Couch Patrol

DVD Review: Back to the Future Part II

2009-11-14T17:07:00.001-08:00

I like how Back to the Future Part II picks right up where the first left off. With some sequels, there might be a large gap or a completely different storyline. But this movie makes it seem like the first didn’t even end.

In this second Back to the Future movie, Doc (Christopher Lloyd) lets Marty (Michael J. Fox) know he needs to go to the year 2015 to stop his future son from doing something stupid. But this ends up not being the main crisis of the movie. The Biff of the future learns of the time machine and takes a sports almanac to his 1955 self. That Biff is able to bet on sports, makes a fortune, and completely alters the 1985 that they knew so well. So it’s Marty’s job to go back to 1955 to prevent Biff from getting the almanac without being seen by his other self from 1985, as that could mess up the space-time continuum.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the Back to the Future movies. Sure the sequels aren’t as good as the first, but they are pretty awesome. I think since the first pretty much shows that there will be more, you just have to continue the ride. It’s a good thing that they make this ride so good. You just keep wanting more. I highly recommend continuing the adventure with this second installment.

My rating: 8/10 corn

Thanks for reading!

-Scott

Saturday 7 - 11/14/09

2009-11-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, it's good to be home. Now it's time for the 7!

1- Taylor Swift on SNL

Usually I'm a bit wary when a musician hosts Saturday Night Live (because they usually can't act and aren't funny). But I think even Kanye West would have to admit that Taylor Swift did pretty well on SNL last Saturday. She was very funny and didn't seem to stumble at all. If you haven't seen any clips, check it out at Hulu.com. Monday's COW will also feature Taylor Swift on SNL (if you're a fan of Couch Patrol on Facebook, then you know what it will be).

2- The Hobbit (again)

It's been a couple weeks since I last talked about The Hobbit. The scripts have gone out, and Ian McKellen expressed his excitement. He can tell that this time around, Gandalf was written for him. For the Lord of the Rings movies, he hadn't been cast when the script was ready, so Gandalf was just written for some actor. I thought he did an awesome job as Gandalf, so I'm glad he'll be back. As for who will be playing Bilbo, no news just yet. But it does look like the first Hobbit movie will come out in December, 2011, and the second in December, 2012, so mark your calendars.

3- The Monopoly Movie

Yup, you read that right. A movie based on the board game, Monopoly. Apparently, a guy isn't good at his life, but he's awesome at Monopoly. He wants to break the world record for consecutive hours playing Monopoly (you're getting excited, I can tell), but his friends aren't too willing. He then wakes up one morning in a Monopoly world. Can you say, "Straight to video?"

4- Lindsay Lohan

It's being reported that our favorite role model, Lindsay Lohan, may have been dating Heath Ledger when he died. I guess in order to be a scary character such as the Joker, Ledger had to date Lohan to know how to really strike fear into others.

5- The Saturday 7

Man, it's hard to think of seven things every week. If you have any topics for me to cover in future weeks, just let me know by commenting, or send me an e-mail at couchpatrol@gmail.com. But at least this takes up one of the seven =).

6- Dane Cook as The Riddler?

I sure hope not. Dane Cook is funny, but I don't think he can fit into these new Batman movies. If I knew he could act in a more serious role than, I'd be all for it. If you ask me, I'm not sure The Riddler is the best direction to go for the next Batman film. But if Christopher Nolan decides that is the direction to go...well, he was spot on with the first two movies. I'm sure it will be good.

7- Up on DVD

If you haven't seen Up yet, be sure to check it out. I thought it was great. Be sure check out my review. If you haven't bought Up yet, there are links to do so on my review page.

That's it for me. Thanks for reading!

-Scott

DVD Review: Back to the Future

2009-11-13T07:48:00.001-08:00

I never like to describe a movie as being “fun,” but with the Back to the Future movies, I can’t think of another way to describe them. These movies are just plain fun. This first movie in the trilogy does a great job of setting the stage so you want to see more.

Back to the Future came out in 1985 and all of these movies center around 1985 as the fixed point in the space-time continuum. Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) is a scientist that was able to turn a DeLorean car into a time machine. Doc calls Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) to help him with his initial experiment. After the tests, Marty jumps into the time machine as a group of Libyan terrorists attact Marty and Doc. Marty ends up going to the year 1955 and gets stuck when the time machine breaks. He finds the old Doc Brown and, together, they work on getting Marty back to 1985. Unwittingly, Marty disrupts the future when he contacts his parents, then in high school. So he has to fix the past before he can go “back to the future.”

