JOpinionated

Where Am I? New Site To Bookmark!

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-11-10T03:48:00Z

It is time to face the music and address the obvious. I've been neglecting this site for far too long, despite great intentions to post more frequently here after LOST ended.

There are two major factors preventing me from posting here.

1. I tend to share quick thoughts about TV, film and music on Twitter every day

2. There are several steps involved to post an entry using this hosting service

Both factors have one thing in common: time. Or lack thereof.

So I decided to start using Tumblr instead. Not only does it only involve one step, I can do so from my iPhone and iPad with incredible ease. Here is my new URL for you to bookmark if you'd like to continue following my pop culture perspective: http://jogarfein.tumblr.com

I am not sure at this point what I will do with this site, but it will remain up and active (as will my Lost blog). And yes, I will be podcasting again...but I need an editor/producer in order to continue. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Thank you for your ongoing patience! I hope to hear from you on tumblr, Twitter, Facebook or email.

-Jo

Emmy Awards 2010: Who Should Win vs. Who Will Win

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-08-27T14:32:00Z

Every year I find it challenging to analyze Emmy nominations, because I tend to choose with my heart on my sleeve. If a character or show resonates with me on an emotional level, I place all hope firmly in their corner.

Of course I am rooting for Lost to win in every category, but if I had to guess - Jack Bender will win for directing, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof will win for writing and Terry O'Quinn will take home the statue for Supporting Actor. However, I have a feeling that even the final season of Lost will be unable to topple the Mad Men juggernaut.

Below I have designated and differentiated. Enjoy!

BEST DRAMA

BEST COMEDY

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA

Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (should & will win)
Matthew Fox, Lost
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
January Jones, Mad Men
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (should & will win)
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Rose Byrne, Damages
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (will win)
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (should win)

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (should & will win)
Tony Shalhoub, Monk

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Toni Collette, The United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (should & will win)
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Lea Michele, Glee
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Ty Burrell, Modern Family (should win)
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family (will win)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

We'll find out Sunday night just how wrong I am! Who is your top choice in the major categories?

Must-See: The Big C (Series Debut Monday, 8/16)

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-08-12T13:22:00Z

Expect The Unexpected

The very first thing you need to know about The Big C is that it is not a television series about cancer. Yes, The Big C refers to cancer, but the focus of the show is far more about how one woman reacts to her diagnosis than it is about the illness itself. The Big C is a dark comedy that will take you to surprising places with equal humor and poignancy.

In Which My Praise For Laura Linney Knows No End

Laura Linney is perfectly cast as Cathy Jamison, a suburban school teacher who discovers that she has cancer. I have admired her work over the years, particularly in Tales of the City (1993), Primal Fear (1996), Absolute Power (1997), The Truman Show (1998), The House of Mirth (2000), You Can Count on Me (2000), The Life of David Gale (2003), Mystic River (2003), Love Actually (2003), Kinsey (2004) and Breach (2007). Although Linney received an Academy Award nomination for The Savages, I still feel as though she deserved an Oscar for You Can Count on Me. And if you did not see the HBO miniseries John Adams, add it to your queue immediately; Linney won an Emmy for her role as Abigail Adams and it was one of her finest performances to date.

By the way, I highly recommend this this recent New York Times profile of and interview with Linney.

Why The Big C Deserves a Season Pass

Because you will find some of Cathy Jamison's reactions to be quite reasonable, and others to be rather shocking. Because the supporting cast is quirky without being stereotypical or grating. Because you will find yourself wondering what changes you would make in your life under the same circumstances. Because Laura Linney is a familiar, comforting face that will accompany you into potentially unfamiliar territory; a phenomenal actress who radiates warmth and strength on screen. Because we now have the opportunity to spend a half hour a week with Linney and her unparalleled dimples. And because short house robes are bound to make Entertainment Weekly's sidebar column The Shaw Report as an "in" trend after an episode or two.

