Thursday, October 22, 2020

Ep. 69: Belligerent Optimism


Hi! My name is Terry J. Aman and this installment marks my 69th episode of "VideoFuzzy," reporting the progress I've made in cataloging more than 2,900 VHS transfers and digital recordings. In this installment, titled "Belligerent Optimism," comments on "Grey's Anatomy" segue into overarching themes, and in milestone news, as of this episode I've cataloged Disc 1000 in my Classic Collection! I posted a "throwback Thursday" pic on my VideoFuzzy Facebook page of me and that disc from when I first burned it in April 2009 to when I finally cataloged it last month. Check it out!

In Corrections, the release date on the next James Bond, "No Time to Die," has been pushed to next year sometime. Also, I admit to cultural appropriation at times in this production, slipping into voice and characters in my podcast, impressions and other instances. I try to limit the inappropriateness of these instances, but I am aware of them, and if something sounds wrong, please contact me. I'm always trying to do better.

In Old Business, I wanted to highlight and celebrate other aspects of comedian Sarah Silverman's work, and wish her a happy 50th in December.

In my Friday Night Feature, I find a strong episode of "Grey's Anatomy" on disc 976, centered on a death row inmate who is expressing contrition and a wish that his organs, scheduled for termination at the hand of the state, save a young boy in need of a liver transplant. I pulled up a past episode for some background on the story arcs this fifth-season episode, "Stairway to Heaven," resolves, closing on a stark realization for Izzy Stevens in hallucinating her late boyfriend Denny Duquette.

In cross connections, I am struck by how the realities of cancer have touched, darkened, textured and destroyed lives of patients, survivors, friends and families throughout human history. My show title is from an interview by late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who succumbed to cancer recently. I noted several storylines I'd traced in discs from this set like "Grey's Anatomy," "Nip/Tuck" and "Battlestar Galactica" and other shows in my collection, together with such high-profile losses of Ginsburg, Gwen Ifill, Richard Hatch, Eddie Van Halen and Diana Rigg.

In more conventional cross connections, I look at Eric Stolz in "Grey's Anatomy," Dina Meyer in "Nip/Tuck," Gena Rowlands and Marc Vann in "Monk," Andy Richter in "Bones," Danny Strong in "Leverage," Maggie Siff in ABC's "Life on Mars" reboot, Mira Sorvino and Omar Sharif in NBC miniseries "The Last Templar," Tom Irwin in "24" and "LOST," and oh WOW there were just a ton of cross-connections in the office dramedy "Trust Me," including Eric McCormick, Tom Cavanaugh, Tim Russ, Jason O'Mara, Adam Scott, Monica Potter, Griffon Dunn and Rhea Seehorn. I close out by tracing a Golden Thread on Chase Kim, appearing in my recording of "Leverage" on disc 1000.

In my classic VHS-to-DVD collection, comments on an episode of "Fringe" open onto a Fond Reflection on the recent passing of Diana Rigg. On a related note, a fan posted this video celebrating the vivacious Mrs. Emma Peel.

Also, I've archived a recording from the inauguration of Barack Obama across four discs, with comments on the season 4 finale of "The West Wing," "Battlestar Galactica," "Nip/Tuck" and "South Park," Fox Movie Channel's presentation of "Looking for Richard," and the Turner Classic Movies presentation of "Annie Hall."

In my Current direct-to-DVD recordings, comments on "Fargo," "Archer," Syfy's presentation of "Dead Still," IFC's presentation of "Eyes Wide Shut" and the Sundance presentation of "The Green Mile." Plus I trace the rather eye-popping body of work by actor Steven Tobolowsky.

Finally, I have updated my Facebook and podcast page to include a "top ten" episode guide for people looking for a quick read-in on this blog and podcast effort. Enjoy!


