Friday, February 12, 2010

Rainy Day Blahs

Today I'm curious what you guys and gals out there do when the weather isn't very cooperative, and you're stuck indoors. Do you make it movie time? Do you flip through the channels, praying that there's something interesting on the ol' tv? Or, bored to death, do you actually pick up a book and read? Or, maybe even better than any of those things, do you just crawl back into bed and go back to sleep?

For me, it depends on what my honey wants to do. Today, for example, we made it movie time. We watched three movies from Netflix. The first two movies were actually kind of crappy. Lies and Illusions starred Christian Slater (who whined like a little girl through most of the movie) and Cuba Gooding, Jr. (who usually acts much better than he did in this one). On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, this movie barely gets 1 star from me. It was classified under action, but it really was kind of a pansy movie. Christian Slater has played some tough-guy roles, so I know he can be an action star, but in this movie he had to keep whining, "But I'm a writer!" I never realized how wimpy writers are portrayed until this movie. Maybe his character should be introduced to the guy from Stephen King's Misery...he might learn a thing or two!

The second movie we watched was a 2009 movie called The Land that Time Forgot. It starred and was directed by C. Thomas Howell and co-starred Timothy Bottoms. This is another movie that gets 1 whole star from me. Honestly, I'm being generous here with my stars. The acting in this one was probably worse than the Christian Slater movie. Howell was a pretty decent actor when he was younger. His directing could use a lot of work. One might think that someone with his years of experience in front of the camera would be much better behind it...Wrong, wrong, wrong. The basic gist of the movie is the boat Howell, his wife, and their two friends are on (captained by Timothy Bottoms, with some other dude as the first mate) get pulled into the Bermuda Triangle and shipwrecked on an island that, yep you guessed it, time forgot. There are prehistoric dinosaurs, pterodactyls, huge dragonflys, blah, blah, blah. You'd think this would make for an interesting movie, but you'd be wrong. The special effects weren't all that great (you could tell that the t-rex was totally CGI) and the acting was a bit over the top. There's a few other things that happens, like trying to get off the island, but I don't remember enough of it now, and it's only been 5 hours or so since the movie ended!

The third and final movie that we watched was Foul Play, starring Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn. It's classified as a rom-com, but it does have a little bit of a who-dunnit kind of thing going on. It is an older movie, being released back in 1978, but I still thought it was pretty funny. Goldie Hawn, in my opinion, has always had a knack for playing the pretty, kind of dumb blonde. Chevy Chase, who will forever be Clark Griswold to me, had his funny moments, too. He got to play the hero who gets to keep the girl in this one. Burgess Meredith also had a role in this movie, and he was absolutely hilarious in it! He actually kind of stole the scenes when he was in them. Okay, so in case you've never seen this movie, Hawn plays a librarian who gets a pack of cigs containing a roll of film from an undercover cop. After he's killed, the bad guys go after Hawn to try to get the film back. Chase is a cop who, in the beginning of the movie tries to woo Hawn's character but does a very bad job, gets the task of protecting Hawn. Oh, Dudley Moore (from the movie 10 with Bo Derek and the Arthur movies) also has a small role in the movie, and he's a scene stealer, too! All in all, I liked this movie...I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Now if my sweetie is busy doing something, at work, whatever, and I'm left to do my own thing, I'll probably pick up a book. If you read my first blog about tv, you know I don't have cable so just flipping on the tv isn't an option for me. And, if I get really, really bored, I will crawl back into bed, pull the covers up over my head and go back to sleep; Lord knows that I can never get too much sleep!