Roll Credits

The Big C also stars Oliver Platt (Huff) as Jamison's husband, Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) as one of her students, John Benjamin Hickey (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) as her brother, Reid Scott (My Boys) as her doctor, Phyllis Somerville (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as her neighbor and newcomer Gabriel Basso as her son. Idris Elba (The Wire) also makes a guest appearance, and former Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon joins the cast later on in the first season.

Series creator/writer Darlene Hunt is also an actress and playwright; she recently appeared on Hung and Parks and Recreation. Executive producer/writer/showrunner Jenny Bicks previously wrote and produced Sex and the City and Men in Trees. Executive producer Neal H. Moritz is primarily known for film but he also produced Tru Calling and Prison Break.

The pilot episode of The Big C was directed by Academy Award winning screenwriter Bill Condon (Gods & Monsters), and future episodes are lensed by a few of my favorite cable television directors, Craig Zisk (United States of Tara, Nip/Tuck, Nurse Jackie, Weeds) and Alan Poul (Six Feet Under).

DVR Details

Linney's talent, the stellar cast and the subject matter, combined with the creative experience above, is exactly why you should tune in when The Big C debuts on Showtime next week (Monday, August 15 at 10:30pm ET) immediately following the season 6 debut of Weeds at 10pm ET. You can also become a fan of the show on Facebook and follow series updates on Twitter.

Of course if you don't want to wait until Monday, you can watch the entire first episode right now on Showtime!

Where I've Been, Where I'm Going & What I'm Watching: The Future of This Site

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-05-31T23:46:00Z

As many of you have noticed, I have not posted on this site in two months. Because I am a freelance entertainment writer, my work has been appearing elsewhere - primarily TVovermind and AOLtv. Moving forward, I will still be posting here, especially when analyzing a film or a television series that I am not also covering on another site. And of course my archived articles will remain available here, including my very first batch of Lost posts from several years ago.

Now that Lost has ended its six season run, I have no plans to start another site or focus that much time on one particular series. Although I will be starting Battlestar Galactica from the beginning later this week, I will not be writing about it other than reactionary tweets.

The new slate of Fall 2010 shows looks promising, and I will be posting a list of recommendations and trailers soon. In the meantime, please let me know which current or new shows you'd like me to cover!

Here is an updated list of shows that I already watch, although I admit to being a season behind on a few:

30 Rock
Bones
Breaking Bad
Brothers & Sisters
Burn Notice
Chuck
Community
Cougar Town
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Entourage
Friday Night Lights
Fringe
Glee
The Good Wife
Grey's Anatomy
House
Hung
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Justified
Mad Men
Medium
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
The Office
Parenthood
Parks & Recreation
Private Practice
Rescue Me
Survivor
Top Chef
Treme
True Blood
United States of Tara
V
Weeds

I appreciate your patience and promise to keep you posted about where to find me and my perspective about the television landscape. If you're not doing so already, I would love for you to follow me on Twitter and friend me on Facebook.

- Jo

Nurse Jackie & United States of Tara: Spoiler-Free Second Season Previews

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-03-21T16:09:00Z

Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara return for their sophomore seasons on Monday night, March 22. While I did not find that either show needed to improve upon their very impressive debut seasons, I am pleasantly surprised by the slight changes and shifts that both series' have implemented.

NURSE JACKIE

In the first few episodes of Season 2, there are a few revelations on Nurse Jackie involving Jackie's relationships with both her pharmacist boy toy Eddie (Paul Schulze) and her BFF, Dr. O'Hara (delicious & devilish scene-stealer Eve Best).

Edie Falco is delivering an Emmy-worthy performance; her ability to transform and transition Jackie from infuriatingly immoral in one scene to commendably compassionate in the next is unparalleled. I enjoy her scenes with Akalitus (the great Anna Deavere Smith) more than any other character, especially in Season 2 thus far.

