Awesome summer movie poster

While everyone is excited about "Transformers" and "Harry Potter," one film that is coming out in August and has a ton of early buzz is Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."



It is about Nazi hunters in World War II. And, no doubt, will be filled with tons of blood, action and gore.



There have been a few posters released that set the tone for the film, like bloody baseball bats etc.



Here is a new one with Brad Pitt:

Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, the leader of the Nazi hunters and may I say, looks beyond cool. I wasn't the worlds biggest "Kill Bill" fan, but I am excited to see this film.

It is coming out on Aug. 21.

Birthday trip to Disneyland

Yeah, I am stretching the whole entertainment aspect of this blog post.

I was entertained, so that has to count for something.

So I spent my birthday at Disneyland, after being there last week for my mother's birthday. I decided last week to get a season pass so that meant that this day I got a special gift.

Instead of free admission I got a $69 gift card, for free.

Got to go on the "Roger Rabbit" ride, which I love, and makes it funnier since they announced plans to maybe do a sequel (See the next episode for more on that.)

Overall, I had a blast and even though it was extremely busy it was a great day.

My niece Zoe and I about to enjoy an awesome birthday meal of Monte Cristos and Mint Juleps.

When you're right, you're Tim

So, "Heroes" was last night.

And I was totally right!

The "Heroes" people ripped off "Exiles" and had Matt make Sylar believe that he is Nathan, after killing Nathan in a really anti-climatic way.

LAME.

I, personally, will not be watching the show again. Unless they fire Tim Kring and replace him with Bryan Fuller.

New episode up... and a 'Heroes' thought

So, this morning I told Stephanie that I had figured out a few ways that "Heroes" might end tonight.

1. Sylar kills Nathan. Sylar morphs into Nathan, Matt then mindscrews Sylar into thinking he's really Nathan. I only say this because it's been done to death in comics before, so it's perfect for "Heroes" to steal and try to pass off as original.

2. Matt gets zapped by Ando, increasing his powers 100 fold and makes the entire world forget there are such things as people with abilities.

Stephanie laughed at me saying those were the worst ideas ever.

That means they'll probably be used.

Editor's note

Friday's are usually "Viewpoints On..." days.

Well, I am very sick. Won't get into it, but me being on camera wouldn't be a good thing. So we are postponing filming until Monday.

We'll have a lot to talk about, including reviews of "Obeserve and Report" and, hopefully, "The Soloist."

One news item we probably won't get around to is that NBC has scaled back "Heroes" season next season from 25 to 18 or 20. This is either a move to get another show to air, because of the Leno crap, or that they are sick of "Heroes," like most of us are.

Also, check back Monday for my prediction of how this season will end. Hint: I am thinking of the worst way possible. Mostly because I know that's how they think.

NBC - Tim's view

NBC is broken.

Not like "My bike is broken and I need a need chain," but like broken United States banking system broke.

Most of its ratings are in the toliet. Every night the shows on NBC are being trounced by the other networks. Remember when television was referred to as "The Big Three?" Well, NBC is now No. 4.

And the people behind NBC don't seem to care. Quotes from NBC head Jeff Zucker have him saying they probably won't be No. 1 again.

What?

Really?

If you are not in the business to try to be No. 1 every night, then something is wrong. Then this Jay Leno taking five hours of primetime each week business.

Leno won't be No. 1 in the ratings. NBC will be lucky to even beat the CW network. Hey, that "America's Next Top Model" crowd is crazy loyal.

My advice. Fire Zucker. Fire Ben Silverman who is in charge of programming.

Then fire Tim Kring.

How to fix NBC part 3

I understand that NBC with all its problems was reluctant to let Jay Leno go. However, they made a serious mistake when they decided to keep Jay around and give him the 10 p.m. time slot.

First of all, it limits the number of hours available for primetime programming. Secondly, it draws the focus away from Conan O'Brien, who was finally about to get his shot at the big chair. Finally, it forces Leno to compete with legitimate ratings juggernauts like the "CSI" franchise and cable hits "Burn Notice" and "South Park."

Leno has never really been known for producing a quality comedy program, so without the prestige and name recognition that comes with being the host of "The Tonight Show," his chances of success seem shaky.

They could have decided to use the time and money spent developing another talk show on improving and restructuring their primetime operations.

This is a risky gamble for NBC and in the long run I feel it may prove to be a costly and unsuccessful one.

How to fix NBC part 2

With the end of "ER," "Heroes" and "The Office" are undoubtedly NBC's franchise shows. They are the glue that is holding the network together.

They are extremely popular shows that inspire catchphrases, merchandise and lots of next day watercooler talk. They can be at once brilliant and ground-breaking.

Unfortunately, they are not at the top of their game right now, so I've come up with a few ways to fix each show and get them back on track.