You will quickly learn while watching these great movies is that timing is everything when you play around with the space-time continuum. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are fantastic. This movie is funny, has good action, and leaves you wanting more (which is why we have sequels). You may catch yourself wondering what life was like in the past and what it may be like in the future. I really enjoyed Back to the Future. It’s a great movie. I even remember watching this movie when I was a kid and thinking the DeLorean was the coolest car, mainly because of the way the doors open. I wouldn’t get a DeLorean now, but I would put the Back to the Future movies on my wishlist of movies to buy.

My rating: 9/10 corn

Be sure to tell your friends and thanks for reading!

-Scott

COW: Edward Cullen vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2009-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

I guess we can't escape all the Twilight hype, so here's a video with some Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This video is 6 minutes long, but it's pretty funny. Enjoy!

Remember to vote for Buffy or Edward! And be sure to tell your friends (what to tell them, I don't know).

-Scott

Saturday 7 - Nov. 7

2009-11-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

This week's 7 is coming to you straight from Key West, FL.

1- Jim Carrey on Conan
Jim Carrey can get pretty crazy on talk shows. Conan can get pretty
goofy. I've never seen them together, and it was pretty dang funny.
I'm not sure if an interview ever really took place; they were pretty
much being silly, feeding off of each other, and it kept getting
funnier and funnier. Jim Carrey rammed a Universal Studios tram with
his head, made fun of the backdrop for The Tonight Show, then the two
had a giveaway a la Oprah - sandwiches. If you can find the interview
online, I recommend checking it out.

2- A Christmas Carol
Speaking of Jim Carrey, A Christmas Carol is now in theaters and you
can see it in 3D. I think we all know the story. Conan pointed out
to Carrey that his movie has been made a couple of times. I'd just
throw in that some of it may be scary for younger children. I don't
plan on taking Peyton (4) and Mikey (2). It does look pretty well
done though.

3- Make-a-Wish Foundation Event
The hotel we stayed at in Miami last night is hosting an event for the
Make-a-Wish Foundation. Pamela Anderson is there as a celebrity guest
and CouchPatrol.com was there. I say "was" because the event is
happening right now and I'm no longer there. My invite must have been
lost in the mail. Be sure to look at the Make-a-Wish Foundation if
you're looking to help out a charity. They do some great things for
sick kids.

4- Miami Dolphins
Nope, not talking about football. Our Miami hotel was on the water
and we saw several dolphins. From our 25th floor room, I had my
camera ready an managed to get a shot of one in the air. This isn't
entertainment related, but I wanted to brag. I'll try to remember to
post it when I'm back in Seattle.

5- DVR
We need to get a DVR or Tivo or something. I was playing Lego Batman
with Peyton on Thursday an forgot to set the VCR, so we missed
Community. It made me sad. That show cracks me up.

6- Edward Cullen vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This could be a good battle, but I won't get into detail today. This
Monday's COW will be good enough (although I might not be able to post
it Monday). It's one that Anna found and I look forward to sharing it
with you.

7- Congrats to Greg and Liz
Greg (my brother) and Liz are getting married Tuesday here in Key
West, that's why we're here. So congrats! Welcome to the family
Liz! We're glad to have you.

That's it from me. Thanks for reading!

Sent from my iPod

DVD Review: Lost, Season 3

2009-11-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

The people behind Lost are absolute geniuses, at least when it comes to making you want more and more. I've finished Season 3 of Lost, and I want more and more. I have so many questions, and only a few have been partially answered. It's easy to get very lost while watching Lost, but I think that's part of the point.

To start this third season, Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are prisoners of "the others". The others play mind games on them, but they are able to learn how to deal with them. When they need something from Jack, Jack is able to make a power-play to help out Kate and Sawyer.

We learn quite a bit more about the others, how they got there, what they're doing there, etc. But there are so many mysteries of the island that still need to be explained. I guess some of the explanations just aren't doing it for me. I just need to remember that this is fictional.

This season does have one of my favorite episodes thus far. Hurley stumbles upon an old VW Bus. So he and some others work on fixing it, and it's pretty funny. Just one to watch for.

I still want more and can't wait to get into season 4. When that happens, you might not see me until I've watched it all. Make sure you are getting the DVDs to get caught up. You won't regret it (except for the hours you'll put into watching all of the episodes trying to see what happens next).

My rating: 9/10 corns

Are you a Lost fan? What are your thoughts?

