Happy Marshall and Andy Wachowski Day!
Happy birthday to Kevin Weisman and Andy Wachowski!
Two nerds that might just share my own day of joy.
Archive for December, 2008
The trades never cease, even on Christmas. That’s how I heard that WBTV was suing CBS and Two and a Half Men for $49 million. As we all know, that program is produced by WBTV, but is licensed to air on CBS. It happens all the time. Buffy was a FOX show, but aired on the WB and UPN; in fact, it switched networks because of licensing fees. David E. Kelley shows all used to be produced by FOX, but aired on various channels, hence how Kelley had so many crossovers on his shows.
Anyway, it’s always sad to make a feud between studios public on a holiday. CBS had a witty retort to the matter: “Wow, I wonder what they got the other networks for Christmas?”
Classy.
Today, Gilmore Girls producer, Gavin Polone, is suing WBTV over its own breach of contract drama. To quote, “(they) have colluded to defraud the originator of hit Gilmore Girls television series with a scheme that rivals the greed and bravado of any story line defendants could script.”
So basically, CBS should just pay Gavin Polone and cut out the middleman.
In other news, Eartha Kitt has passed away at 81. Sad.
Also, FOX won their lawsuit against the WB over Watchmen royalties. You might have heard FOX, WB, and DC have been in a love triangle for years. The Adam West Batman show was a FOX show and WB is making it impossible for them to release it on DVD. Here’s more fuel for the fire.
Man, the WB is getting its butt kicked all over the place!
Link Pimp: Dark Knight Freeze Frames!
Charlie boy forwarded me this link to people finding funny freeze frames in The Dark Knight.
The main one that made me ROTFLMAO was: ORLY MAN
Nerd-versation: Happy Birthday, Christ!
Charlie
ok, so what to see at the movies this weekend?
The Fanboy
I think Greg and I are seeing Valkyrie in eyepatches, pins, and bad German accents
Charlie
so go all-out and throw on some swastikas
The Fanboy
… yeah… no
Charlie
you can appeal better to white supremacists that way
The Fanboy
Speaking of which, I just finished season 1 of Oz. White Supremeys are baaaaaaad news.
Charlie
i just watched Betrayed which is about an FBI agent infiltrating a white supremacist town
It’s White Supremacy Week!
The Fanboy
I guess it is
Charlie
Heil Hitler
The Fanboy
Happy birthday, Christ!
Why haven’t I posted in a week?
I’ve been out trying to stop another Jack Ryan reboot from happening. I’m sorry, but I want Jack Ryan to be a man and inherit the presidency! Is that so hard to ask!?
That’s also what I want for Christmas. Peace on Earth, good will towards men and catwomen!
I’ve also been watching Oz (finally!).
Yes, I’m still bitter they killed Mr. Eko on “Lost”.
Some stories I never reported on
Hey, remember that night I went to go see Repo! and said I’d report the news I missed but never did?
I never will, but here’s what the stories were:
Michael Moore’s next documentary will be about the economy. Good.
NERD-VERSATION:
Syd Lexia wages battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons.
The Fanboy: Too bad they’re on the right side. Death to Autobots!
Syd Lexia: “Spare me your fifth grade Michael Moore logic.” - James Heller, Secretary of Defense
The Fanboy: Best comeback ever.
MadTV got canceled! Good.
David O. Russell (aka the guy who yelled at Lili Tomlin) is making a new movie.
The Dark Knight was disqualified for Best Original Score, but this has already been receded.
An awesome movie called Suck (starring Dave Foley, Malcolm McDowell, and Alice Cooper) is coming.
Stan Lee and Showtime are making a gay superhero show.
Lipstick Jungle and My Own Worst Enemy both got canceled.
Ryan Howard is leaving The Office.
Prison Break pretty much got canceled with an extra two hours of content.
Weinstein lets go of 24, but not the show. hahaha
The Office had an extra episode of “Frame Toby” online. It wasn’t as good as other Producer Cut episodes.
Mila Kunis booked for ‘Eli’ role, but NOT ON ELI STONE! Boo.
Breaking: The CW Revives ‘Jericho,’ Cancels Four Shows, but not really.
Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money all got canceled which SUPER SUCKED!!!
For whatever reason I got to talking about Marti Noxon today and I gave a half-@$$ed retelling of a story she told in this interview:
“… I hadn’t really had a good working situation. I mean Point Pleasant was a nightmare in terms of network experience and the production and I’d just had a baby, so it kinda feels like this weird dream. My nanny would go with me everywhere and we drove to the location in San Diego in this limousine and I went to a meeting with the network and they had made me cry and I got into the limousine weeping and they took me to a really fancy hotel where I had another meeting and they made me cry. And my nanny said, “What kind of job is this?” They cart you around in the most fancy limousine and you have every luxury and all they do is make you cry. So that’s what I remember when I think of Point Pleasant: that’s the day I thought I was gonna be fired.”
