When
I see the name J.J. Abrams attached to any television or film project, I am on
board immediately. Very few creative minds in the industry inspire such blind
faith, but to me, his track record speaks volumes.

 

Although
Abrams only entered my personal entertainment radar with Felicity, his career really took off in the early 90’s. Though many
know him as the mastermind behind Lost,
he has had an interesting and impressive ride to the top. Let’s take a look…

 

1990: Co-wrote the film
Taking Care of Business, a Jim
Belushi/Charles Grodin comedy

 

1991: Wrote &
co-produced the film Regarding Henry,
the Harrison Ford/Annette Bening drama (Abrams appeared in the movie as a
delivery boy)

 

1992: Wrote & produced
the film Forever Young, the Mel
Gibson drama

 

1993: Had a small role
in the film Six Degrees of Separation,
the Will Smith drama

 

1996: Had a small role
in the film Diabolique, the Sharon
Stone thriller

 

1996: Produced the film
The Pallbearer, the David
Schwimmer/Gwyneth Paltrow comedy written by Felicity
writer Matt Reeves and Bionic Woman/Friday Night Lights writer Jason Katims

 

1997: Co-wrote the film
Gone Fishin’, the Danny Glover/Joe
Pesci comedy

 

1998: Co-wrote the film
Armageddon, the Bruce Willis/Ben
Affleck drama

 

1998 – 2002: Created & wrote
the television series Felicity (Abrams
also composed the main theme song)

 

1999: Produced the film
The Suburbans, a little-seen Jennifer
Love Hewitt comedy co-starring Will Ferrell

 

2001 – 2006: Created, wrote
& produced the television series Alias
(Abrams also composed the main theme song)

 

2001: Received an Emmy
nomination for writing the pilot episode of Alias

 

2001: Formed the
production company Bad Robot

 

2001: Wrote &
produced the film Joy Ride, the Paul
Walker thriller

 

2001- 2004: Wrote screenplay
for revamped Superman, was in
contention to direct; Superman Returns
debuted in 2006 with Bryan Singer at the helm and a script by Michael Dougherty
and Dan Harris

 

2004: Developed sitcom
with ex-SNL star Cheri Oteri; not
sure what ever happened to this

 

2004 – Present: Co-creator,
executive producer & writer on the television series Lost

 

2005: Created, wrote
& produced the television series The
Catch, a pilot that was not picked up starring Abrams’ go-to guy (Felicity, Alias, Lost) Greg
Grunberg from Heroes

 

2005: Won two Emmys, one
for Outstanding Drama Series and one for directing the pilot episode (Lost)

 

2005 & 2006: Won ASCAP Film
and Television Awards (for Lost, along
with composer Michael Giacchino)

 

2006: Won Television
Producer of the Year at the Producers Guild Awards (Lost)

 

2006: Won a Writers Guild
of America award for Dramatic Series (Lost)

2006: Directed an episode of the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live
 

2006: Directed & wrote
the film Mission: Impossible III, the
third installment of the Tom Cruise franchise (Abrams also composed 2 songs for
the soundtrack)

 

2006: Inked 6-year deal
between Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV

 

2006: Inked 5-year deal
with Paramount Pictures

 

2006: Produced the
television series What About Brian, the
Barry Watson drama

 

2006: Produced the
television series Six Degrees, the Campbell
Scott/Hope Davis drama

 

2006: Co-wrote an
episode of the animated television show Avatar:
The Last Airbender

 

2007: Directed an
episode of the television show The Office

 

2007: Currently
directing & producing an untitled new series for HBO about the lives of
cancer patients

 

2008: Producing the
film Cloverfield (a.k.a. 1-18-08 or the Untitled J.J. Abrams Project), the sci-fi thriller with a LOT of buzz, written by Drew Goddard (Lost) and directed by Matt Reeves (Felicity)

 

2008: Directing &
producing the new Star Trek film,
with a screenplay by Felicity vets
Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci (who are apparently slated to write the sequel to
Transformers)

 

2008: Will produce &
write Fringe, a new sci-fi
television series for FOX that sounds like a cross between Alias & The X-Files

