You want the Blade cut or the Demolition Man?

Opie and Anthony with Patrice O'Neil making fun of Wesley Snipes after he was convicted of tax evasion. Hilarious.

Opie and Anthony can be heard on XM 202.

Best New Show....Life on Mars

Only one network show has really caught my eye in this new Fall season. It started with a unique ABC ad campaign that used their 1970's logos and sweepers. This was before my time but it did grab my attention immediately. At first I thought that it was just a cop show set in the 70's but when I saw that it was actually about a cop who becomes displaced in time from 2008 to 1973, I became very interested. I have seen the first three episodes and I am pleasantly surprised. Life on Mars has quickly become one of my favorite new shows.

Life on Mars is another in a long line of British remakes(They really are TV geniuses). This one centers on the strange time displacement of detective Sam Tyler. During an investigation, Sam is struck by a car and instantly finds himself transported from 2008 to 1973. Let me take a moment to say that you will have to take a leap of faith as you watch the pilot. Not because you will have to accept that Sam is a time travelling detective, rather because he is not thrown into the insane asylum within his first hour in 1973 New York. He is not very discreet about the fact that he thinks that he is from the future but his new police co-workers aren't too alarmed and just go on with business as usual. His new boss, played by Harvey Keitel, does hand him a few beatings but nothing that stops them from working together. I'll stop nit-picking now.

This show really is very enjoyable. The sets and costumes are amazing. The show was cast very well. I am not a huge Harvey Keitel fan but the character of Lieutenant Gene Hunt suits him quite well. Sam's closest confidants in his new situation are Officer Annie "No Nuts" Norris (you will learn very quickly in the pilot that they want you to understand that women were not equal back then.......we get it) and his new neighbor Windy. Annie is the force that is trying to keep Sam grounded and convince him that his thoughts of 2008 are delusions and he belongs in 1973. Windy, on the other hand, has a more open mind to his situation and in some ways has become his spiritual guide. It is still early in the show to draw too many conclusions but we are always reminded that Sam is being pulled between both times through visions and mysterious communications that seem to manifest from electrical devices.

The show has me hooked and I highly recommend that you check it out too. If nothing else, watch it just to see Michael Imperioli as the stereotypical 70's detective Ray Carling. He's pretty hilarious. Life on Mars is on Thursday Nights at 10:00 on ABC. You can still get caught up on the first few episodes at abc.com.

Freaks and Geeks got it right.

Freaks and Geeks makes me happy and sad all at once. It is one of the best shows that I have ever seen. The unknown young cast of Freaks and Geeks have almost all gone on to huge success(James Franco, Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Jason Segal, etc.). Freaks and Geeks had the perfect balance of comedy and drama without being too corny or overly sappy.

It only makes me sad because it wasn't given the chance that it deserved. This amazing show was under promoted and buried in bad time slots. This resulted in the show being cancelled after only one season. In retrospect, this may not have been a terrible thing for true fans of the show. The creators must have seen the writing on the wall because the series has the feel of a contained story that comes to a satisfying end. You will always want more, but they don't leave you hanging, which is nice.

The series was created by Judd Apatow who has become a Hollywood powerhouse as of late. He is responsible for The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Anchorman, Talledega Nights, Knocked-up, and Super-Bad...just to name a few. I personally think that Freaks and Geeks is still the best of all of his work. It has a "real" feel to it and you can put yourself in the shoes of any of the characters.

The idea is basic; a brother and sister try to fit in at their high school. I know......that sounds SO original, but after one episode you'll see that it delivers some of the most entertaining and original TV in a long time. The main cast is great but the supporting cast is also well stocked with names like Joe Flaherty and Ben Foster. Back to the Future fans will be happy to see Coach Fredricks who is well played by Tom Wilson (Biff in BTTF).

The complete series is available on DVD and it contains 2 episodes that were never seen in the original run. This is a show that I go back to time and time again and I have never had anything but a positive reaction when I recommend it to someone. This is true must see TV.

Forever Young

Some things will always be funny. The Young Ones is one of them.

The Young Ones premiered on British television 25 years ago. Like many other British shows, it had a short run; 12 episodes. They understand the concept of not running an idea into the ground. Those 12 episodes contain some of the funniest moments I've ever seen.

The series revolves around 4 college room mates(although they never seem to go to college or study). The Young Ones are Rick (a self-absorbed anarchist poet), Neil (a hippie), Mike (the self proclaimed cool person) and Vyvyan Bastard (the punk rock medical student). They live in a filthy apartment that serves as the main stage for the show, and seems to be a magnet for strange situations. Many of the situations involve the characters fighting in violent and hilarious ways, in part due to their boredom with everyday life.

The Young Ones mixes a sitcom with a variety show. This was actually done so that they could get a larger budget by being classified as a variety show. The result is a surreal comedy that includes stand-up comics, puppets, and musical acts. Motorhead, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Madness all made appearances on the show.

I have seen all the episodes many times but I always go back for more. I highly recommend this if you have never seen it before. If you have seen it, watch it again. You can get the entire series in a DVD collection called The Young Ones: Every Stoopid Episode.

This is Really Cool

This guy does stop motion animation on wall art. I can't begin to imagine how long this takes to do, especially when he gets to the really big pictures. This is pretty amazing stuff.

