March 08, 2008
Jim Gaffigan and Hot Pockets! (YouTube)
[From Jim Gaffigan's Beyond the Pale comedy special. Hilarious! BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2008
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to Perform at Superbowl XLII Halftime Show (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
Broadcast to nearly 1 billion people in over 230 countries and territories worldwide, the Super Bowl is the marquee event of American sport and television.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will rock this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show as legendary talent such as Prince, Paul McCartney, and The Rolling Stones have in recent years.
Superbowl XLII will be broadcast on FOX on February 3, 2008. -Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Official Site
[I watch Super Bowl Sunday each year for its commercials, but this year will be an extra treat now! BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 09:50 PM | Comments (3)
January 10, 2008
Knight Rider Announcement (NBC)
Executive Producer Doug Liman ('The Bourne Identity' Franchise and 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith') and Executive Producer David Bartis ('The O.C' and NBC's 'Heist') have joined together to bring back the 1980's television classic "Knight Rider." The two-hour movie event brings KITT and a talented cast of young and seasoned actors into the 21st century with speed, drama, love and triumph. David Hasselhoff as a special guest star returns as Michael Knight. -NBC.com
[Awesome! I remember the original Knight Rider was my favorite show as a kid and I watched both movies, Knight Rider 2000 (based on the series) and Knight Rider 2010 (loosely based on the series), so I will definitely check this one out. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:01 PM | Comments (2)
November 29, 2007
Sneak Peak of James Blunt on Sesame Street (You Tube)
[Our Introduction to Composition professor watches a lot of Sesame Street with his young daughter and constantly references this version of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful". A good adaptation intended to teach kids about triangles, but nowhere near as hilarious as the "My Cubicle" parody. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 05:30 AM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2007
Starbucks "Glen" Survivor Commercial (You Tube)
[Best commercial or greatest commercial? A hilarious parody of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky III. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 07:56 AM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2007
Colbert’s comics coming soon (Quillblog)
Entertainment Weekly is giving the world a sneak peek at Stephen Colbert’s new comic book series, entitled Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen. The five-issue series features art by Scott Chantler, of Northwest Passage fame, and follows the intergalactic adventures of Jansen, the hero of a sci-fi novel that Colbert’s Comedy Central host character claims to have written. The title is a nod to William Shatner’s TekWar series. -Megan Grittani-Livingston
Posted by kuechebj at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)
Kwik-E-Mart Comes to Life (ABC News)
While fast food tie-ins are still a major part of generating hype for a new film, today Hollywood seeks larger and more creative means to create buzz. Call it organic, viral or guerrilla marketing.
The latest incarnation came this week when 7-Eleven transformed 12 of its convenience stores into caricatures of the Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for "The Simpsons Movie." -Scott Mayerowitz
Posted by kuechebj at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2007
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats (You Tube)
[Here is something I notice about this video that really bothers me. According to CMT, this song hit #1 on Billboard's Country charts and helped Underwood's album go five times platnium last year, but now this song is shooting up the pop charts as DJs and VJs herald it as a "new" song. Naturally, appearing on Country and Pop charts makes Underwood a successful crossover artist like Shania Twain, but what bothers me is that DJs and VJs are treating her as if she is brand-new whereas before they were aware of a crossover artist's previous success. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 10:33 PM | Comments (2)
April 14, 2007
First Screen James Bond Dies (CBS News Showbuzz)
Nelson first played 007 in a one-hour TV adaptation of "Casino Royale" in 1954, eight years before Sean Connery played the British agent in the big screen adaptation of "Dr. No."
The occasion was the CBS series "Climax!" which had purchased the rights to the first James Bond novel from author Ian Fleming, reportedly for $1,000. The live broadcast on October 21, 1954 featured Peter Lorre as the card player Le Chiffre. -CBS | AP
Posted by kuechebj at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2007
Buddhist Channel Examines Superman (Buddhist Channel)
Yes, Superman (played by Brandon Routh) is not enlightened after all. He can only save physical lives, and not save individuals' spiritual lives - though he might inspire many with his compassion in action. Superman was featured almost in a god-like way with a host of archetypal comic book super powers, while Lex Luthor (played by Kevin Spacey) comments that "gods are selfish beings who fly around in little red capes and don't share their power with mankind." Well, it's not so much that he doesn't want to share, but that he can't share his power, it being his self-earned karmic birthright! Similarly, the enlightened cannot literally make us wise, but can only share with us their wisdom on how to become as wise as them. -Shen Shi'an
[Many of us graduate students choose Analyzing Visual Rhetoric as our first paper units when teaching freshman composition. Here is a brief visual analysis of the Superman Returns movie poster through a religious studies lens using Buddhism. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 12:48 PM | Comments (2)
January 12, 2007
Duck Dodgers - The Green Loontern pt2 (YouTube)
[What if Duck Dodgers picked up Hal Jordan's Green Lantern costume at the dry cleaners by mistake? Hilarious! BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2006
1 vs. 100 (NBC)
To stay in the game, the player must answer trivia questions and get every one right -- wrong answers from the mob eliminates them from the game, driving up the cash prize for the player. If the player can eliminate all 100 members of the mob, which will also be stacked with surprise opponents, such as geniuses, valedictorians, grandmothers and other game show champs, he will go home with the $1 million top prize. However, if the player gets one answer wrong, the game is over and "the mob" will split the player's winnings up to that point and a new contestant gets to take on "the mob."
