This was the blog of an Eloise wannabe and her 2 roustabout kitties as they work on a book deal in the City of Lights, giggling all the way. Now it's the blog of an Eloise wannabe planning her next escape (California, Canadia?) with 2 other kitties--still working, still giggling.
Ya know, if I'm weighing it all up, ER over United States of Tara over Entourage over Dexter over everything else, I'd still say Rescue Me has to be my favorite show ever, and the Season 5 opener didn't disappoint. Tommy's still crazy, although Sheila's even crazier, Gay Mike is still in his own world, Franco's still the smartest guy around, Lou's still got everyone's number, Garrity's still clueless, Janet's still pushing Tommy's buttons. And Michael J. Fox? A stroke of brilliance.
Oh, and the cherry bomb scene, when Tommy almost falls out the door? Thank you, Denis Leary. Can't tell you how much you make me laugh.
Because I'm sure you care, here are my reviews of the (too much) TV I've watched in the past few months, when it was about all I could do. (Great excuse, huh? Yep, I thought so, too.)
Extreme Makeover Home Edition~so not only do we get feel-good TV with great designer tips, but we get to see people making a difference in their community. Yes, I know they go for the tears, but how could you not well up with this week's episode, with that sweet, courageous Boey buying toys for other kids on the oncology ward because she knows what it feels like. I'm so happy to read on her site that she's doing well.
Californication~My weekly dose of naughtiness, I just adore it. I read that about 400 people called Network 10 in Melbourne to complain about the puking-on-the-painting scene in the 2nd episode. WTF?? What happened to the Australian sense of humor? That scene made Kurt and me laugh so much, we had to watch it again immediately. Isallgood, Duchovny.
Chuck~Meh
Journeyman~interesting concept, well acted, great shots of San Francisco, I'm there.
ER~seriously close to giving up. Stanley Tucci is an excellent actor but there's no one I care about anymore. Maybe if/when Luka returns...In the meantime, bring back Carter!!!
Entourage~last episode needed more Ari. You can never have enough Ari Gold, just remember that. I need him to be throwing fits so I feel normal.
Rock of Life~I don't find Bret Michaels attractive (though he seems like an ok guy, if not a little stupid for drinking so much when he has diabetes), I think there's something (a lot!) intrinsically self-degrading about "reality" dating shows, but I admit to being hooked because I wanted to see that insane trainwreck Lacey get her dues. I think she was kept in on purpose because the producers knew how much everyone hated her and tuned in just to see if she'd get kicked out. And hey, how bad of a sore loser is that Heather? Loved Jes and her pink hair.
Life~sucked. But I think part of that is coz I last saw that guy getting his ass kicked by Redford in An Unfinished Life, so I wasn't sympathetic anyway (Yeah, I know)
The Two Coreys~um...what was the point?
Bionic Woman~Annoying & boring
Weeds~Still loving it, especially Kevin Nealon.
Dexter~More, more, hurry up! Private Practice~no Mere-death, no George, (no Mark, sob) plenty of Addison, plus Tim Daly. Score!
Tell Me You Love Me~I really, really liked this when it started, esp. because it's written and directed by women, and it's cool to see older people with a normal sex life. But I'm giving it one more week because the lack of any humor is depressing. These people must have something funny in their lives at some stage.
Cane~not even the luscious Jimmy Smits is worth this Die-nasty in the fields
Dirty Sexy Money~Donald Sutherland and Peter Krause are solid, but the rest of the cast...I don't really care
Lipstick Jungle~another lot of characters I don't really care about Damages~yet another lot I don't care about, although the intrigue is intriguing
(Note to TV people: can we have a show set in the wonderful NYC that's not about nasty, vapid rich people? Denis Leary's done a great job, surely someone else out there can do it.)
House~Hmmm. Maybe my perspective has changed since my surgery but seeing how House makes willy-nilly decisions that put his patients through pain just isn't appealing to me anymore. The character doesn't seem to be going anywhere, the Cuddy sub-plot has just been dropped. He gets a few more airings from me, then if things don't turn around, I'm dropping him. Shame.
Tim Gunn's Guide To Style~Love a good makeover show, though sometimes this one makes the women look homogenous. And that super-model sidekick, the one I've never heard of? Half the time I'm cringing over what she's wearing, or her hair or makeup.
Flipping Out~loved it. Loved the houses, thought they were all crazy codependents, understood Jeff's obsessions (though I wanted to smack him more than a few times.) Kurt thinks he's just a nasty poof, but I think there's more to it. I want a second season, if they haven't all killed each other by then.
