Shiny Things
By BOP Staff
June 21, 2004
Welcome to the inaugural edition of Shiny Things, where the BOP staff members take a little time to let readers know what's catching our attention this week. Whether it's film-related, a new musical group or a great beach book, we've got such an eclectic group that you're almost certain to find something that also suits your fancy.
1) Scrubs
We know from the ratings you are not watching the funniest comedy on TV. The good news is that the governor just called and commuted the show’s sentence, so you now have until May 2006 to find it. Zach Braff is one of the most impressive television actors in years, but he’d still struggle to be listed as one of the three best performers on his own show. There hasn’t been a situation comedy with a roster this deep since Cheers went off the air.
2) Air America Radio
Chuck D, Janeane Garofalo and Al Franken might appear to be three people whose only commonality is an appearance on Saturday Night Live, but the three head up the liberal attempt to captivate an audience through strong-armed politicking. Thus far, the results have proven middling at best, but we’re giving them time to find their sea legs. As the election campaign heats up, it’s nice to know that they are other options out there other than failed sports announcer Rush Limbaugh. If nothing else, their enjoyment of the Michael Moore/Fahrenheit 9/11 hype has been worth the price of admission. Plus, wanting Air America Radio gives you an excuse to pick up XM Radio, and you really should do that.
3) VH1 Classic
13 Going on 30 was on to something. It's addictive watching all those '80s videos after all these years. We might not know whatever happened to Toni Basil, but watching an assortment of husky cheerleaders chant Mickey is the very definition of entertainment value. Did we ever really think that Corey Hart was cool?
4) Nicktoons
Your kids might be obsessed with more popular titles like SpongeBob SquarePants and Rugrats, but BOP swoons over several other forgotten gems. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and Rocko’s Modern Life used to be reason enough to watch Nickelodeon. The real coup, though, is the Spielberg collection - Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain. That’s a big bag of Narf! right there. Is it wrong of us to secretly root for The Brain to take over the world? He’s just put so gosh-darned much effort into it that we feel he’s due to be global dictator.
5) Dusk Till Dawn Screenings at the Drive-In
Some rites of passage never get old. Several members of the BOP staff are passionate about spending the occasional Saturday evening hooked up the AM radio feed while watching $125 million budgeted tentpole releases on a 40-year-old screen. And we’re plenty sophomoric enough to admit that counting steamy windows never gets old. A lot of theaters nationwide will show anywhere from three to five films over the July 4th holiday, so give it a shot and see if you agree with us.
6) NBA Draft Coverage
Okay, it’s nowhere near as good as the NFL Draft but at least it’s covered live on television, unlike Major League Baseball. BOP are founding members of the Jameer Nelson fan club, but we’re much more interested in seeing what Orlando does with the number one overall pick. Do they take the proven college stud with the bad back, Emeka Okafor, or the 6-10 high school sensation, Dwight Howard? The NBA Draft used to be better back in the days when none of the players came from obscure former Soviet bloc countries, so viewers might have seen them play some. It’s still fun watching modern day Kojak Tom Tolbert try to pronounce names like Pavel Podkolzine, Peja Samardziski, and Viktor Khryapa, though.
7) The Detroit Pistons
Isn’t it nice to see a team win an NBA championship instead of the usual collection of monster egos disguised as athletes? All this group did was play hard and remain selfless. As their coach said throughout the season, Larry Brown’s kids play the game the right way. Dean Smith must be beaming with pride. Also, if Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace ever want to fight crime together, BOP would be proud to executive produce The Mask and The Fro. We smell sweeps week success, guys.
8) GreenCine
Specifically geared toward devotees of independent cinema, this online DVD rental service has an outstanding selection of movies that are a definite cure for the big blockbuster blues. With over 10,000 titles in their library, including a healthy selection of anime and classic films such as Freaks and The Killing, there's something for every kind of movie enthusiast. Be sure to check out their daily blog, too.
9) The Simpsons - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD
A veritable treasure chest of our favorite television series' best episodes ever, this fabulous box set is a must-own and will receive heavy play in our DVD players from now until the end of time. Just take a look at some of the episodes included - Kamp Krusty, A Streetcar Named Marge, Homer the Heretic, Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie, Marge vs. the Monorail, I Love Lisa, Whacking Day, and Krusty Gets Kancelled - and you can see why we're so thrilled to finally have this batch of shows complete with passionate commentary from those involved in making The Simpsons happen. We choo choo choose this set as the best DVDs of the year so far.
10) GameBoy Advance SP NES Edition
VH-1 isn't the only one in throwback mode, as Nintendo has a brand new, limited edition GameBoy on the market decorated in the old NES fashion. Along with the GameBoy, Nintendo also released a slew of classic games as accessories. The current batch includes Legend of Zelda, Bomberman, Donkey Kong, Xevious, Ice Climber, Excitebike, Pac-Man, and the outstanding Super Mario Bros. Fair warning, though. The GameBoy is a time-thief extraordinaire.
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