Movies and Television

Please, please, someone buy me this five DVD set.

http://aerobicstriptease.com

Thumbs up. Saw this last week. Jack Black is funny, the rock history is right on, and there is nothing grossout or too offensive. The story was zippy and well-edited. And a few good laughs are always welcomed these days. The kids in the film are great, as they are actual musicians and allowed to act their age. Each student is given a role in the new band, led by Jack Black, ranging from drummer to roadie to manager. It's all kept a secret from the parents, making it even more delicious as the kids work away with secret pride. I almost fell out of my chair when an upset mom asks "And why is my daughter obsessed with David Geffen?".

Worth seeing in the theaters.

Well, I watched part one of the American Experience episodes of "Chicago: City of the Century". Went for disc two, but alas, someone had put disc three in the sleeve! This is the first time I've had this happen from Netflix. I find it highly entertaining that "Daredevil" can make it back to its sleeve but some PBS nerd mixed up the four set American Experience collection. (FYI: all discs count as separate movies, so you order four instead of one big package. They used to mail out double discs as one envelope but changed the policy). So, back to the mail for you, little "wrong DVD in sleeve".

This delay has left me with time to contemplate my awful TV antenna reception and curse the worse Bay Area programming decisions. Why is Maury on at 5 PM? Why can't I pick up UPN? Why can't I find any syndicated Simpsons? I'll occasionnaly turn on my TV, flip through my five available channels, then turn it off and retreat to my computer. If anyone reading this has some mega antenna to donate to the cause, please share. My $59 RCA amplified antenna is struggling.

I watched the first two scenes of this movie and just gave up. I mailed it back to Netflix. If anyone can convince me that it's actually a good film, I'd be willing to order it again. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for Spanish suicide angst. Next up: geek fest. Netflix totally has "The American Experience" four disc set of "Chicago: City of the Century" and I'm gonna watch it. Again.

Damn. This is worth watching. They cover so much ground in just one episode. I'd never seen it, but I got all depressed on Sunday afternoon and my local WB is showing early episodes. So yeah. I watched it and decided that I really liked it. The first shot of Tom Welling (ahem, 20-something model) is so coy and alluring. Hell, the boy is just plain sexy throughout the whole thing. And his chemistry with Lex Luthor? Damn. The producers had all of the following in the pilot: a meteor crash, tiny Lana, tiny Clark, teenClark being shown his spacepod for the first time, him saving Lex from a car crash drowning, him TIED TO A CROSS wearing nary but boxers and green kryptonite (conveniently in the form of Lana's beloved necklace), Lex finding Clark in said condition (mood lighting, please, for those muscles and that eerie green glow) and oh yeah, Clark saving the gentle folks of Smallville.

So I went and bought super bunny ears for my television. My reception still SUCKS, so I might be buying the expensive antenna bar thing. All this money and effort just to watch some vampires and insecure humans strut around in high heels and say ironic things. But strut they did! In the premiere, we were treated to the first days of Angel and Co. working for Wolfram and Hart, the evil multi-dimensional lawfirm of episodes past. Sadly, the HOT HOT lawyer slash guitar playing heartthrob took off in his vintage pickup truck a few episodes back and doesn't seem likely to return. But hey, we get Spike and Harmony, so life should be better with blonde. In case you haven't checked these kids out, try the WB on Wednesday nights. Right after Smallville (oooh, Clark Kent acts like a badass with his Red Krypton ring!). Eye candy galore, but nothing as beefy as "Tarzan" (shudder).