VideoFuzzy

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Catalog Post #069

Classic Collection

0976
  LOST S5x02 "The Lie"
  Grey's Anatomy S5x13 "Stairway to Heaven"
  Fringe S1x11 "Bound"
  Monk S7x12 "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"

0977
  Monk S7x12 "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"
  "Psych" Miami Vice credits
  Psych S3x12 "Earth, Wind and ... Wait For It"
  Bones S4x11 "Double Trouble in the Panhandle"
  Bones S4x12 "Fire in the Ice"

0978
  Bones S4x12 "Fire in the Ice"
  Battlestar Galactica S4x12 "A Disquiet Follows My Soul"
  msnbc presents "The Inauguration of Barack Obama" Jan. 20, 2009

0979
  msnbc presents "The Inauguration of Barack Obama" Jan. 20, 2009
  10230 Barack Obama takes the Oath of Office

0980
  msnbc presents "The Inauguration of Barack Obama" Jan. 20, 2009

0981
  msnbc presents "The Inauguration of Barack Obama" Jan. 20, 2009
  The Simpsons S13x03 "Homer the Moe" f/R.E.M.
  History presents "The White House: Behind Closed Doors"
  The Simpsons S20x09 "Lisa the Drama Queen"

0982
  The Simpsons S20x09 "Lisa the Drama Queen" f/Fall Out Boy end credits 
  TDS: Jan. 22, 2009 • Jimmy Carter
  TCR: Jan. 22, 2009 • Chris Mooney • Pastor Ed Young
  The Closer S4x11 "Good Faith"
  Trust Me S1x01 "Before and After"

0983
  Trust Me S1x01 "Before and After"
  Fringe S1x12 "The No-Brainer" 
  24 S7x06 Day 7: 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
  TDS: Jan. 27, 2009 • Gwen Ifill
  TCR: Jan. 27, 2009 • Philippe Petit

0984
  TCR: Jan. 27, 2009 • Philippe Petit
  Leverage S1x09 "The Snow Job"
  TDS: Jan. 28, 2009 • Neil deGrasse Tyson
  TCR: Jan. 28, 2009 • Sir. Paul McCartney • Denis Dutton
  LOST S5x03 "Jughead"
 
0985
  LOST S5x03 "Jughead"
  TDS: Jan. 29, 2009 • P.W. Singer
  TCR: Jan. 29, 2009 • John Podesta
  The West Wing S4x20 "Evidence of Things Not Seen"
  Damages S2x04 "Hey! Mr. Pibb!"
  TCM presents "Annie Hall" (1977)

0986
  TCM presents "Annie Hall" (1977)
  The West Wing S4x21 "Life on Mars"

0987
  The West Wing S4x21 "Life on Mars"
  Battlestar Galactica S4x13 "The Oath"
  Nip/Tuck S5x17 "Roxy St. James"
  Burn Notice S2x10 "Do No Harm"

0988
  Burn Notice S2x10 "Do No Harm"
  Life on Mars S1x08 "Take a Look at the Lawmen"
  Monk S7x13 "Mr. Monk Makes the Playoffs"
  Psych S3x13 "Any Given Friday Night at 10PM, 9PM Central"

0989
  Psych S3x13 "Any Given Friday Night at 10PM, 9PM Central"
  Fox Movie Channel presents "Looking for Richard" (1996)

0990
  Fox Movie Channel presents "Looking for Richard" (1996)
  NBC presents "The Last Templar" – Episode 1
  NBC presents "The Last Templar" – Episode 2

0991
  NBC presents "The Last Templar" – Episode 2
  The Simpsons S13x05 "The Blunder Years"
  The West Wing S4x22 "Commencement"
  The West Wing S4x23 "Twenty-Five"

0992
  The West Wing S4x23 "Twenty-Five"
  The West Wing S5x01 "7A WF 83429"
  The West Wing S5x02 "The Dogs of War"
  The West Wing S5x03 "Jefferson Lives"

0993
  The West Wing S5x03 "Jefferson Lives"
  The West Wing S5x04 "Han"
  The West Wing S5x05 "Constituency of One"
  The West Wing S5x06 "Disaster Relief"

0994
  The West Wing S5x06 "Disaster Relief"
  The West Wing S5x07 "Separation of Powers"
  The West Wing S5x08 "Shutdown"
  Chuck S2x12 "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension"

0995
  Chuck S2x12 "Chuck Versus the Third Dimension"
  TDS: Feb. 2, 2009 • Lawrence Lindsey
  TCR: Feb. 2, 2009 • Dan Zaccagnino
  The West Wing S5x10 "The Stormy Present"
  The West Wing S5x11 "The Benign Prerogative"

