Top TV Musicals

I rewatched one of the things on the list below and it got me thinking [again] about how much can be done on a TV budget. Its also amazing to note how talented writers and directors/producers are, that these pools of talent end up forming, and its a credit to the medium of television, that most fans are so hooked that they fully embrace the idea of a musical episode. So here are a few choice musical episodes of TV shows

8. Oz - Variety

Darkly comic prison drama...doesn't really go with a musical does it? Does Oz prove me wrong...honestly, not really. Its still a pretty good show though, from what I remember anyhow

7. 7th Heaven- Red Sox

When a show pulls out a musical in season nine, chances are its in trouble, trying too little too late. Unfortunately this is the case here, with a cheesy episode of valentines songs. Even if my beloved Jessica Biel was in it, it wouldn't help.

6. Xena - The Bitter Suite

There's something weirdly enjoyable about this monstrosity. The singing is given no explanation, and everything is camp and cheesy, and maybe its for that very reason, that it works. The cast are clearly having a ball, and Renee O'Conner has a decent set of pipes , even if everyone else's singing is kind of ropey

5. Greys Anatomy - Song Beneath the Song

 
This one is just plain weird. It was apparently in the works since day one, but it took till season seven to convince the network. Whilst out of the show's normal context, the singing is pretty good, especially from Ramirez. The lack of original songs is something of a let down though

4. Scrubs - My Musical

 
Scrubs has always had a strong vein in absurdism, which lends it the perfect legs to support a musical. Unfortunately its let down by the casts inadequate singing ability, especially, Sarah Clarke. A 22-minute episode also seems quite short to fit in a variety of songs and a decent plot, so I'm cutting it some slack...mind you, another entry on the list manages it just fine

3. Ally McBeal - Ally McBeal: The Musical, Almost

Before Scrubs, the show to go to if you wanted absurdist asides, was Ally McBeal. Its has had several songs during its run, so it makes sense that there's a musical episode. The tone fits in perfectly, and a decent plot makes for a fitting series finale

2. Even Stevens - Influenza the Musical

The wacky kids show that launched Shia La Boeuf, also produced this musical oddity. A bout of flu starts causing musical hallucinations and hilarity does indeed ensue. The songs are catchy and sweet and the comedic tone is perfect

1. Buffy - Once More with Feeling

To this day, its still the gold standard; the yardstick to which all other TV musicals are held. The episode featured original, catchy tunes in a variety of styles, and at least half the cast had professional voices, but none of this is the reason its at number one. What makes it so good is the way the random singing is perfectly explained in the plot, and the songs all serve a purpose in progressing that plot, as well as the characters. A demon is brought forth which makes people burst into song, causing all the main characters to profess the secrets they've been harbouring. The human drama it creates is fantastic

I have to give special credit to Popular, which had a musical number during the season one finale, and to Glee, which does it day in, day out.

Film of the Year 2012.. the Long List

We're nearing the end of 2012..and possibly the end of civillisation? No, probably not.
Even so, its time to produce a list of the most likely films to end up in contention for FOTY 2012. Some I havnt seen yet, some arent even out yet, but these are the most obvious choices. Obviously its still anyone's game, and a complete outsider might take the crown, but realistically, these are the main contenders:

Rampart

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Ruby Sparks

Cosmopolis

Argo

Life of Pi

Django Unchained

Cloud Atlas

Wreck-it Ralph

The Hobbit

Unrealistic Movie Conventions

Sorry its been a while since the last post, I've been pretty busy recently, and the blog post frequency is slowing down. I've got more ideas coming up soon, but in the meantime this ought to tide you over. Silly, pointless, unrealistic things people do in movies, time and time again

Picking Locks
The principle of lockpicking is that you use one instrument to put tension on the internal barrel of the lock, whilst using another to press the individual pins until they click into place. Sometimes custom tools can do both things at once, if they are built for a specific lock, and if the lock is kind of crappy. This principle has been around for decades, coupled with numerous blogs and books on lockpicking, yet when you watch most Hollywood films, somehow somebody always manages to pick a lock with just one piece of wire. Its forgivable in a ludicrous, cheesy action film, but not in a espionage film, or one purporting to some degree of realism. So if you're ever locked away, be warned, a single hairpin is unlikely to be much use

Phone Calls
You know that feeling, when you have to make a call. You scroll down to the right name, press the call button, wait for that pause while your phone gets its act together, and then wait for the phone to ring a few times before someone picks up. Well people in films don't have that problem. Apparently everyone is on speed dial, because one touch connects you straight through. And I'm not sure what network they're on, but its connected straight away! I guess their friends are just waiting by the phone for someone to call.

Driving
I'm not a great driver, for a number of reasons, but I am well aware of safe driving habits. Characters in films...not so much. Nobody ever puts on a handbrake when they park, and when using an unfamiliar car, nobody in the history of Hollywood has ever adjusted their seat and mirrors. In fact, most film characters turn to their passenger whilst in the middle of conversation, presumably using some form of divine telepathy to see the road without actually looking at it

Hacking
Hacking requires time and patience. There are certain developer tools required, and code compilers, and often specialist hardware is needed, to get access to hard coding. This is all of course, unless you're a movie hacker, in which case a laptop with no software in it is fine. A few key strokes here and a few keystrokes there..BOOM! You've been hacked.... Ridiculous.

