Ahhh! Cdn television

Well.. I've been having a rough week @ work. I've been taking the first train into Vancouver & the last one home everyday this week. This essentially means that I've been leaving the house @ 5:40 a.m. and getting home past 7:10 p.m. - but really, I shouldn't complain too much, some of my colleagues have much longer days. They just don't have as long of a commute as I do. :\ W/ that said, I still can't get myself to bed 'fore 11 p.m. I have what's called an addiction to television...

Last night was no different than the others. Lost was a rerun, so my brother & I sat down to watch Tuesday's ep of Veronica Mars. @ 9, before popping in the Nip/Tuck DVD, I was channel surfing a bit & lo & behold, who do I see on TalkTV? One of my fave directors - Kevin Smith! It was a 1/2 hour airing of the press conference that was held to announce his 3 ep arch on Degrassi: The Next Generation. I believe that I had initially wanted to blog about this announcment, but never had a chance to. However, if you're a true Kevin Smith fan, you would know how much he loves the original Degrassi shows. Hell, Caitlin in Clerks was named after the Caitlin in Degrassi. *&* during the 3 arch ep, he will be pursuing her!!!! OH the excitement!!! OH & get this... he's gonna be on as himself, "filming" a movie called, "Jay & Silent Bob Goes to Canada, Eh." So yes... everyone's favourite stoner, Jason Mewes, will also be on the show.

Here are a couple of articles on Smith's appearance on Degrass TNG.
http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,701427_7_0_,00.html
http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2004/10/19/Arts/artsbriefs041019.html
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1098297786208_93706986/?hub=CanadaAM
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/1063299170023_58705707/
Press release - http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2004/19/c2000.html
Damn that Affleck! http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6532533/

Oh & in reference to the subject line... gotta love Cdn TV as it aired the entire conference w/ swearing. Weee!

Ed. note: You can also watch the news conference at View Askew!

Who are your picks?

A couple of months ago, I commented on the CBC's The Passionate Eye's documentary on the Golden Globes and the Hollywood Foreign Press. Lo & behold, it's December & the Golden Globes nominations have been annoucned and will be handing out its awards on Jan. 16 on NBC.

Here's the list of the nominees and my picks:

Best Motion Picture Drama
The Aviator
Closer
Finding Neverland
Hotel Rwanda
Kinsey
Million Dollar Baby
Ed. note - I haven't seen any of these movies & most likely won't get a chance to see 'em until next yr, but I think I'll go for Closer. All star cast & directed by Mike Nichols. Angels in America swept the Emmy's, so I'm thinking that Nichols is on a roll.

Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Incredibles
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera
Ray
Sideways
Ed. note - Gotta go w/ Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry truly are geniuses. You can't go wrong w/ them. Plus, the all star cast did an amazing job.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama
Javier Bardem, The Sea Inside
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator
Liam Neeson, Kinsey
Ed. note - Hmm... toughie. I'll go for either Johnny Depp or Leo.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Kevin Kline, De-Lovely
Kevin Spacey, Beyond the Sea
Ed. note - Yet another toughie. When Ray first came out, a lot of critics raved about Jamie Foxx's performance, however, I do have a soft spot for Eternal Sunshine, so... I'll go w/ Jim Carrey.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
Scarlett Johansson, A Love Song for Bobby Long
Nicole Kidman, Birth
Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Ed. note - There are only two movies here that I really know anything about - Kill Bill & Birth. W/ that said, I've always loved Nicole Kidman's work, so she's my choice.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Annette Bening, Being Julia
Ashley Judd, De-Lovely
Emmy Rossum, The Phantom of the Opera
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Renée Zellweger, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Ed. note - Critics raved about Annette Bening's performance in Being Julia & I'm a huge fan of the Bridget Jones (although I haven't seen the latest installment), but once again, going for Eternal Sunshine's Kate Winslet.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
David Carradine, Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Jamie Foxx, Collateral
Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar baby
Clive Owen, Closer
Ed. note - Was Jamie Foxx really that good in Collateral? I've only recently started hearing that there's Oscar buzz around his work in this movie... I'm gonna go for my expect Mike Nichol's Closer sweep - Clive Owen.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
Laura Linney, Kinsey
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Natalie Portman, Closer
Meryl Streep, The Manchurian Candidate
Ed. note - Take a guess kiddies. Yup, Natalie Portman in Closer.

Best Director
Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby
Marc Forster, Finding Neverland
Mike Nichols, Closer
Alexander Payne, Sideways
Martin Scorsese, The Aviator
Ed. note - Yup... MIke Nichols for Closer w/ Marc Forster for Finding Neverland and Martin Scorses for The Aviator close behind. I wouldn't be too surprised if Scorses won though. That Oscar has always alluded him & we all know that the Golden Globes tend be a good "predictor".

Best Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
John Logan, The Aviator
David Magee, Finding Neverland
Patrick Marber, Closer
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Sideways
Ed. note - Going for Charlie

Best Foreign Language Film
The Chorus
House of Flying Daggers
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Sea Inside
A Very Long Engagement
Ed. note - Motorcycle Diaries. Why? Because it's about Che & my favourite foreign actor is the star. Gael Garcia Bernal! Mmm...

