The D.E.D. Reviews

Entertainment (or the lack there of) Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE DORGAN) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:36:00 +0000

In theory, the typical 30 minute TV show actually has about 22 minutes of actual content. Entertainment Tonight would be an exception to that rule and not in a positive way. Now, I admit that TV Hollywood Tabloid shows have me reaching for my 10 foot pole and are the last thing I would ever watch on TV, except for the fact that my wife enjoys them. Because I love her, I tolerate them and find a more preferable diversion when they are on.

Among the plethora of such shows, Entertainment Tonight is clearly at the bottom of the barrel. They have turned "beating a dead horse" into a fine art. How many times did they need to tell us about Anna Nicole’s baby's Birthday Party? How many times did we have to listen to a Donny Osmond inside scoop during Dancing with the Stars - another show that isn't in my top million? How many times do we need a Heath Ledger "ET Exclusive"? Uggh! Cover the story and move on - jeez.

Now, to make it even more painful, that supposed 22 minutes really turns into 10 to 12 minutes of actual content, and I use the term "content" loosely. Before every commercial break there is the 30 to 60 second preview of what's coming up later in the show. After the commercial, theirs the 30 second recaps of what they were talking about with another 30 seconds telling us again what's coming up later in the show. Then before at least one commercial break, they will spend 60 seconds telling us what's coming up tomorrow night. Then we really get goose bumps when they tell us what's coming up next week, and sadly it looks like it's going to be the latest update on what their covering in today's show.

In the end, roughly half of the show is pre-views and post-views. Your "I gotta watch this!" half hour show is really 2/3rds a waste of time. If time is money then you are "paying through the nose". Five minutes at any number of websites would keep you more informed on the Hollywood scene than ET's half hour TV show and that includes ET’s own website. Perhaps this is best summed up by a line from one of my favorite movies, Finding Forrester, 'The Times is dinner, the National Enquirer, that's dessert.' Bon appetite!

D.E.D Rating:

Movies - Quick Reviews, January 2008

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE DORGAN) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:07:00 +0000

Movies I've seen lately in the movie theater.

The Golden Compass

Pros: Brilliant computer cinemaphotography! Must be seen in the theater! The movie stays true to the story. It does a good job of bringing those that have not read the book "up to speed" as the movie progresses, so the pace if the movie is not compromised - as sometimes happens in "part I" films. I'm glad they gave it 1hr 53 min. Anything shorter would have stripped the story down too much.

Cons: It could have been 30 minutes longer and not bothered me a bit.

D.E.D Rating:

Atonement

Pros: It's been a long time since I've seen a movie like this. It reminded me of some of great foreign films that I've seen, such as Au revoir, les enfants. It would not have surpirsed me to see english sub-titles at the bottom of the screen. The director, Joe Wright, allows the movie to move at a languid, oozing pace that reflects the period. There's the English "well to do" spending the summer in the countryside in the pre-World War II era, where heat, egos and boredom make a dangerous mix. We are slowly pulled through the melancholy, despair and horror of World War II. There are a number of cinematic techiniques used that keep the viewer on their toes and assist in unfolding not just the story, but allow us to watch the characters learn and gain perspective at the same time we do. If you prefer shoot em' ups or raunchy comedies, then this is not your cup of tea. Atonement is a thought provoking, piece of art that will leave you thinking and re-thinking about it for days afterward.

Cons: None - don't mess with art!

D.E.D Rating:

The Bucket List

Pros: I really can't say much here. Without Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, this movie would never have made it out of the gates. They make seeing the movie worthwhile, but wait to rent it.

Cons: I expect more from director Rob Reiner. The story was not well told and the time spent on the different segments of the story just didn't work. Some of the cinematography was good, but, all in all, the movie just left me feeling, uh, blah.

D.E.D Rating:

BODY WORLDS - Light Years Beyond a Skeleton on a Hook

noreply@blogger.com (DAVE DORGAN) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:51:00 +0000

You can try to describe Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, but you really have to see it to understand and appreciate it.

Gunther von Hagen developed the process of plastination, which - in short - preserves the different parts of the human body better than any previous process ever devloped. Yes, it's good by to the days of formaldehyle. The result is entire bodies and body parts, called plastinates, can be preserved in a way that allow you to view the inside of the human body on more levels, with more detail, than ever before.

In the past, only those in medical fields and studies had access to cadavers, which was the only way to view the internal workings of the body in detail. The average person was limited to casts of skeletons, some poor facsimiles of the muscular system and many drawings in books.

With plastination, we get to not only see the real skelital and muscular structures, but also, the ligaments, the nervous system, and the vascular system. Hagen's full body plastinates are positioned in different positions to better appreciate how all of body's internal systems are layed out and relate to one another. There is the chess player, which gives a fascinating view of the back and how the nerves spread out from the spianl cord accross the body. The gymnast shows the muscles and ligaments in action. The man riding a horse (the horse being plastinated also) gives an amazing view into contrast in size of specific bones and muscles between the human body and that of the horse. There one room just for the pregnant woman and her unborn fetus. With an entire display of plastinate fetus' in every stage of the growth process. Most of the plastinates are also displayed so that you can walk all of the way around them for a full 360 degree view. The plastinates are disected in a multitude of ways to demonstate how all of the different systems are related to one another. There are many display cases of plastinate body parts that are equally fascinating. In many cases, healthy organs and their deseased counterparts are displayed side by side. The inclusion of the vascular system was a complete surprise to me and the icing on the cake.

The exhibit has been running for over 10 years around the world and seen by more than 20 million people. Additionally, over time the show has evolved with an ever changing variety of full body plastinations in new poses.

We saw the exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. It is running there from 1/18/08 through 6/1/08. Tickets are $21 for adults and $15 for children 3 - 17. All tickets include full access to the museum so the adult price for the exhibition is just $10 above general admission. The entry times for the exhibition are every 15 minutes throughout the day. This keeps the exhibit from being overcrowded and you can take as much time as you like to soak it all in.

Additional BODY WORLDS exhibits are also startg in in Baltimore and Manchester, England in February, and in Los Angeles in March.

The exhibition is large and very comprehensive. It winds through at least six rooms and we spent over 1 1/2 hours going throught it and we could have taken longer, which you can. Many people were using the headphones that were available at an additional charge to listen to more detailed descriptions of the displays. We did not try those, but those that did got even more out of the exhibition.

We made it a family trip, my wife, myself, and our 17 and 14 year old children. The motivation came from my wife who has been an R.N. all of here working life. I short, we all thought it was great. We all learned and had fun doing it together. No a one of us had anything negative to say about the exhibit. Additionally, I have recommended it highly to anyone that is thinking about going - and that includes you!

D.E.D Rating