 

2008: Will produce Boundaries, a new television comedy
series for ABC written by Six Feet Under
alum Jill Soloway

 

2009: Will direct &
produce the film currently labeled the Untitled
Hunter Scott Project, with a script by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robert Nelson
Jacobs (Chocolat)

 

Future projects/dates
unknown:

• Will be producing
  the film Morning Glory, directed by
  Roger Michell (Notting Hill) and written
  by The Devil Wears Prada scribe Aline
  Brosh McKenna

• Will be producing
  the film Voices, directed by Joy Ride writer Clay Tarver

• Will be producing
  an untitled film by writer/director Josh Marston (Maria Full of Grace)

 

Hey
fan boys and girls, am I missing anything? I did my homework but let me know if
any of the above dates or facts are incorrect.

So, what is your favorite Abrams production?

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Am I the only one who thinks it is slightly creepy/odd that Claire’s new boyfriend (West) has the exact same ability as her father (Nathan Petrelli)? You’d think she would recognize West’s gift as familiar/familial, and hesitate to hook up with someone who might be related. I know, I know, Heroes wouldn’t go there. And even though I overanalyzed the moment, I did enjoy the Superman homage.

Look, many of our Heroes have major Daddy Issues…

Claire Bennet/Butler
Adopted and raised by the Bennets, she discovered that Nathan Petrelli was her absentee biological dad. To complicate matters, Mr. Bennet (a.k.a. HRG or Horn Rimmed Glasses) is working underground to help defeat/destroy the evil Heroes…but Claire doesn’t necessarily trust that he’s on her side.

Hiro Nakamura
Hiro’s main goal was always to please his father. Mr. Nakamura finally encouraged Hiro to follow his destiny and save the world, but Hiro is unaware of his dad’s role in the major scheme of things (that he forced Mr. Bennet to adopt Claire, etc.). SPOILER ALERT…at this point in Season 2, Hiro also does not know that his dad (supposedly) died.

Nathan & Peter Petrelli
Daddy Petrelli served in the Vietnam War with mob boss Mr. Linderman. The Petrelli boys think that Linderman had something to do with their father’s death, which remains unresolved.

Micah Sanders
His ex-con dad D.L. may or may not have met his demise at the end of last season. Meanwhile, Micah is dealing with his multiple/lethal personality mother, and it looks like she’s about to abandon him too.

Mohinder Suresh
After the sudden death of his father Chandra, Mohinder went on a mission to see if it was related to his dad’s genetics research. Turns out that daddy Suresh played a large role discovering the Heroes, and now Mohinder has taken on the challenge to help save them.

As for Season 2 thus far, I have mixed opinions. On one hand, I am impatient to unite the new twin Heroes with the ones we’re already familiar with. While I’m not quite ready to label them Nikki & Paulo (Lost fans will understand that reference), I am a tad bored by their individual storyline thus far. I have also lost interest in Hiro’s Japan adventures, and look forward to Takezo Kensei’s appearance in modern day NY. 

I continue to love both Claire and Peter’s sagas…except for the WORST ACCENTS EVER that totally distract from Peter’s story. Seriously, there weren’t any real Irish character actors available for those roles?

Overall, I have great faith in the show and have no plans to ever abandon the series. I feel like we were spoiled by an almost perfect first season and perhaps my expectations were far too high for this one. But it’s early, so I will try to be more patient.

Thoughts?

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Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz about Damages, but haven’t had time to tune in. You’re in luck – FX is airing a marathon of the entire season on Saturday, October 20 at 8am (ET). So make room on your DVR and get ready to be equally intrigued, scared and impressed. The finale airs on October 23.

The first season of Damages is a murder mystery at heart, a roller coaster ride through the life of high-stakes litigation attorney Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) as she battles corrupt corporate CEO Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson). The show is extremely well written and the cast is stellar. The series does not feature many moments of levity; I find myself astonished far more than amused, and THAT is a sure sign of a great show.

Here are the top 5 reasons why Damages is the best new series on television.

Ted Danson
This is not Sam. This is not Becker. This is Frobisher, and he is an unbelievably compelling gray fox.

