Jeopardy! contestant Ray Coshow (7/9/18) and Darrell Hammond as SNL Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant Sean Connery
Aquarium Playlist, 7/10/18
EPISODE #288: QUIET/LOUD
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Betty Hutton — “It’s Oh So Quiet”
The Incredible Casuals — “I Wanna Play Loud”
For Against — “Quiet Please”
For Against — “Loud and Clear”
Matthew Sweet — “Quiet Her”
The Merry-Go-Round — “She Laughed Loud”
Brendan Benson — “You’re Quiet”
Generifus — “Out Loud”
The Explorers Club — “Quietly”
Iron & Wine — “Loud as Hope”
Frank Turner — “The Quiet One”
I Don’t Cares — “Wear Me Out Loud”
The Wedding Present — “Always the Quiet One”
El Vez — “Say It Loud! I’m Brown and I’m Proud!”
Jack’s Aquarium podcast is proudly recorded in Hoboken, NJ.
Movie Review: Jurassic World — Fallen Kingdom
2.5 stars out of 5
The first Jurassic World was half boring, half exciting, and I’m sad to report, the ratio has definitely not improved.
So where were we? The park is in shambles, but that’s OK because a volcano is going to wipe out the island anyway. Ah, but Richard Attenborough’s old partner (was this character ever mentioned in the series before? Ah who cares) has a plan to rescue the dinosaurs before they’re all covered in lava and move them to a sanctuary. He’s entrusted his young charge to handle the details. So this guy hires Bryce Dallas Howard to help wrangle the beasts, and she hires Chris Pratt, because we have to get the band back together, right?
Bryce and Chris arrive on the island, where they’re met by that crusty old Texas cop from The Bridge and his paramilitary brigade. Why all the guns and uniforms and what-not? Is this mission not as altruistic as originally promised? Yeah, it’s pretty clear these guys are baddies, and that’s a shame, because prior to this, there’s a fairly interesting debate about the ethics of genetically engineered creatures and our responsibility to protect them or let nature take its course. (I was excited when I saw Jeff Goldblum in the trailer speaking to this topic, but he’s in the movie about as long as he was in the commercial.)
So now it’s clear who to root for, and I won’t spoil the villains’ plan except to say IT’S THE SAME EXACT SINISTER SCHEME FROM THE LAST MOVIE, YOU LAZY JACKHOLES.
B.D. Wong, looking BloateD, is back as the morally compromised science guy. Nice to see Charlie Chaplin’s daughter Geraldine playing the old dude’s housemaid. I want to say Toby Jones is slumming as a money-hungry middleman, but ever since Wayward Pines I’m beginning to think Toby actually likes this sci-fi garbage. There’s a little girl because the cynical filmmakers know that the kids in the audience want someone to identify with. Likewise, Bryce and Chris have a couple of diverse young coworkers with them.
You can see the shocking twists coming a mile away. Things do pick up substantially in the final half hour — the action, tension, direction, and a set-up for the next sequel that brings to mind another prominent sci-fi series. But it was too little, too late; Fallen Kingdom is a fossilized turd.
Modern Kindness
I was the only one in line at the Rite Aid until she showed up, a little confused, not sure if she entering the queue from the front or the back. We joked a little (“You’re after me!”; “Maybe I am!” she flirtatiously replied), and I’d say we were “meeting cute” except that it would be a May/December romance. OK, OK, more like July/November. I digress….
Buying more items than usual, I ended up with two large bags. As I arranged myself at the exit — backpack, cane, bag handles — this same sassy dame asked if I needed help. I gave my now standard reply: “Oh, I need a LOT of help, but I can manage these bags OK, thanks.”
“Where do you live?” she asked.
Now, I don’t dream big, but I’ve become a regular at the 13th St. Rite Aid over the past year-plus (it’s close to the movie theater), and when I’ve had bulky purchases, I’ve kept hoping that some kind stranger would offer me ride down to 5th St. (When I just have a few items, I’ll walk home, resting on a bench halfway.) The offer has never happened but now I was thinking, ooh, it’s about to happen.
“5th and Adams,” I replied, coyly adding, “I’m going to call an Uber.”