-Scott

COW: Seinfeld and the Magic Loogi

2009-11-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

From a Season 3 episode of Seinfeld in which Kramer and Newman accuse Keith Hernandez of spitting on them:

-Scott

DVD Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-10-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

Dude, that was totally set up for a sequel. So, Anna and I were finally able to make it to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night (thanks Regal Cinemas and your $3 theater). I’ve been wanting to see this for awhile. Everything finally worked out. It was good to see on the big screen, although I imagine it would be pretty amazing in IMAX.

In this sixth film, we get to see the Death Eaters up to no good, destroying bridges, kidnapping, and other evil stuff they’re supposed to do. We see Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) make an unbreakable vow to help out Draco Malfoy. And we get a glimpse that Malfoy is up to something. Meanwhile, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) starts off by hanging out at a diner and manages to hit on a waitress a little bit. That is until Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) comes to get him to help recruit a teacher that had taught at Hogwarts years ago, Horace Slughorn. After the errand, Harry goes to stay with the Weasleys and is reunited with Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Then it’s off to Hogwarts once again.

Hogwarts is still a pretty amazing place in the movies. It’s even better than how I would picture it reading the books. This year at Hogwarts, it’s Harry’s job to befriend Professor Slughorn, Ron tries out for Quidditch, and Hermione gets jealous. And thank goodness for Luna Lovegood. She is a classic Harry Potter character. We also get to see the beginnings of the Ron-Hermione love connection as well as the Harry-Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) connection.

Also important to the plot is Harry’s discovery of a potions text book that belonged to someone referred to as the “Half-Blood Prince.” Harry is able to look at the notes in this book and becomes a potions master. Using the notes, he gains favor with Professor Slughorn and wins a potion called Felix Felicis, aka “Liquid Luck,” which is something he does use and is a very funny scene.

I really enjoyed The Half-Blood Prince. It seemed to have a good balance from the book, meaning there wasn’t a focus on just one story line. They did a good job at pulling together several story lines. Although some things were changed, the changes were pretty insignificant. There are plenty of funny parts, good action, and the return of some good Quidditch action. We get to see some pretty cool stuff. I’m very impressed with Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange. She has mastered the part. I think all the actors do a great job, especially those “minor” characters (Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, some professors, etc.) that have stuck with the franchise for all these years. I only have two minor gripes. First, I was hoping to see a Battle of Hogwarts, but since there will be a big one in the final movie, the filmmakers didn’t want to get too repetitive and have one in this movie. Second, and please stop reading if you haven’t heard how the movie or book ends, I wished we could’ve seen Dumbledore’s funeral. But I hear the next movie will start off with the funeral.

Harry Potter is definitely worth seeing in the theater if you can find it. It does come out on DVD December 8, so be sure to add it to your wishlist. You can pre-order it through Amazon.com right now as well. Make this movie, and all the Harry Potter movies, a priority to see. It is very good.

My rating: 9/10 corns

What are your thoughts?

-Scott

Saturday 7 - 10/31/09

2009-10-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

Time for the Halloween edition of the Saturday 7!

1- Happy Halloween!

Just want to say Happy Halloween! Probably won't dress up this year, can't think of anything. Any ideas? I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween.

2- Adam Sandler in Jack & Jill

Sandler's making a new comedy. This time, it's about Jack & Jill. Apparently, he'll be playing both Jack and Jill. Could be funny, could be lame. Either way, he'll make a lot of money.

3- Sherlock Holmes

I'm getting excited for Sherlock Holmes (comes out on Christmas). It stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams. You can check out the trailer here.

4- Invictus

Sounds like the name of my high school yearbook, but I'm not talking about yearbooks right now. Invictus is a new movie about Nelson Mandela and how he used South Africa's rugby team to help unite the country (I'm pretty sure that's the plot). It stars Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, captain of the South African rugby team. It's directed by Clint Eastwood. It caught my attention, but not just because Freeman and Damon are a couple of my favorite actors, rugby is one of my favorite sports. You can read a little more about my love for rugby in my review for Forever Strong. Invictus is set to come to a theater near you on December 11.

5- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Good grief! What a tradition. I always find myself trying to find out when the Charlie Brown holiday specials will be on. The shows can be pretty funny. Charlie Brown gets treated like dirt. Linus is a blockhead. Lucy thinks she's all that. And Snoopy is a dog with goals. I'm glad I watched Linus get snubbed by the Great Pumpkin again this year, and I'll probably make sure to watch it again next year.