When I think of Marti Noxon, I think of both this story and her awesome work on Buffy. She would be on my Fantastic Four of Television if she created a show that was given half a chance.
Her career post Buffy: Point Pleasant got canceled, from there she moved to Brothers & Sisters but had a falling out with Jon Robin Baitz and was replaced by Greg Berlanti (who is one of the Fantastic Four), from there she moved to Grey’s Anatomy, then moved to the spinoff Private Practice, before moving to Mad Men.
Additional Reading:
Grey’s Anatomy article
The internet really pisses me off sometimes. Why is there such hate for people? Some people I don’t even understand. Anyway, while looking for the linked to article above, I found all these anti-Marti Noxon posts. You people are today’s WORST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!!!
Everyone On Television Without Pity
One
Two
Lila82
I’ll join in the chorus of celebrating Noxon’s resignation. I can’t get behind a woman who thinks rape is foreplay.
Rahul
Word. That woman has serious issues. I was horrified to hear her interview and commentary on the whole Spike/Buffy “romance” when I opted to watch the DVD extras.
Sandman
Marti Noxon quitting
Don’t tease me! Is this true? I can watch this show now? Huzzah!
If she and Jon Robin Baitz were butting heads, hers must’ve popped like a balloon. Greg Berlanti I can take or leave (I think Everwood is the most overhyped show in my experience; I mean, it didn’t suck swampwater, like some I could name - *cough* Point Pleasant, One Tree Hill *cough* - but it wasn’t the second coming of thirtysomething, either.) But if Noxon is gone, I feel better about this show. And about civilization in general, but I’ve digressed enough.
Loves Bitch
I found it odd how they listed both Marti Noxon and Greg Berlanti as Executive Producers on this episode. I suppose they listed Noxon because she was actually there and Executive Producing this episode (though I recall her coming onboard after the pilot had been shot, then saying on until about, what, episode four?) and I guess they listed Berlanti because he is the current Executive Producer and his production company is backing the show. It probably has something to with contractual obligations as these things do. I was excited about this show when I heard Marti was doing it (even though I’m only a fan of her early work on Buffy, and dread most of her later stuff), but then I was thrilled when I heard Berlanti was doing it. I’m really excited what he pulls out with this one.
inzombia
As for BtVS/AtS: I didn’t find Greenwalt’s saintification of Cordy half as annoying as Whedon’s saintification of Fred. That, and Marti Noxon should’ve kept her Spike-centric fanfiction ideas the fuck out of the show.
(F*** and you)
Gaymo
Could this be an example of why Spike stayed as long as he did in the Whedonverse?
I think it was Marti Noxious who championed James Marsters. From what I know she wanted him in Point Pleasant as well and pretty much said so. Often.
(You need to get help.)
Douggley
Marti Noxon’s sick obsession with Spike tanked the show. Although he was a popular character, as the story had to be progressively stretched to create an excuse for him to be in the plot (the chip, the sooouuuuull), which ruined the credibility of the show. A true ballsy head writer would kill him off; they did it to Ms. Calendar, they did it to Darla, why not to Spike?
Poly - For making a non-Marti post, I will not repost their post, but needless to say they need to feel what it feels like to be stabbed in the eyeballs with icicles. Hey, I’m not above sinking to other people’s levels. These people are literally terrible human beings.
However, I will point out that Poly is an idiot. Fact: In Conversations With Dead People the choice was between Willow or Xander having the vignette. NOT Spike and Xander. Don’t believe me? Check out the book Bite Me! by Nikki Stafford. Spike’s story was essential to the season arc and was ALWAYS intended. Xander was going to have a conversation with Milo Pressman from the first season (died in the pilot) and the same information from Willow’s vignette would’ve been used there (since Tara refused to return to the show). Poly, you FAIL at life.
sorority
James Marsters/Spike on BtVS. I don’t know if Joss Whedon did it, too, but Marti Noxon just couldn’t stop the gushing as far as I remember. I do believe however that Joss Whedon instead couldn’t stop talking about Amy Acker/Fred.
Both their characters would be prime examples of the LLE. In the case of Fred I’d also call her a definite Mary Sue.
rafflestv
Marti Noxon might have loved James Marster but she also loved inflicting her college age “issues” with men upon him, hence all the rape and other nonsense.