I fully expected her to say “Oh, don’t be silly,” but instead she asked, “Do you have Lyft?”
“Yes?”
“I’m a Lyft driver and I’m right outside. I’ll go turn the app back on.”
That’s… convenient, I thought. Even hough I was planning to choose Lyft Share to save a few bucks (or Uber Pool, whichever was cheaper), and now that seemed rude. So I was a teensy bit annoyed. But, eh, $7.30, I’d live. And when she accepted the ride, I got to say to her, “I have to wait, it says my driver will be here in one minute.”
She put my bags in the trunk and we were off. Her name is Arlene, she has her own advertising agency, hates Trump, lives in Fort Lee, preferred the hot dogs at Callahan’s but says the cheese fries are better at Hiram’s. At my building, she took both bags and placed them at the top of my stoop.
“You’re a five-star person, Arlene!” I called out as she headed back to her car. “Even if you weren’t a Lyft driver, you’re a five-star person.”
If you’re thinking that the story ends with me looking at my phone and seeing that Arlene had actually canceled the ride so I wouldn’t be charged, well, that hopeful thought crossed my mind too, but it did not happen, people having to earn a living and all. Thank you, Arlene.
Aquarium Playlist, 7/3/18
EPISODE #287: HEAT WAVE
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Stevie Wonder — “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”
The Cure — “Hot Hot Hot!!!”
The Regrettes — “Hot”
Cheap Trick — “Hot Love”
The Jim Jones Revue — “Make It Hot”
The Karl Hendricks Trio — “She Was Hot”
Strega — “Too Hot” (demo)
The Manhattan Love Suicides — “Heat and Panic”
Magic Bullets — “Heatstroke”
Admiral Radley — “Sunburn Kids”
Oingo Boingo — “Sweat”
Game Theory — “Life in July”
Eels — “Sweet Scorched Earth”
The Who — “Heatwave”
Jack’s Aquarium podcast is proudly recorded in Hoboken, NJ.
Movie Review: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
4.5 stars out of 5
Even the trailer made me cry, so I couldn’t wait to see this documentary. I guess I had two main Mister Rogers periods in my life: I would’ve been among the second batch of devoted O.G. viewers in the early 70s. Then, in my college years, I wound up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was produced. An oversized photo of him was in the airport. And there were rumors he lived in a tall apartment building near campus. Was Mister Rogers still watching over us?
A couple of other things stick in my mind. As a teenager, I seem to recall Mr. McFeely — “Speedy delivery!” — making some sort of low-key weekend appearance at my high school. And at some point in my late teens/early 20s, I began watching the show again for a while. It was an oasis of calm in my rapidly changing life.
This film made me love Mister Rogers even more, if that’s even possible. There are a couple of surprises about him that we learn, but it all fits in the big picture. Many of the old crew, and Rogers’ family, are still around, and these ample interviews put meat on the doc’s skeleton. (Very happy to see McFeely and Handyman Joe Negri.) And spending so many decades in front of a camera, Mister Rogers gets to speak for himself quite a lot, too.
We discover his carefully thought-out philosophy behind the show and his never-ending dedication to children. There are heavy moments and light ones and so much joy too. Rogers is revealed to be human, beset by fatigue after crafting so many shows, and recurring self-doubt. But his never-ending supply of love wins out every time.
I would’ve liked a couple more biographical details, and a little more chronology of the show’s production. Also, his real-world visits outside his home to talented neighbors and interesting factories, which I always really enjoyed, aren’t really mentioned. But these are tiny gripes.
Who should see this? Well, anybody who loved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, that’s for sure. But I also feel like it should be required viewing for new parents, even if they’re not familiar with the show. In our information- and marketing-saturated world, the simplest lessons for children shouldn’t be overlooked: That you’re special (which doesn’t mean you’re the best). That mistakes are expected and fine. That you’re OK just the way you are.