So there ya have it folks--the cure that suits me during crappy weather blahs! Stay tuned next time for a whole new treat. I do believe that I'll take the time to talk about movies next. I know my blog is titled What Do You Watch on TV, but it was all I could think of at the time. I figure if I expand it a bit to include movies some people out there will stop on by my little blog and become a fan! Oh, and one more thing, if you like what you read (that is if it's not too long and boring), please give the link to others and pass the word around! I won't mind one bit if someone besides me reads this thing!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sports

The biggest football game of the year took place on February 7, 2010. Of course, I'm talking about the Super Bowl. It was an intense game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were the underdogs, performing in their first big Championship game. The Colts won Super Bowl XLI in 2007, giving Peyton Manning his first Super Bowl ring. I rooted for the Saints, mostly because they were the underdogs, but, also, because I truly believed that they were the only team that had what it took to beat the Colts. I was right, of course. Now don't get me wrong, Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints had me a bit worried there in the first quarter (and for a good portion of the 2nd quarter). I started to doubt myself. Like a miracle from Heaven, though, the jitters or whatever it was they had, seemed to be disappear. The team came to their senses and the tide turned their way. The game was exciting, with edge-of-your-seat action, and when the Saints defense intercepted on a Colt's pass play I knew the game was in the bag for the Saints. I think it was maybe one of the best Super Bowls I've ever watched.

That's what I love about sports--the excitement generated from great plays. I played basketball, softball, and soccer when I was growing up. I loved soccer even before Mia Hamm made it cool to be a soccer player. Soccer may not be as popular here in the States as it is in every other country, but if you've played it you know the excitement you get when you're out on the field. My favorite position in soccer is the goalie. This is the very last line of defense to keep the other team from scoring. The feeling you get when you save that ball from going into your net is just awesome! As for softball, I loved to play outfield and first base. I miss being out there on the playing field, having the camaraderie of my teammates, the wind blowing through my hair, and the sheer joy of what I was doing! Of course, the best part was always winning (not that I won all the time)!

No matter how you enjoy your sports, playing or watching, make sure you do it as often as you can! Naturally, playing a sport will keep you healthy (as long as you don't get injured), but sometimes watching can be just as exhilarating and/or exhausting!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

What's Your Favorite TV Show?

Okay, my previous blog was about how you prefer to watch your favorite tv show or shows. Now, I want to know what your favorite tv show(s) is or are.

As for me, I have several. I don't necessarily think that I have a specific genre that I like; I'm kind of all over the place when it comes to television. One genre that I don't particularly care for is reality tv. I'm not a big fan of Survivor, The Amazing Race, etc. I will, occasionally, watch some reality shows, like American Idol. My preference in tv shows really is to get away from reality. And, yes, I do know that some reality tv shows aren't exactly "real". I also don't necessarily want a show that's thought-provoking. I watch tv to relax, to get away from it all, to empty my mind of all the crud I've experienced throughout the day.

That being said, here's a list of some of what I currently watch (if I gave a complete list of all my fave shows, this blog would be really, really long!):

Chuck (Monday nights a 7 p.m. Central time on NBC)--I love this show! It's currently in its 3rd season, and I think that it just keeps getting better. I was a little hesitant about how it would go after the end of the season 2, but the actors and writers are doing an exceptional job of keeping it fresh. In case you've never seen or heard of this show, it's about a 20-something guy, Charles "Chuck" Bartowski, who accidentally gets a government program called the Intersect embedded into his brain. He thus becomes an (at first) unwilling asset to two CIA agents who must protect him from all kinds of bad guys. This show has action, comedy, suspense, and even a little romance. Basically, it's got a little something for everyone!

How I Met Your Mother (Monday nights at 7 p.m. Central time on CBS)--This is a show I didn't really get into until it's 4th season. The show is currently in it's 5th season. The reason I watch this show is because of Barney, played by Neil Patrick Harris. Barney is hilarious in his schemes to get women in bed with him! Of course, another reason I watch is because I really, really want to know who Ted's wife is. The show always starts out with an older (off-screen) Ted talking to his 2 kids about how he met their mother. The show has been teasing, naturally, every season about who this woman is, and it will be a sad day when she is finally revealed because it will mean the end of the series. I keep up with this show basically because it's a comedy that doesn't have to try too hard to be funny.

