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November 30, 2006

Rocky! Rocky!

I was in a Rocky Balboa kinda mood today because I am going to see an advanced screening of the new film (debuts Dec. 20) on Monday. I might be taking a very special guest (hint, he’s a famous retired boxer from Lowell) with me to the flick to see what he thinks of Stallone’s latest effort. More on that if it pans out.

Nintendo yesterday sent me a Wii to review, but forgot to include one crucial part: the remote sensor that rests atop your television. Without that, you can’t play. So…the gaming giant rushed me the part today. I’ll have a review of the Wii in my Dec. 9 Game On! column.

More than two years in the making, NBC tonight finally airs a two—hour block of four sitcoms on a Thursday. There’s a funny write up about the Thursday return in today’s USA TODAY.

Here’s the lineup:

My Name is Earl (8)
The Office (8:30)
Scrubs (9)
30 Rock (9:30)

And from the Office of Random…
The good news: I finally retired my terrible Borat impression. The bad? My Barney (“How I Met Your Mother�) imitation...wait for it….IS EQUALLY TERRRIBLE. Sorry, friends.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2006

Quick Hits

Quick hitters today because I am off to the dentist:

• The first-place Celtics (5-8) battle the Nets tonight on FSN at 7:30.
• The original “Star Wars� airs in HD tonight at 10 on Cinemax. Memo to HBO: Please start airing the original “Star Wars� series again. We know you can.
• New “Bones� (Fox, 8) and “Jericho� (CBS, 8) air tonight.

What I’ve learned so far this fall TV season:

• “How I Met Your Mother� is getting funnier with every episode.
• “The Nine� isn’t as good as I thought it would be. The characters aren’t compelling enough to follow.
• “Prison Break� is still strong, but getting more predictable.
• I’m happy that I was right about “Heroes.�
• I’m unhappy that I was wrong about Ray Liotta in “Smith.�

Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2006

Change is Good

A little birdie (OK, it was a press release), tells The Sun that Dracut’s Mandy Stefanczak, will appear on an upcoming episode of Maury Povich’s talk show, “Maury.�

Guests, like Stefanczak, will reveal what inspired them to undergo “incredible physical transformations.� Stefanczak tells Maury that she never fit in as a teenager and that only one person recognized her true beauty. That person was her high school prom date Keith Caples, who will be reunited with Stefanczak on the show.

“My high school prom was the only day I ever felt pretty,� she said. “I want to tell him (Caples), that he changed my life. I saw how a man should treat me. I saw what it was like to be a princess for a night.�

Stefanczak appears on the Thursday morning episode, which airs at 10 on WLVI-TV.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 3:06 PM | Comments (1)

Tuesday's Question

Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

Over6 towers over the competition

By ANDREW RAVENS
Sun Staff
Who: Over6
AKA: Scott Ward, bass and backing vocals; Keith Arsenault, lead singer; Mike Arsenault; guitar; Eric Park, drums.
Visit: Over6.net
Backstory: With a combined weight of nearly 1,000 lbs. and an average height of 6-foot-2, Over6 bills itself as the largest cover band in New England. Hey, I’m not going to argue that point with these big fellas. We recently caught up with bassist Scott Ward.

Q. Where do you guys typically play?
A. We typically play in Boston, the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire.

Q. Where did the band’s name come from?
A. We all just got together one day and we were hacking around and playing. I think it was me who said, “If we ever put something together we should be called Over 6 since we’re all over 6 feet tall.� And it stuck.

Q. What is some of your favorite music to play on stage?
A. There’s a lot of them. There’s a couple of new songs by Hinder we do. We also like Nickelback because it’s new stuff and they are really popular. It’s the crowd’s response that does it for me.

Q. What’s playing in your iPod or CD player?
A. I listen to so many different kinds of music, but I am listening to a lot of Nickelback and Hinder.

Q. What’s your earliest concert experience?
A. That was a long time ago. I think I saw Heart at the Boston Garden in like 1979 or 1980.

