Grid Effect

We’ll get to a few links in a moment. We have to. Because really, what’s this website without recycled news items? It doesn’t exist, really. But just a few quick words about the Rescue Me mini-episode (I almost typed “minisode” without the quotations, imagine my embarrassment). It had some funny context and it’s always enjoyable to see Mike mocked for his Forrest Gump like intelligence, but it was fairly predictable what was going to happen after Mike managed to spell “plethora” correctly.

There’s really nothing else to say about this five minute installment of Rescue Me. It certainly paled in comparison to last week’s. But that was masterful. So, if that is the litmus test, I’m afraid all of these will qualify as failures from here on out. Sorry, Tolan and Leary, you should have set the bar lower so early in your mini-episode run.

Onto some links:

Ebert and Roeper have replacements and I’ve never heard of them before, nor am I even certain they’re professional critics. But here is an unmerciful assessment of the two new hosts. I get the impression that the it will resemble an entertainment news show in the same vein as Entertainment News or Access Hollywood more so than anything related to film criticism. And while it’s a pity, come late August I’ll no longer be forced to stay up until 1am on Sunday nights to watch movie reviews. Silver lining, I suppose. Anyhow, If these two do end up doing film reviews together a la Ebert and Roeper, this will probably end with me saying I’d rather watch trailers for a half hour.

I hate commenting on gossip, but In probably the most random Hollywood friendship or whatever documented in the history of that fucking town, Jon Hamm is informed enough on the status of Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman to doll out updates to tabloids. This is kind of like finding out your girlfriend is sleeping with a midget, only more unexpected. In other news, Kathy Bates is now dating the kid from Dick Tracy.

Elizabeth Berkley, most noted for her roles in Showgirls and as Jesse “I’m off my rocker on caffeine pills” Spano on Saved By The Bell; has been cast into the final season of The L Word. Apparently they haven’t seen her work or they’re looking for the worst actress possible so it is easier to denigrate the straight woman. Whatever, if behooves me to even try to understand this show.

Rosie Perez, long noted for her stand against lowbrow film and television, has accepted a role on Lipstick Jungle. Which makes sense, because it’s so universally recognized as the second coming of Shakespeare. We’ll let it slide because she’s also in the upcoming Pineapple Express.

So apparently NBC and Greg Daniels are torn as to whether they should do an Office spin-off, create a series specifically for Amy Poehler, both, or turn the two ideas into one. The latter seems the most practical, but not for us, only for people who find Amy Poehler funny, which in my non-scientific observations is strictly women ages 16-35. If nothing else, that’s a loyal TV demographic.

And finally, Jay Leno is done next memorial day as host of The Tonight Show, we imagine Conan O’Brien will replace him shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon will start in early Spring of 2009. Um, we’re not really sure what to make of any of this, but in short: NBC is replacing hack, one-liner specialist and horrid interviewer Jay Leno, with an underachieving comedic actor in Jimmy Fallon, who has no experience in this field.  Bang up job, NBC. Now Steve Schrippa is going to be out of a job in less than a year.