Aquarium Playlist, 6/26/18
EPISODE #286: CASEY KASEM TRIBUTE 2018
“The New Scooby-Doo Movies” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Bee Gees — “Love You Inside and Out” [Billboard No. 1, 6/9/79]
The Knack — “My Sharona” [No. 1, 8/25/79 – 9/29/79]
Michael Jackson — “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” [No. 1, 10/13/79]
Michael Jackson — “Rock With You” [No. 1, 1/19/80 – 2/9/80]
Queen — “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” [No. 1, 2/23/80 – 3/15/80]
Blondie — “Call Me” [No. 1, 4/19/80 – 5/24/80]
Paul McCartney & Wings — “Coming Up” (live) [No. 1, 6/28/80 – 7/12/80]
Diana Ross — “Upside Down” [No. 1, 9/6/80 – 9/27/80]
Led Zeppelin — “Gallows Pole” [long-distance dedication]
Queen — “Another One Bites the Dust” [No. 1, 10/4/80 – 10/18/80]
John Lennon — “(Just Like) Starting Over” [No. 1, 12/27/80 – 1/24/81]
Blondie — “The Tide Is High” [No. 1, 1/31/81]
Blondie — “Rapture” [No. 1, 3/28/81 – 4/4/81]
Diana Ross & Lionel Richie — “Endless Love” [No. 1, 8/15/81 – 10/10/81]
Jack’s Aquarium podcast is proudly recorded in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 6/19/18
EPISODE #285: SUMMER 2018
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Colleen Green — “Cold Shoulder”
LFO — “Summer Girls”
Marshall Crenshaw — “Starless Summer Sky”
The Only Ones — “Lovers of Today”
Big Star — “Hung Up With Summer”
14 Iced Bears — “Summer Nights”
Bauhaus — “Endless Summer of the Damned”
No Joy — “No Summer”
Basic Bitches — “Summer in the City (Too Bad My Friends Left Town)”
Aimee Mann — “Lies of Summer”
The Felt Tips — “In the Heat of Summer”
The Minders — “Summer Song”
Hefner — “The King of Summer”
Jack’s Aquarium podcast is proudly recorded in Hoboken, NJ.
What I’ve Been Watching: Edition XV
So sometimes your personal life changes and you fall behind on your shows but then maybe your personal life changes again so you catch up on your shows. Anyhoo, this is what I’ve been watching recently.
LOVED
The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale (Netflix) Back in the day, Talk Soup was my jam. Kinnear, Skunk Boy, Hal Sparks — from host to host, I loved it. The updated version, The Soup, is where many of us first saw Joel McHale, and for my money, it has remained his most likable project. I lost track of The Soup over the years (did it really run until 2015??), but upon seeing this revival on Netflix, my Talk Soup love came rushing right back. The snarky commentary on all those awful shows out there (what is a Vanderpump rule, anyway?) is right up my alley. I couldn’t wait for the next week’s episode! And am giddy that there will bonus episodes next month.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman (Netflix) In troubled times, we need our heroes, so Dave came back to us. This bare-bones talk show began incredibly strong with guest Barack Obama, and each additional episode was very worthy viewing. Dave is a more skillful interviewer than ever before, and we’re the beneficiaries. The “field pieces” are a nice touch. At a Buddy Guy performance in Chicago, when Dave and Paul Shaffer — who composed the theme music for the series — were on the same stage, my heart grew four sizes.
Barry (HBO) High concept — hit man takes an acting class — but an underlying sense of introspection and melancholy raises this above the level of most smart comedies. Bill Hader is superb in the lead role, and Henry Winkler is hilarious as his acting teacher. But my favorite is Anthony Carrigan as Noho Hank, a Chechen mobster who is a well-meaning sweetheart. No TV character has made me laugh as much this year.
2018 Winter Olympics (NBC) I really missed Bob Costas doing the anchoring, but regardless, I do love the Olympics. Vindication for the Flying Tomato, the strangeness of the “Olympic Athletes From Russia,” freestyle skiing, USA women’s hockey, U.S. women snagging the first cross-country skiing gold in our country’s history, etc. etc. — so much great stuff.
LIKED A LOT
A.P. Bio (NBC) Though I hope Glenn Howerton returns to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this smartly written comedy is definitely worthy of his talents. We must thank creator Mike O’Brien, who contributed some wonderfully weird pieces to SNL. Howerton, as a Harvard philosophy grad stuck teaching high school in his hometown of Toledo (welcome back, welcome back…), retains the misanthropy of Sunny’s Dennis but with a tad more heart. The students are a hoot and Patton Oswalt is sweetly pathetic as the principal. Odd washed-out cinematography adds to the distinctive feel.
