Movie Reaction: Bachelorette

Formula: Bridesmaids + Requiem for a Dream + a little bit of Sleepover 
(make of that what you will)

Cast: Casting was pretty spot on. Kirsten Dunst can play an uptight control freak well. Lizzy Caplan can do the misanthropic disillusioned thing in her sleep. Isla Fisher, well, you saw her in Wedding Crashers, I assume. The thing is, all of them add some new edges to their character types that are rarely seen. I'm so used to seeing Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt that it's jarring to see him as a different type of character. Rebel Wilson is a lot less cartoonish than she normally is, which is nice. James Marsden...I still don't know what to make of him. There's several others I'm forgetting. They sustain a pretty large cast.

Plot: Overall it works well. No one is a saint or treated like one. They all have some pretty serious issues that, thankfully, they didn't feel the need to fix by the end. If I had one complaint, it would be with the wedding dress MacGuffin, which I thought was beneath the rest of story. Mostly, this is a smart, well-crafted, character-driven dark comedy. At times, it tried to be something much lighter and it didn't work a well for me. At times it doesn't know which tone it wants to have and felt decidedly uneven as a result.

Elephant in the Room: So, this is like Bridesmaid, right? I get that on paper it sounds like it would be. This is going for a much narrower audience though. The characters are much darker. The jokes hit harder. The appeal is less broad. It mostly doesn't want to be Bridesmaids and largely succeeds at that. I am not at all surprised that this has such a limited release (Note: limited does not mean bad). Please, don't go into this expecting Bridesmaids. That would not be smart.

Perspective: Normally, I have the problem of seeing a movie, liking it, then overselling it to people. For this, I have the opposite problem. Everyone I saw it with loved it. I liked but no where near as much. I'm not one for jumping to "there's something I'm missing that everyone else got" because I'm not. That's generally a cop-out. I quite enjoyed this, but after witnessing a love-fest for it, I find myself trying to explain what my issues with it were with it when I'd normally focus on the parts that I liked. This isn't a complaint. I just find it interesting how subjective a reaction to a movie can be.

 To Sum Things Up:
I've been wanting to see this for a while and am glad it expanded to where I live. In a year full of pretty mediocre comedies so far, this was a refreshing change of pace. It is not for everyone by any means. Plenty of laughs and a great handling of the characters. It's not completely polished, but what is. You know how almost getting an A on a test can be more frustrating than completely bombing it? That's how this was for me.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

DVR Purge: 9/29-10/4

This Week's Spotlight: None. I got sidetracked by another side project. I know, I know. Week 2 and I'm already dropping the ball.

Homeland "The Smile"
I'll either look at this as an annoying contrivance to bring Carrie back in or a needed device to keep the show moving. The rest of the season will decide.

How I Met Your Mother "The Pre-Nup"
I think this episode sums up my issue with the show these days. What says "running in place" better than an episode making a game out of everyone's relationships being doomed to fail?

Ben & Kate "Bad Cop/Bad Cop"
This feels like the most fully-formed new show still. I like the characters and how they play off each other. I don't so much like the plot for this week, but the rest is enjoyable enough to stick with it for the season while it figures things out.

The Mindy Project "Hiring and Firing"
For me, that was a massive improvement in the second episode. I can see this show working it's way up my list fast. Also, I hadn't taken the time to look at the list of writers and producers for this: Linwood Boomer (Malcolm in the Middle, perhaps my favorite show ever), Chris McKenna (probably Community's best writer), and BJ Novak (The Office) is a pretty powerful 1, 2, 3 when Mindy alone is enough to get me to watch.

Go On "Do You Believe in Ghosts...Yes!"
Like Outsourced, this is a well-intentioned show that doesn't quite feel right. That is far from praise. Even when I don't prefer a show, it can get a laugh or two. This one can't even get that, nor does it do an effective job pulling at my heart strings.

