Recently Erin and I have started watched “The 4400.” Basically 4400 people disappear over 60 years and then all return in a great ball of light, without having aged a day from the day of their disappearance. For instance, an eight year old goes missing in the 1940’s and when she returns, she is still eight. The 4400 are released back into the general public, which does not go smoothly.
The hook is that each of the 4400 has a power that is to prevent the end of the humanity in the future. Future generations captured the 4400 to alter them and then sent them back to alter the course of the human race. For comic nerds, imagine “Rising Stars” except the ball of light doesn’t imbue fetuses with power but rather inserts human at various ages and ethnic backgrounds into the general population.
Right now we have begun season 2 and are interested to see how it plays out.
We have also started another new show. Due to hiatus of house because of the writer’s strike, we have had to go to plan B. Tom brought over Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which to be fair is a ridiculous name. Studio 60 would have been more than adequate. Look at Sorkin’s previous shows, “SportsNight” and “West Wing”. Short and to the point. But I digress.
We watched the pilot in place of House and let’s just say you have to be paying attention. Things move and they move fast. The show covered a lot of ground quickly and set the groundwork for some interesting plot lines. Of course the show only lasted a season, which is a good sign. Shows that seem to be critically acclaimed, whatever that means, and get cancelled quickly are usually shows I can get into. “K Street” and “Boomtown” come to mind. We shall see if Studio 60 fits that mold.
As for the big screen, I watched “Déjà Vu” last week. It was great for a while, intense, intriguing story line, typical Denzel Washington vehicle. In the end, I could suspend my belief for so long.
** Spoiler Alert**
Basically the movie deals with how humans and our puny little minds understand the time/space continuum. But that doesn’t even matter. Forget the Einstein bridge and wormhole, etc. I don’t get it, don’t even want to. If this is reality fine. If, by sending items/humans/whatever, back or forward in time as we understand it, we can affect this present reality, fine. Forget all that. That’s not important to the believability of the film. Denzel gets shot and loses a lot of blood, while driving, mind you. Then he “cleans up” saves the girl, gets on the ferry and saves the crowd. HE GOT SHOT. I’m no doctor and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but he goes back in time and has to have the defibulator used on him; then is shot; drags what’s her name from a shed that explodes; drives back into New Orleans while holding a handkerchief on a gun shot wound; cleans up at woman’s apartment (to further develop the romantic aspect of the story line) and throws a little gauze on wound; and then manages to have the energy to run around and distract the bomber in order to save the girl and the hundreds of passengers. All I’m saying is don’t jerk my chain. Have him do his heroics but have him do it within the bounds of reason. Don’t have him get shot. Don’t have him suffer a concussion because of his proximity to a major explosion. Just think before adding layer upon layer of action and special effects.
The hook is that each of the 4400 has a power that is to prevent the end of the humanity in the future. Future generations captured the 4400 to alter them and then sent them back to alter the course of the human race. For comic nerds, imagine “Rising Stars” except the ball of light doesn’t imbue fetuses with power but rather inserts human at various ages and ethnic backgrounds into the general population.
Right now we have begun season 2 and are interested to see how it plays out.
We have also started another new show. Due to hiatus of house because of the writer’s strike, we have had to go to plan B. Tom brought over Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which to be fair is a ridiculous name. Studio 60 would have been more than adequate. Look at Sorkin’s previous shows, “SportsNight” and “West Wing”. Short and to the point. But I digress.
We watched the pilot in place of House and let’s just say you have to be paying attention. Things move and they move fast. The show covered a lot of ground quickly and set the groundwork for some interesting plot lines. Of course the show only lasted a season, which is a good sign. Shows that seem to be critically acclaimed, whatever that means, and get cancelled quickly are usually shows I can get into. “K Street” and “Boomtown” come to mind. We shall see if Studio 60 fits that mold.
As for the big screen, I watched “Déjà Vu” last week. It was great for a while, intense, intriguing story line, typical Denzel Washington vehicle. In the end, I could suspend my belief for so long.
** Spoiler Alert**
Basically the movie deals with how humans and our puny little minds understand the time/space continuum. But that doesn’t even matter. Forget the Einstein bridge and wormhole, etc. I don’t get it, don’t even want to. If this is reality fine. If, by sending items/humans/whatever, back or forward in time as we understand it, we can affect this present reality, fine. Forget all that. That’s not important to the believability of the film. Denzel gets shot and loses a lot of blood, while driving, mind you. Then he “cleans up” saves the girl, gets on the ferry and saves the crowd. HE GOT SHOT. I’m no doctor and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but he goes back in time and has to have the defibulator used on him; then is shot; drags what’s her name from a shed that explodes; drives back into New Orleans while holding a handkerchief on a gun shot wound; cleans up at woman’s apartment (to further develop the romantic aspect of the story line) and throws a little gauze on wound; and then manages to have the energy to run around and distract the bomber in order to save the girl and the hundreds of passengers. All I’m saying is don’t jerk my chain. Have him do his heroics but have him do it within the bounds of reason. Don’t have him get shot. Don’t have him suffer a concussion because of his proximity to a major explosion. Just think before adding layer upon layer of action and special effects.
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3 comments:
One of my best friends from high school was in Deja Vu. He plays one of the "team" of agents. The one they send to examine the scene specifically. He said Denzel is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and Kilmer one of the craziest. Said it was a "rich man's" movie. In other words they didn't work more than a couple hours a day and the leads memorized very little of the script. They'd have cue cards.
I loved Studio 60. The writing was great. I felt that the 2 episodes with John Goodman were outstanding. It was sad to see it end, but thank God we have another season of "Dancing with the Stars" to look forward to.
You just named all the million reasons (and three ungly ones) why I'm not interested in seeing Deja Vu or anything like it.
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