Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Change In The Winds / Now For Something Completely Different

Ahoy tharr mateys!  ‘Tis a foul weather a’brewin’ above the fine waters of the interwebs.
(Hey everybody!  There’s bad news on the horizon for the internet.)

The good-for-naught East India Company has grown in dastardly power, and seeks to rid these fair isles of righteous freebooters, like me’self.
(The district court of New York has taken a major step in their efforts to destroy internet pirates, of which I am one.)

‘Afore ye be runnin out yer cannons, I hope you’ll allow me to speak a bit of “legal gibberish.”
(Before you jump down my throat, here’s a quick disclaimer.)

I’m all for sticking to the pirate’s code, but shall we say I’ve never actually read through the ancient ledger.
(I’m no lawyer.)

I just be a humble pirate.  You won’t find me runnin’ up the Jolly Roger against the might of the imperial fleet.
(I’m just a regular guy, with regular opinions.  This isn’t a call to arms.)

Now that the wind’s at me back, I’m headed off in search of adventure.
(Here we go.)

A mere day ago, the magistrate Kimba Wood sent the decree that the pirate haven known as Limewire was to close its ports immediately.
(Yesterday, judge Kimba Wood ordered filesharing service Limewire to cease its operations.)

Limewire be the finest of locales for honest pirates to exchange their loot.
(Limewire is one of the best filesharing services around.)

But it sends a chill through me bones knowing that this precious isle be soon fall victim to the same ungodly fate as the most populace port of call before it, the isle of Napster.
(But I’m worried that Limewire is going the way of Napster.)

And this news has your humble servant not only caught with his cannons stowed, but also in need of a port to call home.
(This not only caught me by surprise, but also forces me to find a new filesharing site.)

The Crown claims that my honest buccaneering interferes with the riches of the princesses of the court, but I say, hang ‘em, they be the real pirates in these waters, robbing the laborers of their hard earned doubloons with their unfair taxes.
(The record labels say that my internet piracy detracts from the wealth of people like Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and 50 Cent, but I say that they are the ones ripping off the public with their awful music.)

The parrot perched on me shoulder squawks, “If I catch a glimpse of another royal mansion, I might fire a broadside.”  And me parrot always tells the truth.
(I heard someone say, “If I see another episode of MTV Cribs, I might punch the nearest wall.”  I wholeheartedly agree.)

If ye be a true buccaneer, I’d advise ye to turn to the new pirate haven of Frostwire, the next port of call for us corsairs.
(If you’re a pirate like me, check out frostwire.)

Until I see your sails on the horizon,
-Harry
(Until next time,
-Harry)

It nearly slipped me mind: I’d owe ye a debt of gratitude if you ran up your true colors below.
(P.S.  I’d really appreciate it if you told me your opinion on this issue.)

Friday, October 8, 2010

TV Show Week Part 5

Hello everyone, and welcome to the final installment of my latest countdown.  This week, I’ve been looking at my top 5 seasons of television show.  To qualify for my list, each episode of the season must be 1 hour long including commercials, and the season must contain at least 10 episodes.  So without further ado, the winner is...

Number 1
Battlestar Galactica, Season 1, Scifi

Yes, I know.  I am a sucker for science fiction.  But that does not take away from the fact that Season 1 of Battlestar is the greatest season of TV ever.  It combines the wonderful moral ambiguity of a great novel with the action of any sci-fi movie.  Also, it delves into topics not often touched upon in TV shows, like that of polytheism versus monotheism, and military rule versus democratic.

The characters on Battlestar Galactica are the best on television.  The writing and acting is superb.  They have depth that is unmatched by any show that I have seen.  And as an added bonus, any one of them could turn out to be a bad guy at any minute.  This element makes the show as captivating as anything I have ever seen, in movies or television.

The special effects, while not perfect, definitely get the job done.  It’s no Star Wars, but you definitely get the feel of deep space combat when watching Battlestar Galactica.  The action sequences are as good as any on television.