(This is the winner of worst human being in this post.)
oreo8704
That’s probably true. I heard that many of the stuff that happened in the later seasons was inspired by stuff that happened to her in her 20’s.
(Nope, new winner.)
Alisa
Spike on Buffy. Marti Noxon loved Spike so she gave him tons of screentime *and* used him to work out her own college-angst issues. It’s not a self-insert because Spike doesn’t represent herself, but it is rather pitiful.
(Did I mention everyone on Television Without Pity is scum?)
Morrigan8472
This is why there are more female instances of the LL effect than male: most TV writers are male and thus prefer and “favor” female characters. Although some writers will favor their male friends on the cast (Think JJ Abrams and Greg Grunberg on Alias) usually it’s more of an attraction thing that causes favoritism and thus there are more female LL effects. If you look at shows with female showrunners like Marti Noxon of BtVS and her creepy … “thing” with Spike, there is where male LL effects are most likely to occur. The only other example that I can think of is Shonda Rhimes and Grey’s Anatomy.
(Given these posts were made in 2006, there’s a good chance all these people are dead now.)
para
So my definition of Eye Candy would include Spike, with his constant state of undress and Marti Noxon’s crush on the actor, but even the meanest Spike-hater wouldn’t say that this was Spike’s only purpose.
yes
It must be pointed out that all of the Spike-fluffing was Joss Whedon’s idea, *not* Marti Noxon’s. Marti enjoyed taking her mandate to put Spike front and center as an excuse for lots of “hot” dysfunctional sex, and working out her old college-age issues, but it was Joss who envisioned Spike as the redeemed hero of the show, and Joss and Jane “[Spuffy] is such a gorgeous love story” Espenson who wrote all the shmoopy “every night I save you” crap.
In fact, of the seven scripts Marti put her name on during S5-7, Spike and Buffy have a combined total of zero scenes together in five of them. Only Wrecked is in any way a Spuffy fest. Marti much preferred Riley (just look at Into the Woods [”he’s the one that comes along once in a lifetime”], for example) and spent much of her first six months as showrunner bemoaning that she couldn’t get Marc Blucas back on the show. (He did return for As You Were, eventually.) Also, the middle part of S6, the endless Spuffy-sex-a-thon stall that was inserted by pushing Normal Again (and Buffy’s cathartic moment) back from episode 8 to episode 17, that was the one part of the season when Whedon was heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the series. (Before the musical episode was done, that took up all Joss’s time, and in February FOX bought his Firefly pitch and Joss wasn’t available to handle the end of the year, but the endless Naked!Spike scenes and manipulative balcony-sex and “Put it all on me/You always hurt the one you love”? Joss, all the way through.)
Fred, much though she qualifies as a Mary Sue, as Useless, as a Producers’ Favorite, and was proclaimed to have It!!!!, never even came close to taking over that series, and so does not qualify here, IMO. Heck, there were more “Gunn episodes” than “Fred episodes”, and Gunn is fucking Useless, too. (That’s even acknowledged from time to time, in show.) I think the respective treatments of Spike and Fred in the last season of Angel show which one qualifies as the monster which ate the show, and it ain’t Fred.
Not to mention how Whedon insisted that Spike be part of any spinoff idea (”It’s Dawn the Vampire Slayer…and Spike!”; “It’s Faith on a bike…with Spike!”: “How about Willow and Xander run a Slayer School…with Spike!”), insisted that Spike be the character brought over to Angel (Jordan Levin, then-head of the WB, was more interested in Willow, thinking that the show needed a female to balance the departure of Cordelia [which left Fred as the only girl on the series, but Joss insisted that she was the sexiest thing that ever had pipestem legs and a concave chest…]), and won’t consider any non-Spike movie projects.
IMO, this thread, like so much before it, is All About Spike. Lana Lang, from what I can tell, was the main character’s love interest from Day 1; she’s supposed to be at the center of the story. Spike didn’t appear until Season 2, and he was a minor villain who was supposed to be dead before half a season had passed. (Likewise Dawson’s Creek was supposed to be about Dawson’s life, and his relationship with Joey was always supposed to be a central element. If I were to nominate anyone from that series, I’d nominate Pacey the Sainted Fuck-up. [”Ask me to stay.” No, Pacey, go, sail away on your boat…and have it sink.])
And, sadly, I have to agree that Mike Kellerman fits this category, too, particularly in S5 of Homicide: Life On The Street. I loved Kellerman, I even enjoyed the episode Kellerman Mopes on his Boat (or whatever that was called), but it did get to be a little much.