Glenn Close
She is mesmerizing, spectacular and deliciously devious.

Zeljko Ivanek
You know the face but not the name (Ed Danvers on Homicide, Governor Devlin on Oz, Andre Drazen on season one of 24, Juliet’s ex-husband who got hit by a bus on Lost). Slimy or sympathetic as Frobisher’s lawyer? You decide.

The HBO influence & experience
Executive producer Todd A. Kessler wrote and produced several episodes of The Sopranos. Allen Coulter (Rome, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under) directed the pilot episode. Other Damages directors have included John David Coles (Sex and The City) and Jean de Segonzac (Oz). All of their contributions to the overall vision of this show have been obvious and appreciated.

The look, feel & sound
Fantastic opening titles and theme song (the aptly titled “When I Am Through With You” by The VLA). I love the way this entire series is filmed and edited, and that New York City itself is a character.

So what are you waiting for? There is plenty of room on this bandwagon. And because we’re still awaiting word of a sophomore season, the more the merrier.

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In order (because I know no other way), here are the shows I look forward to watching every week now:

1. Damages
2. The Office
3. Brothers & Sisters
4. Dexter
   
5. Friday Night Lights
6. Pushing Daisies
7. 30 Rock
8. Heroes
9. Dirty Sexy Money
10. Weeds
11. Bones
12. House
13. Grey’s Anatomy
14. Ugly Betty
15. Private Practice
16. Mad Men
    
17. Bionic Woman
    
18. Chuck
19. Curb Your Enthusiasm
20. Life
21. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
    

In my book, ABC wins for best new series. I loved the pilot episode of Pushing Daisies and I’m also really enjoying Dirty Sexy Money.

Granted, I haven’t watched Journeyman, Reaper, Samantha Who or Viva Laughlin yet, and Men in Trees doesn’t return until this Friday. My viewing card is obviously quite full, but I will make time to watch this set of shows online. And next month I have to fit Project Runway in as well.

Random Aside
There are now 2 Sarah Walkers in my (television) life: Yvonne Strzechowski from Chuck, and Rachel Griffiths from Brothers and Sisters…and they’re both Australian. The ladies from Down Under are doing quite well on American television – Rose Byrne from Damages is also an Aussie.

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It was a good weekend for sports in my household.

• Angels
• USC
• Cal Bears #2 on AP & USA Today polls
  

On my wish list now…

• Yankees
• Red Sox
• Indians to the World Series

That’s about it. Back to the pop culture shortly.

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Before I get started, file this under: BAD IDEA. Will Smith is going to direct a remake of The Karate Kid. But wait, it gets worse. His son Jaden will fill Ralph Macchio’s shoes and Jackie Chan will play Mr. Miyagi. Um…how about NO. I like Smith but I wasn’t as impressed with The Pursuit of Happyness as most, and this just seems like a poor choice. That being said, it will probably gross $100 million.

And now, on to the real post.

Let’s be honest, not many Academy Award-caliber films have been released this year thus far. That is about to change. And I love watching movie trailers, both in theaters and online at home. So I decided to create the TOPs, my first attempt at Trailer Oscar Predictions.

I’ve only seen a few films on this list (they are noted with an asterisk); the rest are truly just based on my opinion about what I catch glimpse of in those two minute previews. I take casting, script, and direction into consideration in that short period of time.

I do admit to cheating when it comes to one film: the trailer for Charlie Wilson’s War has not been released yet, but based on the cast and production photos alone, I’m taking a leap of faith. I am also including one black horse candidate/wishful thinking choice (Keri Russell).

