Talking About Stuff, with Mike and Christiana

Women's figure skating and ESPN's obnoxious attempts at spoilers.

Ruth Marie gone, and for pretty much the reasons we predicted.

Liking Sally, not really that upset Ruth Marie is gone.

Dan definitely had a point about Sally's loyalty, but then, if you get rid of Sally and then lose the next immunity challenge as a result, then you're worse off.

Really interesting dynamic between Austin and Terry. The leader and his advisor. A very strong position for Austin.

Dan has demonstrated that he feels very strongly about keeping his word. Which could be good or bad. You can depend on him, but he seems inflexible.

Dan seems very smart, but he seems to give his word to people a little too easily.

He described Sally using almost the exact same wording more than once. Suggests that, once he reaches a conclusion, he may not be very willing to reexamine it.

Kudos to Sally for selling her case to Terry and Austin!

Austin's strategy. He's got something working.

Earning Terry's ear.

Terry's got the immunity idol! How should he use it?

A little bit disappointed that the idol was found as early as it was, and though I like Terry a lot, I feel like it would have been more interesting to have someone else find it.
Mike didn't feel that way.

The "obvious" target sometimes isn't the one in the most danger. Frex: Boston Rob in All-Stars. Everybody knew he was the biggest threat for the whole second half of the season. Also refer to Tom in Palau

Pretty ironic that Casaya picked Terry because he was La Mina's leader and they wanted to hurt the tribe. It backfired and they won't know it for a while.

All four people voted off so far are women! Half the women are already gone!

We're both increasingly fans of Sally. She's a competitor and knows how to play both elements of the game.

Survivor fashion: Sally's hat, Terry's polo shirt, Probst's hat.

The GMC Yukon commercials are just getting silly now. "Leadership?"

That challenge was unusual in the sense that it was an advantage to have at least one small light player.

"If she weighs the same as a duck..."

On Casaya, finally Courtney's turn to shine. (Her craziness anyway)

Danielle's defensiveness under Shane's assault.

There was no reason for Shane to go after her so aggressively, but then, since I've pretty much decided that he's a crazy person, and so no longer hold him responsible for his actions.

How funny that it was Aras criticizing Courtney for doing yoga at camp!

"Well, I've never gone hunting." Danielle's inadequate excuses.

Cirie's strategy. Mike is initially critical, but I suprise myself by defending her! She needs to stay out of the drama and be available when one of the four want to defect.

Admiring her gameplay, but she's still annoying.

Bobby is awesome. "Dropping a deuce." Just like when he paced Ruth Marie until making his move last week. That's how he's playing this game.

All the funnier that it annoyed Danielle so much.

We hope we aren't giving him too much credit, but we don't think we are.

I'm liking Aras more and more, but he certainly isn't shy about telling people what's on his mind. (That said, he doesn't ALWAYS do it.)

We just realized we didn't say anything about Nick. Then again, all he did this week was fish.

We are enjoying more people this season.

Predictions:
If La Mina loses, maybe Sally, maybe Dan. Depending on how much he tries to make ammends for dissenting this time.

If Casaya loses, Courtney or Cirie.

Courtney is not helping her own case. She is not able to take a step back and look at what she could do to be less annoying to her tribemates.

On La Mina, the momentum is against Dan.

Teaser for Nina Kimberly the Merciless

Promo for KickAss Podcast! and rules! (If you play my teaser on your show and let me know about it, I will play your promo on my show!)

Oscars, but this time with rules to ward off ridiculous tangents.

Best Picture Discussion

Both our picks so far: Brokeback Mountain


Best Animated Feature Discussion

I've seen all three, Mike has not seen any, but 2 of 3 are now available on DVD.

I would say that Corpse Bride, while very good, is not as good as the other two. Choosing between the other two is difficult.

Best Director

Best Director is the same films as Best Picture

Mike suggests giving Brokeback Mountain Best Picture, but Best Director to Spielberg for Munich

Spielberg has won in this category before, but we avoid going off on a tangent.


Best Actor

I say Philip Seymore Hoffman very nearly edges out the competition in this category, but Heath Ledger is also very good, and will probably be buoyed by the Brokeback sweep.

Heath Ledger's unusual speech pattern in the film.

David Strathairn is always good, but he won't win.

Joaquin Phoenix is better than Jaime Foxx was in Ray. We're agreed on that even if I liked Ray more than Mike did.

Was Jaime Foxx's performance hampered by his inability to use his eyes?

Mike doesn't think Terrence Howard can win, but he's very good, and for a newcomer, we'll probably be seeing a lot more of him.


Best Actress

Mike says Felicity Huffman is fantastic. He wanted to find reasons not to like her, because of the cliche that you have to play "gay" or "disabled" or whatever in order to win, but she won him over anyway.

Reese Witherspoon was very good but not good enough to win. Mike damns her with faint praise. She has come a long way since Cruel Intentions.

Kiera Knightley has been improving with every film she is in.

I confess that, prior to seeing this film, I had never read the book, nor seen any previous adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Kiera Knightley was exceptional in this film. She's young enough she doesn't need to win for this, but she definitely deserves the nomination.

Judi Dench has been really good for a long time, but voters may feel she has already gotten her due.


Best Supporting Actor

I'm leaning toward Jake Gylenhall for this one, but Clooney and Hurt were very good as well.

Mike and I disagree about Hurt's performance.

Now, having seen the film, we can see how Heath is Best Actor and Jake is Best Supporting Actor.

Paul Giamatti should get recognition just for being snubbed last year.

Mike says Matt Dillon was good the way he was in "Wild Things"

Clooney's performance seems better the more I think about it.

Playing against type, but not enough against type to get bonus points for it.


Best Supporting Actress

Mike says Rachel Weisz is the best.

Michelle Williams was really good, but not enough screen time.

Not enough people have heard about Amy Adams in Junebug.

Catherine Keener is very good in Capote, but she's not who you are paying attention to in that film.

Mike predicts that Frances McDormand won't win because her character isn't flashy enough.


Best Original Screenplay

I've seen Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, and Squid and the Whale. Of the three, my vote goes to Syriana, because it really embraces the complexity of the issues.

Mike has only seen Crash, but didn't like it, found it preachy.

Squid and the Whale had an excellent screenplay, but it's too small in scope, too "ordinary" to win, but I do explain the title, which is not just nonsense.

