Top 5 Sitcoms...

As many of you know, I hate a lot of sitcoms. They are generally very cliche and made for people who know nothing about comedy or writing. The one thing missing from television for many years now has been a really good sitcom. One that brings people in week after week. Remember how good sitcoms used to be and how many there were? Seinfeld, The Simpsons (stopped being funny in 2000), Friends, Night Court, Murphy Brown, etc. Pretty much every show from the 90s that people remember was a sitcom. So I decided I would rank the best sitcoms of this millennium. This is limited to shows that are 30 minutes long and are true sitcoms, not amazing shows that are also funny (Entourage, Weeds etc.) Also this is shows that primarily aired during this millennium, for example Friends doe not make the cut because it started in 95 or something. Anyways, here it is.

5.) Curb Your Enthusiasm 2000-Present
Larry David is hilarious. That's pretty much al you can say. I don't have cable so I don't get to watch this show anymore but I still watch the dvds and it is ridiculous how funny it is. The entire cast is perfect and it has grown so much and changed so much that it's kind of surprising it's still funny. A lot of times characters change and get older and move on from what was funny (Friends) that it starts to suck after a while but in it's 8th year, it is still pumping out very funny dialogue and new material which is mind boggling.















4.) Futurama 1999-2003
Not counting the new unreleased dvd movies, Futurama was an amazing show. The characters are so complimentary to each other that it really is kind of perfect. Everyone fulfills a role that is necessary but at the same time hilarious. There's not one person on the show who is everyone's favorite (possibly Bender) and I think that is really what works for it. When you have over 5 characters all being hilarious, the show is bound to be amazing.

3.) Family Guy (Original Episodes) 1999-2003
The new episodes are not funny. After it was cancelled the magic was lost. I haven't seen the movie but I've heard bad things. The original 4 seasons though were perfection. It came around during the perfect time because The Simpsons was starting to lose it's magic and Futurama wasn't doing so great. It reinvigorated the cartoon comedy and really brought a lot of Simpsons fans back to being funny again. I remember phasing out quotes from the Simpson's and instead quoting Family Guy.















2.) The Office (UK Version) 2001-2003
This is pretty much where it would be in my all time greatest sitcoms, not just in the last 8 years. It's truly perfect. The reason I still can't bring myself to watch the american version. I hear it's actually good, but how can you try and emulate perfection? You're only going to come up short. It had the greatest story arc of any sitcom ever and really the greatest ending special to a series. It's amazing how good shows can be and how untarnished their legacy when they're not dragged through lame season after lame season. The Simpsons could have been a great if not for the last 9 seasons. Friends could have done it if not for the last 3. To go out on top, and to choose to do it rather than get cancelled is pretty extraordinary.











1.) Arrested Development 2003-2006
It's time came much too soon. The best ensemble cast in a sitcom ever. Everyone was perfect. A lot of times in sitcoms people get pigeon holed into their character like in Friends (could I be any more pigeon holed). Or other times we can lose sight of the character for the actor like in Seinfeld, sometimes I saw the real life Jerry and not the character in the show. But Arrested Development was almost real. As if they weren't actors but really themselves. For every single take of every single episode. It's amazing really that it was cancelled and shows like 2 and a Half Men are still on the air. I hope the movie that is being discussed actually gets made. It would be tragic if I never got to see what happened to the Bluths...

Anyways, you can dispute whatever but you're wrong. These are the best. Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - it's going to be 78 today. Degrees. 78 degrees. In Michigan. In mid-April. Can anyone say 'melting-ice caps.' Please reduce, reuse and recycle! I love the weather but like Joni Mitchell said, 'I don't care about spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees. Please."

Summer Movie Schedule...

I've realized that people don't watch as many movies in the theatre as I do which is understandable, but really, you're missing out. This summer is set to be huge. Last year was kind of ridiculously annoying what with all the sequels (Spiderman 3, Fantastic 4, Die Hard, Ultimatum etc) but this year is looking to have the best new blockbusters and the best sequels as well. Aside from a few that don't have set dates yet, here are the movies you need to see this spring and summer...

April:
18 - Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden
25 - Harold & Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay

May:
2 - Iron Man, Son of Rambow (probably going to be this year's indie hit)
9 - Speed Racer
16 - nothing good, good week to catch up. do not go see the new Narnia movie. please.
23 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
30 - Sex and the City: The Movie

June:
6 - You Don't Mess With the Zohan (written by Apatow and Sandler), Mongol
13 - The Incredible Hulk, The Happening (my boy M. Knight's new movie)
20 - Get Smart (if you're really really bored)
27 - Wall-E (besides Batman and Indy, this might be my most anticipated summer movie), Wanted

July:
4 - Hancock (this looks like the first Will Smith movie that might not do so well though)
11 - Hellboy II: The Golden Army (finally!!!)
18 - The Dark Knight (greatest. movie. ever.)
25 - Step Brothers (though I'm rapidly losing faith in Will Ferrel), X-Files Sequel (not yet titled)

August:
1 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Brendan Fraser adds Jet-Li to the series!), Swing Vote
8 - Pineapple Express (funniest movie of the summer? glad to see Franco back with his old Apatow crew)
15 - Tropic Thunder (probably beats PE for funniest movie. Stiller finally directs again after Zoolander), The International
22 - good catch up weekend
29 - Babylon A.D. (only for huge nerds. Vin Diesel doing sci-fi again? I can't wait...)

