On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of TV shows and hpt movies on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: Showtime's “Nurse Jackie,” for anyone unfamiliar with the show, but intrigued by Edie Falco's Emmy win.
Email Jean

It’s FREEVIEW time on Showtime On Demand! But be warned: this is what crack dealers do. They give you a free taste, and then you will want more! Lots of Showtime’s titles are available for free On Demand right now through October 6th. There’s no better way to catch up on “Nurse Jackie” Oh, yeah, I’m smoking the Showtime crack!

Did Edie Falco deserve the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series? Hell, yeah! Edie Falco brings such nuance to all the conflicting facets of this multi-prismatic character. Nurse Jackie is hard, but loving; sexual, yet cold; compassionate, but demanding; drug-addicted but dedicated to healing; and Edie Falco plays of this passionately and fearlessly.

If you were sick, Jackie Peyton would be the nurse you wanted. If you were wanted a committed relationship, maybe not so much.

Yes, Nurse Jackie is worth watching just for the joy that is Edie Falco’s acting, but that is not the only reason. The cast (featuring Anna Deavere Smith, Merritt Wever, Eve Best, Peter Facinelli, Dominic Fumusa, and Paul Schulze) are all terrific.

The show is also refreshingly different from other doctor/hospital series. The plots involve patients, but are not balanced around them (or their illnesses/injuries). This is the only show on television that actually shows a hospital that seems like a real, working hospital.

So take advantage of the Showtime Freeview before it ends next month. I think I’ll binge on Dexter next. Hide your knives…

- Jean Tait
______________
Jean Tait is a new contributing writer to On Demand Weekly. Currently the Director of Programming for the Connecticut Film Festival, Jean has programmed for the Jacksonville Film Festival and Sundance Channel.

Check out previous reviews by Jean Tait:

Weeds

The Big C

Pillars Of The Earth

JANEANE GAROFALO

On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: BANKSY’S COMING FOR DINNER.

Imagine that you have 17 hours to shoot a movie about art’s most anonymous hero. You can’t show his face. You even have to mask his voice like some mob informant. You have one shot at this so you’d better get it right. This is the first time he’s ever done this and it might be the last. If you pull it off, it could kick start your career. If you blow it, it’s over.

Banksy?

Director Ivan Massow accepted his own challenge to film a documentary about a dinner with graffiti artist Banksy and an assortment of British celebrities who you probably wouldn’t cross the street to meet.

Charismatic grande dame Joan Collins is our hostess on the grounds of her gilded estate, complete with a herd of deer and the occasional peacock: a fitting anti-setting for an artist who'd probably stencil a heroin spoon instead of a lobster fork. Maybe he’ll tag her pool house on his way out.

He, of course, is Banksy. If you just thought, “Who’s that?,” then you’ve picked the wrong movie. The film assumes you already know something about him (even if the rest of the cast may not). You’re fascinated by his public art and intrigued by his mystique. His anonymity makes the thought of even the tiniest glimpse behind the veil as desperate as a last breath.

From the cover art of his riff on the famous Susan Meiselas photo of a Nicaraguan soldier throwing a Molotov cocktail in a Pepsi bottle – restar assault rifle and mas bouquet of wildflowers – you’re hooked. You can’t wait to watch it, to watch him. As a walking blank canvas, he passes each of us a brush to paint in the details we’d like him to be. The young girl dreams of him as a prince, the woman fantasizes of him as a lover, the teenage boy knows he’s gay, the 20-year old thinks he’s the reason he can’t get laid.

But not so fast. Our desire to fill in the blanks with Banksy may get the better of us. BANKSY’S COMING FOR DINNER makes much of the fact that “no one” knows who Banksy is. He could be you or me or the person sitting next to you on the bus. Of course, this begs the question, how do we know it’s Banksy in BANKSY? If the film fed us enough art, humor or clues to the mystery, we might not care.

On the other hand, the fun of a switcheroo movie like, for example, THE FRESHMAN is having a laugh watching a bunch of pretentious snobs tricked out of their money. Ha if they only knew! Well if it’s not really Banksy in BANKSY, you’ve just paid for an expensive dinner with strangers -- and you’re the main course. So dig in. As the final scene will remind you, it’s the experience, not any one star, that’s your focus.

One wonders if we will get a better glimpse of Banksy in the much hyped EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP after its premiere at Sundance this year?

-- Carol Canfield
__________
Carol Canfield is a new contributing writer for On Demand Weekly.

Attention Judy Greer fans, BARRY MUNDAY is now available on VOD until 9/30/2010. See the trailer below...

For more BARRY MUNDAY, see featurette here.

On Demand Weekly presents SoundWatch, a new weekly column on the latest in music entertainment available on demand, one of the most popular VOD categories. New contributor, Sky McCarthy, will give readers an inside look at what's happening in music on demand.