Tosh.0
I'm not sure what kind of commentary I can offer for this other than, that was pretty funny. This was definitely one of the most mean-spirited web redemptions but that White rapper was that perfect mix of stupid, oblivious, and earnest which demands some extra jabs.

Key & Peele "Episode 202"
The good and bad thing about a sketch show like this is that it requires no commitment and can be watched whenever and dropped easily. I like it, but I can see how this falls off when the rest of the fall schedule kicks in.

The Middle "The Second Act"
I wonder if this is their attempt to shake things up. I'm highly indifferent and quite committed to the show. No risk that I'll stop watching it, but I'll continue to wonder what keeps me watching it. This episode didn't swing it one way or the other.

The Big Bang Theory "The Decoupling Fluctuation"
It's hard to say something new about a show that changes so little from week to week. The show is pretty depressing when you think about it. These are really sad characters, and I don't just mean because they're nerds. There's only barely a sense of affection shared by the group and they still write too many jokes that only serve to shit on the cast.

30 Rock "The Beginning of the End"
It is finally hitting me that there are only a finite number of episodes left in this wonderful, wonderful series. I'm going to really miss it.

Up All Night "Swingers"
You know, I've been worried about this show. It isn't where it needs to be yet, but I see real signs that this can improve. The tone of this episode was a lot more comfortable. Considering what the spring and next fall are shaping up to be, I'm am keeping hope for this one.

The Office "Andy's Ancestry"
Enough of this worked for me. Jim and Pam are finally back in the forefront. They aren't forcing Andy to be the central character anymore. Also, finally, Darryl has something to do. Oh yeah, and if they have Erin and the new guy get together, I will be very disappointed. Like 30 Rock, I'm revving myself up for how this will end.

Parks & Recreation "How A Bill Becomes A Law"
I fear that, due to my distrust of politics, this City Council thing is going to keep me constantly on edge. If any show has earned my trust though, this is it. Xena + Ron = potential amazingness! I love that the show is old enough that I can love these characters for every small tick. P&R is still the gold standard in TV comedy and I hope it can sustain the pretty good ratings it's been getting.

The scary thing is that there's still at least a half dozen shows yet to start for fall which I intend to watch.

Movie Reaction: Looper

Formula: Back to the Future +Léon: The Professional

To Sum Things Up: 

I fucking loved this movie.

Cast: I almost get tired of saying this, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the shit. Bruce Willis is fantastic and, at times, heartbreaking. Emily Blunt makes me like her more and more with each thing I see her in. Jeff Daniels is in it, but not used a lot. It's good to see him though. This is really one of those casts that appears designed to make me love it. Oh, there's also a cute little kid who is asked to do a lot more than he should be able to do at his age and pulls it off completely.

Plot: Let's just say it is way more than the previews make it out to be. I ate up every second of it. It's not a spoilery type of movie, but it's hard to talk about it outside of the proper context. It's all one big examination of morality thrown in the middle of a pretty spot-on action movie. It is hard to watch at some points. These are not good people and they don't always do good things. It doesn't shy away from it either. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that the ending made me feel really stupid.

Direction: I don't normally note direction because I don't always see it when I'm watching. I wanted to note it here though. Rian Johnson has a lot of good touches that I don't see often. I'm not sure of all the technical terms for what he did, so I'll just say I really enjoyed his direction. The world of the movie is very lived-in and developed. It's actually a shame that this isn't the beginning of a series because there's a lot to be explored and there's always the sense that a lot more is going on than what we are seeing.

Elephant in the Room: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is supposed to look like Bruce Willis? Yeah, and they do a great job with that. The previews I'd seem made it look a little hokey, but they did a great job with JGL's makeup to where they do some closeups on the two is it is completely believable that one becomes the other. Also, I'm credited JGL for miming Bruce Willis' entire demeanor (since Bruce Willis basically plays one of the commonly seen shades of himself).