Brothers & Sisters~is it me, or has Rob Lowe had work done over the summer? Whatever, I don't care, I love him. And what is it about Sally Field that, whenever she cries, I cry? She just has to tear up and my throat gets tight. Anyone else think Tommy and the new office manager are going to get it on?
Australian Idol~Up until this week, I would have said please spare me and get rid of that Taraisi, but she actually did something worthwhile this week. More often than not, though, I find the judges more interesting than the contestants.
Summer Heights High~great Australian comedy! Last week when I was feeling absolutely rotten, I watched an episode of this and just laughed my way straight out of the blues. I know these characters, I went to school with some of them (most notably Jonah, I knew plenty of "Fuck you, miss!" guys). I heard "Ja'mie" on Nova FM a few years back and thought she couldn't be for real, but what if she was, Chris Lilley is that good. I watched We Can Be Heroes, too~more gold. Download some SHH for yourself to see what I mean (free download, direct from ABC) or check some out below (warning: not for the politically correct):
Yet again, I must save the highest of praise for Rescue Me. Season 4 was my favorite to date. It's still funny as hell, the guys are still guys, it's still surprising, sometimes shocking, and yet there's the chance (gasp!) that Tommy might be growing up. I absolutely love that crazy bitch Sheila and that stroppy bitch Maggie. The finalé was pure gold, making me laugh then leaving me in tears. Franco setting up his ex, Sheila sobbing into the bunker jacket, Tommy holding his dad~TV doesn't get any better than this.
So, it's been an interesting week (thanks for the good wishes and the telephone calls--I'm feeling beaucoup du love :-) ). Went back to work yesterday and finally got some walking canes that are doing the trick, because right now I can't put any weight on my knee. I'm really, really surprised and humbled by how nice total strangers have been, offering help. I know I've said Parisians live in a cone of blindness, but (shh, don't tell anyone!) I've been proven dead wrong.
Anyway! Enough of that because I want to talk about my new discovery. I know Amra's been grooving on Entourage for a while, so I took being last week as the perfect opportunity. IOW, I OD'd on Seasons 1-3 and I'm thinking of getting a "What would Ari do?" tattoo on my ass, because I fucken LOVE that guy! Sure, in real life I'd want to kill him but I admire that he never gives up, never gives in, always has the last word, and says whatever the hell he wants. I enjoy it even more on the rare occasions that he's stymied and you can see him trying to figure out how to get what he wants. It's a lovely moment when Ari Gold is speechless. Loved Jeremy Piven in The Larry Sanders Show and Smokin' Aces but he completely shines in this. And let's hear it for Kevin Dillon. I keep laughing at that perpetually confused look on his face. Oh, and Rex Lee (Lloyd)? Perfect! Especially when he yelled at Ari "Fuck you!....sorry, reflex." Genius, genius writing. I think I need me one of these:
And a completely different kind of show, but very funny, too. I watched the pre-air of Aliens in America (did you check that one out, Anna?), about a midwestern family who want an exchange student to make their geeky son cool and who should lob up but a sweetly sincere Pakistani who praises Allah for his good fortune. Much gentler than Entourage, but the pilot did a good job of taking gentle jabs at our prejudices. I see Luke from Gilmore Girls has taken over the role of the father, though I thought the guy in the pilot was fine. Oh, well.
Funny. I read an article, I think it was on The Age's site, about how men are ruling TV, there are no great shows for and about women, and I guess, I think, maybe I should be upset about this? You know, being a (gasp!) feminist. But, um, I'm not. Sure, there are some girlie shows I liked--Gilmore Girls, though sometimes that Lorelei... (sorry, Keris <g>) and...I don't know, can't think of any more. So what does it say that my favorite shows are mainly guy shows? Rescue Me (ohmigod OHMIGOD OHMIGODTOMMY!!!!!!!!PUT THE BABY DOWN AND BACK AWAY!!!!!!!!) (Seriously, if the ending of episode 3 this season was shocking, episode 7 ratcheted up that tension to a level that had my heart pounding. Who said TV was relaxing?), Entourage, Californication, Dexter. There are some great female characters in all those shows, but not the leads. And the latest shows I've watched with female leads haven't grabbed me. What is it? Is it a double-standard, that women are supposed to be likeable, whereas Ari is a total asshole and Dexter kills people and I'm like "Excellent character!" Maybe it's just because I know they are characters? Well, no, I know the chicks from Lipstick Jungle (see, can't even remember their names) and Bionic Woman are characters, but I...just don't care.