Mike refuses to quit playing with his cell phone!


Best Adapted Screenplay

I've seen Capote, Brokeback Mountain, and A History of Violence. A History of Violence was good, but doesn't deserve to win. I give my vote to Brokeback Mountain.

Mike's seen Constant Gardener, and says it's fantastic, still, the win should go to either Munich or Brokeback Mountain.


Best Foreign Film

Neither of us has seen any of these. Always a problematic category.


Best Original Score

Best scores often are non-intrusive, and can therefore go unnoticed.

I've seen Brokeback Mountain and Pride and Prejudice, but I give it to Pride and Prejudice just barely.

Mike has seen Brokeback Mountain, Munich, and Constant Gardener. He gives his vote to Brokeback Mountain.

A very hard category to call though, often seems arbitrary.

Continued in 57...

Best Original Song

Why only three nominees instead of five? If anybody knows, tell us!

I hadn't seen any of the three, but Mike had seen all three. He says that the song "Hard out here for a pimp" from Hustle and Flow should win, no question at all, because it really is an integral part of the story.

Reminder, Mike has mp3's of all three nominated songs at his blog. http://mikemeitin.blogspot.com/

Do you judge the song itself, or judge it in context with the film?

Best Art Direction

I've seen all except Memoirs of a Geisha, but I think King Kong deserves the win. Truly beautiful in a wide variety of locations and scenes.

All were good though.

Best Cinematography

Effective cinematography is what Terrence Malick is known for.

Good Night and Good Luck had very good use of black and white.

Batman Begins is a surprising nomination, but it did have great cinematography. Mike would like for it to win.

Brokeback Mountain gets my vote, because of the amazing way that it got the colors of that region "right" in a way that many films set there do not.

In photography and filmmaking, the camera does not automatically show what your eyes would see. That's where the cinematographer or photographer's skill comes into play.

Best Costume Design

I have seen Walk the Line, Pride and Prejudice, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

We're not clear what was so special about the costuming in Walk the Line. It was okay, but nothing out of the ordinary.

P&P had amazing costumes, a realistic take on the pre-victorian period. C&tCF was an entry into a Burton-style fantasy world. I give it to P&P, but just barely.

Best Makeup

Star Wars Ep III nominated for makeup and not visual effects?

Mike is bitter about Ep III, I had pretty much let go of any significant emotional attachment by that point.

As far as makeup though, I'd be hard pressed to choose between Ep III and Chronicles of Narnia

Best Documentary

I've only seen March of the Penguins, Mike has seen that, plus Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Murderball.

I liked March of the Penguins more than Mike did, but then, my expectations were only that I wanted to see cute penguins and it showed me cute penguins. That said, even in the category of nature documentaries, Grizzly Man should have been nominated instead.

According to Mike, the religious right championed March of the Penguins as an allegory of sacrifice, etc. I don't doubt him exactly, but I've never heard it from anyone but him.

A (very) brief discussion of politics.

My reaction to the film was: "Wow, they endure this amazingly harsh environment, but... why? Couldn't they move somewhere nicer?"

The important thing when watching a film like this is to remember that you are watching an anthropomorphized version of the animals, and should not use that version to draw conclusions about the reality of the situation.

Mike says that the Enron documentary is excellent and the restraint that they showed in avoiding over-politicization is amazing.

Best Sound Mixing / Best Sound Editing

What criteria do you use to distinguish between these two categories?

Mike actually felt that Walk the Line had a very poor sound mix. I didn't react that way, but Mike says he noticed syncing problems when Reese Witherspoon was singing.

Not clear how picture and sound could get out of sync at the theater. Did anyone else notice this?

Are the sound categories really just included to allow some of the special-effects driven films to get nominated for something?

Best Visual Effects

All three films are very good in this category. Mike wants Chronicles of Narnia to win, and I agree that I was impressed with the effects in that film, but I have to give it to King Kong myself.

I feel that the effects in King Kong had a personality that was missing in Narnia, but it's choosing among excellent films.

Again though, odd that Ep III wasn't nominated and War of the Worlds was.

Best Film Editing

How to judge Best Editing vs. Best Director?

I think Walk the Line had wonderfully edited concert scenes, but was otherwise nothing special as far as editing. Mike disagrees about the concert scenes, then relents a little bit, but agrees that the rest of the film isn't that great as far as editing.

Mike feels that Munich should get Best Director OR Best Editing, Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture and Best Cinematography.

Directing vs. editing - Comic Books: Pencil sketcher vs. Inking

Whoops! Forgot to edit out a bathroom break! Sorry! I'll fix it tonight! That's what I get for putting it up before listening all the way through.

Drinking while podcasting?

Mike is still fiddling with his cell phone!

Dead... sober? What are we drinking? Sideways makes us feel guilty for drinking merlot. Peer pressure from unsuccessful fictional characters.

CBS offering downloads of Survivor for "rent"!?!

Other networks are making lots of money with downloads, but we don't trust that new-fangled technology, so we'll implement it, but only in a half-assed way.

Business models for content-delivery are changing. Blockbuster ends "late fees" to compete with Netflix

Paying $1.99 for a 24-hour rental feels wasteful.

That Survivor live and the other supplemental videos are not available via podcast is ridiculous. Sure, maybe they want people to visit their website, but it cuts their market dramatically.

Ads before movies in the theater.

Logos to display while fast-forwarding through a commercial on DVR?

Future of advertising. More product placement?

How could this work with shows like Lost?

Abandoned traditional radio basically because of too many ads.

So if no one wants to see ads, how do sellers market their products?

Personality based "testimonial" ads.

Standing offer: Pay us to talk about something, and we'll talk about it. (Though we can't guarantee what we'll say.)

Testimonial ads only work for "good" products. Also, how to asign credibility?

Corruption? "Selling out?"

By blending ads with content, harder to fast-forward through.

Some shows, like in itunes model, pay direct for content w/o commercials, or get commercial versions for free.

New technology allowing so many choices, makes it a consumer's market. Ads will have to get more entertaining to survive. They have to make the ads in a way that people DON'T WANT to fast-forward through.

Alternatives: Have to watch 10 min of commercials at the beginning, before show will start, but then no ads during? Or making it so consumers cannot fast-forward through commercials?

The upcoming end of analog television.

