For the record

I want to go on the record as saying that Rachel Weisz will receive an Oscar nomination for playing Abigail Salmon in The Lovely Bones.

500 Days of Summer

I would like to start this post with a quote from this week's "Entertainment Weekly."
"Convinced of the film's Oscar potential after seeing an early cut, Paramount execs bumped the [release] date [of The Lovely Bones] to awards season."
I would just like to now point you to my previous post, where I made a guess that this was the case. I should write for "Entertainment Weekly."

Next item of business: 500 Days of Summer. It is probably the best movie I have seen this year (Star Trek looming a close second). Jason-Gordon Levitt is spot-on. The writing is excellent. It was a very fun way to tell a story. (I especially like the opening disclaimer that all persons represented are fictional and any similarities are to be discarded, especially by a girl named Jenny Beckman, who is apparently a bitch.) This movie has a chance to nab one of those five extra Oscar nominations for best picture. Although, I doubt it will stay so fresh throughout awards season this fall. I do hope to see it nominated for Best Screenplay, though.

Still working on Season 2 of "How I Met Your Mother." Moved into my new apartment. School starts next week. Still reading The Lovely Bones. It is getting good. Time for bed.

Last Week

I started off my last week in Wellman by watching the Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers. The roasters weren't so funny, but Joan was off the charts funny. She just yelled a bunch of (very funny) jokes.

Anyway. . . other things on the agenda this week: I watched the first full season of "How I Met Your Mother." It is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows. It is like a newer version of "Friends" with a storytelling twist. (One of the producers/writers on "HIMYM" was also a producer/writer on "Friends.") The reason I think it works is because it really seems like all the actors on the show seem like they really are friends.

I also started reading "The Lovely Bones." (Which has been turned into a movie by Peter Jackson. They moved the release date from last Spring to next December. Sounds like someone at the studio decided they might be able to win some Oscars.) The story is very good. A young girl named Susie Salmon is raped and murdered. She then watches from heaven as her family deals with not finding her body and trying to find the man who did it.

I've given up on watching all the Outstanding Drama Series nominees. I prefer to concentrate on the comedies anyway. I move back to Abilene on Saturday. New apartment. New semester. Looking forward to it.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Well, I am back from Australia. I have been spending my time trying to catch up on the Emmy submissions. For those of you who do not know, each show nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series or Drama Series submits six episodes from the previous season. These episodes are then put into pairs and sent to judges, who vote based on the two episodes they watched. I found the submissions and I decided to watch them and make a decision based on the actual episodes the judges will be watching.

So here is my take on the Outstanding Comedy Series race:

Bottom of the Barrel: "The Office", "Flight of the Conchords", "Family Guy"

The reason I have "The Office" at the bottom of the barrel is because it feels very stale. The two episodes I watched were "Golden Ticket" and "Cafe Disco." I didn't see anything I haven't seen before and to be honest, I was a little bored. Don't get me wrong. I definitely think "The Office" deserves this nomination. It is definitely one of the best seven comedies on TV. The other shows, however, are just doing things better.

"Flight of the Conchords" is really funny. I watched the episodes titled "The New Cup" and "Love is the Weapon of Choice." I happen to favor well-crafted, thought-out jokes over awkward humor. Most of this show is just about the two guys seeing who can be the most awkward. And it is hilarious. (Especially with a very subdued guest appearance by Kristin Wiig.) I was very glad to see it get some recognition. But I think a nomination is recognition enough.

I watch "Family Guy" on a regular basis. It is without a doubt one of the funniest shows on TV. The episodes I watched were"Road to Germany" and "Baby Not on Board." But I don't think it takes as much talent to make an animated series as it does to make a live action series. Plus, I think "South Park" is a smarter show. I'm glad "Family Guy" is getting some recognition, but I hope the show continues to get better instead of relying on old jokes from previous seasons. (Plus, the McCain / Palin button on the Nazi uniform was a little much.)

Middle of the Pack: "Weeds", "Entourage"

I have watched "Weeds" for a very long time. As such, I had already seen the two episodes I re-watched. They were "Mother Thinks the Birds Are After Her" and "Lady's a Charm." Seeing Elizabeth Perkins dressed up like a latina prisoner was really funny. This is the show's first nomination for Outstanding Series, too. Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins are also nominated for their acting. But I don't think the show has what it takes to put it over the top.

To be honest, I didn't think "Entourage" deserved to be on this list at all. I thought the spot should have been taken by some other, more deserving comedies (such as "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"). But I watched two episodes ("Playin With Fire" and "Return to Queens Boulevard") and I was sucked back in. This show--more than any of the other nominees so far--made me want to watch more. My biggest complaint about the show is that it isn't very funny. It is extremely entertaining, but it doesn't make me laugh.

Top Contenders: "30 Rock", "How I Met Your Mother"

"30 Rock" will most likely win the award. It is smart, laugh out loud funny, and it is about the production of TV. Emmy voters should be all over this like they have been the past two years. The episodes I watched were "Believe in the Stars" and "Reunion." The former had a hilarious guest appearance by Oprah. The latter was so funny that Tina Fey submitted it for her acting race. The show has a record 22 overall nominations (4 of the 5 writing nominees are from "30 Rock"). But in the end, it wouldn't get my vote.

My Emmy vote (if I had one) would go to "How I Met Your Mother." The two episodes I watched ("The Naked Man" and "Three Days of Snow") were so well-crafted that I am surprised they didn't get nominations for writing. (Especially "Three Days of Snow" which presents three separate storylines as happening simultaneously, then throws the viewer for a loop at the end when they are revealed to have happened on three different days.) The show has a strong ensemble cast, including Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris (who should win the Supporting Actor race this year with the (welcome) absence of Jeremy Piven). I think this may be the top choice for those people out there who are bogged down with all the "30 Rock" victories over the past two years. Plus, this is the only traditional, multi-camera series to be nominated. It is slowly gaining momentum and popularity. Now it is finally gaining recognition. Much in the same way another CBS traditional multi-camera series with a strong ensemble cast ("Everybody Loves Raymond") did.

Well, that's it. Now I need to go watch some dramas. I don't tend to pay attention to dramas very often, so it may be very interesting.
And yes, I realize the last time I posted, I wanted "30 Rock" to win the Emmy. Well, things change.