Maybe it's just that I'm more interested in what the guys are doing (roadtrip to Vegas sounds like a lot more fun than running a motion picture studio. Ohhhhhhhhh, waaaaaaaaiiiiiiit. I think I'm getting it. The chicks in Lipstick Jungle--all successful career women. High-powered jobs they're angsting about. Compare that to Dana or Barbara in Entourage. They're successful, they're just not angsting about it--they just walk in and get shit done. And Jaime in Bionic Woman (whose name I of course remember because I loved the original, though I notice they've changed the spelling from Jamie), at some stage she's going to have to save the world and honestly? CBF'd! I'd rather be on a roadtrip to Vegas. I am just.not.interested in saving the world. (And while I really like Holly Hunter's character in Saving Grace, I'm still waiting for her to get preachy. Though, from the way she flashes the neighbor, I'm probably just looking for toruble where there is none.)
So what am I missing? Are there TV shows out there with strong, funny, non-angsty female leads? None of that bloody Scully traipsing around muttering "Mulder, Mulder?" shit. FOR GOD'S SAKE, no Mere-death, either, or I'll hit you with my cane. I might just have to wait for Reaper. Ooh! success! Just found the pre-air, I'll watch it tonight. Hopefully she'll be a bit like Georgia from Dead Like Me, who had her fair share of angst but offset it with deadpan humor. Though it bothers me that the only female lead I can find who appeals to me is 18. Surely, SURELY TO GOD, there has to be a mature female LEAD who can kick ass without being a raving bitch.
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Oh, and make the tabby in this pic Pumpkin and the black and white cat Kody and you'd have life at my house this past week. Wherever Pumpkin was on the bed beside me, Kody had to get. Pumpkin? Not happy.
Last night, coming home late, I had a fabulous idea: take a relaxing bath then unwind a bit more watching Rescue Me. Well, I got the bath in just before the furnace up and quit (one phonecall to the landlady coming up shortly) and the last thing I felt after watching RM was unwound. Only three time have I been really been shocked by what I was watching:
1. When Heath Ledger's character killed himself in Monster's Ball; 2. When the call came into the ER that Luka had been murdered in the Congo; 3. When Fast Food Nation showed real footage of cows being slaughtered and processed.
Last night was #4. Didn't think it would be, coz it was kind of a slow episode. Of course, the usual funny moments, but nothing earth shattering, it felt like people were just getting on with their lives. Then the momentum started to build, and we were seeing Janet with the crying baby and Tommy (willingly) getting his ass kicked by Colleen's boyfriend, while the Chief hummed away and played with his new golf clubs. I've said several times here how I love that the Leary crew are never predictable and don't back down from the worst situations. So by the time things started in last night, I was seriously afraid that Janet was going to snap and do something to the baby. Or that Tommy, being the selfish trainwreck that he is, was going to get up off the ground and pound this kid and finally kill someone.
Then you see the Chief kinda smiling at himself in the mirror and you hear a heartbeat and you think "Oh my God, he's going to have another heart attack." But when he pulls out the gun and puts it in his mouth then the screen goes black and you hear the gunshot, all I could do was say "Oh my God" and sit there for several minutes. Because that is writing. Uncompromising and totally believable. There were absolutely no indicators (to me) that this was coming, yet look back at the episode and it's all there. He's made sure his son is in a happy relationship and that he'll (son) take care of his mother, he's solved Tommy's arsonery problem--and he's outta there before another heart attack or the damage to his lungs from 9/11 or the sheer boredom of a desk job take him out.
What movie is that the theme song from? I'm sure something that cheesy is from a movie. (Heh. No. I just wiki'd it--no movie, just cheese.)
Anyway. On Tuesday morning as the bus floated around the Place des Ternes, I spotted what could be my salvation. A neat little storefront with the words Caffe di Napoli.
Coffee! From Italy! People who know what they're doing! Teena was in town, desperate for a good cuppa, so as soon as I got to work, I tracked this place down on the yellow pages site and saw it was actually called Caffé Kimbo de Napoli.
Last night, Teena and I met up and we were practically aquiver with anticipation. The café was lovely, like a modern Italian place you'd find in Melbourne--clean lines, mocha-colored floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a HUGE-ASS ESPRESSO MACHINE and not the tiny ones most places have here because they don't grind fresh.