Every Monday, SoundWatch will list the most watched music videos on demand as well as the week's new music videos from catefory leader, Music Choice On Demand (Music Choice, the multi-platform video and music network, delivers its music programming to millions of consumers nationwide through their televisions, online and mobile devices).

Up This Week in SoundWatch: Are Badass Music Videos Overcompensating for the Music? (read below)

What's Hot Now On Music Choice On Demand - Top 10 Music Videos (week ending 8/15/10)

SOURCE: Rentrak On Demand Essentials, Music Choice Custom Site

Fresh Picks: New and Noteworthy Music Video Available Starting Today (8/30) on Music Choice On Demand

• M.I.A, “XXXO” (XL)
• D.J. Khaled, “All I Do Is Win (Remix)” (We The Best/E1)
• Enrique Iglesias “I Like It” (Universal Latino/Universal Republic)
• Katy Perry “Teenage Dream” (Capitol)
• Robyn “Hang With Me” (Interscope)
• Sugarland “Stuck Like Glue” (Mercury)
  

With the recent criticism over Eminem’s latest video for “Love the Way You Lie,” feat. Rihanna, the debate of whether or not music glorifies violence is once again brought to the fore of pop culture limelight. The video stars silver-screen vixen Megan Fox battling her lover in an abusive relationship opposite “Lost”’s Dominic Monaghan. Music videos have long been able to increase the popularity of a song by showcasing new dance crazes, different fashion trends or simply giving visibility to a new artist. Using well-known faces only allows a recognizable brand to make a stronger foothold with viewers.

The music video as a “mini” movie (arguably beginning with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”) has only risen as an artistic medium on television…that is until recently when music channels like MTV and VH1 began shying away from music to feature guido fist pumping juiceheads or washed up musicians searching for love amongst the MVPs of Valtrex. (If you do like "Jersey Shore", then be sure to check out Enrique Iglesias’s new video for “I Like It,” one the crew’s favorite party jams!)

But music lovers needn’t be entirely despondent. On Demand offerings from MTV On Demand, VH1 On Demand, and even BET On Demand have substantial music offerings that hark back to a time when music was actually the priority of Music Television. Young Fresh and Fly, a category under MTV On Demand’s offerings, features videos from established artists like Lil Wayne and a super Katy Perry category, while MTV2 On Demand has new dance track sensations Erika Jayne and LaRoux.

Those in the mood for some nostalgia might appreciate VH1 Classic On Demand’s So 90s or Totally 80s super categories featuring favorites like Beastie Boys, Vanilla Ice, and Pat Benetar. I was surprised, but it seems like these channels have used their on demand services as updated vaults to retain some shred of a connection to their music past. I am not sure if anyone could have predicted the direction these channels have taken but music videos have become so elaborate that they no longer need a big introduction. The music industry, maybe just the entire entertainment industry, has created a world where the line between musician and actor has become increasingly blurred and music is now so much more than just something to be listened to.

While the internet has made it easier to readily access any music video, some may ask what benefit, if any, is derived from using our TV’s to access content? I find the biggest and coolest draw is the opportunity to discover new things. Channel surfing is one of my favorite past times not really afforded by video links and Music Choice On Demand allows easy access to dozens of videos by artists new and old. The relevancy of music videos can not be argued as they now spark cultural phenomena and are not just made to simply showcase an artist doing something as boring as a singing their own song...  that’s what concerts are for, right?

Yet, now that we have reached an era in which budgets for some music videos probably exceed those of small indie flicks, it becomes inevitable that some boundaries may be crossed. But when did these types of theatrics becomes absolutely necessary to sell music? Or are they? Having personally grown up in an era where music videos are the status quo promotional tool for increasing an artist’s visibility, I wonder if perhaps they detract from the songs themselves. Either way, music videos are definitely entertaining and serve as a way of connecting a musician to their fans on a personal level of assumed self-expression.

To the readers out there I’d love to know what you think about the pervasive culture of hyped-up music videos today. Are they fun and entertaining or are they just overwhelming distractions for artists to mask any lack of talent?

Check SoundWatch every week for the latest in Music On Demand and scintillating pop culture discussion!

- Sky McCarthy
_____________
Sky McCarthy is a new contributing writer to On Demand Weekly and a television enthusiast (ask me about anything!) currently working in entertainment in New York City.

On Demand Weekly rounds up stories affecting the On Demand TV / VOD Industry. Let us know what you think and what On Demand stories are important to you here.
 

Cable Operators Weigh Tech Options for Delivering 3DTV

If 3DTV does become The Next Big Thing, then cable must be a part of it. The new TV capability would follow cable's historical lineage of delivering multichannel television, HDTV, on-demand, interactivity, and other innovations. However, the future of 3DTV on cable holds many challenges that go beyond the issues over 3DTV itself, including the big question of whether consumers are willing to wear special glasses while watching TV... (Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider)

On Demand Weekly asked Craig Leddy (Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider) a few follow up questions.