6- DirecTV Commercials

I'll probably never get DirecTV, but I love the commercials. These are the commercials where they go into an old movie, and one of the characters starts talking about DirecTV. They've done scenes from movies like Major League and Back to the Future. The latest two are from Wayne's World 2 and Tommy Boy. The Tommy Boy commercial has drawn criticism. It has David Spade talking about DirecTV while Chris Farley (dead) does the fat guy in a little coat scene. I love it. I saw the commercial and I remembered the goodness that is Tommy Boy. It gives us a chance to remember Chris Farley and how funny he was. There's also a whole generation out there that probably doesn't know how funny Chris Farley was. So, DirecTV, keep bringing us these commercials. I like them a lot.

7- Dumbledore vs. Gandalf

I haven't done a "versus" item in awhile, but this one is intriguing. I thought of it because Anna and I finally saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night (review coming today). Here we go:

-Dumbledore is a stud. He's always so calm and confident, and always knows what to say. He's also a crazy powerful wizard. He is the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared. That's a pretty good credential all by itself.

-Gandalf has no fear. He's wise. We get to see him grow more powerful as he defeats the balrog. He doesn't just use magic, though, he's pretty amazing with the sword and staff.

I don't know how to judge this one. I think it would be a pretty good battle. But I don't think either of the two could kill the other. I'm gonna need your help figuring this one out. Be sure to chime in with your comments, and I've also posted a poll at the top left corner of the page.

Once again, thank you very much for reading and your comments. Be sure to tell your friends. I don't think they'll judge you too harshly for recommending the Couch Patrol to them. I have purchased the domain name for another year, so I'm gonna keep doing this. And feel free to donate so I can get my real website up and running. I heard of a kink with the Paypal link, but it should be good to go now. Thanks!

-Scott

COW: Steve Martin as Michael Jackson

2009-10-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

With the Michael Jackson - This Is It movie coming out Wednesday, I think this clip fits. So here it is, Steve Martin performing "Billie Jean."

-Scott

DVD Review: Lost, Season 2

2009-10-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

I hate Lost. Well, not really. I hate feeling like I'm in the dark, even after a big revelation. I guess that's why we keep coming back to find out what happens next.

Season 2 picks up where season 1 left off. I'll try to explain some of the plot without spoiling season 1. Anywho, we meet people from the other part of the plane that were believed to have died. So season 2 becomes season 1 in that we have to learn about new characters. We do get to learn more about the others, and we find that the passengers from the different parts of the plane all think that the other passengers are "the others" for a time.

My favorite character introduced in season 2 is Mr. Eko. We learn his past is a pretty brutal one, but on the island, he's a stud. Eventually, he teams up with John Locke. If you're like me, you'd be fine just watching these two explore the island together. They seem to have an understanding about the island that nobody else has. They understand each other, and nobody else really understands them. But even without them, this season is more than worth it.

If you've watched season 1, then you don't need me to tell you to watch season 2. It's a strong continuation of the story. Once season 2 is finished, you'll be wanting to start season 3. Since I'm almost finished with season 3 now, I have a feeling that this is a trend that is just going to continue. This is a definite must-see.

My rating: 9/10 corns

Feel free to leave your comments!

-Scott

Saturday 7 - 10/24/09

2009-10-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

It must be Saturday, so here's this week's 7!

1- The Simpsons Halloween Special

There was something different about this year's Simpsons Halloween special. It was on before Halloween! I hope you didn't miss it. For years, the Halloween special has been shown after Halloween, usually the first Sunday in November (since the show has had to work around the World Series). This year, the World Series will be going into November, so the Halloween special made the move to be before Halloween (interesting logic). So I was all excited to watch it, and then, like many of the Simpsons Halloween specials, I was disappointed. At least I've been able to watch some of the older ones, which are classics.

2- The Far Side by Gary Larson

I have to do it every so often. The Complete Far Side (two books that have every single Far Side) is available to buy and to check out from the library. Since I don't want to spend all that money just yet to buy it, I checked it out. More importantly, with Halloween a week away, did you know that there are two animate Far Side specials. The first was aired on CBS many years ago around Halloween. The second never showed here in the United States. But our local library has both on VHS, so I had to check them out again as well. All you Far Side fans will be able to appreciate these. You can't find these videos in stores, but they are now available on DVD if you visit: www.thefarside.com. As for the book, I'll have an Amazon link at the end of this post.

3- X-Men Origins

The X-Men series will be continuing the Origins and I'm excited about that. I really liked Wolverine, and there are plans for a second Wolverine movie, a Magneto movie, and a Deadpool movie. Yup, you've heard it hear first (unless you read it somewhere else already like I did). I imagine updates for these movies will be a part of future 7's.