Advertisers need to be more inventive these days

A theory that the current expansion in choices (cable channels frex) is a bubble that will burst, returning us to a small number of channels again.

We don't buy it.

"But we learned it in college!"

Segue to Grizzly Man

Mike feels that the film was too eclectic but is willing to be convinced otherwise.

Werner Herzog's style

The film: A documentary about Timothy Treadwell, an environmentalist who lived among the bears, studying, filming and "protecting" them until he was eventually killed by them.

He lived so close to them that it was not only ridiculously dangerous, but actually illegal.

Treadwell is not portrayed as a "tragic hero".

Bears, when hungry, are not terribly choosy about what they eat.

The real strength of the film is that it defies your expectations, and you feel differently than you might have just hearing about the story in some other context.

He is not portrayed as "right", but definitely as "sympathetic."

He had a very addictive personality, and even though his passion for the bears allowed him to get sober and beat his addictions to alcohol and drugs, he sort of exchanged those for the rush of living with the bears.

He did actually become pretty knowlegable about bears. When he listed all the things that made the bears dangerous, he turned out to be exactly right.

He had to keep pushing things, and getting closer and closer to feed the rush.

Hated the "world of man", and in many ways, almost wished he was a bear himself. Believed that nature was somehow more "pure" than people, and as a result, had a very hard time dealing with the darker side of nature.

We are reminded of Courtney from Survivor, and her sadness about the dead turtle.

His name was Timothy, and he was also very close to a fox which he named: "Timmy".

We're also reminded of Shane from Survivor, yelling at God about the rain, as there is a similar scene in this film. He is so desperate for there to be rain so the bears would not starve and eat their own young, that he, a professed atheist, called out to Gods of all religions for help.

We are reminded about how complicated the world (and God) and people are.

There is audio of his actual death, but it is not played in the film. Werner Herzog explains: "I'm not making a snuff film." The scene where he listens (on headphones) is very powerful.

A very troubled man. I didn't actually cry, but I felt as though I had already cried for him.

He was so passionate and it made him so happy, that even though it ended in tragedy, it would have been hard to tell him not to do it.

Dying this way was almost what he wanted to have happen. The only thing he wouldn't have liked was that the bear was killed afterwards. Of course also, another woman was killed with him.

It's not so much that he "deserved" it, as much as he completely brought it on himself.

Couldn't relate to women. "Wished he was gay"

He got quite paranoid. Interpreted inoccuous messages as death threats.

Did he actually "protect" the bears at all? Perhaps it was less about actually stopping poachers physically and more about raising awareness in the off-season.

Some people argue that he faked the death? Conspiracy theories seem to be a way that some people find meaning in their lives, like Treadwell did with his bears. People with low self-esteem must find purpose outside themselves in order to feel whole. As a result, any challenge to their position is taken personally.

Many conspiracies unlikely just on the basis of people not being that good at keeping secrets.

Conspiracy theories provide "satisfying" explanations for life-changing events. Sometimes the world doesn't make sense, so these theories are invented to make sense of it.

We skirt the issue of JFK, but avoid getting too deep into it.

Keeping secrets in Vegas.

Deep throat, and Who really got to the top of Everest first? Notable for being exceptions.

We expose the REAL truth!

Conspiracies exist, but more often than not, they fail. Frex: Enron

Not playing any clips from past shows because I'm lazy.

Might in the future at some point though.

I'm the Captain! And I have a list of stuff!

At last: Biodynamic Cheese!

The message board post that started it all

He spends the time to put together a broad message-spam campaign, but didn't bother to proofread it?

Found interesting website at www.biodynamics.com, suggesting that Biodynamic farming is like ultra-organic, taking into account EVERYTHING, including the cycles of the moon, and so on.

We tried to find some at Earth Fare and Whole Foods, without success

Boulder's Whole Foods Super-store

Third-party marketing! The same "Conversation" happening in at least two message boards.

The site where I eventually ordered some biodynamic cheese: http://www.grassfieldscheeses.com

The language from that site is considerably more sensible and reasonable than on biodynamics.com

The two sides of the "organic" coin.

Aflatoxin: More dangerous than the "chemical" that gets rid of it.

In addition to my biodynamic cheese, I also ordered some "beef snacks" (Kippered beef)

A very trusting website, I didn't have to pay in advance. I mailed a check upon receipt of the food.

A little bit disappointed that the beef snacks seem to have been made somewhere else and don't appear to be super-organic. One of the flavors even has MSG!

I try the "Cherry Maple" beef snacks. Moister, thicker, slightly chewier than normal beef jerky.

I try the "Cajun" flavor and Mike tells a story about MSG and Thai food.

The cajun is also pretty good, but I question what about it makes it "cajun" as opposed to just smoked and spicy.

As I prepare to eat the cheese, I discuss the wine and crackers I got to go with it. (Toad Hollow Vinyards Merlot Reserve)

Mr. Toad is one of Mike's favorite literary characters.

The wine is pretty good, but as a Wine Ignoramus, I struggle for the proper words to describe it.

I got 1lb each of Sharp Lamont Cheddar and Gouda

Why I didn't get all the different varieties (Store-brand, organic, etc.), essentially, that was more cheese that I really needed.

I do compare the cheddar with some cheap store-brand shredded cheddar cheese, and while I go to get it, Mike talks about some cooking mishaps he had.

Why paper cuts hurt so much.

Grocery shopping is fun

I try the store-brand shredded cheese. Mushy, very mild in flavor.

I try the Lamont Sharp Cheddar. VERY "sharp", firmer texture, very aromatic

Mike is curious about how the non-pasteurized cheese will affect my digestive system.

TMI: Mike gets gas after drinking Guiness

I try the Gouda, and I "feel the unique cheese in every bite of cheese." Also very aromatic.

We talk about our show format and the similarities to "morning radio"

Discovering that morning radio shows are very similar all over the country.

The pepperoni theory of radio shows.

Podcasting gives so many more choices.

We don't need to be the most popular, we just want to please our audience.

How could we have forgotten to talk about Sally losing the spear in the Survivor show?

It was really dumb, but probably won't end up hurting her too much right now.

Mike is always right.

Dad jokes

CBS takes a step in the right direction, but trips and falls on their face. How? You'll have to wait for show 52 to find out.

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Show #50 - Why it's a Survivor Show: A history lesson.