TV

Best Drama TV Series
24
Deadwood
Lost
Nip/Tuck
The Sopranos
Ed. note - 2 yrs ago, it would've *SO* been 24, but that show has just gotten shittier over the yrs... So, it's b/n the show w/ the ensemble cast that are stranded on an exotic island w/ a dinosaur type creature, polar bears, a French woman who's been there for yrs and a dude named Ethan that's related to Tom Cruise... & the show about the life of Miami plastic surgeons.

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Michael Chiklis, The Shield
Denis Leary, Rescue Me
Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck
Ian McShane, Deadwood
James Spader, Boston Legal
Ed. note - I'm all over Julian McMahon. But really now... what does winning a Golden Globe really mean, anyway?

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Jennifer Garner, Alias
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Christine Lahti, Jack and Bobby
Joely Richardson, Nip/Tuck
Ed. note - Gotta go w/ one of my fave actors... Jennifer Garner. Why is she dating Affleck???

Best Musical or Comedy TV Series
Arrested Development
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
Sex and the City
Will & Grace
Ed. note - I definitely have a soft spot for Sex & the City. It's one of those shows that I can just watch over & over again. Desperate Housewives, a must watch on Sunday evenings. However, I've gotta give it to Arrested Development. There isn't another comedy out there that makes me laugh out loud as much as this one does. If you haven't seen this show yet, you MUST! It's the one show that Fox isn't promoting for some gawdforsaken reason... & one would think that after winning the Emmy for Best Comedy, ratings would pick up, but alas, no. :(

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Matt LeBlanc, Friends
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Ed. note - Why is Charlie Sheen here??? Going w/ my fave show's star, Jason Bateman.

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series
Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives
Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Debra Messing, Will & Grace
Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City
Ed. note - Hmm... As much as I like Desperate Housewives, I still think of Teri as Lois from Lois & Clark & Marcia Cross' character is just too unrealistic for me to take it seriously... Going w/ the sentimental fave - Sarah.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie
Sean Hayes, Will & Grace
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Oliver Platt, Huff
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Ed. note - Umm... Don't really watch any of these show, but I'll go w/ Piven.

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie
Drea De Matteo, The Sopranos
Angelica Huston, Iron-Jawed Angels
Nicolette Sheridan, Desperate Housewives
Charlize Theron, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Emily Watson, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Ed. note - Yet another um... no idea.

MINISERIES or TV MOVIE

Best Miniseries or TV Movie
American Family: Journey of Dreams
Iron-Jawed Angels
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Lion in Winter
Something the Lord Mades

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Mos Def, Something the Lord Made
Jamie Foxx, Redemption
William H. Macy, The Wool Cap
Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Patrick Stewart, Lion in Winter

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Glenn Close, Lion in Winter
Blythe Danner, Back When We Were Grown-Ups
Miranda Richardson, The Lost Prince
Juliana Margulies, The Grid
Hilary Swank, Iron-Jawed Angels

Frat boys... everywhere... I can't escape!

Hanson had warned me... but did I take his advice at heed? I think not. Why? Because I'm a dumb ass!

I hit up the Jimmy Eat World show @ the Commodore last night w/ my hermano. Totally looking fwd to the show as it's been while since the last show I went to. I had mentioned this to Hanson the other night when I bumped into him on the train & he told me that there would be a shiteload of frat boys there. TOTALLY didn't believe him. Figured, yeah, there will be some, but come on now! Their newest single has been somewhat of a mainstream hit, but no where close to the popularity than The Middle.

Anyhow, right from the very start, I felt like I was old. Yeah, I know, I'm only 24 - that ain't old. But it sure as hell feels like it when everyone else around you is 19 and jackasses. The opening act, Smoosh, is a keyboard & drum sister duel from Seattle who play indy rock. The kick is that they are only 9 & 11 *&* they kick some serious ass. I wasn't sure if the ppl @ the Commodore even knew that they were opening, but my hermano found out 'fore hand & we downloaded their album. Anyhow, right from the start those frat boys showed their true colours. Right when Smoosh came out, one guy yelled out, "Yeah, young pussy!" Yeah... that's mature *&* oh so cool to yell to a 9 yr old & an 11 yr old. Can I get some action w/ the dude who yelled that out? UGH.

@ least the crowd did warm up to them & at the end, it seemed like everyone appreciated the performance. By this time, I was settling in comfortably for Jimmy Eat World to hit the stage. However, what I was ready for was a somewhat laid back concert. I mean, there wouldn't be too much moshing or body surfing, would there? I mean, emo band doesn't = pushing or fighting. Boy was I ever wrong! While they're singing this love song, there is a whole slew of frat boys in the middle pushing each other around.

I had figured out, about a yr ago, that I just can't do mosh pits anymore. While I used to thrive on it in the past, just can't do it anymore & the Jimmy Eat World concert just reaffirmed it. I don't really understand it anymore. While it's fun to jump up & down to songs, why all the pushing? Seriously, I think males use conerts as an excuse to get to push others around. :\

Can you beat Ken Jennings?

Well, lucky for you, you can find out some time in March! You can then become the proud owner of the "Can You Beat Ken?" board game!

Oh... the excitement! ;)

How pissed off would you be?

A CP article printed in the Vancouver Sun today stated that a 16 yr old gal who went to a CIBC ATM to get $60 had a little surprise... Rather than getting $60 in Cdn currency, she received 2 $20 bills in Cdn funds and then $2 in Cdn Tire money!!!!

WTF!?! Turns out that she wasn't the only one either. Can't say that CIBC is rolling in good news this week *at* all!