4- The New Apple iMac

I am an Apple convert and will, once again, plug the iMac. I love ours. We've almost had it two years and haven't had any issues (except when Peyton and Mikey play around with the settings). The new Mac is bigger, faster, and just plain awesome. You can check them out at Apple.com. Also, be sure to check out the new mouse; I'm gonna have to get me one of those. I'll have Amazon links for you to get your Mac below.

5- Ghostbusters 3

Since I just reviewed the first Ghostbusters (and will be reviewing the 2nd in the next few days), I think this is a good time to shed some light on the next Ghostbusters, set to hit theaters in 2012. That is a ways away, but plenty of time for Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd to come up with something good. It looks like all the original people will be on board for this one (although I'm not sure about Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis). I'd be disappointed if Rick Moranis wasn't on board, he plays his character perfectly.

6- The Hobbit (again)

Get used to it, I'm excited for The Hobbit. It has been announced that the scripts for the 2 Hobbit movies are being sent out. This is a big step to start production. We should see a couple of familiar characters (Gandalf, Elrond, and Gollum), but I don't think we'll really see anyone else, unless it's in the second movie. It's rumored that the second movie will bridge the gap between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring (if you've read the books, you can see there's quite a gap in time between the two). The first is scheduled for a December, 2011 release.

7- Transformers

Have you bought the new Transformers yet? You can go to the review page to find the link (since I already have a few things to buy at the bottom of this page). If you haven't heard already, the third movie is already set for a Summer, 2011 release. Michael Bay already has his story idea, and I've heard Shia and Megan Fox are on board. That's another thing to get excited about.

Feel free to post your comments, and thanks to everyone who has posted!

-Scott

DVD Review: Ghostbusters

2009-10-24T08:32:00.001-07:00

I have a Ghostbusters memory I’d like to share, although it’s not something that happened while watching Ghostbusters. Years ago, my grandparents were over at our house to watch Ghost (do you see where this is going?). About halfway through, my grandpa said, “When are the Ghostbusters going to show up?” He was completely serious. It made me laugh. I think more guys would have appreciated Ghost if the Ghostbusters would’ve shown up.

Ghostbusters is about a group of scientists at a university in New York that study paranormal activity. They get called to a library because of an encounter of a librarian. They check it out and find a ghost that requests they be quiet. After this encounter, and after the university pulls their funding, they strike out on their own to capture ghosts.

As the Ghostbusters rise in popularity and get more business, they begin to realize that there’s something bigger happening in the city. They also have to deal with the fact that more and more people think they are phonies and just creating illusions of ghosts to make money. So they have to fight ghosts and the general public in order to save New York.

Ghostbusters is a must-see movie. It is hilarious. And, it’s perfect for Halloween (but not for little ones, some of the ghosts can be scary). Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd lead the charge as far as cast goes (Aykroyd also wrote it along with Harold Ramis) and this is a comedy that’s hard to beat. This is definitely one to check out, but you might be able to buy it for about the same price as a rental. This is a good one to own.

My rating: 9/10 corns

Feel free to post your comments!

-Scott

DVD Review: The Corpse Bride

2009-10-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Ah, The Corpse Bride. I always thought that this was the sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I was wrong.

The Corpse Bride takes place in the 19th century in a small European village. The story follows Victor (Johnny Depp) as he prepares to get married to Victoria. The preparations are interrupted when he is taken to the underworld and gets put into a position in which he would marry the Corpse Bride. Victor learns to love the Land of the Dead and even commits to marrying the corpse bride. But all parties involved begin to understand the consequences and must decide what would be best.

The Corpse Bride is entertaining, but not as good as The Nightmare Before Christmas. The story is pretty solid, but I don’t think it was the best movie for me. I’ve now seen it twice, but there’s nothing really memorable about it to me, except a scene where Victor and the Corpse Bride play the piano together. I think it has good entertainment value and we can, once again, see Tim Burton’s imagination come to life.

My rating: 6/10 corns

Feel free to leave your comments!

-Scott

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on DVD & Blu-ray!

2009-10-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

Be sure to buy your copy of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen today on Blu-ray or DVD. You can also check out my review here: Review. The links below will make it easy for you to buy this movie through Amazon.com. Thanks!

