Sprite: LeBron's Mix

LeBron is a basketball player, right? Let me hit the Google and double-check. Yes, LeBron James is an American treasure when it comes to basketball, and one of the best players in the world. Sorry, folks, but basketball is just not one of those things in my wheelhouse. Soda, on the other hand, is.

Recently when I saw Entourage in the theater I saw an ad for a new limited edition flavor of Sprite. Now I'm a Coca-Cola man, so yeah, Sprite is right along side there. This flavor of Sprite not only has cherry in it but also orange. I was enticed, my two favorite flavors in a Sprite, sounds like a plan.

Of course there's the very real possibility this could just be a drunken stint at the Coke Freestyle machine, a Frankenstein mix of what might taste good, but can't possibly... because, let's face it, we're not soda scientists - and neither is LeBron James, or at least I don't think he is.

The LeBron Mix, which apparently had been out before under another name, proved quite elusive to find. It was one of those things you see everywhere when it's under your radar yet nowhere when you want it. Fortunately The Bride was able to pick up a bottle in Philadelphia. Yes, at 7-Eleven, despite what Ray had to say about it on a recent episode of The GAR! Podcast.

The first thing I noticed was how much bubble and fizz was in the bottle before I even opened it. I was a bit tentative to twist off the top, half expecting a champagne-like explosion. It didn't explode when I twisted it open, but I did dig the contrast of the dark red label and cap against the lime green bottle. They should think about marketing this stuff during the Christmas season.

Once the cap was off, a wine bottle wave past my nose brought an aroma just like I had hoped, but. But when I tasted the stuff, it was exactly what I feared it was. It was terrible, like some blend of Mountain Dew (not my favorite) and urine (let's not even go there), wow, this stuff was awful. Not recommended. And LeBron, step away from the Coke Freestyle machine. Right now.

Entourage the Movie

HBO makes this promise a lot, and usually it only happens with "Sex and the City," never stuff we really want like "Deadwood," but lo and behold, here's the movie extension of "Entourage." I always enjoyed the show, and dug the adventures of Vincent Chase and the boys, so I was down, and caught the flick on a quiet afternoon the day it opened. In the theater it was me and about ten other guys, no women.

And that is understandable, as "Entourage" is definitely a guy show, one might even call it the antithesis of "Sex and the City" if one were being flippant. The guy majority of the audience was intriguing to me based on what got laughs and vocal reactions during the film, and especially the previews. Paper Towns got booed, while Spectre and Southpaw got cheers. Yeah, you got the vibe.

As much as I loved the TV series, and while I was entertained worth my seven dollar payout, this was really just a hundred-plus minute television episode. There was really nothing that made this stand out over and above any story arc of the series. Other than money, couldn't HBO have just continued the series? Don't get me wrong, I liked it, and loved seeing it on the big screen, but couldn't this have just been half a dozen episodes of the series instead?

I dug the cameos, the widescreen locations, and even the Turtle subplot with Ronda Rousey (the best and most believable of the subplots), but some of it seemed forced. Lloyd's marriage, Johnny Drama's 'victory,' and E's baby all seemed like extras to artificially up the ante for a movie format. It felt fake, unlike Vinnie's re-imagining of Hyde.

As always, Entourage is a tale of friendship, of guyhood, and of getting girls. It's an entertaining hundred minutes, but I'm unsure it has the pull or tenacity to gain new viewers in this outing. For fans.

Wayward Pines

I'm an M. Night Shyamalan fan. Yes, I admit it, and I've continued to watch and have faith much longer than many folks. When I first heard he was moving to episodic television with a limited series that was reminiscent of "Twin Peaks," I put it on my watch list.

My friend, editor over at Biff Bam Pop!, and a "Twin Peaks" authority, Andy Burns, got around to seeing and reviewing "Wayward Pines" before me. He was unimpressed, and you can read his thoughts here. I have to say we're pretty much in agreement. This story of a Secret Service agent, waking up after a car accident while in search for two other agents, and finding himself in a small town full of strange characters and paranoia, is nowhere near as good as it could have been.

