August 1 saw the launch of Current TV on DirecTV's 366 channel. The brainchild of some guy named Al Gore, it consists of 3- to-7-minute segments called pods (as in iPod) submitted by viewers, stitched together by hosts. The press and Internet communities have already chimed in:
"Like the memory of Al Gore's presence on the political scene, his just-launched new cable venture ... feels strangely stranded in the '90s."
"I was hoping it would be visionary [sic] 'equalizer' to the corporate news crap. But the content (so far) looks more like Oprah-lite, and without much news."
"Ever have a teacher who tried way too hard to be 'down' with the kids? Who never knew that he was using out-of-date lingo or patronizing the intelligence of the people he wanted to befriend? If you have a masochistic desire to spend hours with that kind of person, you could tune in ...."
"... it seems like the perfect veg-out [sic] channel for the Golden Demographic."
"Newsless, often clueless and usually dull, the new channel is a limp noodle."
"... hosts will also have to stop referring to [viewer-created content] as 'V.C. Squared' in an effort to seem cool. Not even Zoom is that lame."
" ... seemed a lot like a grown-up version of Sesame Street—without the Muppets."
"Video killed the radio star. Al Gore apparently is trying to kill television."
"[It] hit the airwaves August 1, and it should be off the air by September 1."
"It will turn into a porn channel by December."
DVDs |
Memories of Murder (NR) (3 stars)
$24.99
Thanks to Hollywood and CNN, America is obsessed with serial killers. Memories of Murder chronicles how South Korean police dealt with their first such fiend in 1986. Unaccustomed to such crimes, the investigation became a pissing match between unsophisticated rural cops and government hotshots. Director Joon-ho Bong nicely captures the colors and textures of the countryside and disconnect between police methodology. Unlike other imports, the DVD is dubbed into English, and the actors sound as if they are American tourists handed a script to read.
Gotham Fish Tales (NR) (4 stars)
$16.95
Apart from some torturously expensive seafood restaurants and the now-shuttered Fulton Fish Market, New York City has rarely been confused with any place professional fishermen might feel comfortable. But as Robert Maass' documentary delightfully demonstrates, the surrounding waterways have become a source of fish for local, colorful anglers. The miracle is that there are any trophy fish to be found in what once was one of the country's most polluted aquatic habitats. The occasional carcass—whale and human—floating by only adds to the mystique. The easiest place to find this is on Netflix. Rent it with the similarly offbeat cable series, Fishing With John.
The Muppet Show: Season One (NR) (4 stars)
$39.99
When Ed Sullivan died in 1974, it was only a matter of time before variety shows would disappear from television. The Muppet Show was an unlikely candidate to pick up the baton. The main appeal of Jim Henson's puppetry was to kids and potheads who dug the hipster humor. The series always featured a prominent guest star and chronicled the backstage mayhem that attended each week's show. The package includes 24 episodes from the first season; two unseen episodes; the original pilot, "Sex and Violence!"; a pitch reel for the show, with songs and comic sketches; pop-up trivia on the Muppets; and outtakes.