Burn Notice: Get the Scoop on Summer's Hottest Series
“Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”
Oops, sorry, wrong spy show, but the declaration stands: Your mission is to catch up on Burn Notice by the time season two premieres—Thursday, July 10 at 10 p.m.! (Tip: The Burn Notice season one DVD came out Tuesday.)
I recommend the whole kit and caboodle of Burn Notice without reservation, and if you won’t take my word, then at least listen to dreamy star Jeffrey Donovan, who said, “It’s a summer show, there’s nothing else on, it’s got action, and there are some pretty hot women on the show.” Touché.
Stars Donovan and Bruce Campbell just took the time to chat about the season, and they were as witty and astute as their characters, Michael and Sam. Click in to find out about Tricia Helfer’s incoming character, Carla, and more inside scoop on the series…
Michael’s Old Ladies: There are two ladies in Michael’s life (his mom and his love interest), and they are simultaneously beloved and a pain in the bunda. When asked about the fiery Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Donovan said, “That’s a crazy relationship that’s going to have its ups and downs. It’s gonna go left, right and all around.” (Go forward! Go forward!) Jeffrey also said Michael’s relationship with his mom, Madeline (Sharon Gless), will be getting a little more settled this season: “The writers have brought her more into a personal connection with Michael Westen, so I think you’re going to see more of a true mother-son relationship.” Sweet.
Guest-Star Fiesta: Jeffrey spilled a little bit about the mysterious and dangerous Carla (Helfer), “You are actually going to meet Ms. Helfer in the flesh. She’s behind a lot of things that held Michael back, and you realize she’s actually controlling his life. She’s very evil and sexy at the same time.” Bruce: “That’s evexy.” Apparently Tricia was in and out of Burn Notice’s Miami set in a flash. (Cylons are nothing if not efficient.) According to Jeffrey , “She shot all of her stuff in one day. I wish I had her agent.” Jeffrey also revealed that Method Man guests in episode six.
Fermented or Demented? There’s no specific secret behind Michael Westen’s yogurt fetish, but Donovan and Campbell enjoy it as a gag. According to Jeffrey, “It was just something that was written into the script by Matt. For some reason every time I open the fridge, it says, ’All there is is yogurt.’ And then when Sam joins me, it’s beer. So I’m living on yogurt and beer, and that’s how I stay so thin.” Bruce added, “Some things have been added to the fridge this year—because Sam hangs out there a lot. So pickles have been added, and there may be hard-boiled eggs coming up sometime later.” Oops, should have mentioned: Spoiler alert!
What’s to Come: “I love the second-season scripts,” Jeffrey says. “They’re even better than the first season, and I think the first season was pretty darn good in and of itself. The ratings are not up to me, they’re up to the general public, and if they go up or down we’re still going to do the same thing we did last year, which is make the show we’d watch. And that’s what we’re doing this year again.” Yay!
If you’re already a Burn Notice fan, post in the comments and tell your fellow readers what they’re missing if they haven’t given this show a shot. (That is your mission and you must accept it.)
Movie Review: Don’t Mess with the Zohan
There are no words. I have tried all day to write up some kind of decent review for this flick and I have nothing. If any one of you knows my style at all, I am very forgiving and can usually find something positive to say about any movie. I’m a movie buff and fan, I just plain love movies, so something has to be particularly special in order for me to use the word “Hate” or “One of the worst of the year”. And my friends as a gauge for you all who haven’t seen this, Little Nicky was Oscar worthy in comparison.
I’ll try to sort it out very quickly for you before I get to my real point. Zohan is a kick ass, hacky sacking, huge cock having, anti terrorist, super strength James Bond-Sexed crazed Austin Powers mix, but Jewish. He wants to give up killing and move to the states to become a hair stylist. With his Borat knowledge of style and music he is as hip as well, Borat, and once he gets to New York, everything is so much of a clusterfuck you can’t even absorb it. The jokes revolve mainly around his huge package and (I’m not kidding) hummus jokes. There are an uncountable amount of hummus jokes and him having sex with a ton of old ladies. After about 20 minutes, I asked my fiancé if she wanted to head out, but I think she liked him brushing his teeth with hummus so much that she wanted to stick it out. They try to touch on Palestinian and Israeli fighting and use a pretty clever banter which involves real life issue jokes that show each countries side of the argument but in a comical way. There are cameos of course, Rob Schneider with his “same accent different skin tone character” and Mariah Carey playing herself just to (again, no joke) plug her new album!
