Monday, May 31, 2010

DVDs!

The other day, we were shopping by the doors they had those large bins filled with old or straight to video movies. I was casually browsing while other people paid when I made a discovery! The second season of the Newsroom for $4.99! What a steal! And then I even found H20 (the TV movie starring Paul Gross) for $2.99! So for less than $10, I was able to get both of them.

Now I'm sad for two reasons: 1) I haven't seen the first season of the Newsroom (well, really I haven't seen the first season it ran in 1996 I believe) and I do so love to watch things in order. And 2) that they were so cheap and just tossed aside like that. I know that it is a show that's been off the air for years now and a TV movie so I shouldn't be too surprised but I still would like to see them somewhere more respectful. And somewhat idiotically: more expensive. This is idiotic because as much I think they deserve to cost more and I would happily pay more in order to help the Canadian industry, if they did cost anymore I wouldn't be able to afford them (we're having some issues over here).

But I'm just happy to be expanding both my knowledge and collection of Canadian TV shows.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Art Business

I swear this will be my last post about Grey's. It's just taken me some time to proper formulate what I wanted to say.

Now, I know that art is a business. You can see it in various degrees through the different media. Novels you don't see it as much but you do see it more in movies. Stories have to be changed for budgetary reasons and blah blah blah. But nowhere do you see it more than in TV. It's like the story becomes secondary to all the demands of the network, actors, budget, etc etc. And this is why I really started to hate Grey's last season. So much was happening and none of it seemed to fit the story they were trying to tell. It just didn't make sense and it made me angry.

And this why I continue to hate Katherine Heigl with a fiery rage that will burn longer than the sun. Now Izzy should have died at the end of season 5. That would have been very satisfying and a much better story than what actually happened. Instead, she comes back to life (since Heigl decided she didn't want to leave Grey's after all) but then gets fired from the hospital once she goes back to work and disappears again (because Heigl wanted to spend more time with her family). Now I have no problem with her wanting to spend time with her family but my problem is that she made them do an incredibly terrible storyline which was absolutely absurd because she couldn't decide if she wanted to stay or to go. The show suffered because of Heigl.

This is my main problem with Grey's in general. I know that art is a business but the trick is to make it not look like one. With Grey's, everyone knows the politics of what is going on so the illusion disappears. You can see that the story is subject to all these other outside forces instead of what would happen organically. Like the disappearance of Erica Hahn. There was never even an explanation of what happened to her or where she went. That isn't good story telling at all!

All I want is a story, not a collection of business decisions.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Laughter

The other day I was looking for just a sitcom to watch and decided to watch The Big Bang Theory. Actually, I ended up watching Dan for Mayor because old habits die hard. But today I went back to watch some Big Bang which was a show that I had enjoyed watching before this whole challenge.

It was ... weird. The very first thing I noticed was the laugh track. Not going to lie, it freaked me out a little. It wasn't something I noticed but apparently Canadian shows don't use laugh tracks (leading me to believe that as a nation, we are smart enough to recognize what is funny on our own). So here this laughter was again was really bizarre. It felt so unnatural. I know it's something that I will grow accustomed too once more but it's weird. Really, really weird (after if you believe Chuck Klosterman the laugh tracks they use are pretty old so chances are, some of those people you hear laughing are dead. Keep that in mind the next time you're watching a sitcom).

And the show seemed odd. Maybe it's was the laugh track or it's the whole American style but it seemed like every other line had to be something funny or a one liner. I remember from grade ten media studies learning about the whole jpm (jokes per minute) but never really noticed it till now. Maybe Canadian sitcoms have more subtle humour? Though from watching Extras recently and then the Big Bang, Canadian comedies definitely fall somewhere in the middle.

Overall, the show just seemed weird. Watching Grey's was fine. I didn't notice anything too different but with Big Bang it was almost jarring. And Penny seems unnecessarily undressed the majority of the time. Does she own a pair of pants at all? I know they live in California but the guys are still wearing a mountain of sweaters all the time. Come on.

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Trotsky

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing The Trotsky in theatres. I just can't get over the excitement of seeing Canadian movies in the theatre. It lived up to all my expectations and probably surpassed them. Great story, great acting. I enjoyed how the high school actually looked like a high school. I like people with a little bit of crazy in them. But for me, it was exactly what Canadian films need to be. Funny, smart, and unique. And it was accessible without being too mainstream. For me, it's a beacon of hope for the future of Canadian cinema.

What was also interesting about it was its message. The (very Gen Y) idea that if you don't like the way something is, you need to get involved and try to change it. It's up to the students to fight for change in the schools otherwise there is nobody there truly representing them (unlike the trees, they have no Lorax to speak on their behalf). But this idea, mixed with all the slow-motion marching was quite inspiring.