(I can’t believe this person is named “yes”… Even if they are kind of defending Marti.)
Low Culture UK - Ick!
“GOING! Point Pleasant, E4, 9.00pm
Poor Point Pleasant - the entirely non-Midas touch of Marti Noxon strikes again. Despite having a fairly interesting premise (devil’s daughter arrives in a small coastal town and proceeds to screw everyone up royally), the writing and execution have been extremely sloppy, and a couple of good performances couldn’t save it. It’s been axed in the States, and since we’re so close behind, this will be the last episode to greet these shores, so we’re told. Christina, we hardly knew ye.”
(Non-Midas touch!? Screw you, UK!)
Would-Be Noxon Fan And Unclean Buffy Would-Be Fan
“By flamesparrow on Tue 06-Sep-05 18:45:59
I think I got most of that… seemed very stream of consciousness style! Riley was very easily shootable. I think I never really got over Oz leaving. Probably because he left on a high. He didn’t wait for his character/the storylines to go stale, he went out when I still cared. By the end I was watching more through dedication than love I did see one today (one of the first of the last season I think) and Spike had the wavy hair thing going on, and it made it all worthwhile Season 2 was the best by me - all dark and grumpy with lots of Grr from Angel. I was preferring Angel by the end too, never been too sure if that was because it was better, or that Buffy was losing its spark (or maybe they were just going through the motions by then… losing all their drive… ). I can analyse this for hours. I have far too much Buffy and Angel trivia bouncing round in my head for my own good! I tried watching Point Pleasant because Marti Noxon co-created or wrote it or something, but I couldn’t get into it. Always watched Smallville though, so a big yay from me there!”
(Look I’m glad they like Smallville, but this person is a super failure of a Buffy fan. Still props for giving Noxon a chance.)
John Keegan Tried To Help And Is Spared
“POINT PLEASANT - Unfortunately, I can’t say anything remotely similar about this series. I really wanted this one to work, since the premise is fun, and Christina is super-hot when she’s doing bad, bad things. Never mind that fact that Marti Noxon and many ex-Mutant Enemy writers are involved! The fact is, though…it’s just not coming together very well. The whole mix of “The OC” and “Omen” is uneven at best, and when Ben Edlund can’t write a strong episode for your series, that means there’s a problem. The ratings are dropping through the floor, so apparently a lot of other people agree. Get the apocalypse going, Marti, or the show’s the next victim!”
(Keegan gets immunity from my wrath… For now.)
Write Up of Marti Noxon’s History on Brothers & Sisters
“Showrunner Marti Noxon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and FOX’s short-lived Point Pleasant) was quick to defend the show, casting off the “troubled” label that had become someone affixed to Brothers & Sisters at that point. “We’re the private show,” joked Noxon. Ah. Well, that must explain it then.
It’s funny what a difference a few weeks can make. Noxon quit the series unexpectedly last week after what many have said were weeks of “friction” between her and neophyte television writer Jon Robin Baitz, the show’s creator. The Los Angeles Times blamed the departure on “a dispute over [the series’] artistic direction.” While Brothers & Sisters did continue filming after Noxon’s departure, it raises more than a little concern about the future of the show, which many TV critics have referred to as Calista Flockhart’s Return to TV (as though she’s been on vacation on some tropical island for the last few years).
Still, studio execs at Touchstone Television were hopeful that Noxon might return to the show. It’s not final,” Charissa Gilmore told the LA Times last week. “Until then, she’s on the show.”
It’s not quite that easy. Yesterday, there was another development in the ongoing Brothers & Sisters family saga. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Everwood creator Greg Berlanti has been said to be “spending a lot of time in the Brothers & Sisters writing room, lending a hand on the show,” following Noxon’s unexpected depature last week.
While there’s currently no deal in place to secure Berlanti’s services on the series, insiders said that he was a great fit with the show’s writer/producers. “Everyone is thrilled about this collaboration,” a Touchtone Television spokewoman told The Hollywood Reporter. (Um, that wouldn’t be the same spokeswoman who claimed that Noxon might come back, right?)
Officially, Touchstone Television is still looking at candidates to replace Noxon, but I have a feeling that Berlanti will be the one to fill her shoes, as he has experience overseeing a series: Everwood ran for four seasons on the (now defunct) WB. And it’s also worth noting that Berlanti has experience with short-lived dramas as well: Jack & Bobby, while critically acclaimed, failed to make it past its freshman season. Will the beleaguered Brothers & Sisters be added to that list? Or will it be the triumphant return to television that Flockhart’s handlers wish it to be? All I can say is find out this fall on ABC.”
(And it was.)