Fringe

Fringe is one of the only new shows that I have any interest in this season. I was really excited about it since it was created by J.J. Abrams who also created Lost and Cloverfield. If you have not checked it out or need to get caught up, the first four episodes are still available to watch at the Fringe site.

Don't rush to judgement on Fringe. The pilot is good but it isn't great. That tends to happen with this kind of show due to all the set-up and character development that is crammed down your throat in the first hour or so. The series, so far, revolves around the experiments of a mad scientist named Walter Bishop who has been locked in a mental institution for years. Someone is using the experiments on people in society, this phenomenon has become known as "The Pattern". FBI agent Olivia Dunham releases Walter with the help of his son Peter and they work together to figure out what is going on. Joshua Jackson is an annoying douche in the pilot but he starts to settle into the character and becomes much more likeable as Peter Bishop. "Fringe" refers to fringe science or theoretical science. The gimmick of the show is that all of the events have a valid scientific theory behind them which does serve to give it a creepy feel.

The show overall has an X-files kind of vibe to it. It is also set up similar to the X-files in that the episodes are self contained stories that complement the bigger story of "The Pattern". While Fringe doesn't resemble Lost (even though they do both start with a plane crash....hmmm) it is beginning to reveal Easter eggs, codes, and patterns in the episodes and the advertising images. Fans of Lost will be happy to know that they can now spend hours trying to figure out the secrets of Fringe on the internet. I really like this show but I'm not going to drive myself crazy over it.....yet. Check it out, get caught up, and we can discuss the weird stuff that is starting to go down.

Go Team Venture!

I am a very big fan of Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. If nothing else, they show Family Guy almost every night. They also have a lot of great original programs. Check out Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, the Tim and Eric Show, Lucy: Daughter of the Devil, and Sealab 2021.

The show that stands out from the crowd is The Venture Bros. This show has become must watch TV for me. At first glance it looks like an updated version of Johnny Quest, but it doesn't take long to realize that the similarities are only superficial. The Venture Bros takes full advantage of the Adult in Adult Swim. It's got all the things that you might expect, like robots, villains, and super-science but it also gives you sex, violence, dysfunctional families and a sprinkling of dick jokes.

The Venture family is the focus of the show but the cast of characters that surrounds them is what really makes the show great. Their friends and enemies steal then show every week. Their arch enemy The Monarch has become just as important to the story line of the show as the Ventures. This show is addictive, and you get hooked fast, so check it out. Plus, if I make a Dr. Girlfriend reference you can be in on the joke.

The first 2 seasons are out on DVD but you can still watch episodes every Sunday on Adult Swim. You can also see some episodes at adultswim.com. Do yourself a favor and become a part of team Venture.

Power Thirst!!!!!

This is pretty funny. My brother-in-law Max sent me the links so I can't take credit for finding it. Screw that, I found this.......unless you don't think it's funny. Then Max found it.

Power Thirst: The Original

Power Thirst 2...might be even better than the original.

Public Service Announcement

I would like to take this opportunity to alert everyone to a very important piece of reading material. Taking the time to read this book could mean the difference between life and death.

We have all come to accept the fact that a zombie attack is inevitable. If you have not come to this realization, Wake Up! While most people have not been personally involved in a zombie attack, it is only a matter of time until it is your turn. This book could make all the difference when that time comes.

Mr. Brooks gives us all the tips and tactics that we need when the zombie invaders arrive. You will learn which weapons are the most appropriate for your personal situation and there are guides for zombie proofing your house. Most importantly, there are tips for keeping yourself out of the situations that would mean certain death for the uninformed.

The information contained in this survival manual is indispensable. The manual is an extremely interesting read, but you will find yourself referencing it again and again. I keep my copy right next to my machete and my .22 rifle, you know, for when the shit hits the fan.

Everyone needs to read Preacher.

I have read a lot of comics. I mean A LOT of comics. I don't discriminate by genre or company, I have tried them all and have enjoyed the majority or them. I used to always consider myself a super-hero guy. They were my favorites. I liked Spider-man and Bat-man......but who didn't? I loved villain driven stories (anything with the Joker) and I loved when a writer would take a great small character and develop an incredible story around them (check back for an Infinity Gauntlet post, it rocks). I loved all these things and I still do, but then along came Preacher to show me exactly what a comic could be.

Preacher was a monthly book released under DC's Vertigo line. It spans 66 regular issues and a handful of mini series and one-shots. Written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Steve Dillon, and with amazing covers by Glen Fabry, Preacher looks and feels like something out of the ordinary. And believe me, it is way out of the ordinary. This book is in no way, shape, or form, a kids book.

I don't want to get into too many details, my goal is to get you to read it without ruining any of the experience for you. I use the word experience because Preacher isn't something that you read and walk away from thinking "that was nice". Most of it, is in fact, not very nice. Much of it is brutal and twisted but that is why you love it and it stays with you. Many people die, there are battles between heaven and hell, there's sex, there's vampires, there's sex between heaven and hell, and I'm only scratching the surface. At its core, it's an intense look at society and ideas and beliefs that people cling to. I don't want to get too deep about a comic but it is extremely well written and does make you stop and think about religion, politics, and life in general. Mostly, it's just a hell of a good time to read. So read it, and let me know what you think.

Here's some good news, you don't need to try and track down all 70+ issues. The people at DC/Vertigo have released Preacher in 9 very nice trade paperbacks. The next time you want to try something new, go pick up the first one. I promise that it won't be long before you are buying all the rest.