ODW: Aside from dedicated 3D channels, will VOD be the primary platform MSO's can offer 3D TV?
Craig Leddy: VOD will be a primary platform for MSOs to offer 3DTV. For the near term, the big drivers for 3DTV will be movies and events that will work well in an on-demand delivery environment. Cable operators can use their VOD platforms to test their 3DTV delivery capabilities, determine the level of consumer demand, and build awareness of 3DTV around big-ticket movies, sports or other events.

ODW: What kind of time frame can cable subs expect this?
CL: Comcast already is offering 3DTV content on-demand and more cable companies are expected to jump in later this year. Nobody really knows whether 3DTV is truly The Next Big Thing or just a service with narrow niche appeal. So cable customers should let their provider know if they want 3DTV. - Craig Leddy, Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider

 Entertainment Industry Struggles To Adapt As DVD Sales Decline 

With advertising revenue back in growth mode, continued declines in DVD sales are emerging as the entertainment industry's most immediate concern in its struggle to adapt to the rise of digital media...(WSJ)

Viewers Just Can't Get Enough Cable

With all of the talk about consumers cutting the cord with cable and viewers flocking to the Web to see their favorite shows or to sample other content, cable shows continue to draw viewers to the television in record numbers.

Viewers during second-quarter 2010 averaged 17 hours per person per week, the highest average for the period ever, according to Turner Research...(Multichannel News)

On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: IP MAN from Gravitas Ventures.
Email Sean McPhillips

Ip Man (or Yip Man as many know him) was a legend in his own time. However, the history and ongoing saga of IP MAN “the movie” has become legendary.

Having exhausted every potential iteration of the exploits of hero Wong Fei Hung, save perhaps some futuristic sci-fi variant where he wakes from cryogenic freezing on a China-owned space station to beat some occupying Cylon ass (I get a story credit if this idea is produced), the Chinese movie industry seized upon another obvious choice for deification. Bruce Lee’s teacher. Indeed, Mr. Man (my mom used to call me that when she was cross with me) has a great deal more mystery than his well-documented and infinitely more famous protégé, so the opportunities for exploring variations on his official life and history abound.

Corey Yuen (FONG SAI-YUK, THE TRANSPORTER) was to direct the first version but the studio producing the film shuttered before lift-off. Producer Raymond Wong (producer of at least sixty titles you’ve never heard of though you may have seen his face as an actor (in another fifty) if you watch Hong Kong cinema) then took up the mantle and proceeded to produce his own Ip Man “biopic.” Donnie Yen (IRON MONKEY) was attached to both to play Mr. Man.

At one point Stephen Chow (KUNG FU HUSTLE) was to play Bruce Lee, not surprisingly. This production and title then conflicted with Wong Kar-wai’s (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) plans to do his own Ip Man biopic. Everyone wanted a piece of Man!

IP MAN was finally produced by Wong and directed by Wilson Yip (CITY WITH NO MERCY) and became a huge hit in China in 2008. It was nominated for twelve Hong Kong Film Awards, winning for best film and action choreography (only in China). IP MAN 2 was produced (again with Wong and Yen), was also a hit in 2010, and was screened along with pt 1. at the NY Asian Film Festival at Lincoln Center – with a special drop-by from Sammo Hung (If you don’t know how important he is to Hong Kong movies, Ill give you a hint: He gave Jackie Chan his break.) Sammo was action choreographer for 1 and then again while co-starring in 2. His reason for choosing to act in 2: “They paid me this time.”

Set in 30’s Foshan but shot in Shanghai for architectural reasons, IP MAN follows the eponymous martial-arts-master-without-hubris as he spends his days training, talking with friends and engaging in friendly competitions. He is the best and he is respected because of his skill and graciousness. Aside from his wife wanting more attention, his life is wonderful and serene. Then the Japanese invade China.

Ip is reduced to working in a coal mine and stumbles upon a secret fighting ring assembled by the heartless Japanese colonel Miura, a karate master. Miura believes brutal Japanese Karate is superior to the more elegant Chinese kung fu (someone alert Jaden Smith and his parents) and enjoys toying with the captive Chinese, enticing them to win a bag of rice for every Japanese soldier they dispatch (but the deck is stacked). Enter Ip Man.

Ass-kicking and unfairness result in Ip – well, let’s just say Ip Man is the Chinese Rocky, except more intelligent, cultured and reserved. Miura is like Ivan Drago but with the additional mien of WWII war crimes that fuels a multi-generational, mutual hatred so intense, an unnamed young Chinese person I know who watched this, even now, alternated between glee and abject disgust at the Colonel’s cliché plot turns. (The two best villains for the Chinese are the Japanese and the English -- an Englishman is the villain for part 2). Chinese audiences wouldn’t stand for the ending of Rocky 1 and by now you know there’s a part two so…that wasn’t a spoiler, was it?

