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Bah Humbug!

OK I enjoy the holidays as much as the next guy, spending time with family and friends and all that, but as a media junkie I get tired of it really quick.  This week for example is riddled with reruns and holiday films that have already aired a dozen times.  The movies hitting theaters aren’t much better.  I like fantasy but I’m not a fan of the ERAGON flick, and BLACK CHRISTMAS opening Christmas day, don’t get me started.  The holidays are nice for a couple of days, then I’m ready to move on and get back into LOST, the premiere of 24, back into BSG and HEROES, PRISON BREAK, and all the rest, and back into good films.  Call me Scrooge if you like, but I’m ready for the holidays to be done.  I can spend time with family and friends anytime in the year with the difference being when I get home my DVR will be full of cool stuff to watch (at least I hope). 

Because of all the reruns and holiday films this week I tried to find some different movies or TV series as alternatives.  The bright spots this week are a new episode of DAY BREAK on Wednesday and a double shot of new DOCTOR WHO on Friday.  An interesting series that I don’t usually cover is ICONOCLASTS on Sundance.  In that series two icons of different artistic mediums get together for conversation about their careers and the industry that they are a part of.  Genre fans may find this week’s episode of interest since it features Quentin Tarantino and Fiona Apple. 

Have a great holiday!

Monday 

STARGATE ATLANTIS (SCIFI, 6pm PST) Marathon

Starting at 6pm SCIFI is running back to back episodes of Stargate Atlantis, the hit spin-off to Stargate SG-1.

THE SANTA CLAUS 2 (DISNEY, 8pm PST)

Tim Allen reprises his role as the bumbling and reluctant Santa.  In this installment he discovers that he must find a bride or his time as Santa will end.

FREEWAY (SHOTe, 8pm PST)

Reese Witherspoon’s best film ever.  The film is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with Reese even wearing a red hood at one point.  She plays a juvenile delinquent who encounters a serial killer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, on her way to her Grandmother’s house.  This film is twisted and hilarious.

Tuesday 

BACK TO THE FUTURE (BRAVO, 7:30pm PST)

Michael J. Fox plays a guitar playing teen that finds himself back in time and inadvertently causing his parents not to get together.  So he is forced to help his father get together with his mother so they’ll get married and he’ll actually be born!

THE RING TWO (CINEMAX, 7:45pm PST)

Sequel to the hit American remake about a woman (Naomi Watts) trying to start a new life with her son when the vengeful spirit from the first film for round two.

Wednesday 

DAY BREAK (ABC, 9pm PST) “What If He’s Not Alone?”

In this episode Hopper tries to track Detwieler down at an exclusive men’s club.  He ends up doing this a few times over once even running into Garza’s wife who accuses him of her husband’s murder.  Hopper also uses a new tactic to explain what’s happening to him to Rita.

FORENSIC FILES (COURT, 9pm PST)

A woman disappears and her body is found years later.  Blood evidence and computer analysis are used to investigate the case.

CARRIE (SCIFI, 8pm PST)

This TV movie remake of the 1976 classic based on the Stephen King story is surprisingly good with Angela Bettis bringing more intensity and less vulnerability than Sissy Spaseck in the original film.

Thursday 

SAW (SHOe, 8pm PST)

It looks like a feature length music video but that damn puppet is hilarious.  Danny Glover loses his mind in this one too, and that’s a pretty cool thing.  A serial killer makes people pay for being who they are.

ICONOCLASTS (SUNe, 8pm PST)

In this unique series two artists in different fields that both like each others work are brought together to discuss their careers and the industries to which they belong.  This one should be particularly interesting as it features Quentin Tarantino and Fiona Apple.

BLACK MASK (TMCe, 8:30pm PST)

This is one of my favorite Jet Li flicks!  He plays a member of a covert group of super soldiers that has recently disbanded.  He’s living a normal life until he begins to suspect that his ex-teammates are using their super soldiers to wage a bloody war on drug lords.  This is like live action anime, funny, fast paced, and full of great wire work.

Friday 

BLADE TRINITY (ENCORE, 8pm PST)

Some people enjoyed this film, I didn’t.  This third installment in the series tarnishes the awesome-ness of the first two.  Once again Blade is fighting vamps, this time the ultimate vamp!

DOCTOR WHO (SCIFI, 8pm PST) “Army of Ghosts”

The living welcomes the dead back to life but they may not be what the living expected.  The Doctor seeks answers at Torchwood Tower.

DOCTOR WHO  (SCIFI, 9pm PST) “Doomsday”

A war at Torchwood Tower results in a terrible loss for the Doctor.

Saturday 

MAN ON FIRE (FX, 8pm PST)

One of the best Denzel Washington/Tony Scott parings to date.  Washington plays a bodyguard seeking revenge on those who kill a little girl that was under his protection.  The movie is slick and modern looking while having a classic 80’s vigilante feel.

FANTASTIC FOUR (MOMAXe, 9pm PST)

The comic book comes to life in this flawed but fun summer blockbuster.  Dr. Doom gets royally screwed but the family dynamic between the four is done pretty well.

EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (SHOe, 9pm PST)

Sam Raimi remakes his classic camp horror film and takes everything a step further than he did before.  A classic in genre films!  In case you don’t know the film is about a group going to a remote cabin and accidentally waking the dead.

Sunday 

SPIDER-MAN (FOX, 8pm PST)

The only live action super hero film better than this Sam Raimi film is SPIDER-MAN II, also made by Sam Raimi.  Spidey’s origin story is told in this first film in the franchise.

ALIEN (CINEMAX, 9pm PST)

Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror hybrid features an alien some face suckers, and a bunch of cannon fodder floating in space.  Does it get any better?  Happy Holiday!

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (SCIFI, 6pm PST)