Mosaic (HBO) Between Unsane and this mystery miniseries, I am back on Team Soderbergh. Very strong cast — Sharon Stone, Paul “Pee-Wee” Reubens, James “Ziggy from The Wire” Ransone, Loudon Wainwright III, Allison “First Season of Fargo” Tolman, Beau Bridges, Tony winner Michael Cerveris…. For my money, though, the best actor was Devin Ratray, a big-hearted dude just trying to do his job with the small-town police, caught up in a world of corruption, real estate, and big money. Fun fact: He was the older brother in Home Alone!
Wild Wild Country (Netflix) Any documentary that takes its title from a Bill Callahan lyric is OK by me. I had only vague early-teen recollections of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his many Rolls Royces, so I appreciated this in-depth miniseries that tries not to pick sides. (Though the Rajneeshies were definitely a creepy, greedy cult, the rural Oregonians against them weren’t the most open-minded people you’ll ever meet.)
Crisis in Six Scenes (Amazon) When I finally signed up for Amazon Prime, this is really the only thing I wanted to watch. I don’t care what the naysayers say (spoiler alert: “nay”) — I love Woody Allen and remain loyal to his work. In a hilariously self-deprecating role, writer/director Woody stars as Sidney Munsinger, a respected author forced to develop a TV series. (Eh? Eh?) His life with older-woman wife Elaine May (very funny) is disrupted by 60s radical Miley Cyrus hiding out from the fuzz. Over the course of six episodes, the comedy slowly builds to Marx Brothers-esque proportions.
American Vandal (Netflix) This true-crime spoof was quite funny with excellent casting of the high school kids, even if the ending was a bit of a letdown.
Sports Night (DVD) It took me several episodes to warm to this old Aaron Sorkin series, as it really seemed like the EXACT SAME SHOW as his later The Newsroom. (Were The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip also the same show?) But the cast (R.I.P. Robert Guillaume) and realistic writing grew on me, then got a little tiresome in the second season (will they? won’t they? who gives a shit), but finished strong. As a “dramedy” it could’ve benefited from more -medy.
LIKED
The Last O.G. (TBS) Co-creator Jordan Peele assists Tracy Morgan in a solid comeback. He returns to his old Brooklyn neighborhood (welcome back, welcome back) from prison to find it radically altered by gentrification. His old girlfriend Tiffany Haddish, married to a (wait for it…) white guy, is reluctant to let Tracy interact with his biological children, as he attempts to resist the allure of recidivism.
Corporate (Comedy Central) An often very funny show that reflects soul-crushing corporate life more realistically than most workplace comedies. Could be a wee bit sharper and more consistent.
The End of the F***ing World (Netflix) This British import comedy starts very dark and I thought I might love it — two teens on the run together and one thinking that maybe he’ll murder the other. Plus a cool soundtrack and score by Blur’s Graham Coxon. However, not enough likability to make me really care about the main characters, and it definitely could’ve been funnier.
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (DVD) Loved the concept: Corporate cog fakes his own death and starts again. However, I guess the creator didn’t trust that idea enough to stick with it very long, so we get different overarching plots in the three seasons of this late-70s British comedy. It does feel pretty dated, and a little “polite,” but the topics explored — personal fulfillment, the absurdity of marketing, striving to improve society, etc. — are certainly worthwhile.
JURY STILL OUT
Urban Myths (FLIX/TMC) In this comedic British series, they take an actual event, or a supposedly actual one, and present what may have happened. I’ve only watched three of the six episodes from season 1. The first I saw — Hitler as a young wanna-be artist, with Rupert Grint as his buddy — was really sharp. The second two — Dylan seeks out Eurhythmic Dave Stewart; Ali talks a guy off a ledge — weren’t nearly as good.