In Case I Wasn't Clear:

I loved this movie. Several times while I was watching it, I pulled back and told myself "I am really loving this". I don't know if it is for everyone or even everyone who wants to see it since there is a lot more to it than the previews suggest. For me though, I thought the casting is impeccable, with everyone bringing their A games. The story is very well crafted. The actions is tight and not needlessly excessive. It's one that I immediately wanted to talk to anyone who has seen it so we could dissect it. I am so glad that I saw this.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend

Unprovoked Opionion: TV Show Concepts

This week's TV examination is actually not going to be about any one show specifically. Instead, I'll be chewing on a few thoughts about TV show concepts for comedies.

Whenever a new TV season comes around, I always notice a divide between the shows I will give a chance and the ones I won't. Even of the shows I do continue watching versus the ones that drop off. Yes, in the end, it comes down to writing, handling of characters, and the ability to make me laugh. There is another connection though. The best way I can describe it is this: The more a show can be described by it's pitch, the less likely I am to watch it. What does that mean, exactly. Here's a couple examples from this year.

The Neighbors: Best example of a pitch-show. "A family moves into a neighborhood of aliens". That pitch probably got it into development and on the air. It's completely unique. Not likely to have a cousin on another network like "Partners" and "The New Normal". The problem is, where do you go from there. It's a funny enough premise, but what does season 2, 3, or 8 look like? I doubt we're looking at a lot of character growth. The plots will have to follow a specific "see alien neighbors do _____ for the first time" formula that will certainly follow a law of diminishing returns.

Some other pitch-heavy shows are Animal Hospital and Guys with Kids. The former is going to struggle integrating animals into everything and will eventually be hampered completely by that. The latter is an easy sell to a network but where does it go after a couple Baby Bjorn jokes. It's the same problem that Up All Night is working through. No wonder it is completely retooling itself for season 2. A show can't survive on such a definable concept.

Conversely, the have the shows I'm giving a chance. These all have simple concepts with room to stretch their legs out. Ben & Kate is one. The concept: "An irresponsible brother and a sister with a kid...uh...I'm not sure, exactly...do stuff, I guess." That show can go anywhere, be what it wants. Figure out it's strengths and rid itself of the weaknesses. Only Ben and Kate matter. The kid can even be shipped to leave with her dad if that's needed.


Another promising example is The Mindy Project. Beyond Mindy, what does that show have to do? Nothing. It's a little defined by the romantic comedy structure in the pilot, which seems a little limiting. The good thing is, that can be tinkered with over time. I'm not worried about it.

This isn't even a new formula. Think about the best sitcoms. Cheer - "A show about a bar". Friends - "A show about six friends in New York". The Office - "A show about an office." Fuck, even Two and a Half Men. That was originally about two brothers and a kid and it was loose enough to just be about two men, who are virtual strangers, and a kid, who is an adult by now. It's harder to come up with a list of the high concept shows since so few of them work. Outsourced and Cavemen come to mind. In fact, I can only think of one series that has survived despite the high concept, which has limited it for years -

How I Met Your mother is the most frustrating show on TV. I've always hated the premise. Despite loving the first season, I stopped watching it for a few years because of the premise. Largely, the only reason the show has survived and maintained any of it's quality is when it ignores the premise. The timeline jumping and build up to the mother is one giant risk after another. It's actually astounding the show works so damn well when you think about it.

Think about it. Ted tells his kids "That's your aunt Robin" in the first episode. What if it turns out that that character doesn't work at all? They can't get rid of her. She's been referenced as an important part of the story already. They don't even have the option of her and Ted ending up together if that is the way they wanted to go. Luckily, Colbie Smulders has nailed that character and Robin has been morphed into more of a match for Barney rather seamlessly.

Ted's character is the best example of all. He exists completely in stasis (I hope I'm using that word anywhere near correctly). He has to be the same man who would fall head over heels for the wife that he keeps describing. The Ted character has to be fully developed and realized by episode 1. Any character growth or change has to already be known, to fit who he is when he meets the mother. I can't imagine how hard it must be to write a character who is a hopeless romantic always knowing that you can't let him date someone and let it work out. At this point, his inability to stay in a relationship has led to making him a less and less likable character.