[Here is another interesting game show from NBC hosted by Bob Saget alongside Howie Mandell's Deal or No Deal. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 02:20 PM | Comments (2)
October 10, 2006
Google Snaps Up YouTube for $1.65B (AP | MyWay)
Internet search leader Google is snapping up YouTube for $1.65 billion, brushing aside copyright concerns to seize a starring role in the online video revolution. -Associated Press
[From Jerz's Literacy Weblog. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)
October 07, 2006
Online video running wild (Market Watch)
If Google reaches a deal with YouTube, the combined company would be a more potent force against MySpace, the social-networking Web site that has become the No. 1 provider of video on the Internet, according to comScore Networks, a market-research firm. -Ben Charny
[I know lots of people use Facebook, MySpace, or both, but MySpace as number one for online video? I always wish MySpace would develop more aesthetically pleasing and usable pages. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:12 PM | Comments (2)
Starship Enterprise fetches $770,000 (ABC News)
The Enterprise top lot has garnered one of the highest prices ever paid for any piece of Hollywood memorabilia and set a record for a piece of Star Trek memorabilia.
The 198-centimetre model of the Starship Enterprise-D, used extensively in the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, has sold for 20 times the predicted sale price.
It was bought by a determined, unidentified private American collector bidding via telephone. -Reuters
[I thought for a moment that bidder on the phone might be Dennis G. Jerz, an undergraduate mentor and friend of mine, but then I remember he chose Kirk over Picard =) BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:01 PM | Comments (2)
September 22, 2006
Colbert Report - The Word - Superman (YouTube)
[Favorite Colbert line: "...he disguised himself as the one thing farthest from a hero - a journalist." Favorite bulletpoint: "Like get a comics page" (To the New York Times). BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)
April 03, 2006
The Simpsons Trailer! (CanMag)
Any time you think of a simple animation you don't assume that it would take too long to make. For the bigger blockbusters we can expect a teaser trailer up to a year in an advance. For The Simpsons Movie, Fox tells us that not only we have to wait till 2007 for the film's release, but we have to wait all the way until July. Holy cow! What if we forget by then!
[The trailer is viewable at YouTube. It has been a long time since I watched an episode of The Simpsons, but I imagine that a big-budget movie would be successful for the long-running animated sitcom. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2006
Oh no, they killed Chef (Scotsman)
The soul singer has voiced the Chef character in South Park since 1997, but left recently because of what he allegedly called the animated show's religious "intolerance and bigotry". Founders Matt Stone and Trey Parker said that Hayes, a Scientologist, was angry that South Park mocked the religion in an episode last November.
Hayes did not participate in making Wednesday's episode; the character's lines appeared to be patched together through tapes of past dialogue.
[Chef's return might have resulted in a Darth Vader-like character, but Chef also becomes a Frankenstein-like monster. Instead of sewn together body parts taken from different bodies, Chef's lines are edited and recycled from different episodes, which I think is interesting. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
March 03, 2006
Is NBC's Heroes the Next Lost? (Superhero Hype)
Just as Lost isn't really a show about a haunted island, Heroes isn't a show about crusaders, caped or otherwise. It's about people — albeit ones with extraordinary quirks. "I kind of want to stay away from the superhero aspect," says Kring. "It's about very ordinary people all over the world who literally discover that they have special powers, and it's their dealing with that." The superheroes, er, ordinary people include a 30-year-old male nurse who believes he can fly — and, unlike R. Kelly, really can; a 28-year-old junkie who has the ability to paint images of the future; a 33-year-old Las Vegas showgirl who can do incredible things with mirrors; a 24-year-old Japanese comic-book geek who literally makes time stand still; a 31-year-old inmate who can transport himself through walls (eat your heart out, Michael Scofield); and a 17-year-old cheerleader who defies death at every turn (think of Bruce Willis in Unbreakable, only with blonde hair and big pom-poms).