-Scott

COW: No TV and No Beer Make Homer Something

2009-10-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Simpsons Halloween special was on last night. It made me remember the good 'ol days. This week's COW is a clip from those good 'ol days:

-Scott

DVD Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas

2009-10-17T14:34:00.001-07:00

Wow, how many years has it taken me to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas? Whenever I’ve tried in the past, it was late at night and I’d fall asleep. So I finally got around to watching it.

First of all, is this a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? Maybe I should have watched it around Thanksgiving to split the difference. Basically, this stop motion animation movie from Tim Burton is about Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween. While in Halloweentown after another successful Halloween, Jack is getting pretty bored with the repetitiveness of Halloween. He stumbles upon a doorway to Christmastown and is amazed by everything he sees. He decides it’s time for Halloweentown to take control of Christmas, which involves kidnapping Santa and Jacking delivering toys around the world.

The Nightmare Before Christmas has a lot of music and singing. The songs are pretty good and I could easily see a play being made. I’ve read rumors that there would be, but anybody can start a rumor. But if you think about it, they did The Lion King, so why not this? I think it would be very successful since this movie is very good.

This movie may be too scary for little kids. Our son Peyton (4) was liking it at first, but it got a little too scary for him. But I have to admit that this movie is well done. I was entertained. It’s not an all-time great for me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be for you. Oh, and the Blink 182 link is for "I Miss You", one of my favorite songs that has a couple of references to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

My rating: 7/10 corns

What are your thoughts?

-Scott

DVD Review: 30 Rock, Season 2

2009-10-17T13:23:00.001-07:00

If you haven't jumped on the 30 Rock bandwagon yet, now is the time. 30 Rock has become one of my favorite shows. It seems like there is always something funny happening.

Season 2 starts off with "Seinfeld Vision." Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) finds old footage from Seinfeld and finds a way to make a "Digital Jerry Seinfeld." He hears Jerry will be in Europe on vacation, so he goes forward with an idea to include Seinfeld in every TV show during a week. Seinfeld hears about this and confronts Jack. This episode gives Season 2 a solid start.

Season 2 ends with Liz (Tina Fey) getting a positive pregnancy test and Jack going to Homeland Security, where he teams up with Matthew Broderick. The Homeland Security scenes are classics. There are several references to President Bush and, love him or hate him, you can't help but laugh.

So Season 2 starts strong and ends strong. The 13 other episodes are also awesome. Season 2 was shortened due to the strike by the Writer's Guild (or whoever was striking). The shortened season is the only disappointment for this DVD. There are plenty of good features and I know I can easily watch these episodes over and over.

I hope you don't get tired of me plugging 30 Rock. I want this show to succeed. Success for this show means that I'll get to watch more episodes. Make sure you check this show out, and be sure to watch this season.

My rating: 10/10 corns

Be sure to tell your friends about this site (because it is amazingly awesome). And, as always, feel free to leave your comments.

-Scott

Saturday 7 - 10/17/09

2009-10-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's that time again. Here we go!

1- Advertising

You may have noticed more and more advertisements showing up here. Don't worry, they are legit. I have become an affiliate for Amazon.com, iTunes, and Netflix (not yet posted). So be sure to click the advertisements and buy stuff. You will be doing a great service to the United States' economy, and you will be doing a great service to me (since I get a percentage). So start buying like there's no recession!

2- Donations

Speaking of doing a great service to me - If you don't want to buy something, you can always donate to the Couch Patrol. This is not a "Not for Profit" website, so you won't be able to write off your donations. My request for your money will help me launch the website I've been working on but haven't wanted to cover the cost of hosting ($100). That would be a good first step for me. There's more I'd like to do (my own server) which would give me more options (if I understood all that nerd-talk on those message boards correctly), but I'd like to at least start with hosting the page I've created. Some of you may remember it from earlier this year. Thank you in advance!

3- Washington Drivers and Rain

What do you think of when you think of Seattle? Rain, right!? Washington drivers don't know how to drive in the rain. You would think we'd all be experts. I don't mean to brag, but I don't have any problems. There are always drivers on the freeway that won't pass trucks that kick up a lot of water. They always tend to catch up to the trucks, slow down to the same speed as the truckers, and get all that water kicked up onto their windshield. Just pass the trucker, you'll be able to see! Trust me. Thanks for letting me vent a little.

4- Automatic Doors at Stores

Have you noticed how people will walk past regular doors at a store in order to walk through the automatic door? You just realized you do that, didn't you? I understand it when you're done shopping and have your stuff, but have we gotten that lazy that we won't exert the force required which is about the equivalent of bench-pressing 5 pounds? Even when I hold the door open for someone, they'll still head to the automatic door. And I though we were supposed to conserve energy.