For fuck's sake, am I the only one who realizes that the Bob Saget voice-over is a completely different person than Ted? Is there any way that current Ted can become future Ted in, what, 15 years?

I'll get off my soapbox now. It makes me sad though, that a sometimes brilliant show is so often weakened by that initial pitch.

Well, hopefully all my weekly TV spotlights won't be this long. I kind of got going and couldn't stop. Hopefully this wasn't complete nonsense to you.

DVR Purge 9/22-9/28

Welcome to the introductory DVR Purge. As I said, the form of this will change as I figure out how this works best. For now, I'm thinking of giving a quick reaction on most things with one weekly spotlight show, chosen arbitrarily.

This week's spotlight is not about a specific show. It's more of an overview of new shows. Sorry, it got a little long.
Spotlight: TV Show Concepts

How I Met Your Mother "Farhampton"
The end is near. At least it feels that way. Everyone is phoning it in at this point. I would trade their narrative tricks for an episode that has the gang letting loose and having fun. This episode didn't overtly frustrate me, so I'm calling it a win.

Partners "Pilot"
There is a version of this show I would love to watch. Sadly, the pilot is outright homophobic and can't get past cheap wordplay and a barrage of the most generic gay jokes this side of a grade school playground. Honestly, it made me angry to watch.

The New Girl "Re-Launch"
I wonder when/if that show will make that last jump into being a top tier comedy. The premiere paralleled the pilot with Jess being depressed and really highlights the growth of the rest of the cast that it wasn't completely dominated by it. I'm glad seeing they know how to make Winston funny. I just wish they could make him fit with the rest of the show.

Ben and Kate "Pilot"
I don't know how I feel about this cast and as much as I like the kid, I feel like she could become a liability down the line. This is the most ready-made new show I've seen

The New Girl "Katie"
The Jess plot was annoyingly contrived. No way around that. I hate stories built on needless misunderstandings that one short conversation could fix unless the jokes from it far outweigh the negatives. They didn't. Nick thinking he met his future self is not one I enjoyed much either. They should've taken it much further or not as far as they did.

The Mindy Project "Pilot"
I'm curious to see if every episode will actually have the look of a RomCom. It looked really polished for a TV show. I wasn't in love with the pilot episode. The show has an embarrassment of talented people behind it, so, without hesitation, I'll give it the whole season to mature before I consider stopping it.

Go On "Bench-Clearing Brawl"
I've seen 3 or 4 episodes so far. It's harmless in a way that makes it easy to watch hard to care. It will be dropped when Happy Endings takes up that DVR real estate. There are too many characters I don't like much and no signs of needed depth. Most importantly, they are without the kind of zingers that keep me watching.

Tosh.0
Can you really say there's a good or bad episode of this? You either like it or hate it. I, like it. For a return from hiatus episode, I expected a little more polish to it.

The Middle "The Last Whiff of Summer"
I commend the attempt to explain the summer. This mostly felt needlessly long. All the standard beats were there, meaning, I didn't love the episode, but I far from hated it. It's all about waiting until they have another episode like the one with the funeral last year.

Modern Family "Bringing Up Baby"
This kind of Modern Family is the kind I love to watch. The sight gags and punchlines were all earned and nothing felt like they were adding it only to hit a comedic beat. The jump forward to the end of the summer was one of the best handled time jumps I've seen. Hopefully this is a return to the season 1 form.

Key & Peele Season 2: Episode 1

SNL Weekend Update
I still don't get how these are Weekend Updates...on Thursday. I like Jay Pharaoh's Obama a lot more than Armisen's. I think watching this hits my weekly politics quotient leading up to the election...and even then, it's a little more than I'd like.
 
The Big Bang Theory "The Date Night Variable"
Pretty slight for a season premiere. Is it possible that it didn't have enough of any character? Oh, except Raj. That was too much of him and I'm kind of confused by him setting up the man-date at the end. Was that just for a punchline or is that setting something up for the season? No sure. We'll see.