Q. If you could share the stage with one big-time band, who would it be?
A. You know something, I just went to the Orpheum Theater and saw Les Claypool. I’d like share the stage with Claypool and play one of the bass guitars he has. It’s called a “rainbow bass� and you can’t even order them now. They’re worth about $15,000.

Catch Over6 at Pub 30 Something in Tyngsboro on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 9:30 p.m.
Want to be in the spotlight? E-mail Andrew Ravens at aravens@lowellsun.com.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 10:38 AM | Comments (2)

November 27, 2006

Poll Time

We are starting something new here. Periodically, I will post a poll about the entertainment world. Feel free to respond to our first one:

Posted by Andy Ravens at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)

Fall Break

Fox airs the “Prison Break� fall finale tonight (8 EST) and (going out on a limb here) I am guessing Michael and Lincoln do not die at the hands of Agent Mahone.
Last week’s episode ended with Michael and Lincoln starring down the barrel of the crooked FBI agent’s gun. All he needs to do now is shoot and Mahone has picked off two of the most wanted men in America. We all know this is not going to happen.

So let’s examine how Michael and Lincoln will escape another “impossible� moment, which are becoming easier to predict as the series continues.

Scenario No. 1: “The Unexpected Man� sweeps into the scene and takes out Mahone. It could be another FBI agent (perhaps his own team that has become scared of their boss and have questioned his true intentions). Or, could it be Sara? A renegade from “The Company?�

Scenario No. 2: “The distraction.� Lincoln and Michael find a way to distract Mahone and manage to wrestle the man to the ground. Or perhaps the distraction comes from the pending dogfight up in the air?

Scenario No. 3: “The turn.� In professional wrestling sometimes a bad guy instantly become a good guy. “The turn� typically happens at a dramatic moment, when the bad guy sees the errors of his ways. Perhaps Mahone lets Michael and Lincoln go? Mahone is certainly upset with his life and appears tired of being blackmailed by the President’s henchmen.

Here’s the rest of tonight’s TV highlights:

“How I Met Your Mother� (8, CBS) — This sitcom still has its' proverbial fastball, and a nifty change-up. Barney’s gay brother arrives in tonight’s epi.

“The Class� (8:30, CBS) — The little show that could continues to build steam. One request: Please get rid of that annoying woman with the broken legs.

“Heroes� (9, NBC) — “Save the cheerleader, save the world� didn’t live up to the hype. Tonight’s episode reveals how all our heroes discovered their powers.

Movie of the night could be 2001’s “Monster’s Ball,� which airs at 9 on A&E.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:15 AM | Comments (4)

November 24, 2006

Kick Up Your Feet

After spending the day looking for a parking space, wearing out your charge card and eating (once again) Thanksgiving Day leftovers you’re probably due a little rest and relaxation.

Now that we’re officially into the holiday season, most of your favorite TV shows will hibernate until next year. Tonight’s lineup, chalk full of movies, cements that point.

Here’s a round up of what to look for this evening:
“Shrek 2,� 8 p.m., ABC. He’s big, he’s green and he’s on network HD for the first time.
“The Family Man,� 8 p.m., NBC. Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni star.
“Bruce Almighty,� 8 p.m. Fox. Acton’s Steve Carell steals the spotlight from star Jim Carrey. Carell will star in the sequel.
“High School Musical,� 8 p.m., Disney.
“Wedding Crashers,� 8 p.m., HBO. Not getting any better with age…mmmm.
“A History of Violence,� 8:15 p.m., Cinemax. Here’s the perfect movie for the holidays! Violent, but good.
“The Cider House Rules,� 8 p.m., Bravo. Toby Maguire stars in this A+ film.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend.

-Andy

Posted by Andy Ravens at 2:46 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2006

"The Busker" Brings It

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I just wanted to reprint my review of Stephen Croke's "The Busker." It's an excellent film, some four years in the making from Croke -- a talented director and screenwriter from Lowell.