5- Nobel Peace Prize

I'd like to send an undeserved "Congratulations" to President Obama for winning the Nobel Prize for Peace. Way to go! I don't think he was even in the running. A friend of mine mentioned that he's in the running to win the Heisman. I wonder what else he'll win. I sure hope he has his gown picked out for when he wins the Miss America pageant.

6- Toy Story 3

The new trailer is out. Are you excited? I am. You can watch it here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/toystory3/

7- 30 Rock

30 Rock finally started and I'm loving NBC on Thursdays now. Community=funny. Parks & Recreation=probably funny (haven't watched too much of it yet), The Office=very funny, and 30 Rock=very funny. I read a story that 30 Rock isn't getting the best ratings. So let's go! Watch 30 Rock. Don't let it become the next Arrested Development (an award winning show that was cancelled way too early because of low ratings). The show is absolutely hilarious. I've reviewed Season 1 and will be reviewing Season 2 later today.

That's it for me. Feel free to comment!

-Scott

DVD Review: Seinfeld Season 3

2009-10-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Seinfeld is an awesome show, but it took it awhile to get into that realm of great TV shows. Season 3 helps show some glimpses of that greatness, but it's improvement over seasons 1 and 2 is minimal.

Season 3 features one of my favorite episodes, which was originally an hour long. Jerry becomes friends with former Mets player, Keith Hernandez. In it, Kramer and Newman explain their disgust for Hernandez after their claim that Hernandez spit on them. Jerry then disputes their theory that Hernandez was the source of the "magic loogi" a la JFK. It's a classic scene and one that, I think, sets the tone for the future seasons. Also in season 3, we get to see Kramer have his portrait painted by one of Jerry's girlfriends.

All of the episodes feature clips from Seinfeld's stand-up routine. Some are funny, but it's easy to see why they went away from these clips in later seasons. They don't really add much to an episode.

With any classic TV show, we have to take the good with the bad. Thankfully for us, season 3 has a lot of good. It is hard to review, though, especially when I've scene all the episodes in later seasons and I know that these just aren't as good. They are very good though. I know I shouldn't hold these earlier episodes of Seinfeld to a higher standard than other shows, so...

My rating: 8/10

What are your thoughts on Seinfeld?

-Scott

COW: The Great Fly-dini

2009-10-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

Steve Martin as The Great Fly-dini. The video quality isn't the best, but try to find a better magic act:

-Scott

Saturday 7 - 10/10/09

2009-10-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's still Saturday, right? Just barely. So here's this week's 7!

1- The Reply All E-mail

Like most people, I enjoy a funny e-mail. And, of course, when an e-mail is funny, we want to share it with all of our friends. But one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone comments on the e-mail and hits "reply all" instead of "reply." A lot of times, it's someone I don't know or barely know. If it's family, I don't care. But when I get three e-mails saying, "That's funny" from people I barely know. Come on! Just hit "reply." What's worse is someone makes a funny comment about the e-mail in a "reply all" fashion, and then there's the next person that does the same, but tries to "one-up" the first. Sometimes the first comment can be funny. But the second? Usually not even close.

2- Dang Mikey

Our 2 year old (Mikey) keeps deleting my notes I make to myself for reviews and ideas for the weekly 7. When I have an idea for the 7 or think of something I want to make sure goes in a review, I put it on my iPod Touch. Then, of course, I'll let Mikey use it, and he likes to go into my notes and send them to the virtual garbage. Now, I find myself e-mailing all my notes to me before I hand Mikey the iPod to play with. I now have a ton of e-mails from myself. I'll try to get a video of Mikey using the iPod, he's really good at it. He's a Mac.

3- The Simpson's Movie Sequel

Dang, won't happen until the TV series comes to an end. I'm a Simpsons fan (except for OJ) and would like to see another movie or two. But I guess I'll have to wait to pay for something that I get for free on TV (Homer's joke, not mine).

