10/05/2004
Changing Channels
I caught the premiere episode of Desperate Housewives Monday night, which I have to say I was attracted to solely by the title. I expected its camp to be a little funnier than it was, although it's hard to expect the pilot episode to truly illustrate what a series can become. It dragged in parts and struggled to find the right pitch between wackiness and sincerity. Stepford Wives is the easy comparison to make, but hopefully they'll dig deeper into these women. Having the story narrated by a dead character is nothing new (Sunset Boulevard, American Beauty) but I'm wondering if it's going to continue. I'll give it another watch, if only to see Jesse Metcalfe (who goes to my gym, and is as distractingly stunning in person) "mow the lawn" once again. Note to self: hire hot gardener.
Lost is another show I've been watching. So far it's a little bit King Kong, a little bit Alive, and a little bit Twin Peaks. I am also a sucker for airplane crash movies, Ian Somerhalder's ruddy cheeks, Dominic Monoghan's scruff, and anything featuring animals that attack, so I'm there for now. They say it's a breakout hit — the moment it turns into Smallville or Felicity though, I'm outta there. Thanks Dan B. for recommendations on both those shows.
Last night I saw What the $#@! Do We Know? — or What the Bleep! to which it's been shortened for obvious reasons. 
It stars Marlee Matlin, and it's part documentary, part, uh, textbook illustration? Anyway, the movie is about Quantum Physics; experts talking about the theory of matter, God, and our existence, woven in with an amusing fictional narrative about Marlee Matlin that attempts to illustrate what the fuck they're talking about. Its special effects are at times endearing but most of the time cloying (the human cell characters were straight out of Ghostbusters). But trust me, it ain't a dumb movie and I think you'll get something out of it — either transcendence or a headache. Thanks M@ for the recommendation on that one.
Posted 1:01 PM EST by Andy Towle in Film & TV | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
i saw "What The Bleep" as well, and you are right on; there's a lot of info, sort of like watching NOVA on the big screen.
i am sure that one mystical lady (ramtha?) is one of the singers from ABBA.
Posted by: bmw | Oct 5, 2004 12:44:17 PM
Hi Andy. Jus t to say hi!
Hugs...
P.S. Have you been in Rio before?
Posted by: Mário | Oct 5, 2004 3:28:24 PM
what about a transcendental headache?
Posted by: M@ | Oct 5, 2004 4:54:30 PM
Hey Andy it looks like you are caught with the new series...I watched Lost, i liked. Lets see what s going on in the next episodes.
Posted by: marcello | Oct 5, 2004 7:32:41 PM
Hey Andy it looks like you are caught with the new series...I watched Lost, i liked it. Lets see what s going on in the next episodes.
Posted by: marcello | Oct 5, 2004 7:35:24 PM
Lost was pretty good. It reminds me of Gilligan's Island, though. (That’s not necessarily a bad thing)
Posted by: Harley | Oct 5, 2004 7:42:43 PM
Cool you mentioned What the Bleep!
Being from Oregon (it's been playing Portland for months) it's cool to see it get picked up for a national release. It's an interesting movie to think about... nonetheless...
Posted by: Lost Monkey | Oct 5, 2004 8:42:51 PM
'Lost' for now has that Twin Peaks aura. It's like you just want to know what the hell is going on. I hope once I find out I don't find it boring.
Posted by: myke | Oct 5, 2004 10:27:36 PM
I enjoyed the premiere of "Housewives" and thought it was very smart and funny. I'll watch a few more.....and hope for more of the gardener! ;) Speaking of shows.... did Alias get cancelled? Loved that one.
Posted by: Bert | Oct 6, 2004 12:30:30 AM
Saw "What the Bleep" last week- it sure does get you thinking- and the theater was full of the same folks like me- searching for something MORE... anyhow, thanks for the endorsement.
Posted by: Robert | Oct 6, 2004 11:00:46 AM
Bert......I was very disappointed that Alias isn't back this fall, but I found out that it will be coming back in January. Why the delay really puzzles me, as it doesn't look promising for the survival of the series.
Posted by: Patrick | Oct 6, 2004 11:11:47 AM
To Bert & Patrick -- ALIAS will be back in January, yes. This push, however, is not a sign of anything but continued programming smarts on the behalf of ABC's new primetime programming president, Stephen McPherson. Alias' failure to reach or build a consistent audience is being contributed to the lack of episodes that consistently air back-to-back. With a plotline that moves so rapidly, ALIAS has been tough for some viewers to follow when there are two to three week gaps in between fresh episodes. The new programming strategy will start ALIAS in the winter (January '05) and allow for it to run consecutive new episodes week after week with the only interruption being the Oscars.
It's a smart move, one that actually has the best interests of the show in mind. Also, until January, we'll get WIVES out of the deal, which, in my opinion, is great.
Posted by: matthew | Oct 6, 2004 11:57:38 AM
Thanks Matthew. I think the network isn't helping the show any more by not running season 3 a second time in "repeats" over the summer. It doesn't seem to me they care much about the show anymore. Hopefully the show starting in January without any breaks in the episodes will help.
Posted by: Patrick | Oct 6, 2004 1:23:33 PM
Desperate Housewives is the best new series since 24! It's an amalgam of actors from my favorite shows of the 90's. I'm hooked! If only Jake Hanson or Amanda Woodward would stop by the set, hot dog!
Posted by: winneroftheSAT | Oct 8, 2004 1:43:29 AM
salon.com had a great article about how what the bleep was created by a cult, and their website has links to cult books
Posted by: sean mcnamara | Oct 9, 2004 4:16:26 PM