0996
  The West Wing S5x11 "The Benign Prerogative"
  Heroes S3x14 "Chapter One: 'A Clear and Present Danger'"
  Medium S5x01 "Soul Survivor"
  TDS: Feb. 3, 2009 • Dev Patel [f/Jon Stewart's Dennis Miller impression]
  TCR: Feb. 3, 2009 • Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

0997
  TCR: Feb. 3, 2009 • Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
  Fringe S1x13 "The Transformation"
  24 S7x07 Day 7: 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
  TDS: Feb. 4, 2009 • Karen Greenberg
  TCR: Feb. 4, 2009 • Steve Martin

0998
  TCR: Feb. 4, 2009 • Steve Martin
  Damages S2x05 "I Agree, It Wasn't Funny"
  TDS: Feb. 5, 2009 • Randall Balmer
  TCR: Feb. 5, 2009 • James Surowiecki • Jonah Lehrer
  LOST S5x04 "The Little Prince"

0999
  LOST S5x04 "The Little Prince"
  South Park S10x10 "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy"
  Nip/Tuck S5x18 "Ricky Wells"
  Battlestar Galactica S4x14 "Blood on the Scales"
  Burn Notice S2x12 "Seek and Destroy"

1000
  Burn Notice S2x12 "Seek and Destroy"
  Leverage S1x10 "The 12-Step Job"
  The Closer S4x12 "Junk in the Trunk"
  Trust Me S1x02 "All Hell the Victors"


Current Collection

X344
  Title 1: FXM Retro presents "Cluny Brown" (1946)
  Title 2: MST3K presents "The Girl in the Gold Boots" (1999)
  Title 3: Cake S3x09 "ESC"
  Title 4: commercial: Progressive "The Upper Hand"
  Title 5: Cake  S3x10 "At Your Service"
  Title 6: Full Frontal S5x21 Jacob Blake, police and white militias • Pseudoscience • Voting by mail
  Title 7: Syfy presents "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" (1991)

X345
  Title 1: commercial: E*Trade "Bear Market"
  Title 2: Freeform presents "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)
  Title 3: KX News report Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Sept. 18, 2020 • N.D. Covid-19 rates
  Title 4: IFC presents "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999)
  Title 5: Full Frontal S5x22 Emmy nom • Senate races • Social connections • The Black Pumas "Colors"
             Biden commercial
  Title 6: Syfy presents "Dead Still" (2014)

X346
  Title 1: Sundance presents "The Green Mile" (1999)
  Title 2: Syfy presents "Zombieland" (2009)
  Title 3: FX presents "Deadpool 2" (2018)
  Title 4: promo: Wounded Warrior Project

X347
  Title 1: FX: New York Times presents "The Killing of Breonna Taylor"
  Title 2: Archer  S11x01 "The Orpheus Gambit"
  Title 3: A Wilderness of Error S1x01 "Girl in a Floppy Hat"
  Title 4: A Wilderness of Error S1x02 "A Time of Suspicion"
  Title 5: A Wilderness of Error S1x03 "Should the Jury Find ..."
              Archer S11x02 "Bloodsploosh"
  Title 6: Archer S11x03 "Helping Hands"
  Title 7: Full Frontal S5x23 RBG • ICE atrocities • October surprise
  Title 8: commercial: Manscaped
  Title 9: FXM Retro presents "Backlash" (1947)

X348
  Title 1: Bob's Burgers S11x01 "Dream a Little Bob of Bob"
  Title 2: Fargo S4x01 "Welcome to the Alternate Economy"
  Title 3: Debate: Trump vs. Biden – Sept. 29, 2020
  Title 4: Archer S11x04 "Robot Factory"
  Title 5: Full Frontal S5x24 Trump-Biden Debate • School choice • Roller derby
  Title 6: Bob's Burgers S11x02 "Worms of In-Rear-Ment"
  Title 7: MC Music Choice '80s – The Bangles "Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987)
  Title 8: Debate: Pence vs. Harris – Oct. 7, 2020
  Title 9: Archer S11x05 "Best Friends"
  Title 10: commercial: pro-Trump ad