Entertainment Sites
A & E
A & E is one of the most underrated cable channels. Where else can you catch a "Biography" of Amelia Earhart before enjoying a guilty chuckle courtesy of Howard Stern? The A & E site is cleanly designed with deep background on their programming -- from mysteries to classic movies to Quincy reruns. Teachers will appreciate the A & E Classroom materials, so they can help make watching TV educational! (Seriously!) If you're into A & E, it's worth stopping here to browse the daily and weekly schedules. Of course, that isn't much use if you don't have cable. As if.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: David Pescovitz
Batman TAS Encyclopedia
The series that inspired the "Dark Deco" genre of TV animation is well-documented on this truly fanatical fan's site. This is *the* place to learn the history of Gotham CIty's weirdest and wildest inhabitants, from familiar faces like Catwoman and Penguin, to newer rogues like Joker's female flack, Harley Quinn. An episode guide reprinted from Cinemafantastique has also been posted so you can keep track of your own "see and must-see" list. Alfred would be proud.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: David Pescovitz
DC Comics
DC Comics hasn't got much going for it. They've got a hilariously snotty legal proclamation of their "proprietary rights throughout the universe in perpetuity" for a site that apparently hasn't been updated in months. And the proclamation forgets alternate universes. What about the scofflaws of Earth 2? (Yeah, I know, that was destroyed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.) What about Vertigo and Paradox Press, DC's imprints for adults? The site has streaming audio of old Superman radio serials, but only one chapter is available at a time, so most visitors will never hear the beginning of any story.
Content: 4
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Gary Barker
Gigaplex
Talk about information overload! Gigaplex is a 600+ page entertainment webzine! Divided into around a dozen sub-sections -- everything from Filmplex to Bookplex to Yogaplex to Golfplex -- this site shouts comprehensiveness. Recipes, celebrity interviews, athletic tips, book excerpts, and other entertainment tidbits are all free for the browsing. (Although the writing quality could certainly be improved.) There's also plenty of related crapola to blow cash on. If I'm wrong and the successful Web publishing model turns out to be "general interest" as opposed to "hyperspecific," Gigaplex has it made.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: David Pescovitz
GoPlay
GoPlay is a weekly guide to Bay Area entertainment presented in a slick magazine format. There are reviews, articles, groovy pictures and lots more all pertaining to the San Francisco area. Some of the topics include entertainment, dining, local events, movies, "hang outs", sports and concerts. Read reviews of restaurants and bars then add your opinion--you can give a site a thumbs up or thumbs down. You can also place or read classified ads and personal ads. Overall, a nicely done regional site that doesn't try to be hip or kooky.
Content: 6
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Jose Alvear
Harry Shearer
Visit the wacky home page of Harry Shearer, comedian and host of Le Show on NPR. Filled with character impersonations and sketches, political humor, readings from bizarre magazines, and eclectic musical interludes, Le Show is absolute ear candy. And for those of you who have given up on radio as a dead media, you'll recognize Shearer as the hyper-talented voice behind The Simpsons' Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Reverend Lovejoy, Ned Flanders... do I need to keep going? Even if you're not a fan of Le Show, it's hard not to find something of comedic attraction on this site. (The Simpsons sound samples are not to be missed.)
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: David Pescovitz
PythOnline
PythOnline is for the Python (Monty) acolyte with time to kill. Not surprisingly, it's very funny in places, but the troupers are so wrapped up in being witty and self-referencial (not to mention self-reverential), they've forgotten about bandwidth and ease-of-use. Whereas Python was quick, Pythonline is plodding. Visitors can't even get from point A to point B without taking as many as seven unwanted steps between them. We're not all squawky-voiced pepper pots with endless free time. Your patience will be rewarded, but not enough. Nudge-nudge. Wink-wink. Say no more.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 2
Author: Gary Barker
The Andy Kaufman Home Page
The Andy Kaufman Home Page is friendly and respectful. It's full of testimonials and trivia concerning one of the strangest celebrities of the late 70s and early 80s. Kaufman, best-known for his role as mechanic Latka Gravas on the sitcom Taxi, was by turns a con artist, a performance artist, an actor, a stand-up comic, an Elvis impersonator, and wrestling champion. Single-minded in his pursuit of worldwide confusion, Kaufman died of cancer in 1984 at the age of 35. This site has none of his energy.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 5
TechnoSmart: 1
Author: Gary Barker
The East Village
Here's a synopsis straight off the site: "Best friends Eve and Mick have recently slept together, but right afterwards Mick hurried out of Eve's apartment. Both were very uncomfortable ... Mick especially, since he had also been sleeping with Eve's next door neighbor, Lila. But after the sex with Lila got too rough, ..." You get the idea. From there it's off to the races in this "cybersoap." Now, I don't know how many soap fans cruise the Web, nor how many will want to read episodes from a monitor, but ... well, if the story intrigues you and you have time to kill ... have a look-see. Personally, I think Mick and Lila make a lovely couple, even if she does play a little rough.
Content: 5
Aesthetic: 6
TechnoSmart: 3
Author: Patrick Joseph