziness involved in running this arena, but the show just never comes together smoothly, and is rarely funny. The rest of the cast, including Allison Janney, just don't seem to add anything to the show. Janney, who I normally love, is way to over the top in a way that the humor would mostly appeal to a toddler that is easily amused by loud noises and bright colors; she's simply not believable. None of the other characters are really used, instead they kind of blend in with the crowd. While the show does tend to serve up a chuckle or two an episode, the jokes mostly fall short of their mark. Hopefully they'll bring on some new writers. Mr. Sunshine is a show I DESPERATELY wanted to love, but with each ep I'm growing more and more detached. <i>*Guest-written by Justin "JT Money" O'Reilly*</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Undercovers, </i>(NBC)</u> - Talk about really wanting a show to work. It had all the elements in place. Spies: my favorite genre. Exec producer J.J. Abrams: one of my favorite modern-day auteurs. And the leads were BOTH black! Yay progressiveness! Slam dunk, right? Nooooooooo! This series was more lifeless than Rebecca Black. Potential sure, but there are only so many hours in the day, and I stopped devoting some to this even before it was officially cancelled. Just a big, fat dud. Good luck in the future to newbie actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw though, she's a real, ahem, <a href="http://www.ladybrillemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Gugu-Mbatha-Raw.jpg">talent</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz8QmYGcrZCR5f0P1QCul3bLUnmD1RdpoEoDf5G_ttyMA5L6SjKFQNioXIKlqjP29HzLaWM5hvTcqOkjhN_CtB07johD-rh1VPKSQAeC6IsKdF47ilGSvRMWBOFlWELe1wcg6P44p6-3V/s1600/No-Ordinary-Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz8QmYGcrZCR5f0P1QCul3bLUnmD1RdpoEoDf5G_ttyMA5L6SjKFQNioXIKlqjP29HzLaWM5hvTcqOkjhN_CtB07johD-rh1VPKSQAeC6IsKdF47ilGSvRMWBOFlWELe1wcg6P44p6-3V/s320/No-Ordinary-Family.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">No Ordinary Family, </i>(ABC)</u> - Yet another show that sounded great on paper. <a href="http://images.wikia.com/theshield/images/4/4f/Vic-mackey.jpg">Vic Mackey</a> back to beating up bad guys? <a href="http://www.rrr.org.au/assets/12.jpg">Darla</a>/<a href="http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20081210/425.benz.hall.dexter.121008.jpg">Rita</a> as his wife? Comedic talents Romany Malco (<i>The 40 Yr Old Virgin</i>) and Autumn Reeser (who provided many of the highlights of the final years of <i>The O.C.</i>) are their sidekicks? Sign me up! Too bad this show never had the ambitions of being the kick-ass comic-book show that I wanted it to be. It was way more interested in being 8 p.m. fare that the parents, pre-teens and the dog could all sit down to enjoy. And I could've adjusted to that...if it was good. Pardon the easy pun but I've never seen more ordinary writing. I could literally call the whole episode by the first commercial break. The kids' plotlines: even worse. Somebody fill the superhero TV Void, and soon please.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Cape, </i>(NBC)</u> - I didn't even bother. Like, seriously? No. Good Riddance. What was I saying about a superhero TV void?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.screened.com/uploads/0/384/355423-body_of_proof_01_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media.screened.com/uploads/0/384/355423-body_of_proof_01_large.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><u style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Body of Proof, </i>(ABC)</u> - Dear, networks</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">At this point, we have seen it all before. Doctor shows, lawyer shows, cop shows, the procedurals come and go. You know which ones stick around? The ones with great, rich, <i>characters</i>. We don't really care about the cases. We want fun banter or good character beats in between them. So, ABC, congrats on the success of <i>Castle</i>, which has all those things courtesy of the man, Nathan Fillion. Now, this new show ya got? The lead's no Rick Castle. Excruciatingly bad. "Lost my surgeon's license, wahhhh." "Put work before family, now they hate me, wahhhh." "Now I'm a morgue examiner, aaaaand I solve crimes!" Big woop. What the fuck city does this take place in? What self-respecting cops woud let the fucking morgue doctor run around solving cases for them? Do yourself a favor, my 15 or so faithful readers. Don't watch this show. No disrespect to the MILF Dana Delany.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Connoisseuraus</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>*The Connoisseuraus saw a screening of the </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Body of Proof </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>pilot a few weeks ago. It premieres March 29th at 10 p.m. See for yourself if you're feeling masochistic.*</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Can you think of 5 more awful seasons of television this year?</span></span>Chiphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676435713070346041noreply@blogger.com0