Bomb Squad
Surely it goes without saying that 'cut the red wire' is perhaps the stupidest thing the action film ever came up with. Most bombs don't have a crazy array of countermeasures with gas and prisms and motion detectors etc. Most Bombs are amateur and thus unstable, and this is the main problem. And obviously...the colour of the wire doesn't matter at all, its all about whats connected to where and why.

Bathroom Door
Most ordinary people are taught to lock the door when they go to the bathroom, for the sake of privacy if nothing else. Its something you learn when you're young, and a habit you never get out of..unless your life is a movie. Look out for it next time you watch a film..you'll be surprised how often a character walks into somebody else in the bathroom, the door having inexplicably been left unlocked

Hotwiring a car
The number of times in films its just a case of bashing the plastic below the wheel and connecting the wire together until they spark..it almost makes you think you could do it. Except that the plastic is actually quite solid, and needs screwing off. And the wire aren't bare, so they need stripping. And unless the car is 25+ years old, there's probably an immobiliser. Don't even get me started in the Silm Jim

Sex
If you're having sex, and you don't want to conceive, you use protection or at least birth control..right? Nope..wrong Apparently. As screen characters, you can have impromptu sex with anyone, and somehow not end up pregnant

Top 5 Medical Dramas

The great thing about medical dramas is they make you feel like a doctor without having to do any of the work. Even when the characters are involved in impossibly convoluted love quadrangles, facing lawsuits and any other number of complications, you still feel a little bit like it would be great to be a doctor. This is of course unless you're an actual doctor, in which case I'm sure you see it a little differently.
The great difficulty with any of these dramas is blending the medical facts and procedures/surgeries with human drama. The medical side is what gives it a niche, and gives a sense of action and excitement, but the human drama and the characters are what keep you hooked.

5.Grey's Anatomy

This is incredibly girly and sappy, and the focus is more on soapy story lines than on the medicine, but there's a  decent cast and they interact well. This one's mainly for girls and people who like dramas where everyone's sleeping with everyone. In fact its a bit like a medical version of One Tree Hill

4.Chicago Hope

This one is a bit old school but its actually better for it. There's humour drama, but its not as pulpy as Greys. It was fairly edgy in its time, with swearing and nudity managing to sneak in past the network moderators. Its also interesting to see Peter Berg in his breakout role

3.Bodies

Most British medical dramas are in the same category as Casulty and Holby City, pedestrian and somewhat mundane. If this is the rule for British medical drama, then Bodies is the clear exception. Dark, bleak and painting a damning portrait of the NHS, and of surgical incompetence

2.ER

15 seasons..that alone says more about it than anything else. A drama that had equal focus on the characters and the medicine, and balanced it beautifully. Often plots spanned several episodes, never letting sappy melodrama overshadow medicine and the realistic portrayal of what doctors end up having to go through. The cast may have gotten a bit choppy by the end, but it stayed a quality product right to the end

1.House M.D

It was hard deciding between ER and House since both are excellent, but in the end this had to take it. Hugh Laurie's performance is a masterclass and binds the whole show together. High in suspense, deliciously Machiavellian and devious, it was also frequently, savagely funny. I think what makes House win out over the others is how well it reinvents the medical drama, turning it into a medical detective show with a humorous, near psychopathic protagonist

Top Guns in Cinema (Top Gun...gettit? I made a funny)

I love action films and I also quite like guns, though I'll be the first to admit I'm woefully uneducated on the latter. Still, here's a list of iconic guns used in cinema

Desert Eagle

A gun so stupid-looking its actually epic.Originating from Israel, it had gained quite a following through its use in various films. My favourite are probably Demi Moore's Golden guns, in the Charlies Angels sequel

Thompson Submachine Gun

AKA the Tommy gun, this is the classic Gangster weapon, complete with the now iconic Circular magazine. Used in more films than I can list, from Inglourious Basterds and Watchmen, through to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Road to Perdition, with everything in between

 
AK-47

In 1946 Mikhail Kalashnikov invented an automatic assault rifle...some minor modifications aside, it hasn't really changed since then, and has ended up becoming the most popular rifle on the planet. Its also used in every single action film EVER

M60

Now mainly replaced with the M240, the Original M60 has seriously done the rounds, being used in every single branch of the US military. Notable for its disintegrating chain belt of M13 links, it provided Rambo with the apparent ability to keep firing for insane periods of time without the need to reload.

Marushin M1887 shotgun

The Shotgun used by Arnie to bring about epic destruction in the Terminator films. Not as well known or commonly used as the Mossberg series, but iconic regardless

Walther PPK

This is actually quite a crappy looking gun, the sort of thing a slinky female operative has under her garter. Somehow it was chosen as James Bond's gun and thus had some small measure of cool restored to it. It's definitely practical from a spy point of view...but it just looks silly doesn't it?