[I am not getting my hopes up for this one because it seems like ever since reality shows became a television genre, all other genres suffer, which is evidenced by screenwriters for dramas not getting jobs as they once did. The only network I believe is still giving drama its credit is The WB. However, The WB is merging with UPN to form CW next fall, but hopefully things will not change. Nevertheless, survival on television is only a sure thing if that program is a reality show or a game show. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 12:52 PM | Comments (2)
March 02, 2006
A-B-C rejects KFC ad because of policy against subliminal advertising (MSN Money)
It turns out a hidden message in a K-F-C ad is too close to subliminal advertising for A-B-C. The network says it's following a longstanding policy and won't air the commercial with the message. A-B-C is airing a different version, with the message frame cut out.
No other network has refused the ad.
Viewers can slowly replay it to find a message to enter on the fast food restaurant's Web site to get a coupon for a free sandwich.
A University of Missouri advertising professor says he doesn't think it's a subliminal ad. In fact, he thinks it's just the opposite -- because people have been told to look out for the message.
The Kentucky-based company is pleased with the results. It says more than 70-thousand people have entered to receive coupons.
The strategy is meant to counter the growth of new technology that lets viewers skip through commercials.
[CNN reported about KFC's ad a few days ago, but the ad had not been pulled by ABC yet. I remember seeing that commercial a few times and I never felt compelled to log on and get my coupon for a free sandwich. However, I also don't sit and watch something frame-by-frame, either. I agree with the advertising professor's assessment about KFC's tactic of telling audiences that something is hidden in its ad. I might add that some controversy is being generated from recent media coverage and that strategy worked well for Mel Gibson leading up to Passion of the Christ was released in theaters. My Dad pointed out to me that controversy = free publicity and here we see it in action again. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2006
Deal or No Deal Returns (NBC)
The rules are simple. Choose a briefcase. Then as each round progresses, you must either stay with your original briefcase choice or make a "deal" with the bank to accept its cash offer in exchange for whatever dollar amount is in your chosen case.
Once you decide to accept or decline the bank's offer, the decision is final.
Contestants are encouraged to ask friends or family in the audience for advice; however, only the contestant's answer will be considered binding and final.
[Yes! My favorite game show is back on NBC this week. I do not consider myself a game show fanatic or anything, but I love Deal or No Deal, which trumps Who Wants to Be A Millionaire in my book. I highly recommend watching this absolutely unique game show. Hosted by Howie Mandell. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 01:24 PM | Comments (5)
February 09, 2006
Formidable Opponent: Eavesdropping (Colbert Report)
[From Beth Davies. In this clip, Colbert uses the Superman story as a justification for warrantless wiretapping. Usually Colbert's humor is hit or miss with me, but this one is possibly his worst skit yet. Although I always hated the Wonder Twins and their monkey Gleek in the cartoons, I cannot agree with a metaphor comparing Superman and President Bush based on responsible use of super (executive) powers. Based on my research with "Vote Lex 2000," Superman is a representative of the Democrats, while Lex Luthor is a representative of the Republicans. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)
February 08, 2006
Super Bowl XL Ads (Discourse Chronicle)
[Here is my assessment of Super Bowl XL ads. My favorites are Bud Light, Diet Pepsi (Jackie Chan), Aleve (Leonard Nimoy), careerbuilder.com, Ford, Sprint, and MasterCard.
Winners: Sierra Mist, Bud Light, Fed Ex, V for Vendetta, Diet Pepsi (Jackie Chan), Aleve (Leonard Nimoy), Cars, Budweiser, Mobile ESPN, careerbuilder.com, United Way, Mission Impossible 3, Dove, Shaggy Dog, Ford, Michelob, Poseidon, Disney, Sprint, Sharpie, NFL Mobile, World's Fastest Indian, ESPN, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Master Card .
Losers: Burger King, Toyota, 16 Blocks, Ameriquest, Cadillac, godaddy.com, Gillette, overstock.com, NFL Network, Motorola, nationwide.com, Hummer, PS, Taco Bell, Slim-Fast, McDonald's, Degree, Emerald Nuts, Fidelity, Honda, Beer, World Baseball Classic, Running Scared, Outback, Westin, network ads, and local ads. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 11:49 PM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2006
Spike TV Picks Up Blade Series (Superhero Hype)
Spike TV has given the green-light for a television series based on Marvel Super Hero Blade as the network's first original scripted series. The network has ordered 11 one-hour episodes, in addition to the previously announced two-hour kick-off episode, to be produced by New Line Television, set to commence production in Vancouver this spring. Blade premieres in June 2006.
