Fall television is here -- already

NOTE: I WILL HAVE MY OWN RADIO SHOW, THE CATHOLIC GEEK, STARTING JUNE 7TH.



Fall television is here ... in fact, SPRING television is here. 2016 already has trailers.

First up .... Lucifer?

Yes, you saw that correctly, this is a real thing. Lucifer is bored with running Hell, so he moved to LA. How he can tell the difference is beyond me.

Anyway, Lucifer is also fed up with vice directly affecting those around him, so he's going to help the LAPD.

I'm not sure if this is inspired or a train wreck in the making. The side of my that likes bright shiny things is going "How many in-jokes and references to Dante can they make?" The side of me that has a degree in Catholic philosophy is going "My brain hurts, precious."

Apparently, this is based off of a comic book. Which just goes to show that comics are even stranger than you ever thought they might be.

However, two things. 1) I have no problem with him being vaguely British. 2) Why is Sympathy for the Devil not playing over this trailer?

Blindspot

First of all, if the actress looks familiar, picture her with long hair. With battle armor.  And a Valkyrie.  Yes, this is lady Sif from the Marvel movie universe, Jamie Alexander. I guess somebody saw her on Agents of SHIELD and said "She looks good on tv .... and she stole the episodes. We can forgive the petty larceny."

However, someone covered in tattoos, each of them telling a story. There's a part of my brain that's saying "Wasn't this The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury?"

While I find the premise intriguing enough to give it a go, my gut reaction is "This is going to go the route of Lost, isn't it?"

Then there's The Player.

My first thought is "Wasn't this a satiric Tim Robbins movie about a Hollywood producer?"

My second thought is "Why is Wesley Snipes employed on television? Did the IRS really nail him for that much?"

Theoretically? This could be fun.

Realistically? I'll see what it's opposite of before I invest.

Also .... more pre-crime stuff? Curse you, Person of Interest, for starting everyone on this again!

Speaking of pre-crime.

Jack Reacher, Lee Child, and Why I hate Hollywood.

A while ago, I mentioned how I thought that Hollywood was improving in the adaptations of novels to films.

I'm certain I've mentioned author Lee Child a few times on the blog.  His main hero is Jack Reacher, a former Military Policeman who specialized in arresting special forces operators who committed crimes, also a homicide detective.  And, considering that this is the army, Jack Reacher is built like  amiddle-weight wrestler ... if a middle weight could be 6'5" and 280.

Now retired from the army, after a live of rules, regulations, and fitting into a rigorous bureaucracy, Reacher has become a drifter. He lives off of his army pension and his savings, hitching rides, taking buses, wandering through middle America, with the occasional trip to New York. He's done the math, and figures that buying cheap and disposable clothes and living on the road is cheaper than living in a house with a washing machine, et al.

And Reacher thinks.  Good God, does he think. A fight scene that takes about ten seconds requires two pages to describe, because he thinks out every, last, move. His deductive abilities rely on heavy analysis, and quiet, thoughtful diligence.  If he were less conspicuous, he would be the quiet man in the corner who solves the crime by quietly moving around in the background, just listening.

Now, Hollywood is considering looking at making a Jack Reacher novel, One Shot, into a movie. Even though it's book number nine in the series. Probably because they have a Gulf War sniper veteran accused of being a killer.  Right now, I'll be happy if they keep the ending to the book, as opposed to going for the Hollywood's popular "crazy veteran" plot device.

So, who would you cast for the massive, silent, thinking man's detective?

I like Adam Baldwin .... he's tall, built like a brick wall, and has played military men for practically his entire career.  I can see Adam Baldwin playing a man who has put in his twenty years, and who just wants to be left alone.  I've seen him do more with a glare than some people who speak only in rants. He's not 6'5", but he'll do.

And Adam Baldwin is a thinker. At least in real life. He maintains his own political blog, and every argument is well reasoned, and thoroughly thought out.

So, he'll do.

And, Hollywood being Hollywood, they took Jack Reacher, and they cast ....

Wait for it ....