How we record the show, and how, due to diminishing returns, I didn't use all of our last conversation for the show.

Melinda's the 2nd off: We predicted she'd go early, a shame it was so upsetting for her. We didn't really like her, and we didn't think the tribe were wrong to get rid of her, but the emotional way that it was handled wasn't as fun to watch.

They sure didn't waste any time with that merge, but then, they kind of had to do it early. The four tribes were interesting to start with, but wouldn't have worked for long.

LOVED the way they handled Bruce going to the island. Though after that tribal council, how happy can he be to be joining that tribe?

Bruce is in a good spot though, as a strong player, because that tribe's trend seems to be to vote off the weak players.

"Inginuity?" A commercial suggests that the "Drag a heavy box" immunity challenge required inginuity, which is an odd choice of words.

Preview non-fake-out with Shane threatening to quit. It actually happened the way it looked on the preview, even though nothing came of it.

Shane is so bizarre and bad at the game that he's entertaining to watch and good TV.

Aras, Cheer: talking Shane out of quitting, Jeer: "I want us to be open and honest about everything." He succeeded in keeping a stronger player on the tribe, but handled the whole announcement very poorly. A big part of why Melinda and Cirie were so upset. Now Courtney doesn't like him. "Social Lies" are important.

Shane has kind of spun out into bizarro-land, so I almost don't apply the normal rules for good behavior to him.

Cirie and Melinda acted very defeatist. We were watching for Cirie to try and pull something like she did last time, but she just didn't. Is it because she really thought Melinda was the one going, so she didn't really scramble for it?

Did they just not show what they did to try to stay? We think not, because that would have been more dramatic than what they did show.

They could have made a play for Shane, or even Aras, for being an oblivious jerk with his "Open and honest" speech.

Courtney: Upset (with Aras's behavior) for the wrong reasons. Not mad about poor strategy or gameplay. Mad because he was "mean". Does her reaction speak well or poorly about her social skills.

Shane: Way too impatient forming the alliance. It's not necessarily to early, but he handled it poorly, made them feel like they were only in the alliance because they happened to be sitting there when he announced it. Also, big mistake to pull out the "swear on my son's life" thing. That kind of language cost Twila the million on Vanuatu.

Bobby: Just hanging out, playing it low-key. Probably smart, because as long as he's strong, they'll probably keep him around until the merge, so best not to attract too much attention until then. Could be in trouble from the Alliance of four.

Aras talking Shane out of quitting: will it backfire? The preview suggests that Shane's mood does not improve, and he could end up being a real energy suck if he just bitches and complains and yells all the time. Also Shane is very skinny already for day 6.

One tribe provides a model for forming early alliances, the other shows what NOT to do. "Hey guys, I know it's early, but lets try to hang together until the merge." Vs. "Hey, you three guys seem convenient, let's go to the final four."

That said, they are already a pretty splintered tribe, broken up based on their original tribes: Dan & Terry vs. Nick & Austin vs. Misty, Sally, and Ruth Marie. Of course, they haven't been a tribe long, so they may still gel into a single team, but it doesn't look promising right now.

Shane: "I really don't care which one of you goes" right after flip-flopping about quitting! He's awesome! (In the fun to watch way, at any rate.) Glad he didn't quit though. Quitters are no fun. Also probably good strategically, because he's strong, and he'll continue to make himself a target with his obnoxious irritable behavior.

Glad to see more from Bruce, even if it's only because he's on Exile Island. Should they have shown more of Bruce on Exile Island? Mike felt that they should have revisited how he was doing more, since he spent almost 3 days there. I think it would have been a waste of screentime unless something notable happened.

Mike argues that they spent a lot of time on Janu being exiled in Palau, but I counter that it was because it totally changed her outlook on the game. We agree to disagree, but Mike plans to pull the "I told you so" card in the extremely unlikely scenario of Bruce having found the idol and the episode not showing anything about it.

Uncertainty about whether the idol is still there? Well-handled by Probst. "Cannot confirm, nor deny" - 2 birds with one stone. Ratchets the tension about looking for it, and also reminds everyone that Misty is pretending she has it.

For extra fun, as the season progresses and more and more people spend time on Exile Island, the list of people who "might" have it will get bigger and bigger. Hopefully it will get strung out for a while, instead of getting found and used early, like in Guatemala.

Terry is kicking ass! Very impressed with him. Very strong, good social skills, seems to have a handle on pretty much every level of the game. Definitely this season's Tom, (even though we originally suspected Dan was).

Dan, whether it's true or not, LOOKS old and weak. Kind of lanky and geeky-seeming. Not that we don't like him, but he doesn't look or act physically strong.

Terry is very strong and confident, but how weird is that polo shirt?

Shane offers a reminder of how much time they spend just sitting around. On Survivor Live, the castaways that are most criticized for not working often point out that EVERYBODY spends most of the time just sitting around. The potential boredom is an aspect of the game that is easy to forget about.

We can't let go of Shane's cold-turkey nicotine withdrawal. The boredom has to be worst for him, because he is used to being able to have a cigarette as "something to do". We spend some time getting a little bit preachy about smoking. Three packs a day is a LOT.

Heard someone argue that no-food, no-water would make detoxing from the nicotine go faster, but Mike knows better and says so. In particular, you need water to flush your system. (Yes, we are aware, as we discuss this, that our terminology veers dangerously close to holistic medicine terminology, so we reference this to recover.)

In a way, the nicotine withdrawal allows me to just classify him as "crazy", and thus be entertained instead of annoyed by his behavior.

In terms of being strong for the team, once Cirie goes, who is better for the team: Shane or Courtney?

Courtney: Freelance Fire-dancer, with dreadlocks. What is fire-dancing anyway? Dreadlocks, how they are formed, and their relationship to "dirty" hair.

Mother Nature kicks ass! Bummer for the old guy tribe at the beginning, building their shelter facing the wrong way. Shane yelling at God about the rain reminds me of Grizzly Man, which we'll talk about more another time.

Preview for next time, tension between Shane and Cirie.

The hosts of Armchair Survivor, and the JoAnn and Stacy Show thought Cirie was funny? We don't think so. She's unpleasant and annoying.

