October Roundup

TV
I really want to like Private Practice. I like the actors, and some of the story lines are interesting, but it’s trying way too hard to be the new hot show. As a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, the very successful ABC medical drama, Practice would appear to be poised to re-create some, if not all of that success. But it just ain’t happening. Is the soundtrack too calculated? Are the men too buff? Or maybe ABC’s marketing campaign is just entirely too much.

The organic flow of dialogue, plot and acting in Grey’s is not apparent in Private Practice. Not yet anyway. Prognosis: Guarded.

Thoughts?

I do like Chuck and Journeyman (NBC). The former is fun and sweet, with one or two moments of believability. (It needs more, especially with the Chuck and Sarah thing) Journeyman is all right, but a little too depressing without anything all that redeeming. Trying to get my mind back around Heroes. I watched it quite faithfully at its inception last season – but must have put it aside when 24 began in January.

Speaking of Fox, only caught one or two eps of House so far. Still going strong.

Music
This month, as Blender Magazine celebrates some of the worst, “40 Worst Lyricists Ever”(November, 2007) , and “Run for Your Life! It’s the Worst 50 Songs Ever!” (Blender.com), they also give the nod to Babyshambles’ “Delivery”, from U.S. almost-here-release of Shotter’s Nation. (EMI/Astralwerks – October 23, 2007). Ranked in the Top 20 “Download This” section, Delivery, the untitled title track, is indeed fun poppy tune. Look for my full Shotter’s Nation review next week Blogcritics Magazine.

Movies
I don’t think I’ve been to the cinema at all this month. I’m trying to remember the last movie I saw on the big screen. It’ll come to me.

DVDs
Saw a good part of Hot Fuzz over the long weekend. This flick has a lot going for it. I’d love to get on a good long jag over this, just don’t have the time. Watched A Scanner Darkly again. This too, deserves a special riff by Moi Such an interesting movie. But El Bicho shares his well-written take on it here.

Books
Nikki Sixx’s bizarre, depressing and downright fascinating hard look at a year addicted to smack in Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star. (With Ian Gittins – Pocket Books, September 18, 2007). To balance the down and dirty screed on sex, drugs and Rock and Roll, I’m also reading Shopaholic & Baby, Sophie Kinsella’s fifth outing for Becky Bloomwood. Cool movie and book news is that Confessions of a Shopaholic is in pre-production. Himself, Jerry Bruckheimer will be producing the comedy, and Becky will be portrayed by Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers).

Coolness.

Politics
Zonks! Yes, you read right. I’m actually broaching the subject, albeit for the briefest of moments. Today is the special election for our representative from the Fifth Congressional District. I voted for Independent Patrick Murphy. There were strong emotional reasons to favor either Niki Tsongas or Jim Ogonowski but other than that – I couldn’t bring myself to go those routes.