I'm the perfect Criss Angel Mindfreak viewer, because I have no idea how he does all those stunts and tricks. I'd like to, though!
And while Criss seems just plain freaky, he's always the perfect gentleman when dealing with people. Except for times when he does something completely freaky and you'd think the people involved would have a heart attack.
In one episode, I watched a guy who seemed like he was actually having his head cut off by a guillotine. It seemed so real, because Criss was running around telling people to call 911 and whatnot, and the guy's wife was nearly having a stroke. Unless they were in on it, that was way too cruel a trick to play on anyone.
In this clip from our sister site SlashControl, Criss trains with champion aerialist and world record jump holder Trigger Gunn to jump a 60-foot long, 20-foot high ramp at 50 mph. Apparently, Criss is a longtime fan of motorcycle jump legend Evel Knieval.
What's Hot on SlashControl: Criss Angel Mindfreak - Bike Jump Vanish
Steven Seagal: Lawman -- An early look
When I heard that Steven Seagal had a new A&E series coming out called Steven Seagal: Lawman, I thought, oh great, another cop show starring an aging movie star. But that's not what it is at all! Ok, I'll qualify that. Yes, it IS a cop show starring an aging movie star, but probably not what you think.
Turns out that Steven Seagal, best known for his action movies like Above the Law, Hard to Kill, and Under Siege, has been quietly working under the radar for the past 20 years as a real-life deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. Part of his duties there include instructing the other officers on weapons skills and martial arts.
Continue reading Steven Seagal: Lawman -- An early look
How Million Dollar Listing moved me to tears
Generally speaking, there's little on Million Dollar Listing that strikes me as edifying or illuminating television. Mostly, I've watched this Bravo reality/unscripted show about three Los Angeles real estate brokers – Josh Flagg, Chad Rogers and Madison Hildebrand -- who are young, ambitious and seemingly very spoiled, with a weird fascination. Would Chad's hair stylist convince him to try a buzz cut? No. Could Madison succumb to the come-on of a sexy female client? No. Was Josh seriously concerned about his health? Yes.
However, I caught up with the show this week and saw a sequence that got to me on a very emotional level. Josh Flagg, in an effort to learn more about his grandmother Edith's life -- in particular, how she survived the Holocaust -- went to Amsterdam with her to visit the places she remembers.
Continue reading How Million Dollar Listing moved me to tears
Cake Boss takes over Jon & Kate's timeslot
Call it a sign of a successful show or the end of an unmitigated disaster, but the reign of Jon & Kate is officially over and joy has replaced tyranny in the universe. In short, TLC's newest reality hit Cake Boss has officially taken over the coveted 9 p.m. slot on Mondays vacated by Satan's favorite show, Jon & Kate Plus 8.
For those of you who have not left your cave in the last month, Jon & Kate officially left the airwaves last Monday thereby stitching the hole that its pure evilness created in the annals of time and space and staving off the unholy apocalypse. And in case your wondering, no, I never liked the show.
Surprise! Italian-American group offended by MTV's Jersey Shore
A couple of weeks ago, I alerted you folks to the premiere of MTV's Jersey Shore, an eye-rolling show that promotes itself as a collection of the shore's "hottest, tannest, craziest Guidos." It's enough to make a Jersey guy like me nauseous.
In a shocking development, it seems like a national Italian-American group has a bit of an issue with this show. UNICO has asked MTV to pull Jersey Shore even before it airs, calling it "trash television" that unfairly depicts Italian-Americans.
Ya think? Wonder if it was the fist-pumping that set them off? Or the drunkenness? Or the fourth-grade-level sentence structure the participants use? Or, maybe -- just maybe -- it was MTV's use of the term "Guido" in the friggin' promo that got them upset. Not sure if I can put my finger on it.
Continue reading Surprise! Italian-American group offended by MTV's Jersey Shore
FOX announces midseason schedule
It's strange that not only is it almost 2010 but it's the end of the decade. The end of a year also means that it's time for the midseason shows to make their appearance. We already know that Chuck and Lost are coming back (January and February, respectively) and now FOX has announced their midseason schedule. After the jump, full details on when we'll see the return of Jack Bauer, Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay, reality shows, new shows, and special episodes of your favorites.
Continue reading FOX announces midseason schedule
Will you miss Jon and Kate Plus 8?
Last night was the series finale of Jon and Kate Plus 8 and the show ended as if it was any season finale. The family went on their two last adventures while Kate and Jon narrated how they will be good parents. TLC tried their best to put Jon in a negative light, but Jon's media training forced him to make diplomatic statements.
With the divorce, Jon and Kate Plus 8 was cut short. The dynamic between the parents was something to watch, but the real focus was eight children learning about the world and each other in the process. Each started gaining true personalities and by the end, I finally was able to distinguish between Alexis and Leah.
Continue reading Will you miss Jon and Kate Plus 8?
The Next Iron Chef: Season Finale - open thread
So last night was the big battle between Chef Garces and Chef Mehta, the two finalists on Food Network's Next Iron Chef with two very different cooking styles. I didn't watch much of this season, but judging from last night's episode I wish I had. Jeffrey Steingarten is one of my favorite judges, and it's interesting to see other iron chefs in the judging chairs.Did the right chef win?
