Posted by 
fitz in Cartoons, Television on Nov 06
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Hi all!
Each year for the last four or five years, I discovered that though I may not like every single Simpsons’ episode, I simply must watch the annual Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror episode around Halloween. This year was no different!
Image from Wikipedia
Treehouse of Horror XIX begins, aptly enough, with a segment lampooning electronic voting and the 2008 Presidential Election. Though both candidates are represented with streamers, posters, and park benches, my favorite part was Grandpa Simpson’s sign stating “I Still Like IKE.”
Homer, in traditional Homer style, goes to vote and can’t fit into a traditional booth, so he has to use the “double-wide.” He finds trouble with the electronic voting machine and when he goes to complain… well, let’s say he meets a bad end. Actually I think he dies in most of this episode’s segments, funny enough…
The second segment was a riff on the success of the Transformers movie from Michael Bay. Even the titles were transforming… “Morf Transers” to “Trans-morfers” to “Snort Farmers” to finally settle on “Untitled Robot Parody.” We all know that any time Bart shops for Lisa (Christmas-gift or otherwise), it typically ends poorly. This is no different. And maybe Michael Bay will have the Transformers play Foosball in the next movie!
When the opening sequence for “How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertising” came on, it made me think of all the cool James Bond movie opening sequences (Quantum of Solace comes out in two weeks!) over the years, but instead it’s a riff on the series Mad Men. Who knew Homer would make a good celebrity assassin!? From Crazy Ethel’s Daycare Center (”Where your child learns to trust strangers”) and the death of Krusty (doesn’t every daycare have a wood chipper in the play area?) to the deaths of George Clooney, Prince, and Neil Armstrong all set to the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” song, I was in stitches. Who knew Heaven had a “Celebrity” wing?
But the coup de grace was the parody of the classic Charlie Brown Halloween special - It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! This section has it all… all the characters, lots of blood, and the classic trombone used as the teacher’s voice. And the moral of the story? You get to choose… Don’t feed the Grand Pumpkin a loaf of pumpkin bread. Or don’t offer Tom the Turkey the chance to carve the turkey at the Thanksgiving feast!
When the dancing began at the school Halloween party, I knew the Charlie Brown parody was complete. Where else would you see the classic Simpsons’ aliens dancing with the rest of the gang?
Once again, Groenig and company has outdone themselves on their Halloween episode. It might not have been as “out there” as some of their previous Treehouse episodes, but Treehouse of Horror XIX is definitely worth catching if you’re a Simpsons’ fan!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up some Simpsons’ DVDs from Amazon!
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Posted by fitz in Television on Nov 04
Hi all…
This season of Supernatural has been great so far, but I have to comment a bit on the episode from October 23, 2008 - “Yellow Fever”. My wife and I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.
There were two places where we were laughing and had to pause the Tivo…
- When Dean screams like a little girl when the cat pops out of the locker, we were doubled over laughing.
- The “Eye of the Tiger” lip-syncing by Jensen Ackles at the end of the episode (as sort of an “outtake”) was hilarious. I think we rewound that and watched about three times before we could stop laughing.
It’s good to know that Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles were having fun on the set. It does get a bit gruesome at times, but it’s the sarcastic remarks and funny bits that keep us watching. We can only hope the season continues to be as strong as it has!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up seasons 1-3 of Supernatural at Amazon!
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Posted by fitz in Television on Oct 19
Hey all…
Just saw this news on Comingsoon.net today. CBS‘ new show “The Mentalist” got a full season order after becoming the season’s top new freshman series in adult viewers between the ages of 25-34. (Gotta love Nielsen ratings.)
Image via Wikipedia
For those of you who don’t know, Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, who is working as a consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) along with a team of detectives led by Robin Tunney. Jane has a sharp wit and an amazing knack for solving crimes using his keen observation skills.
This is one of the new shows that proves that someone at CBS likes crime dramas with sarcastic wit. We like Baker’s character, who has shown that he has a vulnerable side (his wife was killed by a serial killer), but also has a way with people (he hypnotized a girl in one episode to come back to the police station and tell the truth). The Mentalist and NCIS both thrive on tightly written scripts and sarcasm, two things which I can appreciate.
Check it out on Thursdays along with CSI, which is still going strong as well.