By ANDREW RAVENS
Sun Staff
Stephen Croke’s inspiration for "The Busker" is just as riveting as the film itself.
Lessons from Croke’s chance encounter 12 years ago with a boy on a street during tumultuous times in Northern Ireland and the time he was held hostage by two black men in a Los Angeles restaurant are strewn throughout the Lowell native’s independent film.
Alex Alexander stars as Seamus O’Mallie, a 13-year-old white boy who falls in love with a black girl during a time of racial unrest in Boston.
The film begins with riots after a white policeman is acquitted in the shooting of an unarmed black man. Seamus then watches as his father, a gifted musician, is shot to death by a black man.
Months later, Seamus meets Ruby (Ayla Rose Barreau) while busking (playing his violin on the street for money) on the streets of Boston. The two are smitten with each other, but are isolated from the community because of their relationship.
While busking in the cold (he keeps warm by chugging vodka in a thermos), Seamus soon meets Oliver (Derry Woodhouse), an older music teacher who wants to take the boy away to London and enroll him in a well-known music school.
Confused, Seamus has some big choices to make and not a lot of people to lean on (his mother drowns her sorrows with the bottle, too) and his brother, PJ (Jeffrey Marcus), is not a big help until he has a race-related revelation.
Filming is primarily set in Lowell, against the city’s beautiful Christmas lights, cobblestone streets, glistening snow and crimson red buildings. Pond hockey scenes, where emotions flare among Seamus’ friends over the interracial relationship, also give the film a rewarding and authentic New England flavor.
Croke wisely taps cinematographer Lukas Ettlin, who worked on "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" and 20th Century Fox’s upcoming "Revenge of the Nerds," to capture the city at its best during the holidays.
Almost everything about 87-minute film screams “professional� and “well-crafted,� including the music. Alexander’s violin playing is charming, as are original tunes from Liam O’Maonlai of Hothouse Flowers and Chris Trapper of The Push Stars.
"The Busker" slips just a bit during a few predictable Seamus-Ruby scenes that come across as less genuine and a little corny. During the film’s lighter moments, some attempts at humor fall flat, although that could be more of a judgment of the acting rather than the writing.
Croke penned the screenplay, which was selected as a semi-finalist from more than 5,000 scripts in the 2001 Academy of Motion Picture’s Nicholl Fellowship Awards — widely regarded as the nation’s most prestigious competition for aspiring screenwriters.
Here’s hoping Hollywood takes note of Croke, who knows how to tell a heartwarming story with just the right amount of conflict, reconciliation and love.

“The Busker� premieres on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Cyrus W. Irish Auditorium, 50 French St., Lowell. Doors open at 6 p.m. and general admission is $10.
Andrew Ravens’ e-mail address is aravens@lowellsun.com.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2006

Super Size Me

Two teams. One will absorb the other this week in the most anticipated television event of the year. No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan this Saturday? Nope.
Try Scranton-Stamford tonight.
The funniest show on TV, “The Office,� is “supersized� tonight with 40 minutes worth of comedy as the series’ two branches merge. Here’s hoping boss Michael’s (Acton’s Steve Carell) head explodes.

Other TV highlights include:

“Ugly Betty� (8 p.m., ABC) Check out the spread on star America Ferrera in today’s USA TODAY — not too shabby.

“My Name is Earl� (8 p.m., NBC)

“30 Rock� (9:20 p.m., NBC) Makes its Thursday night debut.

“CSI� (9 p.m., CBS) Still great, but better to record and watch later.

“Grey’s Anatomy� (9 p.m., ABC) Last week’s men’s camping trip means that shark is getting ready to jump.

“The O.C.� (9 p.m., Fox) Paging Dr. House, this show is crashing.

If you like black comedies, click on “The Ice Harvest� tonight at 9 on HBO HD.

Remember to read/click on my story in today’s Sun about the iPod, which marked its fifth anniversary a few weeks ago.

Nintendo is shipping me a Wii to try out, so stay tuned for a review on that. We’re working on getting a PlayStation 3, too. Tough life, I know, I know.

Keep it Clean (and real)
--Andy

Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2006

I'm Late! Sorry!