Re-thinking Cirie's defeatist attitude. As one of the least-fit contestants on the show so far, she definitely has an uphill battle. Could it be a sense that, if that's why they are going to vote her off, there's nothing she can do about it? Even if that's true, she needs to do what she can to make up for that by being cheerful and helpful (like Lydia), but she hasn't been. (Bet they regretted voting Tina off when they were having trouble starting that fire the next morning.)

Melinda crying was probably what got her booted instead of Cirie, because it probably inspired annoyance and resentment, rather than guilt, in the other castaways. In retrospect, Melinda choosing to move on with Cirie instead of Tina may have cost her big-time, because if Tina and Melinda had been there instead of Cirie and Melinda, Tina would have been stronger, and probably would have helped defend Melinda.

Predictions for next time: Cirie will go, because her tribe will lose. Even though the two tribes are pretty evenly matched physically, La Mina doesn't have the two negative-energy players (Shane, and Cirie,) and so will have a better attitude. If La Mina does lose, probably Ruth Marie, because although Misty and Sally will probably have some success in wooing Nick and Austin, it won't save Ruth Marie.

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Continuing on last year's Best Actor Nominees

Mike has a man-crush on Leonardo DiCaprio

Does being so 'pretty' discourage people from taking him seriously?

Leo, a parallel to River Phoenix?

Quick and the Dead, and The 13th Warrior

Russell Crowe's big US break

Emergency! I run out of cranberry juice!

I credit Mike for my interest in film.

Early Movie Memories

Whoops, an accidentally un-bleeped f-word!

Starz Cinema and Turner Classic Movies the best channels for movies.

We decide to stop going off on tangents, and then I immediately break that rule for an anecdote about Strictly Ballroom

We both hated Million Dollar Baby

Gael Garcia Bernal and Pedro Almodovar

Bad Education is Hitchcock meets Pricilla Queen of the Desert

Best Actress - Always the category we've seen the least of

Felicity Hoffman and Desperate Housewives

Kiera Knightly and music-video style directing

Charlize Theron

Do Indie films offer better female roles?

Not nominated: Robin Wright Penn in 9 Lives

How is Best Actor vs Best Supporting Actor decided?

William Hurt in A History of Violence, didn't work for Mike, but Christiana liked him for being non-cliche

Very hard to comprehend people who are overtly racist, they feel "over the top" when portrayed in films.

Matt Dillon as a lead vs. a supporting player.

In and Out and a historical perspective.

Why is Transamerica not getting the same publicity and controversy as Brokeback Mountain?

Is transsexuality just more "confusing" than "objectionable?"

Mike dozes off briefly... again!

George Clooney in Syriana

Paul Giamatti got snubbed last year.

Best Supporting Actress and Frances McDormand

Woman playing Tonks in Harry Potter is in Mrs. Henderson Presents

Oscar Movie Marathon and segues and calling attention to same

Discussion of how to calculate the percentages

Haven't seen as many movies this year.

Why the marathon is fun.

Mike will have an easier time this year

Getting back into the filmgoing habit

Best Picture Nominees: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Good Night and Good Luck, Munich

Mike didn't really get into Crash, but speaks highly of Munich, really long, but never got tired

We are Titanic apologists

Is it possible that Crash didn't move Mike because he had already learned the lessons it is trying to convey?

Capote is very good, Phillip Seymore Hoffman is excellent in particular. More than just an impersonation.

Film is good, but I admired it intellectually more than I was engaged in it emotionally.

Good Night and Good Luck is also very good, but it got so many nominations because of its politics. Good film, but the number of noms is out of proportion.

Made as a direct response to the current political trend of labeling political opposition as "unpatriotic"

Crash similar? Would it be as acclaimed if it wasn't about racism?

Mike felt some elements were contrived.

No definitive best picture, fewer high profile releases

Brokeback Mountain is hardly the first movie about gay people, so why is it so controversial?

Is it because of the gay tragic love story angle?

Is it because it suggests that some of the stereotypically macho cowboys were gay?

Because it's more serious and "realistic" than things like Will and Grace?

A difference between simple discomfort with homosexuality and homophobia.

We are both looking forward to seeing it and deciding for ourselves.

We continue with our black vodka.

My Pirates of the Caribbean shotglass - bought at Disney world, the best ride there, one of the first that had a really interesting experience while waiting in line.

I botch my shot, but it's still good stuff.

Best Animated Feature - glad it has its own category

Nominees: Howl's Moving Castle, Corpse Bride, and Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. All excellent films.

Comparing Miyazaki films: Like that line from Kill Bill Vol 2. You going to compare a Hanzo sword, you compare it to any sword in the world that wasn't made by Hattori Hanzo.

Nick Park's movies also very good. The three Wallace and Gromit shorts were all Oscar nominated, and the only one that didn't win lost to Creature Comforts, which was also directed by Nick Park

Curse of the Were-Rabbit, very silly, but the relationship between Wallace and Gromit is very touching!

Howl's Moving castle is amazingly inventive.

Unfortunately, Howl's will not be available on DVD before the awards.

Wallace and Gromit will be on DVD 02-07-06.

Corpse Bride also very good, but of the three, the other two are better.

Plans to see Pride and Prejudice and Transamerica in the theater.

Best Director: The same nominees as with Best Picture, two relatively new directors, two big names, and then Clooney, who's a big name, but not known as a director.

Clooney's directorial debut "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" was more "interesting" than good.

Good and Good Luck, very good for the most part, but every now and then, very odd shots.

I suck at making two-layer drinks: I can never be a bartender.

Best actor nominees: Phillip Seymore Hoffman in Capote, Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow, Heath Ledger from Brokeback Mountain, Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line, and David Straithairn from Good Night and Good Luck

Cool Venn Diagram for Best Actor. Circle 1: Playing someone Famous, Circle 2: Playing someone Gay. All five roles fit, but Hoffman wins for playing Truman Capote, a famous gay guy.

Mike was not a big fan of Jamie Foxx's win as Ray, thought he was better in Collateral. Ray Charles' death in 2004, probably boosted Foxx's chances.

Should "Handicapped" be a third circle on the diagram?

Russell Crowe's performances in Gladiator vs. A Beautiful Mind.

A brief departure from the movie discussion for technical talk about recording the phone call on 1 track versus 2.

The Oscars website is not the most user-friendly

Best Actor Oscar winners since 1993, Tom Hanks (Philidelphia), Tom Hanks (Forest Gump), Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Geoffrey Rush (Shine)

I recount my theater-going experience for Shine.