"Wayward Pines," or the pilot at least, had potential. The books it's based on - The Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch - I have not read but have heard are quite good and recommended for folks who dug "Twin Peaks" because of the similarities and vibe. Between that and the M. Night connection I was starting to look forward to this. Add in that it was going to be on Fox, who had brought the TP mood from "Broadchurch" in their American remake called "Gracepoint," I could definitely see it working.

Andy Burns had good things to say about the cast, not their performances, mind you, but their casting. If I'm being honest, other than Melissa Leo (and she is hands down the best part of this show) and Toby Jones, I thought the casting better suited to a parody of a drama than an actual drama. Speaking of drama, lead Matt Dillon to me has always been the real life version of his brother Kevin Dillon's character Johnny Drama on "Entourage," and I've never been able to take Juliette Lewis seriously.

The rest of the cast stumble through this mess like zombies overacting in a school play. Terrence Howard is an embarrassment, and unbelievable as the potential heavy. This could have been good. There is more "Lost" and "The Prisoner" to this stinker than "Twin Peaks," and M. Night does little to distinguish himself or improve his rep here. The pilot is it for me, I won't be watching further. Consider this a case of having me watch something, so you won't have to.

The Great Gatsby 2013

The Great Gatsby ~ Every time I think of this Baz Luhrman flick, I can't help thinking about the "Entourage" fictional version Gatsby. Maybe if I keep thinking that, I can also manifest another fake movie from the show, Aquaman, 'cause that one I really want to see.

At first, I wasn't so sure I wanted to see this new version of Gatsby. I remember vaguely reading it as a teenager, and then being made to read it in college. I remember watching a TV version as an ABC movie of the week back in the seventies and being bored to tears.

The Great Gatsby is a lot of tell vs. show, along with subtext and metaphor that if you don't get, your English teacher or professor will have a seizure. It's also full of unlikable characters. It serves its purpose, like say Catcher in the Rye, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Then there's the problem of the director. Baz Luhrman, for me, is a creator of extremes. I think his Romeo + Juliet is a work of brilliance, yet his critically acclaimed Moulin Rouge! revels in the mud of my bottom five. I hated it. And because of it, I approach any further Luhrman work with contempt, derision, and caution. The Great Gatsby, seemingly in a similar vein to those two previously mentioned films, is definitely no exception.

I did not hate this version of Gatsby, but I didn't love it either. It falls somewhere around my impression of the 1970s one, less than impressed, and bored. The leads are strong and perfect had this been in hands of any other director. Luhrman resorts to camera tricks, fast motion, modern music, and even 3-D trickery, and all any of it does is sour and dilute the classic story. Don't waste your time, unless you're a fan or morbidly curious.

Swingers

Swingers ~ Well over a decade before he revolutionized the superhero movie and created the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man, Jon Favreau wrote and co-produced this dramedy for guys in the spirit of Diner that almost definitely inspired all the fictional parts of HBO's "Entourage." Man, Swingers is the flick.

These adventures of a group of neurotic struggling actors are as much classic Woody Allen and prime "Seinfeld" as they are 1960s Rat Pack. And the dated 'lounge-speak' that every drunken player/loser spouted back in the 1990s until you wanted to punch them, when done right, by the originals, and in context, is mesmerizing.

Style and substance, great characters and dialogue, and a killer soundtrack - this movie is money, and it knows it. Recommended.

Emmy Noms and Predictions

Just the highlights…

Outstanding Comedy Series

30 Rock • NBC •
Entourage • HBO •
Family Guy • FOX •
Flight Of The Conchords • HBO •
How I Met Your Mother • CBS •
The Office • NBC •
Weeds • Showtime •

I’m at a handicap here, only having seen a few. I love “Entourage” but I think “Family Guy” takes this one.