"Heroes"

• Get rid of Tim Kring. While he may be the man that created this world, he is not a sci-fi writer and the show suffers from his lack of expertise in the genre. Make Bryan Fuller the official show runner and let Kring cash his giant paycheck.
• Kill Sylar. As spectacular as Zachary Quinto is, it's time for a new villain to shake things up. Since it's "Heroes" I'm sure they could find a way to bring back David Anders or perhaps bring on someone completely new to shake things up. Besides, once "Star Trek" comes out Quinto will be headed for bigger and better things anyway, so why not send him off with a bang.
• Kill a few people and keep them dead. The show has no suspense value at all, because no one ever stays dead.
• More HRG and Angela, less Claire, Nathan and Peter. I know they want to appeal to a younger demographic but HRG and Angela could be the catalyst to tell the compelling story of the beginning of the company.
• While I'm fans of the actors, Matt and Mohinder have become useless so they should get rid of them.
• Finally, keep the light-hearted fun of Hiro and Ando, because they provide a glimmer of light in an otherwise dark show.

"The Office"

• Drop the Michael Scott Paper Company storyline and bring everyone back to Dunder-Mifflin where they belong. There's no shame in admitting that a story didn't work and then correcting the mistake.
• Idris Elba is a fantastic dramatic actor but his character doesn't fit well within the confines of this goofy group. Even worse he makes Jim look bad and Jim is the regular world's connection to this wacky office.
• More Jim and Pam romance. Their sweet courtship provides a nice balance to the rest of the office's craziness.
• Finally, turn the focus away from corporate politics and back to office shenanigans, it's what made us start watching to begin with and why we love the show.

Next time: Why Jay Leno will be NBC's downfall?

How to fix NBC part 1

It's no secret that NBC has problems, the ratings for its most popular shows are still well below the other networks and they seemingly have no solutions end sight.

Well Tim and I have decided to offer up a series of blogs that will help the once top rated network return to its former glory.

First up, what to keep and what to get rid of.

Keep all the obvious choices like all the "Law & Orders," "Heroes," "Friday Night Lights," "30 Rock" and "The Office."

Bubble shows that they should keep include "Chuck," "Kings" and "Life."

Get rid of "Celebrity Apprentice," "My Name is Earl" and "Parks and Recreation."

With Jay Leno's new show on the horizon, NBC only has two hours of primetime a night. They should use these two hours wisely by not filling them up with stupid reality shows and unfunny comedies

These are the first steps towards bringing themselves back from the brink of the destruction.

Next time: How to fix "Heroes" and "The Office."

My top shows of the 80s

AOL recently posted a list of the best TV shows of the eighties. For the most part I agreed with their list, although I would have changed some of the rankings.

Below I have posted their top five and my top five. I think mine is closer to what the general public, and not a room of TV critics, would think was the best .

AOL

1. "Cheers"
2. "Hill Street Blues"
3. "Moonlighting"
4. "thirtysomething"
5. "The Cosby Show"

Stephanie

1. "The Cosby Show"-still one of the funniest shows on TV and it holds up extremely well.
2. "Moonlighting"-Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepard as a modern day Tracy and Hepburn.
3. "Family Ties"-Michael J. Fox will always be my first love.
4. "21 Jumpstreet"-tackled a lot of taboo subjects before it was cool to do so, and of course it introduced the world to Johnny Depp.
5. "Macgyver"-If I need to get out of a hostile country or I'm trapped in a room with a bomb, there is no one else I'd want with me.

Honorable mention: "Growing Pains"-who didn't want to date Mike Seaver, a.k.a. Kirk Cameron? The Jonas Brothers and Zac Efron may think they're big, but they're not Kirk Cameron big.

"American Idol" has officially jumped the shark

This week on "American Idol" it was movie week, which meant viewers were treated to a crap load of Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie and a mind boggling rendition of "Born to be Wild" by Adam Lambert.

Why can no one else see what a giant emo d-bag Lambert is? I feel like Will Ferrell in "Zoolander," "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills."

After the craptastic performance show, the results show continued the trend with an unbelievably awful group version of "Maniac" from "Flashdance."

Oh, by the way Quentin Tarantino was smack in the middle of all this as this week's mentor.

So after a ridiculous Miley Cyrus performance, the bottom two was revealed to be Matt and Lil.

While both are talented singers, they have each struggled to find their niche in the competition. Matt turned out to be the chosen one, but of course he could sing for his life, which he did.

The judges decided to save him, which means that two will be eliminated next week during, wait for it, disco week.

That's right disco week, god only knows what Adam Lambert will do.

What all this means is that "Idol" has fallen victim to the weird curse that has been placed on my television, where everything I once loved dissolves into, you guessed it, crap.

"Lost" has become forgettable

A crazy thing happened tonight. I was halfway through the "American Idol" results show when I realized that I had completely forgotten about "Lost."

That's how inconsequential the show has become, that a TV junkie like me forgot that the show was even on.

When I finally did turn the channel, I quickly realized that I wasn't missing anything and went back to watching "Idol."

It seems crazy that both "Lost" and "Heroes" have gone downhill at the same time. I hope they can turn it around because I can only watch so many reruns of "NCIS" before I start thinking I'm part of the team.