ONE AND A HALF AND DONE
Joe Pera Talks With You (Adult Swim) Very controversial categorization on my part, as I am supposed to love this show. And I expected to love it. The animated Joe Pera Talks You To Sleep was brilliant in my opinion. So I was excited at the prospect of a series. Watched Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree in preparation. But that live-action special didn’t really grab me. Then the series began with back-to-back episodes. In episode 1, I had a visceral negative reaction to live-action Joe Pera — his nerdiness seems forced. Episode 2 wasn’t much better, then was somehow mangled in my DVR, and I canceled all future recordings. Sorry, Joe.
ONE AND DONE
The Chi (Showtime) Was hoping for The Wire Except in Chicago, but this really disappointed me. It felt like a phony baloney network drama. This Is Us Except in Chicago?
LESS THAN ONE AND DONE
Roseanne (ABC) Long before the racism thing, I just couldn’t get through a full episode. The nostalgic pull just wasn’t strong enough for me to accept the show’s by-the-numbers sitcom writing. TV has improved a lot since Roseanne’s heyday.
DELETED AFTER 6 MINUTES
Here and Now (HBO) Ooh, I like Tim Robbins, I’ll watch! Uggh, a family drama, I’ll pass.
THE SIMPSONS
The couch gags are usually still good.
THANK YOU AND GOODBYE
Great News (NBC) This Tina Fey-executive produced comedy, behind the scenes at a news show, really found its footing in season 2. The writing was very sharp and I laughed a lot. So, of course, stupid NBC canceled it.
The Mick (FOX) Kaitlin “Sweet Dee” Olsen is the best physical comedian on television. Her show was super funny and perfectly cast. So, of course, stupid FOX canceled it.
GOOD RIDDANCE
Portlandia (IFC) Fred Armisen, I still love you. But the hit-or-miss ratio of this series leaned “miss” entirely too often.
LOOKING FORWARD TO
Without Team USA, the first round of the World Cup isn’t too thrilling, is it? But I’m pumped for the knock-out rounds. What else? The return of Detroiters.
SHOWS I USED TO WATCH AND IN MANY CASES STILL DO
Links to Edition I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, and XIV.
Movie Review: Hereditary
3.5 stars out of 5
This movie is seriously f’ed. Enjoyable would be the wrong word, but… it holds your attention, that’s for sure. This psychological thriller/horror tale is slow and tense, with occasional helpings of “OMG, that is really messed up.”
First things first: I don’t think I’m supposed to find Toni Collette extremely attractive in this film, and yet I do. That is my cross to bear. Anyway, we continue.
Collette is Annie, the mom, who is also a miniature-making artist (adding another layer of twistedness here). Gabriel Byrne, who is not Liam Neeson nor is he Ralph Fiennes and someday I will sort that all out, is the dad. Annie’s mother has just passed away, and that puts some heavy stress on the family dynamic. And Little Charlie — a terrific, creepy, mature-beyond-her-years Milly Shapiro — is already pretty disturbed. Meanwhile, teenage Pete just wants to keep his head down, get high, and maybe talk to that girl in his class.
We soon learn that Annie has had a very troubled family history (is it… hereditary?) and on the down-low, she seeks out a support group for her grieving. There, she meets Joanie — Ann Dowd, who was Patti on The Leftovers, so you know things are only going to get worse.
Collette is pretty great, bottled up, trying to hold it together (keepittogether keepittogether keepittogether), and then not holding it together too well. As far as unreliable protagonists go, she shares the prize this year with Claire Foy in Unsane. Byrne wants to be the steady one at home but the RAGE IS BUILDING UP as his wife behaves screwier and screwier. Pete is becoming unglued too and is fun to watch. He’s portrayed by Alex Wolff, who I covered in 2007 when he was in the kid show The Naked Brothers Band — I wish my friend Marie, teen media editor extraordinaire, was around to see this. Birds, ants, and flies also feature prominently.
The movie keeps you guessing, is definitely “out there,” and may very well leave you wondering “Huh?” Personally, I couldn’t wait to read the Wikipedia entry, but it turns out that whoever wrote it understood the film as well as I did. One thing is crystal clear from Hereditary: By comparison, your own family is not nearly as dysfunctional as you’ve imagined.
Jack Silbert, curator