Not A Dollarshort

No Whammies...Stop!

Press Your Luck, the movie. Starring Bill Murray.

Remember Press Your Luck -- that great gameshow with those sadistic little "whammies" who would wipe away your earnings with glee? Well, this movie is based on the true story of Michael Larsen, an unemployed ice cream truck driver who memorized the board's light patterns and walked away with $110,000.

Bill Murray and whammies -- a truly wonderful combination.

Link via Jerry Kindall.

I look at the world and I notice it's turning.

As evidenced by this photograph, I was a teenage Beatles fan.

Born too late to be caught in true Beatlemania, I created my own little world where the Beatles were still number one on the charts and, more importantly, they were still men in their 20s.

The news of George Harrison's death saddens me.

Selfishly, to an extent.

I think that whenever a cultural icon passes away, we naturally chart our own life in relation to that person and his or her death. With Harrison's death, the baby boomers are reminded of the inevitable.

And although I'm a generation removed from this group -- those lucky kids that originally saw the Beatles play on Ed Sullivan, I understand the significance of this sort of loss.

But enough about me and my silly take on things.

Besides being a cultural icon, George Harrison also wrote beautiful music.

Here's an alternate version of one of my favorites -- an acoustic version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps from The Beatles Anthology 3.

What is your favorite George Harrison song?

Team Player.

"I guess someone doesn't feel part of the team."

That's what Ben said as he handed me this week's issue of Newsweek.

It only took a second before I burst out laughing at what I saw -- in the background to George's right, is Barney, their Scottish Terrier, looking as disinterested as a dog could possibly look.

I have mixed feelings about a Scottish Terrier being in the Bush White House.

As a Westie "owner", it's great to see a Scotty, the Westie's black twin and cohort, in the White House. But, I can only imagine the pressure that Barney feels when compared to Millie XXII, the Bushs' other dog.

I mean really, I bet that any of the Millies can sit on Jeb's chair at the Bush I dinner table.

And can a person look any more uncomfortable while holding a dog?

You remember the Millie I book? God rest her little fluff-writing soul.

Now, I bet Barney could tell some real juicy stories.

Exit good taste.

And "Enter Britney."

Ben: Did you see that cover of Entertainment Weekly?

Me: I know! Who in their right mind would wear that much turquoise?

Ben: Um, that's not exactly the point. "Enter Britney?" That's not too subtle.

Me: Oh my gosh! I'm sure that little trick of headline placement sure made some designer's day. "It says Enter Britney, huh huh."

Ben: That's some classy stuff.

Showroom Dummies.

I hate to admit that I'm part of that stupid consumer demographic which is easily persuaded, fully manipulated and completely influenced by music played in television commercials.

Good music in my subjective opinion, at least.

I think in the same way that music always sounds better when played in a record store, a product just seems cooler if accompanied by an interesting song.

Take for instance, one of the latest Mercedes commercials featuring the string styling of the Balanescu Quartet. The ad works so well with the music, that, every time I hear those first notes, I drop what I'm doing and run to watch the commercial.

It is sad.

I almost went crazy trying to figure out why I was so drawn to the song. I knew I had heard it before but couldn't imagine where. It turns out that it's a cover of Kraftwerk's Robots.

The Balanescu Quartet actually did an entire album of Kraftwerk songs!

Before you make the obligatory Kraftwerk/Simpsons joke, consider that in the late 1970s Kraftwerk were way before their time.

Conversely, there is that other Mercedes commercial which features the Geggy Tah song, Whoever You Are. I've hated that song since I first heard it coming from every room of my college dorm. My hate for that song is so intense that Ben almost has to restrain me from throwing the remote at the television.

So what does this all mean?

Well, the next time I'm at a Mercedes showroom, I'll certainly purchase the M-Class all because of the merits of that one song.

What commercials do you like?
(I promise not to judge)

Gotta Dance!

Many many thanks go to Helen, of Malibu Helen, for being incredibly generous and purchasing Singin' in the Rain off my Amazon wishlist.

I'm quite excited about watching the film tonight since Ben has never seen it before.

When we first started dating, Ben professed that he wasn't too crazy about musicals. "They're just boring," he'd complain. Of course, that attitude wasn't going to last too long for I need my M-G-M fix.

Of course, now, I can count on Ben to make comments like "I'm not watching that version of A Star is Born (Streisand/Kristofferson). The 1954 version (wink wink) is so much better."

Who says heterosexual men can't appreciate a good musical?

And he's so right about the versions. I mean really, The Man that Got Away vs. Evergreen.

That's not even a fair fight.

Now you listen to The Man that Got Away (Carnegie Hall version) and tell me it gets any better than this.

I dare you.

On a similar note, I am so buying this.

Undeclared.

Undeclared premieres tonight on Fox at 8:30/7:30 Central.

The creator of Undeclared, Judd Apatow, was also the executive producer of Freaks and Geeks. If you never caught Freaks and Geeks, I hold you personally responsible for show's demise.

Well, not really.

We certainly loved Freaks and Geeks, though. So much so that we attended the William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles.

While I can't be sure that I'll love Undeclared, there was one little detail in a preview clip that had me laughing aloud:

One of the characters is wearing a SNOOD t-shirt!

Let me just say that during my days in college, SNOOD wasn't just a game. It was a way of life.

Now remember to watch Undeclared.

Mr. November.

Perhaps you saw the mysterious Six Feet Under screen blip that popped up during last night's season finale?

Although I knew I saw something last night, I didn't think much of its significance until I read that Heather and Derek were playing Peter Falk and trying to get to the bottom of this weirdness.

A review of the video tape recording (yes, I'm so 1986) found this revealing shot that TIVO missed.

It's David coming out to the last people he could find on Earth!

Don't get me wrong -- David is my favorite character on that screwy show. But last night's episode was a bit extreme -- the over-accelerated character growth in the pace of a two-hour block was just driving me crazy.

He was becoming so oddly (oddly for his character) confident with his sexuality that I thought he was going to run into the middle of the street and pronounce "I'm Gay!" ala Scott Thompson in Brain Candy.

Why did the season finale need so much closure? Or rather, why did the writers and Alan Ball need to put David on such a destructive path if they knew that it would be unrealistically resolved in a matter of a week?

What did you think about the season finale?

Royal Tenenbaums.

The Royal Tenenbaums trailer.

Although I have yet to see the trailer (computer issues), I endorse it wholeheartedly.

Blind support. I should be a film critic.

Link via Timothompson.com

Hijinx ensue.

Could a preview blurb be any more insipid?

Scrubs: Tuesdays 9:30-10:00pm

Here's a wildly inventive and hilarious take on hospital life - through the eyes of those just scrubbing up. Pre-med is over. Thousands of dollars have been spent. Uh-oh… Now it's time to practice on real people! Funny how the real world of medicine is nothing like med school. But these young docs are determined to make it. A fresh, new ensemble stars in this decidedly different half-hour comedy.

Link via Katastrophe.