Up All Night "Home/Office"
I think I like the retooling they've done for this season. My issue with this show has always been that, as much as I like the characters, The Ava Show has always been a drag. I'm curious to see how it is going further. It has potential to make "the jump".

The Office "Roy's Wedding"
Wow, Clark is an asshole. Overall, I think I've come to terms with what the Office is now and I enjoyed this episode a good deal. Nellie and Dwight could be a pairing I really enjoy seeing. As far as Jim and Pam are concerned, I really hope what they are building to pays off. Right now, their storyline is a drag.

Parks and Rec. "Soda Tax"
Initially, at least, this was a weaker episode, which is still better than almost anything I've seen this week. Lonely Chris is getting a little tiring as is someone telling April she needs to live up to her potential. The opening and closing tags made me laugh hard though, and any time Ron and Leslie have a meaningful talk is something special, so I chalking any concerns I have to easing into the new status-quo. Love this show!

Louie "New Year's Eve"
I've never been all that hot on Louie finales. This one is no exception. This opening story about the Christmas gifts was one of the highlights of the season for me. The return of Parker Posey was enjoyably macabre and fits the show perfectly. I can't say I care much for the China bit. It would've been just as well had he gone and sat in a back table at the Comedy Cellar watching an open-mic night or something. Overall, a wonderful, wonderful season though,

Emmy Predictions 2013

Another year, another list of disappointing results. I know it's a whole year away, but who says that's too soon to start thinking about next year? No me. My predictions from last year were a little over 50% right. Let's see if I can improve on that for next year.

1) Modern Family is dethroned and doesn't pull another 6 supporting acting nominations.

2) Dennis Quaid pulls a lead acting nomination for Las Vegas.

3) Homeland doesn't repeat.

4) Parks and Recreation makes it's way back into the Best Comedy field.

5) No return in sight for the big 4 networks in the best Drama field.

6) Parker Posey pulls a guest acting nomination for her work on Louie.

7) Only one show from HBO lands a best Comedy nom,

8) A Greg Danials run Office returns to the best Comedy field.

9) Breaking Bad takes a big step back in nominations.

10) ...might as well try this again. I watch at least one of the Mini-Series/TV Movie nominations.

Emmy Predictions 2012 - Results

Way back in September 2011, I made 10 predictions about the 2012 Emmys. Oddly, that became the most viewed page I have. I guess the audacity of prognosticating that far in advanced struck some curiosity, or so few people did it that it buffered me in search results. Whatever the case may be, it's time to see how I did.

Prediction: Zooey Deschanel will get a nomination for Lead Actress in a Comedy series after a season of heavy lifting on New Girl's first season,

Reality: Correct, although the show did balance itself by the end of the season. (+1)
 

Prediction: Shameless reclassifies itself as a Comedy and Emmy Rossum also get that Lead Actress nomination everyone assumed she would get this year.


Reality: Wrong on all accounts. Wishful thinking and Emmy blindness. I can't even blame a lack of awareness of Showtime drama either. (+0)


Prediction: Glee continues it's fall from grace, this time getting snubbed from Outstanding Comedy Series and getting noms. for Jane Lynch or Chris Colfer (not both).

Reality: I'm calling this correct even though it slightly outpaced my prediction, landing 0 supporting noms but a guest acting nom. (+1)


Prediction: Daily Show goes for 10 in a row. (Like it needed to be said)

Reality: It didn't need to be said. (+1)


Prediction: Mad Men's streak ends, but the award doesn't go far. Mad Men fails to make history as the first 5 time drama winner due to Breaking Bad dethroning the champ.

Reality: I was halfway right. Mad Men didn't go for an historic 5th win. The big prize continues to elude Breaking Bad though. (+.5)


Prediction: More than Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston get acting noms. from Breaking Bad.

Reality: Nailed it. I think this will be the nomination high point though. (+1)


Prediction: Nick Offerman finally gets his nomination.

