Burn, Baby, Burn!

Just caught the first episode of Burn Notice, a great new drama from the USA Network. Not the usual Sturm und Drang–leaning dramas I’m used to watching, Burn Notice is more cheeky and frothy – like Hustle, but with a blacklisted government agent instead of cheeky-chappie conmen.

Dumped back in Miami, dumped spy Michael Westen has to find out why he got burnt while trying to make a buck to survive. Then there’s his nagging mother to deal with, his nagging ex-girlfriend, and an ex–Navy SEAL buddy who is set on drinking his way through retirement.


Sharon Gless plays mom. Gabrielle Anwar, who I probably last saw in Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead, sports a frankly bizarre Irish accent as the ex. The mighty Bruce Campbell breezes through the buddy role. Because television should inform as well as entertain, the first episode shows you how to beat a fingerprint activated lock and the best way to shoot someone behind a reinforced steel door.

Perfect summer fare, it’s a shame we’re not getting Burn Notice instead of the dire Cape Wrath.

I haven’t bothered checking the Apple site for any new film trailers for a while. Finally I moseyed over and discovered a trailer for The Golden Compass, the adaptation of Northern Lights, the first part of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Damn it looks good.



Even though the release is six months away, I should buy the books. Again. The first set I lent to The Blonde with the Butterfly Tattoo who passed them on to her legion of nieces. The next time I bought the trilogy they went to the Delightful LA Actress who then gave them to her daughter to read. I leave it too late and they’ll be reprinted with some damn movie tie-in cover. Maybe it is too late already.