Oscar Host and New Moon Director
Wolverine has signed on to host next year’s Oscars. Say what you will, but back in 2000 I had my doubts about Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine — he proved me very wrong. Since then he’s been a joy as an actor and as a personality. They want to make the Oscars more of a “nightclub-party” after this year’s dismal show (which was still better than the Emmys). I think Jackman can deliver.
So the Twilight sequel New Moon looks like it has a new director. Chris Weitz of American Pie, About a Boy, and The Golden Compass fame is in negotiations for the coveted role. Does this mean Bella is going to take her gear off in front of a webcam? Most definitely not, but I can dream if I want to. Personally, I think Weitz is a fine choice.
A man can wish…
I didn’t want to see the new Punisher movie, but being a fanboy means going to support characters no matter what form they take.
I’m a bigger fan of the Dolph Lundgren version than any human being should be and I actually liked the Thomas Jane version. I was a little upset when I heard Lionsgate was giving a Hulk sized reboot of the franchise already. Was the Thomas Jane version really that bad?
Now the question is: Was the Thomas Jane version so bad it warranted this type of remake!?
Punisher: War Zone hearkens back to comic book movies the way they were in the 90s. I’m talking Tank Girl, Judge Dredd, Batman & Robin, and Black Scorpion II: Aftershock. We didn’t really take comic book movies too seriously in the 90s, but it was a different direction from the one the 80s took with superheroes. 90s comic book movies were grittier, but they also had a real ‘doesn’t take itself too seriously’ tone too. Some worked better than others.
War Zone features two villains who are right out of a Dick Tracy comic: Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim. Both of them aren’t going for a performance say Heath Ledger gave as Joker, instead they’re closer to the Batman villains of the 60s. They’re over the top and rely on humor over intimidation. I’m not complaining about that; I love more colorful villain characters. However there’s a scene where the two are giving speeches to different race gangs to get them to join their crusade against The Punisher which crosses a line even for me.
Then again, the whole movie doesn’t take itself seriously either. One of The Punisher’s assistants gets hacked up by a hatchet and he’s delivering full lines in the next scene, The Punisher uses a rocket launcher to blow a guy up while he’s jumping off rooftops, The Punisher punches through a guy’s face, etc. The violence is very over the top and stylized, but it takes out the BOO-YEAH! from the film. I couldn’t really cheer for any of the kills because of this. I take it back, there is one kill where The Punisher blows the head off a criminal while he’s being arrested. That I did kind of clap for just for the sheer inhumanity of it.
Speaking of which, The Punisher faces one real crisis in this film and that’s when he discovers he’s killed an undercover FBI agent. Worse, that agent doesn’t turn out to be evil like in so many bad action movies, but this guy actually was a fan of Castle’s! The Punisher responds to this by asserting himself as the new father of his victim’s daughter. Yes, this is another movie where the hero makes another man’s child his surrogate. We saw it in Collateral Damage, we saw it in Darkman III: Die Darkman Die. It might be my Japanese genes talking, but to me that’s the most dishonorable thing a man can do. Then again, this Punisher has no respect for human life. Sure he kills indiscriminately, but there’s a scene where a character is getting mugged by a guy who looks like a homeless alcoholic and what does Frank do? Shoots him. Remember the Dolph Lundgren Punisher actually helping out an alcoholic homeless guy in his film? Yeah, this Punisher doesn’t care. He really has no value for human life. There’s a scene towards the end of the movie where he’s presented with saving the man he’s killed family or saving the life of his associate. This Punisher probably would’ve let all of them die had he not be out looking to redeem himself in his own eyes. This Punisher is a heartless psychotic sociopath.
This was supposed to be a good season for women directors. But former Princess Kitana Lexi Alexander took a few missteps with her film. However, I will say her film does look better than the now unemployed Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight film did. Alexander, I will give you another chance to make a good movie, but don’t make another Punisher movie. Please.
In other fanboy notes, Julie Benz plays another woman in distress. Here’s what I don’t get, Darla was kick ass on Buffy and Angel, she’s kick ass on Dexter. So why is her film career littered with films like this, Rambo IV, and Saw V where she plays women who are victims!? Boondock Saints II better utilize her correctly! Julie Benz, I still love you.
Bettie Page is dead, Blade might come back to life
The notorious Bettie Page is dead at 85.
R.I.P.
In gossip news, there might be a Blade reboot; don’t worry David Goyer will not be allowed anywhere near the director’s seat. Despite what the linked website says, Goyer is done with the daywalker.
Edit: Macaulay Culkin’s sister, Dakota, was murdered by a car.