So tell everyone you know to watch The Trotsky. Why? Because I want to change the way people view Canadian movies. I'm trying to get everyone I know to see it in theatres because the more interest people show in Canadian movies, the more likely the theatres will be to show them. I not only want to see more Canadian movies in theatres but I want more people to want to see these movies. We can only do this by supporting those that have made it this far. We need to show that there is a demand and for that, we need people to see Canadian movies and recognize how good they are. We need to change the way people to support and care about the Canadian films. I always say: Support the Canadian film industry because hopefully, one day it will support you.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Good News!

Gather round good people, I bring glad tidings. Okay, so chances are, only some of you will care but it has officially been announced that Being Erica has been renewed for a 3rd season! Hooray! I was most pleased when I heard this. So now both Republic of Doyle and Being Erica will be around for a little while longer. And I will find out if my theories about the third season are correct (that Erica will go into therapy training herself).

Now, I am happy enough to see a good Canadian show stick around and not be given the boot. One of the key things missing from Canadian television seems to be long running shows (yes Flashpoint blah blah blah). I want all Canadian shows to do well but of course, even more so if I actually enjoy watching them.

There is also a special part of me that is joyful since usually all the shows I love are taken away from me too soon. I often joked about this until I actually looked at it rationally.

3 seasons: Slings and Arrows, Arrested Development, Robson Arms
2 seasons: Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me, Eli Stone
1 season: jPOD and Wonderfalls (the real rub here is that these two happen to be my favourite shows of all time).

So yes, I am very happy to see Being Erica come back. There is just so much joy in having lots of a good thing. I just hope that the CBC keeps on the track it's on because so far, I'm impressed.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Canadian Cinema

So this post will be half commenting on Canadian theatrical release and half a movie review. This is what I get for not blogging yesterday like I had planned to.

First of, I was overjoyed to hear on the radio yesterday that The Trotsky was going to be released in theatres this weekend. I'd heard so much about it when it was at TIFF and dared not hope that I would ever actually get to see it in theatres. After all, how often do you get to see any Canadian movie in a Canadian theatre? Then I remembered that Gunless should've been out around this time too. And also in the theatres! It was a glorious day. But after looking up both movies, I realize that Gunless was currently out but today was the last day that it was playing at this theatre but The Trotsky would be playing this weekend. Apparently they can only have 1 Canadian movie playing at one time.

I know I shouldn't complain because I am genuinely happy just to see any Canadian movie playing in a theatre but I really wish that they would both be playing at once. I mean, Gunless was released (ordering to Cineplex website) on April 30 and today was the last day it was playing. That gives it a run of 2 weeks. Now keep in mind that not only is this theatre still playing Alice in Wonderland (going on 2 months now), it's still playing Avatar (which was released in December!!!!!). But only one Canadian movie at a time. Which is why it's so important to go out and see Canadian movies actually in the theatres so hopefully we can fix this. The more of a demand there is, the more Canadian movies they will play and the longer the runs.

Which is why I went to go see Gunless this afternoon. Truthfully, I didn't have high expectations. I'm not generally a big fan of Westerns (I'm pretty sure the only one that I've seen at this point in my life is Shane) but Paul Gross is a very attractive man. Plus he does do a lot for the Canadian film industry (whether you like what he does or not) so I feel the need to support him. And I thought it was generally good. Did it change my life? No but I wasn't really expecting it to. It was kind of predictable but I still chuckled at parts. I did find it strange that this small Western town managed to have both Chinese immigrants and French people but hey, maybe that's what it was like. The one thing though: Mr. Gross had remarkably white teeth for an American outlaw.

Overall, it was a good movie. And everyone should go check out The Trotsky this weekend. Not necessarily because it's a Canadian movie, but because it really looks hilarious! (seriously, the guy who directed it used to be on Are You Afraid of the Dark? That's reason enough)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Obsessions

One of the greatest things about this challenge was that I discovered so many new shows to love. There's just something about that feeling when you find a new show and look forward to seeing how everything all plays out. It's all so new and interesting! So from Slings and Arrows to The Week the Women Went to Murdoch Mysteries, it was like there was no end of Canadian shows that were new to me.

But now that it's all over, my first instinct is to rewatch all my favourite shows that I haven't been able to watch. Thus I've been spending time with shows like Arrested Development and Extras and Stargate (still). Grey's has been good since this whole season is all new to me but I feel a distinct lack of newness in my television life. I love finding a new show and becoming obsessed with it and the gluttonous feeling at the end when you've watched all the episodes you can possibly find.

Being out of the American television loop, I don't know really where to look. I know I want to watch Flashforward but after that, I can't really think of any new shows that I really want to watch. Now without cable, it's not like I can just let the guide channel tell me what to watch. I guess I just have to go back to researching new shows. Sigh.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Music

This post will only start with Grey's. It won't be another post about Grey's, I swear!

But as I was watching Grey's Anatomy the other day, I realized that 2 of the episodes this season used Metric songs. Now one of the things I love about Grey's was the music. It's always been one of the best parts of the show. But I found it strange that they would use Metric twice but it was fine with me since I've been listening to Metric's new cd lately and really like it.

