The Three Best Comedies You're Not Watching

Better Off Ted

Awkward name aside, this is THE show for all of the displaced Arrested Development fans. Screwball dialogue, tight writing, running gags and ridiculous characters come together into one dynamite package. Seriously, there's only a handful of episodes left before ABC officially pulls the plug on this one so hurry up and catch them while you can. Watch the latest episode right now! It's one of the best. And if you want to continue with this fantastic show, here's the best episode of the series to date, in my opinion.


How I Met Your Mother

It's somehow very fitting that your grandparent's favorite channel, CBS, is using the most routine sitcom format to turn the genre on its head. The traditional three camera sitcom may be looked down upon these days as a symbol of a vapid, lowest common denominator art form, but How I Met Your Mother shows what it can be when it's at its best. This decade's Newsradio, HIMYM uses the set and pacing of the format to showcase gags involving blocking that are damn near impossible on the seemingly now standard one camera show. Neil Patrick Harris has brought a ton of focus to the show, but the entire cast gels as a proper ensemble. Last week's episode was a series high. Plus, we get NPH singing and dancing!

Community

Speaking of ensembles, the newest member of NBC's dynamite Thursday night comedy line-up shows us all how it's done. Joel McHale anchors a cast of losers, loners, and general misfits as they share a community college Spanish study group. The writing has gotten so sharp that any combination of cast members can be placed together and the chemistry still sparks. But where this show really shines is in the meta-humor. Watch as the show explains to you why it is funny; not only on its own but within the larger pantheon of television history. My personal favorite is the Halloween episode, a smart and self-aware take on a sitcom tradition.

Watch, enjoy, and spread the word! Great network television is rare so we need to support what little there is.

2010 Golden Globes: The Live-Blog

11:02-I have never been happier to have my local news affiliate cut in with the local news.
11:01-Hey, its that guy whose famous for marrying a drama queen. Why do we care about what he has to say?
10:59-I don't mind that my predictions were so wrong, because these were some stupid upsets. Blah. Note to make this thing better, give Ricky Gervais a ton more screen time.
10:56-You've got to be kidding me. Avatar was aight, but all of those movies were way better from a storytelling, acting, and directing standpoint. They may not have been nearly as pretty, but I didn't realize that's apparently all it take to win the Best Movie.
10:55-Last award.
10:51-I wonder if his new statue will really tie the room together?
10:50-Colin Farrell's eyebrows make him look perpetually curious.

Don't worry, there's more>>>

2010 Golden Globe predictions

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. AVATAR
b. THE HURT LOCKER
c. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
d. PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
e. UP IN THE AIR
In my opinion it should definitely be The Hurt Locker, but I think Up In The Air has an equal chance. Precious will probably get the Oscar, but not the Golden Globe.

Don't worry, there's more>>>

Announcement: Live-blogging the 2010 Golden Globes

I will be live-blogging the 2010 Golden Globe Awards, this Sunday. The awards begin at 8pm EST on NBC, but I will have some initial thoughts up around 7:30/7:45. Expect opinions on the nominees, the winners, the fashion, the drunken acceptance speeches, and the glory that is this year's host, Ricky Gervais. I will even respond to any comments in somewhat real time. Expect the comments to get snarkier as I get drunker during the evening.

Any Richmond area friends that would like to to imbibe and watch the drinkiest awards show of the season with me are welcome. Your comments may even be immortalized for the 10 or so person blogosphere I encompass.

Are you ready for this?

Best of 2009, and then some

2009 was not the best year for movies in recent memory, but it did produce some movies I will definitely talk about for years to come, as well as re-watch repeatedly. Here is my top five, plus an honorable mention and a handful of superlatives. This is absolutely a list of personal favorites and by no means a list of “films” that I expect to top all time lists any time soon. However, they all spoke to me for reasons I will try to explain. Plus, it’s my blog so I can list anything I damn well please.

Don't worry, there's more>>>