What really sets Battlestar Galactica apart is the way it deals with so many different characters and concepts without becoming convoluted.  The story is easy to follow, despite its incredible depth.  It never sacrifices any part of the story, action or acting for any other element.  The way it balances its many facets is what makes Season 1 of Battlestar Galactica the best season of TV ever.

Please note:  I have only seen season 1 of Battlestar Galactica.  I’m working my way through season 2 now.  And it’s awesome.

Until next time,
Harry

P.S.  Feel free to sound off and tell me your favorite season of television.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

TV Show Week Part 4

Hello all.  I hope that you’ve been enjoying this week’s writings.  If you’re just joining us, here’s the scoop:  I’ve been counting down my top 5 TV show seasons.  To qualify, each episode must be 1 hour long including commercials, and there must be at least 10 episodes in the season.  So without any delay, let’s get right to it.

Number 2
The Wire, Season 5, HBO

The final season of The Wire is one of the greatest things ever put on TV.  I mean that.  Every moment of every episode is incredible.  Shot with typical HBO brilliance, in addition to just being a wonderful story, the visuals are truly a work of art.

The reason that Season 5 is the best of The Wire is because it deals with subject matter that creator David Simon is most familiar with.  That means that it feels even more real than the previous seasons, which were already about as real as you can get.  But Season 5 really reaches another level in terms of realism that no show that I have seen has ever reached.

Season 5 of The Wire also manages to weave together a myriad of storylines in a way that is relatively understandable, despite its incredible complexity.  It has the most characters of any season of the show, and the viewer can really get into each one of them, and understand their motivations and story.

A quick aside:  I was on set for some of the filming of this season of the show.  My uncle, Paul Ben-Victor, is an actor on The Wire, so I got to hang out with the cast and crew.  It was pretty awesome.

In summation, The Wire is damn near perfect, and Season 5 is the best season.  The only reason it’s not number one is the length.  It could definitely have been two or three episodes longer, and that would have made it feel slightly less rushed at the end.  All in all, a brilliant conclusion to a brilliant show.

Until next time,
Harry

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

TV Show Week Part 3

Hey everybody!  In case you haven’t been following, this week I’ve been counting down the top 5 seasons of television shows that I’ve ever seen.  My only criteria are that each episode of the season must be 1 hour long including commercials, and there must be at least 10 episodes in the season.  So without further ado, let’s hop right in to the countdown!

Number 3
Prison Break, Season 1, Fox

Season 1 of Prison Break is the greatest thing Fox has ever put on television.  (Not their movies, just the TV shows.)  The characters are incredible.  The writing is fantastic.  The tension is palpable.  The story is completely unique.  And the acting is about as good as you’ll find on network TV.

What really makes Season 1 stand out is the characters.  Every one of the leads is well thought out, deep, and well acted.  The main character is the most interesting TV lead that I have ever seen.  But there are so many good characters surrounding him that he almost gets lost in the shuffle.

The action in Prison Break is intense and frenetic.  While not as consistent as 24, when the action starts, it’s just as compelling.  Even though there is a significant amount of suspension of disbelief, it is not at the point where the show loses any of its credibility.  Every aspect of the show is well thought out, and the tension is so great that your eyes will be glued to the screen.

The best thing about Season 1 is that it never lets up.  There are no down episodes, and no points in any episode that you think, “Gee, could have been omitted.”  Instead, the story moves rapidly from point to point, never skipping anything, and never slowing down.  From start to finish, it is engaging and fun.  And that is what puts it at number 3 on my list.

Until next time,
Harry

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

TV Show Week Part 2

Hey everyone, and welcome back to another countdown.  In case you missed yesterday’s post, this week I’m looking at my top 5 seasons of TV shows.  (Note: Not series, but season.)  In order to qualify each episode of the season must be 1 hour long (including commercials) and the season must consist of at least 10 episodes.  So let’s get right to it.