Jeana says goodbye to Real Housewives of Orange County
I haven't been as interested in The Real Housewives of Orange County this season, and now I'm about to check out permanently. My favorite wife has left the show. Jeana Keough said an on screen "adios" to the Real Housewives of Orange County. She's not actually moving, but she's off the show by choice.Jeana Keough has always impressed me as the smartest, most normal and down-to-earth housewife of the bunch. She had a completely insane marriage to Matt Keough, an ex-Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland A's, but she worked to keep it together. Her kids were a handful.
They were all grown up and in high school or post-high school life, but Jeana was supportive and interested and tried to be a positive role model. In her finale, she was able to show her kids pursuing their lives and bringing her pride. I think Jeana's "pal" Vicki Gunvalson wishes her children were as loving to her as Jeana's are to her.
Continue reading Jeana says goodbye to Real Housewives of Orange County
American Gladiators movie has a plot, and no, we're not kidding
If you are counting the seconds until the new big screen remake of American Gladiators hits a theater near you, please seek immediate medical attention or the nearest clergyman for guidance. Screenwriter Peter Iliff has developed a script for the project. The TV tough guys and gals will be turned into "superheroes" in the new movie.
That's it? Isn't that obvious? What the hell else were they going to be?
- A bunch of muscleheaded meatwads pretending to be British nannies in order to see their estranged children.
- Sinewy wimp-eaters who must constantly pull a bus with their teeth at a speed of at least 30 mph or it will explode.
Or perhaps the storyline could go something like this: A ruthless mob boss looking to bump off a key witness traveling overseas plants twelve Gladiators injected with anger inducing pheromones on his plane and unleashes them over the ocean.
Feel free to share your own ideas for this movie in the comments below.
Granderson has Stadium Secrets to share
Lately, Detroit Tiger all-star outfielder Curtis Granderson has been in the news because he might be joining the New York Yankees. However, if Major League Baseball free agency doesn't make him a household name, television might. Granderson has an idea for a reality series that's being shopped around now and it's not like anything else other athletes have pitched. Granderson's series is called Stadium Secrets and it will be like History Channel's Cities of the Underworld. In fact, it might be suited to the History Channel. Granderson would host the show and lead viewers into the inner recesses and hidden passages of famous stadia around the world -- although it'll probably start with American locations.
Continue reading Granderson has Stadium Secrets to share
Discovery roars into December with Clash of the Dinosaurs
As December rolls around, your kids will want to watch the usual line-up of holiday specials. But, I'm guessing they wouldn't mind watching a T-Rex hunt down and tuck into a Triceratops, whatever the time of year.Discovery Channel will put cutting-edge imaging technology to bring giant lizards to life inside and out with Clash of the Dinosaurs. Premiering December 6 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), the four-part series looks inside the body of a dinosaur to with cinematic photo-real 3D graphics.
According to Discovery's announcement, consulting anatomy and paleontology experts help to peel back the skin, muscles and bones of the creatures to show how they thrived. So, on second thought, maybe the kids should stick with A Year without a Santa Claus.
Continue reading Discovery roars into December with Clash of the Dinosaurs
Review: Project Runway - Finale Part 2 (Season Finale)
(S06E14) It's finally the end of Project Runway season six, and Carol Hannah, Althea, and Irina get to show off their looks. The three were evenly matched with a solid concept, good models, and similar makeup consultations. I've been disappointed with the way this season turned out after its long hiatus, and I'm hoping that next season's return to New York will be better.In the end, I got the reunion show I was wondering about, in the form of Models of the Runway. It was the weirdest use of Project Runway's footage because the models didn't have any involvement in many of the videos.
Continue reading Review: Project Runway - Finale Part 2 (Season Finale)
NBC cooks up a new food reality show with a big prize
Okay, take the idea of Shark Tank (or Dragon's Den if you're a BBC America fan), mix it with the Top Chef folks, offer a great grand prize and hope for the best. That's the recipe behind NBC's new food competition show, United Plates of America. The network is turning to the Magical Elves from Top Chef -- no, seriously, that's the production company's name -- to succeed in the food field where NBC has flopped in the past. Remember The Chopping Block? Remember Rocco DiSpirito's The Restaurant? NBC has more luck with the dieters on The Biggest Loser.This go-round is not about a single restaurant. It's about a chain of restaurants. To me, that's a questionable goal. Most successful chains start off with one great restaurant and then take off. This concept is go big or go home. Maybe it's more complicated, but it doesn't sound that way.
Continue reading NBC cooks up a new food reality show with a big prize
Review: America's Next Top Model - America's Next Top Model Is... (Season Finale)
(S13E11) I love how Tyra Banks creates revisionist history on America's Next Top Model. Not only does she denounce Adrianne Curry's name, she now is ignoring the fact that Eva, who was 5' 6.5" won Cycle Three against "normal" sized models. That's an accomplishment.
This cycle's finale episode was less hectic than previous cycles because there were only two contestants, so the commercial, photoshoots, and model walks felt better paced. I like the concept, we should have final twos for the remaining seasons.
For the first time in a long time, I didn't mind if either Nicole or Laura won. Both took stunning photos.
Continue reading Review: America's Next Top Model - America's Next Top Model Is... (Season Finale)
Gone Too Soon: Invasion
Scrubs season nine -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
