Wonderfalls (2004) – Barrel Bear, and Lovesick Ass

Jaye (Caroline Dhavernas) and Mahandra (Tracie Thoms) find themselves on opposite sides of an argument over Niagara legend and history in Barrel Bear. Written by Tim Minear and Bryan Fuller this episode was never aired which is too bad, because it’s damned funny, and features two fantastic guest stars, Louise Fletcher and Rue McClanahan. Jaye…

Kung Fu Hustle (2004) – Stephen Chow

Stephen Chow not only directed Kung Fu Hustle, but he starred in it and had a hand in the script. And what he delivers is a wild action-comedy seasoned with some pop culture references as well as seeming to exist in a Warner Brothers cartoon. Set in 1940s China, the story follows a troubled man,…

Wonderfalls (2004) – Crime Dog, and Muffin Buffalo

Aaron (Lee Pace) begins to suspect Jaye’s (Caroline Dhavernas) secret in Crime Dog. Written by Krista Vernoff this episode was advertised on Fox, but they cancelled the series before it got a chance to air, so instead fans had to wait to discover it when it dropped on DVD in the Wonderfalls Complete Viewer Collection….

Wonderfalls (2004) – Karma Chameleon, and Wound-up Penguin

Jaye (Caroline Dhavernas) gets single white femaled in Karma Chameleon. Written by Tim Minear this episode aired second, on 19 March, 2004, when it was actually the third in the narrative order. When a fish in the bar, and a stuffed chameleon tell Jaye to help ‘get her words out’ when it comes to a…

Wonderfalls (2004) – Wax Lion, and Pink Flamingos

This week, I’m diving into the classic Bryan Fuller series, Wonderfalls. The show definitely did not get the love it deserved at the time, mainly because Fox, in their usual way of screwing over genre shows, aired them out of order. In fact, they only aired four episodes, leaving nine unaired, but the series found…

Garden State (2004) – Zach Braff

The Zach Braff film (writer/director/star) Garden State hasn’t aged very well. And even in 2004, some of it seemed questionable. The soundtrack that we all thought was amazing at the time wasn’t, and I have to tell you, I never liked the Shinns no matter how much Braff insisted the song would change your life….

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) – Jared Hess

Napoleon Dynamite was huge. I remember when it came out, and hit home video, it was so big. We played it all the time in the store, it was just fun, and most of us had known someone like Napoleon while we were growing up. That being said, Napoleon (Jon Heder) has a lot more…

Sideways (2004) – Alexander Payne

Movies can stay with you. I remember seeing Sideways when it hit theatres, laughing with my friends as Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church tried to figure out their lives, loves, and wine. The characters and moments stayed with me, not to mention the talented female leads of the film, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh….

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) – Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson transposes his quirky family dramas and characters, and that wonderful eye for details into an undersea adventure that pays homage to, and pokes fun at, the ocean adventure films that rose to popularity with the works of Jacques Cousteau. Bill Murray stars as the titular Steve Zissou, a Cousteau wannabe who, aboard his…

The Terminal (2004) – Steven Spielberg

Hearing the name Tom Hanks in connection to a Steven Spielberg film is always a good thing for me, and I remember going to see 2004’s The Terminal in the theatre, and just delighting in the dramatic comedy the pair had come up with. Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, a man who while in transit to…