http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ It's pretty obvious what Movies & TV blog is about. We churn out recaps, reviews and news on the stuff that interests us. Tony Black and Zack McGhee have been together for nearly 4 years. They spend altogether too much time watching movies and TV, and being glued to their computers. This blog combines all three at once, thereby gaining them maximum efficiency. en-us tblack@coxohio.com 2010-01-11T00:00:01-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2010/01/11/project_runway.html A new season of “Project Runway” starts Thursday, Jan. 14 at 10 p.m. on Lifetime. You might not know it if you don’t watch Lifetime on a regular basis. I wouldn’t watch Lifetime at all if weren’t for “Runway.” The only way I knew that it was returning was an ad on a website (the first time I have ever found an ad on a website useful). Will the poor promotion of the 7th season of “Runway” hurt the season’s ratings? I don’t see how it couldn’t. Even if ratings aren’t high for this season, I can’t see this season being the show’s last. I predict season 8 will be the end for “Runway,” but maybe I am being pessimistic. Watch a preview of season 7 of “Project Runway” on Lifetime.com. 16297203@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Project Runway 2010-01-11T00:00:01-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2010/01/10/which_late_nigh.html Jay Leno It looks like NBC finally figured out that moving Jay Leno to 10 p.m. was a bad idea. Too bad they didn’t realize the reason wasn’t the time slot. Jay just isn’t that great, in my opinion. I have tried to watch his show, the old version and the new one, and it couldn’t keep me entertained. Conan O’Brien NBC will move Jay back to the 11:35 p.m. time slot for a half-an-hour show after the Winter Olympics. The plan is to have Conan O’Brien’s show move to midnight and retain the “Tonight Show” label and Jimmy Fallon would move to 1 a.m. I was once a big Conan fan, but the repetitive jokes and gags started to wear on me. And when he moved to his current, earlier time slot, he had to ditch a lot of the ‘inappropriate’ content which was where a lot of his show’s humor came from. David Letterman David Letterman isn’t my cup of tea either, but I think that isn’t a surprise since his show seems to be geared towards the 30-100 age demographic. He has nothing to worry about, however, since CBS appears to be close to signing him and Craig Ferguson through 2012. When it comes to late night talk shows, I have 2 favorites: Jimmy and Craig. The 2 late night hosts keep things simple on their respective programs, and I like it that way. 16295703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Television 2010-01-10T16:17:16-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2010/01/04/best_gay_of_the.html AfterElton.com, a gay entertainment site, is asking people to cast their votes for the person they think was the Gay/Bisexual Man of the Decade. Cast your vote. The poll was originally supposed to end at midnight on Sunday, Jan. 3, but has been extended to Tuesday at midnight because of all the sudden attention it has gained. Neil Patrick Harris John Barrowman Days ago, Neil Patrick Harris (child star from “Doogie Howser M.D.”, star of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and co-star on “How I Met Your Mother”) and John Barrowman (star of “Torchwood”) both asked their Twitter followers to support them in the poll. It didn’t take long for other celebrities to throw their Tweets “into the ring” to show support for their favorite gay. Harris garnered support from Jimmy Fallon, Perez Hilton, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, Chris Hardwick, Alyssa Milano, Hal Sparks and Alyson Hannigan (to name a few). Barrowman’s support has come from Kevin Smith, author Neil Gaiman, The Sun (UK tabloid), Vernon Kay, Tom Price, and Paul Cornell (to name a few). Who knows how big this thing will get now that people are back from winter vacation and looking at the Internet again. I voted for Harris because I am a huge fan of “How I Met Your Mother” and love what he did with the Tony Awards and Emmy Awards last year. He seems like a real down-to-earth guy. I really know nothing about Barrowman. But Harris and Barrowman aren’t the only 2 people in the poll. You can also vote for T.R. Knight, Cheyenne Jackson, Patrik-Ian Polk, Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen, Lance Bass, David Hyde Pierce, Adam Lambert and other out young gay men, Dustin Lance Black and George Takei. If you are unsure who some of those guys are, Google them. Be sure to cast your vote for Gay/Bisexual Man of the Decade before Tuesday at midnight. 16223803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ People 2010-01-04T12:04:21-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2010/01/04/best_tv_shows_o.html Everyone is working on their various lists for best this and that of the year or the decade so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and share my list of best TV shows of the decade. Top 10 TV shows of the decade 10. Aqua Teen Hunger Force This animated comedy on Cartoon Network was born in the year 2000 when I was still in high school. I had never seen anything so random in my life. Its characters: A bossy milkshake, an intelligent box of french fries and a clueless wad of meat. Each episode had the fast food trio thrown into inexplicable situations where anything could happen. It has given me lots of great quotes that I still throw into casual conversations to this very day. It is currently entering its seventh season. You can watch select episodes and clips of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” at AdultSwim.com 9. