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I just finished watching the movie Once and it was amazing. I’d read some reviews and best of lists from last year that included this movie, but had not managed to get around to watching it yet. But whoa, is it impactful.

It’s a simple story of two musicians who find each other and make music. And the music is fantastic. The lead characters are played by musicians, not actors. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová are both musicians, they actually wrote all the music in the movie. Large portions of the movie are watching them sing and figure out their music together, so if you don’t find the emotional connection in watching people sing, be warned, this movie is not for you.

But it was so much for me. I think I cried through almost every song. They were just so potent, so poignant. I’m in need of buying the soundtrack and buying it now. There was something about these songs that really hit me and hard (though I’ve been a bit emotional recently, so take that into account).

I’ve embedded a video of one of the songs, but not with movie footage because you should catch the whole thing and see it in context to really appreciate it. The camera work is a bit dodgy, but the performance is great.

Tonight I watched the premiere of Pushing Daisies. Go check out the official site for some extra info. This show is so great. The colors are vivid, the characters are interesting, there’s an awesome narrator, it’s a fairy tale full of quirkiness and it’s just awesome.

It’s created by Bryan Fuller, who co-created my favorite quirky, canceled, undiscovered show, Wonderfalls. Wonderfalls was only on the air for four episodes, but they were glorious and delightful. When it came out on DVD, I promptly went out and bought it for the full 14 episodes of awesome. Highly recommended!

But back to the show that is currently on the air right now. Pushing Daisies stars Lee Pace, who was also in Wonderfalls. The cast includes Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, and the woman who played Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors! It is full of goodness.

Please please watch this show! I can’t bear to see another quirky, wonderful, offbeat, unusual show canceled before it’s given a chance.

The fall TV season is a time of great excitement and a bit of stress for me. Every year, I eagerly anticipate my Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Preview issue. It goes over all the new and returning shows, lists their premiere dates and gives awesome little calendars of all the air times. I flip through that issue many times to plot out what I’m going to TiVo.

But then the season actually starts and I’m recording 3 hours of tv a night. My DVR can only hold so much, so I’m held hostage by my tv shows! I must watch several hours a night so that I don’t run out of space! I’ve learned to judge a show and get rid of it swiftly.

Most of the fall shows started over the last two weeks, and the first two season passes have already been eliminated from my DVR. First to go was K-Ville. I watched one episode and was appalled.

I really wanted to like the show. It takes place in New Orleans and is actually filmed there, employing lots of people which is a good thing. It’s a cop show, and one of the leads is Cole Hauser, who I quite like. But it was just horrible. I don’t mean the acting or anything, but the plot involved selfish horrible people doing terrible cruel things. Even our heroes had horrific awful secrets, and I just couldn’t handle the darkness of it. There was no joy. Ultimately, I watch TV to be entertained and this didn’t. It didn’t enlighten, it didn’t make me think, it just made me cringe. So it is out. No more of that.

Next to go is Back to You. I rarely like sitcoms. I don’t find them funny, they frequently find humor in the humiliation of others which is something I just don’t enjoy (well, unless it’s done well, as in How I Met Your Mother, the one sitcom I really love). This show is about a news show, following the anchor people and all that. And I just find it totally unfunny. Running gags about constantly killing goldfish, not funny. A continuous humiliation of one reporter who gets no respect, not funny. Just not funny! So I’m deleting that pass today.

I still am recording more than I can keep up with. What will be the next to go? Who knows?

Maybe I’ll write about what I’m actually enjoying soon. Dirty Sexy Money was the most promising so far, as well as Chuck. We shall see which last!

You should definitely go watch the Iron Man trailer. It gets pretty awesome when the Iron Man suit appears and they bust out the Iron Man Black Sabbath song. Rawk!

Bionic Women tv show tie in.

See What You’re Made Of - Visit The Official Site

There was one section that was completely stupid and I got a 0% on it. Otherwise I did pretty well.