Reality: I don't want to talk about. (+0)


Prediction: Community ends it's major Emmy snubbing with something small (Guest Actor for John Goodman, perhaps).

Reality: I'm crediting this as correct although I arguably aimed too small. A writing nom was more than I could've hoped for. (+1)


Prediction: A Post-Carrell Office still gets an Outstanding Comedy Series nom. along with a nom. for Spader in whatever category he submits in.

Reality: I was gleefully wrong. It got even worse to the point that even the Emmys couldn't ignore. (+0)


Prediction: <<<Biggest Longshot of this list>>> I watch at least one of the nominees for MiniSeries or Movie before the awards ceremony. 

Reality: Nope. My bad. (+0)


 In all, I went 5.5/10. More right than wrong is pretty good. Time to start working on a few guesses for next year.

Emmy Post-Mortem

This will surprise you to hear, I'm sure, but all my time spent watching TV, in depth research about Emmy voting tendencies, and thorough analysis amounted to little or no predictive advantage over the average schmuck who hasn't seen 2/3 of the shows and hasn't heard of the other 1/3. I don't even think I did the best at my own Emmy gathering (not a party - results pending). I'm okay with that. The Emmys coming around causes me to reflect on what I've enjoyed watching the most over the past year and give me the chance to jump for joy when someone is recognized who I think deserve it. In the majority of the results that differ from mine, I understand the logic and politely disagree. On the egregious picks, I can always fall back on the old adage that it's just "the Emmys being the Emmys" even if they aren't as bad as people remember.

Instead of going over each and every one of my mistakes in embarrassing detail, I'm breaking this down to the Good, the Bad, and the Meh.

The Good

Homeland
The second this won for writing (Mad Men's bread and butter. See three nominations) I knew it was time to corronate a new king. This was not my pick to win, but not far off. Part of me questions if the material was good enough to match the performances. Beyond that, no issue here. Cranston can't win every year (I'm told) and Lewis did a great job keeping us guessing. Claire Danes' win is the biggest no-brainer in recent Emmy history. She put on one of the great dramatic performances in television history. She was just that good in this. I have no faith that the show will maintain this quality for season 2 or beyond (please, prove me wrong). For this moment in time though, I have no qualms with seeing this atop the mountain.

Louie CK
An acting win would've been nice, and I wish that "Pregnant" didn't earn him an Emmy over "Duckling", but two wins is two wins. He's almost unquestionably the best comedian out there right now (just ask any comedian for christ's sake), so it's nice to see his writing getting awards. "Live at the Beacon Theater" is a pretty great comedy special, especially considering he is using material that was not used in his show at all. That is an insane amount of new material. Absolutely insane. Speaking of his show, it has a win on the books now. Completely deserving even if not for that episode. I know CK has his detractors. I ask any of them to watch the show and tell me that it isn't a quality project. 

The Daily Show
A boring win is not an undeserved win. I feel a little bad that The Colbert Report will never get out of it's shadow, but The Daily Show really is excellence in it's form. No show should be this funny doing this many episodes a year. It is really something special that we won't fully appreciate until it's not around anymore.

The Bad

Modern Family
I don't get it. This, simply is not the best comedy on TV. The actors are not the best. The writing is not the best. The directing is too hampered by the other weak elements. I was completely on board with the first season win. Only Parks and Rec. put together a better season that year. Ever since, it has gotten broader, destroyed characters by turning them into cartoons, and repeatedly written episodes that sacrifice a character for an easy joke. Sadly, Eric Stonestreet did not put together one episode worthy of beating numerous of his other nominees, not to mention a long list of those not nominated (See the casts of Community, Parks and Rec, Happy Endings, It's Always Sunny...). The same goes for Julie Bowen. Neither of them are bad actors. Stonestreet totally deserved it two years ago and I've been a Bowen fan for years. The material they have to work with is frustratingly bad and getting lazier and worse. almost with each new episode.