September:
Punisher: War Zone, Blindness

October:
Nick and Norah' Infinite Playlist (Michael Cera owns me), The Brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo is pretty amazing casting for 2 conmen who are after Rachel Weisz), RocknRolla (Guy Ritchie's hopefully back to his Snatch/Locked Stocked roots with this one)

November:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (been waiting forever!!!)

Anyways, I went a little beyond just the summer but you gotta know what to anticipate. The sad thing is that I will actually see every single one of the movies I listed above. Well not sad. Awesome. So if you are bored, you know where to find me. Also check out this little featurette on Wall-E.



I'm out

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - Don't go see Smart People. The movie sucked. Sarah Jessica Parker was about the only good one in it, and Thomas Hayden Church. I guess if you have one of those three word names it was fine but Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page were not so funny and or great.

UPDATE: The X-Files got a new title today (the 17th). It's official name is X-Files: I Want To Believe. Supposedly it is from a poster that Mulder had in his office during the show and it is going to deal with Mulder struggling with his faith (in e.t. life).

Nice Weather...

So this year was supposed to be my year of little drinking. Everything was going fine. I only drank once in january, once in february and twice in march. I said that I was going to not drink at all in april so it would even out to just once a month. But I forgot the power of the sun. This is turning into a month of bingeing instead of not drinking. I've already drank 5 times and it's only the 16th. I also have the weekend booked with drinking events and it's not looking good. I'm much to old to be acting like this, but at the same time, how can you not drink when it's nice out.

There is so much fun to be had outside that just gets better with a Corona or a Bud. Golf, fishing, bbqs, even just sitting outside reading is enhanced so much by a drink. So I think I just need to find a balance and also not drink from like November - March. It's pretty easy for the winter not to drink.

Anyways, I'm getting really bad at blogging consistently because of the weather and apparently the Ibodera team has also had the same problems. But I promise I will get back on track soon. Today is the turning point. Good thing I woke up with a fever today and am unable to do anything but sit here and pray my aches go away soon so I can go play golf. As always, go big or go home. Keep your ear to the grindstone...

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - My favorite summer drink is a Corona on the beach. Those commercials don't like. Sitting/lying/swimming or anything you can do on the beach gets so much better when you throw a Corona into the mix.

Olympic Torch...

Is it just me or does anyone else find the protests to the Olympic Torch running slightly hilarious. Don't get me wrong I'm going to boycott (except for Team USA Basketball (I've waited too long to not watch)) but I find the attempts to protest are hilarious. I am down with the protests and am down with people marching and holding banners and blocking roads but for real, people are going crazy. Literally climbing up the wall, or the bridge.

The funniest one by far was in Paris when that guy tried to grab the torch from that chick. It was so innocuous I couldn't believe what a hoopla they made out of it. Some dude ran up and tried to grab it and then like 3000 dudes pounced on him. The funny part was that he didn't seem to have a game plan. Like he got up to it and grabbed it and then wasn't sure what to do if he actually got it away from her.



Anyway there's this scene in Zoolander when everyone is at a red carpet and some anti child labor people or something show up (I think it was Ben Stiller's mom) and throw an egg at Mugatu. Someone screams, "look out she's got an egg!!" and then everyone screams. It was hilarious and this reminded me of that scene. Kind of crazy.

Anyways, I'll try and get back to blogging more. I'm kind of busy and bored at the same time if that makes sense. As always, go big and stuff.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - the weather is finally getting nice and I'm looking to do something fun in the summer that I've never done before. I am mad I didn't start snowboarding until it was too late so if there's anything cool that people do in the spring/summer that is different but fun, let me know.

Waiting for Spring...

So I know it's technically spring but man, I'm done with the middle ground. I'm looking forward to warmer days and greener grass. This time of year is such a drag. No more snowboarding, no more cleaning off the car in the morning (something that I actually love to do) no more winter coat, but it's not warm enough to go to the park (just finished making that mistake) or play golf, or wear a t-shirt without a jacket. I suppose that's why I haven't blogged in a week. I've just been kind of sitting around. Waiting for spring.




















One thing this tedium leads to is retail therapy. I have always had problems with retail therapy. I'm not one to get sad or mope around but if ever I'm bored or feeling in a rut I try a little retail therapy. Nothing makes you feel better like a new pair of shoes (I'm not gay, I promise) or a new shirt. In my case, I got an iPhone.

I know, kind of a huge budget for retail therapy. But I have actually been saving up for like 4 months now and finally had around enough. It's wonderful. It's amazing. It's pretty much everything I thought it would be and more not to mention that it syncs everything with my Macbook. One of the things I didn't realize is that when you own a Mac and an iPhone, life just gets even easier.

Anyways, I'm hoping it gets me through til warmer weather, otherwise I'll end up with something else I don't really need but somehow can't resist. As always, go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - Jhumpa Lahiri's new book is great. It just came out today but I recommend that if you liked Interpreter of Maladies, that you buy this. You won't be disappointed.