Outstanding Drama Series

Big Love • HBO •
Breaking Bad • AMC •
Dexter • Showtime •
House • FOX •
Lost • ABC •
Mad Men • AMC •

Again, I love “Dexter” but “Mad Men” is simply one of the best series on television, period.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

30 Rock • NBC • Alec Baldwin, as Jack Donaghy
Flight Of The Conchords • HBO • Jemaine Clement, as Jemaine
Monk • USA • Tony Shalhoub, as Adrian Monk
The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Jim Parsons, as Sheldon Cooper
The Office • NBC • Steve Carell, as Michael Scott
Two And A Half Men • CBS • Charlie Sheen, as Charlie Harper

Geeks stick together. Go, Sheldon.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad • AMC • Bryan Cranston, as Walter White
Dexter • Showtime • Michael C. Hall, as Dexter Morgan
House • FOX • Hugh Laurie, as Dr. Gregory House
In Treatment • HBO • Gabriel Byrne, as Paul
Mad Men • AMC • Jon Hamm, as Don Draper
The Mentalist • CBS • Simon Baker, as Patrick Jane

Tough one, but again, “Mad Men” takes it.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

30 Rock • NBC • Tina Fey, as Liz Lemon
Samantha Who? • ABC • Christina Applegate, as Samantha Newly
The New Adventures Of Old Christine • CBS • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as Christine
The Sarah Silverman Program • Comedy Central • Sarah Silverman, as Sarah Silverman
United States Of Tara • Showtime • Toni Collette, as Tara Gregson
Weeds • Showtime • Mary-Louise Parker, as Nancy Botwin

Anyone who’s seen “United States of Tara” knows that Toni Collette blows the competition away.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Brothers & Sisters • ABC • Sally Field, as Nora Walker
Damages • FX Networks • Glenn Close, as Patty Hewes
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit • NBC • Mariska Hargitay, as Detective Olivia Benson
Mad Men • AMC • Elisabeth Moss, as Peggy Olson
Saving Grace • TNT • Holly Hunter, as Grace Hanadarko
The Closer • TNT • Kyra Sedgwick, as Brenda Leigh Johnson

Peggy from “Mad Men” obviously.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Accidental Friendship • Hallmark Channel • Chandra Wilson, as Yvonne
Coco Chanel • Lifetime • Shirley MacLaine, as Coco Chanel
Grey Gardens • HBO • Drew Barrymore, as Little Edie
Grey Gardens • HBO • Jessica Lange, as Big Edie
Prayers For Bobby • Lifetime • Sigourney Weaver, as Mary Griffith

One of the two actresses from Grey Gardens, which will take several awards this season. Yeah, it’s just that good.

Outstanding Reality - Competition Program

American Idol • FOX •
Dancing With The Stars • ABC •
Project Runway • Bravo •
The Amazing Race • CBS •
Top Chef • Bravo •

I love me some “Idol” and “Race” but for pure entertainment value (both intentional and unintentional), I gotta go with “Runway.”

Outstanding Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow • PBS •
Dirty Jobs • Discovery Channel •
Dog Whisperer • NGC •
Intervention • A&E •
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List • Bravo •
MythBusters • Discovery Channel •

Just give it to Kathy.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

Late Show With David Letterman • CBS •
Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO •
Saturday Night Live • NBC •
The Colbert Report • Comedy Central •
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central •

Ahem. That’s right, folks - Stewart, Colbert and Maher are not news, it’s at best comedy opinion – not news. That said, “SNL” will get the Emmy.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

Chris Rock - Kill The Messenger • HBO •
Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut A Bitch • Bravo •
Ricky Gervais: Out Of England -- The Stand-Up Special • HBO •
The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS •
Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush • HBO •

Chris Rock deserves it, but just to get even for my comments in the last category, Will Ferrell will get it, because America hates Bush, but loves laughing at him.

My favorite nomination? Justin Timberlake for original composition… of "Motherlover." Love it.

For a full rundown of this year’s Emmy nominations, click here.


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