When it was originally on: 1994-2004 Original network: NBC Where you can stream it now: HBO Max Had I seen it before: Yes! Multiple times. And while I’ve never seen all of Friends, I’ve seen a lot of it in syndication and know all the big story beats the show will hit over its 10-year run. What IMDb says: Follows the personal and professional lives of six twenty … Continue reading 31 Pilot in 31 Days: Friends
When it was originally on: 2007-2012 Original network: The CW Where you can stream it now: HBO Max Had I seen it before: No, but I HAD listened to the the Too Long; Didn’t Watch podcast episode where Jon Hamm watches this episode and the finale and then describes his experience. What IMDb says: Privileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no … Continue reading 31 Pilots in 31 Days: Gossip Girl
When it was originally on: 2019-present Original network: HBO Where you can stream it now: HBO Max (Or maybe HBO Now or HBO Go or is it just Max? I don’t know what’s up over there, get it wherever fine HBO products are streamed.) Had I seen it before: No. What IMDb says: A look at life for a group of high school students as they grapple with … Continue reading 31 Pilots in 31 Days: Euphoria
It’s a new year, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but it seems like it’s been a looooong time since I’ve reviewed some TV pilots. That’s a shame. So much has changed since my last TV pilot reviewing project, which I did from January-April 2020. (I told you a lot changed!). Even if we limit ourselves to changes in the TV landscape, … Continue reading More Pilots in More Days: Class of 2023
I know what you’re thinking. What does John Carpenter’s 1982 cult hit “The Thing” have to do with Olivia Wilde’s 2022 project “Don’t Worry Darling”? Well, for one thing, I happened to see both for the first time within the last week. For another thing, both have a certain element of mystery to them, yet have very different strategies for their storytelling. Spoiler alert: one … Continue reading Lessons from ‘The Thing’ Applied to ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
1. Breaking (August 26) Directed by: Abi Damaris CorbinFamous people involved: John Bodega, Michael K. Williams, and Connie BrittonOne sentence summary: A veteran who got screwed over by the VA tries to rob a bank and ends up negotiating with another veteran who also got screwed over by the VA. Where you can watch it: TheatersDo I give a shit?: It does look like a … Continue reading I Watched 50 Fall Movie Trailers So You Don’t Have To
Recently, Taylor Swift released the 10-minute version of a song called “All Too Well.” By far, this track has been the most buzzed-about aspect of her re-released Red album, and it even broke the record for longest runtime of a #1 song, a record previously held by Don McLean’s “American Pie.” For those who don’t follow the career of Taylor Swift, “All Too Well” was … Continue reading What Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ (10-minute version) Can Teach Us About Story Structure
Note: I used to make a point of doing these on the first of every month. However, life is weird sometime. I really didn’t have a TON of great new finds in September to talk about, so then I said I would combine September and October into one month, and then a lot of other stuff happened around the last weekend of October so this … Continue reading Music I Want to Talk About: Fall 2021
Songs I Want to Talk About “Take My Breath” by The Weeknd (2021) I honestly don’t think there’s any artist currently working who knows how to deliver both crowd-pleasing radio hits and experimental introspection the way that the Weeknd does. After Hours was one of my Top 5 albums of 2020, and “Take My Breath,” the kickoff to whatever the next Weekend album cycle is … Continue reading Music I Want to Talk About: August 2021
Songs I Want to Talk About “Bible Verses” by Blake Shelton (2021) Some people might find it odd that I listen to full albums of big name artists that I don’t necessarily like. The reason why is because you occasionally stumble across masterpieces like “Bible Verses,” the final track of an otherwise pretty basic, predictable country album from Blake Shelton. I always love when artists … Continue reading Music I Want to Talk About: July 2021
Butcher Thoughts 