Jon Cryer


This is bad for who he had to be to win this. Louie CK completely anchors his show almost single-handedly. Alec Baldwin has won enough, sure, but there's a reason for all the wins and nominations. Jim Parsons gives a committed and nuanced performance every time the camera is turned on. Even Larry David is doing something impressive on a show that, truth be told, I'm not the biggest fan of. Jon Cryer doesn't have any business winning here. Granted, his reaction reflected sincere bewilderment. I'll credit him for that.

Game Change 
Full disclosure, I haven't seen this. Part of that is intentional. The phrase "low hanging fruit" comes to mind. Sarah Palin was a punchline virtually the second she was announced as McCain's running mate in 2008. She was a gimmick pulled by the campaign of a man who was never going to beat Obama (NEVER). Perhaps I'll be proven wrong by the finished product, but, you know how they always talk about how liberal Hollywood is, right now, that's all this seems to be.

The Meh

Breaking Bad 
Aaron Paul, as the co-lead of the show, certainly deserved the Supporting Actor win. Gunn and Esposito were justly nominated, which I never thought would happen. Cranston has a trophy collection at home, so I can forgive him losing this year even if it was, in my opinion, hands down, his best season. I'm torn, because this was Breaking Bad's best chance to win. Season 4 was a high point that the show probably won't be able to return to. Mad Men fatigue was kicking in to allow a new winner and another show capitalized on it. Good for it. Like season 4 of Dexter though, it's a shame that when young TV junkies like myself look back on the awards in 25 years, there will be nothing to point to the greatness that was.

Downton Abbey
With so many nominations, it had to win at least one. I disagree with the one though. All this is coming for having not seen any of it, but I'm having a hard time not viewing the Maggie Smith win from the perspective of who she got in the way of.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus
I literally just watched Veep. JLD is fantastic in it. She's good in everything she does. I've referred to her in the past as the Meryl Streep of the Emmys. Living legend is not far off from where she is now. This was Amy Poehler's though. It was last year too. It physically pains me to see a role like Leslie Knope to be one-upped by something new year after year. I happened to Jane Kazmerek, Hugh Laurie, Steve Carrell, and so many others. Also, watching Veep, I was really reminded of Gary Shandling in The Larry Sanders Show. As good as both were in their respective shows, so much of the shows were about the other actors playing around the lead. A great Lead performance should be the actor taking control of the scenes. In Veep, she is handed them. That isn't a knock, per se. It's the intended style of the show. However, I have a hard time coming to terms with that being Emmy worthy individually when it's the work of the ensemble.

There you have it, my thoughts on the night. Like every year, it's left me a little cold inside, with hope that they can make a better decision next year, but mostly just happy to take that last look at the past year and excited to see what great shows and seasons will come by the next one of these.

Movie Reaction: The Master

Formula:  There Will Be Blood - Oil + Religion

Cast: Wow, Joaquin Phoenix was uncomfortable to watch. This, of course, is said with reverence and respect. Paul Thomas Anderson has a way of pulling out great performances out of actors and this is no exception. Philip Seymour Hoffman does a great job playing the imposing patriarch. I've always liked him, but most of the roles I've seen him in recently have had him as a gruff, tired type. This was a nice shift. Amy Adams was really good as well. Jesse Plemons was greatly underused. Then again, I'm always happy to see him working. Really, this was an actors' showcase and it didn't disappoint. Any kind of awards attention they get will be completely worthy.

Plot: Oy. I left the movie wondering "what's the point?". There was a lot of build, and everything was well shot and enjoyable to watch. Much like "There Will Be Blood", when the ending finally came, I didn't understand what it was all for. At least "There Will Be Blood" had milkshakes. This, sort of ended. The last half hour could've ended with any scene and left me feeling the same way. I have trouble calling that great.

Elephant in the Room: Isn't this about Scientology? Kinda sorta. Sure, I guess it is. I won't say it hits you over the head with the commentary on that. It's about a "cult" leader and those that follow him. Almost any non-batshit crazy cult is going to be similar to Scientology. Watch it for the acting and the plot, not the vague commentary on Scientology.

