Reviews

Louie is a very weird show. I can honestly say I have never seen such an unorthodox approach to directing and editing in television. Comparisons to Curb Your Enthusiasm have their merit, as the show often thrives on propelling awkward moments, but the focus of the show is in a much different direction.

Louie has a knack for blurring surrealism with reality. Many times in the series, the viewer can enjoy scenes that seem to scream 'it was going so bad, this might as well have happened,' except there are no visual or audio cues as to when the show transitions into such moments. As such, at least in my experience, there are several moments of jaw dropping, I-can't-believe-that-just-happened ecstatic laughter in every episode.

The writing is as sharp and precise as Louie's stand-up, of which live bits are heavily incorporated into the show. The casting thus far has also been great. Perhaps it's due to the direction of the series, but the acting seems far superior to that of the also hilarious Lucky Louie, even in scenes with actors from that show--exchanges between Louie and Nick DiPaolo, for example, are much more believable than the HBO series. Louis CK is by no means a world class actor, but for one who describes himself as a man who "hates acting" and is "bad at it," he delivers the goods more than well enough.

I recommend this show to just about everyone. I would practically instruct any fan of dirty comedy to watch this show, as not only do many fantastic comics appear on the series, but the show has a sense of humor that seems distinctly tailored to stand-up comedy fans. FX allows for some coarse language, and the series takes advantage of that; however, the show is accessible for any adult with even a moderate sense of humor. Watch this show, and re-watch it again.

This show is incredibly funny. The writing is brilliant, borrowing heavily from Louie C.K.'s stand-up, as well as a few bits from the other comics on the show. This is different type of sitcom than we're used to; dirty, unedited, and constantly heavy hitting humor.

That said, the acting is atrocious. And by that I mean, while most of the comics deliver their lines very effectively, it's a direct translation from their stand-up; in other words, it's funny, but not believable acting in the slightest. In no point in this show do you get a feel for any of the characters as real people. However, I don't know if it's because I give Louie a break just because he's such a good comedian, but I don't really care.

Watch this show. Louie C.K. is an outstanding writer and it really shines in this program. Even if you aren't into dirty comedy (but especially if you are), give this a chance.

This is a very, very typical movie. As soon as one sees the leading lady, the plot outline is clear: guy charms lady, guy seemingly betrays lady, guy gives speech, guy gets girl in the end. It's annoying how, in a movie filled with actors I love, they couldn't manage anything over okay.

Don't be mistaken, though; there are some very funny moments in the movie. Seeing Heder nail Billy Bob over and over again on the tennis court was probably the highlight of the movie for me. Some parts are so typical it hurts, though, like the ending in the airport. Every plot "twist" was so obvious that it had me laughing, in a bad way.

Overall, it's the kind of movie that you rent if you're bored and can't think of anything else to get. Do NOT buy this on DVD.

The Sarah Silverman program is very similar to Sarah's own stand up; It's so over the top with prejudice that you can't possibly take it to heart. The fact is, though, that while most all people will "get it," it doesn't mean they will all appreciate it. It's a very polarizing and one dimensional show, so if you don't like it after 10 minutes, you may as well give up there. If you do like it after 10 minutes, stay tuned, because every episode thus far has been as good as the last.

Like all shows, though, it is not perfect. Personally I love the program, but there are some huge faults with it. Racist songs are funny, but get older a lot faster than Silverman seems to realize--a problem that I had with "Jesus is Magic" as well. It seems as if Silverman gave herself a quota for songs per episode that doesn't need to exist. Not to mention that while the lyrics to the songs she writes are good, the music, well, isn't.

Another thing to keep in mind is that while this show will for some reason appeal to fans of Monty Python, Upright Citizens Brigade, etc., it is nothing like those shows. I can watch Monty Python all day, but, as much as I like this show, I can't watch more than the half hour limit at a time. It gets flat very fast. The repeat value for this show is low too--the second time around an episode is fairly funny, and by the third time, in my opinion, it's boring.

Still, that first time around is very, very funny. Give it a shot.

I remember seeing a preview for Dexter. I then tried to tell a friend about a new show on Showtime. Before I could get the description out, he said, "Who really cares what it's about? Everything is recycled at this point anyway." I responded with, "It's a show about a serial killer...except he only hunts other serial killers, and works at the police department trying to catch him."

My friend replied, "...Well, that's a new one."

Dexter, in my opinion, is one of the absolute top running shows on television. I can't get enough of it--I've never bought a DVD for a television show in my life, but I know I'll be snagging this series as soon as it's released. Dexter is brilliantly written and nearly perfectly cast. Michael C. Hall is a breath of fresh air--huge control over his character and 100% believable. The rest of the cast gets the job done well, especially Erik King as Dexter's half-rival, Sergeant Doakes. If you liked Hall from Six Feet Under, give this a shot, but don't expect a similar performance at all--watching these two shows back to back is mostly a testament to his range.

The show makes you feel morbid--you find yourself cheering on the natural villain. There are horror elements to the show, but the only thing I really found myself fearing while watching was the possibility of Dexter getting caught.

I won't go into detail, but I will add that it would be a major disservice to yourself to read the books which the series is based on--half of the genius of the show is not only its dialogue, but its ability to genuinely surprise the viewer. There were a few cliff hangers this season which I honestly did not know what would happen either way.

All in all, I'd suggest that just about everyone should try this show. It has a very fresh feel, and will probably appeal to some people who don't even like murder investigation or horror programming. The only group I would not recommend it to are the squeamish, as there are plenty of graphic scenes (though it is never excessively gory). All in all, my favorite current show on television.