"Lost" and "Heroes" should take notes from "24"

"24" is so good I can't sleep for hours after it goes off. Last night's episode was no exception. At first it seemed like another great episode where this time it would be Tony who saves the world, but then in the last minute everything changed and it went from great to brilliant.

We started the hour with Tony inside Starkwood trying to destroy the toxic missiles. With the president's unofficial blessing Tony embarked on his mission. By the way, how great was it when Jack explained presidential politics to Renee, because he's done a lot of secret missions for a lot of presidents.

While Tony was sneaking around Starkwood, Jon Voight was delivering a spectacularly creepy performance as the evil Jonas Hodges.

Hodges and his minion met with the president at the white house and basically blackmailed her into giving him unparalleled access to military secrets. At one point he was so pleased with himself I thought he was going to strut around the oval office like a peacock.

However, in the very next scene the president walked in and arrested him because Tony had succeeded and his plan had failed.

Tony was the hero of the night and he even joined Larry Moss and the FBI in chasing the Starkwood bad guy who had escaped with the last canister of the bio-weapon. I had a bad feeling about Larry's chances all night, so when they cornered the bad guy and he shot Larry I wasn't that surprised.

But, when it turned out the guy was in cahoots with Tony, and Tony killed Larry in cold blood to cover his tracks, I was left speechless.

Now I'm just overloaded with questions. Has Tony been planning this all along? Is he a part of Starkwood? Is this some backward way of saving Jack? What will Jack do when he finds out?

I swear just when I think I have "24" figured out, they pull a bait and switch so fantastic it puts shows like "Heroes" and "Lost" to shame.

I can't wait til next week's episode and the sleepless night that will inevitably follow.

Joss Whedon is a genius

On Friday's "Dollhouse" we finally found out who the mole was and boy was it a surprise.

But before I get to that let's take a moment and talk about Adelle and her secret "engagements" with Victor. I completely fell in love with "Roger." If I were creating a man he would be very close to what I would create.

I thought it was brilliant of Joss Whedon to show us her softer side before she was instantly transformed back into the cold hearted head of the Dollhouse.

This transformation was brought about by the revelation that the mole was Mr. Dominick. It turns out all this time he has been working undercover for the NSA.

When his secret was revealed he and Echo ended up in a fierce fight scene, but the best part was when Ms. DeWitt coolly had him boxed and sent to the attic.

And wow I never want to be sent to the attic. Turns out they basically download your brain and box your vegetable body and send it off for storage.

Also Echo's continuing evolution is really preparing viewers for the moment that she truly awakens.

This show is really starting to hit its stride and with any luck FOX will take a chance and keep it around long enough for it to build up a following.

New episode up... and a random thought

During the show we talked about "Parks and Recreation." Well, the ratings are in and here they are:

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/04/cbs-wins-anothe.html

So, it lost 400 thousands viewers that were watching "The Office" at 8 p.m. Then after it was over and a new episode of "The Office" started at 9 p.m. 800 thousand viewers tuned back in.

While not a lot, it still has to be a little scary for NBC and the producers.

New episode up!

'ER' ends its run tonight

So after 15 years, "ER" finally ends its historic run on NBC. Kind of funny that this has been a great season of "ER" and basically one of NBC's only good shows.

Yes, I am looking at you "The Office."

When thinking back at my favorite episode of "ER" I remember the Valentine's Day episode "All in the Family" where Carter was stabbed and Lucy killed.



I love this scene because it was the first time that the character of Dr. Romano wasn't a complete a-hole and showed some real emotion.

Tune in for the next "Viewpoints On..." for more on the "ER" finale.

What's wrong with "American Idol?"

Last night's "American Idol" proved something that I've been noticing for quite some time. This season sucks.

The theme last night was, popular iTunes downloads, which meant contestants could choose any song as long as it was a popular download.

This provided for a variety of songs, some of which I wondered exactly how popular they are. Unfortunately, it also highlighted how underwhelming this year's singers are in comparison to past seasons.

While everyone is crazy for Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey, I find them average compared to performers from year's past. When you consider that people like Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Katherine McPhee and Jennifer Hudson were discovered in previous seasons it makes this year's roster look like a high school talent show.

The solution for "American Idol" is to follow the pattern of its British counterpart and switch formats to "The X Factor."

"The X Factor" separates contestants into four categories, boys, girls, over 30s and groups. Expanding the categories has allowed for a wider range of talent and expanded the demographic range of the show's ratings.

"X Factor" also uses its celebrity judges, including Simon Cowell, as mentors who help the potential stars with everything from song choice to wardrobe. The show also allows the singers to perform with backup dancers and stage effects which gives them an idea of how real performers work the stage.

The change in formats has made the show more popular than ever and breathed new life into it when it became stale.

"Idol" is in its eighth season and has begun to show signs of aging with lower ratings and an increase in backlash against the show. In order to survive, the show needs to make some radical changes to avoid becoming a pale imitation of its former self.