[...]
Blade focuses on Marvel's eponymous immortal warrior fighting a shadowy underworld of vampires who want to destroy the human race. The title character is a half-man, half-vampire who uses his superhuman powers and skills to fearlessly battle the demonic creatures of the night in a blood- drenched crusade to prevent the ascendance of vampires over mankind.
Posted by kuechebj at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)
January 27, 2006
Devil's Due Starts Family Guy Comics in April (Newsarama)
Initial plans call for a three issue, prestige format miniseries shipping bi-monthly. Each issue will focus on one of the characters, with volume one, 100 Ways to Kill Lois featuring Stewie Griffen. The series format will be a hybrid, combining both prose and traditional comic book stories. For example volume 1 will begin with Stewie’s thoughts on his family, and, obviously, ways to kill his mother, Lois, and then segue into a comic book story, and then finish with more from Stewie.
The publisher has tapped Family Guy writer Matt Fleckenstein to write the series, with art by Benjamin Phillips. According to sources at Devil’s Due, the three 48-page issues will be collected later in the year, and if sales warrant, more Family Guy will roll out.
Posted by kuechebj at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)
Seven Seas to Launch New Speed Racer Miniseries (Newsarama)
Seven Seas Entertainment announced today its agreement with Speed Racer Enterprises to release an all-new original color comic based on Speed Racer, the famous animated TV series from the 1960’s. Like Speed’s race car, the Mach 5, the series will zoom into stores monthly as a 5-issue mini-series starting July, 2006.
[...]
In 2005, Seven Seas carved a name for itself in the manga industry for producing original English language manga with high quality art and stories. The Speed Racer mini-series will mark Seven Seas’ first foray into traditional 32-page color comics. For this latest incarnation of Speed Racer, Seven Seas promises an engaging cinematic storyline written by a prominent Hollywood screenwriter, along with dynamic artwork by a top-notch manga artist – both to be announced shortly.
[I remember watching Speed Racer cartoons when MTV had them years ago. I also love the Geico ad featuring Speed, Trixie, Chim Chim, and the Mach 5. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2006
Star Trek Now Under "CBS Paramount Television" (Star Trek.com)
If you've been reading the business pages lately, you probably know that Viacom — the home company of Paramount Pictures and Star Trek — was split into two separate entities as of the first of the year: CBS Corp. and the "new" Viacom Inc. Under the terms of the separation, CBS took control of — among other things — all of Paramount's television properties.
[...]
That library contains over 60,000 hours of television programming, with titles that include cherished classics such as I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Happy Days, Cheers and many others, along with Trek. CBS Paramount TV currently produces more than 46 hours of programming each week, including the CSI franchise, Medium, Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends and Charmed, as well as syndicated fare such as Entertainment Tonight, The Insider and Dr. Phil, which continue to be shot on the Paramount lot.
Posted by kuechebj at 03:58 PM | Comments (0)
Final closure of The West Wing (BBC News)
The West Wing's unprecedented run of award wins came to an end at last week's Golden Globes, with drama series such as Lost, House and new political drama Commander-in-Chief - with Geena Davis as a female president - stealing its thunder.
"It's a different world from when the West Wing started in 1999," said Mr [William] Gallagher.
"Politics is getting very serious debate in the most unexpected dramas like Battlestar Galactica and we do have the more straightforward Commander-in-Chief."
[I liked the West Wing and seven seasons is a long run for modern television serials. However, it is still a far cry from Gunsmoke's 20 seasons or Bonanza's 14 seasons. The only show that I know is coming close to a run like that is The Simpsons. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 01:32 PM | Comments (4)
December 23, 2005
Deal or No Deal (Discourse Chronicle)
[NBC finished its premiere week for a new game show called Deal or No Deal. Hosted by Howie Mandell, this game show features 26 numbered briefcases, each with a random amount of money placed in them by a third party. Each case contains anywhere from $.01 to $1,000,000. These cases are brought onstage by 26 gorgeous models and a contestant chooses one for him or her to keep. The object of the game is to determine which money amount is in that selected case via elimination of those other cases. Beginning with the first round, the contestant chooses 6 cases to open and each round allows one less case to open until only 1 case is left to open per round. "The Banker" watches the game from above and wants to prevent the player from taking home a lot of money, so he makes an offer for that case between rounds, prompting Mandell to ask, "Deal or No Deal?"
I am not a huge game show fan, but this one grabbed me and refused to let go. The premise is similar to a psychology experiment I participated in at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire a few years ago. I believe it went something like this: I was shown two different choices, one was a dollar amount, and the other was an object of value such as tickets to see a show. For a while, I chose dollar amounts, but there were instances when I hesitated because the object seemed more valuable. After the experiment ended, I was told that its purpose was for risk analysis and eventually choosing objects over money was common behavior.