Continuing... Jack Nicholson (As Good as it Gets), Roberto Begnini (Life is Beautiful), Kevin Spacey (American Beauty)

We don't really care for Sean Penn, and Mystic River was VERY overrated.

Both of Clint Eastwood's last two movies really annoyed me.

Continuing... Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Denzel Washington won for Training Day over Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. Love Denzel, but he didn't deserve the statue that year.

Adrien Brody in The Pianist (great in that role, but hasn't been as good in anything else.)

Adaptation was a very fun movie.

Gangs of New York had a lot of good in it, but it was substantially flawed. Should have been about Daniel Day Lewis and Liam Neeson's characters, rather than Leonardo DiCaprio's character.

Sean Penn won for Mystic River, (a travesty of justice, I was pissed, I thought it was the WORST of the 5)

Would have been nice to see Johnny Depp win, but Captain Jack Sparrow will live forever, Oscar statue or not.

Bill Murray should win an Oscar.

Ghostbusters holds up well.

Funny Sci-Fi: The Fifth Element and many others.

The Hollow Man had no excuse for sucking as much as it did.

More Best Actor wins... Jamie Foxx for Ray

We like Don Cheadle a lot.

Boogie Nights was excellent

Mark and Donnie Wahlberg

Hotel Rwanda managed to be extremely intense with a minimum of actual on-screen violence.

Ocean's 11, lots of fun for everybody. Ocean's 12, more fun for the cast than the audience.

Reminds us of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and that reminds us of Michael Caine.

Another of my favorite "Silly comedies" is The Three Amigos

How jokes seem when you're little

Terry Pratchet's Discworld Series

Hey, what's that in your mouths? Blavod Black Vodka

Mike's mission.

Christiania Vodka (Another Christiania)

Coming soon: Biodynamic cheese!

The Blavod wetsuit

Marketing wine with interesting bottles

An anecdote about the most memorable vodka I've ever had.

Chilling and mixing the blavod.

The "controversial" Blavod commercial.

Mike makes an "Iceberg", I make a "Midnight Sun"

Mike succeeds, and I utterly fail to achieve the intended two-layer impact.

We try our drinks, and it's pretty darn smooth! So much that we have to double check that it's actually 80 proof! (It is)

Cool, tasty, and relatively inexpensive. Good stuff.

Mike makes Beef Stroganoff from scratch.

Hypothyroid, high blood pressure, sodium, and eating better.

Making elaborate meals. (Stuffed Red Bell Peppers)

Missing work because I mysteriously managed to lose a contact lens. Had to go order more and get new glasses too.

Soft contacts versus gas-permeable.

"You have the fastest blink reflex I've ever seen."

Getting a new prescription for the first time in a long time.

My new glasses.

One of the most interesting "falling on my ass" experiences of my life.

My stellar story-telling skills, and an update on my podio book. (Still moving forward, still going to happen, but the timetable is pushed back a little)

In a complete non-sequitur: What ever happened to Micro Machines?

Non-posable action figures suck

Funny TV commercial for the Winter Olympics with Jeremy Bloom

Eating Chinese food and Sushi with chopsticks

More drinks!

New casting info for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie!

According to Mike: Luna Lovegood is "Right up my alley"

HP6 Spoiler: Harry should have been with Luna instead of Ginny

Semi-awkward belated meta-introduction conversation

Structuring the conversation? Pre-planning? Not here!

First first episode of Survivor in a while that already has us yelling at the screen.

Those bastards at TVGuide spoiled the game mechanics for me against my will.

Just like when I got spoiled for "The Others" (contains spoilers)

Mike is really sharp when it comes to guessing movie endings.

Having to feign speculation in the pre-show to avoid revealing that there were spoilers even available, didn't want to tempt people.

Exile Island a very cool concept, and especially good that it seems there will be some twists still to come for it.

Reading between the lines of the preview, looks like there's a merge in the very next episode! (Probably 4 tribes -> 2 tribes, young men with young women, old men with old women) (How would Cirie know Shane said anything about quitting?)

One of the stupidest first votes ever. Voting off someone as a "threat" on the FIRST EPISODE? They are SO LUCKY there will probably be a merge next episode. If not, they are screwed!

Tina was voted off for exactly what we feared. We knew that it was possible that the death of her son was still too soon, and that she wouldn't be able to really be in the game. Having to spend so much time off by herself in the first episode really hurt her chances.

Cirie deserves some credit for shifting the focus off herself, but she shifted it to the wrong person. Winning the battle but losing the war.

Okay, being in bad shape is not an insurmountable obstacle, but she really needs to show committment to being helpful around camp to stick around. Scaling the fish was hardly sufficient for this. And "I hate leaves"? What show did she think she was going to be on? She only got helpful when she realized she was the one with a target on her back. She seemed like a happy, pleasant person in her picture and bio, but in the show, she seems conniving and even a little mean-spirited.

We don't like her.

If she manages to shift the votes another couple of times, we may give her some grudging respect for gameplaying, but not yet. She has overplayed her hand already on the very first episode. Being ruthless is all she has going for her.

I was almost happy they voted out Tina, just because we didn't like Ruth Marie, Cirie, or Melinda, and they just screwed themselves.

Tina was a really fun character, and we really respected her. We can't imagine Probst and the producers are very happy she got voted out first.

She didn't want to use her son to get ahead in the game, which we can respect and even admire, but it hurt her in the game, and to some extent, if she wasn't able to come to the game prepared to use all the tools at her disposal, maybe it was too soon. (In retrospect, maybe a mistake for the producers to have brought her in this season instead of letting her have more time to work through it.)

Location, location, location. The first person is always voted off for social reasons. The problem was, spending time alone away from camp allowed Cirie to convince the others to turn on her. She produced a three-against-one dynamic right off the bat.

Bonding with the others right away is important. Courtney, for example, is already getting on her tribe's nerves, just as we predicted. For someone so in touch with Gaia and Mother Earth and all, she seemed to be a lot more troubled with the turtle dying a natural death than she should have been. Death is a part of the natural life-cycle after all.

More critically though, she seems uninterested in following all the little social rituals and rules that allow strangers to build trust.

Danielle seems like a girl-jock to me, without much else going for her.