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia I didn’t start watching this comedy on FX until earlier this year. The cast is perfect at portraying characters who only care about themselves and have complete disregard for etiquette and the rules of society. The story-lines are ridiculous and offensive, but that’s what makes it so much fun to watch. You can watch select episodes and clips of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” at Hulu.com 8. Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry David, the co-creator of “Seinfeld,” brings his unique brand of humor to television once again with stories about nothing. But neither “Curb” nor “Seinfeld” are actually about nothing. They just described them as such, because their plots are like nothing we’ve ever seen before on television. David uses the show to shed light on social norms that he doesn’t subscribe to, which inevitably alienates him from family and friends. You can watch some montages and behind-the-scenes footage of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” at HBO.com 7. The Big Bang Theory This fairly new sitcom on CBS revolves around 4 nerds and a pretty blonde waitress who catches the eye of one of the main characters, Leonard. Most of the show’s humor stems from Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard’s roommate, who is a genius (and knows it). Sheldon’s knowledge doesn’t extend to any realm outside of science, and his blissful ignorance of social conventions leads to lots of laughs. Click here to play my chosen clip from ‘Big Bang’ Find and watch clips from “The Big Bang Theory” with help from Hulu.com 6. How I Met Your Mother The simple premise of this comedy is a father telling his two kids the long story of how he met their mother. But the show is so much more than that. The show follows Ted and his group of friends as they find their way through life while living in Manhattan. It has a lot of the aspects you would find in any sitcom in the 90’s, but what makes it stand out is the amazing cast, and the well-written characters and stories. Watch clips from “How I Met Your Mother” on Hulu.com 16201103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Television 2010-01-04T01:21:52-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/12/15/cutting_tv_watc.html Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that adults who watch less TV are more active and, therefore, lose weight. Sitting in front of the TV isn’t conducive to weight loss? Who would have guessed? I just thought this was common sense, but I guess the medical community needed some proof. Now, their study followed overweight adults, so don’t take their results to mean that anyone who cuts their TV watching in half will burn more calories. 16071403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Television 2009-12-15T23:50:00-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/11/25/lost_returns_in.html In case you didn’t hear, ABC’s “LOST,” my favorite television show of all time, will be airing its sixth and finale season starting Tuesday, February 2, 2010. This is old news from last week, but, seeing as how I hadn’t heard about, I assumed many of you might have missed the news as well. Tuesday night means that it has switched nights once again. But don’t despair, this season is sure to do well no matter which night of the week it airs. I am sure fans of the first season who gave up during the sometimes iffy second and third seasons will return, wanting to know how it will all end. It will have competition from NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics and FOX’s next season of “American Idol.” 15828103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Lost 2009-11-25T00:00:01-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/11/24/what_to_watch_o.html Besides sports, what else is there to watch on Thanksgiving Day this year? Not much unless you are big into marathons and airings of old holiday movies. Gail Pennington at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch compiled a convenient list of non-sports related TV programing airing on Thanksgiving to help you drown out the noise your family is making around you. From her list, here are the shows I may be watching while my parents argue with each other: 15827703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Television 2009-11-24T00:26:41-05:00 tblack@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/11/04/do_you_watch_th.html A recent New York Times article about the DVR cited a Nielsen study that “46 percent of viewers 18 to 49 years old for all four networks taken together are watching the commercials during playback.” Why? The Times quotes Brad Adgate, Horizon Media’s senior vice president for research, as saying, “It’s still a passive activity.” This statistic shocked me. Do you watch the commercials on your DVR’d shows? 15541403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Television 2009-11-04T09:29:15-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/29/michael_jackson_1.html If I could make four changes to Michael Jackson’s This Is It, it would become perfect: Remove opening studio credits Restore slow motion final frames to normal speed Remove closing MJ “Love lives forever” graphic and just end on a still frame of the man himself on stage Remove cheezy, post-credits “Heal the World” graphic Director Kenny Ortega and Sony Pictures strive with every edit to give us the closest thing to a final product, but it is the raw, incomplete nature of this footage that makes it so powerful. Watching Michael Jackson’s creative process unfold is the great value of this documentary. 