CSI: Miami (Monday nights at 9 p.m. Central time on CBS)--This is another show I didn't really become a fan of until it had already been on for several seasons. I just started watching it last season, its 6th one. I like a lot of the visuals it gives of Miami during the course of an episode, and I like a lot of the technology the lab gets to use. I find the storylines are pretty decent and pretty close to everyday occurrences (the closest to reality I really want to get while watching tv). Sometimes, however, David Caruso does kind of irk me. He doesn't speak very much at one time, generally, and when he does have a line it strikes me as kind of hokey. Don't get me wrong, his character does have presence when he's in a scene, though. Generally, I like all the other characters/actors on the show. This one I watch because I think it would be so cool to be a real CSI (it's also why I watch CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...I've been a fan of this one, the original, since its day 1).

Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International (Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. Central time on Syfy)--Okay, so maybe this is considered a "reality" show, but, in my opinion, it's one of those "reality" shows that isn't so focused on reality. Of course, it's focused on the paranormal. If you believe in ghosts or entities (as I do), then this show can get your pysche going. I find myself listening very closely when they are doing their investigations to see if I can hear the disembodied voices they show surprise at and whisper, "Did you hear that?" Most of the time I don't hear them until they re-play them during their analysis session. Sometimes I wonder if they aren't making stuff up, but, all in all, I often wish I could be on the investigation with the teams and experience the things they experience.

Supernatural (Thursday nights at 8 p.m. Central time on the CW)--I've been a fan of this show since its day 1, though I didn't get to watch a good portion of seasons 1 and 2 (and one of these days I will catch up with them online). It's like the X-files, if Mulder and Scully had been demon-hunting brothers instead of just male and female FBI agents. Hmmm, or maybe not related to the X-Files at all...Sam and Dean Winchester get thrown into some pretty wicked (no pun intended) scenarios each week AND each season. For example, this season finds the two brothers trying to stop the Apocalypse and Lucifer rising. And, like a lot of family dramas, this season the writers have forced the good vs. evil aspect. If you've ever seen the show you'll understand the irony in making Dean the vessel for the Archangel Michael and Sam Lucifer's vessel. Dean's kind of a badass, who has little faith in God (well he did die and spend some time in Hell before one God's angels reached down and got him out) and absolutely no, okay few, morals. Sam, on the other hand, is the kid brother who was always trying to do the right thing (and still gives it his best shot) and do it with a sense of morality. This show is pretty action-packed and every week there's a new "adventure" to go on. It also offers a little comedy, a little drama, and a little bit of horror. So, if you like any of those I suggest you check it out!

The last show I want to blog here about is...
Dollhouse (Friday nights at 7 p.m. Central time on Fox)--Well, this show actually just ended its brief 2-year run. It was a series created by Joss Whedon (the guy who brought us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dr. Horrible) about a young woman (Echo, played by Eliza Dushku) who gets "sentenced" to devoting 5 years of her life to the Dollhouse, in exchange for not having to spend more time in prison for a crime that's not fully explained until the series was almost over. Basically, people who were put into the Dollhouse had their minds wiped clean of all memories, only to have them replaced with the memories of others. Not only were new memories implanted (and erased) with each new assignment, the "doll" also received special abilities, like martial arts knowledge, without ever having to train for them. This is another action-packed, adventure type of show that I really got into. Sadly, Fox never gave the show much of a chance (pretty much like it did with Whedon's Firefly) to get off the ground. It sucks; I think Whedon could have really gotten into some deeper stuff involving Rossum (the company that owns many dollhouses throughout the world), and I definitely would've loved to see what Echo could've evolved into. Unlike Firefly, however, I don't think that Dollhouse can be made into a feature-length film. Whedon's ideas for Dollhouse are just too complex and evolving to be contained in a 2-hour movie. (For all you Firefly fan, I'm not saying that this show wasn't complex and evolving, but its premise could be wrapped up a lot prettier in a movie than the Dollhouse's could).