Mike confirms his initial impression that Danielle is the hottest female castaway. Misty, on the other hand, was not done up to her best advantage. Her hair looked strange and poor choice of clothing.

Misty's decision to imply she found the idol already: Our reactions were initially negative, but the more we think about it, the more we like it. (Other people may not look as hard for it, people will be afraid to cast votes for her, just in case.) Could still backfire, but she could even spin getting caught in the lie as a positive!

The idea that the idol can be used AFTER the vote is a GREAT idea!

To call her bluff on the idol, they have to vote for her, and if they're wrong, she gets to pick who goes. Who will try to vote for her under those conditions?

Big problem: How will she explain not being able to show it to anyone?

Another potential problem: If someone else actually finds it before she has fessed up, she could be in trouble.

Though most likely, this saved her from being the most obvious target in the first episode, now she has time to build relationships that will help her to recover when the truth comes out.

Probst will probably continue to give clues for the idol's location, but it will be framed in the context of: "Until the idol is USED, we will continue to give clues, but we don't guarantee that it's still there."

In the end, a very cool move (We're not surprised she's a chess enthusiast), but she'll have to be very mindful about the endgame of this particular strategy.

Annoyed that CBS puts up the individual video clips the day AFTER we post our pre-show. >:P

Based on the pre-show videos, only one person who we really missed the boat on: Austin (Though after Ep 1, we realize we were also wrong about Cirie)

Austin, in that pre-show video, comes across less as a narcissist, and more as a momma's-boy. More someone to feel sorry for, than someone to be annoyed by. Hopefully he'll show us to be wrong as the season goes on.

We got confused about which group Sally was in. (Younger women)

When Danielle offered to stay on the island for losing the challenge, and the other women said "No, you don't have to do that": Fake or genuine. I think genuine. They wanted it to be "fair". Mike wishes they had shown more of that conversation.

But there will be plenty of opportunity for those kind of conversations, because someone has to stay there every episode!

We didn't see a whole lot from Bobby, but we still like him. Especially his decision to not tell people he's a Stanford-educated attorney. He's playing the South-LA gangbanger type.

Aras kind of did the one thing we said he shouldn't do, which was making the new-agey stuff to obtrusive on the other players. Hopefully he'll recognize they weren't going for it, and scale it back a little.

We didn't get all that much from the young-men's tribe except for Aras's hand-fire-thingy, and the crappiness of their shelter.

Older men's group: Favorite "Tribe" so far.

Loving the bonding between Dan and Terry. Dan put himself out there for Terry almost a little awkwardly, but it paid off.

Still liking Bruce, but I wish that he'd gotten more screen time that wasn't in the context of Shane bitching about him.

Mike empathizes with Shane's nicotine withdrawal. I say he has basically no excuse for not quitting before he shows up on the island. Maybe it's understandable that going cold-turkey would make him irritable, but he should have planned for that.

Mike quit tobacco products a year ago Feb. 1st, so he feels for Shane, but he really should have quit in advance. He would have had a month at least to prepare once he knew he was going to be on the show.

Sympathy vs. empathy

Bruce seems to have a ton of energy, and very strong, very healthy. I wished we'd gotten to see him talk more.

Compared to Shane, the other three seem to be having a lot of fun. Perhaps being older alows a better perspective. (even beyond the whole smoking thing)

Preview for next time makes it look like Shane gets much worse, but it's probably an editing fake-out.

Good to see that Probst is still on his game. Thank God he's back for more!

I like the arrangement of the opening music much better this year than the last couple versions. Much more melody-led.

Lingering high-school marching band bitterness about over-loud drums and obnoxious drummers.

On the whole, a great first episode. Exile Island is a great twist, and we're really excited about the rest of the season.

More on the hidden immunity idol: Usable after the vote, and no re-vote, both really cool additions.

Bruce

Oldest of the men.

Not just a black belt, but the best black belt in America, officially and recently!

Probably in very good shape despite his age.

More to Karate than just athleticism, could help him mentally and physically.

As a teacher, he could potentially err on the side of trying to tell people how to do things, but being a High School Art teacher would mean he is experienced with getting uncooperative people to do what you say. Has to inspire people and get their respect.

Has backpacking experience too.

Could do really well in first half of the game, but may have more trouble in the second half, with building alliances, because he will feel more like a parent or teacher, rather than friend.

How far have older people made it in the game? Rudy made final 3 in first season.

Cirie

Seems nice, but not that driven.

Not in good shape, which could make her a liability early on, though if she's handy around camp, she could coast along like Lydia did. Friendly, and not a threat.

Probably will go either really early, or make it to the merge.

Harder to fly under the radar with tribes that only have four people each.

The four tribe thing will probably not last more than 2-3 episodes, because it requires too many changes in the game mechanics.

Assuming the four tribes will become two at some point, how might the merge happen?

The Thailand merge fake-out.

Cirie seems nice and helpful, but if she lasts long in the game, it will be just as a pawn.

Courtney

Very much a free-spirit, and probably genuine in that, but free-spirits, while fun in small doses, get annoying pretty quick.

Also, they can be unpredictable.

A former gymnast, probably in good shape, but an individual sport, no experience with team dynamics.

If she can avoid rubbing people the wrong way, she could do really well, but that seems unlikely.

Film and documentaries that "promote world unity", a pretty vague ideal.

So many jobs in so short a time says free spirit, but it also says can't commit to things for very long.

Will probably go pretty early.

Dan

His bio is three paragraphs longer than anybody else's! Lots of interesting stuff. Super-smart.

I'm feeling retroactive support for Gary H. last season, and Dan reminds me just a tiny bit of him. (slightly older guy, "coolest job" etc.)

But while Gary was the physical elite, Dan is the mental elite.

To be an astronaut, you would have to have not only book smarts, but also good people skills. Have to be able to work with a team.

There may be a perception that he is physically weak, even if it's not true.

Astronauts have to be very healthy and fit, as opposed to strength and endurance.

A very solid batch of older guys, could work in all their favor. They won't have to rely as much on the young people to stick around.

If he can stick around until the merge, that perception of weakness could become a strength.

Could do well.

Danielle

JoAnn and Stacy suggested that Danielle is this season's Stephanie.

Something I can't quite put my finger on makes me think she won't last long. Mike disagrees.