I have also grown rather fond of the fabulous Merritt Wever as Jackie's fumbling, earnest sidekick Zoey, who amuses me to no end with her facial expressions and body language. Wever has a talent for subtle physical comedy, and this role appears to have been tailor-made for her.

Twilight fans simply seeking a weekly Cullen fix will be pleased to discover an entirely different side of Peter Facinelli. Unlike the strong women who surround and overwhelm him at the hospital, Dr. Cooper is a vulnerable and sensitive soul who cares what people think about him. His ideals will be tested early on in Season 2, and his inappropriate quirks come into play during a fantastic guest appearance by Barbara Barrie.

UNITED STATES OF TARA

On more than a few occasions just a few episodes into Season 2 of United States of Tara, my eyebrows were raised and my jaw was ajar. Toni Collette, who won the Emmy last year for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, remains on par with Edie Falco in that category. Her range is extraordinary, and that has never been more clear than right now; Tara delves deep into less familiar and uncomfortable territory this season, and Collette handles it beautifully and with ease.

The dynamic and dysfunction of the Gregson family is equally compelling and entertaining, and their interaction is one of my favorite aspects of the show. Disconcerting changes are in store for Tara, which obviously affects everyone in her life. I, for one, am looking forward to just how far her husband Max (John Corbett) will be pushed to and perhaps over the edge this season by her actions and personalities.

United States of Tara features a particularly strong supporting cast, including two of the most well-written teenagers on television. Siblings Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) and Kate (Brie Larson) face their own set of realistic challenges in Season 2, as does Tara's self-centered sister Charmaine (Rosemarie DeWitt).

Even if you have not watched the first seasons of either show, I highly recommend that you tune in tomorrow night and set your DVRs with season passes for both Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara. These are two examples of original programming at their best, with stellar scripts, casts and surprises that will keep you laughing and intrigued from week to week.

Fringe & V Set Visits: Questions for the Casts?

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-03-13T15:44:00Z

I am heading to Vancouver to visit the set of V on Monday and Fringe on Wednesday, and will have the opportunity to interview members of each cast.

If you'd like to follow along, all of my spoiler-free coverage will be on TVovermind (and of course I will be tweeting frequently). Please feel free to leave any questions you might have for specific characters in the Comments below!

Quick Oscar Picks for 3/7/10

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-03-05T14:05:00Z

File under: better late than never.

Here are my quick picks in the major Academy Award categories for the best of 2009. In years past, I have struggled between choosing those I want to win and those who I think will win. This time, my selections are based on personal favorites in each category (following my heart & not my instinct).

Disclaimer: Before you jump all over me for picking a few dark horses, please note that I have not yet seen all of the nominated films and performances (including The Blind Side, Crazy Heart, Invictus and Precious).

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Lee Daniels
Jason Reitman
Quentin Tarantino

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock
Helen Mirren
Carey Mulligan
Gabourey Sidibe
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Anna Kendrick
Mo'Nique

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges
George Clooney
Colin Firth
Morgan Freeman
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon
Woody Harrelson
Christopher Plummer
Stanley Tucci
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

ART DIRECTION
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

FILM EDITING
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

SOUND EDITING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

SOUND MIXING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up (Michael Giacchino)

ORIGINAL SONG
Crazy Heart ("The Weary Kind")
Nine
Paris 36
The Princess and the Frog

To be honest, the most difficult to choose was Cinematography; I've seen 4 out of the 5 nominees, all of which were filmed beautifully.

And although I will finally be seeing A Single Man tonight...to me there have only been two absolutely stunning performances in the Actor categories: Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker and Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds.

Depending on how much champagne is served on Sunday afternoon, I may do a live blog of the Oscar red carpet and ceremony.

So what are YOUR picks for the best of the best in film last year?

The Return of SouthLAnd: Season 2 Preview

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-02-28T19:15:00Z

I had the opportunity to watch a 15 minute preview of the premiere episode from the second season of SouthLAnd, which returns on Tuesday (March 2). I was a huge fan of the show during its initial run, and am anticipating an even better series now that TNT has rescued it from the clutches of NBC.