Sorry for the late post, but I’ve got two front page stories coming out in The Sun tomorrow and on Friday. I’ve been locked to me desk for seven straight hours. I haven’t seen a glimpse of the outside world since I strolled in this morning! Yikes.

Anyway, one story takes a look back at the history of the iPod and the other is an advance of the new James Bond flick, “Casino Royale,� which hits theaters on Friday. If you can buy a copy of The Sun do so, or check out the stories online at LowellSun.com.

Both packages are full of trivia, graphs and charts. After researching Apple, boy, do I wish I had bought some stock five years ago when it was trading at $8. It’s now up to $84. Dope!

Anyway, make sure you check out Taye Diggs' new drama “Day Break,� which airs tonight at 9:02 p.m. on ABC.

Bones (8 p.m., Fox), Jericho (8 p.m., CBS) and Criminal Minds (9 p.m., CBS) all feature new episodes.

Cinemax HD airs the superb, “The Witches of Eastwick� at 10 p.m.

Latah dudes,
Andy

Posted by Andy Ravens at 4:58 PM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2006

House Call Tonight

Monday night leftovers:
Last night’s episode of “Prison Break� was a rare miss in an otherwise thrilling season (albeit if you are able to suspend all belief and logic for an hour). Everything about last night’s show was predictable from Sucre getting Michael out of trouble again to T-Bag losing his hand for the second time. For the second time! Two more episodes are left before “Break� goes on a real winter vacation.

Hey Fox Sports New England: What was going on with the audio during last night’s HD broadcast of the Celtics game? The sound kept pausing every other second. Didn’t the station have a similar problem last year? Get it together, FSNers.

Hey “Lost,� take a clue from NBC’s “Heroes,� a show that poses questions and actually answers them within a couple of episodes. We’re still glued to our televisions despite the fact that many key plot elements have been exposed. Get a clue “Lost,� you can actually answer a few questions; rather than posing millions of queries that can never possibly be explained in the show’s lifetime.

All righhhty then, let’s take a look at tonight’s TV lineup:

“Friday Night Lights,� 8 p.m., NBC. Congrats to the network for ordering a full-season of the highly acclaimed drama. NBC stuck with “The Office� when ratings weren’t so good, and look how that turned out. Pretty, pretty good.

“Standoff,� 8 p.m. Fox. I’ll be taping this one, Ron Livingston.

“House,� 9 p.m. Fox. Hopefully, House continues to get pushed around by that crazy cop.

“3 LBS,� 10 p.m. CBS. Another new medical drama. Ho-hum.

Set your DVRs for the 1 a.m. showing of “The Constant Gardener� on HBO HD. Great movie and I’ll admit it: I’m taping this because I still need to sort some things out about the complicated plot.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 1:44 PM | Comments (6)

November 9, 2006

Losing an Audience?

The biggest question raised during last night’s fall finale of “Lost� has to be: Who the heck is Jacob?

Pickett, the man who nearly executed Sawyer, utters towards the end of the episode, “Shepard wasn’t on Jacob’s list.� Pickett we assume is inferring that Jack never appeared on Jacob’s list, which has Internet message boards buzzing with speculation.

Is Jacob “Him,� the person The Others refer to and perhaps the man/woman/thing in charge of the island? Or is Jacob the name for the killer black smoke? There are also hints that Jacob could be Ethan, Paolo or even Desmond. And what’s the big deal about the list? Does it contain only those Jacob wants to survive?

“Lost� continues to provide more questions than answers and that has a growing number of TV critics and fans frustrated. The 13-week hiatus won’t help matters. Quite frankly, Stephen A. Smith, I’m tired of writing about the show and will enjoy the break.

Unlike the first season, I’m no longer sitting on the edge of my seat while watching. Does that mean “Lost� jumped the shark? Who knows? Here’s hoping the evening of Feb. 7 will provide some answers instead of questions.

I’m much more excited about catching a new episode of “The Office� tonight at 8:30 on NBC.

