As nerdy as it sounds, my weekly trips to the library continue to impress me. Last weekend, I was searching through the DVDs looking for season 3 of “Girls” – the only season that U-Verse On Demand refuses to show, but I successfully found it (and watched it), and then I just started wandering to see what else I could find.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that they have nearly all the seasons of “The Wire“, “The Wonder Years“, and “The West Wing” (apparently I was hanging out in the Ws for awhile)…so now you know what my fall lineup looks like.
I also stumbled across “A Piece of Work” starring Joan Rivers – which is a documentary I’ve been wanting to see for years! This documentary follows Rivers in the year of her 75th birthday. It was released in 2010, and it was filmed during the year right before Rivers went on “The Apprentice” (and later won). From Google:
This revealing documentary follows the life and career of Joan Rivers, a veteran comedienne arguably more known for her extensive plastic surgery than for her talent. The film explores her early years in the comedy industry and touches on her longtime professional relationship with Johnny Carson, who is one of many celebrities featured, along with George Carlin, Phyllis Diller, Kathy Griffin and Rivers’ own daughter and frequent screen partner, Melissa Rivers.
I have always been a fan of Joan Rivers – but I realized how little I knew about her as I watched this movie. I didn’t realize that she was basically blacklisted from NBC by Johnny Carson, and her appearance on “The Apprentice” was basically her first time back. Her being blacklisted is also the start of a downfall he couldn’t handle, and he ultimately committed suicide.
Rivers’ career, like probably most comics or entertainers, has seen its ups and downs, and at the start of the documentary, Rivers and her team are trying everything they can to fill her schedule. As we all know by now, her schedule gets booked – and fast.
Of course, watching this documentary was bittersweet as we know how Rovers’ story ultimately ends. And the saddest part? In the movie, she talks a lot about how “getting old” has been the biggest struggle in her career, which is essentially why she got all the plastic surgery, and that’s how she reached her end.
Sad – but hey, the documentary had a happy ending! In all honesty, it was interesting to watch (although I love documentaries) and is definitely worth watching if you are a Rivers fan, or just a fan of comedy.
But there’s something else I’ve been watching…
Unlocking the Truth
This docuseries, “Unlocking the Truth”, started on MTV last Wednesday, hosted by Ryan Ferguson, who was recently released from prison after serving 10 years for a murder he didn’t commit. Now he’s working with a team of lawyers and investigators to help others who may be in similar situations.
The series focuses on three cases, and dives into the stories of each – and they are riveting as hell. So far, the two episodes have scraped the surface of two cases (from MTV.com):
- Michael Politte was 14 years old when was arrested for the murder of his mother Rita Politte. She was found dead in her home after being hit with a blunt object and then set on fire. Michael is now serving a life sentence in the same prison in which Ryan spent eight years of his life.
- Kalvin Michael Smith was 26 years old when he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and robbery for attacking pregnant Jill Marker. He has served 18 years of his 29-year sentence. Kalvin’s case has garnered the attention of many people in his town, and a “Free Kalvin Smith” movement has started in the city of Winston-Salem.
Y’all. This shit is so good! And finally, let’s not forget that the MTV Video Music Awards are on Sunday night, and I probably wouldn’t care if it weren’t for BRITNEY. We’ve all forgiven her for that one year when she opened and, well, she clearly wasn’t ready. Instead, let’s recall the good years. Here’s a personal favorite:
Followed closely by, of course:
…And that was 15 years ago. SHE LIVES, y’all – Britney lives! I am really excited to see what she pulls out for this performance. Anyway, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend – thanks for sticking with me this week, and I’ll be right back here on Monday!
The Bitter Lemon 