There are three reasons that I love SouthLAnd: ensemble cast, pace and cinematography. While the first season focused more on the stories weaving throughout and connecting the large cast, the second season seems to have streamlined that concept; I am totally on board with the more dedicated spotlight on specific characters. Get acquainted with Lydia Adams (Regina King), John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) and Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) now.

'Gritty' is an oft-used adjective to describe SouthLAnd, but I prefer bold and unflinching. Shot in fast-paced documentary style, the series takes an up close and personal approach to the world of crime in Los Angeles, as seen through the eyes of LAPD police officers and detectives.

If you'd like to catch up, TNT is streaming the first season online now for free, and take a look behind the scenes!

The Crazies: New Film & Comic Book Giveaway

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-02-25T20:08:00Z

The new film The Crazies debuts tomorrow in theaters, and I have a giveaway to accompany the release!

The movie, which is a reinvention of the George Romero horror classic, stars Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood) and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill) as a couple in a small Midwestern town who find themselves battling to survive when their friends and families descend into madness.

For your chance to win this limited edition set of 4 Crazies comic books, simply leave a comment below with your name and email address by March 3!

Hi Again: A Very Random Pop Culture Update

jo@jopinionated.com (JOpinionated) — 2010-02-18T02:17:00Z

I owe you an apology, again. Every intention of updating this site on a much more frequent basis has fallen victim to time, travel and Lost over the last several weeks. But this site is my real baby; my original blog of almost 5 years, and what will continue to be home base once Lost ends forever in May.

Because I have been negligent for far too long, I thought I would briefly address what has been going on in my pop culture world and provide appropriate links if you're interested in additional details.

I just returned from a weekend in Buenos Aires and week in Santiago, Chile (visiting family; see video at bottom of post). To escape thunderstorms one afternoon, we went to see An Education. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, particularly the performance of Carey Mulligan. While I believe that she completely deserves her Best Actress nod, I don't think that she stands a chance against Meryl and Sandra this year. And to be honest, I do not agree with the film's inclusion as a Best Picture nominee. But don't get me started about the fact there are now 10 in that category...

At the end of January, I went to Oahu for the Lost Season 6 premiere on the beach, interviewing cast and crew while reporting for TVovermind.

While on the red carpet, I had the opportunity to interview Michael Emerson's wife, actress Carrie Preston. Stay tuned for audio from that conversation, as we discuss her role as Arlene in the third season of True Blood!

I am currently hosting a Haiti relief fundraiser on my Lost site, giving away memorabilia to those who donate $10 or more to Partners in Health (in conjunction with Mo Ryan from the Chicago Tribune, who is also auctioning off various TV items for the cause via eBay).

In anticipation of new episodes of the stellar series Southland (beginning March 2 on its new network: TNT), here is a look behind the scenes of the show. I will be receiving a screener shortly and plan to preview it here for you before it airs.

To celebrate the new movie The Crazies, a reinvention of the George Romero horror classic starring Timothy Olyphant (opening on February 26 in theaters), I will be giving away a set of limited-edition The Crazies comic books very soon!

Thank you to those of you who entered the Secret Diary of a Call Girl DVD and book giveaway; I will ship out the prizes to the winners this week.

One of my favorite new shows of the last several years, Nurse Jackie, returns for a second season on March 22. Here is the trailer. Jump on board; I guarantee you won't regret it. Twilight fans, you will love Peter Facinelli in this series - check out Dr. Coop's Video Diary.

And here is your first look at the sophomore season of my other favorite new show in recent memory, United States of Tara. Joey Lauren Adams joins the cast, and the series also returns on March 22.

Thank you for your patience, whether you are fairly new to this site or have been visiting for several years. I look forward to hearing from YOU; feel free to leave comments and/or feedback below!