Mike feels Danielle is the most attractive of the female castaways. I would have said Misty, but Mike feels that Danielle has more "real" beauty.

Movie preferences: Mob fixation or embracing Italian heritage?

I just don't get a sense of her personality from the bio. It's not a negative perception, she just feels like a blank. I'll have to see her in action.

Mike thinks she could win, his favorite of the girls.

Describes herself with so many adjectives, it feels like trying too hard.

I concede that I may change my mind about her when I see her in action, Mike concedes he may be looking for things to like about her because she's pretty.

Just can't call her from the bio and photo alone.

Will probably stick around for a while at least.

Melinda

Almost custom-tailored to be voted off first.

The youngest in the older group. But if she is "old" at 32 and Courtney is "young" at 31, that's a little shaky.

We're 27, we're not old yet!

Melinda is a singer, but her voice sounds chirpy.

She just seems weird. Something about her eyes, she looks scared.

She said in the video "I know I'm going to get on somebody's nerves" Not a good sign.

Prediction: The first time she could possibly be voted out, she will be.

Some dancing, but she doesn't look to be in good shape. No muscle tone.

No useful skills for the game.

Her smile says: "Please like me."

She will annoy people right off the bat. First person voted off is almost always for social reasons.

Misty

My favorite of the girls. Some of that is Engineering solidarity.

If Danielle is the Stephanie clone, Misty is the Danni clone. (smarter though) "Tom-boy in high heels"

Supported herself through college, (hard work, determination) beauty pageants (looks, charisma, people skills,) and an engineer (smarts, problem-solving).

We both agree she could do really well.

More athletic than average, but less than much of her competition.

Could have a target on her back.

Might not bond as well with the other women.

Despite those things, we think she'll do well.

Nick

"The frat guy"

Mike predicts he will be in competition with Austin for first young guy to go. "looks like he's going to snap you with a towel"

A degree in supply chain management could be helpful for the game. Adaptable, able to think on multiple levels.

Not much personality in his bio.

"His boys in Tempe" - Who is that? I initially assumed he has kids, or they are his nephews, but Mike thinks it means his frat brothers.

"Nick = Jackass"

Wants to be on Survivor to "meet smart, beautiful women". Immature even if he's joking, and we're not sure he's joking.

He could change our minds, but he's got an uphill battle.

Ruth Marie

A former pageant queen, a mom, extreme long distance runner (152 miles in 7 days!) - Her clip in the video made me not like her.

Something about the way she said "not spoon with any gentlemen" just rubbed me the wrong way.

Proper southern lady, could get (or act) offended by people.

I think that, if I had to spend 24-7 with her, I would get annoyed really fast.

Does she really think some guy is going to be coming on to her or something on the show?

She may have trouble interacting with a diverse group of people.

Sally

Applied 5 times to be on Survivor, shows she's persistent, that's mostly why she's on the show. They didn't pick her four times, now they are plugging her as the girl who kept applying.

Persistence can be good, but if people turn on you in a 24-hour period, you don't have time to be persistent.

Works as a social worker, has to be very committed.

Won't give up, could help with challenges. Seems less athletic than some of the others, but not so much it will likely be a liability.

She did have very good taste in movies.

It will probably come down to how well she bonds with the other women.

Christian Bale as favorite actor - good or bad?

She needs to not play up the "Survivor Sal" angle with the others, but being a student of the game could help her.

Shane

WTF is with his hair in that photo? And wearing a football jersey?

Could come across as too intense. Describes himself as witty, outgoing and funny, but I don't think that the humor will survive the harsh circumstances.

Mike can't get a bearing on him, but he seems weird.

Lists Kramer Vs. Kramer as a favorite movie - very strange, suggests emotional baggage.

Can "manipulate people without having them feel resentful", phrasing is suspicious, he sees himself as above them.

Son's name is "Boston"

People think he's weird but harmless early on, but as the game gets tougher, he may start seeming scary.

Can't get over picking Kramer Vs. Kramer as a favorite movie

Something's not right with this guy. Reminds me of Matthew from Survivor: Amazon, who creeped out his tribemates by sharpening the machete for hours at a time, etc.

Terry

Very highly qualified.

Older group will be Terry, Dan, Bruce and Shane.

More on Bobby, could do well in any group of people.

Predictions:

If older male group loses, Terry, Dan, and Bruce will probably vote out Shane.

If Older women lose, Melinda will go.

If Young women lose, Courtney.

If Young men lose, Nick

Terry has impressive resume. Very military, which could work against him. If it does, it will be with transitioning from the tribe game to the invidual game at the merge.

Tricky point: When being a leader changes from being an asset to a liability.

Nice smile in his picture, seems likeable.

Probably in good shape.

Being a pilot probably gives him good stories to tell. May bond well with Dan.

Will likely make the merge, but then will be one of the first out after the merge.

Tina

"Lumberjill", has the emotional card in her favor (death of her son), would make you feel like crap for voting her off. If she can play that card without overplaying it, it could really help.

Even that aside, tough chick.

Promotes logging sports! How cool is that? Favorite of the older women.

Emotions could also hurt her though. This was recent. She could end up being emotional when she needs to be rational.

At some point, unless you're prepared to just give her the million, you HAVE to vote her out, so people might be able to rationalize getting rid of her.

General Discussion:

So we've picked the losers: (Melinda, Courtney, Nick, Shane)

Winners? Picking 2 men and 2 women who will go the farthest:

Mike's Picks: Bobby, Dan, Danielle, Misty

Christiana's picks: Misty, Tina, Bobby (some reservations about whether he could win, but just like him a lot regardless), Aras

We both like Bruce a lot as well, but can't pick him as a winner.

General concept of what the new season will bring...

Both agreed that the four tribes thing is interesting, but won't last long. Too many problems logistically.

Prediction: Return to 2 tribes by episode 3 at the latest.

What if a reward challenge lets you pick which of the three other tribes you want to merge with?

Discussion: How will the Exile Island work? Precursors: Janu exiled in Palau, Hidden immunity idol in Guatemala, probably a combination of the two.

So many different ways it could be implemented, but some things are known: The tribe that "loses" must send someone to the island.

Premiere this Thursday (February 2nd), at 8PM ET.

Meta-commentary after the fact about how I plan to break up the pre-show.

Plans for additional shows. Survivor premiere show to be online Friday, and a non-Survivor show over the weekend.