Here are some other TV picks:
“My Name is Earl,� 8 p.m., NBC.
“Ugly Betty,� 8 p.m., ABC.
“CSI,� 9 p.m., CBS.
“Grey’s Anatomy,� 9 p.m., ABC.
“The O.C.,� 9 p.m., Fox (Catch it now before it says “Bye, bye!�)
“Supernatural,� 9 p.m., CW.
“Shark,� 10:01 p.m., CBS.
“Six Degrees,� 10:01 p.m., ABC. (I still can’t figure out what this show is about.)

There are a couple of good movies on tonight as well:
Robert De Niro in “Cape Fear,� 10 p.m., Encore.
Sean Penn and Robert Duvall in “Colors,� 11:15 p.m., AMC.

-Andy

Posted by Andy Ravens at 1:55 PM | Comments (0)

November 8, 2006

Hot Stove, Cool Times

It should be an emotional and fun night for Groton’s Peter Gammons Jan. 7 when the popular ESPN.com hardball scribe takes the stage at the biannual "Hot Stove, Cool Music" charity concert.
Gammons, who this summer made a successful recovery from a near-fatal aneurysm, will be joined by Theo Epstein, Joe Pernice and Kay Hanley at the seventh annual concert.
Members of Little Feat are also expected to appear at the show, which will be held at the Paradise in Boston and emceed once again by Nashua, N.H.’s Mike O’Malley.
Tickets are $40 and are available starting tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 9) at 12 p.m. via the Paradise Web site: TheDise.com. Last year’s concert sold out in 48 hours so act fast.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

November 7, 2006

Decisions, Decisions

It’s a busy day in newspaper land, Ravers. Sorry, but I only have a brief moment to update tonight’s TV schedule.

If you are a political junkie tonight is your night. ABC, NBC and CBS will yank regular 10 p.m. programming for special coverage of elections across the country.

My choice is The Big Three on NBC, which consists of Nightly News anchor Brian Williams flanked by Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert. If those red states start falling, Russert won’t be able to contain himself. I’m not labeling him a Democrat, only a man who likes his politics with plenty of drama on top. And when he gets excited, waving that magic marker all over the place, it makes for good TV.

Here’s my recommended schedule for the evening:

WATCH: “Friday Night Lights,� 8 p.m., NBC
TAPE: “Standoff,� 8 p.m., Fox
WATCH: “House,� 9 p.m., Fox
TAPE: “The Unit,� 9 p.m., CBS

And remember, HBO’s “Da Ali G Show� marathon continues tonight from 8-10 p.m.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 4:25 PM | Comments (0)

November 6, 2006

What's On Tonight?

Does anyone else have a case of the Mondays? It’s understandable. The Pats lost last night. A game they should have won. The Celtics are 0-3; the Bruins are the Bruins and we are close to snowy time. There’s also an election tomorrow that’s heavy on the negative ads and light on the real issues. Ahhh…Monday, dah dah, dah dah dah.

Thankfully, there’s an unusual amount of darn good TV on tonight to keep us entertained, distracted, whatever:

“How I Met Your Mother,� 8 p.m., CBS. Marshall has a new girlfriend.

“Prison Break,� 8 p.m., Fox. They can’t keep Michael and Sarah apart too much longer.

“The Class,� 8:30 p.m., CBS. I don’t know why I keep watching this show. It’s not that good, but I like it. Hmmm.

“Da Ali G Show,� 9 p.m.-1 a.m. HBO executives aren’t dummies. The cable network gives us a four-hour marathon block of comedy timed, of course, with the release of “Borat.�

“Heroes,� 9 p.m., NBC. To the delight of the comic book geek in all of us, this episode concentrates on Niki’s (Ali Sanders) storyline. Yes!

“Justice,� 9 p.m., Fox. I like this show because it reminds me of summer. It debuted in August. I’m surprised it’s still kickin’.

“Studio 60,� 10 p.m., NBC. This first of a two-part episode tonight. Will that stop the bleeding?

Posted by Andy Ravens at 1:53 PM | Comments (0)

November 3, 2006

Hi, My Name is Borat

I’ve been to a lot of early weekday movies at the Lowell Showcase Cinemas. Some start at 11:30 a.m. Some at 12:00 p.m. And they all, typically, draw a handful of people: Mostly senior citizens.