4- Disney's Fast Play

Have you seen this feature on Disney DVDs? Disney spends time to tell you that you can press "menu" during their previews and you can go right to the menu because the DVD is "equipped with Disney's Fast Play." I know there are some DVDs that won't let you go right to the menu, but I know to at least try when I don't want to watch the previews. I'd rather just have all DVDs go straight to the menu when you put them in. I didn't like having to fast forward through previews when we used our VCR for movies; I don't like having to do it with DVDs. If you're with me, then be sure to tell your friends about this site. Together, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

5- Baseball Playoffs

I love baseball. I think it's the one sport where I don't hate any of the teams. There are some players I don't like, but that's about it. I've rooted for and against the Yankees and Red Sox. I'm from Seattle, so the Mariners are my favorite. But I always like the playoffs because anything can happen. I was pulling for the Cardinals to make it from the NL (they're out now). And I have a reason to root for every team in the AL (and now have a reason to root for all teams in the NL). I'll have to review Ken Burns' History of Baseball. It's fantastic!

6- National Lampoon's Vacation Movies

These movies can be pretty funny. Christmas Vacation is hilarious. And now, it sounds like they'll be coming out with some new ones. Chevy Chase won't be the main guy anymore as Clark Griswold. It will be Clark's son, Rusty, that will be taking over the series. It sounds like Clark and his wife will be a part of the movies as grandparents, which hopefully means that we'll still get a dose of Chevy Chase for these films. And speaking of Chevy Chase, be sure to watch his new show "Community" Thursdays on NBC.

7- Old Navy Commercials

How is Old Navy in business? If you are at all inspired by Old Navy commercials to go buy clothes there, you need professional help. Those commercials are absolutely stupid. I know people like Old Navy's clothes, so do we really need to put up with the commercials? I say we boycott Old Navy as long as they keep making these annoying commercials. They've been up to it for years. Together, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

On a side note: To my niece Aileena, keep feeling better. You're doing awesome!

Thanks for reading!

-Scott

DVD Review: Heroes, Season 1

2009-10-05T20:49:00.001-07:00

Heroes is another one of those shows I like but haven't been able to watch as regularly as I'd like. I had seen the first season before, but this was a good refresher.

I think of Heroes as an X-Men TV series. There are these people who have "evolved" and possess special powers. There is a politician that can fly, a cheerleader that can heal herself, some lady with a weird, split personality, and on and on and on. I think my favorite hero would be Hiro, a Japanese nerd from Japan that can bend space and time. He's so happy all the time and funny, but you get to see Hiro in the future, and he's like a ninja superstar.

I like most all the characters in the show and how they interact. One commonality they all have is there is a company that is trying to track all of these evolved people. There is a scientist who is also trying to find all of them because he learns that they are in danger. The danger? A man named Sylar who has learned how to harvest the special abilities. I think Sylar is an awesome villain.

I do like Heroes and I think season 1 is where everyone should begin. You get to know the characters and you see them learn how to use their abilities. I do have to warn you though. Once you finish season 1, you'll be wanting to watch more. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on season 2.

My rating: 9/10 corns

Are you a Heroes fan? Be sure to comment!

-Scott

COW: On the Ground

2009-10-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

A digital short from Andy Samberg:

Happy birthday to the ground!

-Scott

DVD Review: X-Men Origins- Wolverine

2009-10-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

I wanted to watch this movie in the theater, but, darn it, I just didn’t get around to it. But hey, we saved by waiting to watch it on DVD. Wolverine was worth the wait, but I don’t think I really knew what I was missing.

The trend of late has seemed to be superhero movies going back to the roots of the heroes. Batman Begins set the trend, and everyone has noticed what it did for the Batman franchise. I don’t think the X-Men movies needed a boost, but this one sure didn’t hurt it.

So we look at the origins of Wolverine. The opening credit sequence is pretty awesome. It’s Logan (Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman) and his brother Victor doing battle in several wars in US history. We then see what happens to the brothers and their recruitment into a “special ops” group. Logan, frustrated with this group, reaches his boiling point and walks away. His brother is bloodthirsty in the operations, so the two brothers get mad at each other. From there, the movie shows their interactions with each other, the government, and other members of the special operations team they were on. I’ll leave the description at that.

This movie was a smart move. There are plenty of X-Men geeks who will watch this movie whether or not it’s good. And then there are those of us who aren’t X-Men geeks (at least I hope I’m not) who will watch this movie based on word of mouth or if we’ve seen the other movies in the X-Men series. I think this movie will appeal to a wide range of people. I think the ladies have a thing for Hugh Jackman as well, so that will probably boost the profits for Marvel. But those sorts of things don’t make a movie good, there is a lot that has to happen to make a movie good and entertaining. A lot of those things do happen in this one. It’s very good. Don’t believe the critics that say Wolverine is disappointing. Believe this critic when I say you’ll get your money’s worth.

My rating: 8/10 corns

What are your thoughts on the latest X-Men movie? Be sure to comment!

-Scott