15454803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2009-10-29T11:11:58-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/23/what_will_you_s.html A bunch of movies open this weekend in Dayton. Saw VI, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, and Astro Boy are the major releases. Though I will bow to tradition and see the latest in the Saw franchise, I’m most excited about Chris Rock’s documentary, Good Hair, and two new movies opening exclusively at the Neon: The September Issue and Lorna’s Silence. (Also at the Neon is It Might Get Loud, which has gotten good reviews, but isn’t really in my wheelhouse.) What will you see this weekend? P.S. Apologies for any appearance of impropriety from my blog post about the Little Art’s annual horror marathon. I can understand how it looks, but I also have to consider that it’s something I would’ve written about regardless of my involvement. How often, for example, do three classic films get 35mm screenings in the Dayton area? (Then there’s the area premiere of an upcoming and much anticipated horror title, plus the three digital screenings.) I’d also ask you consider that I’ve done work with the Little Art for almost three years in varying capacities, and this may be the first time I’ve ever touted the theatre on this blog. 15375703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2009-10-23T14:50:45-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/22/allnight_horror.html For three years now, with the generous support of Jenny Cowperthwaite and several volunteers, I have planned the all-night horror marathon at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs. This year’s marathon features seven movies, plus more than 50 trailers, a costume contest, and other giveaways. It starts Saturday, October 24 at 9:30 p.m. (Doors open at 9 p.m.) Tickets are $20 each, and can be purchased online now. Tickets will also be for sale in person at the box office starting Saturday at 8 p.m. The lineup this year is pretty exciting. On 35mm, we have Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, the area premiere of The House of the Devil, Stuart Gordon’s cult classic Re-Animator, and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion. We’re also showing Shaun of the Dead, the original Friday the 13th and George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in high-def digital projection. In addition to the films, we have the usual variety of popcorn and gourmet concessions, and we offer Domino’s Pizza. 15354103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2009-10-22T13:06:09-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/21/watching_transf.html Sorry to be remiss in my usual roundup of the latest high-def releases during my extended wisdom teeth excursion. (To be honest, yesterday’s selection was pitiful, so I’m not too torn up about it.) I’m back now, though still heavily medicated. Perhaps it was this state that led me to pick up the critically reviled Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on Blu-ray disc yesterday. This was a blind buy for me (I skipped it in theaters), and I must be honest: I didn’t hate it. That said, I can’t really think of anything good to say about it. It has no quality, it was merely entertaining enough to hold my interest, even at an undoubtedly long two-and-a-half hours. There are, however, a number of bad things to be said that all jump immediately to mind, despite my mild affection for the movie as a whole. Its blatant racism, its vulgarity masquerading as “edge,” that makes-no-sense slutty girlbot (since when can the Transformers replicate human flesh???). All in all, however, I must say that I found this one slightly more coherent than the original. That is, I usually understood what was going on and who everyone was, which was not always the case when I first saw Transformers in theaters two years ago. 15333803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2009-10-21T10:29:02-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/16/this_weekend_wh.html I’m still sore and swollen from Wednesday’s wisdom teeth adventure, but thought I’d check in with an update on what’s opening in Dayton theaters this weekend. I’m also curious about what (if anything) you’re planning to see in theaters or at home, so be sure to comment. One of the year’s most anticipated films opens this weekend: Where the Wild Things Are, adapted from the widely adored children’s book by Maurice Sendak by Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze, and directed by Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adapation.). Wild Things is getting rave reviews in many publications, but some critics have been underwhelmed. I hope to have a review for you on Monday. 15271203@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2009-10-16T11:42:47-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/14/at_home_sick_wh.html Hi, everyone. I’m checking in with a briefer-than-usual blog post, because I had my wisdom teeth out this morning. So far, I’m recovering fine, and everything went smoothly, but I don’t really have the energy for a proper blog post. I do, however, have the energy to nap and watch TV. Which leads me to pull out a blog post I wrote more than two years ago (!) asking readers of this blog to share their favorite movies to watch when they’re at home sick. Normally, I would opt for an old favorite like Clueless (as I did in the aforementioned blog post), Clue, The Princess Bride (itself book-ended by a home-sick Fred Savage), Mean Girls, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (also apropos), Rear Window, Star Trek IV: The One with the Whales, etc., etc. 15245303@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Movies 2009-10-14T17:50:05-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/entries/2009/10/13/drag_me_to_hell.html 15217703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/movies-tv/ Home video 2009-10-13T08:53:12-05:00 zmcghee@daytondailynews.com