That certainly wasn’t the case today inside Theater number 14, which was packed full of college kids. It was like a frat party, baby! All we needed were a few kegs and Dick Vitale.

The outpouring of testosterone came courtesy of the 12:20 p.m. screening of “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.�

In case you’ve been aboard the International Space Station the last few weeks (and who of us billionaires haven’t), you’d know all about Borat, the fictional Kazakhstan television personality played by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.

Cohen nabs the perfect director in Larry Charles to capture his anti-Semitic, womanizing crusade across the “U.S. and A� in search of “Baywatch� babe Pamela Anderson.

I’m not going to make the same mistake the movie’s PR flacks did by revealing any jokes or bizarre unscripted scenarios. The ones that did appear on television and in the movie’s trailer fell flatter than an Ashlee Simpson song (Sorry babe, we’ll make up later. Promise. K?).

Borat is funny because it’s spontaneous and fresh. The character, of course, will have to be retired now because everyone has seen him. But have no fear, Cohen’s other alter ego Austrian fashion maven Bruno is reportedly in negotiations to make his own “moviefilm.�

Have a good weekend, Ravers, and let’s go Pats, huh.

Posted by Andy Ravens at 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

November 1, 2006

I See Red

With the Celtics opening up tonight against the Hornets (7:30 p.m., FSNE) there certainly will be a lot of channel surfing going on in dedicated couch potato land.
I don’t want to miss a second of the Red Auerbach tribute before the game or at the half. Paul Pierce is scheduled to make some remarks before the game and don’t expect these to be “throw away comments.� Every time Pierce addresses the crowd, he has something thoughtful to say.

Here’s a few other Wednesday notables:

“Bones,� 8 p.m., Fox. Love it.

“30 Rock,� 8 p.m., NBC. Isn’t it ironic, Alanis Morissette, that “Rock� has a better chance to survive than “Studio 60,� a program I (and many others) am guilty of over-hyping. I still can’t stomach Tina Fey in high-def, though.

“Jericho,� 8 p.m., CBS. Before this show I was against nuclear war --- now I am really against it. Really, really against it.

“Lost,� 9 p.m. ABC. Another Bad Creation? Let’s hope not. Last week’s episode was a downer. Did I just hear someone’s gonna die tonight?

“The Rich List,� 9 p.m., Fox. Another game show, more cheap dollars for a network.

“The Nine,� 10:01 p.m., ABC. Slowly slipping off my radar screen. As Borat might say, “Not so much.�

Enjoy your evening and remember to throw away your carved pumpkins so they don’t become mega orange mansions for bugs. A few flies have already parked themselves inside my orange globe and it’s time for them to go.

-Andy

Posted by Andy Ravens at 1:01 PM | Comments (0)

Barker, Bush & Buchanan, LLP

Congratulations to Van Halen and R.E.M., two of nine nominees for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.
Chic, Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five are other notable nominees.
But the attention here should focus on Van Halen and R.E.M., two polar opposites that appear locks. Adam Vinatieri in the snow-type locks.
Even your dad would likely recognize guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s rapid-fire finger work or Michael Stipe’s deep, controlled vocals.
A panel of 500 “industry experts� will choose five of the nine nominees for enshrinement during the annual gala held March 12 in New York City.
There’s no clear transition here, or maybe Bob Barker is a closet Van Halen or R.E.M. fan – well, we know he was “Hot for Teacher...err Models.� Anyway, Barker, 82, is stepping down from “The Price is Right� in June.
Let me be the first person to nominate “Blind Date� host Roger Lodge as Barker’s successor (or former First Lady Barbara Bush). She’s got the hair and he’s got the style. Co-hosts? That could be the answer. “Come on Down!�
And I’ll leave you (for now) with this interesting little tidbit: Did you know David Schwimmer, Pat Buchanan and Rapper Nelly all share the same birthday tomorrow?

Latah,
Andy

Posted by Andy Ravens at 1:01 PM | Comments (1)