So here are my early October predictions in the major categories for the 2008 Academy Awards:

BEST ACTOR

• Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
  

• John Cusack (Grace is Gone)

• Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood)

• Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)

• Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) *
  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone)

• Alan Rickman (Sweeney Todd)

• Mark Ruffalo (Reservation Road)

• Denzel Washington (American Gangster)

• Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

BEST ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)

• Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart)

• Keira Knightley (Atonement)

• Laura Linney (The Savages)

• Keri Russell (Waitress) *

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There)

• Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement)

• Meryl Streep (Lions for Lambs)

• Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

• Rachel Weisz (My Blueberry Nights)

BEST DIRECTOR

• Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)

• Marc Forster (The Kite Runner)

• Mike Nichols (Charlie Wilson’s War)

• Sean Penn (Into the Wild)

• Ridley Scott (American Gangster)

BEST PICTURE

• American Gangster

• Atonement

• Charlie Wilson’s War

• Into the Wild

• The Kite Runner

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• Charlie Wilson’s War (Aaron Sorkin)
  

• Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)

• Into the Wild (Sean Penn)

• The Kite Runner (David Benioff)

• No Country for Old Men (Ethan & Joel Coen)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• American Gangster (Steven Zaillian & Mark Jacobson) [not sure this qualifies as Original; based on article, not novel]

• Eastern Promises (Steven Knight) *
  

• Knocked Up (Judd Apatow) *

• Lions for Lambs (Matthew Michael Carnahan)

• Once (John Carney) * [not sure this film will qualify for '07 Oscar consideration; it played at film festivals in '06]

Anyone else care to make a few guesses or strongly disagree with anything based on trailers you’ve seen?

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Warning: this is going to be a dull blog entry. I had a hectic day and am feeling quite uninspired. But I am working on some fun posts for later this week, so stand by.

I am now operating on Windows Vista. Well, that and caffeine.

Some might say I have entered the dark side. To which I respond…whatever, it came with my brand new laptop. I use my personal computer for the following tasks: blogging, reading, and watching DVDs. Apparently, four years of doing those three things almost daily led to the demise of my previous laptop. I am loyal, however, and have moved on to yet another Dell.

For years, Mac people have been trying to convert me. Frankly, I don’t feel I need a Mac if writing is my primary function. Yes, they’re prettier and seemingly easier to use, but I’m not sold. Clearly. For what it’s worth, Vista seems to mimic many of the Mac’s visual qualities and Microsoft appears to be inching closer toward the enemy. Perhaps they’re feeling the pressure from those Mac v. PC commercials. You know, the ones featuring Justin Long, who is now dating Drew Barrymore. Anyway…

Since ‘my’ team finished the baseball season in the bottom of the division, I have to root for someone else. Because I love the game and am familiar with just about every single player on every team.

Here are the teams I have always hated strongly disliked, in order:

1. The (Los Angeles is 25 miles away) Angels of Anaheim
   
2. The Boston Red Sox
3. The New York Yankees
4. The Los Angeles Dodgers

Of course, the first three are in the playoffs, which narrows down my choices to:

1. The Arizona Diamondbacks
   
2. The Chicago Cubs
   
3. The Cleveland Indians
4. The Colorado Rockies
5. The Philadelphia Phillies
   

I am an American League girl at heart, and for sentimental reasons, I like to look at which team’s post-season roster contains the most ex-Oakland A’s. I’m also a sucker for an underdog and overcoming a curse. All of which have nothing to do with my final pick.

I do love Eric Byrnes, but is that enough to make me a D-back fan for a few weeks? No.

It’s hard not to believe that the road to the World Series is all but paved for the Rockies, who have gone on an impressive run to win the Wild Card. But I don’t think they have the energy or experience to get them there. Although it would be nice for Todd Helton.

I have casually followed Philadelphia and love to watch Jimmy Rollins play. But other than that, I don’t have a compelling reason to choose them as my team. Apologies to my friend Derek at Cinematically-Correct. I’m sure he’ll leave me a lengthy comment trying to convince me otherwise.

The Cubbies are this year’s ’04 Red Sox. They’re on a mission and if Zambrano and/or Pinella don’t implode, this might be their year. And they do have Jason Kendall now (not that his bat will contribute). Out of all four NL teams, I will jump on the Cub bandwagon.

But my overall choice is the Cleveland Indians. So I envision (or hope for) a Cubs-Indians World Series. And should that occur, my prediction is Cleveland in 6.

So bring it, people. Throw some baseball grief in my direction, and let me know what jersey you’ll be sporting during October ball.

And by the way, whoever chose Dane Cook as a baseball enthusiast/spokesperson should be fired.

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