CMI on TV

by: Evan Mantel | Monday, January 20, 2014 - 7:46am

Revenge Season 3 posterI like history. Find it utterly fascinating. The whys and what ifs of history are possibilities that can lead down any number of intriguing avenues. Of course, none of those possible new outcomes are provable, but debating those outcomes is just as enjoyable as crafting different scenarios.

Now, I tend to prefer the intrigues of wars and political history to art or cultural developments. So you'd think I'd love the Cold War because it combines hot wars and the cold art of political manipulation.

I don't.

Recent history is too politicized for my taste, and the Cold War doesn't spark my imagination like the Civil War or the fall of Byzantium. Still, the Cold War offers much intrigue--never a bad thing in my book.

Perhaps...

by: CMI Staff | Thursday, January 16, 2014 - 11:51pm

The Critics’ Choice Awards are decidedly one of the lesser known of the awards season—first, because they air on a Thursday night on the CW (yes, it still exists), and second, because there are conspicuous A-list absences like J-Law and Christian Bale.

Here are a few gems from Aisha Tyler, the host of the night:

Referring to the nominees:  “I'm only going to pay attention to the ones I'd like to sleep with.”

Talking about Matthew McConaughey: “In The Wolf of Wall Street, Matt's character struggles with casual sex and rampant drug use. Not really struggled. More like owned. Dominated.”

“I'm going to talk and hopefully it's going to get me laid by someone tonight.”

“Like everything else in this needy, soulless town, tonight is all about the stars.”

It has to be hard for an awards show host to make a joke about every best picture nominee when 12 Years a Slave is one...

by: Mike Ciandella | Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - 9:45pm

Despite portraying the king of Hell, Crowley continues to be one of the most enjoyable villains on television. And the writers of Supernatural seem to know that we want more of his odd dynamic with the Winchesters and Castiel.

Running out of options, Dean turns to Crowley for help in casting the angel Gadreel out of Sam. Convoluted? Not as much as the rest of the plot. With Abaddon and Crowley vying for control of Hell, and several factions of Angels fighting for control of Earth, this season of Supernatural definitely has more villains than any before it. In the midst of all the chaos, Dean is forced to turn again and again to Crowley for support.

In fairness to Crowley, he's not literally the devil. He just happened to step in and sieze control when the Winchester's threw the actual devil into the bottomless pit. He's not even really fully evil anymore. Sam's...

by: Evan Mantel | Monday, January 13, 2014 - 11:24pm

Uncle! I give! I give!

I'm squeamish. There! I said it.

I don't like blood. I don't like gore. I don't like my shows getting into the nitty gritty of that sort of thing.

I've given the show a pass previously, but it's just too much. At what point do we as a society say enough with the copious amounts of blood and guts?

Speaking of copious amounts of things... vengeance.

I suppose it is fitting that The Blacklist (and by The Blacklist I mean Red, because, let's face it, he's carrying the show still) returned with a vengeance after the massive attack in the last two episodes before the holiday season. Vengeance was on the menu, and it was served with apocalyptic flair.

Personally, I thought the apocalyptic thing with the Johnny Cash and the Revelation quotation, "and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was Death,...

| Monday, January 13, 2014 - 12:39am

                                                                                     Golden Globes 2014

So it wasn’t Miley Cyrus at the VMAs. Well, it wasn’t your grandmother’s Golden Globes either.

Everyone knows the Golden Globes are the party of the year for A-list movie stars and their television equivalents. Once a year TV and film rub shoulders at an open bar as they feign excitement for their competition’s success, and “women and gay men” sit at home and watch.

A handful of bleeped moments caught by the NBC producers were honestly not the most disturbing part of the evening....

by: Evan Mantel | Friday, January 10, 2014 - 2:18am

Big things happening in Greendale, boys and girls. Ben Folds made a guest appearance last night!!!! WAHOOOOO!!!!

But seriously, the Human Beings at Greendale have returned to our Thursday night tv sets with their twisted, witty humor. Having watched all three episodes, they aren't back to their form from seasons 1 and 2, but this season has been far superior to the Dan Harmon-less slop from last season.

Can Community return to top form?

From the bottom of my heart, I hope Community changes back to its cheeky form. A form that isn't afraid to give no quarter. I don't know if they will burst  my bubble, but if their willing to take a crack at it, I'll be sure to drag my ass back in front of the tv for more Community.

And now, let's get...

by: Evan Mantel | Thursday, January 9, 2014 - 3:07am

I like to consider myself an intelligent, well-versed person. I believe that I generally understand high-minded ideas and appreciate a wide swath of culture and humor. Of course, whether any of that is actually true isn't the point. The point is that's what I like to think about myself.

But sometimes things just don't make sense to me. When that happens, I'm simply left asking...

WHY?!?!?

Why is it okay to portray gay men stereotypically (a la portraying them as snarky, caddy, teenage girls; see video below) for a laugh, but if I write something that criticizes gay men as typically being snarky and effeminate, I'm homophobic? Is it just me or does that seem like a double standard?

Why couldn't Modern Family resist...

by: Evan Mantel | Wednesday, January 8, 2014 - 1:39am

Finally!

At last, we learned what really happened to Coulson in Tahiti. Apparently, Tahiti is less magical place and more advanced scientific robot reprogramming your brain. Visit Tahiti at your own risk.

SHIELD's actions in resurrecting Coulson raises an important questions of ethics and power.

The ethical questions, when is someone dead or when should someone be allowed to die/put out of their misery,  are incredibly difficult to answer. Jobs exist whose sole purpose is to debate and discuss these types of ethical medical quandaries. The...

by: Evan Mantel | Sunday, January 5, 2014 - 10:33pm

Revenge Well, it could have been worse.

In an episode that was one argument short of the cycle, Revenge remained above the muck and mire that is the prime time soap opera.*

At the beginning of the episode, Emily has complete and utter amnesia, and at that point, it seemed like we were doomed for that soap opera-esque story line. But fortunately, Revenge had the common sense to return Emily's memory to her at the end of the episode, keeping Revenge away from being a prime time soap opera and providing a compelling hook for next week's episode. (And who was that mysterious, fake nurse that planted one on Aiden anyways??? WE NEED ANSWERS, PEOPLE!!!!)

But as I...

by: Evan Mantel | Friday, January 3, 2014 - 5:25am

The Big Bang TheoryPerhaps I shouldn't admit this, since I do get paid to watch and write about this show, but rarely am I impressed by The Big Bang Theory. Typically, it lacks substance like Sheldon lacks social interaction skills. But this episode was different.

Now, I'm not delusionally thinking that a new year will bring new improvement to the show. Yet, for one episode, Big Bang surprised and impressed me with a poignant yet comedic critique of modern social interaction.

The opening scene where everyone is having dinner together but on their phones is a problem plaguing modern society. The practice of being with someone without actually interacting with them is a plague on...