The experiment I described and this new game show also exploit utilitarian thinking, an ethical concept from philosophy, when a person weighs a decision out critically and only chooses the most profitable option. No profit = No go (Deal or No Deal?). Complicating matters is a slippery slope or an unforeseeable outcome ("The Banker" or choosing another case). I love this concept and unfortunately, future episodes are going to be shown on CNBC Prime beginning next week. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2005
Joshua Ortega Talks "Star Trek" Manga (Comic Book Resources)
Tokyopop's recent announcement of a new "Star Trek" manga, set during the time line of the original series (referred to as "TOS" by fans) featuring Captain Kirk & Spock, raised the eyebrows of many fans, who hadn't quite expected a new comic book to commemorate the franchise's 40th anniversary. With all television and movie projects on hold, "Star Trek" has seen better days, but writer Joshua Ortega is hoping to remind fans just why they fell in love with the adventures of the starship Enterprise (and all those other ships too).
Posted by kuechebj at 04:20 PM | Comments (2)
December 02, 2005
'A Charlie Brown Christmas' Leads TV Pack (Lowell Sun)
Schulz, the creator of Charlie Brown and the rest of the "Peanuts" comic strip gang, never doubted that the program he'd written was good, Mendelson said. Schulz, who died in 2000, considered it his favorite of the "Peanuts" TV specials.
[Peanuts and other comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes are another reading aid my parents made available to me as I learned how to read. However, my parents also left pens with me to write or draw on, neglecting to tell me about how permanent marks work. Therefore, in one of my hardcover collections are pen scribbles and other doodlings. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
November 30, 2005
CN's Teen Titans - No Season Six (Newsarama)
Titans Tower quotes an unnamed source close to the series in saying that Cartoon Network has passed on the option of a sixth season of the animated series based on the DC Comics property. Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and The New Batman Adventures all met similar fates in their day, each lasting between 3-5 seasons, and many returning to life in direct-to-video releases.
[Another one bites the dust / Another one bites the dust / And another one gone and another one gone / Another one bites the dust, eh / Hey, I'm gonna get you too / Another one bites the dust. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2005
Aquaman Swims to The WB (Film Stew)
Smallville is serving as a diving board for a spin-off series centered on another DC Comics character. The WB has given a pilot commitment to Smallville producers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough for a potential Aquaman series.
[Aquaman??? I know some medievalist Comic Scholars who are interested in this character when Peter David wrote it, but what can this character offer to the rest of us, those who are not hardcore environmentalists? I love Smallville and proclaim it as "the show that can do no wrong," but I do not foresee me taking this one hook, line, and sinker. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 02:58 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
New Animated Boondocks continues to create controversy and challenges political correctness (Signal Online)
The Boondocks are the misadventures of two African American brothers who relocated from the city to the suburbs with their grandfather. Through their socially conscious perspectives, the siblings discuss the problems plaguing our society today. McGruder has managed to criticize every scope of American culture from the hypocrisy of the government and the Bush administration to the sensationalized circus that the media has become. And now he will take The Boondocks to the next level with a new animated television series based on the critically acclaimed comic strip.
[Boondocks came up during a discussion in Rhetoric and Poetics last week. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
TiVo to Go: Digital Recorder Enables Downloads to iPod, PSP (Tech News World)
TiVoToGo will allow users of home-network-connected TiVo boxes to transfer the shows to their computers and then synch the video to the PSP or iPod automatically. While on the PC, the system uses the Media Player software from Microsoft, making it another potential winner in the deal, analysts said, though on a more modest scale than the main three players.
[Normally, I would be a supporter for new technology like mobile video, but I am not. The reason is because I cannot think of a good reason I would want to watch Smallville (or any show) on a 2.5" iPod screen or even the 4.3" PSP screen. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2005
Live 'West Wing' Earns No Points for Substance (Washington Post)
There were no big bombshell moments of unexpected melodrama except for a brief disruption from a disgruntled crank in the crowd. He was hurriedly hustled out. Santos made reference to such relatively hot-button topics as corporate chicanery, but there was no follow-up either by the candidates or from Forrest Sawyer, the real-life journalist who capably played moderator. When the candidates called for hand microphones so they could be freed from their lecterns, Sawyer asked them, "Gentlemen, you're not going out into the audience, are you?" That at least was funny.
[I like the West Wing, but I have not been watching it lately. Adding Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda to the cast last season was brilliant. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)