Hopefully there won’t be any writer’s strikes this season to make us miss these great shows. 
Until next time… Catch some great TV!
–Fitz
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Posted by fitz in Cartoons, Movies, Television on Oct 13
Hi all!
Yes, I’m a kid at heart. When I can no longer enjoy a good cartoon, I’ve instructed my family that it’s time to put me out of my misery. And who doesn’t love Scooby-Doo?
I’ve been watching Scooby-Doo mysteries since grade school on Saturday mornings and after school, and now I watch it with my girls on Boomerang and Cartoon Network when it’s on. Lately we’ve seen a resurgence of Scooby mysteries and I have to say we’ve enjoyed most of them.
Scooby-Doo has been on American television since 1969. Created for Hanna-Barbera by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, Fred Silverman, and Iwao Takamoto, Scooby has undergone a number of changes in the last 39 years.
If you don’t know who Scooby and the gang are, here’s a quick refresher. Scooby Doo is a talking dog who hangs out with “Shaggy”, Fred, Daphne, and Velma. Shaggy is a bit of a laid back guy who’s mind is always on food. Fred is the planner, but not always so bright. Daphne has fashion sense and some common sense as well. And Velma is the brains of the outfit. These five characters drive around a van called “The Mystery Machine” as they travel around the world solving mysteries and capturing criminals attempting to use the “supernatural” as a ruse to cover their criminal acts. Recently they even traveled to Tibet and saw Shangri-la and the Yeti!
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo had their own spinoff series on the Kids’ WB over the last couple of years called Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue, which we enjoyed on Saturday mornings for a while. But you can catch Scooby and the gang mostly on Boomerang and Cartoon Network these days.
Obviously we’re big Scooby-Doo fans at my house, so I leaped at the chance to watch Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King — a new adventure for Scooby and the gang just in time for Halloween.
This is a perfect Halloween treat. Shaggy and Scooby, while trick or treating, manage to annoy The Amazing Krudsky, a magician at the Coolsville fair. A chance encounter with a fairy (Hayden Pantierre) leads Krudsky (voiced by by Wayne Knight) to actually get some real power. And at the last house on the block, Shaggy & Scooby meet Mr. Gibbles (voiced by Wallace Shawn - Inconceivable!) at his magic shop and get drawn into a magical world to save the fairy and stop Krudsky from pushing the world into an eternal state of Halloween!
The story and animation is kind of a combination of Scooby Doo meeting the wacky world of The Corpse Bride or The Nightmare Before Christmas. That weird world where monsters and skeletons party on Halloween is lots of fun, including meeting Jack-o-Lantern, the Wolfman, a few Witches, and of course the Headless Horseman.
In addition, there’s a DVD extra that teaches you a number of simple magic tricks to amaze your friends and family. These are simple tricks like the disappearing card and the levitating paper clip, but it’s still fun to learn some sleight of hand. And it’s right at the perfect age for grade schoolers interested in doing a little prestidigitation!
It’s just a fun movie where we see Scooby and Shaggy running scared from scene to scene, and we’re just tagging along for the ride. I enjoyed watching it with my girls. Definitely something to look for as a Halloween treat for Scooby-Doo-loving kids.
Be sure to check out Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King on DVD at a retailer near you!
–Fitz
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Posted by fitz in Internet, Television on Sep 30
Hey all…
I don’t know if you’ve heard of this new online show that started a few weeks ago called “Easy to Assemble”?
Its very first episode, titled “Training Day,” received 250,000 views on YouTube on its very first day. And CBS snatched it up for its own online video site, TV.COM. The episodes will appear on TV.COM first and then be distributed elsewhere (probably YouTube) after that.
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Easy to Assemble, Shot 1
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Easy to Assemble, Shot 2
(Images from Spazzy Sheraton’s blog)
The story follows actress Illeana Douglas as she quits her acting gig and goes to work at IKEA in Burbank. What’s funnier is all the other folks who are guest starring in the webisodes… Jeff Goldbum, Tom Arnold, Justine Bateman, Jane Lynch, Ed Begley Jr., Craig Bierko, Kevin Pollack, and Robert Patrick! For a little online series, it’s certainly attracted a heck of a lot of attention!
All the episodes kind of make fun of the IKEA way of life. Very Swedish. Very odd. “Very depressing” as one person says in a training video that’s part of the first episode. But very funny in spots.