The woman manning the machine was simply lovely.
"Do you have real coffee?" we asked. "Arabica?"
"Of course." (But not in that snotty way so common here.)
"And real milk?"
"Oh yes! We don't use any of that horrible long-life milk here, only fresh."
Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigodddd! By this stage we're wriggling in our seats, like kids who get to open Christmas presents on December 15 but don't want to press their luck, in case it's all taken away from them. "And...and...and could you make it like this (explaining latte)?"
"However you like."
"Strong."
"It's Italian coffee, of course it's strong."
Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigoddddddddd!
5 minutes later, we were sighing in almost bliss. Ok, NO, it's not as good as Melbourne coffee but it's damn near close--I'd like it to be a little creamier, but apart from that...And it came served on a solid silver tray with a glass of water and a little dish of chocolates. And the lady was ultra-nice, staying open until 7 (she normally closes around 6) so Teena and I could have a good old natter. Which we did. So nice to have a sane person in town.
Details: Caffé Kimbo di Napoli 5 Place des Ternes 75017 Paris (conveniently on my way to work!!) Open Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 9-6 Métro: Ternes
Right now, I have a big hate on Keris. Why? Because she got Michael Tolliver Lives today and I DIDN'T!! No matter how obsessively I check my Amazon account to see if the order's being prepped, it isn't. Okay, yes, so I knew months ago delivery date was about the end of June but come on, people! In the meantime, I spotted the 6 volumes had been released with supercool new covers. I need to reread these books and my copies are in Mum's garage and I hate the covers (except for one cool US version and one UK version I'd keep coz it's signed) so why not order them?
Not so fast, girlie! The French Amazon site had the new covers up but not the new releases of all the books--2 were going to secondhand copies. So I emailed them to ask when the new version would be available on the French site. And within a very short time, a very nice person explained that if the links were going to old copies then that's all they had and I was welcome to order from other Amazon sites. Poor nice person. She now has a mail from me asking if they'd welcome waiving the shipping fees from overseas, consider they were engaging in a little false advertizing by having the new covers there. Don't tease me like that!
Just to make Keris jealous, I'm going to talk about the new season of Rescue Me, which I know isn't airing in the UK. But I saw the first episode last night (after having a little cry about Khan--thanks for your lovely comments :-) ) and I'm once again in awe. Denis Leary makes me worry about Tommy then in the next scene has me loving him for obviously accepting his brother and ex-wife's baby as his own then has me laughing at his utter helplessness in dealing with his sexually-active, pot-smoking drunk daughter. Loving how the guy's are all so matter-of-fact about Tommy's situation ("oh yeah, you're going to jail"), with Lou insouciant as he plans his basketball court in the basement in Tommy's absence. The scene in the abandoned building with the floor suddenly caving was sheer brilliance. I was certain they were goners, especially the proby, and the no sound/dialogue, just music, increased the tension. Loving Sean terrified of his porn-loving wife, and how the chief's coming to terms with his son's homosexuality. And Franco dealing with his girlfriend's brother--that conversation was priceless.Then at the end that mad, mad bitch Sheila--what's she up to? Oh, I do love you, Denis! Thank you for never being predictable.
P.S. Am with you, Keris, over the Paris saga. Enough of the schadenfreude!
P.P.S. Pissing down here. Smells great. Better be over by the time I leave for home, though ;-)
P.P.P.S. Uh-oh, thunder!!! Damn, hope my windows are properly closed and I don't come home to another mess like I did Wednesday...
P.P.P.P.S. But life is good--chica at bakery gave me a free block of choccie this morning, just coz. Score!
This was the blog of an Eloise wannabe and her 2 roustabout kitties as they work on a book deal in the City of Lights, giggling all the way. Now it's the blog of an Eloise wannabe planning her next escape (California, Canadia?) with 2 other kitties--still working, still giggling.
Then you see the Chief kinda smiling at himself in the mirror and you hear a heartbeat and you think "Oh my God, he's going to have another heart attack." But when he pulls out the gun and puts it in his mouth then the screen goes black and you hear the gunshot, all I could do was say "Oh my God" and sit there for several minutes. Because that is writing. Uncompromising and totally believable. There were absolutely no indicators (to me) that this was coming, yet look back at the episode and it's all there. He's made sure his son is in a happy relationship and that he'll (son) take care of his mother, he's solved Tommy's arsonery problem--and he's outta there before another heart attack or the damage to his lungs from 9/11 or the sheer boredom of a desk job take him out.
