Dec
22nd
22nd
Sup Tumblr!
Wish I had more time to check my dashboard. Miss you all.
Saw Paranormal Activity tonight (by myself, no less!).
I’m still not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it clearly knows what it wants to do, and it succeeds at doing it. It’s creepy and unsettling (and at times, scary) and never feels anything less than “real” for a second. I’m a pretty seasoned horror fan, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that every time the water pipes have made noise tonight in the hotel room I’m currently in, my heart hasn’t started racing a little faster than usual.
That being said… I feel like it could have been more. I’m all for a slow build, but instead of gradually leading up to a “10” on the scare/creep scale, the movie basically goes 1… 1… 2… 3… 4….. 9 10! -end.- I feel like speeding up the beginning to make room for some 6’s and 7’s and 8’s in there could have made for a more satisfying experience. And maybe giving us the 10 for just a *bit* longer. (And also not ruining the 10 in the movie trailer, which I thankfully didn’t watch before seeing it.)
Still, it’s nice to see scary movies trying something new/smart and achieving success. In my mind, the shot pictured above is nothing less than iconic. What an awesome motif; every time the film returned to this setup, the audience went DEAD silent. Very neat to experience.
With 'Southland' Axed, NBC's Depressing Surrender Is Almost Complete
This is one of the best “state of TV” articles I’ve ever seen, coming on the heels of NBC canceling Southland before season two even began to air. Tempted to quote the whole thing, but my favorite part is below. A must-read.
What makes this story particularly frustrating is that in spite of what you read about costs and splintering audiences and a future made up of nothing but variety shows, there are indications that there are ways to make money with scripted shows. A Newsweek profile in July of this year discussed the remarkable successes of the USA network under the guidance of Bonnie Hammer, who helped turn USA into a major moneymaker. What’s her strategy?
Good scripted shows, for one thing. Burn Notice, Monk, Psych, the new Royal Pains, and others. From that profile: “Of all NBCU’s properties, including the namesake broadcaster NBC and its Universal studio, USA has become the biggest earner, delivering roughly $1 billion in profits last year.” Hammer is not a snob — she has embraced USA’s relationship with professional wrestling. But her big strategy is good shows people like, and she’s making money. NBC Universal owns this network — how is its broadcast network making worse shows than, and making less money than, one of its cable properties? They’re all in Rockefeller Center — they’re in the building. Go ask them how they’re doing it.
I don’t know if anyone decided to stick with Parks & Recreation after its less-than-inspiring first “season” (six-episode run), but I hope some of you did. And if you didn’t, you might want to try again. And if you never watched it at all, you’ll be better off than the rest of us if you start now with season two, as the show has finally figured out what the heck it wants to be. For my money, this has absolutely been the most consistently successful comedy of the early 2009 season. Yes, it’s been better than The Office, and even awesome newbie Modern Family.
Seriously, it’s so good. I’ve been waiting for the chance to use April’s “I like people, places, and thiiiings!” in everyday conversation since last week’s episode. My time will come, I’m sure. And Amy’s improv on the fake-date last night was fantastic. Please trust me on this one and give P&R a second chance; the ratings are making me nervous.
![Now this is a cause I can get behind. [via]](http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kr5vq7ipsp1qzppexo1_400.jpg)