As someone who used to live near an IKEA and has a wife fascinated by its wonderments, I have to say I found it pretty darned funny.
Check it out if you have some time. The first episode is here and the second here. You can also check out the Easy to Assemble website.
–Fitz
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Posted by fitz in Internet, Television on Sep 26
Hi all!
So this is a first… I was “tagged” by Trench over at 7 Miles Down to complete this “meme” by the end of the week… and as this is Friday, I’m running out of time! 
My three “Must See TV” picks for the season:
1. Fringe
Fringe is JJ Abrams‘ new show on Fox and I have to say I’m hooked. Once again he’s taken an intriguing premise that mixes the modern world with the supernatural (as he did in Alias, which I loved) and then he throws in a solid helping of well defined characters for good measure.
2. Bones
Bones is the perfect mix of mystery and fun. It’s taken over NCIS’s spot because of the humor and sarcasm, but will most likely stay there if the writing continues to be as strong as it’s been in the first few episodes of the season.
3. Big Bang Theory
Big Bang Theory is just a hoot. I’m a geek. Not quite as brainy (who is) as the crew on Big Bang, but I lived in a similar situation with a group of less than socially adept individuals (myself included) all through college. We survived, but it’s hilarious to watch these guys stumble along through life!
I’m going to tag… Jean at Sizzling Popcorn, Petra at Lil Blog of Horrors, and Base Guardian over at Superheroes Base.
Rules:
1. List your ‘Must-see TV shows’ for this season (no minimum, no maximum).
2. Tag as many people as shows you list.
What’s on your ‘Must-see TV’ list this season?
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Posted by fitz in Cartoons, Television on Sep 19
Hi all..
With two kids at home, I have an excuse to review fun things like this, collecting 12 of the Tom and Jerry Tales cartoons on one DVD! Though there’s nothing quite like the original Tom & Jerry Jerry cartoons from Hanna-Barbera, Tom & Jerry Tales does capture some of the sparkle from that bygone era of ‘toons and spiffs it up a bit.
For those of you who don’t know, Tom and Jerry was originally created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for MGM. Tom, a housecat, had a never ending war with Jerry, a little brown mouse. Each episode we would see Tom try to catch Jerry and run into obstacle after obstacle.
Rating: 
From 1940 to 1957, Hanna & Barbera created 114 cartoons before the MGM animation studio was closed down. In 1960, a few new cartoons were created by Gene Deitch for Rembrandt Studios. And in 1963, Chuck Jones company picked up the series and produced new cartoons until 1967.
In the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, we saw new incarnations of Tom & Jerry surface from time to time. And then in 2006, Warner Brothers Animation began releasing Tom & Jerry Tales cartoons on WB Kids. These new cartoons began airing on Saturday mornings.
This DVD, Volume 5, includes 12 Tom & Jerry Tales cartoons, including:
- Invasion of the Body Slammers
- Sasquashed
- Monster Con
- Xtreme Trouble
- Endless Bummer
- and 7 more!
This collection provides some modern storylines for our dynamic duo as well as dusting off some tried and true critters and creatures. Invasion of the Body Slammers has them face an alien from another world with the ability to take the shape of whatever creature it likes. Sasquashed has them face Bigfoot. And Monster Con puts them in league with Von Helsing as he tries to capture werewolves, mummies, vampires, Igor, and Frankenstein’s Monster.
Though you can’t beat the original Tom & Jerry cartoons from Hanna Barbera, the WB Animation Studios has done them justice, keeping the original flavor of the cartoons and adding a fresh coat of paint to the characters.
If you have youngsters, these are fun cartoons full of the best kind of cartoon violence - Tom & Jerry get dinged, flattened, smooshed, and pretty much violated any way you can think of. And it’s all in good fun!
There are no extras to speak of on the DVD except for a few previews of other WB properties coming to DVD, including Tiny Toons and Freakazoid (one of my personal favorites).
I give this set of 12 episodes a solid 3 out of 4. They’re fun, cartoonishly violent, and keep the spirit of Tom & Jerry alive!
Be sure to check it out at your local retailers or online!
