Went to the Laugh Factory in L.A. last night to see a night of mostly new comedians hosted by a guy named Jay Davis, who does the late show every Tuesday. Damn, there are some funny as hell young comics out there, highly recommend checking this night out. And there are always some surprises, like David Alan Grier and Jeffrey Ross headlining. Grier's bit on ecstasy and dance music was hilarious, as was Ross' interaction with the crowd, particularly the bandana-wearing contigent in front.

Posted by Steve B at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a couple of lackluster episodes in a row, The Sopranos came roaring back last night (Sunday actually, but for those of us at Coachella and with HBO 2, it was a Monday thing) with an episode as ferocious as James Gandolfini's bile as he jumped in A.J.'s face. If episode two of the season was Edie Falco's tour de force, last night was a vehicle for all the might and compexities that are Tony Soprano. His guilt/indecision over whether or not to sleep with Julia, the aforementioned rage and subsequent heartbreak over his wayward son -- how stunning was that when he touched A.J.'s fac and said, "You break my heart. It's just a movie"? And then there was the subplot over the beating "the little man" is taking from the major corporations and how the gentrification of modern America is destroying the protection racket and Tony's anguish over whether to sell to Jamba Juice. That last line of, "What the fuck happened to this neghborhood?"

Posted by Steve B at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Read some really good books of late, including Christopher Lee's A Trip To The Stars, Mario Vargas Llosa'a The Storyeller, a beautiful look at the traditional ways and mores of a tribe in the Peruvian rainforest and how a Jewish man viewed as an outcast his whole life because of the birthmark that covers much of his face becomes an accpeted member and leader of that tribe, and Haruki Murakami's sublime Sputnik Sweetheart, a fable that combines themes of longing and unrequited love with magic realism to culminate in an ending that will give you chills. And last night finished Audrey Niffenegger's exceptional The Time Travler's Wife, a book that is simulatneously extraordinarily populist and exceptionally written, no easy task in today's literary world. From a writing standpoint what stands out so much is the way she blends a riveting concept, time travel, and makes that secondary to the characters of Henry and Clare and their love story. There are some moments in this book that will just slay you. And good luck putting it down once you start.

Posted by Steve B at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am setting a tape so I have the TV on channel 11, and Tyra Bank' talk show is on. They have some woman afraid of an oven, and a bunch of people clapping for her as she puts a tray of cookies in an OVEN. Tyra's like, "Careful, there's fire in there." I look at info line on my cable to see what exactly this is and the subject is Tyra and some doctor help guests confront their fears of clowns, garden gnomes, and ovens. Now, where is my help for having to see this?

Posted by Steve B at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few years ago on an episode of "Saturday Night Live," where Freddie Prinze Jr. hosted they poked fun at the critics' love of "The Sopranos." Absolutely hilarious shit that included the memorable, "Oh...uh..ugh...Sopranos, ejaculated" Entertainment Weekly and an even better review attributed to the New York Times (find the repeat and watch it, classic). Right now though "The Sopranos" is that damn good. Great to see Steve Buscemi back as the host of the other world! And a great episode for Steve Van Zandt (Silvio), who got to show his acting chops as the acting boss and all the aggravation that comes with it. Loved the way they closed Tony's subconscious life as Kevin Finnerty. And welcome back Dr. Melfi. Listening to Carmela's stories of Tony's early courtship of her in Dr. Melfi's office was both moving and engrossing. And who could forget the most memorable line of the night -- "Now I'm wrinkled like a fucking old lday's cunt." Way to go, Paulie.

Posted by Steve B at 09:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, how freaking awesome was The Sopranos? "He Marvin Gayed his nephew." So wrong, but so perfect. And the use of Moby's "When It's Cold I'd Like To Die," one of the great chill-out tunes of all time, at the end, brilliant. The way the mistaken identity and Tony's subconscious worked in this episode, it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility for him to be in that coma a long time. Nice to see everybody else get a chance to shine as well. Great work by everyone in the immediate Soprano clan, including the kids. But just give Edie Falco the Emmy now for this episode. Between her breakdown when we first hear Tony is dying, kicking ass on AJ, and her resoluteness with the police, she displayed her full talents. And then there was that moving speech to Tony as he lay in the bed. "I'll be judged for that." Yes, you will.

Posted by Steve B at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)