As you may have guessed, awards aside, IP MAN is an action film, not a real biopic. It’s a pleasure to watch the master of form, Donnie Yen do his thing. (He deserves much more notoriety and respect in my opinion). The rest is a little guilty. This quote from critic Kevin Ma says it all: “Ip was indeed offered the job of teaching the Japanese martial arts during the occupation, and he did refuse out of principle. However, what Ip Man probably didn’t do was beat down ten soldiers at once with lightning-speed punches to the neck.” Flatten your heart, Kevin.

If you like kung fu movies, get Ippy with it on VOD now.

Note: Wong Kar-wai’s version (THE GRAND MASTER aka THE GREAT MASTER) is apparently in post-production and stars Tony Leung (INFERNAL AFFAIRS) and Ziyi Zhang (CROUCHING CUTENESS, HIDDEN AWESOME). I’ll be there with my Wing Chun shoes on.

- Sean McPhillps
__________________
Sean McPhillips reviews film & TV for On Demand Weekly. He is a former VP, Acquisitions for Miramax Films. He works as programmer for the Furman Film Series and the inaugural Gold Coast International Film Festival (debuts 6/11). As a writer/director his short films have played in festivals around the world.
www.secrethideoutfilms.com

Hot Movies On Demand - The Week’s Top Ten VOD Movies

Claire Foster (Tina Fey): If we are going to pay this much for crab it better sing and dance and introduce us to the Little Mermaid!
- Date Night

The top ten video on demand (VOD) movies for the week ending August 15, 2010 are:

10. Brooklyn’s Finest
9. Cop Out
8. The Bounty Hunter
7. Hot Tub Time Machine
6. Repo Men

5. Clash of the Titans
4. Kick Ass
3. Diary of a Whimpy Kid
2. Death At A Funeral
1. Date Night

Source: Rentrak 2010

EMAIL EXCLUSIVE

Every Thursday, media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention...

To read more, sign up to On Demand Weekly's Free Email Newsletter

More of Tara's VOD Hidden Gems

SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATL

Time-Shifting and On Demand TV use continue to rise according to Comcast's annual TV Pulse Survey (8/17/10).

PRESS RELEASE

COMCAST’S ANNUAL “TV PULSE SURVEY” SHOWS THE DRAMA GENRE AND NEW HAWAII FIVE-O ARE THE MOST-ANTICIPATED ‘WHAT TO WATCH’ THIS FALL TV SEASON

Time-Shifted Technology Usage Up More Than 60% from a Year Ago and 80% from Three Years Ago

"Time-shifting has hit the mainstream and is changing the way people watch TV,” said Diana Kerekes, Vice President of Entertainment Services for Comcast. “The results of our ‘TV Pulse Survey’ underscore more consumers are watching their favorite shows when and how they want to watch them."

While more than 80 percent of consumers state they regularly watch primetime television, and 80 percent plan to watch it live, consumers are also using time-shifting technologies.  More than two-thirds of consumers (62 percent) have watched primetime TV series through technologies that include VOD, DVR and the Internet.  Time-shifted viewing is on the rise with 61 percent using these technologies more than one year ago, and 84 percent using them more than just three years ago. 

More and more consumers are using various platforms when watching TV, and this fall, they’re planning to turn to a wide variety of time-shifting technologies. Interestingly, among Comcast customers, On Demand usage for watching  TV series this fall is significantly more than the average primetime viewer.

National Consumers Planned Viewing This Fall             Comcast Customers Planned Viewing This Fall

Top reasons consumers are using time-shifting technologies include personal schedules (79 percent) and programming conflicts (63 percent).

New Fall TV Season Shows
Half of consumers polled (49 percent) say the new fall TV season is important to them.  This is especially true among those who are under age 55, are female and have children in the household.  “Serious” trumps “smiles” as consumers are most excited to watch:
 

• Dramas (75 percent)
• Comedies (68 percent)
• Movies (57 percent)
• News/Educational (50 percent)
• Sports (45 percent)
• Reality shows (38 percent)

When asked about several of the new TV series that are creating the most buzz, consumers ranked the following shows in order of preference, including:

• Hawaii Five-O (40 percent)
• No Ordinary Family (23 percent)
• The Event(21 percent)
• Nikita(9 percent)
• Lone Star(8 percent). 

Consumers were also asked to rank the most-anticipated returning shows, including:

• The Good Wife (21 percent)
• Glee (19 percent)
• Modern Family (18 percent)
• Mad Men (15 percent)
• The Prisoner (13 percent)
• Community (9 percent)
• Gossip Girl (6 percent)

More:

http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=1000

Looking for a cool thriller this summer, check out IFC Midnight's VENGEANCE.