–Fitz
p.s. Check out the following Tom and Jerry Tales DVD collections available from Amazon:
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Posted by fitz in Television on Sep 10
Hi all…
I caught the Fringe series premiere last night, just like many other sci-fi fans and JJ Abrams followers. And I was struck by the familiarity of some of the themes, put together in slightly unexpected ways.
Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and her lover John Scott (Mark Valley) are called to duty in the middle of the night to Dulles when an entire airliner from Hamburg, Germany, lands with no one alive on board. Some sort of biological agent perhaps? The investigation leads to a storage facility, in which Scott is badly injured in an explosion of chemical agents while chasing a suspect.
The episode takes us on Duham’s investigation of what happened to the passengers on that Hamburg flight, as it also afflicts Agent Scott.
Along the way, we meet Dr. Walter Bishop (played brilliantly by John Noble, who was Lord Denethor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy from Peter Jackson) and his son Peter Bishop (a great, sarcastic role played by Joshua Jackson best known for his role in Dawson’s Creek). Walter has been out of the world for a while, locked in an institution after the death of one of his assistants. But before his time in the asylum, he was exploring science on the fringe…
Fringe will be exploring these “Fringe” sciences — telepathy, teleportation, mutation, dreams, and so on — and how all of this weaves into The Pattern, a series of strange happenings around the globe all tied to Bishop’s research 20 years ago.
I look forward to seeing how all of this plays out. Alias was one of my favorite series for a long time. I watched the first season of Lost, but lost interest after that. I am also looking forward to Abrams’ take on Star Trek to see if he can reboot that now mostly dead franchise.
Abrams’ series all have one thing in common - strong characters. The plot and story are important, but it’s the characters that drive the action and keep me interested. Dr. Bishop, locked away for so many years, is a very intriguing character to me. His affectations, quirks, and ramblings just make him that much more interesting. Peter Bishop also holds some mysteries. What is he running from? What all has he done in the past? And Agent Dunham, now sucked into the mystery, is also a curious character. Strong, dynamic, yet feminine. She’s almost a cross between Scully and Mulder from the X-Files with the physicality and tenacity of Indiana Jones.
Will I be watching? You bet. This series holds many more secrets and is just waiting to reveal them all in due time…
What did you think?
–Fitz
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Posted by fitz in Television on Sep 03
Hi all!
With it being September now (shudder, where the heck is the year going?), I thought it was time to figure out what it was I’d be watching on television in the Fall.
So I came up with this list of shows that we’d watched last year or before…
New shows to watch:
And the schedule looks something like this:
- Stargate: Atlantis (Friday July 11)
- Eureka (Tuesday July 29)
- Bones (Wednesday Sept 3)
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Monday Sept
- Supernatural (Thursday Sept 18)
- Big Bang Theory (Monday Sept 22)
- Heroes (Monday Sept 22)
- Two and a Half Men (Monday Sept 22)
- NCIS (Tuesday Sept 23)
- The Mentalist (Tuesday Sept 23)
- CSI: NY (Wednesday Sept 24)
- Chuck (Monday Sept 29)
- Numb3rs (Friday Oct 3)
- CSI (Thursday Oct 9)
- Eleventh Hour (Thursday Oct 9)
So it’s another busy week for my DVR…
Monday
- Big Bang Theory
- Heroes
- Two and a Half Men
- Chuck
Tuesday
- Eureka
- The Mentalist
- NCIS
Wednesday
Thursday
- CSI
- The Eleventh Hour
- Supernatural
Friday
- Numb3rs
- Stargate: Atlantis
So we’ll see whether my DVR can handle the strain.
What shows are you guys planning on watching this season?
–Fitz
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Posted by fitz in Television on Aug 28
Hey all…
I was a big fan of Chuck last year, so I’m excited to hear from Hollywood Reporter that it’s been given another order for 9 additional episodes for the season!
According to HR, NBC’s executives like where the show’s creator (Josh Schwartz) and his team are going with the season, which is great news for all us Chuck fans out there!
I’m also geeked up to see promos for NBC’s series “Life” from last year. (You can read my article about it from last year here.) It was a cop show with a sarcastic streak a mile wide. I can appreciate that.
So let’s hope that NBC can keep some of these great shows alive through the season. I’m hopeful that Knight Rider won’t be as bad as I think it’s going to be, but who knows…
Are there any shows you’re excited about coming back this year?
–Fitz
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