Number 4
24, Season 3, Fox

24 is without question the most addictive show I have ever watched, and season 3 was its crowning achievement.  The reason for this is the supporting cast.  And what I really mean by supporting cast is James Badge Dale.  He’s the man.  And in Season 3, he proved it.  Season 3 had by far the deepest and most enjoyable auxiliary characters to support the lead.  Also, unlike most other seasons, each of the minor characters had a more developed story, as opposed to solely focusing on the main character.  Also, the villains in Season 3 were the best written of any season of the show.

24’s calling card is its action, and Season 3 certainly packed a major punch in that department.  Chases, gunfights, chemical warfare, this season had it all.  From the moment the season begins until the very last scene, 24 grabbed hold of its viewers and never let them go.  After each episode, I was dying for more.  While cliffhangers abound in every season of the show, never were they more dramatic than in Season 3.

But what really made Season 3 stand out was the writing.  Yes, it had its cliche moments, but in general, the story was fresh and the dialogue intense.  The show was still at the point where it didn’t need to rely on previously used plot elements, so everything was bold and inventive, something that could not be said for each subsequent season.

Season 3 was the best season of a great show.  It had the best action of any show ever to appear on television.  The only reason that it does not rank any higher is because, quite frankly, the premise of the show is completely ridiculous.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for suspension of disbelief, but 24 pushes the limits to a point where at points I could not take it seriously.  But all in all, this was a fantastic season of television.

Until next time,
Harry

Monday, October 4, 2010

TV Show Week Part 1

Hey everybody!  First off, I want to apologize for my lack of writing these last few weeks.  To be perfectly honest, the reason for this is that I have not watched that many movies during that time.  I’m working on fixing that as soon as possible.  But until I see another movie worth writing about, I thought I’d spend a little time talking about another valuable aspect of cinematic entertainment, that being the TV series.

So this week I will be counting down the top 5 seasons of television series’ that I have seen.  Note that I’m not looking at the series as a whole, but instead I’m looking at each individual season.  The reason I’m doing this is because the I’ve seen shows whose entire premise changes from season to season.  So I’ll be looking at each season as it’s own unique creative work.  My criteria are as follows:

1.  Each episode of the show must be 1 hour long, including commercials.
2.  The season must have at least 10 episodes.

Disclaimer:  Yes, I am aware that I have not seen every TV show.  I haven’t even come close.  These are merely my picks from what I have seen.  I fully understand that there are great shows out there that I have not seen (yet).

With that being said, let’s get to it.

Number 5
Chuck, Season 2, NBC

Season 2 of Chuck is an odd collection of many different kinds of episodes, which is why I couldn’t place it any higher.  The more comedic ones are pretty formulaic, which lowers the average of the season.  Though the comedy does manage to evoke some laughs, it’s not funny enough to be brilliant, and doesn’t contain enough seriousness for me to really appreciate the depth of the characters.  This is sad, because some of the characters actually do have a lot of depth.  (Not all of them, just some.)  The first half of the season is generally filled with these kinds of episodes, which can drag down the overall value of the show.

However, once the show hit the halfway mark, it really picked up.  I guess the writers decided it was time for the show to take a more serious turn.  What made it so good was that it never lost the funny aspects that had made the first season so enjoyable.  It just added on another layer of complexity to the relationship between the two main characters, which added a lot for me, as I was starting to get bored with the standard plot devices that made up so much of the series prior to that point.

This combination of different types of episodes was both a blessing and a curse for Chuck.  On one hand, it managed to keep itself fresh, just when it started to look like the series had jumped the shark.  However, at points it fell prey to it’s reliance on plot crutches that had already been used.  Also, the lack of consistency from episode to episode made it sometimes difficult to watch, as certain aspects of the storyline would be put on hold to make way for some (admittedly good) comedy.

All in all, Season 2 of Chuck is a fine piece of television, but it falls just short of greatness.  If it had gone either more serious or more comedic, I think it would have been better, but instead it managed to fall right in between.  Nevertheless, it definitely deserves a place on my top 5.  Tune in tomorrow for number 4.

Until next time,
Harry