I can’t continue because there is too much of confusingly immature comedy that I can’t remember it all. I can however remember the times I laughed, which is NOT a good sign.
So here is my problem. The decline of humor in Sandler comedies is concerning to me. You have his beginning films of course like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore which are now classics and then the slip into gut wrenchingly stupid comedies. Analyze: Big Daddy- Steve Buscemi steals some scenes but all in all no laugh out loud, side splitting stuff. Water Boy- Sandler in his dumb voice mode being canteen boy from SNL, better then those to come but still…. Little Nicky is so widely panned I don’t know anyone else but me and three other people who saw it in the theater. Mr. Deeds, Anger Management. These movies were pretty damn bad. He set the bar with Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, and the highly over looked Punch Drunk Love where he finally showed he could act like something else. It just seems to me that Sandler can throw any idea out there in script form, regardless of content, and it will be made. I’m not going to argue that he is still hugely bankable and his movies, sucky or not, still make a killing.
Why? That is the question. Is it his world wide appeal as a funny man still, or his like-ability as a child friendly guy for kids ages 11-14? This movie was a different kind of fucken horrible. I never say that. I always can find some good in a movie, and last night I could not. It was embarrassing to watch, if this was a movie with anyone besides Adam Sandler leading it would have been straight to DVD. Perhaps it’s time for him to hang it up and start helping produce Rated R flicks like the surprisingly wonderful Grandma’s Boy, featuring every one of his buddies in a stoner, video game comedy.
This is more of a warning then a review, stay away. Stay far away. Debate with your friends which movie you’re going to see first next week, Hulk or The Happening (The Hulk for me). Or even Get Smart or Love Guru which I’m afraid Guru is looking like its a little Zohanish to me. I apologize for the lack of commitment to this film, but I couldn’t invest too much of my soul into this without feeling terrible afterwards.
Did you see Zohan? If so, did you dig it or did you feel it was an abortion of a flick such as myself?
Why Are Nicole ’n’ Britney Dressed Like Old Ladies?
Want to get your hands on this season’s hottest new look? Raid your grandma’s closet. Boca chic is gripping SoCal this spring, and everyone from Nicole Richie to Britney Spears has bought into the look.
We love seeing supposed trendsetters look like they’re late to the early-bird special at the Long John Silver's. What’s next? Polyester pantsuits?
We just pray that the opposite of this trend isn't happening in South Florida. Nobody wants to see Granny's thong peeking out of the top of her Sevens.
Breaking: Could It Be? Jericho Saved!?
How's this for the biggest stunner you've heard all day: Sources close to CBS tell me it is extremely likely the Armageddonish drama Jericho–which did not make the CBS '07-'08 schedule a few weeks ago, meaning it was effectilvely canceled—has been revived from the dead and will return for eight episodes for midseason.
Boo-yah!
Still, that news comes with a big ol' fat warning: Jericho's salvation has not yet officially been announced by any official CBS types, so it is subject to change. However, as I said, from everything I'm hearing, it is very likely that Jericho will be rescued. And I, for one, am tipping my hat to you nut freaks who've been sending in pounds of peanuts not only to CBS but also to a slew of offices here at E!. You and the Family Guy fans seem to be carving out a new era where even deceased TV shows can get a second chance. You go with your badass fanpaign selves.
Meanwhile, a little side note for you wondering about the status of Gerald McRaney: I'm told he actually quit the show before it was canceled (which is why his character was killed in the finale), and he will not be returning to Jericho, regardless of the show's status. Says his personal rep: "Gerald is moving on. He's thrilled that HBO has submitted him for Emmy consideration for Deadwood, in which he appeared as publisher George Hearst. Although he enjoyed working with the people at Jericho, the Deadwood experience was one of the best of his entire professional career." Sounds like he needs to score a gig on David Milch's new HBO show, John from Cincinnati (which I love).
I'll let you know any further news as I hear it, as we all anxiously await the official word that Jericho will survive! In the meantime, cross your fingers, say your prayers and help some little old ladies across the street to rack up some good karma.