3. TV Actors Going into Film, then Coming Full Circle

I know I've forgotten loads of others in this post and the last 2, (Seth Rogen, Possibly Steve Carrell, all the breakthrough talents from SNL, Jason Segal etc etc etc) but Shhh! Anyway here is a list of those who started in humble beginnings, and have now comne back around to pay tribute to their roots.
Part 3:

Claire Danes

Originally the precocious teen lead in My So Called Life,  Danes went off and did the film thing for a number of years. She's finally come back though, in terrorist drama Homeland

Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen had small parts in a LOT of shows before he made it into iconic films such as Badlands. I mean a LOT. Seriously, check on imdb. Nonetheless, the role that I think defines him is on his return to TV, as President Bartlett in The West Wing

Robert Carlyle

Trainspotting, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State. Carlyle has stacked up a nice chance of films. He's now moved on to TV, and with Stargate:Universe wrapped up, he's currently on Once Upon a Time. Its almost enough to make you forget he started out life on Hamish Macbeth

Natascha McElhone

The gorgeous McElhone has always stood just outside the spotlight. She was in a number of British shows early in her career, before stepping into the film world. She's back now, but on US tellies instead, as Karen, the ever suffering girlfriend of Hank Moody in the hilariously puerile Californication

Lucy Liu

Ally McBeal launched her career, as office bitch Ling Woo in Ally McBeal. An Emmy nomination got her on the Hollywood gravy train in fodder such as Shanghai Noon and Charlie's Angels. She's back on TV screens now, in the new US remake of Sherlock Holmes, called 'Elementary'

Danny DeVito

Danny Devito had a random string of bit appearances to his name before he struck fame in the form of the sitcom Taxi. Since then he's starred in dozens of films alongside a roster of Hollywood A-listers. In the last several years, he's moved back to television, starring in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

2. TV Stars who went on to be Big Hollywood Film Actors

So after the last list, this basically the same thing in reverse. Part 2: Hollywood stars who first got their start with humble TV beginnings

Jessica Biel

So sexy it's probably not even legal, Jessica Biel is equally hot property in Hollywood at the moment. She rose to fame as Mary Camden in 7th Heaven, and amusingly, she decided to leave the show because of her perceived 'goody goody' image. Believe me, nobody's thinking that now

Jennifer Garner

Before Starring in films as diverse as Pearl Harbour, 13 going on 30, and the Kingdom, Garner was first, and arguably still best known for Alias. The show itself is so good and so important in the modern evolution of TV, its going to be getting its own post soon. Watch this space!

Jessica Alba

Alba is another one following the basic trend, that if you're beautiful and on TV, you have a shot at the big time. Obviously James Cameron knew what he was doing when he cast her in his short lived TV series Dark Angel, and bland Hollywood blockbusters proceeded

Johnny Depp

With the silly comedy remake recently, its easy to forget that 80s Police show 21 Jump Street did actually take itself seriously. It also facilitated Johnny Depp's rise to prominence, and cinema has been all the better for it. A wonderfully diverse actor.

George Clooney

Perhaps the greatest story ever of a TV actor becoming a Hollywood great. Clooney rose to stardom off of his role in the excellent medical drama ER, as Dr Doug Ross. As a treat to fans, he slashed his fee and returned to the show, and his character, in its final season, marking the first time he had been on television in 9 years

Jennifer Anniston

I suppose this goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Rachel from Friends went on to carve a mediocre career involving various romcoms.


Bryan Cranston

Cranston had been around the TV circuit for a while, most notably as Jerry Seinfeld's dentist, but his big break came with Malcolm in the Middle. As it happens, being type cast in the role of mild-manner-dad almost ruined his career, but after some execs took a chance on him in Breaking Bad, he;s slowly started filtering into bigger and bigger films: Drive, Total Recall, and Rock of Ages to name a few

Katherine Heigl

Credit has to be given to Heigl: she's worked her way up. She was most prominent in teen series Roswell, which led to her bagging a role Grey's Anatomy. Fame quickly followed, and although her standard shtick is in much the same ballpark as Anniston, I give Heigl more credit simply because she had less to work with. Anniston was wildly popular...she should've done more
 
Taylor Kitsch 

Hollywood are calling it "The curse of Taylor Kitsch" and you can see why.Starting out life as Tim Riggins in Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights, he was somehow chosen for success by the Hollywood powers that be. Unfortunately John Carter flopped massively, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Battleship were met with negative reviews. Hopefully The Savages will turn his luck around

Will Smith

With hiccups like the Men in Black films aside, in general Smith's output is of a very high calibre, and he's proved more than once that he's a great actor. It almost seems a million years ago that he played the Fresh Prince of Belair. Given his excellent comic timing, its a shame he's not in more comedies

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Welsh Actress Zeta Jones pops up regularly on the silver screen these days, but before she was off being Zorro's lady, she had a role in the quaint little British series The Darling Buds of May

Honourable mentions: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun), Patrick Dempsey (Greys Anatomy), Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek), Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Christine Ricci (Pan Am)