October 29, 2003
Upcoming Recordings 10/29-11/2
Did I somehow get old in the past three weeks? After two months with the DVR have I become so set in my ways that I can’t find any new and interesting television programming between now and Sunday? I could go on and on about how I’ve been enjoying the current season of SURVIVOR (CBS, Thursdays @ 8pm) but how exciting is it to know that Rupert is the next Richard Hatch (but not Richard Hatch at all)? This season lacks a Colleen. It lacks a Greg. It has Rupert and he’s the best part of the show. I fear he’ll be kicked off very soon.
How exciting is it to know that I’m officially addicted to the Travel Channel’s poker series and that I can’t wait for all forthcoming poker shows, especially the ones featuring celebrities?
Oh, and in the midst of typing this, I’m engaging in an IM conversation with Chris Larry about his current live radio show. He just mentioned that the current segment “is all Cambodian garage rock bands as I make bacon and eggs.” Turns out that all things exciting in my media consumption are now based on the internet. I am seriously digging this patch of music. If Chris is a smart guy, and we know he is, he’ll make a few of these tracks part of the regular rotation on his internet radio show.
Besides Tuesday’s return of 24 the exciting bit of regular television watching is the return of THE O.C. (Wednesday @ 9pm on Fox). I think I’ll save all discussion of both shows until Thursday. This DVR lifestyle is a strange one. Jamie called at 10pm, right after 24. I had to pick up the phone and instead of saying hello had to report that I hadn’t begun watching 24 yet. Of course, I wish he’d let me know that the commercial at the beginning that looked like a commercial was really a commercial. It was way creepy. Of course, if that’s the sacrifice for watching commercial free, I’m all for it.
If you’re in a media-related film documentary mood, SUNDAY is the day to press the record button. At 6am Sundance Channel features McLuhan’s Wake, obviously a film that explores the ideas and influence of Marshall McLuhan. Eight Thanksgivings ago (because all time is measured by the frequency of Thanksgivings, right?) I tried to tackle a book called “Marshall McLuhan: The Medium and the Messenger.” Let’s pretend I got to page 160, where the pictures in the center of the book interrupt the text. Perhaps this film will inspire me to pick up where I left off and peruse chapters such as “’Canada’s Intellectual Comet’” and “The Sage of Wychwood Park.”
At noon click to Sundance for Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment. This past weekend I started thinking back on my history with the videocamera. I’d like to think that a lot of my teenage work followed in some kind of cinema verite fashion, but alas I’d never heard of D. A. Pennebaker or Frederick Wiseman at that age. My idea of creating interesting video entertainment involved recruiting my friend Eric to walk the streets of downtown Fredericksburg with me as we asked passersby directions to the mall. Hmm, now that I think about perhaps I was attempting to make some kind of commentary about the ruining of small town businesses and values by the ongoing suburbanization of America.