Well, there ya have it folks! My (shortened) list of favorite tv shows. I have a few more than those listed, but that's just of the current stuff on television. I'll have to save my old faves for another blog...

Cable, Satellite, or Internet

These days it seems like we have all kinds of ways to keep up with all the latest shows and even those "oldies" that are no longer around. You can watch your favorite tv shows on your tv, computer, or, if you got one, IPhone (or whatever kind of fancy cell phone you might have). Of course, you can turn your big screen tv into a big screen computer monitor...if you've got the right cables. So my big question is how do you watch tv? Do you watch via your cable or satellite company? Do you prefer to watch your fave shows on your computer via your internet connection?

Well, for me, I watch my fave shows on the computer. The biggest reason is because I don't have cable or satellite. There are all kinds of websites out there that enable you to watch television without the need for a tv. You like NBC's "Chuck"? I do, but I don't like waiting until sometime on Tuesday for the show to be on NBC's website. So, what do I do? I go to sidereel.com. I have "Chuck" set as one of my favorite current shows so it shows up in my profile's tv schedule. I click on "Chuck", which then takes me to the show's sidereel page. After that, I click on the latest episode, which in turn takes me to a webpage of links for that particular episode. You'll find a lot of megavideo.com videos for many shows listed first(because apparently a lot of people upload to that site more than others), but unless you have a paying account with megavideo you don't get to watch more than 72 minutes of video at a time. Let me tell you, it sucks if you got more than one episode to watch!

The good thing about these types of sites (megavideo, ninjavideo, fastpass, etc.) is that you can watch your favorite shows commercial-free! I don't know about you, but I pretty much hate commercials. Most are boring, stupid, or, for me, irrelevant. Of course, Super Bowl commercials are the exception...okay well, some of them. The downside to these sites? Having to wait for the show to finish loading before you watch it. If you have a slow internet connection, expect to wait a good bit before you can sit back and enjoy your show.

Now if you feel like your ripping off NBC, CBS, ABC, etc. by not watching the shows on their sites, by all means visit those sites! You can also watch on Hulu.com, Fancast.com, Amazon.com, and Itunes.com (those last 2 there are pay-sites, just so you know). These sites also have sponsored airing of the television shows, but, unlike on your tv, these commercials are generally 30-second spots about every 10 minutes or so throughout your viewing.

The other advantage I see in watching shows online? Most shows are there whenever you want to watch. It's better than DVR; you never accidentally erase anyting!

So what about satellite viewers? I'm not going to bad-mouth satellite. To be fair, I've never really had satellite. I roomed with a couple of friends that had satellite several years ago, and I will admit that I thought the satellite service wasn't all that great. If we had really bad weather, we had no tv. I lived in Arkansas at the time, so you can imagine what winter was like! I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who love having satellite service. Of course, depending on your location, you might not have a choice but to choose satellite.

That brings me to cable. I've had cable. I loved cable. But when I couldn't afford to pay my cable bill, I lost my beloved cable. I thought I was going to go crazy without my television! I thought my life was going to be boring and unbearable. I thought, "How am I going to keep up with all my favorite tv shows?" Fortunately, I was wrong, and I found an outlet to keep up with tv. I might not be able to pay for digital cable and all the thousands of channels, but I could afford to pay for internet access from a local cable company!

Which brings me back to the internet. Of course, in order to have internet you must pay a cable or satellite provider. So, it all kind of weaves itself back into one another. It's the old you-can't-have-one-without-the-other type of thing. Maybe one day I'll go back to having digital cable...

But I'll just go with nothing more than the expanded tier (gotta have my Discovery channel and a few other cable channels you can't get with the basic plan). Like I said you can watch your favorite tv shows online, anytime, but there's still something about watching it on your tv that makes it still worth keeping a tv around.