Reviews and More

Regular readers of this blog know that I’ve already been complaining about the lack of TV viewing choices available during the summer months. Most networks are content to broadcast reruns or premier second-rate shows that weren’t good enough to make the lineup during the fall, and I certainly don’t want to waste my time on those.

Fortunately, it looks like the summer doldrums won’t last very long. I just heard of a brand-new program called Burn Notice that sounds like it’ll definitely be worth watching. The show will begin on June 28th, and stars Jeffrey Donovan as a CIA operative named Michael Westen who becomes blacklisted for some mysterious reason. He has no idea who was behind the “burn notice,” so he’s making it his mission in life to find out what happened. Of course, he doesn’t have any money or resources to work with, which means he’ll have to rely on a couple of former contacts — and his mother!

The premise of USA Network’s Burn Notice got me to thinking of what I would do if I were ever stuck in a similar situation. How would I survive in a strange city without any money or credit cards?

First of all, I’d pray that I was stuck in a warm place so that weather wouldn’t become much of a factor. Michael’s in Miami, so he at least has that going for him. I’m not a very resourceful person, and since I wouldn’t want to steal anything, I’d likely start panhandling right away. I’d explain my situation to a few passers by in the hopes that someone would take pity on me and toss a few bucks my way. I would try to get enough money to make it back home, or I’d call a friend to come and pick me up (if possible). Either way, I’d definitely want to avoid having to sleep in a bus station, train station, or other public place. That can’t be very safe!

At any rate, I watched some preview clips of Burn Notice, and think it looks fantastic! It’s a spy show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, so I know I can expect a lot of laughs along with the great action. Plus, Sharon Gless stars as Michael’s mother, which is definitely a bonus. I’ve been watching Cagney & Lacey on DVD, so it’ll be cool to compare Sharon’s two roles that are 25 years apart!

If I like the show, then you can expect to read full episode recaps on my site. Until then, be sure to check out http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice to learn more about Burn Notice. Oh, and be sure to tune in on June 28th to see what all the buzz is about!

Thanks to HBO’s unorthodox scheduling policy, viewers will be treated to new episodes of Entourage all summer long. This is a relief, considering the fact that there’s not much else to look forward to on television until the new season starts in September. Last night marked the official start of Season 4 on Entourage, and we pick up with the boys in Bogota, Colombia, where they’re finally filming Medellín. Here’s what happened in episode 4×01, called “Welcome to the Jungle.”

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): This episode was presented in the form of a documentary about the filming of Medellín, so Vince, E, Billy, Drama, Turtle, and Ari all talked directly into the camera most of the time. We got the behind-the-scenes treatment of what went into making the movie, from the casting decisions to makeup applications to Billy screening the dailies.

We also got a glimpse of how E went about “producing” the movie: he had to make sure the extras, props, and effects were there for each shoot, and he had to make sure that everything stayed within budget. Furthermore, he had to act as a go-between when Billy flipped out and suddenly decided he didn’t want to talk to Vince anymore.

Although Billy had a major meltdown while in the jungle, they managed to get the movie done on time and under budget — which is a good thing, considering the fact that Nicky Rubenstein got busted for cocaine possession, is in rehab, and has had his assets frozen!

My Reaction: I thought this was a pretty boring episode. I understand that it has some value as a transitional piece that gets us from pre-Medellín to post-Medellín, but I didn’t think it was very well done. There weren’t any laughs at all, nothing interesting happened, etc. Plus, I don’t like Billy Walsh at all and can’t stand when he’s on the screen.

I guess this episode just goes to show that Entourage should be about movie stars living the Hollywood life, not movie stars making movies. Hopefully next week they’ll go back to the formula that works!

When I consider living in a major city like New York, several conflicting thoughts cross my mind. On the one hand, I think it would be absolutely amazing to live in a place that’s constantly teeming with activity and opportunity. I mean, what other city in the U.S. has as much to offer in terms of history, culture, art, business, fine dining, night life, and professional sports? I’d never run out of new things to do, that’s for sure!

But on the other hand, there are numerous challenges associated with living in such an environment — especially for a newcomer who doesn’t know her way around the city. For example, how would I go about trying to secure a decent, affordable apartment in a safe neighborhood when I don’t know anything about New York City? How can I find out what the hottest new clubs or restaurants are? In other words, where can I go for useful, up-to-date information about the city from real New Yorkers?

Well, in searching for answers to these questions, I came across a relatively new website that I think will be a valuable resource for people who want the inside scoop on life in NYC. The site is called GothamCityTalk.com, and features forums where members can talk about every aspect of living in New York, from tourist attractions to politics to unique hot spots. There’s even a forum dedicated to Rants and Raves, where you can let everyone know exactly how you feel about businesses, restaurants, shops, museums, or life in general.

In my opinion, the most useful section of the forum is the one dedicated to real estate. This is where you can go to talk about your experiences trying to find an apartment with the various New York management companies out there. This is obviously a very important issue for both newbies and long-term residents alike, so I think it’s worth checking out GothamCityTalk.com for this info alone.

Like I said, with so many websites out there dedicated to life in New York City, it can be difficult to separate the good from the utterly useless. But I think it’s safe to say GothamCityTalk.com is a keeper, so I’ve bookmarked the site and will check in frequently.

The Ocean’s Thirteen reign at the top of the box office was short and sweet, as newcomer Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer easily beat the rest of the competition with $57.4 million in ticket sales. Ocean’s Thirteen pulled in $19.1 million, which was good enough for second place, while the Katherine Heigl comedy Knocked Up continued to perform well with another $14.5 million in receipts.

The only other new entry into the top-10 list was Nancy Drew, which debuted at No.7 with $7.1 million in sales. I have to admit that as a former Nancy Drew junkie, I really want to see that movie!

Anyway, here’s the complete top 10 for Father’s Day weekend, ending 6/17/07:

1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, $57.4 million
2. Ocean’s Thirteen, $19.1 million
3. Knocked Up, $14.5 million
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, $12 million
5. Surf’s Up, $9.3 million
6. Shrek the Third, $9 million
7. Nancy Drew, $7.1 million
8. Hostel: Part II, $3 million
9. Mr. Brooks, $2.8 million
10. Spider-Man 3, $2.5 million

Coming next week: 1408 and A Mighty Heart.