To Sum Things Up:
It's worth seeing because it is well made. This movie will be to 2012 what The Tree of Life was to 2011. There's undeniable value to it and great film-making on display, but there are parts that will be received wildly differently. For me, I thought it was incomplete. A number of people will probably tell me it's supposed to be like that, then look at me like a child for not being able to understand that. Then again, I'll look at them as pretentious asses who think that just because something is dense, it's good. It is certainly worthy to be in discussion for things at year's end, but certainly was not my taste. Still, better than most of the movies I've seen lately. 

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend

Emmy Hopes

In all the fun of going through the dozens of categories in detail despite not having seen any of the nominees in several categories and making predictions for who will and won't win and why, I nearly forgot to put on the record who I want to win.
I'm going to do my best to soapboxing about snubs and the like, so if you'd really like to know who I think is missing, you can check my Emmy Reactions post.
I also don't want to go over who I think will win again, so check out those posts for that info:

Directing
Writing
Guest Acting
Supporting Acting
Lead Acting
Series

Ok. That's covered. Onto the fun.

Comedy

Series: Girls - I only recently watched it. Easily a top 5 comedy for me. The problem is, the other 4 weren't nominated. I would be super happy for this to win though.

Lead Actor: Louie CK for Louie - Find me a more nuanced, hilarious, heartbreaking performance. You can't.

Lead Actress: Amy Poehler for Parks & Rec. - One of the finest comedic performances in the past decade. She simply must get recognized for this.

Supporting Actor: Bill Hader for SNL - He was good. Far from my pick overall. Mostly, I don't want another Modern Family sweep.

Supporting Actress: Mayim Bialik for Big Bang Theory - Amy Farrah Fowler has nearly Urkeled the show and to it's benefit.

Writing: "Win, Lose, or Draw" Parks & Rec. - I want them all to win. When it comes down to it, Parks & Rec. is the least excusible Emmy oversight and deserves this win for not being in the run for series.

Directing: "Duckling" Louie - Best in the field. I wouldn't hate Girls winning, but "Duckling" was the most impressive direction overall.

Drama

Series: Breaking Bad - Begining to end, a great season. Homeland and Mad Men would both be acceptible alternatives.

Lead Actor: Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad - I've given up on spreading the wealth. Hamm is certainly deserving, maybe not for this season. Same goes for Hall. Lewis was great, but upstaged by Danes and Patinkin too often. I can't speak for the other two nominees.

Lead Actress: Claire Danes for Homeland - She was so good in this.

Supporting Actor: Breaking Bad. Giancarlo Esposito or Aaron Paul were both spectacular. I give Paul my personal edge, however Esposito was about the coolest villain I've seen in a while.

Supporting Actress: Christina Hendricks for Mad Men - It's time. Mad Men needs an acting win and her work this season more than earned one.

Writing: "Far Away Places" Mad Men - I think the other two Mad Men episodes hit you in the gut more, but this one is the episode I'll remember best, not hinging on a couple scenes.

Directing: "Face Off" Breaking Bad - I have never seen a show ramp up the tension for an entire season and conclude it so satisfyingly.

Mini-Series/Movie

Series: Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia - I'm not invested, but I'd enjoy the win.

Lead Actor: I don't care.

Lead Actress: I don't care.

Supporting Actor: I don't care.

Supporting Actress: I don't care.

Writing: Steven Moffat for Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia - I love Steven Moffat and haven't seen any of the nominees.

Directing: Sherlock: Paul McGuigan for Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia - Pretty much due to bleed-over of Steven Moffat love.

Reality

Reality Competition: The Voice. Just to seal the fate of American Idol.

Host: Super don't care.


Variety

Variety Series: The Daily Show - 1) It's going to win. 2) It should win.

Variety Special Writing: Live at the Beacon Theater - I love Louis CK and this was a great special.

Variety Special Direction: Live at the Beacon Theater - I love Louis CK and this was a great special.