What made it kinda strange is that it reminded me of a conversation we had during the Junos. They mentioned something about Metric being around for 10 years now (which makes sense) but also that this was their first cd to really be big in the States. And then I realized that I had been hearing Gimme Symphathy on the radio all the time and I have never heard a Metric song on an American station before (mind you, for a good 6 years there, I was barely listening to the radio at all). And also I had heard an interview with somebody from Degrassi (I think it was the person who played Darcy but I'm not quite sure) but she was talking about how she wished Hedley was more popular in the States because she loves hearing them on the radio.

And then we all realized that these bands that are huge in Canada are even really on America's radar. I know I was in the mind set that of course they had to be big in the States, otherwise I wouldn't have heard of them. Obviously if a band is popular, they must have the approval of our Southern cousins. But I'm kind of happy that we can celebrate our bands even if they haven't made it in the States yet. That really shouldn't matter (well, I understand it matters to them because it means more money, fame etc). I was surprised about Hedley since they seem like a band that would be popular in the States and like they have the fame already. I don't think Hedley hasn't "made it" since they aren't popular in America. I think they are doing quite well and I'm very happy that they are.

Maybe we're moving to a point where we can make our own bands famous without the help of the States.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Grey's

I'm going to try and not let this ramble on because much like Stargate, I could write a book on Grey's Anatomy. For some reason, I have put a lot of thought into this show. And emotion.

I was all prepared to hate this season. Me and season 5 didn't get along so well. But we just needed a break from each other because I am once again completely sucked in. It just seems much more sad this season. I knew George died but then watching them all deal with it, was terrible! Though I would have much preferred it if Izzy had actually stayed dead as well, as it how it was supposed to be. I tend to like how Grey's does deaths and the whole afterworld. I was looking forward to more of that. And Izzy isn't bothering me as much this time around. I thought I would be overjoyed when she got fired. It didn't really make me sad but I thought I'd be happier.

I think what is slightly different about this season is that they all seem to be in stable relationships. Meredith and Derek are married (via post-it but still consider themselves married) and there thankfully hasn't been any drama there. Cristina and Owen are working through the problems in their relationship. Mark and Lexie are living together. Kallie and Arizona are happy. Now there's some drama in the marriage of Alex and Izzie but that was bound to happen since in my opinion, Alex only married her because she was dying. So it takes the drama outside their personal lives and they actually get to be happy for a while instead of always drowning in sorrow.

Things I do like this season:
-that they have Izzy living with cancer. As she says, you never really expect to have to live with it. Either you go through the surgeries and chemo and radiation and it's gone or you think you die. But to have to live with it and just be happy with the news that it's stopped growing, that's hard.
-when Bailey was operating on Meredith (liver donation because Ellen Pompeo is pregnant and this gave a convienvent reason for why she was always in bed) and Bailey mentions how she's had to operate on 4 out of her 5 original interns (Alex being the only one excluded...so far).
-the merger. They incorporated the whole economic downturn and had Seattle Grace merge with Mercy West. Oh no! Shocking. But it makes them fear for their jobs and with all the people who have left the show already, nobody is really safe anymore. But do they really need to introduce new characters? There's already so many to keep track of. Though I'm sad they got rid of that one nurse who gave George syphilis. It was always nice to see her around.
-poor Cristina has no cardio god to look up to. Admittedly, she's had a tough time with cardio people since Burke left. I think she's been punished enough for that whole incident.

I think the one thing that makes me like this show is the friendships they depict. I love the relationship between Derek and Mark because I just like watching guys be friends. They had a little bit of a rough start but I was happy to see them going back to being friends. And especially Meredith and Cristina. There's never really any friend between them. They aren't the mushy best friends. They're both tough and strong women and it's nice to see them be so close. I even like how Meredith and Lexie get along now even though I hated Lexie in the beginning. I just like to see good, strong friendships.

This has been a much happier reunion than anticipated.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Return of the Americans

Sometimes I do appreciate how lame I really am. Yesterday morning, I wake up and all excited to watch anything I want! But the only thing that kind of interested me was That's So Raven and Hannah Montana and though I will admit to watching them before, I did not watch that to be the first American show to assault my eyes. So instead I ended up watching Instant Star and Canada's Worst Driver 3. Old habits die hard.

Later on in the day I did watch Arrested Development which I felt to be a worthy choice for the first American show I've watched in 8 months. It's just so good. I also ended up watching more of it at 5am in this morning when I couldn't sleep. It was good times for all.

But now, I just have a few small things to do and then I'm going to devote this whole afternoon to American TV. I don't quite know where to start. Right now the debate is between Grey's or Flashforward. Though I do believe that Flashforward would be the better show, I think I might have to go with Grey's. Hopefully the anger would be too much this time...